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This is my first attempt at creating a tournament list, and I decided to go with Emperor's Children, mainly because Noise Marines are as sexy (and flexible) as all hell. However, as this is my first attempt at competitive list creation, i'm quite sure I butchered it. Here's the list- what do you think?

Command-
Sorcerer, Mark of Slaanesh, VOTLW 75 Points

Kakophoni-
Chaos Lord, Mark of Slaanesh, Lightning Claw x2, VOTLW Warlord 110 Points, Attached to Below Unit
Noise Marines x4, Noise Champion w/Power Sword and Doom Siren, 4 Sonic Blasters, 4 CCW, VOTLW Rhino w/Dirge Caster 180 Points
Noise Marines x4, Noise Champion w/Power Sword and Doom Siren, 4 Sonic Blasters, 4 CCW, VOTLW Icon of Excess 171 Points
Noise Marines x4, Noise Champion, 1 Blastmaster, 3 Sonic Blasters, 134 Points
Noise Marines x4, Noise Champion, 1 Blastmaster, 3 Sonic Blasters, VOTLW, 134 Points
Noise Marines x4, Noise Champion, 1 Blastmaster, 3 Sonic Blasters, VOTLW 134 Points
Noise Marines x4, Noise Champion, 4 Sonic Blasters, VOTLW 107 Points

Raptor Talon-
Chaos Lord, Mark of Slaanesh, Blissgiver, Jump Pack, VOTLW, 110 Points, Attached to Below Unit
Raptors x4, Raptor Champion, 1 Meltagun, Icon of Excess, VOTLW 135 Points
Raptors x4. Raptor Champion, 1 Meltagun, VOTLW 105 Points
Raptors x4, Raptor Champion, 1 Meltagun, VOTLW 105 Points

Yes, I understand that taking so many minimum strength units is risky, but in order to get the most from my investment on the Kakophoni, I need all 6 units, leaving me few points for extra bodies unless I want to take some of the Icons to the chopping block. I'm also worried about the lack of Rhinos- I get nervous whenever my units arn't inside some kind of Transport, but Mark of Slaanesh and the Emperor's Children abilities should help them get around. What do you guys think? Hold nothing back- I'm quite sure I overlooked something major.

Should I just rework this list from the top? Is the full 6 unit Kakophoni just not usable at this points level?

I thought you could only have a blastmaster if you took at least 10 noise marines?

Nope. That may have been the old rules, but in the new ones you can take one on a five man squad. You need 10 men if you want 2 blast masters.

The problem with EC is that they don't have Relentless outside Endurance power, and the Sonic Blasters are Salvo. I like them a lot, but forcing you to stay still with a 24" weapon...

Is there any way to give them outflank/infiltrate?

Not that I know of, and that's what worries me. I could always axe the Raptors for extra rhinos, but that would gut a lot of my flexibility. Mobility is the main problem for this list- anyone know of any way to fix that?

Corlath wrote:
Not that I know of, and that's what worries me. I could always axe the Raptors for extra rhinos, but that would gut a lot of my flexibility. Mobility is the main problem for this list- anyone know of any way to fix that?

With Noise Marines, you can either focus on moving them up the board fast, or on making it hard to shoot them while they move up the board.

The Sonic Blasters on every squad are expensive. Perhaps cut down on those enough to get 3 Rhinos, and have the NMs march behind the Rhinos. They form a shield wall instead of acting as a transport.

The Raptors can help with this tactic, but only if they arrive on the board. Not sure if it's possible - but can you take a fortification with an EC army? Having a comms relay would make a huge difference in when the Raptors arrive.

Can you not stick the Lord on a steed of Slaanesh to grant him (and the unit he is with) outflank? However, to get the benefit you would probably want one larger squad to send with him. Maybe toning down the squads noise weapons to make a couple of MSU objective grabbers and beef up the squad with the IoE to a bigger unit.

