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, I'm actually a CSM player overall, but I'm looking to make the slow transition to playing Chaos Daemons as my primary army in the near future. I've been doing a lot of research and overall I like the flying circus. I feel like this list is pretty standard, but just with a few changes which may or may not be for the better. So please comment and overall I'd love any tips on how you would usually play the flying circus in a competitive match.

HQ

Fateweaver- 300

Daemon Prince-330
-DoS
-Level 3
-Greater Reward (Lash of Despair)
-Greater Reward
-Flight
-WF armor

Troops

Plaguebearers x10-90
Plaguebearers x10-90
Plaguebearers x10-90

Heavy Support

Daemon Prince-355
-DoT
-Level 3
-Exalted Reward (Grimore)
-Greater Reward
-Flight
-WF armor

Daemon Prince-345
-DoT
-Level 3
-Greater Reward
-Greater Reward
-Flight
-WF armor

CSM Allied Detachment

Be'lakor-350

Chaos Cultists x10-50

If you can find the points to put a Lesser Reward on the Tzeentch DPs it will go a long way. 10 points to get a +2S weapon that you don't have to roll for is pretty solid.

 IngenuityGap wrote:
If you can find the points to put a Lesser Reward on the Tzeentch DPs it will go a long way. 10 points to get a +2S weapon that you don't have to roll for is pretty solid.

if I could find the points I'd definitely would, but I think the only way would be to take off a greater reward on one of the Daemon Princes (most likely the tzeentch prince), which I think would lower their chances of getting something to increase survivability. Thanks for the advice though, and I'll keep it in mind.

Here's a question though, in terms of psyker abilities for all the princes obviously besides Be'lakor, would I be always rolling on biomancy for iron arm and endurance for example?

akwing00 wrote:
Hey, I'm actually a CSM player overall, but I'm looking to make the slow transition to playing Chaos Daemons as my primary army in the near future. I've been doing a lot of research and overall I like the flying circus. I feel like this list is pretty standard, but just with a few changes which may or may not be for the better. So please comment and overall I'd love any tips on how you would usually play the flying circus in a competitive match.

HQ

Fateweaver- 300

Daemon Prince-330
-DoS
-Level 3
-Greater Reward (Lash of Despair)
-Greater Reward
-Flight
-WF armor

Troops

Plaguebearers x10-90
Plaguebearers x10-90
Plaguebearers x10-90

Heavy Support

Daemon Prince-355
-DoT
-Level 3
-Exalted Reward (Grimore)
-Greater Reward
-Flight
-WF armor

Daemon Prince-345
-DoT
-Level 3
-Greater Reward
-Greater Reward
-Flight
-WF armor

CSM Allied Detachment

Be'lakor-350

Chaos Cultists x10-50

change your troops up. Go with 20 daemonettes and like 10 plague bearers. They'll help put more pressure on your opponent. Bring a portal glyph to spit out pink horrors in cover on another objective.

The list was at exactly 2000 points so to make the changes you suggested and fit the portal glyph I can fit up to a max of 18 Daemonettes, but otherwise still looks good. Thanks for the suggestion.

No worries. The problem with plaguebearers is they don't actually DO anything... They just get shot at and hold an objective. Daemonettes help apply necessary pressure. Daemons are good because they're fast and hit quickly with a lot of high priority targets. Target and threat saturation is the way to go.

Dalymiddleboro wrote:
No worries. The problem with plaguebearers is they don't actually DO anything... They just get shot at and hold an objective. Daemonettes help apply necessary pressure. Daemons are good because they're fast and hit quickly with a lot of high priority targets. Target and threat saturation is the way to go.

I have heard that the portal glyph isn't always worth it as it dies too quickly or in some cases doesn't make much of an impact. I've never used it yet so I don't have an opinion on it, but how would you suggest I use it so that I don't run into some of these problems.

akwing00 wrote:

Dalymiddleboro wrote:
No worries. The problem with plaguebearers is they don't actually DO anything... They just get shot at and hold an objective. Daemonettes help apply necessary pressure. Daemons are good because they're fast and hit quickly with a lot of high priority targets. Target and threat saturation is the way to go.

