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Newish CSM player here. I usually run MSU of blast masters, 3 Oblits and then a lord on steed with spawn outflanking and a heldrake .

I am going to be playing a DA player who usually runs gun line style troops or Deathwing.

I dont really know how to play him or what units would go up well against a DA player. It will probably be 1250 pts to 1500pts.

Units that I can field:

CSM x 20 (Sonic blaster and a few blastmasters are the special weapons)

Rhino

10x Raptors ( Magnetized special weapons so I have that can have flamers and 2 that can have multi meltas)

5x Terminators

6X Spawn

Demon Prince

Land Raider

3x Obliterators

Helldrake

Mauler/Forge Fiend

Mounted Lord or Sorcerer

Terminator Lord

10x Cultists

Take more oblits so you can have more ap2 for terminators

I have to adhere to the units I can take right now.

Maulerfiend w/ Tentacles ( lol totally not the name) = No Attacks I don't believe, someone may correct me but I believe ti comes with 2 Lash Tendrils so -2 Attacks to anyone in base to base. Which pretty much makes it tarpit heaven versus things wtih 2 attacks.

Sorcerer Mounted w/ Telepathy Take Psychic Scream, Congrats you get your invulnerable only.

Daemon Prince w/ Nurgle, Biomancy is always boss for a possible T9 monster. If it gets Iron Arm and Innervate (?) , it's pretty much a beast. AP2 standard.

Psychic Scream is really decent against Terminators as while they may have a decent Leadership, it doesn't matter when they don't get their 2+ armour save.

Ap2 is great on terminators obviously but don't underestimate what 2 Flamers from the Raptors can do to 2+ saves clustered up after Deep Striking in. Just take 5 raptors, cause they can still double up on weapons.

Take two units of 3 Mark of Nurgle Spawn + Heldrake as your fast attack. Heldrake vs. power armor, Spawn vs. Terminators. Hopefully the Spawn can get Invisibility, Shrouded, or Endurance from the sorcerer.

Not sure how your terminators are set up, but Mark of Tzeentch and Power Axes in a Land Raider is fine (for their cost) if you can get them into combat with Deathwing terminators.

Hollismason wrote:
Maulerfiend w/ Tentacles ( lol totally not the name) = No Attacks I don't believe, someone may correct me but I believe ti comes with 2 Lash Tendrils so -2 Attacks to anyone in base to base. Which pretty much makes it tarpit heaven versus things wtih 2 attacks.

Lasher Tendrils is their name... and they're upgrade over the magna cutters. I'd keep the magna cutters.

Sorcerer Mounted w/ Telepathy Take Psychic Scream, Congrats you get your invulnerable only.

Yup... loving it now... specially with Spell Familiar.

Daemon Prince w/ Nurgle, Biomancy is always boss for a possible T9 monster. If it gets Iron Arm and Innervate (?) , it's pretty much a beast. AP2 standard.

Shoot for Endurance too... Eternal Warrior and 4+ FNP is great.

Psychic Scream is really decent against Terminators as while they may have a decent Leadership, it doesn't matter when they don't get their 2+ armour save.

Yup. If you can swing it, try to get Terrify too as it works well with Psychic Scream.

Magma Cutters are cool because you get a lot of attacks possibly that auto hit, Lasher's are cool because it makes a joke out of any unit or model that doesn't have more than 3 attacks.

Lasher's are more tarpitty

Charge, let them get into base to base, then charge them with another unit like Chaos Spawn.

I enjoy Lashers just because I subbed two one time and charged a Imperial Knight.

I would definitely start the list with terminators. 5x with MoS, IoE, 5x power mauls, 5x combi-plasmas. Proxy as necessary.

Combined with the obliterators you're going to have something that will either deepstrike in after those terminators, or will be able to try and snipe the bolter banner. In either case, a plasma storm will likely do the trick. Even better, add the lord in termie armor with a burning brand with maybe a murder sword if you have points.

