If your Chaos Space Marines prefer stalking in the dark to marching in parade order, Nightmare Hunt is their natural home.
This new Grotmas Detachment is built around fear, shock assaults, and forcing Battle shock until enemy plans fall apart. It clearly leans into Night Lords fantasy, yet any terror focused warband can cash in on it. Importantly, it does not just add more dice, it makes your opponent play worse by attacking leadership. That gives Chaos a fresh control style alongside the usual brute force.
Fear As A Force Multiplier
At the core of Nightmare Hunt is a detachment rule that weaponises Battle shock. Enemy units within 12 inches of your Chaos Space Marines test if they are under starting strength, not just half, and they do so at minus one. Consequently, every little bit of chip damage suddenly matters because it pushes more units into test range. Once a unit fails, the screws really tighten, since your Chaos units get plus one to wound while the Battle shocked enemy suffers minus one to hit. This means your army becomes more lethal and harder to hurt exactly when the foe is already wobbling.
Predators in the Dark
The Enhancements push that predatory playstyle even further. One upgrade gives a unit Stealth and makes it untargetable outside 18 inches while it holds an objective, so you can park a nasty squad in the midfield and bait charges. Another lets a Jump Pack unit slip back into Strategic Reserves, which is perfect for repeated ambushes and late game objective dives. In addition, a Chaos Lord with a Jump Pack can join Warp Talons and gain Scout 6, turning that unit into a serious alpha strike threat. Finally, there is an Enhancement that adds yet another way to force Battle shock tests, so you always have targets that unlock your bonuses.
Stratagems That Reward Panic
The Stratagem suite continues to reward enemies who lose their nerve. Several options either cause extra Battle shock tests or supercharge your attacks into already broken units. You can gain rerolls to hit or extra armour penetration against Battle shocked targets, which lets your key punches really bite. At the same time, there are tools to reduce the AP of incoming fire or to secure an objective at a crucial moment. For your assault elements, one Stratagem grants Advance and Charge, while another allows a unit to Fall Back and still Shoot or Charge, so your melee presence stays sticky.
Why Nightmare Hunt Will Appeal To Chaos Players
For Chaos commanders who like psychological warfare, Nightmare Hunt is very flavourful. It encourages you to soften units, stack fear, then swoop in with jump infantry and other shock troops to finish the job. It will demand some practice, since you must manage ranges and Battle shock states carefully. However, the payoff is a very cinematic, terror driven game that feels perfect for Night Lords and similar warbands. If you are tired of only shoving a big brick forward, this detachment lets you prowl, pounce, and watch the enemy army unravel in the dark.
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