I have heard that the portal glyph isn't always worth it as it dies too quickly or in some cases doesn't make much of an impact. I've never used it yet so I don't have an opinion on it, but how would you suggest I use it so that I don't run into some of these problems.

That's why threat saturation is so important! They won't be shooting at that with 20 daemonettes, fateweaver, and 3 daemon princes charging in. A couple ways to use it...

Drop it turn one, and try to spit out as many units as possible midfield. This will either be a cheap distraction and get shot at, or will be forgotten and do their own work.

Drop it on an objective late game and start spawning is another way to use this. helps score a last min objective.

When you spawn out units in my opinion the best units to spawn are pink horrors, as even if you roll a 1 and just get 1 model it can still fire 2d6 shots. Now if you keep spawning horrors all of a sudden every turn you're getting another 2d6 heavy bolter shots coming out!

So does fateweaver let you take DP's of Tzeentch as heavies? I thought you had to have LoC for that

astro_nomicon wrote:
So does fateweaver let you take DP's of Tzeentch as heavies? I thought you had to have LoC for that

Fateweaver is a LOC... Just a named one. Of course he lets you. Skarbrand let's you take khorne dp as heavy, and kugath lets you take nurgle ones respectively.

Fateweaver is a Lord of Change...

Derp, apologies I'm new to daemons

Dalymiddleboro wrote:

akwing00 wrote:

Dalymiddleboro wrote:
No worries. The problem with plaguebearers is they don't actually DO anything... They just get shot at and hold an objective. Daemonettes help apply necessary pressure. Daemons are good because they're fast and hit quickly with a lot of high priority targets. Target and threat saturation is the way to go.

I have heard that the portal glyph isn't always worth it as it dies too quickly or in some cases doesn't make much of an impact. I've never used it yet so I don't have an opinion on it, but how would you suggest I use it so that I don't run into some of these problems.

That's why threat saturation is so important! They won't be shooting at that with 20 daemonettes, fateweaver, and 3 daemon princes charging in. A couple ways to use it...

Drop it turn one, and try to spit out as many units as possible midfield. This will either be a cheap distraction and get shot at, or will be forgotten and do their own work.

Drop it on an objective late game and start spawning is another way to use this. helps score a last min objective.

When you spawn out units in my opinion the best units to spawn are pink horrors, as even if you roll a 1 and just get 1 model it can still fire 2d6 shots. Now if you keep spawning horrors all of a sudden every turn you're getting another 2d6 heavy bolter shots coming out!

that's the kind of advice I'm looking for haha, well I guess I'll have to go pick up horrors now seeing as its the only troop choice I don't own. Thanks a lot for all the help, will definitely have a lot of fun with this.

The list looks good, some advice:

1)Psychic powers: The slaanesh daemons should be rolling all powers on biomancy - at least until they get iron arm. Tzeentch daemons want at least 1 roll on their own table to get flickering fire. This way they can use their vector strike and a shooting attack in the same turn. (It can also be used against flyers if you get their rear armour). The other powers should be biomancy. Normally though could roll on telepathy, but be'lakor already has all of that covered.

2) Portal glyph can be useful, although you may not want to take it in kill points games. If you do want to take it, then you could always drop one of your troop choices (the portal glyph will spawn more).

Personally if it was me I would run this:

HQ

Fateweaver

DP of Slaanesh - max points - 2 greater 1 lesser.

TROOPS
Horrors x 11 (for extra flickering fire shot)
Horrors x 11

HEAVY
Tzeentch Daemon Prince- Everything - 1 exalted 1 greater (Book)
Tzeentch Daemon Prince- Everything - 1 exalted 1 greater (Grimoire)

CSM Allied Detachment

Be'lakor-350

Chaos Cultists x10
Chaos Cultists x10

Same number of scoring units as your list, but also has access to portalglyph.
I find horrors more useful than plagues, but both would work interchangeably in this list.

Of course the portal glyph should normally be producing horrors (for cheap firepower) or daemonettes (for quick scoring units).

