Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So I'm building up a purely Thousand Sons force, and I'm wondering what I should do about the force weapons. I've never really run a marine army before, so I'm not too positive on what I should take.

My Chaos Sorcerer has an axe modeled, and the Aspiring Sorcerers all have swords modeled. I was planning on trimming these all down and replacing them with Egyptian-styled Khopeshes, as they fit the look and could be easily seen as either swords/axes.

I COULD also do staves on them.

I'm just really uncertain about what exactly each one does for its role, which one is better for the army as a whole, and which one I should primarily stick with.

Eventually I plan on running 3 or 4 9 man units of ksons. Other AP2 in the army can come from Doombolt/tri-las preds. Other than that I don't have an answer to riptides, dreadknights, or terminators.

Axes or maces. Mostly Axes and hope for 4++.

Force staff adds to strength and you'll make it AP2 if you get a certain biomancy power working

If using Biomancy, Force staff on Sorcerors, force axe on Aspiring Sorcerors, if using Telepathy, All Axes all the time IMHO. AP2 is just that good. There is no place for the sword

Iron Arm means you hit like a lascannon at initiative in melee and that when you rack Warp Speed, you're not wasting that +3 init.

Your Aspiring Chumps pick up the challenge slack against 2+ armour (or anytime at all really since losing your ML3 sorc to becoming a prince or spawn is pretty bad) and rely on their 4++ to let the survive until going last.

Invis means you'll probably survive to swing that axe, though requiring 5's to wound hurts, doubly so when you're fiting stuff with an invo.

If you want a khopesh look to counts-as an axe, the halberds from the tomb kings tomb guard box is pretty win, though it looks a touch spindly if used on a terminator lord.

I used to be all axe all the time, but have since changed my mind after finding the relability of wounding and not going at I1 from the staff to be better against the prime targets of force weapons - Monsterous Creatures.

The math says that the Axe pwns the staff in almost every situation, but that doesn't take into acount the fact that sorcerors can't get eternal warrior (unless rolling biomancy) and MC's can smash for Str10 AP2.

BTW, your force weapon selection won't help you against a riptide since you should never, ever catch one, and GK will easily be able to stop you getting your powers off regardless and tri-las preds won't have the volume of fire to stop them before they are in your face and wrecking your stuff.

You also won't have an answer to vehicles, most MC's, any GC's, anything in cover, anything fast or any fliers, but that's ground that's already well trodden.