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Hey all, I've been building up a sizable Thousand Sons army over the past few weeks, and I've definitely jumped back and forth on what I want to field. Next on my mind right now are squads of chosen.

How effective are these guys? I've never seen them used before, and they look like they could cost an arm and a leg to kit effectively.

Right now I'm planning on bringing 3 squads:
2 units of 6 chosen, including champion
Rhino with dozer blades, havok launcher
5 meltas, champion has combi-melta and meltabombs.

1 unit of 6 chosen, including champion
Rhino with Dozer Blades, Havok Launcher
5 plasmas, champion has combi-plasma and meltabombs

Riding with the plasma chosen for prescience:
Sorcerer
ML3, force axe, combi-plasma, balestar of mannon, meltabombs, Sigil of Corruption.

Man do I wish maulerfiend could take marks of chaos...

I would run Black Legion instead of CD and thus wield the Chosen as troops (and eat the VOTLW tax with a big, cheesy grin). With even 1-2 left in the aftermath, you can still hopefully contest mid to far-field objectives.

Since you won't have a lot of leftover points with those expensive units, I recommend sticking with just 5 in each squad, as well as removing the Havok Launcher, since you should be flatting out to early-on to get where you need to be.

Special weapon-wielding Havocs are a cheaper option to consider, obviously giving up a wee bit of firepower for some points. I don't know what the rest of your army consists of (at the price of T Sons and Chosen, probably not much), so you might not have the Heavy slots available.

I'm building up for a 2500 point game versus our local Space wolves player. I have 3 9 man ksons in rhinos, 2 tri-las predators, a vindicator, a maulerfiend, ahriman, a sorcerer, and soon to be a helldrake. I was thinking on adding a hell blade or two to combat the storm wolves and melta chosen for popping the knight he'd bring. Maybe move the sorcerer and chosen to black legion allies? I like the balestar for prescience on the plasma chosen though.

Both the Supplements are good for Chosen. The Black Legion one as said allows for small elite armies of special weapon wielders.

The Crimson Slaughter sound like what you want to run here. One unit of Chosen can be upgraded for 10 points to be Draznicht's Ravagers- granting Preferred Enemy. So for 10 points your Plasma Chosen can be safe from Gets Hot and get a re roll to wound most of the time. When I run my Plasma Chosen I always take this upgrade.

I've only ever run Chosen in Cypher's formation, where he can infiltrate them. I used 4x Plasmaguns + Combi-plasma. They put out a lot of firepower, but they are very squishy for the points.

If you like the chosen, have you considered just running them without special weapons and just going mark of khorne?

10 man squad, 5 attacks each on the charge.
50 dice in the face of your opponent.

Thats 200pts
220 if you add icon of wrath, for furious charge= 50 str 5 hits.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Since you are only going for ranged special weapons, i think havoks are better for you.

But i really like chosen, and the idea of elite chaos marines.

What i think stands out are their base two attacks, and two melee weapons, and boltgun.

I mean, they sure can have lots of special weapons, but so can havoks if you want to shoot with them.

Also, is there ever a need for them to have 5 powerweapons?
I mean, if no khorne mark, then 5 weapons with 4 swings each., vs marines, half will hit, and if it is powerswords we are talking then five wounds, no save.

There are better ways to inflict 5 wounds on a tac squad, than having to use over 300 points worth of chosen.

I mean, they are cool as hell, but in high point games, they will just die as easily as a regular csm, but even faster because they are a priority to kill for your opponent.

Hey I'm back after a bit of brainstorming. I took all of your suggestions to heart, and have just decided on using the rule of cool with the expensive chosen squads.

2500 points (+1 but we don't care) CAD Crimson Slaughter

Ahriman (Warlord)

Sorcerer ML3 Force axe, Sigil of Corruption , Spell Familiar

Chosen - 5 chosen with melta guns, champion has power axe and melta bombs in a rhino with dozer blades

Chosen - 5 chosen with melta guns, champion has power axe and melta bombs in a rhino with dozer blades

Chosen - 5 chosen with plasma guns, champion has power axe and melta bombs in a rhino with dozer blades, Draznicht’s Ravagers

Thousand Sons - 8 Rubric Marines, Aspiring Sorcerer with force axe and melta bombs in a rhino with dozer blades and havok launcher

Thousand Sons - 8 Rubric Marines, Aspiring Sorcerer with force axe and melta bombs in a rhino with dozer blades and havok launcher

Thousand Sons - 8 Rubric Marines, Aspiring Sorcerer with force axe and melta bombs in a rhino with dozer blades and havok launcher

Hell Blade fighter with Helfire Autocannons

Hell Drake with Baleflamer

Vindicator with dozer blades

Maulerfiend with magma cutters.


Infiltrating the chosen up for the main assault, maulerfiend and vindicator charge up the field as a second wave, thousand sons and sorcerers skim around for objectives/mopping up after the chosen. Helldrake is for backfield, hell blade is flyer deterrent.

I've had fine results with Cypher chosen formation where they get infiltrate. Infiltrating csm list is rather good. 20 infiltrating marines + Cypher + chosen support. However, those 20 marines are better off as slaaneshits.
Also, crymson slaughter chosen with full plazma in a rhino are great as mentioned above. Preferred enemy is on par with getting buffed with twin-linked. One of the best units for gettign infiltrated with Ahriman.

