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the conventional wisdom for C:SM tac squads is to keep your sergeant bare, or at least cheap, since he's unlikely to live through challenges anyway. does this same reasoning apply to CSM aspiring champions? I ask because, unlike their loyalist counterparts, aspiring champions *must* challenge if they're able to. so, is it worth giving them better gear to help get the job done? or do you just expect them to die horribly in challenges like the loyalists do?

Depending on the squad, but I usually go with a single lightning claw, and combi-weapon. But if its my PM champ then i go with combi-plasma and power fist, since he may survive the first blows with FNP and T5.

If you have an HQ in the unit, then it could be different as well. Will the HQ be challenging or the champion of the squad?

I leave mine bare, as they must challange. A Sm sarge can at least decide not to challange the CSM champ has no such choice and should he die, you lose the points you spent.

Power Sword OR Lighting Claw & Melta-bombs and that's it. Usually when facing other characters if they are troop leaders and not HQ's a chaos champion has good odds of surviving. and with a PW good odds of killing his target.

I'm specifically just thinking of CSMs without an IC in the squad, not elites like PM and such. with an IC on board, I'd leave the champion bare and use him as challenge fodder to free up the IC for wrecking face with the rest of the squad. but with no IC in the squad, I can't decide if it's worth spending a few points on the champ. obviously, he's going to eat it if he has to challenge an IC or MC. against a similar squad leader like a C:SM sergeant, though, he's got a fair chance. so, do I spend the points to improve that chance (most likely a LC or PS) or just leave it to the whims of the dice gods and invest those points elsewhere?

naked

if anything, a single lightning claw

PM champs can get away with an axe as they are striking last anyway.