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Simple question: I need some CSM dakka for my Daemonkin choppa. I've been looking into these two really powerful tanks for CSM that are somewhat different from one another, or just get Soul Grinders and call it a day.

Chaos Relic Sicarian is a fast tank that has A LOT of dakka with fast tracking, so nothing can really get away from it. It's also rending cause you. It being fast means you can really rush this thing around kiting the enemy if you needed to.

Pattern Vindicator Tank Destroyer is a Predator that has a long range S9 AP1 TL up to 3 shots if you don't move r- -e gun. Oh it's also ordnance so you re-roll armor pen. Like, this thing WILL kill something every turn as long as you don't move it.

Soul Grinder is the thing you know what it is come on why are you even reading this line.

And for fun, a Forgefiend is a handful more points than any of these options so it comes up pretty flat.

All three of these units are about the same amount of points give or take a negligible amount. Note that I just got a Rhino/Predator so I could convert it into one of the tanks with a little work.

THOUGHTS?

Daemonkin can't take Sicarians or Vindicator Tank Destroyers

I reference that in the first line of the OP, they are CSM tanks. I would take an allied detachment of CSM. I thought it was kind of obvious

It kind of depends what the rest of your army is.

The predator - or any dedicated anti-tank vehicle - is generally a good buy, because there'll be something on the other side of the board worth applying lascannon fire to. If you're taking one, though, you might as well take the Deimos Tank Destroyer because it's just flat-out better value for points; it keeps up for damage output (more or less) even if you don't use the capacitor barrage option, and twin-linked means taking a possessed one (with lower BS but immune to being stunned) is viable.

The Sicarian.....hmm. It's a nice tank but what do you want it for? General non-specific dakka is something I'd reach for a soulgrinder for - largely because it's also a Daemonkin unit hence you get Blood For The Blood God; and with mawcannon shots killing units off is quite doable.

Relic Sicarian vs Demios Pattern Vindicator Tank Destroyer is like saying apples vs oranges. What do you need in your list?

Relic Sicarian is an all around good TAC choice. It does well against anything that depends on a jink save to survive, it does well against pretty much any infantry due to rend, and it is the premier anti jinking skimmers choice (ie try to kill dark angel dark shroud/skimmer units without it). It does suffer from being not as good as the loyalist version due to no schism of mars but it is still an excellent choice with great pts efficiency and a unique role. BTW it even does pretty well as anti flyer. Keep in mind though that S7 even with rending will do relatively little to AV13+ without tank hunters.

The Demios Pattern Vindicator Tank Destroyer is a extremely good anti vehicle (read imperial knight) and can do well enough against most MC. However it is mostly useless against infantry and literally cannot target flyers of any sort (ordnance cannot snapfire). Also if jinking vehicles and bikes are problem this will not fix it. However if Imperial Knights are your problem then this will mostly solve it.

In terms of survivability the sicaran will tend to survive more often and for longer as it can move away from things that close on it with no penalty and the side armour of these vehicles actually comes into play surprisingly often. Really though either of these tanks will help your typical CSM/Khorne Daemonkin list a lot as they provide very efficient and effective long range anti tank.

Chaos can't take Sicarians, those are AdMech units.

The Sicaran, on the other hand, is a pretty good tank for any role you need it perform, and has very good mobility. The Vindicator has one job, it can do it well, but mobility is an issue.