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I'm not playing this army competitive yet, so please don't be like 'this sucks because it's not winning tournaments'.)

So, I've finally got started on the army I've always wanted since 2012. That army being of course Chaos Space Marines. Well fate has a funny way of working itself out and I've decided to go Word Bearers, (the same army from DOW Dark Crusade that I've played all those years ago.) Anyways, because I wanted to simply get started I got a Lord Discordant and the Combat Patrol box with the Dark Apostle and the Hellbrute in it.

The Dark Apostle is finished. I've decided to make my Legionnaires all have Bolt Pistols and Chainswords. Due to some suggestions from my local group the havocs are sporting two lascanons.

Now onto the main course, the hellbrute. I want to use this big boy as a distraction carnifex and slight fire support. The issue is wargear. I want it to be able to provide cover fire since most of my army now melees.

In the future I plan to get a Chaos Rhino, a Master of Possession, some Daemonkin, and some Possessesed, but for now I must work on finishing off this boxset. Any suggestions?

(I didn't want to put this in the list thread because my list is very casual and not finished. But for now, I am worried about getting my proverbial feet wet with these two HQ's of the Apostle and Lord Discordant and this combat patrol. I'm not looking to chase the meta, but I want a versatile army.)

if you planning to use it as a gun platform I'd say lascannon/missile launcher. For a general build, probably multi-melta/fist.

Waaaaghmaster wrote:
if you planning to use it as a gun platform I'd say lascannon/missile launcher. For a general build, probably multi-melta/fist.

What about autocanon and power scourge?

The autocannon is usually a very useless profile that gets stapled on a lot of things. GSC quite like it, but that is only because their trucks are now a good source of crossfire tokens.

The power scourge is good. But so does the fist. Just take what ever you want. If you are messing around with helbrutes this paryicalurar melee loadout is not what makes or breaks it.

In my experiences they are best used as a counter charge unit with a relative stable meltaprofile. At least in loyalist armies.

I wouldnt use the ML. Its just one shot. Better use a CCW instead, if your helbrute gets into melee. I like MM and scourge.

Melta/missile or melta/melee weapon my choice. Though generally i want melee weapon for flexibility.

Lascannon and Power scourge.
You can reach distant high value targets (characters without Look out Sir, heavy support units) and put up some fight in close combat with 8 attacks.
Multimelta is good for small battlefields where 24" range is not a problem.

Maybe it's because all I have is the Dark Vengeance brute but MM fist hasn't completely sucked for me. Going all guns will make you miss out on the pressure the brute can provide as it closes in. In most games he dies before he does anything but at least he's scary enough to not be ignored.

 Xyxel wrote:
Lascannon and Power scourge.
You can reach distant high value targets (characters without Look out Sir, heavy support units) and put up some fight in close combat with 8 attacks.
Multimelta is good for small battlefields where 24" range is not a problem.

24" is never problem for me. Terrain.

tneva82 wrote:

 Xyxel wrote:
Lascannon and Power scourge.
You can reach distant high value targets (characters without Look out Sir, heavy support units) and put up some fight in close combat with 8 attacks.
Multimelta is good for small battlefields where 24" range is not a problem.

24" is never problem for me. Terrain.

Agree.
My DV MMelta/fist brute (and any similar SM dreads) isn't usually at any range disadvantage.
Every now & then there's a situation where having LCs &/or the scourge would be more usefull. But it's not often enough for me to spend the $, or time converting, to switch to.
The only real reason I might switch is I like the kits body sculpt more than the simple DV one. So if I ever come across one super cheap & so armed...

MMelta+fist is budget option yes, but it is subpar for games.
Fist won't kill swarms/troops so Helbrute will not clear objective in most scenarios.
Multimelta will be countered with enemy keeping his value target at 31" at deployment and during game if needed.

 Xyxel wrote:
MMelta+fist is budget option yes, but it is subpar for games.
Fist won't kill swarms/troops so Helbrute will not clear objective in most scenarios.
Multimelta will be countered with enemy keeping his value target at 31" at deployment and during game if needed.

He keeps at 31" distance? Good. He's not shooting me either then And isn't also scoring points.

Melta or lascannons on the right arm, fist or scourge on the left. I'd be more worried about avoiding the rubbish options than splitting hairs over which of the good options is the best, in general the anti infantry guns don't give you anything your other small arms already provide, and the hammer is too swingy with both -1 to hit and random damage.

I'm digging my EC 'brute with fist and plasma cannon.

MM and fist is probably the best for me. You can now put them into Strategic Reserves for free so the 24" range on the MM isn't a problem and you can often get the jump on something you really want to kill quite easily.

The fist gives you a chance to deal with things that are a threat to you in CC, so I'd go with that over the scourge.

Mark of Tzeentch, Lascannon and Fist.

If you face 3 wound infantry, you want the fist. Same with any vehicles... fist. If you actually ever see 2 wound infantry more, then I guess the scourge, but only by a very small margin.

But with the recent point drop on lascannon wow, its fantastically priced now.

When the Twin Las is 10 points more than the MM I'm not convinced its worth it. I think the Scourge could be worth looking at in CoB list due to hitting that S8 break point, but most of the time the fist is just better. If your Helbrute is constantly getting tied up by guardsmen/gaunts/grots etc, don't have them be be completely on their own vs those factions.

I do like the Mark of Tzeentch though, even if I can see the argument its not worth it versus spending those points on something else across the army.

Magnetice the weapons if it is posseble i only have two hellbrute from the starter box and have given on of the mm two autogun barrels so i can play it with auto or lascannons.