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Hi, i'm wondering what the best additions would be to add onto the CSM attack force. Point limit is 1000, but it can go over as my opponents can adjust accordingly. I'm assuming since the attack force is pre-built it isnt super good at any particular thing, but the main focus I have is for killing swarms of tyrinids but also not being so weak it cannot kill regular Space Marines.

A heldrake land raider and some obliterators are the more common add ons. But it all depends on what you like. Some cult troop are nice if you pick a theme. Transports are important but not too necessary. Heavy support options are good as well maybe even demon engines. Cultist are good to fill in cheap troop options. Most people keep them in reserves and run out to take home field objectives.

Yeah I think im going to get that box and eventually a Helldrake as well.

Dont get the box cuz berserkers and possesed are not worth their points.

If you worry about hordes, then get noise marines with blastmasters. A 10 man squad allows you to carry 2. Then get oblitz for everything else. Heldrakes if you want to be an a-hole.

both the zerkers and possesed have their roles and uses. if you use crimson slaughter, and take a khorne lord or kharn you can use both the possessed and zerkers as troops.

take some landraiders, load them with zerkers and possesed, and you have the makings of a good assault army.

the box also has bikes i believe, I'd use the extra bits from the possesed to make a biker sorcerer. i don't know your funds, but adding a Helldrake, a maulerfiend, cultist and you have a force to be reckoned with!

the box isn't ideal, but its not crap either. there's alot of builds in
the chaos codex and supplements. you just gotta use all your resources.

Noise Marines ruin swarm Nids. Takes away the Venomthrope power, which any Nid swarm worth anything has, and Lictor cover which are more rare these days. The Blastmaster can insta-kill the Warriors and put some significant hurt on MCs. Pair that up with a Land Raider and you'll force the Nids to focus everything on one thing while the other has free range over the field.

Don't bother with a Heldrake against a player with a flyrant (12 twin-linked S6 shots and flying). It won't work. Obliterators are a waste as well because again, insta-kill with a single lucky shot from a S9 Blast Venom Cannon but not too many players plan for that these days.

Plague Marines are also a pain in the backside but only because they get the extra dice of Feel no Pain in the assault. It's an annoyance that can tarpit even our tarpit units. Expensive expendable units, but consider it if the meta includes Genestealers.

If you waste points on Raptors they'll just come to their deaths faster. Get as many 18"+ range weapons as possible. Las-cannons are also very good. Ignore plasma, get Melta. S8 guns and better to kill off most of the mid-sized multi-wound bugs. Nothing you have for assault is worth even bringing near the table against Nids.

Not sure where the Bloodthirster is in CSM, but if you can field him, use him. Insta-killing an MC is incredible.

oblits aren't getting insta gibbed by str 9, because any good oblits are t5 with mon.

the thirster is in the demon codex, and not worth his points anymore. few FMCs are these days sadly.

Ah alright. My funds are around 250$ +/-50$
If the box contents are not that great can you guys suggest some units that would build a decent army?

When you look through the Codex, what models and/or units do you enjoy fielding? What style of play do you prefer? Some army choices can be reliable and effective, though is contrary to player interest.

 Aurelian wrote:
When you look through the Codex, what models and/or units do you enjoy fielding? What style of play do you prefer? Some army choices can be reliable and effective, though is contrary to player interest.

Sadly I don't have the funding to drop 400 for all the codexs or even the almost 100 with shipping for the CSM and I dont have a store anywhere near.

I enjoy the shooting phase quite a lot, and having blasts that can wreck strong units. My style of play is generally shoot as much as I can, then tie up there powerful units with "useless" units while my hard hitters take down key units.

Great units in CSM are hard to come by.

The good.

-Juggerlord w/ axe of blind fury and 5 spawn. This unit is beyond beastly. I used it tonight, took out 2 10 BA tacticals, 8 man death company, a chaplain, and the 2+ FNP dude (can't remember his name). It nearly also got a fragioso dread too. End of the game he had 6 rolls of the boon table including gift of mutation.

-Nurgle sorc on bike with bike squad. Nurgle powers are pretty decent now that they can shoot all the witchfires, add a spell familiar and he's getting powers off with very few dice. MoN the bikes and they roll around fairly untouched. (don't take daemonology)

-CSM. Last edition these were a never take. The change to challenges make them a bit better with a PS on the champ. The cheap units with good special weapons are pretty nice. Take a rhino. keep them cheep though. probably don't want to mark them. I'm still toying with icons so jury is out. the loss of precision shots everywhere may make them usable, and fearless CSM would solve 99% of their issues. Mass bolter spam is also way better than people give credit for.

-MoT prince. This guy's fun. He's (DP in general) the only safe way to get daemonology in CSM (without allies) and can easily sit in the back and spawn you some troops. He can also fairly easily have a 2++ if you ally daemons and take a grimoire of true names. no need to ever take power armor.

-plague marines. great tar pit and deals decent damage but needs a nurgle lord to make them troops.

-noise marines. amazing shooting. con: needs slaanesh lord to be troops.

-cultists. cheep. That's it. that's why you take them.

the bad.

-zerkers. They can do stuff sometimes and 100% require a land raider. They're not amazing. Assault units aren't typically amazing this edition.

-TKsons. They're usable, but it's hard. they typically appear with ahriman and blasting off all those witchfires from the comfort of some decently hard to kill units is pretty fun at times. Generally, they're too expensive to justify outside of them being your focus.

-mutilators. They have one use, being a distraction by DSing in behind the enemy. They're not even that great at it TBH.

-raptors. assaults units aren't great. raptors are no exception.

-defiler. it's not that these are that bad, it's just that there are so many better options.

-havocs. same as defiler.

The Ugly

-dark apostle. They just don't do anything.

-Warpsmith. I want these to be good so badly (Iron warriors player here) but they're just not.

-chosen. Such a waste. GW could have made them awesome, but they are just too expensive and they take up that valuable elite slot

-possessed. are so beyond bad I pretend they aren't in the codex. crimson slaughter make them mildly usable.

-warp talons. again, assault units aren't great. These are especially not great. due to their high price point. Although, I have been wanting to try them as allies with daemons. MoT, Cursed Earth, grimoire = 2++ on these bad boys. That may just make them worth it.

Other:

-Typhus with hordes of zombies is pretty hilarious.

-abaddon, huron, and kharn are all decently usable. Lucius and fabius are pretty meh.

-termies and hellbrutes have their place but generally aren't grat. termies are fielded the same way they have been for many editions. 3 man squad with combi meltas. DS behind people to make vehicles boom.

-helldrakes are still good but no where near where they were. vector strike got a minor tweak. 1 hit on units, but it's AP 2 making it better for tank/flying hunting. baleflamer is hull mounted now which is a HUGE nerf. autocannon is looking nicer for AA.

-tanks. they're just as good and usable as SM ones are. they have their place and are just fine.

-forge/maulerfiends. they can be used but I have never seen them do well unless you build specifically for them. herald of tzeentch giving forgefiends prescience is pretty brutal.

-obliterators. a great choice but not always needed depending on your list.

So yeah... that's all of it.

So I picked some units and the codex and fit them into my budget, would this be a decent start to an army?
2 Plague
1 Oblitorator
1 CSM/nurgle demond prince

The price, by the way, what is the difference between the CSM version and nurgle version?

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