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Hello Dakka! I am here asking for your help with creating a decent CSM list! I don't really know where to start other than making this thread, so hopefully it is okay that I don't have a list yet, but hope to form one with your help. I am getting back into the hobby after leaving during 5th edition, and am beyond confused with all the allies, formations, multiple codex's, and other. On top of that, I am not even sure what is good yet! I read that a Heldrake is basically a must-include in most lists, so impulsively got myself one. I am fairly keen on wanting an army that has a bunch of Bikes, but I am not sure how good that is, and I want to be fairly competitive. Any ideas on where to start?

Getting models isn't an issue, It's just the list I am having trouble with! Thanks!

Welcome back! And good on you for staying true to Chaos!!

Helldrakes are still pretty rad, though they no longer have 360 field of fire. Does not really hurt them all that bad, still one of the better fast attack CSM choices.

Regarding bikes, do you have a god in mind to theme your army on? Nurgle bikes with a CC oriented Nurgle Lord is a solid choice. Gettin that high Toughness and speed combined with solid melee is awesome.

Regarding troops, try to shy away from large/expensive squads of your standard Chaos Space Marines. They have trouble earning their points back, where you can just take some big meaty blobs of Cultists to sit on objectives and tarpit anything the enemy wants to CC you with.

I would suggest whipping up a couple of test lists via Battlescribe or the like (Battlescribe is awesome, just DL the program and the 7th ed. codec and you're all set).

Wait for new dex.

take lots of heldrakes. you could go for a fast list with bike and heldrakes supported by big blobs of cultists to sit on objectives. i take a chaos khorne lord on bike and get crushed

I hate when people cry about the drakes but as for the op's question i have found that cultist are the bomb for troops be it objectives or marching down fielding eating bullets one thing chaos has going for it still is powerful HQ and bikes are good too raptors with meltas have been known to destroy armored threats relatively cheaply i will still say that at least you need a squad of marines for there versatility and relatively decent price if there unmarked they can help put pressure where you need it vindicators are still time tested and true and the triple las cannon pred is still nasty
and more efficient then havocs chosen with the right load out can be expensive but devastating when they make to there opponent over all there are a few things that are definitely not competitive but we are not as screwed as every one says we are and daemon princes at mid point games can be absurdly destructive i am looking at you flying nurgle prince with black mace and biomancy

This is a training wheel army.

Hq: Lord with termi armor, MoN, pf+lc

Troops:
4x5 squads of Plague Marines, 2 plasmagun, melta bomb champ

2x5 Plague Marines, 2 Meltaguns, Melta Bomb champ, rhino, combi Melta

This list is easiest to make with 2 rhinos, 30 marines, 6 Champions, 8 plasmaguns and 4 Meltaguns. already exceeding 1000pts to play. The plague marines are forgiving should a newbie make a mistake.

Or you can ignore me and listen to the next Jerkinov

HQ: Belakor

2x10 cultists@100

3 Helturkeys

allies: Crimson Slaughter

Sorc

cultists

helturkey

CULTISTS DROWN THEM IN CORPSES! Ironic isn't it my favorite unit in the CSM codex is the one unit that isn't CSM

paintwhore99 wrote:
I hate when people cry about the drakes but as for the op's question i have found that cultist are the bomb for troops be it objectives or marching down fielding eating bullets one thing chaos has going for it still is powerful HQ and bikes are good too raptors with meltas have been known to destroy armored threats relatively cheaply i will still say that at least you need a squad of marines for there versatility and relatively decent price if there unmarked they can help put pressure where you need it vindicators are still time tested and true and the triple las cannon pred is still nasty and more efficient then havocs chosen with the right load out can be expensive but devastating when they make to there opponent over all there are a few things that are definitely not competitive but we are not as screwed as every one says we are and daemon princes at mid point games can be absurdly destructive i am looking at you flying nurgle prince with black mace and biomancy

Here, I think you dropped all of these [ . . . . . . ]