Unfortunately for him he's attempting to represent that on the tabletop actually using the Chaos Space Marine Codex.....
Yes, I know.....
He also has developed a preference for certain units from the aforementioned codex that aren't exactly what you might call optimal.
Before we get started on attempting to make something usable for him without abandoning units he actually likes here are a couple of army lists that actually work fairly well,
First a brief overview of the unit choices.
One of my own (semi) useful lists.
MSU 'Rhino Rush'
Chaos 'Monstrous Creature' List.
There are of course other lists that work, those are just there because I'd already done posts on them and therefore didn't have to do a lot of tedious additional typing.....
Okay then, where were we?
That's right we were trying to make a bunch of unoptimised units from a poorly written codex into a viable army without spending too much extra money.....
So we somehow have to include Abaddon in this list without him being useless which means he needs transport. In this case I'm afraid our only option is a Land Raider (which is fortunate as our subject actually has one), It'll need Extra Armour as it's only really going to be used as an 'Abaddon and Escort' delivery system in this particular case. Abaddon himself needs a bodyguard of some kind which realistically needs to be able to absorb the sort of anti-armour fire-power that will otherwise be going into Abby himself.
Our ideal escort will be something with lots of bodies or a decent invulnerable save. Due to Chaos only having access to the default 'Godhammer' type of Land Raider 'lots of bodies' isn't really going to happen so we'll have to settle for a smaller unit with invulnerable saves. Our 2 options are Possessed or Chaos Terminators with a mark of Tzeentch as they have a 4+ invulnerable save and as Stu already has Terminators we'll use those.
HQ: Abaddon the Despoiler (1#, 275 pts)
1 Abaddon the Despoiler @ 275 pts
Elite: Chaos Terminators (5#, 390 pts)
1 Chaos Terminators @ 390 pts (Icon of Tzeentch; Terminator; Land Raider)
4 Terminator
1 Land Raider (Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Extra Armor; 2x Twin-linked Lascannons; Twin Linked Heavy Bolter)
Troops are also a necessity and after looking at Stu's model list we've got a choice of Thousand Sons (Too expensive and useless in many important areas) or Khorne Berzerkers (Decent at choppy death but with minimal useful fire-power). We'll utilise the lesser of the 2 evils and take Berzerkers.
We need a Champion with Power Fist so we don't get tar-pitted by Dreadnoughts and lets be honest 4x S9 Power Fist on the charge are nice to have. They'll of course need transport and we might as well be fluffy as well and take them in Khorne's sacred number ;-)
Troops: Khorne Berzerkers (9#, 243 pts)
7 Khorne Berzerkers @ 243 pts (Rhino)
1 Skull Champion (Power Fist)
1 Rhino (Twin Linked Bolter)
Troops: Khorne Berzerkers (9#, 243 pts)
7 Khorne Berzerkers @ 243 pts (Rhino)
1 Skull Champion (Power Fist)
1 Rhino (Twin Linked Bolter)
We'll need an objective holding unit as well and fortunately the guy's just finished a unit of Plague Marines so they'll do the job nicely. We'll equip them so they can do other stuff as well just in case.
Troops: Plague Marines (6#, 170 pts)
5 Plague Marines @ 170 pts (Meltagun x2; Rhino)
1 Rhino (Twin Linked Bolter)
Now we need some long range fire-power which will come in the form of Obliterators as I know he has at least two of those.
A Brief Interlude.
Here's where we need to think of the future. Undoubtedly like so many others followers of Chaos Stu will be forced to abandon units he likes in favour of ones that work or move into the realms of 'Counts-As' and use another codex. As this point will happen eventually anyway we might as well accept it and include some-things he'll be able to use in other lists. Due to the wonder of magnets a Rhino chassis can be utilised for many different purposes as long as it's been assembled with the future in mind ;-)
Heavy Support: Predator (1#, 100 pts)
1 Predator @ 100 pts (Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Autocannon; Heavy Bolter)
Heavy Support: Predator (1#, 100 pts)
1 Predator @ 100 pts (Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Autocannon; Heavy Bolter)
As long as the hatches aren't glued in and the doors are magnetised these can easily become Rhino's Razorbacks or any number of other useful things.
Let's not forget those Obliterators though,
Heavy Support: Obliterators (3#, 225 pts)
3 Obliterators @ 225 pts
Okay, so lets look at that as a whole.
1750 Pts - Chaos Marines Roster - Stu's Chaos
HQ: Abaddon the Despoiler (1#, 275 pts)
1 Abaddon the Despoiler @ 275 pts
Elite: Chaos Terminators (5#, 390 pts)
1 Chaos Terminators @ 390 pts (Icon of Tzeentch; Terminator; Land Raider)
4 Terminator
1 Land Raider (Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Extra Armor; 2x Twin-linked Lascannons; Twin Linked Heavy Bolter)
Troops: Plague Marines (6#, 170 pts)
5 Plague Marines @ 170 pts (Meltagun x2; Rhino)
1 Rhino (Twin Linked Bolter)
Troops: Khorne Berzerkers (9#, 243 pts)
7 Khorne Berzerkers @ 243 pts (Rhino)
1 Skull Champion (Power Fist)
1 Rhino (Twin Linked Bolter)
Troops: Khorne Berzerkers (9#, 243 pts)
7 Khorne Berzerkers @ 243 pts (Rhino)
1 Skull Champion (Power Fist)
1 Rhino (Twin Linked Bolter)
Heavy Support: Obliterators (3#, 225 pts)
3 Obliterators @ 225 pts
Heavy Support: Predator (1#, 100 pts)
1 Predator @ 100 pts (Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Autocannon; Heavy Bolter)
Heavy Support: Predator (1#, 100 pts)
1 Predator @ 100 pts (Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Autocannon; Heavy Bolter)
Total Roster Cost: 1746
The veterans amongst you will have been picking holes in this army as I've been going along and rightly so. Unfortunately the Chaos Codex does not lend itself well to optimisation and I'm afraid this is the best I can do within the given parameters.....
Thoughts and Comments are (as usual) most welcome.
while i can see flaws the list is still strong and will do well if deployed correctly. also and poss most importantly it looks fun to use.
ReplyDeletethat could be a whole lot worse! ok it severely lacks antitank, but if you hit stuff enough, it will die i guess ;)
ReplyDeletePossessed would be better than the Terminators as a bodyguard for Abaddon because they are fearless, although that means the Land Raider has to come from Heavy Support.
ReplyDeleteI read this with interest as I'm also a Thousand Sons enthusiast. Can you come up with a decent list that uses them? I know 4+ cover saves are everywhere, but at some point their assault units will be out of cover, and one juicy turn of rapid fire could be all it takes.
ReplyDelete@ EverSilentOne - I'll give it a go at some point.....It's a tricky request though.....
ReplyDelete