Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So I started a Chaos army recently, wanted to write a couple of lists, first a 500 point for playing with some people at work then a couple of 1000pts, one with the figures I have now (mostly) and one with what I would want to get. Right now this is the list with items which I currently HAVE (I need the Chaos lord but that is all I am missing from both of these lists). Any criticism would be nice, and advice on what to buy to fill out the lists (I want Kharne and a Lord in terminator armor for my 1000pt ideal list, and maybe a dreadnought and second rhino too.) Note : going with a Khorne theme hence MOK on everything

<500pt> (497 spent)

1 x Chaos Lord
- MOK [100pts]

8 x Chaos Space Marines
- MOK
- Melta
- Rhino w/Havoc Launcher [210pts]

7 x Khorne Berserkers
- Skull Champion w/Power Fist [187pts]

<1000pts> (997 spent)

1 x Chaos Lord
- MOK [100pts]

10 x Chaos Space Marines
- MOK
- 2 x Plasma Guns
- Aspiring Champ w/ Power First & Meltas
- Rhino w/Havoc Launcher [300pts]

12 x Chaos Space Marines
- MOK
- 2 x Flamer
- Aspiring Champ w/Combi Flamer & Meltas [250pts]

8 x Khorne Berserkers
- Skull Champion w/ Power Fist [187pts]

5 x Possesed Chaos Space Marines
- MOK [160pts]

I screwed up my initial point allocation but have since fixed it, sorry about that :(

Are most of your marines on foot? Might benefit from being a bit more mechanized.

Your list is about half-way there to being a good almost competitive list.

1. If you are running a Khorne Lord then also buy him a Lightning Claw Pair for extra killyness, plus ICs in general NEED to ignore armour saves in one way or another.

2. Ditch the regular marines and use 5-man squad of Plague marines with either 2 plasma guns or 2 meltaguns in RHINOS

3. PUT EVERYTHING IN A RHINO RAWR, THE POWER OF THE CHAOS GODS COMPELS YOU!

4. Possessed are . . . bad, Berzerkers do just as well and are less random.

5. Buy obliterators whenever you can, they are the unholy grail of the Chaos Marines.

To explain some things for you...

People do not like randomness, specially randomness that can screw you. This is why people shy away from the Khorne Demon weapon, Dreads, Spawn, ect.

The other crippling factor for Chaos is that everything that is not a Cult troop (and thus Fearless) will run away like nancy little girls the first morale check they have to make. This is one of the main reasons why right now Chaos is... eh.

So, your either limited in what you take (Cult troops, HQ, and non-random vehicles) or you accept the fact your troops will run away crying (suicide Terminators, 1-2 Obliterators in a mob, ect...). Mark of Chaos Glory for a Ld re-roll turns into the only real mark option, which is a shame.

For your list, either you just suck it up and go all Zerkers or you break your fluff rule. Take MoCG, other cult troops or just accept the fact they will run away.

You /can/ go all Zerkers, as you can do a foot hoard lists (a 20 man mob of Zerkers is a pretty scary sight) with champs and Fists and some plasma pistols. Or you can put them in Rhinos with Combi-meltas and vehicles like a base Pred with LC sponsons (Don't bother with the turret, makes them to damn expensive) for your AT options. Make sure you use Champs with Fists for every Zerker mob, but in Rhinos the plasma are optional... though it /is/ a Str 7 shot at 12" and 2 Str 7 shots under 6" if you do move.... and you want to be moving every turn.

The Str 7 Plasma pistols can drop light vehicles (AV 12 or less) and walkers. They are also good for terminators and MCs... and since your special weapon starved, you almost need whatever you can get.

Possessed are kind of eh because of the random roll and they are super expensive. A single CC weapon kind of sucks and if they do not get the power weapon option, your looking at your Zerkers with a Fist as being cheaper and more effective, even if the other stuff is kinda neat.

