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Hey guys, last played in 5th and getting back into it after having been gifted some minis. I'm wondering overall what I should generally expect to see. Obviously every local meta is just that but I've heard MCs kinda suck now? Is Armor 14 still good?

On a more specific note I was considering running a "casually competitive" list (I don't need to win a big event, I just don't want to get completely ROFLstomped) that tried to cram as many flamer templates as possible with some reliable armor cracking to boot either from range or through hasty things nomming it. Does that sound realistic? I was envisioning a core of Slaaneshi CSM and some Noise marines with a few daemon squads to support but making sure to squeeze in a few Land Raiders to make sure I wasn't gunned down by turn 2.

Any feedback is appreciated :d

MCs don't suck, but they need to be able to do two things every single time. Their main role, whatever that may be, and survive to do it. Simple answer is to fly, but since most MCs are melee, especially in Chaos, those DO suck. But, a Flying, durable psyker is still potent. Invisibility is another option that people hate.

Armor 14 is still good, and not overly easy to destroy, but with the escalation of force, it's more that armies have to bring more anti tank than they used to. Still takes a good amount of shooting but nearly every decent player plans on that and takes those units.

Slannesh is a very good god in my opinion and after a while of threatening, I'm finally starting my own Slannesh CSM list. And Daemonettes are a great choice with increased maneuverability, Rending and that they are 'free' via summoning. Remember them flying MCs? One of their big functions is to summon daemons with the Malefic powers.

But, look at Forge World before you decide Land Raiders are where it's at. Storm Eagles, Spartans, these things are widely accepted now, check local meta to be sure, and Chaos has the crappiest Land Raiders there are.

Slanneshi CSM aren't really impressive to me, but a case can be made for adding CCWs to their Initiative 5, throwing them at the enemy similar to Khorne would but hitting faster than MEQ. Noise Marines with Blastmasters though, and a Sonic Dreadnaught from IA13, that can bring some very good hurt on the enemy from a midfield objective. Sonic Blasters meanwhile wipe out Hordes as they try to rush forward. A good 'all rounder' when it comes to holding a spot. I wouldn't bother putting them in Land Raiders though. Salvo and Heavy do not make good units to charge out of a Land Raider.

Keys to victory right now are mobility and reducing the opponent's mobility. Bikes are still some of the best things you could ask for, even if you don't do the Mark of Nurgle that most folks do. Expect bikes in opponent Eldar, Space Marine, Chaos, Dark Eldar lists and so on. That's where the Ignores Cover is really good to have on Blastmasters.

Depends on your perspective. Chaos mc are not nearly as durable as eldar, dark eldar, tau or grey knight mc which are quite widespread now. However, Nurgle DP with a mace is still frightening. Slaanesh DP can be fine if you use them as C: Daemons ones. Landraiders are prone to getting one-shotted unfortunately. And if you're aiming for durability it's a better bet to just have more stuff running around. Landraiders are used to more or less reliably deliver assaulty goodness.

On slaanesh behalf, i can suggest 20-strong infiltrating/outflanking MoS marines with icon of excess that grants them FNP. Supported by Cypher, they're a real threat to the opponent. To reliably infiltrate them, however, you'll need Huron or Ahriman. Nothing preventing you from modelling them more slaanesh-y ofc

Slaanesh daemons like daemonettes and Keepers of Secret are great. Especially when you summon them.

Thanks guys!

"On slaanesh behalf, i can suggest 20-strong infiltrating/outflanking MoS marines with icon of excess that grants them FNP."

How do I infiltrate them? It's that an option for any unit now or reliant on the special characters mentioned? In the process of reading the rulebook but it's obviously going to take a while to really digest

Also I saw the Helguard Dataslate and -1 BS at melta range sounds freakin awesome. Is that viable at all?

Hmm... slaanesh!

That's what I think about them.

 Cannerus_The_Unbearable wrote:
Thanks guys!

"On slaanesh behalf, i can suggest 20-strong infiltrating/outflanking MoS marines with icon of excess that grants them FNP."

How do I infiltrate them? It's that an option for any unit now or reliant on the special characters mentioned? In the process of reading the rulebook but it's obviously going to take a while to really digest

Also I saw the Helguard Dataslate and -1 BS at melta range sounds freakin awesome. Is that viable at all?

As i've written above, you need Huron or Ahriman - both are decent characters. To be honest, i prefer Ahriman (surprise) cause he's ML4 and has chances of getting a beam Tzeench power that's quite good and/or invisibility/shrowding/psy shreik that are great. Huron, on the other hand, is cheaper, choppier and less restrictive as he may join units with any mark.

-1 BS is not a lifesaver and the second bonus is fear which is basically only good vs orks. Not worth giving up objective secured imo.


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Also, i haven't had much succsess with ranged sonic weapon spam. Blasters are salvo which limits their mobility and damage output significantrly. You basically have to remain stationary or sacrafice a turn of shooting to disembark and stand there doing nothing. Relentless from biomancy can help out but it's fnp is overlapsing with an icon for larger squads and is just a bit wasted on smaller squads. Besides, it's not reliable. Maybe there is a combination with infiltrate to allow the squad deploy where needed and than shoot to full potential but 24" range and salvo spoils it once again. You end up paying a lot of points for a bunch of s4 ap5 shots in the end.

Blastmasters are fine due to pinning and ignore cover but a bit too expensive imo. If you really want to take shooty slaanesh marines, a min squad with 1 blastmaster, 4 sonic blasters and a rhino - potentially with havok launcher could be fine, yet pricey. They're best at defence.

If you want an offensive squad i'd probably just take a min squad with bp+ccw or bolters + bp + ccw and a doom siren on a sarge, stick them in a rhino and call it a day. It's notisably cheaper than shooty noise marines and doom sirens are great. Alternatively, you can take a larger squad with an icon. But the icon is quite expensive and not worth it on squads below at least 7-8 marines. And it can be sniped out with barrage weapons, sniper rifles, lost due to positioning or lost to random wound allocation, for example from explosion or FMC vector strikes.