Warhammer 40,000/10th Edition Tactics/Chaos Space Marines
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This is the current 10th Edition's Chaos Space Marine tactics. 9th Edition Tactics are here.
Why Play Chaos Space Marines
Faction Rules
- Dark Pacts: Any time one of your units makes an attack, you can choose to make an offering to the dark gods, giving either Lethal Hits or Sustained Hits 1. After you resolve your hits, you have to pass a Leadership test or suffer d3 mortal wounds. While not the wisest take on cultists, but the marines could make use of this - especially if you grab an icon to re-roll their Ld test.
- The Lost and the Damned: The rule that lets you attach Khorne Berserkers, Plague Marines and Rubric Marines despite no longer sharing a codex. This gives them the Heretic Astartes keyword instead of whatever they used to have. That said, it's only presumed that they get Dark Pacts, since their datasheets only have their faction rules. It's also uncertain if anyone can attach to them due to the limitations of the Leader rule.
Detachments
Slaves to Darkness
Special Rules
- Marks of Chaos: Every non-epic hero unit without any of the following keywords must be assigned one; khorne psyker is an illegal pairing, and characters can only Leader Bodyguards who have the same Mark keyword as them. Each keyword also provides a special rule, all of which buff your hit rolls, so leave those Torrent weapons at home, folks.
- Khorne: If you use Dark Pacts in the Fight Phase to gain Lethal Hits, you critically hit on a 5+.
- Nurgle: If you use Dark Pacts in the Shooting Phase to gain Sustained Hits 1, you critically hit on a 5+.
- That means Nurgle particularly favors Combi-Weapons, the Infernal Gaze Sorcerer gun on Hazardous mode, Forgefiends regardless of guns, and the Fellgor Beastmen Corrupted Stave.
- Slaanesh: If you use Dark Pacts in the Fight Phase to gain Sustained Hits 1, you critically hit on a 5+.
- That means Slaanesh particularly favors Axes of Dismemberment, the Commune Stave on Dark Communes, Daemon and Warp Hammers, Heldrakes, and Possessed.
- Tzeentch: If you use Dark Pacts in the Shooting Phase to gain Lethal Hits, you critically hit on a 5+.
- That means Tzeentch particularly favors Fleshmetal Guns on warp hail mode, (Twin) Heavy Bolters, and Reaper Autocannons.
- Chaos Undivided: Re-roll hit rolls of 1.
- Note that this means Khorne and Tzeentch have less use than the other three keywords for Devastating Wounds, as their special buff makes critical wounds even less likely, and across the board you should be avoiding Torrent weapons.
- If you use a Helbrute to pick up both Dark Pact abilities at once, Khorne and Tzeentch will like Devastating Wounds just fine. The same is true if you're wielding a weapon with Sustained Hits 1 built in, like a Heavy Bolter.
- Note that this means Khorne and Tzeentch have less use than the other three keywords for Devastating Wounds, as their special buff makes critical wounds even less likely, and across the board you should be avoiding Torrent weapons.
Stratagems
- Dark Obscuration (1 CP): When an enemy tries to shoot at one of your units, that unit gains Stealth for some extra protection. Nurgle units take this a step further by preventing enemies from attacking them unless they're within 12".
Enhancements
- Eye of Tzeentch: Tzeentch only, of course. Whenever the bearer's unit uses Dark Pacts, they also need to make a Leadership test for a free CP.
- Intoxicating Elixir: Slaanesh only. Grants the bearer a 5+ FNP and whenever they make a Dark Pact, one enemy they hit must take a battle-shock test.
- Liber Hereticus: Chaos Undivided only. Using Dark Pacts grants the bearer's unit both Sustained Hits 1 AND Lethal Hits at the same time.
- Orbs of Unlife: Nurgle only. At the end of the fight phase, roll a d6 for every enemy unit within 6" of the bearer, adding +1 if they used a Dark Pact on that turn. On a 4+, the enemy suffers d3 mortal wounds.
- Talisman of Burning Blood: Khorne only. Bearer's melee weapons gain +1 to Attacks and Strength. Whenever the bearer's unit makes a Dark Pact, the weapon instead adds +d3 to Attacks and Strength.
