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.

Hey everyone. Next week I am playing an apocalypse battle against a mate playing ultramarines. Can you guys give me a good tactic for playing him. He is likely to use his Marneus Calgars god damned op orbital bombardment first turn -_-

My army list is:

1 Abbadon the Despoiler
1 chaos terminator sorcerer
1 terminator lord
1 chaos daemon prince
10 khorne berzerkers
30 chaos space marines
1 rhino
1 chaos vindicator
1 chaos landraider
2 Defilers

I also have the ability to proxy a few units, if that helps at all.

Like i said, he is fielding Marneus Calgar and probably a tonne of terminators, maybe a legion of the damned and many other powerful units. I was wondering how to use my chaos sorcerer to turn his Calgar into chaos spawn. I believe the psyker power is called "Gift of Chaos." this would be great fun and I probably wouldn't stop making fun of him all day

How do I go about doing this. He said that his Eternal warrior will save him, but I thought that it is only stopping instant kills, not "replacement."
So, basically can you try and answer either a good tactic against him, or how to turn Marneus Calgar, or any other space marine unit for that matter, into chaos spawn.
Thanks a tonne, chaos space marines

Gift of Chaos cannot be stopped by Eternal Warrior.
If you really want to insure it goes off, take Ahriman. He can cast Gift of Chaos three times per turn (as it is not a PSA and specifically says you can in the CSM FAQ). Cast it 3x per turn on ol' Marneus and he should fail eventually.

After that, you are going to need a lot of AP2 weaponry to deal with terminators. I don't see that in this list right now, other than your landraider and vindicator. (OK, DCCW weapons on the defilers too, but they need to be close). Even Abaddon is going to struggle in this list. He will hit Marneus a billion times, Marneus will make all of his 2+ saves since you are AP3 in CC. Marneus will then punch Abaddon in the face with his twin powerfists and you will be bemoaning how your 275 point model just got b****slapped in one turn.

Gift doesn't inflict instant death, so eternal warrior does nothing to stop it whatsoever. If you get the power off, he fails to deny the witch and then fails his test he is simply removed from play and replaced by a spawn. It's epic when it happens, but trust me, it's an extremely unreliable tactic.

You seem to be pretty light on infantry for an apoc game, but your vindicator (should it get in range) will make short work of the marines and termies. Calgar now outclasses Abby in close combat as his sword is only ap3 now, so keep him at arms length and either vindicate him or try to bring him down with massed fire.

You gotta be kidding... Has Marneus got better in 6th edition? What about abbadons Drach'nyaen sword?

If your allowed allies, I'd take an allied contingent of Guardsman with as many autocannons as you can fit in.

Command Squad: 4 plasma guns

Junior command squad: autocannon
heavy weapon team autocannons
infantry squad: autocannon
Infantry Squad: autocannon
etc.

You use the autocannon to destroy any transports he has turn 1 -2, I'd reccomend lash on your sorcerer but if your taking Ahriman he doesn't get it. But either way, you de-mech him then when he's bunched up around the rhino/razorback you drop vindicator and defiler battle cannon shells on them killing on 2's.

The command squad with 4 plasma guns if you can get them within 12 inches of a terminator squad are going to Reaaaaaaaaaallly make it a bad day for the marines.. (remember the command squad is Bs4)

Chaos Space M wrote:You gotta be kidding... Has Marneus got better in 6th edition? What about abbadons Drach'nyaen sword?

Its not Marneus got better as much as Abaddon got nerfed. Rumors have him going to AP2 in the next codex, but alas, that is just speculation and wishful thinking right now.

As for Gift of Chaos, another option is to ally with daemons. Take Fateweaver or LoC. Fateweaver can cast boon of mutation (same as Gift only different name) except that it is wargear not a psychic power. So, no test to take. No ability to deny the witch. So, if you were to :

a. take Ahriman AND Fateweaver
b. Get them within 6" of Marneus without being killed
c. Get Marneus out of his ride

You would have 6 chances to turn him into a spawn. As posted before, probably not going to happen very often. But when it does.....

Another option would be to ally with orks and take ol' Zogwort. Then its just a rolloff. You roll higher, Marneus is now an angry squig.