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Ok, so its no secret that CSM is a lack luster codex in the current meta. My question to you guys is: IF the Helldrake had the same rules with the last FAQ(360 arc), Would Chaos be a top tier army again? Or would it make a differance?

Would it help? Yes. Would it make them top tier? Not on your life. There are still too many terrible and/or overcosted units. Outside of IA13 or KDK you just can't make a highly competitive army with CSM.

The Heldrake is one lone model with one job, and it doesn't do it better than a Flyrant. The FAQ forces placement and work, it doesn't really change the use of the unit.

To be fair heldrake can be kitted out to anti air as well as meq killer... that makes two jobs, even if it excels at one more than the other.
Tendancy for people to stick to a single CAD FOC means a hadesdrake never got a look in.

nareik wrote:
To be fair heldrake can be kitted out to anti air as well as meq killer... that makes two jobs, even if it excels at one more than the other.
Tendancy for people to stick to a single CAD FOC means a hadesdrake never got a look in.

yeah, everything good for chaos is loaded into the FA slot. So if the heldrake was better, people would take less of the other good stuff in the codex.

I keep hearing that the flyrant is just godly...But I dont see how. Ive never had a problem with them. What is the issue with them?

11 S6 hits on average, T6 means no insta kill based on Strength alone, a Template Haywire for AV13+, psychic powers ranging from a S10 AP2 Lance to FNP for itself and another unit, they make the other Tyranids Fearless and you can take three in a single Detachment with plenty of points to spare at even 1000pt games. and Fighter Ace means it can leave the table for Ongoing Reserves when it is targeted in the enemy shooting phase (if it gets that result on the table).

The fact of it is that it can do every job and do it well. Anti-tank, anti-infantry, durable, highly mobile, can't be aimed at by things that can't snap fire, Psyker Lvl 2 and they can show up in such quantities that they dominate the Psychic Phase. It's not the ultimate death God, but it does many things more than adequately.

With Str 6, I dont see much happening to my 12+ AV models. 1 haywire flamer? ok, he can glance 1 13AV a turn. as for his powers...If he gets lucky and grabs the warp blast, yes he can answer high AV.

Now I know there are more thatn 1 in a list, So I can understand how it can be good(as with most spam list). But group isnt a waac group(not the nid players atleast). So thats why it isnt a problem for me.

But back on topic.... So spamming 3 helldrakes with the old FAQ woudnt change it back to near top tier? Even if you were to add it to an already competitive list?

One model won't make an army.

WAAC doesn't mean 'a person that spams competitive units'.

If you add a CAD with three Heldrakes WITH a normal Competitive CSM list, sure, that might be something. But since the three FA slots are the first thing to go with anyone that plays CSM, you're talking about gimping the rest of the list. And since the common format is not taking two CADs, they have to be different sources, that again doesn't work. The Heldrake has one job and that's to kill 3+ Save.

The top runners in lists right now (as I understand it) are Bikes, yes it can kill those well, Flyrants, can't touch them except by Vector Strike or the infinitely inferior Cannons if they can get the Flyrants in the firing arc at all, and Wraiths, who have an invulnerable 3++. Then Serpents, who can only be hurt by the Vector Strike, Grav Cents with an Invisible casting Librarian, who can't be targeted by the Torrent. The winning lists were done with skill and a Heldrake might throw a wrench in those plans with a 360 degree torrent, but as it stands, the top players will plan around their limited arc and movement.

They can't score Objectives well and again we are right back to the issue that you have to remove the T6 Nurgle Bikes that DO. There just isn't room until one of the Chaos codecies decides to put in a Heldrake Spam Formation similar to how the KhorneKin has the multiple Bikes Formation with Gorepack. Or, Nurgle gets a Bike Formation similar. You just don't have the Force Org slots in the current codex and common tournament restrictions.