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.

i have a squad of 5 CSM and 11 cultists zombies...now i have some leftover cultists and a bunch of DA marines to be converted...do i want to use the Melee weapon bits from the remaining cultists to make my converted CSM CC oriented, or just make more Regular loadout CSM and have 17 zombies instead?
what do you think will be more tactically advantageous?

You do know you need Typhus to run Zombies? Zombies do quite well in large numbers, from 20 to 40 or more.

CSM with melee options don't tend to do that well.

130 points worth of Zombie Cultists is 30 Cultists

Typhus is 230 Points.

CSM vs Cultists Cutlists win out in both point costs and sheer number of attacks. Plus they are fearless all on their own.

Personally, I run a good 90 Zombie Cultists each game and Typhus as my second HQ choice purely to unlock them... However he can be instantly killed by Str 10 Weapons, so you need to use those Bodies as a good meatshield!

The Grumpy Eldar wrote:You do know you need Typhus to run Zombies? Zombies do quite well in large numbers, from 20 to 40 or more.

CSM with melee options don't tend to do that well.

what the heck kind of CSM player would i bee if i didn't know that?

GoliothOnline wrote:130 points worth of Zombie Cultists is 30 Cultists

Typhus is 230 Points.

CSM vs Cultists Cutlists win out in both point costs and sheer number of attacks. Plus they are fearless all on their own.

Personally, I run a good 90 Zombie Cultists each game and Typhus as my second HQ choice purely to unlock them... However he can be instantly killed by Str 10 Weapons, so you need to use those Bodies as a good meatshield!

cultists have more attacks, but much weaker than a Chaos marine. and right now my army is so small that i have points to spare in kitting out my few troops well

 The Grumpy Eldar wrote:

CSM with melee options don't tend to do that well.

lol, what?

You can get pretty good mileage out of regular CSM with a melee setup.

Nono, MUCH WEAKER would be str 2 on toughness 4 lol

Cultists are simply Str 3

Even on 5s to wounds you'll push a few wounds through on pretty much everything that isnt T5...

Hell, Ive thrown Zombies at Riptides and causted wounds now and again.. It's quite funny

Plus, the fact you can have so many for such a dirt cheap amount means you can take an effective amount of Objective seekers, while pouring more points into better options, like Terminators, and Tri-Las-Preds.

Put it this way, at 10 CSM with simply CCWs as upgrades and a naked champ, no mark, no extra weaponry what so ever, you're looking at 158 points.

130 points nets you 30 Zombie Cultists, which have FNP, and come fearless to boot. Sure, they're going to get shot at in droves, probably die in droves as well. But wouldn't you rather them kill those little buggers while your Predators move into position or take pot shots at their armor?

And say you wanted to take a few guns, maybe some marks, or an Icon... Hell, maybe you want to take some Elite CSM as troops by using a Lord to unlock them or their special Character... well... ok but its going to cost you an arm and a leg =/

For instance... Personally I love Noise Marines! They are my go to for shooti marines to man my D-Lines with the champion of the squad always naked and manning my Quadgun. However, fully upgraded (As I usually take them) 7 Sonic Blasters + 2 Blast Masters and the Icon of Excess, costs me 291 points =/

Its a steep cost...

Even Plague Marines cost an arm and a leg... But the main problem, that I have seen, is that regular CSM as a troop choice, just really aren't worth your time unless you run them as Khorne cheap troops. The mark of Rage makes them decent in melee pumping out a crazy amount of attacks....your only problem from there on being trying to get INTO melee!

It's been through trial and error, that I have found out the value of bodies. Sure you can pump 582 points into things like 2 squads of Noise Marines. But saves are saves. You're going to fail some... It will make you sad when str 3 flashlights kill your Marines because of 1 bad roll.... Might as well take 150 Cultists and laugh as you stomp across the battlefield, knowing you're going to die, but FNP and fearless means you'll never run away!

GoliothOnline wrote:
Nono, MUCH WEAKER would be str 2 on toughness 4 lol


Put it this way, at 10 CSM with simply CCWs as upgrades and a naked champ, no mark, no extra weaponry what so ever, you're looking at 158 points.

130 points nets you 30 Zombie Cultists, which have FNP, and come fearless to boot. Sure, they're going to get shot at in droves, probably die in droves as well. But wouldn't you rather them kill those little buggers while your Predators move into position or take pot shots at their armor?

Yes, but I can get a further ~15 marines with kit for the points you're spending on Typhus to unlock said zombies.

Build the marines. Buy a box of 20 WFB Vampire Counts for $35.00 and mix a few into each cultist squad for flavor. Add some spare bits and arm/weapon swaps for flavor.