 Big Blind Bill wrote:
The list looks good, some advice:

1)Psychic powers: The slaanesh daemons should be rolling all powers on biomancy - at least until they get iron arm. Tzeentch daemons want at least 1 roll on their own table to get flickering fire. This way they can use their vector strike and a shooting attack in the same turn. (It can also be used against flyers if you get their rear armour). The other powers should be biomancy. Normally though could roll on telepathy, but be'lakor already has all of that covered.

2) Portal glyph can be useful, although you may not want to take it in kill points games. If you do want to take it, then you could always drop one of your troop choices (the portal glyph will spawn more).

Personally if it was me I would run this:

HQ

Fateweaver

DP of Slaanesh - max points - 2 greater 1 lesser.

TROOPS
Horrors x 11 (for extra flickering fire shot)
Horrors x 11

HEAVY
Tzeentch Daemon Prince- Everything - 1 exalted 1 greater (Book)
Tzeentch Daemon Prince- Everything - 1 exalted 1 greater (Grimoire)

CSM Allied Detachment

Be'lakor-350

Chaos Cultists x10
Chaos Cultists x10

Same number of scoring units as your list, but also has access to portalglyph.
I find horrors more useful than plagues, but both would work interchangeably in this list.

Of course the portal glyph should normally be producing horrors (for cheap firepower) or daemonettes (for quick scoring units).

Thanks for the reply and the words of wisdom, I'll definitely put it to good use. For troop choices (not including the allied cultists) I'm at 18x Daemonettes and 10 plaguebearers, of the latter I might switch to horrors as I get more familiar with all the troop choices. For kill point games I'll just drop the portal glyph and add another greater reward. Just curious in that list for one of the Tzeentch Princes it mentions "book", what is that? I don't recognize it sorry.

Book means grimoire sorry (the grimoire is a book in the fluff) (Yeah I made a mistake there, I meant 1 prince has the grimoire, the other should say portal glyph, my bad)

About troop choices: Daemonettes are probably the most offensive troop choice available, and as another poster said, can be used to put pressure on the enemy.

However in a Flying Circus list I would never do this. The reason is that your troop choices are the weak link of your army. Many players will attempt to destroy your scoring capability and win the game on objectives.
If you are running a squad towards them, then it just makes it easier to do imo.

To this end I prefer horrors (and to a lesser extent plaguebearers) for sitting on objectives in this kind of list.

 Big Blind Bill wrote:
Book means grimoire sorry (the grimoire is a book in the fluff) (Yeah I made a mistake there, I meant 1 prince has the grimoire, the other should say portal glyph, my bad)

About troop choices: Daemonettes are probably the most offensive troop choice available, and as another poster said, can be used to put pressure on the enemy.

However in a Flying Circus list I would never do this. The reason is that your troop choices are the weak link of your army. Many players will attempt to destroy your scoring capability and win the game on objectives.
If you are running a squad towards them, then it just makes it easier to do imo.

To this end I prefer horrors (and to a lesser extent plaguebearers) for sitting on objectives in this kind of list.

No worries, haha.

Going by your advice, I hypothetically could go from 18 Daemonettes and 10 Plaguebearers/Horrors to two groups of Horrors/Plaguebearers at 14x each, and obviously at the same time having the portal glyph spew out things. I don't have enough points to have 3 groups of 10x troops since I added in the portal glyph.

And I do agree with the idea that they would go for my much weaker scoring, at least this is my friends. That's actually why i went with plaguebearers first as I thought they were the most durable to hold an objective. Just a couple of questions:

Again I'm new to daemons, so would you ever deep strike your troops?
I've heard suggestions about plaguebearers, daemonettes, and horrors now, but never bloodletters, so I was just curious about that.

Updated List with your suggestions:

HQ

Fateweaver- 300

Daemon Prince-330
-DoS
-Level 3
-Greater Reward (Lash of Despair)
-Greater Reward
-Flight
-WF armor

Troops

Pink Horrors x14-126
Pink Horrors x14-126

Heavy Support

Daemon Prince-355
-DoT
-Level 3
-Exalted Reward (Grimore)
-Greater Reward
-Flight
-WF armor

Daemon Prince-355
-DoT
-Level 3
-Exalted Reward (Portal Glyph)
-Greater Reward
-Flight
-WF armor

CSM Allied Detachment

Be'lakor-350

Chaos Cultists x10-50

Total-1992