I agree that I should tone down the sonic weapons, though I doubt that would give enough points for a steed and a larger unit of NMs. I'll rework the list, see what I can do with the rhinos. I'm actually thinking of replacing the Raptor Talon with some Slaanesh Seekers- cheaper without the need for the extra marks. Thank the dark gods that the masque is so cheap for a quick hq in an allies detachment....

That way, at least have a few units with outflank the keep the enemy busy. Alternatively, I cold go with the shiny Chariot Cavaclade with 3 seeker chariots to rip up any pesky heavies.

I think you tactic would have to be pairs fire and move. 3 units stay static with best targets while the other 3 move to close with the enemy in good positions with a nice run move.

I would be worried about facing a knight/armor/WK, really not much you could do to them, and its would be a shooting gallery for tanks.

Add in zero AA and you may be having a bad time. You also have very little ap2 things, with none in CC.

What is your tournament scene like?

what is the Str of a sonic blaster?

Str 4 on SB

Sonic Blasters have Strength 5 as long as you take 6 units of noise marines in the Kakophoni- otherwise I would never even consider so many minimum strength units. And yeah, I'm really worried about super heavies and tanks- Blastmasters can help with that, but I'd really need a Soul Grinder or Maulerfiends to deal with them- I'm not sure I can squeeze them in without cutting the number of noise marines, and I really want to get the most from the Kakophoni.


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Tournament scene has a hard limit on 1 super heavy and 1 flier per army. Still, I'd like to be able to deal with these.


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Yeah I'm probably going to scrap the raptors, replace them with a Slaanesh Daemon allied detachment- the Masque, 2 Daemonette squads, and a Soul Grinder.

Are you dealing with full strength invis, non nerfed psychic powers/ no nerfed re roll shenanigans ?

The issue with just having a limit on super heavies/flyers is it just buffs certain armies very well.

Is the tournament scene seasoned players? Min/Max guys?

I mean tbh you cant rely on 3 BM to deal with a knight/super heavy. Let alone a landraider.

Im not trying to be hard on you but this is a tournament, if it was for fun I would say just go for it and have fun.

Nah, man. This is what I posted the list for. I agree totally- Blastmasters are great but they won't do anything to a superheavy. That was originally what the raptors were for, but I had only enough points for one melta per squad, and that is.... Not enough, to say the least. I want to keep the Kakophoni part of the army though I'll play around with stuff, but am playing around with the rest of the points to make something that would be reliable anti- tank. I was looking at an allied detachment with Daemons for a Soul Grinder, convienently adding in heavy support and some anti- air, but that honestly just isn't enough. Do you have any suggestions? Is there something I could put in in place of the raptors that might round out the army a bit better?

The Tournament will not be with large groups of seasoned players, though there will be a few. Mostly it'll be people who haven't been on the competitive scene for too long, but none of them are beginners.

Do you have any obliterators or possibly access to FW chaos models ? I don't want to do the classic you should use this but you don't own the models nonsense

I have some obliterators and and have access to forge world stuff. Obliterators are the gak, but I'm not sure on the legality of Forge World stuff in the new Traitor Legions stuff. Can an Emperor's children army have forge world stuff in it? Forge World is tournament legal- not worried about that. Just wondering if it still fits. Even if it is legal, I'd have to take a new CAD to bring it.

There are no rules allowing trying forge world units into the new multi formation detachments (except dreadclaws as dedicated transports).
You would have to take a CAD for that. Or apply a house rule.

One alternative to the CAD is the purge detachment. It can open up options for FW units, with no troop tax, but has limitations (No Mark of slaanesh for one) which would make having it as an EC detachment tricky.


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Just as the concept was interesting, you could do a purge detachment like
DP- MoS
2* Emperor's Children Dreadnoughts
4* heavy support FW options
1* LOW. Like a typhon.

Ofc not saying that's good Cheapest unmarked Elite is the hellbrute. Slaneshi spined chaos beasts could also work.

Hmmm.... If I replaced the raptors with an Obitlerator Cult of Destruction, that would both give me extra flexibility and leave me enough points for another Rhino.