So, after some play-testing, this looks like a fairly nasty CSM list at 1750pts.
Well, this list looks pretty mean to me. I haven’t had a chance to play test it yet, but I will try something very similar to it today.
Here’s the list:
| Chaos | 1750pts | ||
| Unit | Description | Size | Cost |
| HQ | |||
| Daemon Prince | Wings, Armor, MoT, Brand | 1 | 250 |
| GUO | Cloud of Flies | 1 | 165 |
| Troops | |||
| Plague Bearers | 6 | 90 | |
| Plague Bearers | 6 | 90 | |
| Cultists | Flamer | 10 | 55 |
| Cultists | Flamer | 12 | 63 |
| Elites | |||
| Flamers | 6 | 138 | |
| Fast Attack | |||
| Helldrake | Baleflamer | 1 | 170 |
| Helldrake | Baleflamer | 1 | 170 |
| Heavy Support | |||
| Havocs | A.Cannon x 4 | 5 | 115 |
| Havocs | A.Cannon x 4 | 5 | 115 |
| Obliterators | MoN | 3 | 228 |
| Fortifications | |||
| Aegis | Quad Gun | 1 | 100 |
| Totals | 58 | 1749 |
So what makes it scary?
A few things.
For one, those Helldrakes with Baleflamers are crazy. The Helldrake is arguably the most resilient flyer in the game with a 5++, ignoring stunned and shaken on a 2+ and It Will Not Die. Combined with a 12/12/10 profile and the usual Flyer resilience and you have a pretty tough nut to crack.
I have always been a HUGE fan of flamer weapons as they reduce so many variables: to hit and cover saves. When the flamer is AP3, you also remove armor saves from the equation for most units, and at strength 6, it is going to cause Instant Death to a lot of units and take away FnP. Soul Blaze is just icing on the cake.
Toss in the Vector Strike ability and the flexibility of going into hover mode, and these things are beasts. They are going to plague infantry armies, particularly MSU shooty units like Long Fangs, Havocs, etc. and they will also be great and hunting down those little scoring units that so many folks are using these days. A Rhino is actually something you want when these monsters are prowling the skies.
The Daemon Prince is more of the same. The Brand is a toned down version of the Baleflamer, but still AP3 with torrent. Add in the tough to kill MoT DP, and his ability to drop in and kill units with ease, and he becomes yet another great tool.
The Great Unclean One (GUO) is an absolutely fantastic disruption unit. For not many points, you plop big fatty in the enemy back lines and laugh as they are forced to focus a ton of attention on him. He is not easy to kill. Plus, when he makes it into combat, he’s beastly. S&P is a pain, but as he drops in the backfield, it isn’t so bad.
The Cultists and Plague Bearers are on objective duty, and serve no other function. They fulfill missions objectives admirably though, and while not glamorous, they will win you the game.
The Havocs, Oblits, and Quad gun are you core of shooty units to de-mech anyone trying to hide from the flying flamer units, and serve well against other flyers, too.
The big unit of Flamers is good against anything. That unit is brutal, to be honest. Able to lay waste to infantry and vehicles, this unit got massively better in 6th.
Between all of the fast, brutally good template weapons, respectable long range firepower, assault capability and AA, and mobile scoring units, this list looks like it has the ability to do everything you need to do in 6th and go into most fights with a list advantage.
Again though, hahaha, where are the actual Chaos Space Marines? Other units just give you so much more for the money, I’m afraid.
If you were to draw an army that had a lot of AV13+ vehicles and transports (Crons) or great AA (IG with Quad Gun, Hydras, and an OoF) you could be in trouble. But with all the fast threats coming down on the other guy turn 1, it will be easy to overwhelm their ability to fight back. I could see a Drop Pod army going first being a lot of trouble. If they could get stuck into you in combat fast, and take out some key units right away, they could stay safe from your flame weapons, but you should be able to fight back with your assault elements.
So what do you guys think? This army hits like a ton of bricks, is fast, reliable and has few weaknesses. You all see any holes I am missing?