Lightining Claws on the Lord is indeed a good option, but a MoK DP with wings is 140pts. Lord with a pair of LCs, MoK, Melta bombs for vehicles, and a Jump pack is 155pts. If you drop the Lord's JP and MB you have a 10pt difference, then you look at statline... DP crushes the Lord for that 10pts. In higher point games, take two DPs.

My advice... hope it helps. Good luck and have fun!

Thanks for the advice, as mentioned this is an army with "What I have" (got the chaos war pack thing and 1 set of space marines), my "ideal" army has everything in rhinos, a chaos lord with twin lightning claws in terminator armor and Khorn.

For my BA lists, I almost always go with Razorbacks over Rhinos, because they're a lot better value. Does the same apply for chaos?

I don't even think I get Razorbacks :S

Ok- i think some people arent getting the fact that this is a friendly learning army by the looks of it.

If your learning how to play then chosen infiltrate is one of the few interesting things left in the game for chaos (when you get use to using it it will make you a better gamer). Muck around with what weps you give them melee claws and Pfs? or plasma or melta fun- and what icons.

and id almost consider the same logic for the possessed- if ur starting to play your opponent will prolly have no issue with you changing the rule to you get to roll 2d6 and pick the best trait of the 2 dice.

All marines should be in rhinos- its just part of the meq playstyle- and moving carparks is really quite fun+ id put havoc launchers on everything to be really annoying and keep your army doing fun things. and yeh you need to kit your vanilla csm out with icon of chaos glory or for some reason theyll break every 25%.

Id advise not using vanilla csm (my preference) the fearless + the cool specialized (slightly smaller) units makes being a general of a chaos army with all these cool space marines more complex and more fun. Proxy these before you buy them (again most casual players wont have problems with this).

One of the first things i bought when i was starting chaos was a lord in termie amr. Biggest mistake ever. Cos hes not eternal warrior (instant deathable) he always has to be in a unit or else those (F**** hive guard...). I either have to put a landraider for assault delivery (pointcost) or deepstrike him with a squad of suicide-termies. Both options kind of suck because they are so expensive, unpredictable for me, predictable for the opponent, still so dam immobile when they are on the board, they never seem to do anymore than kill one unit then get punked (never point effective).

The above said: id give yourself something in deepstrike reserve- be that termies, raptors, lesser deamons or a deamon prince. Just so you can get this trick up your sleve too. personal icons allow anything to deepstrike in within 6" without doing all the scary sheet. This is awesome.

Give the lord or sorcerer wings or throw him on a bike. Power armor + invulnerable lord save = almost the same thing as termie armor. maneuverability makes for fun armies imo.


Hokey dokey

Stick to your guns mate dont just change things cos people say there bad. Give everything a try and see what works.



Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also dreadnaughts are hilarious- id probably encourage you to get a defiler with 2xdccw rather than the dreadnaught but lololololololol. Other options- 2 oblits, vindicator, raptors, bikes, kitchen sink?

Stoffer, Chaos does not get Razorbacks. I really suggest if your going to comment on other lists that you at least own the Codex so you don't confuse new players.

Ithani, no one mentioned Chosen nor were they in his list. I strongly suggest you do not make house rules, specially for a new player who will have a hard enough time learning the base rules.

hose rules to make the rules more digestible and forgiving for new players a bad thing?

i mention chosen coz there interesting units?

well done on being the e-thug we know wh40k doesnt have nearly enough of.

How does a house rule to make Possessed /better/ then what they actually are make the rules more digestible? Gee, you might as well tell him to ignore the Dread crazy rule and just go ahead and give his CSMs ATSKNF so they don't run.

Inflating a unit's value to mislead a new player to the unit's actual worth is not 'forgiving' or 'digestible'. /I/ am trying to save him RL money and make a better list, fluff or tourney wise. If he still wants to use Possessed, then he goes in eyes wide open, not BSed into believing they are better then what they actually are.