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 Folks,
As title says I'm compiling my first ever army list, so far I've collected and painted a few CSM. The list is as follows;

20 Cultists
15 CSM
7 plague marines
5 Raptors
5 Havoks
2 Oblitoraters
5 Possessed
1 Hellbrute (As I understand they make good paperweights)
1 Defiler
1 Land raider
1 Maulerfiend
1 chaos lord
10 Forge world death guard terminators

My question is I need to compile the best 500 point army out of the troops listed above. I'm competing against my brothers Orc army and we're starting low to learn the game mechanics, any help would be greatly appreciated. Also any suggestions on what I should buy next, I thought more raptors another HQ and bikes could be the way to go?

The only reason helbrutes are disliked so much is because in higher point games CSM dont usually have much in the ways of armor, so your opponent usually blows its AV12 ass up with all of its anti-armor at once, and many of its loadouts for close range such as dual heavy flamers are impossible to use as it has no way of getting into CC as the CSM dex has no drop pod.

That said, in 500 point games they are great. Your opponent will have little or no Anti-Armor, and what the helbrute brings naked is great for this point range. His multi-melta is great for blowing up light vehicles like rhinos predators vindicators and such. His S10 Power fist hits are also great at doubling out multi-wound HQ choices from many codexs. I don't think taking one would be a problem at all.

As I'm seeing from your models, you're going for a death guard list. Marks at this point level may not be wise

Against orks, who usually have lots of bodies and a few transports, id take some anti-armor and a lot of anti-infantry.

I know the heldrake is all the fashion these days, but in a 500 point game, having 170 of your points off the board for two turns and then potentially attacking once then going off somewhere where it cannot attack such a small force may be a bad idea. In 2000 point games enemies are everywhere so a zooming flyer has a ton of targets to hit, but in this case I fear the heldrake will come in turn 2 or 3 and kill one squad of orks then be done.

Lord- Burning Brand of Skalathrax, Black Mace
Helbrute- Multi-Melta, Power fist with built in heavy flamer
8 CSM- flamer, combi-flamer on champ
7 CSM- flamer, combi-flamer on champ

Thats 500 points exactly. 5 flamers and the black mace should cover you on Anti-Infantry, and the power fist and multi-melta should give you all the armor killing you need. The multi-melta, if it penns(which it will a lot as you roll 2D6 for armor rolls), will have a 50% chance of exploding the vehicle as you add +2 to penn results because it is AP1. If that doesnt do the trick, punch it with your S10 Fist.

The black mace should really screw stuff up. Most orks have a 4+ or 5+ or 6+ armor save if im not mistaken, so the AP4 of this weapon, which is normally its one weakness, should be a non-issue.

Good luck! I hope this helped

Thanks so much for posting such a detailed response. I hear a lot of people complaining about the hellbrute so just assumed he wasn't a viable option but as you put it, he seems to make sense in low point games.

I was wondering what troops do you think I should concentrate on getting next? As after we've played our first few games we both have enough troops to make higher point army lists. It seems chaos don't have much in the way of troop options unless fielding the right HQ do you feel this limits the army composition?

Also one other random question, I was considering giving my Terminators chain axes, is this possible and does it sound viable?

Once again thank you for your time in answering my novice questions.

Chaos Terminators should be in 3 man units with a combi melta each and possibly the mark of nurgle. This unit will hopefully destroy a vehicle when it deepstrikes and then just be a thorn in your opponent's side as he has to dedicate enough resources to destroy the unit but it was cheap enough for you that whatever else they do damage or destroy is just icing on the cake. I would aim for a battle wagon, a deff dread or a unit of Killa kans when playing against orks so your "termicide" unit earns back it's points.