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Hi guys,

So I've recently started a small CSM army and I'm painting them up in the style of the Iron Warriors (hence the Vindicator/Obliterators). I just wanted to get a sense check on my army list to make sure I'm not widly off the mark or picking any really silly combos. I'm new to the army so might have made a few equipment choice errors etc:


- Chaos Lord with Mark of Nurgle, Lightning Claws and Melta bomb (100)
- 10 man cultist squad with autoguns and flamer (65)
- 10x Chaos Marines with Veterans of the Long War, 2x Plasma guns and Aspiring Champ with power weapon in Rhino w/Havoc Launcher and Combi Bolter (242)
- 9x Chaos Marines with, flamer and Aspiring Champ with power weapon in Rhino with Combi Bolter (182)
- 2x Obliterators with Mark of Tzeentch and Veterans of the Long War (158)
- 5x Havocs with 4x auto cannons and Veterans of the long war (115)
- Vindicator with Siege Shield and Combi Bolter (135)

Total 1001

I've played against a friend using Dark Eldar and got my ass handed to me, but part of that was my incompetence not getting my rhinos forward early. Basically, the lord goes with the 9 man squad, everything moves up and tries to wreck face. The obliterators deep strike in, and cultists stay in reserve for as long as possible, then walk on and go to ground on my home obj.

I'm thinking of swapping my obliterators and a power weapon on the plasma squad out for a Heldrake. Would that make sense?

Thanks

You'd be better off with one lightning claw and a power fist on your nurgle lord that way he can put out AP2 or AP3 given the situation. DLC loadout just gives you an extra attack, meh. Power fist and claw are both specialist weapons so you're much better off and it's only a few points more expensive than DLC loadout.

Autoguns are a waste of time on cultists, never upgrade them with anything besides flamers. They are there to be cheap bodies, that's it. Their firepower is almost always irrelevant unless you have a big blob with 3 flamers and an HQ hiding in the blob.

Obliterators are pretty much "mark of nurgle or go home", at least competitively. A 4+ invuln is nice but T5 is nicer and keeps them from getting ID'd by STR 8 templates, which your opponent will definitely send their way if the oblits don't have MoN.

Contrary to popular belief, autocannon havocs are actually terrible in 6th edition and statistically can't even pop a rhino. You're much better off with a combi-pred, i.e. a predator with an autocannon and lascannon sponsons for the same cost that doesn't die instantly.

A heldrake at 1000 points is definitely scary and some folks might consider taking one at 1k points to be a dick move, lol. And you have to consider the pros and cons of losing your long range AT depending on what you're facing.

Overall not a bad list, I think a few of these tweaks might help but nothing there really stands out as hilariously bad besides maybe the havocs.

Hi Zultan, thanks for the feedback. Appreciate the advice on the Lord and I'm still figuring out how to play him. At the moment, he gets out of the rhino with the 9 man squad and stays with them, but with the melta bombs I feel he might be able to brave it alone as long as he isn't too stranded.

Interesting point about the autocannon havocs, not had much experience of them yet really as my mate managed to insta-kill them turn 1 with his reaver jetbikes bladevane attacks. I'll keep going with them for now, but might start looking for a predator.

Also, I'll drop the autoguns on the cultists. They've never fired them anyway as they just G2G on objectives.

I'll not go for the Heldrake for now and persevere - it's probably more my inexperience with the army at this stage.

Good advice above.

Never take 1 vindicator! It is too fragile to just take 1. Always take two or three, or none. daemonic possession is not optional, and if you have the points, take a combi-bolter as well.

You will really have to decide what heavy supports to take. Decide on two or three vindicators and fill out with an obliterator squad, or take an ADL gunline with a bunch of havocs and oblits.