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With the coming of the latest supplement, there is exciting changes for the forces of chaos. One of these major changes is a new troops choice, something Chaos has needed for a while.
The gakky thing is though, that they're possessed. But GW knows vanilla possessed suck so they gave us a new possession table. Let's take a closer look and see what can be done with these guys and compare them to other options. What do possessed have that other units in the CSM codex don't?

POINTS: Possessed cost 26 points a model. This is 5 points less than a terminator. Ew.
STRENGTH: Strength 5. Compared to other close combat troops, this is not as big of a deal as you might think. Zerkers get this on the charge with an icon. Terminators can come auto equipped with an axe that gets them to strength 5.
ATTACKS: Base 2, but no extra weapon to get that plus one. They have the same attacks as a Khorne Berzerker in essence, but they have no rage.
DAEMON: Possessed are Daemons. A 5++ Save, not shabby. This allows for other strategies as well, like taking Daemon allies and using the Grimoire of True Names.

THE TABLE:
Is the table any good? Let's take a closer look.
1: Shrouded: If these guys are in cover, this grants them between a 2+ or 3+ cover save. Awesome. This isn't going to do jack in close combat though, which is where these guys need to pay their enormous points back.
2. Beast Form: Fleet and Beasts, a sweet combination. These guys will move like lightning and charge great distances. Doesn't do jack in close combat.
3. 3++ and Rending: This is by far the best roll you can get in my opinion. These guys are going to be getting a save of 3 for pretty much everything, and with lots of attacks (MoK) and rending, they will deal out a lot of pain.

BOOSTING YOUR POSSESSED:
With the advent of divination, we can further strength the possessed. Rerolling hits, 4++s, and forcing enemies to re-roll saves. All will greatly empower possessed. A good question though is if this focus is better spent on other, cheaper units. Another powerful way to strengthen possessed is with the Grimoire of True Names. This effectively gives them a 3++ always, and on a roll of a 3 on the possessed table or a cast of forewarning, they get 2++s. Sick. The Marks of Chaos are also useful.
*Khorne: This is a sweet one. With the Icon, these guys are more expensive Berzekers that hit with Strength 6 on the charge and have a 5++.
*Tzeench: Considering you can get 3++ inv or cover, I'm not sure if this is worth it. Yes, it's good in close combat against power sworded enemies that will strike on your initiative, but I recommend just gunning those units down with other squads you have.
*Nurgle: Possessed are either going to rape offensively and not suffer much defensive blows, or they are going to be dealing with high str low AP shots. The MoN will be less useful here. Just take Plague Marines.
*Slannesh: An interesting option. This gears possessed away from being Terminator killers to being better against enemies like Space Wolves or Blood Angels. Not a bad mark.

MATCHUPS IN CLOSE COMBAT:
As a close combat unit, how strong will possessed matchup to other units? What should they go for? How will they do against other CC units? It's very dependent on the table.

1. Terminator Deathstars: You have a 3++ pretty consistently with the grimoire, feth those power weapons. Against a unit of 5 termintors in general, you'll strike first. Rolling a 3 on he possessed table will allow rending which will make these guys incredible with the mark of khorne and prescience. However you can't depend on this. If you have your div Sorcerer friend with you, you don't roll the 3, and you have MoK + the Icon (so expensive...), you hit on 4s rerolling, and wound on 2s. With 10 possessed, you inflict roughly 25 wounds. Against 5 Terminators, statistically they will lose 4.166 terminators... that's practically an entire squad gone and you have amazing defense against the one remaining terminator. A good matchup.

2. Space Marines Equivalents: A 3++ isn't that useful here. But the power of the strength and number of attacks these guys can put out will crush a squad easily.

3. Guard EQ: The rape. Possessed will slice through a unit of these guys in a flash, but that's also a problem because, as with all space marines, mass firepower will wither these boys away with a few rounds... and there goes your expensive deathstar unit.

4. Monstrous Creatures: If taking Khorne, these guys will hit with Strength 6 on the charge with 4 attacks apiece. Not an ideal matchup, but manageable. If you have to deal with lots of monstrous creatures, make sure to take a wound or two off of them before charging.

