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Hello
So I have come to like Possessed Chaos Space Marines and I want to know what's the best way to run them.
I guess Nurgle because of the T5 with S5 is pretty good however, Tzeentch is the most expensive mark but the 4++ is quite useful against harder hitting units, Slannesh has a I5 and feel no pain with icon of excess and screw Khorne

I have 10 by the way

There isnt really a 'good' way to run them.

They are so expensive and dont really bring a lot. Fearless S5 marines with only 2 attacks and a 5++. No assault grenades but they desperately want to get into assault as they have no shooting weapon. Not great for 26 points. It gets worse when you consider something like C:SM honor guard....


That said, run them as Crimson Slaughter Suppliments and they are a little more predictable.

The best way to run them is from the Crimson Slaughter Supplement, the table there for possessed is a little bit better than the one from the main CSM codex.

I've had pretty good luck with them in a rhino but that's because I get pretty good luck on the boon table, T6 feel no pain unit of 10 is always good to field but extremely rare, can get some really crap upgrades

T6? Only the champion gets the benefit of the boons you buy for him (or those he earns himself), not the whole unit (sadly).

They can be beastly in the Khorne Daemonkin codex. The combination of Daemon of Khorne and Mark of Khorne is fearsome; getting them into CC in one piece is the hard part, but it can be done.

I have run them alot with the CS-supplement, mostly with MoN. I use them as bodyguards for a Nurgle Sorcerer with Prophet of the Voices. When I do get the 3++ and manage to pull of Cursed Earth, it has been hilarious.

They are still mediocre compared to much, but I would not say useless. If you like them, play them! Stay in cover, and always include someone with assault grenades (preferrably a Sorc for spells).

I usually buy a Rhino with dirge caster and havoc launcher to them, just to get the rhino really. Depending om who gets the first turn, I deploy them in or outside the Rhino. If I go first I drive up with the Rhino and disembark them, if I go second they get protection from the metal bawks. Never stay too long in the Rhino though, since you will want to charge asap.

WangoFett wrote:
T6? Only the champion gets the benefit of the boons you buy for him (or those he earns himself), not the whole unit (sadly).

Haha wow
The last 2 games I played no one was any the wiser to me giving the boon upgrades to my unit

 ZergSmasher wrote:
They can be beastly in the Khorne Daemonkin codex. The combination of Daemon of Khorne and Mark of Khorne is fearsome; getting them into CC in one piece is the hard part, but it can be done.

distraction carnifex much?

Not hard to kill, but if they hit anything outside of 2+ or high invul in CC, boy that poor sod is going down.

Pretty much the worst unit in CSM book. Best use for them is a min sized tax to run daemonkin decurion.
You could always use them as Gal Vorbak in horus heresy (though Gal Vorbak are somewhat larger). Those are what possessed should have been.
Another use is to run them as retinue for prophet of the voices sorc. It's not optimal and you're always better off with regular sorc and spawns.

 Exergy wrote:
There isnt really a 'good' way to run them.

That said, run them as Crimson Slaughter Suppliments and they are a little more predictable.

More predictable? In the CSM book there is a 100% chance that they will in some way improve in close combat, the only time the table does not guarantee an improvement in CC is against 2+ targets or targets with an invul better than their normal save, where the second result would yield no offensive improvement.
The CS table has 1 cc, 1 speed and one range defensive result, meaning that you cannot count, worst case, you will never see the improvement you want. Sure, it is probably better, due to the 11/36 to become beasts turn 1 or 2, which would mean that they can close gaps quite fast and almost guarantee a T2 charge. This does not however make them more predictable.

Possessed are on average quite a bit better than normal marines, about twice as good iirc, the problem is that at double the price point, without double the survivability, they are glass cannons without enough offensive output to make them really worth it. If possible, run them in a KDK detachment with a lord or sorc from CS to tank shots with Deamonheart, works less bad.

 koooaei wrote:
Pretty much the worst unit in CSM book. Best use for them is a min sized tax to run daemonkin decurion.
You could always use them as Gal Vorbak in horus heresy (though Gal Vorbak are somewhat larger). Those are what possessed should have been.
Another use is to run them as retinue for prophet of the voices sorc. It's not optimal and you're always better off with regular sorc and spawns.

Actually modern day possessed should be nothing like the Gal Vorbak

Possessed are a great unit that suffer from two things:

1. OVERCOSTED!
2. CSM really lacks a means of delivering assault troops. The only options are a land raider or dread claw.

If those two items were fixed, I think you would see possessed fielded more. With that being said, I still run them from time to time. I can't help it. I like fielding units that internets says stinks. Usually, I end up cursing and asking myself why I did it. But, occassionally, said unit actually does something useful and I feel like I beat the internets.

I agree totally. Overcosted and random, but FUN!

If you can cope with randomness of things, Possessed can be great fun. Especially running CS. When you time it right so they get Shrouded first turn, hide them in a ruin, to get 3++ and Rending next turn, and charge something, they become very fun to play. And if they turn to beasts, I try to run as far as I can, to charge some tank or heavies in the opponents backfield. Come to think of it, Beastform is the best, as they can cover alot of ground then, taking objectives or just going deep into the enemy lines in oirder to force a reaction.

Let's forget about the question of Codex for a minute. Yes, the supplements make them better.

MoS is the best for them from a pure standpoint. You want them hitting opponents at a higher initiative mostly because they can't stand up to too much punishment.

Think about it this way. MoN lets you save more wounds, MoS makes it so you take less wounds to begin with.

In terms of a delivery system, Infiltrate works just fine for these guys. Put them behind some cover and be ready for a turn 2 assault.

I5 with Feel no Pain sounds good, if we are going to talk about Slannesh you could have them bodyguarded by noise marines, pinning units until the possessed rock up and hopefully roll a good d3 and wreck flesh.

I've always had a hatred of Slannesh as Lucius is so terrible but the extra initiative and access to feel no pain on each unit that has access to icons is a good way to run less tough but fast acting Plauge marines

Get into Noisemarines proper, and your love for SHe Who Thirsts will grow fast. =)