The key to handling either deathwing or bolter spam is to be able to pick off one unit right away, either a squad of terminators (which will be like half his terminators) or the command squad with the banner.

After that, volume of attacks will handle the rest. Definitely include all your CSM, and I'd throw the raptors and spawn in there as well. Just something to get bodies on the table vs. bolters and a giant pile of attacks vs. terminators.

I'd probably avoid the helldrake, which will be good against bolters, but basically pointless against deathwing, while the demon prince is weak against both thunder hammers and weight of fire (so, whatever you're going to be up against), and I'd probably leave the land raider behind, as you're not going to need so much anti-tank, and the terminators are likely going to be better served deepstriking.

In any case, good luck. Write up a battle report when you're done!

Da are basically tailor made to fight csm. If he exploits his preferred enemy chaos space marines properly your in serious trouble. He also has access to a lot of the same magics as you and if he's bringing Ezekiel and daemon prince's or beasts you field are a write off in terms of useability. If he brings asmodai he can go around and instagib your squad hq's and generic infantry (he has str4 id weapon and fear).

Belial isn't so scary or sammael (but it sounds to me like he won't take sammy). Azreal probably won't be in this game.

Cc anyone with a power field generator this way you gain his 4+ invul. If he stuffs it in a land raider don't waste your time trying to kill it your army has nothing that can crack 4++ land raiders reliably.

Helldrakes are pretty useless against deathwing. If he takes ravenwing it's also tough to use.

Beware deathwing knights. If he takes them the knights will mulch anything he chooses in cc. Shoot them because they can't fire back.

Csm have a real uphill fight on their hands against dark angels. You've got your work cut out for you. Just thought I'd give you words of wisdom.

Also watch out if he brings a forge world dread. Those things can be ultra nasty.

If I use my CSM should I bring the sonic blasters and take them as noise marines? Usually the blast master does wonders but I know it wont do nearly as well against deathwing.

How should I take my Lord or Sorcerer kitted out?

I always have a hard time fight DA and not because the opponent brings deathwing. usually when i am fighting them he will bring Sammy with black knights and raven wing bikes. I usually try to ignore sammy but in the end he seems to be moving across the board and destroying everything with a plasma storm from the black knights, then he will charge and then hit and run. How do you counter that?

For the question bout what to take for lord i usually will take Juggernaught lord with axe of blind fury and a sigil. swinging first with the axe usually does very well against the deathwing.

Hollismason wrote:
Maulerfiend w/ Tentacles ( lol totally not the name) = No Attacks I don't believe, someone may correct me but I believe ti comes with 2 Lash Tendrils so -2 Attacks to anyone in base to base. Which pretty much makes it tarpit heaven versus things wtih 2 attacks.

Sorcerer Mounted w/ Telepathy Take Psychic Scream, Congrats you get your invulnerable only.

Daemon Prince w/ Nurgle, Biomancy is always boss for a possible T9 monster. If it gets Iron Arm and Innervate (?) , it's pretty much a beast. AP2 standard.

Psychic Scream is really decent against Terminators as while they may have a decent Leadership, it doesn't matter when they don't get their 2+ armour save.

Couple problems here though, the lasher tendrils cannot reduce a target below 1 attack. Also, since it says attack characteristic, I don't believe it actually stop extra attacks from two weapons or from charging. It really only seems to reduce the number of attacks from characters since they tend to be the only models that have multiple attacks without counting bonuses.

Nurgle daemon princes do not get +1 toughness either, they get shrouded. Thus they are T5 and end up T8 with biomancy, but I don't know what you're referring to with innervate.

The heldrake should do very well against DA though. For similar reasons I expect the blastmasters would also be very effective because they'll get through bike jinks and power armor. The Dark Angels players I go against don't tend to have that many terminators. I tend to see more drop pods and bikes, so be ready for those. I also agree that Psychic Scream is always a pretty good choice too.