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Ok I am faced with a choice as to what to take to a 2000 point tournament next Saturday. Its a competitive environment with Grey Knights/Wolves/Dark Eldar/Necrons. Oddly enough only 1 or 2 Guard players and they usually never show up. I expect to see an Ork player or 2 and maybe a Tervigon heavy Nid list. Here are the choices for me:

Chaos Space Marines

Kharn
Lash Sorcerer (Riding in Plaguemarine Rhino)

6 Terminators-2 Champs with Double Lightning Claws, 1 normal with Reaper/PW, 1 normal with Combi-Melta/LC, 2 normal with Combi-Plasma and Power Fist
5 Chosen-4 Meltaguns, 1 normal. Rhino-Dozer Blade, Combi-Plasma

8 Berzerkers plus one Skull Champ with Power Fist (Riding in Land Raider with Kharn)
7 Plaguemarines plus one Plague Champ with Power Fist and Personal Icon-Rhino with Dozer Blade, Combi-Plasma
CSM squad-8 Normal, 1 Plasmagun, 1 Lascannon. Rhino-Dozer Blade, Combi-Plasma
CSM squad-8 Normal, 1 Plasmagun, 1 Lascannon. Rhino-Dozer Blade, Combi-Plasma

Land Raider

The idea is that Kharn rides around with the Berzerkers wreaking havoc while the Plaguemarines and the Sorcerer are heading to claim an objective thats not in my deployment zone. The Terminators can come in either beside the Land Raider or the Plaguemarine Rhino. The CSM squads are there to help with a little bit of fire support or to claim a home objective.

Tau 2000

Shas'el-Missile Pod, Plasma Rifle, Multi-Tracker, Blacksun Filter

3 Crisis Suits-3 Missile Pod/Plasma Rifle, Multi-Tracker
3 Crisis Suits-3 Missile Pod/Plasma Rifle, Multi-Tracker
3 Crisis Suits-3 Twin Linked Missile Pods, Targeting Array

12 Fire Warriors
12 Fire Warriors
12 Fire Warriors
15 Kroot (Flanking)

5 Pathfinders-Devilfish with Disruption Pod
5 Pathfinders-Devilfish with Disruption Pod

Hammerhead-Disruption Pod, Multitracker, 2 Burst Cannons, Railgun
Hammerhead-Disruption Pod, Multitracker, 2 Burst Cannons, Railgun
Broadsides-2 with Targeting Array, 1 team leader with Target Lock and Hard-Wired Drone Controller. 2 Shield Drones.

The army pretty much explains itself. The Broadsides/Hammerheads hunt big armor/MC's, the Crisis Suits hunt small armor and help with MC's, the Firewarriors kill infantry, the Kroot flank and cause disruption, Pathfinders help everyone hit better.

I see pros and cons to both armies and to be honest I would be happy running either one. I just can't decide which one lol.

Comments are welcome and no these armies are not changing as they are the models that I have currently and I don't have access to more models between now and then. Which army would do better in the tournament?

not much of an expert on tau. but the chaos list seems solid, apart from the termie champs, is two more attacks really worth 20 points? maybe you could use those extra points on a khorne lord with daemon blade for those possible 16 attacks from a s4 power weapon , if you have enough points, or a nurgle lord with poisoned attacks wounding on a 4+, for those high toughness monsters if you expect to see nids. just my two cents

I forgot to mention that the Termies have the Icon of Slaanesh if that matters. The 2 champs in the squad were basically in case anyone got in on me and I needed those extra attacks. That does make me wonder if it is the best idea or not. Are you suggesting dropping Kharn to take a Khornate daemon weapon lord or dropping the Sorcerer to get one?

I ran a similar terminator unit this weekend against chaos demons:
2 DLC champs
2 LC champs with combi melta
1 CF champ with HF

Difference was they had Abaddon in the squad, and MoT (4+ comes handy on pricey models).

They got the charge on a bloodcruchers units. Abaddon hit himself in the face with his own demon weapon. They managed to kill 4 bloodcrushers on the first round, and lost only 2 models despite the fact that the 6 bloodcrushers got the time to retaliate.

I was very very happy with the squad performance. They were horribly pricy, but got the job done.

So I'd make a few adjustments on your list :
- If you ride your Bz on a LR, I'd take a regular chaos lord, DLC + combi melta, instead of Kharne. I'd also take a personnal icon on the skull champ.
- i'd had loads of melta guns in there, specifically on the PM and the CSM. Against Tau, you will probably want to stay close to them? Hell, I'd even take PM instead of CSM.
- I am a bit hesitant on the aformentionned killer deathstar terminator units. I have a feeling simple and multiple termicide (3 terminators + combi meltas) would be more efficient, dropping behing the Tau tanks and popping them. From what I see on Tau (never faught them), each and any of your squads would eat them even equipped with forks. Maybe combi melta + LC if you want to make sure.

I take it that the Chaos List is the better list then? Wow thats actually surprising.