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I had originally planned out an Iron Warriors Chaos army that shifted to Word Bearers somewhere along the line but neither were ever completed. I picked up the 4e Chaos Codex around a month and a half ago and made the glorious mistake of purchasing Storm of Iron last Thursday. Now I am sure about the men of iron.

I should have a test model done with fairly soon but in the mean time I am trying to determine best direction for the Army.

I have a predator painted in Word Bearer colors and thoroughly greenstuffed. Also I've a "Dark Apostle" converted from various bits painted up as well as a test Word Bearer. The remainder constitute around 32-37 usable models, give or take. I also have 10 Daemonette (not sure how Kosher they are so I may well leave them out, though I do have a very sick modeling idea for them) I also have around 8 or 9 usable Furies.

My question is, how to expand from here. Artillery would certainly be one idea. I'll probably also pick up the Warsmith model at some point as well.

The Chaos Marine Renegade Strike Force looks tasty but I'm not quite sure I can justify the expense as I don't know how well the contents will fair in 5th.

Any other thoughts or ideas?

What are you looking for exactly? An ultra-competitive chaos list to buy new models towards? Or a nice fluffy (but not horrible!) Iron Warriors list to buy new models towards? Or possibly crafting a viable, legal chaos list out of the models you already have? Which mostly sound like Word Bearers ...

If it's the latter, I love me a salvaged army list, post what you have in specifics and I can get you on the table and killing again. Or we can build a solid base to add some models to, or I can give you a decent list using that Strike Force (which is a solid kit).

If you want #1 though take a look in the Army List section, or really just take a load of plague marines, an asston of oblits and then 1-2 lash princes and call it chaos. Woo.

- Salvage

Boss_Salvage wrote:Or a nice fluffy (but not horrible!) Iron Warriors list to buy new models towards? - Salvage

Does this even exist? IW are by fluff, a static firepower army, and that is one option that was removed from the Chaos Codex. Due to troops borne heavy weapons costing 150+ points and moving obliterators to heavy support, they can no longer bring adequate amounts of -static- firepower to threaten dominant builds such as tri-falcon and godzilla lists. In the old (and broken 3rd ed IW), one used to be able to cram 20+ heavy weapons into a 1700 point IW list in exchange for completely sacrificing mobility. These days, the number of guns one can take is closer to half that.

Eldramesha>> The Renegade Strike Force seems reasonably balanced, and most of its contents seem fairly useful. It is hard to go wrong with 20 more tactical bodies, and the 5th ed vehicle rules will help the vehicles stay alive. I do not think the Land Raider will be easy to kill at all - and can be taken as a transport for Terminators - sneakily freeing up a HS slot (non dedicated in V5!). Terminators are also a very flexible choice in the Chaos arsenal. I am toying with the idea of buying it myself, although I do not need -everything- it comes with. I already have a Vindicator and find it to be a general waste of points in V4, competing for a slot with Obliterators, though it may get a new lease on life in V5.

I've oft fantasized about an Iron Warriors Siege-breakers army; rather than static gunline, lots of fast moving, armor piercing goodness (vindicators, havoc squads with melta guns in rhinos, deep-striking Oblits, etc.). Combined with daemons, that might be a fun and not entirely uncompetitive army to play--it would certainly surprise people!

keezus wrote:Does this even exist? IW are by fluff, a static firepower army, and that is one option that was removed from the Chaos Codex. Due to troops borne heavy weapons costing 150+ points and moving obliterators to heavy support, they can no longer bring adequate amounts of -static- firepower to threaten dominant builds such as tri-falcon and godzilla lists. In the old (and broken 3rd ed IW), one used to be able to cram 20+ heavy weapons into a 1700 point IW list in exchange for completely sacrificing mobility. These days, the number of guns one can take is closer to half that.

Guy I game with rebuilt his IW army into just what you're talking about here. DP w/ MoN, flight, warptime (loads of bionics ftw), 6x 10 CSM w/ plasma + lascannon or heavy bolter + fisty AC, 7 lesser plague bearers, 2x dreads, 2x defilers, vindicator. He never really liked oblits though, keeps to the smashy vehicles and/or AV12 madness.

And on the opposite side there's my brother's IW, which upon losing their artillery bulked up with EXTREME bionics and proceeded to stomp the yard (i.e. plague marines counts as ).

- Salvage

I tend toward being able to twist fluff in ways that can fluffily justify just about an unit I feel like taking, not to mention I have reasonably decent artist skills.

I could easily do a Word Bearers' army as well. I do love evil robed marine ideas (though I could do a squad of Iron Warrior vets decked out in bionics and Dark Mechanus style robes). Iron Warriors to me are a challenge because they are the hardest Chaos force to paint in an interesting way. Their scheme is typically very uniform and orderly unlike most of the other legions, they have very sharp lines. Word Bearers would be more varied to paint but at the same time it's hard to say.

My goal is mainly to take what I have and adapt/convert/expand it into a moderately toothy fighting force at minimal cost (as sweet as the boxed set is, upon further calculation its coming in as too expensive in the grand scheme.) Word Bearers would be most likely route for that as I have a nearly ready tank and several miniatures painted in Word Bearer colors. So the decision has to be made carefully. I like the idea of a lot of Daemons but at the same time I worry about tactical utility.