5. Blood Angles/Space Wolves: This might actually be somewhat close. Fortunately the possessed have the Invul save to reasonably deal with kinds of guys. Pick Slannesh or Khorne and make sure you space correctly on the field and get the charge.

6. Hordes: These possessed will have the most trouble against a lot of little attacks with their T4. I'd recommend going after bigger prey if possible.

WAYS TO USE POSSESSED:

1. Foot Slogging.
This is possible, but not recommended. You need these guys in close combat and you need them asap. The more opportunities the opponent has to snipe them off, the more points down the drain. However they won't fair too poorly. They can either move quickly, have a 3++, or have a 3+ cover behind a rhino. They should stay alive pretty decently against things like plasma cannons, which are looking for squishy marines out in the open.

2. Land Raider
Slap these boys in a Land Raider with Kharn or Kranon and main kill burn. I would highly recommend this because these guys have such quality attacks if you kit them out with MoK and an Icon. Put a sorcerer in there, mastery level 3 with 1 divination and 2 biomancy (or whatever), and you have a very godly deathstar.

3. Infiltrate
This a more patient option. Essentially if you're 18" or 12" away, you can get a pretty certain charge with beasts and fleet. You infiltrate behind cover and either wait to get that result, wait for the enemy to come to you, wait for the rest of your army to arrive and clear out those high numbers of shots that will easily hack away your expensive possessed, or for your reserves to come in and weaken the enemy board. In the mean time you hide well and let your other rolls of cover and invul saves keep your covered. This eliminates the need for a land raider, but requires Huron or Ahriman (who you shouldn't take because you now have a div sorc!) The survivability of the unit makes this plausible. HOWEVER, infiltrating spawn and a juggerlord is probably a better option to be honest...

4. Rhino
Not ideal at all. Same problem with Rhinoing zerkers. The Rhino rush is dead and you're not making the best use out of your close combaters that you can.

CONCLUSION:
Possessed might just be one of the strongest close combat deathstars around with the proper upgrades. I have been hesitant to put Zerkers in a Land Raider because I didn't think their offensive capabilities were good enough. But I predict that these units might be strong enough to put into a Land Raider and kick ass. They can kill just about anything that doesn't have an AV > 11 and are only weak against units with tons of attacks. Units that have tons of attacks are usually killable with a Heldrake or other strong units in our codex.

The DeathStar:
-9 Possessed with MoK and Icon of Wrath: 276
-Sorcerer with 3 Mastery Levels, Balestar of Manon, Prophet of the Voices, force axe: 165
- Land Raider: 230

Go forth and kick ass with your godly troops choice my chaotic brethren!! FOR THE DARK GODS!!!

Interesting read there, have an exalt.

While I am a recent convert to the Crimson Slaughter club, the Possessed table leaves me a touch cold. It doesn't really feel like they have a good consistent purpose since the table is fractured between offense and defense. And while bumping them to troops helps them I find the overall the effect not quite strong enough to encourage me to field them just yet.

Maybe if they got an Apoc formation or GW cut their points down to 20 each, or they ditched the table and gave them all three rules at the same time. Any of those would encourage me to pick hem up, but for now I'll pass.

Im just sad they dont have Power Weapons anymore.

I have a good 20 Possessed right now that are just collecting dust because of 6th Edition Chaos.

Ap3 CCWs would have made them worth their points. The random Chart was a massive fail on GWs play testers. CC specialists that have to role for a 1 in 3 chance of doing their job competently? No thanks. I'd rather push wounds with Cultists!

A few things...

crimson_caesar wrote: Strength 5. Compared to other close combat troops, this is not as big of a deal as you might think. Zerkers get this on the charge with an icon. Terminators can come auto equipped with an axe that gets them to strength 5.

