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 Dakka!

I have just bought the splendid last CSM codex and now, I have to choose which Dark God I will follow, and which units I will buy first. This is where I need your great and dark advice!

After the first reading, what is clear is that quite everything is points-expensive with CSM. We are playing a lot at 1000pts, that means I will have to really pick the right units and adapt myself to my opponent.

1) UNITS SELECTION
I think Cultists and Helldrake are the best units for CSM v6. Both costs are ok for what they can do.
Cultists can be very effective to stuck footslogging armies.
Helldrake looks like one of the best unit in v6 to me. Fast and dreadful.
CSM, like carebear SM, are still very versatile and can do a bit of everything.
Being not a big fan of Walkers, I am not in love with the Helbrute. But I may be wrong?
Mutilators/Obliterators could be nice at 1500++pts, but ways too expensive for 1000pts games. Do you agree?
Chaos Spawn are now very nice, even if slow.
Warp Talons are a big question mark to me. What is your opinion?
Forge/Maulerfiend are solid and can deal great damages (but, again, Walkers ). I’d prefer to use one of these instead of a Helbrute.
Do I forget anything?
2) GOD SELECTION
KHORNE As I am already playing a melee army, Khorne won’t be part of my hesitations 
NURGLE I have played Nurgle in Warhammer Battle, so it’s like my first crush (eeeeewww lol). But what does it worth in 40k v6? Plaguemarines are tough, really tough! T5 + FnP. Nothing to add. Just put them in a Rhino or a LandRaider and drop them in the middle of the scared enemy army.
TZEENTCH Years ago, Thousand Sons were one of my favorite unit. They had W2 and a ++ save. Now, they are just overpriced, but why? Did I miss something regarding the so-great-looking Sons?
SLAANESH I am reading that Dakka people are playing Noise Marines for their nice weapons. And it’s true that ignoring covers is damn cool!
So, with v6, is there a Dark God which became the God of Gods, and another one who became just unplayable? (I am not talking about fluff ofc)
3) DEFEAT MY OPPONENT
Are there CSM units or strats you can advise me to beat armies like: Orks, IG, Necrons, Tau and Tyranids?

Thank you for your help and any comments/hints/feedbacks you can provide to me!

First, get a viable army. Then you can think about the extras.

Nurgle is the most competitor in CSM.

 BlapBlapBlap wrote:
First, get a viable army. Then you can think about the extras.

Get a viable army. Yeah, that's exactly why I made that post my friend!

I started CSM not to long ago(i choose Slaanesh), and from what i've read and own personal feeling about it these are my opinion about different units you listed.

Helldrake: Hell to the -Blank- yes, an extremely powerful flyer for what it does at its point cost (take 2+ with baleflamer)

Warptalon: ehh very expensive and lack of nades make them iffy, if you take them you need a JP lord so they get the benefit of nades, Else raptors because who doesn't love 2 special weapons?

Mutilators: havent used em...

Thousand sons: When I first started playing 40k i was going to make a Thousand sons army but saw tau and went off with them, am I happy I made that choice? YES Thousand sons went from a 3.5 Tooled out sorc/chosen sorc delivery force to a Way overpriced anti MEQ unit, your paying 23-24pt(dont have the book with me atm) a model for a unit that can be out preformed by equal points of cultists/Every other cult troop/regcsm. TLDR SKIP EM

cultists: take typhus make em zombies, stick Typhus with said zombies, have fun

Chaos spawns: Haven't used them yet but from what I've read they are a good Meat Shield for a lord

The Fiends: haven't used them either but ffs did they both need there own entry in the Codex? could of just said "Fiends" upgrade a to -Slaanesh- things in melee upgrade b to -tzeentch- things at range

I will add more later.

 RedizDead wrote:

I think Cultists and Helldrake are the best units for CSM v6. Both costs are ok for what they can do.

Helldrake, yeah... cultists... not so much.

Mutilators/Obliterators could be nice at 1500++pts, but ways too expensive for 1000pts games. Do you agree?