Tactics
- Take Abbadon and a Helbrute and mark all of your units to be of Tzeentch or Nurgle; re-roll even successful hits to fish for crits. Now a BS3+ shooter will hit critically 5/9 (56%) of the time (and hit non-critically another 2/9 or 22% of the time); each critical hit is an automatic wound that must roll to penetrate and a hit that must roll to wound.
- Add Forgefiends and fire in Hazardous mode so the hits that roll to wound are hoping to Devastate and ignore saves.
- Give Abbadon a Chaos Terminator escort full of combi-weapons and a reaper cannon; he has Chaos Undivided, so you can use the Profane Zeal strat to re-roll wound rolls to fish for critical wounds for Devastating Wounds. Odds are good Abbadon will refund the cost of the strat anyway.
Equipment
Unit Analysis
As per the Daemon index, you can have 1/4 of your army in points be Chaos Daemons. As per the Adeptus Titanicus index, you can have up to 1 Chaos Titan model. As per the Chaos Knights index, you can have up to 1 titanic or 3 war dog Chaos Knights models in your army. See those tactica pages for an in-depth analysis, but remember, in both cases anything you field will lose its Faction rules (what happens in terms of Detachment rules will still be Detachment-specific, but you'll have to pick a CSM Detachment).
Characters
- Chaos Lord: The typical leader of your Chaos Marines and a general powerhouse that can make a stratagem have no cost for his unit. In addition, once per game, he can increase the stats of his equipped melee weapons by 1 for the rest of the fighting phase; +1 attack, strength, armor piercing, and damage. Sadly he gives no buffs to anyone he leads, so grouping him with Legionnaires and Chosen only exist to add bodies between him and his non-precise opponent.
- Chaos Lord in Terminator Armour: Similar to the regular footslogger, this beast of a man halves any damage he takes rather than a once-per-game ability, making this model an indomitable ire upon your opponent. Of course he still has the same flaw of the leader of the group having no actual buffs to anyone he leads, and the gutting of combi weapons has rendered him useless to gunner armies, but at least he’s more durable this edition, right? Right?
- Dark Apostle: The evil chaplain is now stuck with his two lackeys. He retains all the big draws of a chaplain, giving +1 to wound for any pack of legionaries, chosen, cultists or accursed cultists he joins in melee while also having a single-use ability to cure a unit within 9" of battle-shock. However, he also has an ability to sacrifice one of his lackeys (and sadly nobody else) to make one enemy he's engaged with to suffer 1 MW on a 2+ or d3 MWs on a 6.
- Simply put, the sacrifice isn't worth it unless you really want someone dead on that turn. MEQs are all W2 or higher and no hero worth their statline will be threatened by the loss of those wounds.
- Dark Commune: Not much they could do but go up, the Commune can join a mob of cultists or mutants to grant them a 5++ while the Demagogue is around. While all of them contain all manner of meager weapons, you do get a psyker and an Icon to get a re-roll when using Dark Pacts - Something you need with how puny they are. The demagogue also has a single-use ability to let the squad charge after advancing and adding +1 to hit and wound - maybe helpful for mutated cultists getting into the fray but nothing else. Any sniper or unit with [Precision] can kill the Demagogue and turn the entire unit useless.
- Exalted Champion:
- Heretic Astartes Daemon Prince:
- Heretic Astartes Daemon Prince with Wings:
- Lord Discordant on Helstalker:
- Master of Executions:
- Master of Possession: While not as powerful and as important as 9th edition, the buffs given to a unit he leads can get into the fray faster with a +1 to advance and charge; something that synergizes well with the Chosen’s ability to Advance and Charge. The 6+++ FNP isn’t the best thing in the world, but it gives extra durability to units he leads and makes failed tests from the Dark Pact survivable.
- He also comes with an ability to deal a mortal wound to his unit (something to use your FNP on) to improve his psychic attacks with a +1 to hit and wound. This is actually really good because it ensures he wounds MEQs and TEQs on a 2+ with precision on his Rites of Possesion so any leaders in your opponent’s unit isn’t safe. Psykers Beware.