I think you're missing the point with this. The benefit of having S5 base is that you don't NEED those other things. You can be S5 without taking a mark of khorne, which means firstly you can pair them with units that aren't MoK (like a MoN sorcerer), and secondly that you can then take a mark on top of them. It's like they get MoK for free, and then can take another mark on top of them. Berzerkers with a 4++ you say? Likewise, you get S5 without being forced down to I1 like the axe.

crimson_caesar wrote:2. Beast Form: Fleet and Beasts, a sweet combination. These guys will move like lightning and charge great distances. Doesn't do jack in close combat.

Doesn't do anything in close combat? Yes, technically it doesn't help you swing better, but that misses that this is, by far, the best close combat ability. That's because it basically guarantees that you get into assault, and from a long way away.

Rending is good, but it only counts when you actually make it into close combat. If you don't make it in, the ability does literally nothing. I'd much rather make it into close combat with regular attacks than not make it into close combat and let my opponent blow me off the board while I twiddle my thumbs with rending.

crimson_caesar wrote: *Tzeench: Considering you can get 3++ inv or cover, I'm not sure if this is worth it.

Tzeentch improves your invul save by 1, whatever your invul save is.

So if your invul save is a 3++, MoT improves that to a 2++. Which means we now have a source of 2++. Not a permanent source, but a much, much less cheesy source.

crimson_caesar wrote: 4. Monstrous Creatures: If taking Khorne, these guys will hit with Strength 6 on the charge with 4 attacks apiece. Not an ideal matchup, but manageable. If you have to deal with lots of monstrous creatures, make sure to take a wound or two off of them before charging.

These guys do fine against monstrous creatures. Lots of armor saves + lots of bodies with invul saves against low-number-of-attack models. Plus, sometimes you rend and get the invul save better.

Because look at a squad of 10 possessed with that MoK. That's 40 S6 attacks. That's 2 or 3 wounds on a riptide, and that's a not terribly optimal target. After that, the riptide tries to slowly work through those invul saves and the possessed ultimately win it.

Ailaros:
I think you make a point with the Str 5. I do say that Str 6 charging khorne possessed is especially nice/good.

With Beast form, again I agree. This power will be awesome for them getting into CC, but I did just mean it in terms of actual strikes. It's also less important if they're in a land raider because that grants them 12" + movement anyway. But it is wild to imagine disembarking 12", hot.

With Tzeench, my main point is 40 Str 6 attacks on the charge with a 3++ is better than 30 Str 5 attacks on the charge with a 2++. At least, I think so. The 40 attacks will kill so much that you'll be taking far fewer saves in general. I think 3++ can handle 3 wounds vs. 2++ handling something like 7 or 9 wounds. It's a toss up though. I do think the Str 6 is just awesome though, I can do a real dent into Monstrous Creatures and Av 10 and 11, even 12 if you're lucky.

With MC creatures, I was thinking more about the worst case scenarios, like fighting a bloodthirster, greater unclean one, hive tyrant, daemon princes, y'know, that sort of thing. Essentially MCs that are made to slaughter in close combat. That's why I recommended shooting those targets up a bit before charging. But you're right, possessed will inflict a good amount of wounds.

I think in all, we agree that they're a useful unit that might be worth the points.

To everyone else:
Don't underestimate the power of 40 Str 6 attacks that reroll toHits with units that can (if you want/roll it) have 2-3++. With the inv, they can deal with power weaponed units and deal serious damage. That is all.

Mark of Tzeentch cannot exceed 3++ for models in the Chaos Space Marines Codex though.

Goddamnit GW, every time I muster up the willpower to quit they drag me back in.

I had just started making a possessed heavy, hellbrute toting khornate warband. Thought "pfft these are terrible, time to sell and finally move on", and then wham, rumours for crimson slaughter pop up

I gotta agree with Ailaros, that Beast is by far the best CC upgrade they can get.

Where are these re-rolls to hit coming from? Psychic powers? I've pretty much used psychic powers like twice in my whole life, someone want to help me understand how to put them to use here?

GoliothOnline wrote:
Mark of Tzeentch cannot exceed 3++ for models in the Chaos Space Marines Codex though.

Also known as the most commonly overlooked rule out of any codex.

