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So my FLGS has decided to run a little competition, much like A Tale of Four Gamers. Each person draws names out of a hat to decide which army they have to play with, you then buy that armies battleforce and a pre-determined HQ choice. We then have two weeks to build and paint them as we see fit. They have discounts for new-comers, who split an AOBR box between two. I believe that when everyone has played a few games, a tourney will be organized using the forces. I drew Chaos Space Marines, which means I now have the battleforce and a Terminator Lord, all unassembled. So, we play a few warm-up games and then start a tourney in a few weeks, with only one list allowed and with a 750 point limit with random scenarios.
Do you have any general advice or list suggestions? Keep in mind that I only have the battleforce and a Terminator Lord to utilize.

Shoot them. Stay back, hope you can kill off the raider with your single heavy weapon (heavy bolter) and shoot them. Mark of Nurgle might be best on your CSMs, that or Khorne (unless you feel Undivided is better later on), and your Champion should have a power fist (you're going last anyway, make the best of it). Khorne, Nurgle or Slaanesh is best on your Lord, and give him a pair of lightning claws (general Lord set-up anyway since they're all but useless). Keep your rhino out of sight and give it a combi-flamer.

Berzerkers should be counter-charge, or to soften up a unit for shooting to death. Don't be afraid to use them as a screen; since DE are faster than you, you might as well have them go toe-to-toe with combat specialists before facing your gunline. Possessed should be screens for the berzerkers, or given MoN/MoK/MoT. With their S5, they're wounding on 2s, but there's only 5 of them.

Obviously the Dark Eldar get an Archon as an HQ choice and the senario is random, decided on the day.

Basic vanilla CSM with IOCG can stand up to pretty much any DE unit in CC except Incubi. That being said you don't want to be in CC, and the optimal way to handle T3 units with a 5+ or worse armor save is to gun them down with boltguns which basic vanilla CSM are also equipped with.

In fact, stay back, shoot them, and let them come on your terms.
Maintaining a proper target priority schedule is key.
Heavy bolters, autocannons, missile launchers are your best heavy weapons to pop DE skimmers.
Note that S6 (or higher) weapons ignore FNP (bar Wracks, Haemies or Grotesques).

Thanks for the advice, but I have to say that you should probably read the first post. Both him and myself only have what's in the battleforce box's for the respective races, with a Chaos Lord for me and an Archon for him, it narrows my choices.

Just get your troops into close contact with his, rapid fire if possible then charge. Their natural toughness should do the rest. Try and get the archon into combat with a unit containing a powerfist. His raider can deliver a unit to assault from outside of your reach, so try to cripple it if possible.

Don't take nurgle troops. You'll be paying a premium for a toughness bonus that you won't get to apply at all. DE have poisoned weapons out the ass, you're gonna feel pretty dumb when all the extra points you sank into Plague Marines go down just as easy as regular marines. Save the points, put em towards bigger guns or vehicle upgrades.

He can't take Plage Marines anyway, nor anything bigger than a Heavy Bolter/Plasmagun/Meltagun/Flamer.

However, take into account that this isn't a single game when giving advice. He said that after a few games between all competitors, a tourney will probably be organised using the force; unless you can change your list to suit each game, tooling the list for use against DE will leave him open to other lists.

Darkjediben wrote:Don't take nurgle troops. You'll be paying a premium for a toughness bonus that you won't get to apply at all. DE have poisoned weapons out the ass, you're gonna feel pretty dumb when all the extra points you sank into Plague Marines go down just as easy as regular marines. Save the points, put em towards bigger guns or vehicle upgrades.

Except they will have 3+ armor, and 4+ Feel No Pain...

Hold on, do they allow conversions?

They never said anything specifically about it but I would say it would defeat the point if you could convert them.

What marks should I take for them, I've had some conflicting advice.

Do you know what the other people got? Because if you're going to be facing two other players then you want a list that can stand up to them and not just DE.

Everything that has a battleforce has a player. This is just a warm-up, but I coincidentally pulled this guy as my first round tourney opponent in the draw this morning. I found out that your're only allowed one list for the tourney so I should change the OP and title.

A termie Lord really doesn't mesh well with whats in the battleforce in terms of list making i don't think,
I spose he could be used as a suicide combi-melta, i don't really know otherwise, attach him to 5 marines with flamer and walk?
The rhino could act as a semi bunker light gunship, give it an additional bolter, a havoc launcher and demonic possesion, so it can pump out light fire, leave the zerkers inside for rapid re-deployment if playing defensively. Or you can advance with it if playing aggresive, probly drop the havoc for that role since it won't be firing. For the marines go with h.bolter and plasma as both can shoot down raiders and plasma insta-kills HQ's and IoCG of course

As for possessed... hope you roll fleet nah they're pretty ok
Survivability: MoT 3+, 4++ nuff said
Combat: MoK 4 S5 on the charge, possibly rending or power weapons, maybe even S6 if furious charge
Resilience: MoT T5, most useless i think given poison, would be fun in CC tho to wound

Given there is only 5 of them i'd go light on upgrades unless your really trying to fill points then i'd take Tzeentch and throw them at the archon

Hope this helps some

Ps. the havoc launcher can down raiders too!