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.

Hello,

I recently bought my gf a Magnus the Red. We are playing primarily between 1000, and 1500 points.

We're trying to find ways to work Magnus into these lists.

I expect i'll need to buy her some more minis, but here is what she has, chosen primarly based on what looks cool:

2x TAC Squads. about half are built with pistol/swords, the other half are boltguns/heavy bolter.
1x Sorcerer in terminator armor
1x Chaos Lord in terminator armor /w Combi-melta & power axe.
1x Helldrake, baleflamer
1x Chaos Rhino
1x Hellbrute /w Power fist + flail
1x Hellbrute /w Power fist + MM

and, of course, Magnus.

Magnus is an ungodly amount of points, so we will be working with a CAD here.

Right now, we can fit most of this into a 1500 points list. It looks like this:
CAD
1x Sorcerer lvl 2 Psyker, joining a ranged unit of 5 marines (Nurgle)
1x Chaos Lord, joining a unit of 8 melee marines, loaded into a Rhino (Khorne)
1x Hellbrute /w Power Fist + MM
1x Helldrake
1x Magnus

The problem here is that there's not a lot of synergy. The sorcerer would be probably sitting on objectives and casting spells here and there, the melee squad would rush forward and try to engage something in a fight, waiting for the helldrake to arrive from reserves. The hellbrute seems lost, just slogging around hoping to melta something. And of course, Magnus would be targeting the bigger, D-beam worthy units on the board.

I don't really know Chaos Space Marines very well so i'm struggling to help her.

I do think this list would be somewhat successful against my army, though, because she's got AP3, and the ability to blast my more powerful units off the board. For what it's worth, we may as well tailor this list to beat marines. Her primary opponents will be Blood Angels, Ultramarines, Dark Eldar, and some Necrons, Eldar, Orks.

Thank you for your help!

Okay pal;
let's see here, few things I need to know?

A) How many points does Magnus weigh in at? If you don't disclose whether he's vanilla or upgraded somehow; I'm 70% sure we're not violating any forum rules? I just wanna know so that we can build the best list for you and the gf.

Chaos lord in terminator armour cannot ride in the rhino. this is due to the terminator armour conferring 'bulky', and rhinos being explicitly unable to carry bulky+ models.

Lose the sorcerer, he's wasted points in his current battlefield role.

we need to address the HQ aspect of your list. neither example is working well for you, and is eating wayyyy into your points. look at acquiring a daemon prince; give that bad boy wings and a mastery level or 3, see if your opponents like an invisible, buffed even further magnus. if he's eating huge amounts of points, we've gotta make him a REAL problem. also
consider the burning brand for "thinks he's a psychic heldrake" style thing going on. marines everywhere just clenched their asstartes in fear.
am I correct in thinging theres a formation or two that lets the helbrutes deepstrike? either with cultists, or with a squadron of 3 helbrutes? might be worth looking into.

Don't take the heavy bolter marine if you can help it. switch the arms on that guy if you can afford to, cause while aesthetically cool; its the biggest waste of points ever. see if you can't convert a autocannon if youre looking to keep a bolter squad stationary, objective camping? longer range and a strength that might actually hurt stuff, a better AP, and only a single less shot.

Helldrakes with baleflamers make marines cry. run in multiples for pure Astartes tears.

-Thing that's all I've got for you for now? respond or DM me for further help?
GamerGuy

Hes more or less 130 Melta bombs

As someone who recently played against Magnus in 1500 point lists, he would be absolutely brutal at 1000. My opponent ran Magnus and 3 daemon princes and got a 3++ rerolling ones on Magnus no problem thanks to powers, and that's not even counting cursed earth. He harnesses on a 2+, is immune to ID, poison might be an equalizer (dark elder), but he creates spawn on the roll of a 6 in CC, and still has that killer invul save to boot

I agree with the termi sorc being a waste, generally termi armor is only good if deepstriking in with an escort IMO.

Helcult is a formation with 1 helbrute, and 2 squads of cultists, while it's alive, the cultists have fearless, when it dies, they swap this for zealot. For his troubles, the helbrute can use his cultits as 3+ cover saves. Helfist Murderpack (pretty sure it's a different name but I don't quite remember) is a formation with 3 helbrutes, it allows them to deepstrike (and they come in on the same roll, deepstriking separately). The caviout is that they MUST roll on the crazed table every turn, and share the result.

Recently, I've been thinking of converting my helbrute into daemon princes so if you really wanted to you could go that route.

The list needs focus, if you have termi HQ, then he needs an escort that is also termi. Could stick the burning brand on him and deepstrike him solo, if you had a DP (Magnus can do the same) you could use the termi to hold a backfield objective, in that case, go nurgle).

You're going to need bodies for these lists, cultists might not be a terrible idea

Great advice guys, thank you. Without giving away Magnus points exactly, I'll say that he's not quite 131 melta bombs, but my gut feeling is that he's more than 129 melta bombs. If only there was some kind of compromise, it would be perfect.

Quick questions:

1. In the chaos codex we have, drop pods are not listed as an option. It is an older codex though, i realize now, because it lists the hellbrutes at 2 attacks instead of 4 as per FAQ.

2. I'm totally fine dropping the sorcerer and the chaos lord. As cool as they are, they don't add a lot of utility to her list, and they're primarily in there because they look neat. I mean they look really neat. #neat.

