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Hi there,

I'm just getting back into 40k after a long time away and I like the 6th Ed rules so far. However, I have been left wondering how to ge tthe best out of my Noisemarines.

I run a heavily Slaaneshi themed army and would really like to find a useful role for these guys. However, I keep tryign to use them as I did in previous edition (2nd Ed with their masses of Sustained Fire dice and 3rd Ed where I could bulk out a squad with multiple Blastmasters or Doom Sirens to reinforce their role).

So far I have tried using them as walking firepower, but the halved range for Salvo makes that almost useless. I tried putting them in a rhino to get close and then open fire, but the rhino blew up too soon. I did realise that putting a Level 1 Sorceror with them and hoping for Symphony of Pain was kind of cool, but hard to rely on.

At the moment I have the following Noisemarines:
3 Blastmasters
2 with Doomsirens (Can run as Champs with CCW and Pistols)
Champ with Powerfist and Doomsiren (Old model, I really don't want to have a Powerfist on my high I marines anymore!)
6 with Sonicblasters

Any ideas how best to sort these into useful squads? Should I get some more Sonicblasters?

Cheers!

My few thoughts:

As footsloggers, Banner of Excess with large units. You buy the banner per unit, so large units gives FNP to max number of guys for best points. Bolters are as good a bet as sonic blasters. Kit out a champ with Doom Siren and a Power Sword for challenges, maybe a melta bomb. Go with extra hand weapons, and use them as MEQ assault troops. I5 + Doom siren will wipe almost any other troops choices in a fight up close. Hug cover on the way up. 2x 20 man squads with 3+, FNP and cover saves and fearless are hard to wade through.

I would recommend against rhinos. The KP's aren't worth the benefit and the lack of turn 2 charges means your NM are fodder for 1-2 rounds and capped at 10 guys.

Investing in a LR for one large squad and footsloggin 2 others can pay big dividends. It's expensive, but you can soak alot of firepower on turn 1-2 and allow those sloggers to get close enough to wreck shop.

Maulers and Spawn. Both high threat targets that can take punishment and move fast. 12 in. move and scary models running at his long fangs or broadsides can occupy firepower also.

Slaansesh Lord on a Steed with a squad of bikers has T5, Outflank, Acute Senses, FNP, 2 meltas, a lord and a champ. It's my favorite unit in the game, and can wreck a back line from turn 2. Slaanesh is about speed and this guy brings it.

Chaos also has super cheap Helbrutes and Predators, both of which tend to draw fire.

Tl;dr- Use fast cheap armor to draw fire away from your 3+FNP marines with cover saves until you get close.

Slaanesh-Devotee wrote:


At the moment I have the following Noisemarines:
3 Blastmasters
2 with Doomsirens (Can run as Champs with CCW and Pistols)
Champ with Powerfist and Doomsiren (Old model, I really don't want to have a Powerfist on my high I marines anymore!)
6 with Sonicblasters

Noise Marines are very viable in multiple roles, but they need some things for each role, and can't really do multiple roles well in a single game. Blastmasters are wonderful and Doom Sirens are wonderful, but you're not going to be putting them both in the same squad. I'd say the same for sonic blasters too now. http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/501356.page is a thread talking about a few ways to build Noise Marines.

As I've said elsewhere, I'm not sold on sonic blasters right now. When they're stationary, they still don't have the range of blastmasters, and when they move they have severely restricted capabilities. They're good if you expect that people will be assaulting you instead of the other way around though -- three overwatch shots per model is funny.

On a close-in squad, I like the doomsiren, the FnP banner, and CC/BP on the squad. Put them in a rhino and you're good. They're quick to move and to fight, they've got a nice flamer, lots of attacks, fearless, and FnP. On a ranged squad, I keep them as cheap as possible, and just shove some blastmasters into the squad. I don't have any sonic blaster models, so I'm not using them, but if you've got them, try them out in more stationary units, or as units that want to get assaulted (use them like people use Grey Hunters, short-range Dakka and counter-assault)

So yeah, your blastmaster guys are good, your doomsiren guys are good. You'll sadly need to bench your PF champ this edition; he has to challenge, and gets killed in that challenge. The only cult champ I'd recommend a PF on this edition would be PM, as they already are slower with I3. I'd recommend getting some guys that just have either BP/CC or normal bolters, and use them to fill out squads.

tl;dr I typically run 5 NM w/ Blastmaster and nothing else. Others run 10 w/ Doom Siren, FnP Banner, BP/CC or sonics. There are other many other viable ways as well, look around this forum to find some more, and continue experimenting.

