Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

These are the first two armies I've been building, as I've only been playing a little more than a year at this point, and I've been trying to figure out how to balance the Chaos Space Marines versus my Space Marines. I started playing via the Dark Vengeance set with my brother and some friends, and even without much experience I could inherently tell that the thing is unbalanced, so I tried to give them more Oomph before the SM side. My brother and my friends feel the CSM list is missing something versus what I have and I was wondering what I could do to balance things out or add power to the CSM force? Technically the CSM is above in points, but as per the actual quality feel when they play it, they don't feel like it has more. Are there character upgrades I should take to give some things more power as they are?

We haven't really been playing with objectives or terrain, more of Purge the Alien than anything I guess, as I'm on a bit of a budget and am slowly starting to collect some terrain pieces (Or try and use some of my daughter's toys as terrain). Part of me thinks that once I get some terrain pieces and we start playing with Objectives that things will be a little more balanced because the CSM will have more bodies to stack at Objectives, but I'm not sure.

I have a box of the Terminator Lord Kadre that I'm going to build with the Lord as a sorcerer and then another Chaos Termie Sorc to maybe make it a 7 model mini-deathstar, and I have recently finished assembling a 10 CSM squad to make the current CSM squad legal. But outside of this I'm not sure what else I should do to balance things out with being unable to afford Big Ticket Items at the moment. The only new additions the Space Marines will be getting is a Drop Pod, Razorback, and the 30 yr Imperial Tactical Marine when I get around to them.

*lists are non-competitive in nature when used

Thanks in advance

CSM List

CAD

HQ
Kranon the Relentless - DV stock, though allowed all relics
Chaos Terminator Sorc - Term armor, Combi-melta, ML2, Force Stave
Vrosh Tattersoul - DV Stock

Troops
10x CSM squad - 1x HB, 1x Plasma Gun, 1x Meltagun, 1x Heavy Flamer, 1x Generic Chaos Banner All have Bolters who are able, Aspiring Champion - Plasma Pistol, PF
10x Cultist Squad - DV stock
10x Cultist Squad - DV stock

Elites
12 Squad of Khorne Berzerkers
9 Squad of Thousand Sons
Chosen Squad - DV Stock

Heavy Support
Defiler - Havoc Launcher
Helbrute - DV Stock


--------------------------------------------------
Space Marines List

Firespear Strike Force
1x Terminator Captain - Storm Bolter, Power Sword
5x Tactical Squad - 1 ML, rest with bolters
Venerable Dreadnought - TL Lascannon, PFw/storm bolter

Librarius Conclave
1x Librarian - Termie Armor, ML2, Storm Bolter, Force Stave
1x Librarian - ML2, Bolt pistol, Force Stave
3x Librarian - ML1, Bolt pistol, Force Stave

CAD

HQ
Chaplain - Termie Armor, Storm Bolter, Digital Weapons

Troops
10x Tactical Squad - DV Stock
5x Tactical Squad - 1x Grav Gun, Sergeant - Combi-grav

Fast
3x Bike Squad - DV Stock (Used as regular bike squad, not Ravenwing)

Elite
5x Terminator Squad - DV Stock
6x Honour Guard - Relic Blade

Heavy Support
1x Dreadnought - Multi-Melta, PF w/ Storm Bolter