So, Traitor’s hate has finally leaked. Of course, now everyone is interested – how chaos lovers love now, have they risen up, or are they still biting the dust. While my book is traveling to me, I’d like to describe main rules and give some insights about their playability.
About myself: Have been playing CSM since late 5th Edition, truly love this army and collect them more for pleasure than for kicking asses. However, I’ve tried to take them for the local tournament and took the 1st place.
Let’s start. I won’t speculate on the background – let’s leave it for separate post when my book arrives.
The main point – is that we’ve got a Decurion! Black Crusade Detachment Let’s see what it gives. It’s necessary to mention that only units with Chaos Space Marines faction can join this detachment. So – no Crimson Slaughter possessed in there. As usual – you have to take one core formation and one auxiliary. But you can take any number of them – and this really makes me happy – not all of modern codex’s can do so. Also, remember that there are 5 command formations available.
So, what bonuses does the detachment itself give?
Re-rolling warlord traits as a must. And then comes interesting stuff. All units have Hatred to armies of Imperium. Note – not only Space Marines, but the hole Imperium. That means, Knights, Mechanicum and Astra Militarum are also invited to the party. Almost half of the codex’s? in fact. Moreover, The Veterans of the Long War rule can now be taken for free. (Who needs Black Legion Supplement now) – so, that means the whole army with 9-10 leadership. Pretty nice.
Another rule is even more interesting – at the start of each of your turns you can roll on Chaos Boons table for any character in the list. Theoretically that lets you to boost your warlord to unstoppable killing machine, or…turn into chaos spawn at the beginning of the game.
Good? More likely yes than no. Some point that there is still no free transport, but listen, GW can’t give the same bonus to every army. And CSM still don’t have droppods – so this is not a big problem. Our bonuses are still useful and can really affect the game. Eldar, for example, just run fixed 6 inches.
Core- formations.
What’s the basis of our army? There are 3 completely different choices.
The 1st and meant to be the main has come from Black Legion book with some changes.
You must have
1 Lord (can be changed for every named character)
1-3 units of Chosen\Terminators\Posessed (more likely you’ll take chosen. Or termies as a chip melta-drop. Posessed are still useless)
2-6 units of Chaos Space Marines (Quite reasonable and expected)
1-3 units of Bikers\Raptors\Warp-talons(the choice is also not hard. Bikers are obviously cheaper and more effective)
1-3 units of Havocs\Hellbruts (so – Havocs)
You can also take a Sorcerer or Ahriman.
What do we get?
1st and the main – Objective Secured special rule. That strongly rises CSM up among many other Decurion-style formations. Regarding the possibility to take a lot of mobile units that gives a particular advantage in objective holding. Definitely plus.
Another rule stacks with the whole detachment’s one – when a character Rolls on Chaos Boon table – he can do it twice and choose either one or both results. Also came from Black Legion. So – our Chaos Lord can become a spawn TWICE. In fact, it’s mostly positive since the possibility of choice gives enough flexibility and lets to maximize effectiveness.
Good?
Definitely yes. It’s visible that GW has taken the lesson from previous supplements and corrected the mistakes. This formation matches background and nice rules. You can easily control objectives and develop your warlord. Moreover, the unit choice is wide and you can adjust it for your style of the game.
Well, we don’t have free transport, but the main rule is still quite useful.
How to play?
Lord and Sorcerer – you can choose as you like.
Classical Chosen on Rhino with meltas or plasmas. Or 3 termies with combi-meltas – depending on your tactics and free points. Both can get to every place of the battlefield really quick. But if you like terminators – better keep them, they have a nice auxiliary.
2 groups of 5 CSM on Rhinos with meltas – go for objective markers and use your Objective Secured in full power!
Bikers – also common style. 2 meltas, combi-melta for champion. – Fast, dangerous, lives long (Nobody took your mark of Nurgle). You can also take raptors with meltas – but again, better keep them for the auxiliary.
Havocs with auto-cannons. Classical. Hellbrut can be more useful on auxiliary.
In the end we get a formation with a lot of fast meltas, really flexible. In particular – it’s the same Combined Arms, but with obvious advantages. The one drawback – kinda expensive – minimum 650 points with bare lord.
However, if you’d like to go cheap, there’s a second core-formation – The lost and the Damned. It seems to be one of the cheapest core-formations ever. It includes 1 Dark Apostle, and 4-9 units of Chaos Cultists. 305 points with default upgrades (you don’t need any other, though)
What do we get?
Quite a funny rule – A tide of traitors – every destroyed cultists unit can return back on 4+ from the Outflank. The idea itself isn’t new, but now vanilla CSM also have it.
2nd rule – Apostol shares his Zealot to all formation’s unit in 6 inches. Not really useful, but why not.
Good?
Yes. Cheap core-formation, that doesn’t kill anyone, but leaves more space for your auxiliaries. Besides, the cultists, returned from Outflank can take key objectives behind enemy lines or gold enemy unit in close combat.
How to play?
Send Apostle to any other unit, where you l need him and put the cultists on the objectives. Or let them die and them return from the Outflank. You shouldn’t really expect them to survive against guys like Eldar or Tau.
Well, if the 1st 2 formations are quite competitive, the 3rd is…. something weird.
Kharn (or Khorne lord with free mark) and 4-8 units of Berserkers. Yeap, just like that. At least, not 8, as the rumors said.
What do we get?
Fleet. And +3 inches for charge. Ok. Red Rain rule, which lets you once per game to hit in the movement phase if you are locked in combat. And then again. The same rule as Orks starter has. Could be good, but… But it’s declared once per game and for every unit – so if only one is locked on combat, you’ll have to stand and watch with other ones.
Good? No. Well, the rules themselves are fine. But don’t forget, that berserkers’ cost hasn’t changed and so did their combat abilities. They are still a melee unit of 105 points for 5 men with 1(!) attack in the profile. And CSM still don’t have a good assault transport. The most of them will be shot down while approaching and the others will do nothing in close combat. Kharn is still good, but nothing prevents you from taking him to warband.
How to play?
Honestly, I don’t know. If you want – give them rhinos and send forward. Without upgrades it is 620 points – almost like the warband, but not as flexible and lacks good rules.
So – 2\3 core formations are quite good. A lot of options, almost no restricts, good rules. The 3rd – well, there’s always a black sheep…
Command formations.
There are…one. And it’s not the formation. It’s only single Lord\Sorcerer\Daemon Prince. And you can swap Lord and Sorc for any named character. It’s perfect, really – without any restricts you can take any characters in any combinations. But of course, you will use it for taking more Sorcerers.
All that we’ve looked through today is mostly good. Everything is playable and leaves a room to maneuver without buying tones of new models. This tendency is kept in auxiliaries. But we’ll discuss them in second part of this review. Thanks for the attention!