I appreciate the ideas involving large units and the Banner of Excess. My initial look at the rules when I returned to the game noticed that the boys come with CCWs and high Iniative, so that seemed like a good idea.

But I can make a squad of normal Chaos Marines into the exact same thing really, upgrading them to have the Mark of Slaanesh and thereby gaining access to the Banner of Excess. I miss out of having a Doom Siren, but I can equip two Flamers or two Meltas instead. Is the Blastmaster worth it in a foot slogging unit really worth that much more?

That squad wouldn't be Fearless, so that's a bonus. I haven't found my average Chaos Marines suffering much from Ld tests though. If I threw my lord in the squad they would be.

It seems to be avoiding the point to not give my squad of Noisemarines Noise weapons, though I completely agree that the Noise weapons don't seem particularly appealing. I like the idea of using them as a close support unit. Overwatch with Sonicblasters would be nice, and if they do get assaulted then they at least hit first. I think I'll try them like this next time I use them, planting them onto an objective as soon as possible and blasting anyone coming to try and take it.

I guess I just feel a little let down comparing Slaanesh to the other chaos gods. Berserkers, Rubric Automatons and Plaguemarines all get a little something extra on top of the mark of their god, as well as access to specific weaponry, while Noisemarines don't. I just wish they had something more, a disruption to psykers due to their noise reflection in the warp, the Aura of Asquiscience that some Slaaneshi Daemon's have, a 'Moshpit' close combat rule that would back up their high Initiative with something, anything really.

Ah well, thanks for the thoughts guys, it gave me some ideas and I've got at least one new plan for my next battle with them!

I'm not impressed with sonic blasters. The salvo rule's range reduction really hurts them.
That said, doom siren & power sword squads either walking or in a rhino work well for shredding marines and blast master squads holding an objective in cover or behind an ADL are a good support scoring unit.

I wouldn't mix weapon types, each one has it's own role.

I woudlnt get any more sonic blasters. they really arent that good.

Blastmasters are awesome.

Doom sirens are ok, limited to the champ and no synergy with the blastmaster hurts them a bit.

Also never take a power sword. A lightning claw is almost always better.

 Exergy wrote:


Also never take a power sword. A lightning claw is almost always better.

I forgot about the claw but yes, take it. AP3 for killing other marines in challenges is important.

 Exergy wrote:
I woudlnt get any more sonic blasters. they really arent that good.

Blastmasters are awesome.

Doom sirens are ok, limited to the champ and no synergy with the blastmaster hurts them a bit.

Also never take a power sword. A lightning claw is almost always better.

Agree with this with the exception of Doom Sirens. If your squad is going up field, the Doom Siren is the best upgrade you'll ever get.

 Stoffer wrote:

 Exergy wrote:
I woudlnt get any more sonic blasters. they really arent that good.

Blastmasters are awesome.

Doom sirens are ok, limited to the champ and no synergy with the blastmaster hurts them a bit.

Also never take a power sword. A lightning claw is almost always better.

Agree with this with the exception of Doom Sirens. If your squad is going up field, the Doom Siren is the best upgrade you'll ever get.

yes, as in no synergy with the blastmaster, which you want to fire as Heavy 1 with a 48" range. IE you wont be going up field, you wont be firing the Doom Siren, and thus it is a situational upgrade.

The way I see it is this, you have three weapons and they fill different roles.
Doom Siren: in a large blob with FNP banner charging upfield
Sonic Blaster: move midfield and camp a midfield objective and pewpew all game
Blastmaster: Stay in cover in the backfield on an objective blasting away all game.