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I know Space Marines as a whole are suffering in 8th right now, but even so, what is the best CSM gun line army?

Thanks

SG

proably alpha legion

Your three choices are Alpha Legion for surviving, Iron Warriors for Ignores Cover, and Black Legion for full rerolls from our friend Abigail.

Abaddon in Black Legion grants full to-hit rerolls and immunity to morale, which is very nice for big squads/cultist screens.

World eaters. You take your guns towards the enemy and smash his scull with them.

I'd say Black Legion is probably the best.

CSM is one of the few armies that can pull off an assault-oriented play style. IMO if you're going to play CSM then you owe it to your gaming group to play assault oriented.

Alpha Legion most likely:

- 1 to bs against them works wonders for durability.

- Forward operatives can bring slow units in positions which then can bring out the hurt.Obviously also khorne berzerkers profit from it but you wanted a gunline.

- Cultmarines can still be taken as elites, let's just say that plague marines really get annoying when they get the -1 to hit debuff at range additionally to their statline. Same goes for rubrics btw. and also for noise marines.
However plague marines recently got discounted, and still have the nice acess to three plasma throwers and or plage throwers. Forward operative Plaguemarines can seriously be annoying.

- Not bound by marks, so you can get acess the psy of all the three: Miasma of pestilence is in the base codex a thing for nurgle psykers. -1 to hit rolls against a unit in every phase until the next psyphase of you. YAY -bs shenanigans and even in melee.

- I AM ALPHARIUS: or the i deny you victory points for slaying my warlord. Bonus points because your enemy will now play a whacamole match.

- Free relic blade of the hydra, is a nice plaything if you run base chaos lords for the buffs they provide for shooting.

- The OG cultist army. Cultists as standard make the most sense in this army, Tide of traitors even at only 1 use per battle can mean 160 pts that are recyclable. -1 to hit on cultist makes them also survive more bullets, can make them annoying to deal with. (generally one blob of 40 for tide of traitors, preferably with mark of slaanesh, endless cacophony and or forward operatives and watch when 160 autogun bullets hit a target. the rest of your troop tax filled with 10 man cultist squads, if you have the points left over consider a stubber if not don't worry.)

- Alpha Legion Dakka Hellbrutes. Reaper autocannon and Missile launcher in the backfield. 112 pts. and every type of enemy is attackable by this beauty.

- Forward operatives, plasma chosen. (not as desirable since the plasma price increase, still if you want to alpha plasma grill an enemy that squad is a possibility.)

- Alpha Legion Havocs + autocannons + Mark of slaanesh. Enough said.

- Alpha Legion Kyborgs. An allready tough unit, now with an additional toughness on top of it, because why the hell not.

- Alpha Legion Terminators footslogging. Yes this one is a fun choice since terminators still suck, but -1 to hit against terminators can be surprisingly usefull. Bonus points since Chaos terminators are the cheapest possible Terminators and reaper autocannons are fun. The cheapest possible option is a combibolter with either an energy mace or energy sword. at 37 pts per dude a min squad with a reaper autocannon costs you 208 pts. An annoying distraction squad, possible always pushable via forward operatives and or selectable for a mark of slaanesh or nurgle.

Edit:

- Base CSM squads with a sole heavy weapon or special weapon without the need for transportation. Profit massively but still overpriced.

- Of course forward Operative Havocs with plasma guns do the chosen option better.

- Raptors with special and combi weapons and added toughness.

Note, something like this, especially the more ambush style of such an army requres quite alot of CP.
Since you however anyways want quite alot of CP and potential firepower a min battalion filled with cultists two warpsmiths / exalted champions/ sorcerers/chaos lords can generate 5 cp and give you some other slots. Afterwards just fill another battalion with min taxes as cheap as possible.

If you go stationary instead you will require less CP respectively free them up for doubleshooing stratagem. In such a case Warpsmiths can also babysit the Hellbrutes.