3. The Baleflamer is nasty, but for the point total on the helldrake and that it comes from reserves - is it worth it?

4. I'll check out demon princes. Sounds nasty. along with the hellbrute formation. I like deep striking them. Cultists are okay, but in our meta I'm fairly certain they'd get Dakkadak'd into oblivion quickly, people are running stuff like dakka preds.


EDIT - what's the best way to get a Daemon prince? Any good recommended conversions, from AOS? AOS has some good looking models, as long as it's got wings and looks really daemon-y, it doesn't need to be 40k

woah he eats A LOT of meltabombs worth of points
Now as is true of most things that are hugely priced; but *nearly* fairly; he's going to be a monster the lower points we can field him. hell; you've got each other, who needs additional friends, right?

I guess the challenge here is to build the most efficient CAD possible, with a mere budget of 350points....



-Drop Pods aren't a thing for our chaos brethren; but forge world do a version called (I think it's called) a DreadClaw. it costs more than the loyalist counterpart when last I checked...oh; and it comes with a compulsory daemonic possession, so theres a surprise 1-6 chance of losing a single miniature. poor on a marine squad, brutal if a lone dreadnought.

if you're keen on those terminators, get them a squad of pals for later on.

Is the Baleflamer worth it? Does a bear sit in the woods? every single time buddy, you'll never find yourself regretting a baleflamer

yeah cultists are a tax unit; best when theres scary stuff on the board? that way they get ignored....

Basically that's the rub.

Separating it out:

1500 point list; I didn't bother customizing the tac squads. I would use them as melee, with Chainsword and bolt pistol, because that would be more useful methinks. I wanted to do the murderpack for the deep strike, but might cut that because that baleflamer is really nice


1000 Point list is much more challenging due to Magnus being totes expense.
magnus + 2 tacs + sorcerer + hellbrute is going to run about 1000. Can't afford the daemon prince there.

This is really where i'm not sure it's even possible to fit in magnus. it would be amazing to do that, though.

I feel like you need more battery when it comes to the psychic phase, you'll be getting 8 dice on avarage and with the 14 powers Magnus knows you might want to try to pack on some more.

The 5 helbrute formation does not deepstrike, only the 3 helbrute formation. The 5 makes one of them a character and all of them a squadren, just in case you didn't know.

Also, I live my termies, any chance I get I'll field them,but it has to be a unit, not just a lord/sorc

As for conversions, anything that fits a dreadnaught base and looks cool can count. I bought some nids awhile back because i liked the models I'm planing on using the carnifex to make make the helbrute a daemon Prince, only thing I'm missing is wings. Also made one out of a Wraith Lord from the Eldar, gave it wings and a new arm, plan in chaosing it up some more and painting but I got the bones set

I agree with sirsweetroll. You have nothing like enough psychic dice for a Magnus list.

You want either DPs all over the place or heralds, or brimstone horrors. A psycana division, or two would be a good shout too.

Most efficient way to take him is with the daemon prince formation. In my opinion.

How would you field that in 1000 point list?

I'll look into brimstone horrors / psycana division, thank you.

And 3 hellbrutes is much more manageable.

The demon prince is an absolute must for 1500 - i see that, for sure, and I'll probably get an AOS Daemon Prince and use that; it's more up-to-date than the old resin daemon prince that's web store only and always sold out.

I will be hosting a 1k point tournament and i'd like her to be competitive with 1000 points, if possible.

Freeman wrote:
Most efficient way to take him is with the daemon prince formation. In my opinion.

This, this can get brutal without skyfire

I will run an 1000 point list this weekend that includes Magnus as well.
Basically my plan is siphon magic magnus at start, summon pink horrors with the heralds, maybe incursion if rolled out for them to summon additional heralds. With Magnus summon burning chariot with the free and remaining dices.
From second turn the game begins and I release Magnus with base 15+d6 warp charge at very least.

My list: 995 points
Combined Arms Detachment
Vanilla force option
HQ:
- Sorcerer, default
Troops:
- Cultist squad, default
- Cultist squad, default
LOW:
- Magnus the Red

Formation Detachment - Chaos Daemons
Heralds Anarchic
- Herald of Tzeentch, paradox, disc of tzeentch
- Herald of Tzeentch, default
- Herald of Tzeentch, default

Wishwolf wrote:
I will run an 1000 point list this weekend that includes Magnus as well.
Basically my plan is siphon magic magnus at start, summon pink horrors with the heralds, maybe incursion if rolled out for them to summon additional heralds. With Magnus summon burning chariot with the free and remaining dices.
From second turn the game begins and I release Magnus with base 15+d6 warp charge at very least.

My list: 995 points
Combined Arms Detachment
Vanilla force option
HQ:
- Sorcerer, default
Troops:
- Cultist squad, default
- Cultist squad, default
LOW:
- Magnus the Red

Formation Detachment - Chaos Daemons
Heralds Anarchic
- Herald of Tzeentch, paradox, disc of tzeentch
- Herald of Tzeentch, default
- Herald of Tzeentch, default

Slightly off topic, but how well do you feel the Heralds of Tzeentch work besides summoning? I've been kicking around the idea of making a few to support my Death Guard and act as batteries, but have never used / faced them before

SirSweetroll wrote:


Slightly off topic, but how well do you feel the Heralds of Tzeentch work besides summoning? I've been kicking around the idea of making a few to support my Death Guard and act as batteries, but have never used / faced them before

I always use tzeentch heralds as batteries for daemon princes or other psykers and summoning horrors.
The new change powers are really good so they can do some work themselves as well for really cheap point cost.