Not a bad read. I think you over look the use of Icons though. Icon of Wrath can help get these guy into a fight, and even faster if they roll beast form. Icon of Excess is an amazing idea from my point of view. All those guys who get 3+ armor, 5+(sometimes better) invuln, and the ability to have a 5+ Feel No Pain? That is a very durable yet still killy unit that will cause some target priority problems for your opponent. The other Icons do nothing for the unit so they can be ignored.

A land raider seems like a good delivery method, but 230pts, a heavy support slot and the cost of the unit seem a little much. I think infiltrating them with Huron or Cypher is much more appealing and can apply pressure early while your other units advance.

 Dakkamite wrote:

Where are these re-rolls to hit coming from? Psychic powers? I've pretty much used psychic powers like twice in my whole life, someone want to help me understand how to put them to use here?

The Sorcerer. He has divination: Prescience. AW YEH

Excellent point with the invul... I totally forgot. 3++ is still sweet. Chaos has storm shields baby.

I0kl:
I think that's a very good point! The reason why I didn't consider the excess icon because of the sorcerer in the unit. I figured the way you'd roll of physic powers would be to start with divination. If you got bad luck, take Prescience. Then roll twice on biomancy. One of the powers gives FnP. I know it's nothing to rely on, but the glory of having MoK and Icon of Wrath with FnP... omg. The greed.

But MoS is a very viable option. I like Khorne better myself because I like to picture these guys slaying terminators, and 10 more attacks on the charge helps a lot. But maybe MoS is better overall. I'd have to try both out.
(Also MoK is more fluffy! )

I also second mark of Khorne. They only break AP when you roll the 3++/rending power, so more hits is always better. More hits that instant-death Eldar is even better. Running an unmarked Sorcerer with the Balestar with them means you can reroll your hits and potentially get misfortune to screw up enemy armor saves, too.

They are a deathstar unit. Not the best of them out there as they tend to gum up units more often than kill them, but are expensive if you want to get any use out of them.

Yeah.. storm shields 1/3rd of the time with no way to guarantee it.. So, it's nothing like having a storm shield really.

They're still terrible, you give up the ability to KILL anything for the ability to either be Legion of the Damned 1/3rd of the time but have no guns? Or get into combat easier but have low strength and low attacks? Hmmmm..

I think I'll stick with Chaos spawn. Troops which only have close combat weapons are bad.

 SRSFACE wrote:
I also second mark of Khorne. They only break AP when you roll the 3++/rending power, so more hits is always better. More hits that instant-death Eldar is even better. Running an unmarked Sorcerer with the Balestar with them means you can reroll your hits and potentially get misfortune to screw up enemy armor saves, too.

They are a deathstar unit. Not the best of them out there as they tend to gum up units more often than kill them, but are expensive if you want to get any use out of them.

The question is, is there a better deathstar unit for Chaos Space Marines? Even if you went insane with expense and kitted out a unit of chosen with power axes, marks, and other bells and whistles, I think possessed would be superior. Even against terminators, zerkers, or any other unit. Perhaps this is a bold claim, but I think it might actually be true.

CSM don't really have a good Deathstar unit aside from the Juggerlord. He needs spawn to get across the field though, and 1 well placed Vindicator will erase what ever hopes that squad has of getting into CC so.

crimson_caesar wrote:

 SRSFACE wrote:
I also second mark of Khorne. They only break AP when you roll the 3++/rending power, so more hits is always better. More hits that instant-death Eldar is even better. Running an unmarked Sorcerer with the Balestar with them means you can reroll your hits and potentially get misfortune to screw up enemy armor saves, too.

They are a deathstar unit. Not the best of them out there as they tend to gum up units more often than kill them, but are expensive if you want to get any use out of them.

The question is, is there a better deathstar unit for Chaos Space Marines? Even if you went insane with expense and kitted out a unit of chosen with power axes, marks, and other bells and whistles, I think possessed would be superior. Even against terminators, zerkers, or any other unit. Perhaps this is a bold claim, but I think it might actually be true.

