Chaos Space Marine Elites Review: Chosen

Hello fans of Frontline Gaming, SaltyJohn, and TFGRadio today I’m bringing you the a unit that’s benefiting greatly from the Renaissance of Chaos in 40k, Chosen! For more reviews, bat reps, tactics discussions, and analysis check out the Tactics Corner!

The Space Marines of the ruinous powers are organized differently than those descended from the Loyalist Legions to the False, cadaverous, Emperor on his prison throne. The gods of Chaos play a major role in their day to day operations and lives including the organization of their armies. In the hierarchy of the Traitorous Space Marines the Chosen are some of the best warriors, beloved by both their lords and gods. As shock troops of the Legions they have access to the most powerful, and wide ranging, variety of weapons at the disposal of the Chaos Space Marines.

Chosen are an odd unit in Codex: Chaos Space Marines. What they can do for a mobile shooting force a Havoc squad can many times do cheaper. What Chosen can do loaded out for assault numerous squads can do cheaper and/or much more efficiently. Like many units in the Chaos Space Marine codex Chosen have entered into a Renaissance period with the release of Traitors Hate and Traitor Legions.

Wargear:

• Power Armor
• Boltgun/Bolt Pistol/CCW
• Frag/Krak Grenades
• May take 5 additional Chosen
• Up to 4 may swap CCW for Power Weapon, Lightning Claw, Power Fist, or Dual Claws with no pistol.
• Up to 4 may replace the boltgun with Combo-bolter, Flamer, Combi, Meltagun, Plasma gun
• One may take a Heavy Bolter, Autocannon, Lascannon, Missile Launcher
• May take a Mark of Chaos, may take corresponding Icons, may take Veterans of the Long War.
• May take a Rhino

There’s a lot of options in there. It gets expensive fast.

Special Rules:

• Champion of Chaos (Champ Only)
• May gain rules via Marks, Formations, Detachment etc.

Tactics:

Chaos Chosen were another great example of a maligned unit given the problems with the Chaos Space Marine codex, only just 4 months ago. Prior to Traitors Hate and Traitor Legions Chaos players had little reason to consider using Chosen. The most common role for them would be to get 4 special weapons into a Rhino and drive it down the enemies throats. That role was better filled by Havocs for 15 points cheaper and usually not going to work because unlike their Vanilla Marine counterparts it was difficult to get those Rhinos to infiltrate, scout, or outflank. Getting Chosen into position to be useful, like Khorne Berzerkers prior to Traitor Legions, was a chore and usually a fruitless one at that.

You can load out a squad of Chosen for really 1 of 2 tasks and that’s it. Shooting, or Assault. As far as shooting goes the best option is to take 4 of the same special weapon and throw them into a Rhino. 4 flamers, 4 metlaguns, or 4 plasma guns. Of these combinations the best option is 4 Meltaguns. The meltagun is superior to both the Plasma gun and Flamer for effectiveness across a broad spectrum of potential enemy units and, in the case of the Plasma gun, much less likely to kill off your own guys. As in 0% chance.

Going the assault route though is even harder than shooting. Yes they have all sorts of options for becoming killing machines but they don’t have any special rules natively that help them be more than just regular Space Marines with fancy weapons. The other problem is no infiltrate, scout, Outflank, extra resiliency, or assault vehicle that is decent. So this very expensive unit of assault mediocrity is going to die easily before ever getting to do what you want it to do. It’s easy to see why Chosen would be looked over fairly quickly in a Chaos Space Marine CAD, or any CSM army really, prior to the current era. In the new era of Chaos Warbands and Traitor Legion rules Chosen have some new life breathed into them, a bit by force, and a bit by new potential.

The Chaos Warband, discussed here,  has a requirement that you take 1-3 units of either Terminators, Possessed (I know, right?), or Chosen. Besides a termicide squad the only real option here that has potential is the Chosen squad. This is automatically better than using them in a CAD because in this formation they are Objective Secured. Also, they’re going to benefit from your Legion rules. Death Guard will have Relentless, T5, and Feel No Pain; perhaps you take Plasma guns on this squad or an Autocannon because you’re Relentless. Even if you’re not using Death Guard; World Eaters Chosen, outside a Rhino, would benefit from a lot of extra movement. Emperor’s Children could take an Icon of Excess for a 4+ FNP (that’s pretty pricey though). The best option though for Chosen, if you want to run a lot of Special Weapons in Rhinos, is going to be the Alpha Legion.

Alpha Legion do two things to Chosen right off the bat that makes them a great choice for using Chosen. They get the Infiltrate rule, so they can Outflank as well, and in an Alpha Legion CAD they can be taken as troops. If you want to outflank/infiltrate a ton of Special Weapons in Rhinos then this is the Legion and unit for you. You can take 3 Chosen in the Warband alone, but taking a CAD can net you 6 outflanking, objective secured (they’re troops, remember) units in Rhinos. The true beauty of Chosen in an Alpha Legion list is their rules all pair so well with another great Formation. The Lost and the Damned. While outflanking/infiltrating 40 cultists is great for harassment purposes, having those Cultists backed up by a bevy of Objective Secured units totting some real fire power and you have a really great army that plays well to the objectives.

The best part about Chosen in the new era of 40k isn’t that they became some sort of must include unit like, say, Eldar Jetbikes; what’s great about them now is they have a use and flexibility that they lacked before in the very stagnant meta of the previous CSM codex. The addition of Traitors Hate and Traitor Legions means we have a plethora of new, viable, options for Chaos Space Marines and Chosen are definitely one of the beneficiaries of this new meta.

 

As always, share your thoughts in the comments section! And remember, Frontline Gaming sells Games Workshop product at up to 25% off, every day.