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Twelve Noise Marines sitting on a Objective seems like an ideal situation to me, but when it comes to ten Marines in a Rhino not so much.

Is FNP worth 3.5pts a model when it could disappear from one good focus fire?

20 marines with mark of slannesh and icon of excess work out any cheaper?
Failing that I'd just stick Nurgle havoc on the home objective.

You're right, but it's not only about the points, it's about how easy it is to lose the Icon.

In many configuration you have way to protect your investment: 12 NMs on your home objective, 20 Marines Foot Slogging, 10 Terminators Deepstriking/outflanking. When in comes to Marines in a tin box headed into the mid field you have a much greater chance of the enemy getting LOS on your Icon or just cutting through to it.

I like comparing the cost of the icon to the cost of marines it might save.
So if you have 10 marines, that say cost 15 points a model you might expect that FNP will save 3 of them(1 ID, 6 failed save). That is worth say 45 points. I think at that point you shouldnt take it but if it was 25 points then you saved yourself 15 points and you get +1 combat res. So for me when the price of the icon costs half what the theoretical cost saved then it could be worth it. You risk the lucky snipe though and gain nothing against a battle cannon blast. You are also only adding survivability, not offense

If on the other hand you have 10 23 point bikers and a 150 point chaos lord with them then you are likely to save 1 of the chaos lords wounds(50 points) and 3.3 bikes(harder to ID) you end up with 125 points. This for me makes the Icon worth it.

I look at it like this. Which would be better, one Icon or two more slannesh marines?

If the icon saves two guys, its made its points back and it's a wash. Anymore is just bonus, any less and you probably would have been better putting more boots on the ground.

Myself, I use it on my 6 man assault squads (because its fluffy number) to give me the +1 combat resolution and to help keep the small squads around longer. These squads also carry my biker lord and Lucius so its always nice to double up on saves for those multiwound guys.

The above analysis is interesting and makes sense.

My perspective is that so long as there are cult troops, it is difficult to justify getting the basic CSMs and then loading them with options. I am particularly fond of PMs. Yes, they are expensive, but they get all the toys, and they do not lose their FNP, fearless, or T5 just because an icon-bearer bit the dust. Getting lords with respective marks to unlock troop choices is hardly a burden.

The only exception to the above is perhaps if you want to take very large squads, but this means you just get a bunch of bolters, and that is not that great. Also, you cannot transport such squads, so you are slow and are not killy enough for the points.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
The above analysis is interesting and makes sense.

My perspective is that so long as there are cult troops, it is difficult to justify getting the basic CSMs and then loading them with options. I am particularly fond of PMs. Yes, they are expensive, but they get all the toys, and they do not lose their FNP, fearless, or T5 just because an icon-bearer bit the dust. Getting lords with respective marks to unlock troop choices is hardly a burden.

The only exception to the above is perhaps if you want to take very large squads, but this means you just get a bunch of bolters, and that is not that great. Also, you cannot transport such squads, so you are slow and are not killy enough for the points.

 Necrontyr40k wrote:
The above analysis is interesting and makes sense.

My perspective is that so long as there are cult troops, it is difficult to justify getting the basic CSMs and then loading them with options.

Cult troops are fearless, and therefore can't go to ground. If we're talking about a unit that's intended to camp an objective, and if there's decent cover, then a unit of CSM with vets and an icon that increases survivability might be a better choice for that reason.