I'd rather have Cypher infiltrate Draznicht's Chosen utilizing nothing but Plasma Guns any day of the week. Just as good in melee (3 attacks base at S4 > 2 attacks base at S5, as close combat to hit rolls are inefficient), and absolute nightmares at range. Preferred enemy on 5 plasma guns capable of being in rapid fire range on their first turn, ATSKNF, Hit and Run, grenades in case they need to charge something, and Shrouded >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> anything Possessed would ever be able to accomplish.

GoliothOnline wrote:
CSM don't really have a good Deathstar unit aside from the Juggerlord. He needs spawn to get across the field though, and 1 well placed Vindicator will erase what ever hopes that squad has of getting into CC so.

Are you clustering your spawn that much? 1 vindicare will hae to get lucky to average more than 1.5 dead spawn a turn with the spawns base size. Also you could always have used some form of terrain on your board for a cover save.


The possessed star actually seems kind of fun. I am kind of toying with some ideas for one. Mostly based on a MoN Palanquin of Nurgle sorcerer fully kitted to help tank wounds. If he rolls Precognition the unit will become significantly more durable. This also does 2 things to help out both parties. If the beast possessed result is rolled then the throne become much faster and if the 3++ gets rolled the psyker becomes more survivable. The throne adds 2 wounds to an IWND 2+/4++ IC. Being a sorcerer he gains the ability to roll up Forewarning and if so he can alternate it on the possessed star and other high threat units (which is how I think this will be best run, 2-3 serious CC threats).

My only problems at the moment are that I like the idea of cypher but he is too expensive at 1750 pts to include with the already expensive possessed star. The support just thins out too much. On the other hand though I think he might be key to making it work as infiltrate and hit and run will be how you get this into position to actually accomplish anything. Like a scoring beast star would be a reasonable comparison with cypher included.

I am still somewhat unsure of what I want my serious heavy hitter to be. The unit needs something like an abadon or typhus to kill big nasties and give it real punch. However if I include cypher it might be better to not include such a model as they would be better not killing it and bouncing out of combat to something scoring.

Perhaps dual sorcerers, one from BL with the nova power and telepathy and the other CS w/ divination. Put cypher in for infiltrate and HnR. Now I just need to find a game to test it and 20 possessed models...when I have no possessed models. I guess CSM with nurgle growths will just have to pretend they are possessed. Anyone an acting coach?

 Kirasu wrote:
Yeah.. storm shields 1/3rd of the time with no way to guarantee it.. So, it's nothing like having a storm shield really.

They're still terrible, you give up the ability to KILL anything for the ability to either be Legion of the Damned 1/3rd of the time but have no guns? Or get into combat easier but have low strength and low attacks? Hmmmm..

I think I'll stick with Chaos spawn. Troops which only have close combat weapons are bad.

Then get the grimoire of true names and get it 90% of the time (with the table adding to the chance).

So your solution is to spend even more points on an already very sub-par unit? Or just not ally Demons and not waste grimoire on possessed? I mean, if you're gonna do that you might as well ally in effective units like flesh hounds, then use the grimoire on THAT unit.

Throwing points after a bad unit doesn't make it "more good" it makes it "more bad". You want to throw LESS points at it, to maybe have it be worth something.

Well for 2 points less than an unmarked terminator (with the MoK), it's not that many points. Just have a sorc with them with a specific relic and it's actually a reasonable deathstar.

I do agree with you about expensive units, but I think these guys would do well against other deathstar units, say Deathwing Knights, and cost less points. They just need the right support. A Land Raider for transport and an IQ that's not that out of the ordinary to ask for a deathstar. And one that can handle itself at that and deal out some damage.

With the grimoire stuff, really it's just a 30 point upgrade for your general army, not just the possessed. Use it on them if they need be, but also take flesh hounds and use it on them early on or the greater daemon of your choice. They can use it more than the possessed because they're in a Land Raider.

But if you don't take the grimoire, I think their offense would do well against Termies, but not so hot against Space Marines with powerswords. :/