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I haven't played 40K in several years and am trying to get back into the game using the limited number of models I've managed to cobble together over the years. I don't really have a whole lot of anything assembled at this point, but a friend and I have agreed to play in a few days and I was wondering if I could get feedback on a tentative CSM army list out of the new codex that I worked out. By what's he's said, I'm guessing that I'll likely be playing against vanilla SM or possibly Space Wolves, but I don't exactly know for sure.

Without further ado, my list:

=HQ=
Chaos Lord
- Power flail (power mace, essentially, but my Chaos Lord has a flail modeled, so...)
- Melta Bombs
- Ichor Blood
- Veteran of the Long War
- Mark of Khorne
105 pts.

=Troops=
7 Chaos Space Marines
- Meltagun
- Veterans of the Long War
Chaos Rhino transport
- extra Combi-bolter
158 pts.

Chaos Cultists (10)
- Flamer
55 pts.

=Elites=
Khorne Berzerkers
Skull Champ (couldn't resist)
- Power Weapon
- Melta Bombs
- 4 Chainaxes
- Veterans of the Long War
Chaos Rhino transport
- extra Combi-bolter
182 pts.

Total: 500 pts. even

My thinking is to have the Lord grouped with the Berzerkers, roll them all up in the Rhinos from as far forward as I can field them, pop smoke grenades for cover.
Next turn, have the Berzerkers and Lord charge into CC with -something- dangerous. If it ends up being Bjorn the Fell-Handed or something, between the added weapon strength from the Lord and/or the Meltas, then they ought to crack it open given enough time. Meanwhile the CSM's deploy using the Rhino for cover and lay down as much fire as they can (ideally Rapid Fire range) with a Melta for support if anything heavy shows up. The Cultists are minimal to meet the 2 required troop choices, but assuming I can close to charge range, their numbers and extra weapons ought to keep something tied up until either dead or the Cultists are dead by which time the Berzerkers and Lord ought to be able to support.

We're both fielding 500 points, and any suggestions on changes to my units or to tactics would be appreciated greatly!

It's a nice list, given that the game is at 500. But, I'd try to get some heavy support in there, like an Obliterator or Predator. Right now you don't have any really good way to deal with heavy support o the other side, and the game will be over quickly if he brings a tank.

Also, given that your lord is marked with Khorne, the Berzerkers are troop choices. You can drop the cultists, if you'd like, and put the points towards something else.

If you have the money, here is a good 500 point list:

1 Sorcerer (60 pts)

10 Cultists (50)
10 Cultists (50)

1 Heldrake (170)
1 Heldrake (170)

Also, given that your lord is marked with Khorne, the Berzerkers are troop choices. You can drop the cultists, if you'd like, and put the points towards something else.

Oooh, I had overlooked that little box when I was making up my list...


Yeah, I don't have any of the new models other than stuff that came out prior to the Dark Vengeance box, the new CSM hardback Codex, and the new Rulebook. I've kinda been put off by GW for a number of reasons, and I've got enough existing stuff that I'll likely never finish painting or working on it all before I die. What I'd consider for future games might be different, but I really don't want to buy any more from GW unless absolutely necessary.

I have an old unpainted Sorceror figure, but I don't know the rules well enough that I want to mess around with psychic powers just yet. That said, I've got all the FW Siege of Vraks books and am thinking I'd make a complementary 500pt army up of corrupted renegades. So I've got the old Battleforce, a squad of converted Berzerkers (plus some I could proxy), a couple Rhinos, a Vindicator, a converted (but not quite finished) Defiler, a box of Spawn (now that they're actually cheaper in points and better rule-wise: 12" Movement + reroll-of-low Run and Charge rolls + d6 attacks + Rage? Yes, please!) , Huron Blackheart (unassembled), a Terminator Chaos Lord (still in box), a converted (but not finished) Khorne Lord, a Slaaneshi/undivided Lord that I'm going to proxy for my Khorne Lord now, and, um... a metric crapton of unassembled plastic SM/CSM' figures.

Lemme revise my list... so you think it likely someone would field a tank or something in 500 pts? (I went up against Bjorn the Dreadnought the last game I played in 5th Ed. and tore him a new one with a similar list - the Rhinos made excellent meatshields what with their 2 guns each and I plan on doing the same this time around with a choppy fast force.)

 Nuln_Oil wrote:
It's a nice list, given that the game is at 500. But, I'd try to get some heavy support in there, like an Obliterator or Predator. Right now you don't have any really good way to deal with heavy support o the other side, and the game will be over quickly if he brings a tank.

Also, given that your lord is marked with Khorne, the Berzerkers are troop choices. You can drop the cultists, if you'd like, and put the points towards something else.

If you have the money, here is a good 500 point list:

1 Sorcerer (60 pts)

10 Cultists (50)
10 Cultists (50)

1 Heldrake (170)
1 Heldrake (170)

OP, as you have been away, heldrake syndrome has struck the community, and everyone has gone totally brain dead and insists on taking 2 or 3 heldrakes at all point values.

Seeing as how you said you dont have these models, thats for the better.

I would suggest trying to use cultists though and using your spare points for some sort of heavy support like a vindicator or helbrute.

Zerkers are a tad expensive so you might want to hold off on them until the 1000 pt mark

Playing with the numbers and trimming off the cultists and a few odds and ends, it left me with about 80 or 90 points to play with.

I contemplated squeezing in an Obliterator, but with just 1 he'd be a fire magnet for sure. I'd like to field some Spawn since I've always liked the idea, but I couldn't justify the cost in exchange for adding some more troops.

Not enough points for a Vindi, although I do have the model (I got it as a parting gift from the good GW store here that closed) and ditto a Helbrute (while the Heavy Melta and CC goodness would be nice - and the rules are way improved over the old Chaos Dread), but I just don't have the points to spare. I could maybe fit in a squad of Havocs, but I'd not have enough points left over to kit them out with support weapons.

While I'd agree that the initial outlay for 'Zerkers is expensive, there's really not a major difference (4 points or so per model?) if you take regular CSMs with additional CC weapons so they get attacks like 'Zerkers. I'd much rather play Berzerkers, since I already have them modeled.

I'm thinking that if I do actually end up playing against SM's with reasonably good BS skills, the last thing I want is to have a long-range standoff - I want to try and tie up his units in CC and eat them alive. I'm still leaning towards Berzerkers, but by trimming off the Cultists (thanks for the notice!), that's let me field more troops overall.

I like the idea of a Heldrake, but I'm not really sold on the look - I've got some way-old templates for making Chaos Flyers and if I did add a dragon or two to my army, I'd want it less dragon-like and more "evil corrupted Chaos Flyer" - dunno, but I think I'd rather scratch-build them. I'm already mostly doing that with my Defiler as the framework, so far as ground support.

Anyhow, the revised list with more warm bodies and a little more extra choppy thrown in:

=HQ=
Chaos Lord
- Power flail (power mace, essentially, but my finished Chaos Lord fig has a flail modeled, so...)
- Melta Bombs
- Ichor Blood
- Veteran of the Long War
- Mark of Khorne
105 pts.

=Troops=
8 Chaos Space Marines
- Meltagun
- Veterans of the Long War
Chaos Rhino transport
- extra Combi-bolter
172 pts.

6 Khorne Berzerkers
Skull Champ (couldn't resist, prefer it to Berzerker Champ)
- Power Weapon
- Melta Bombs
- 5 Chainaxes
- Veterans of the Long War
- Icon of Wrath
Chaos Rhino transport
- extra Combi-bolter
220 pts.

Total: 497 pts.