- Sorcerer:
- Sorcerer in Terminator Armour:
- Traitor Enforcer: An evil Commissar with a power fist whose only use is to join a pack of Traitor Guardsmen. He allows the guardsmen to use the Insane Bravery Strat for no CP, but it will cost you a model each time you use it. Consider it at your peril because you don't have someone to resurrect them.
- You can also grab a chaos ogryn as a bodyguard, giving both some extra muscle and a 4+ FNP to go along with the enforcer's 5++ save.
- Warpsmith: The evil techmarine, coming stock with two servos with a melta and flamer while wielding a plasma pistol and a powerful exalted weapon in place of any power weapons. If you really want him to dent tanks and paste MEQs, you can buy a daemon hammer. Despite being able to hide behind havocs, legionaries and chosen, he gets Lone Operative when he's within 3" of a Vehicle while also being able to heal d3 wounds on one to give +1 to hit.
- While he can comfortably camp in the back with havocs and legionaries, there is an incentive to get him closer. His third ability forces an enemy Vehicle within 12" to make an instant Battle-shock test, which can help screw up things for the tank in question.
Epic Heroes
- Abaddon the Despoiler: One of the very few to have lost out in tankiness, being nerfed to T5 with the same W9 and 2+/4++. Dark Destiny at least makes using Dark Pacts a good idea as passing the associated Leadership test lets him roll another d6 and win 1 CP. The Warmaster lets him pick from one of three different 6" buff auras: Paragon of Hatred lets friendly units re-roll to hit, Mark of Chaos Ascendant shares his 4++ save with friendly Infantry and Mounted units, Lord of the Chaos Legions lets friendly units re-roll Leadership and Battle-shock tests.
- His combat loadout remains quite the threat and then some. The Talon of Horus remains plenty terrifying with a barrage of S7 AP-3 with Devastating Wounds while the strapped-on Combi-Bolter remaining S5 AP-1 D2 with Sustained Hits 1. Drach'nyen, however, got an absolutely monstrous buff, now being upped to Strength FOURTEEN AP-4 D3, also with Devastating Wounds - and all without any drawbacks that come with being a Daemon Weapon.
- Cypher:
- Haarken Worldclaimer:
- Huron Blackheart:
- Fabius Bile:
- Lucius the Eternal: If he is your warlord, you can only take slaanesh Chaos Daemons.
- Vashtorr the Arkifane:
Battleline
A unit that can gain Battleline from a special rule, like Noise Marines, is not listed here as it does not have the keyword intrinsically.
- Cultist Mob: Cheap, Shitty, and now no longer limited by arbitrary rules for Mere Mortals. These are units you leave on an objective point in your deployment zone and never care about for the rest of the game. They have a few minor guns they can use to defend themselves, but don’t bother kitting them for melee because they can’t take a punch at T3, Sv6, and a 7+ leadership making Dark Pacts more of a gamble than any other unit. It is probably a good idea to have a dark commune leading them just so they don’t die as quickly.
- Legionaries: As the frontliners of your forces, they deservedly get plenty of variety in weapons, with so many guns they don't all even fit on the card. Among the ones more unique to the unit is the Balefire Tome, which used to make the unit psychic but now just gives a rather basic 18" A2 S5 AP-1 gun.
- While they're plenty useful at range, their Veterans of the Long War ability strangely only lets them re-roll 1s to wound in melee (or re-roll all wounds if they're on an objective). Part of the issue is that they've undergone the great consolidation of weapons, now stuck with either their S4 CCWs or Chainswords if they want an extra attack and AP-1, with the sergeant having the option for an S5 AP-2 Accursed Weapon instead of the variety of power weapons. You can also take an S8 AP-2 D2 Heavy Melee weapon in case you have the heavy chainaxe from the more recent Legionaries box.
The Lost and the Damned
You can have up to 25% of your points be imported Battleline units from World Eaters, Death Guard, or Thousand Sons, and you modify their faction keyword on the way in. Note that you do not modify their Faction rule, which means any imported units below will get your Detachment rule but not your Faction rule (i.e. they will not get Dark Pacts, and instead will have to function with no Faction rule).