I have run a unit of Chosen from CS supplement with great success:

5 Chosen, 4 plasma guns, Draz' Ravagers, in a Rhino with dozer blade and havok launcher. Just under 200p, and will melt lots of things, and draw much interest from your foes.

I just use them as my HQ's bodyguard. Huron Blackheart is stuck off a bike and loses some ability in a Plague Marine squad, so I run him in a Land Raider with Chosen. 7 strong, Mark of Slannesh, three Power Weapons, two swords and an axe, and sometimes a Fist but not often. Two Flamers or Meltaguns are also a decent choice for some pre-Assault punch with Huron's Heavy Flamer. Gives a decent amount of AP2, plenty of AP3 and they are always following the heels of my Khorne CSM squad or Cultists and are meant to finish off an enemy locked in combat.

How in the world does Huron lose some ability in a Plague Marine squad? It offers a much more durable bodyguard for the cost on top of majority T5.

How do you think this should fare in the battle vs space wolves? 2500 ppints, he should bring a storm wolf or 2, drop pod melta grey hunters, drop pod axe and shield dreadnought, decked out wolf lord Podded in with command squad, battle leader in a unit of TWC (shields, but no power weapons), and a knight. That's what I know he can bring off the top of my head.

If he's really heavy on vehicles which it sounds like he is you could consider kitting one of the chosen units with melta instead of plasma. Will save you a few points too.

Edit: nvm, saw there are 2 units already equipped.

I'm a fan of melee khorne chosen with a few power axes in the squad, an icon, and a claw on the champ. Bonus preferred enemy is also awesome in combat. Makes them better than berserkers for not too much more, but they also dont need an expensive IC to pull their weight thanks to the hidden power weapons so the overall squad ends up being a whole lot cheaper. Stick them in a dreadclaw for fun times.

Slayer-Fan123 wrote:
How in the world does Huron lose some ability in a Plague Marine squad? It offers a much more durable bodyguard for the cost on top of majority T5.

Being the only one hitting at Initiative means his considerable advantage over other MEQ models is not as useful. In a Slannesh squad, you can kill the enemy without losing anyone, or leave them striking back with one or two. In a Nurgle squad, one or two die and then they hit back. They tarp it's like nothing else, but I want Huron killing things and killing them good.

For some reason I also thought Plagues were slow and purposeful. They're not.

 SharkoutofWata wrote:

Slayer-Fan123 wrote:
How in the world does Huron lose some ability in a Plague Marine squad? It offers a much more durable bodyguard for the cost on top of majority T5.

Being the only one hitting at Initiative means his considerable advantage over other MEQ models is not as useful. In a Slannesh squad, you can kill the enemy without losing anyone, or leave them striking back with one or two. In a Nurgle squad, one or two die and then they hit back. They tarp it's like nothing else, but I want Huron killing things and killing them good.

For some reason I also thought Plagues were slow and purposeful. They're not.

That squad won't be killing anything if they can't get anywhere without dying. Chosen are almost 20 points and the only thing they really have as a bonus is 2 attacks base. That's not durable for the price. For what you want you might as well get Terminators, since they come with Power weapons default.

Hold on,

If you are running chosen just for the multiple special weapons, then why not take havocs. They are far cheaper. And you don't lose much since possessed lost infiltrate.

 welshhoppo wrote:
Hold on,

If you are running chosen just for the multiple special weapons, then why not take havocs. They are far cheaper. And you don't lose much since possessed lost infiltrate.

The Heavy Support section is HIGHLY valuable.
Cypher lets them Infiltrate at least.

Mr ghoti wrote:
How do you think this should fare in the battle vs space wolves? 2500 ppints, he should bring a storm wolf or 2, drop pod melta grey hunters, drop pod axe and shield dreadnought, decked out wolf lord Podded in with command squad, battle leader in a unit of TWC (shields, but no power weapons), and a knight. That's what I know he can bring off the top of my head.

I fully expect you to get tabled on turn 4 or 5. That's just how it is when you take multiple instances of the worst units in the chaos codex. Would certainly be an interesting game to read a battle report about though.

Just take cypher.

Slayer-Fan123 wrote:

 welshhoppo wrote:
Hold on,

If you are running chosen just for the multiple special weapons, then why not take havocs. They are far cheaper. And you don't lose much since possessed lost infiltrate.

The Heavy Support section is HIGHLY valuable.
Cypher lets them Infiltrate at least.

True, but he still has a free slot in his list.

But not MULTIPLE free slots. If I could take ksons as troops outside of my primary detachment, I would, but with the maulerfiend and the vindicator my options are limited. Cypher's formation is nice, but they have no transport option and i'd have to find points for yet another expensive character.

 Drasius wrote:

Mr ghoti wrote:
How do you think this should fare in the battle vs space wolves? 2500 ppints, he should bring a storm wolf or 2, drop pod melta grey hunters, drop pod axe and shield dreadnought, decked out wolf lord Podded in with command squad, battle leader in a unit of TWC (shields, but no power weapons), and a knight. That's what I know he can bring off the top of my head.

I fully expect you to get tabled on turn 4 or 5. That's just how it is when you take multiple instances of the worst units in the chaos codex. Would certainly be an interesting game to read a battle report about though.

I hear ya, and I fully agree. This army is for fluff and fun, not for competition. Luckily a lot of my meta is fairly soft and thematic as opposed to hardcore cheese. Until tournaments run arojnd, at least.