I do kind of have to agree. In small point games, it usually works out better for me to take multiple small units that can score, rather than point-sink into heavy-hitters.

Chaos Spawn are now very nice, even if slow.
Warp Talons are a big question mark to me. What is your opinion?

Chaos Spawn are awesome now. I try to fill every slot I can with them.

 RedizDead wrote:

 BlapBlapBlap wrote:
First, get a viable army. Then you can think about the extras.

Get a viable army. Yeah, that's exactly why I made that post my friend!

You need the following units:
- Plague Marines
- Plague Lord on Bike
- Nurgle Bikers
- Nurgle Spawns
- Heldrake (two of them)
- Obliterators
- Havocs with Autocannons (unalligned)

Then, you can think about these:
- Typhus w/ zombies
- Khorne Lord with the Axe and a Jugger
- Lvl3 Sorcerer
- Chaos Space Marines (Nurgle, Khorne or Unalligned)
- Noise Marines (as MSU Blastmaster platforms without Sonic Blasters)
- Maulerfiend
- Terminators (as min/maxed suicide units)
- Chosen (min/maxed full-shooty MSU with Rhinos) w/ Abaddon
- Raptors (min/maxed)

Everything else is "funny but 'meh'". Avoid Mutilators, Warp Talons, Thousand Sons, Berzerkers, the two "other" HQ (warpsmith, dark apostle) and Land Raiders. If your gaming group is cool with Forge World then take it (you can't go wrong with FW CSM stuff).

I am not an expert on CSM really as I have only briely looked through the Chaos Codex but I would strongly suggest a Thousand Sons themed army because they make Space Marine players cry. Yes they are expensive but the reason being they have AP3 bolters, relentless, slow and purposeful and a 4+ invunerable save. Put a unit of 15+ on an objective and see if your opponent can kill them all.

 gmaleron wrote:
Put a unit of 15+ on an objective and see if your opponent can kill them all.

For 380+ points, they are better to be completely indestructible . Oh wait, they aren't, they will fall to bolters/lasguns (or anything else with AP4+) just as easily as the bog standard 13 points CSM!

- Plague Marines
- Plague Lord on Bike
- Nurgle Bikers
- Nurgle Spawns
- Heldrake (two of them)
- Obliterators
- Havocs with Autocannons (unalligned)

This is literally my army.. haha

Also take plague marines and cultists as troops imho.
Cultists can form a screen as cannon fodder, or just hang around the back of the board to claim objectives.
Plague marines work best in squads of 6-7 and lots of plasma/melta (but I prefer plasma..)

A 1750 list i'm running at the moment is:
Chaos lord, Bike, Brand, MoN, Power Axe, 4++:
15 Cultists
15 Cultists: 10 guns
7 Plague Marines, 2 plasma, combi plasma
7 Plague Marines, 2 plasma, combi plasma
5 Bikers, MoN, 2 flamers, power weapon
Helldrake, flamer
Helldrake, flamer
3 Oblits, MoN
6 havocs, 4 Autocannons
6 havocs, 4 Autocannons

and there's 25 points left over to spend wherever you wish

If your going cult troops Noise Marines give out a hell of a round of shooting with their 2 S8 AP3 blasts in a unit of ten, whereas if you want a more offensive type list go plague marines and typhus, I don't rate cultists particularly highly (zombies yes but cultists are mainly for cheap troop choices in my lists) but heldrakes are devastatingly effective (a pity the model's hideous)

Don't pick a god. That's the most rediculous thing to do. GW didn't care enough to flesh out marks and the chaos gods for this codex. Just pick the most effective mark for the most effective units. There is a lot of good suggestions in here and some really bad ones as well. If money is no obsticale and you're building a competetive CSM list buy these:
Heldrake x2, Obliterators, Plague Marines, Noise Marines, ADL, Autocannon Havocs, Bikers. After that you can fill in whatever cute units you wish to flesh out the army.