- Khorne Berzerkers:
- Plague Marines:
- Rubric Marines:
Infantry
- Accursed Cultists: Slightly tougher cultists with a 6+ FNP and OC2 for...some reason... Look, the only reason you're using these is because they're easy resurrectable fodder. It doesn't matter whether you sacrifice some of the puny mutants or the slightly stronger torments, you can resurrect them provided that they can hide for a bit.
- Chaos Terminator Squad:
- Chosen:
- Fellgor Beastmen: Gallowfall's newest kill team. While a bit tougher and stronger than any mere cultist, they are still OC1. This unit has strong preference to get into fights, as the entire squad only gets pistols except for the Shaman's Staff, and that offers nothing but a psychic weapon. In melee, meanwhile, the squad gets a +2 to charge rolls when charging enemies on objectives and you can pick up a very powerful great weapon to kill a couple MEQ on the way.
- Havocs:
- Noise Marines:
- Obliterators:
- Possessed:
- Traitor Guardsmen Squad: These cultists get access to some of the fancier guns of the Guard like plasma and snipers. While impressive, their melee output suffers as a result. While they can't perma-cap units like regular cultists, they do get cover when camping on an objective.
Fly
- Raptors:
- Warp Talons:
Beasts
- Chaos Spawn:
Mounted
- Chaos Bikers:
Vehicles
- Chaos Land Raider:
- Chaos Predator Annihilator:
- Chaos Predator Destructor:
- Chaos Vindicator:
Walkers
- Defiler:
- Forgefiend: Has weapon options, but assuming you pay attention to the rules, it'll always have 1 ectoplasma cannon and 2 autocannons - both with Devastating Wounds. You'll also be constantly Dark Pacting for Sustained Hits 1, so make sure your trio of these have a Warpsmith babysitter.
- Helbrute: An absolutely critical piece of your Tzeentch/Nurgle army, this dude has a 6" aura letting everyone in it (including him) get both Dark Pact benefits at once, not just one.
- Maulerfiend:
- Venomcrawler: This guy has gotten a bit of a glow up, with its Excruciator Cannons now getting 6 shots each with a decent anti MEQ profile at S6, -1 AP and 2D. In addition, it hits in melee with his Soulflayer Tendrils with the same profile. Where it really shines, though, is the ability it gets: Soul Eater. This nifty number lets it add 1 to all attacks it makes with its weapons when it kills a unit. All weapons. Kill a unit at range and get 1 bonus attack on your guns, for a total of 14 shots! Mark it with the Tzeentch mark and you would anything on a 5+ with Dark Pact! What's more, it's got a movement of 12" and a defensive profile of a Rhino, with a 5++ thrown into the bargain. Treat it as a marine-blending torpedo and it should get the job done.
- There are a few drawbacks to this guy, however. He doesn't buff psychic at all, compared to previous editions (though with the psychic keyword looking increasingly more and more like a liability this might not be a bad thing), and his guns don't have the crucial [Assault] keyword that would make firing on the move a more attractive prospect.
- It is uncertain whether or not this unit will keep the 6 shot Excruciator Cannon, seeing as how it has double the shots of its 9th edition incarnation. If it is intended, then the point cost for this unit is likely to increase dramatically compared to what it was previously.
Dedicated Transports
- Chaos Rhino:
Aircraft
- Heldrake: A terrifying model that stalks the skies of the battlefield and ensures the sky belongs to you. Its guns are nothing special, but its Heldrake Claws hit on a 2+ against flying models and comes with Devastating Wounds and Anti-Fly 2+, turning its S7 -1AP 2D into mortal wounds on anything with that [Fly] Keyword. It may be a bit fragile at T9, 12 Wounds with a -1 at a third of its health, but anything that is targeted by this fearsome flyer will be dropped to the ground bloodied and battered. Eldar vehicles beware, especially when the slaaneshi heldrake gets a lot of fives.
Titanic
- Khorne Lord of Skulls:
Fortifications
- Noctilith Crown: A large shield generator for your heretics, as they all get a 4++ save within 9" of it on top of all the other benefits of hiding behind it. It curiously has some token weapon in some ambient warp energy lashing out, but it's too short-ranged to matter for anything unless you've got peopled fighting around it.
Tactics
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