KDK tactics: Kytan Destroyer!
Its another day so that means another Khorne Daemonkin review brought to you by the Sultan of Swank himself – Goatboy. Today I want chat on a model that feels so spot on from a physical design stand point that I can’t help getting excited every time I see one of the table top. The Kytan Destroyer is a pretty awesome looking Khorne “Knight” and while the rules are not 100% locked in yet, they are still 100% awesome. As usual you can read up on more tactics at the Frontline Tactics Corner.
The Kytan Destroyer is a Forge World combo kit that utilizes part of the Lord of Skulls Kit mixed with a resin set of legs. The amount of kit bashing I have seen utilizing the upper body of the Dozer king is crazy so it is awesome that Forge World built a kit to make it easier. The unit is a Super Heavy Vehicle marked for Khorne and its design is to get in, get chopping, and hopefully killing as many things as it can for the Glory of the Blood Throne.
I remember when the Lord of Skulls first came out. The blogs were abuzz with how to “fix” the Tonka toy looking model as the dozer blades felt a little out of place with the normal 40k aesthetic. I even thought about getting one and trying to kit b bash my way with creating a cool set of legs. Lucky for me, Forgeworld came out with this upgrade kit and I don’t have to worry my poor little head about figuring out a way to create the cool Knight legs.
The initial rules design feels very Khorne like as it utilizes the same D Slapper Axe of Khorne rules as well as some modified shooting abilities to allow it to move forward, get involved, and start punching. Plus FW has said it can be utilized in a Khorne Daemonkin (KDK) list as a replacement for the Lord of Skulls. This is a big Win Win and he can do a lot of damage and his cheaper cost means he could see play while the Lord of Skulls sits on your shelf.
Overview:
The Kytan Destroyer is built as a roaming murder machine with the Super Heavy Walker Rules. It can get to just about anywhere on the table and start its “blood” gathering business for its Skull demanding master. I wish he was a little bit tougher as the Brass Scorpion isn’t too much more with more shooting, better assault distance, and a heck of a lot tougher outer shell. Still – there will be armies that can’t deal with this guy as he moves in and gets to swinging that giant Axe of Khorne. I see him as a “threat” option that is utilized to make the opponent take a heck of a lot to remove effectively – thus letting your other “squishy” Khorne bits get their jobs done without the worry of getting shot off the table top.
Wargear:
- The Kytan has 2 sets of weapons on it. The Kytan Gatling cannon and the Great Cleaver of Khorne.
- Gatling Cannon 48″ S 8 Ap 3 Heavy 8, Pinning.
- Great Cleaver Of Khorne D Ap 1 Melee.
- Its front and side armor is 13 and while it does not have an Ion shield like a normal Knight it is a Daemon of Khorne so it does have a 5+ invulnerable save.
Special Rules:
- The Kytan has a plethora of special rules that lets it go all over the place as it tries to get to slaughtering your enemy.
- IWND – Getting those hull points back on a 5+ is a nice little dagger in the heart of your opponent.
- Crusader – After doing some murder it has to get some where fast before the fuzz comes.
- Daemonforge – For when you really want to kill that thing you don’t like.
- Rage – Its super serious about being mad.
- Fleet – Again it will get to where it needs to go.
- Unstoppable Slaughter – If you kill something with your Gatling Gun you can still charge something else. Fancy right!
- Daemon of Khorne so it has some extra rules like 5+ invulnerable save, hates Slaanesh, and Furious Charge.
- Super Heavy Walker so it has all those lovely rules as well – Stomp, Smash, etc.
Tactics:
Tactics wise this is a cheaper LoW slot for the KDK list. This lets you take some kind of super tough option that will leave you more points for those pesky Gorepacks I have talked about. I don’t know if it is the best option as while it isn’t to expensive the Khorne marked Chaos Knight might be a better overall option. The Ion Shield will help it out and as Khorne doesn’t really like to take Cursed Earth options it gets harder to fit that or the Grim in. Still he is a pretty fun option.
The army list thought looks at utilizing him in a regular Kdk CAD and then getting some Gorepack formation love on the side to ensure a steady stream of Blood Tithe, protection from deep striking Melta and maybe utilizing some other options.
KDK CAD
Chaos Lord, Juggernaut of Khorne, Kor’Lath, Meltabomb
Bloodletters X 8, Character Upgrade
Bloodletters X 8, Character Upgrade
Kytan Engine, Legacy of Ruin – 1st War of Armageddon
Formation: Gorepack
Bike Squad X 3, Meltagun X 2, Meltabomb
Bike Squad X 3, Meltagun X 2, Meltabomb
Flesh Hounds of Khorne X 5
Flesh Hounds of Khorne X 5
Flesh Hounds of Khorne X 5
Flesh Hounds of Khorne X 5
Daemon Ally
Bloodthirster of Insensate Rage, Greater Gift X 2, Lesser Gift X 1, The Crimson Crown
Nurglings X 3
The idea for this list is to do the Russian Doll Warlord trick by trying to generate enough tithe to make a Daemon Prince then a Blood thirster. The Kytan Engine will give everyone a +1 to their Invulnerable save and the Blood Thirster will give everyone a +1 to their attack as well. Plus he will be a pain to deal with as he will have the options to D Axe of Khorne you or just go crazy with a ton of extra attacks. The Hounds will keep things at bay and help protect your Kytan engine in the middle.
It isn’t the most “tricksy” list out there but it feels like it could give some armies some trouble as it runs around and has enough “threats” to make someone worried they could get in too close. I could fit in the grim but without Fateweave it is just not viable. The new Khorne options from the Curse of the Wulfen book might be very helpful into making this list tick.
The fact the Kytan engine can generate Blood Tithe for you is very helpful and again – having a fast Super Heavy vehicle with enough “melta” protection is a great thing. Plus we all know how exciting it can be when he gets that D Slapper into your face and starts to pile on the heads for Khorne.
In a normal Chaos Space Marine list I feel he lacks when compared to the normal Chaos Knight. Again if you are going to be playing Khorne it is better off to go KDK or the new Chaos Space Marine Khorne formations. The lack of focus in the normal CSM options is just not worth it with what you get from throwing your vote to the all might Khorne. Feel the Skull with Khorne!
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[yop_poll id=”113″]
Did ITC faq the Kytan to take Legacies?
Okay, I has a confused…
I thought “Legacies of Ruin” were only available to non-possessed vehicles in a Chaos Space Marine army? If there has been a FAQ published that KDK may use them could someone please direct me towards that? Because I definitely seem to have missed that one.
It’s implied. Demon Engines, vehicles with Demonic Possession, or Demonic Resilience can’t take Legacies.
It’s slightly confusing because there is no Demon Engine USR, but it lists Defliers, Fiends, Heldrakes, LoS, etc as examples in pg. 187 of IA:13.
Giving the Kytan a Legacy Relic really is stretching it. While RAW doesn’t classify it explicitly as a Daemon Engine, the fact that it is called a Daemon Engine of Khorne highly suggests that RAI, it is a Daemon Engine.
Then again, if the ITC public voted for Chaos Knights to be able to take Relics, then I guess why not the Kytan?
I think those chaos legacies of ruin are only prohibited to models with the daemonic possession special rule. Don’t think the chaos knights or Kytan have that rule.
You are correct
But here I my thing, I think only csm can take the legacies not kdk
It can be taken as a LoW in a CSM, KDK, or Demon army. If it’s in a KDK army it gets BftBG.
Sure, but I think his point was that in a Daemonkin army it is not allowed to select Legacies of Ruin, as those are specific to the CSM army.
Legacies can only be taken on CSM vehicles, and can’t be taken on Daemon engines (list of daemon engines, etc) or vehicles with daemonic possession or resiliance.
The Kytan’s full name on the rule sheet is “Kytan Daemon Engine of Khorne” so I think you’re out of luck either way.
I just ordered one of these. Was going back and forth between this, a Khorne Knight, and a Brass Scorpion, and finally figured I’d mod this guy so I could use him as a Knight as well as a Kytan, get two for one. I feel like he’s a bit too pricey for what he brings, but not horribly so. Substantially better than, say, the Barbed Hierodule. Can’t wait to get him on the table.
He is a solid melee combatant, with fairly good stats and a Str D weapon (plus Stomps), but he is more expensive than a Knight without bringing much more to the table. Especially with how ITC has ruled Knights I don’t think there’s much reason to bring a Kytan other than flavor, but they aren’t _awful_, the Knight and Scorpion just do the same job better.
Yeah, honestly, unless they come out with updated Rules that drop him by, idk, maybe something in the neighborhood of 75-100 Points, I’ll probably end up most often running it with some other gun on there and calling it a Knight. But I’ll run it as a Kytan at least occasionally, because it does have some coolness factor to it.
I think the Kytan is better than the Khorne Knight. Kytan has more attacks, higher WS, most importantly a higher initiative which means it strikes before any other Knight and at the same time as a WK. Fleet is awesome on the Kytan to make sure it gets into combat. It doesn’t shoot as well as a Khorne Knight, but the Khorne Knight isn’t shooting very much not like a Warden or Crusader can.
I think the Kytan needs to be taken best in a non KDK army so it can benefit from Cursed Earth and/or Grimoire. Even just Cursed Earth gives it a 4++ all around which is superior to a Khorne Knight.
The higher Init and WS are definitely nice when fighting other walkers/MCs, but if you’re charging into terrain you still don’t have grenades, so it doesn’t matter as much as it might. I think you could make the argument for it in a KDK army, but it’s a LOT more expensive than a Knight, which is very offputting to me- five hundred points for six HP and a 5++ just feels really, really fragile. The Knight can at least benefit from a 4++ (or even 3++ in CSM, not even counting Cursed Earth or Grimoire) and the Rapid Fire Battle Cannon is a far better gun than the Kytan’s gattling.
I look at the Kytan and see Gerantius- he’s better than a Knight, but not 150pts better.
The Kytan is a super beast-machine! It is relatively fragile for its cost, but is incredibly good in assault, especially against knights and GMCs. I cant wait to play with it!