Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team (HoR)/Tactics/Chaos Daemons(7E)

The Daemons stand at a curious position with the Heralds of Ruin setup, mainly because of how many ways they can circumvent the rules normally in the main game. While some of them (like Warp Storms) have left making things far less random for those who play, other losses (like the Heralds of Chaos 4-in-1 rule and the larger weapons) do more harm to the daemons, identifying them as a much more fragile force than before, sometimes even more so then the Eldar.

Rules

• Deep Strike: Any models with Deep Strike (meaning most of the army) can do so as normal, which is a critical plus for them considering their fragility.
• Warp Storm: IGNORE! No longer do you have to risk shit going wrong just because a table says so!
• Daemonic Instability: Slightly different from before, it allows Daemons to ignore Morale, Pinning, and Fear. If it ever fails an assault, each model that lost in combat must test Ld; accounting for any modifiers in the phase; failing makes one unsavable wound (though invuls work) while passing causes nothing. Considering the scale of the game (no squads), this means no hordes instaspawning because of snake-eyes.
• Instruments of Chaos: If a model with an Instrument passes Reserves, they can grab d6 more models from reserve to Deep Strike with them.
• Standards and Banners: Same as the Traitor Legions, all banners and standards count for combat. They only affect models of the same god within 6".
• Rewards of Chaos: Instead of having to go through the clusterfuck of a table for three tiers of rewards, here you can buy what you want, though they can add up with Lesser Rewards costing 10 and Greater Rewards costing 20. Exalted Rewards are skipped since they apply to the big boys you can't get here.
  • Burning Blood: A daemon that suffers an unsaved wound in combat inflicts d3 S4 AP5 unsavable hits against the one that harmed it. Pretty meaningless with all the shooting.
  • Cleaving Strike: 6 to-hit = Sx2. Real plus on Khorne Daemons.
  • Corrosive Breath: An S5 AP5 flamer with Armourbane. Fabulous against transports and hordes with crap saves where Armourbane won't matter.
  • Spell Breaker: Adamantium Will. Always welcome to deny a sudden casting of Hammerhand or a Psychic Shriek aimed to kill you.
  • Warp Breath: Range 18" S8 AP4 Assault 1 with Soulblaze. A rather decent tool, especially with a Daemon with a high BS.
  • Warp Strider: +1 to Reserve Rolls for the daemon and his unit. Aw hell yeah.
  • Corpulence: +1 Wounds and It Will Not Die. Insanely handy,tough insanely costly.
  • Daemonic Resilience: Feel no Pain 4+. For any daemon, this is some boss stuff.
  • Dark Blessing: Can reroll ALL Invulnerable saves. Look at that - you just improved your invulnerable save by about 1.5. Rather helpful, especially in cover-heavy terrain.
  • Hellfire Gaze: 18" S8 AP1 Lance shot. While anybody with a high BS can benefit from it, this is meant to total tanks to shit.
  • Touch of Uncreation: Fleshbane and Armourbane on all melee attacks. Really costly for melee Leaders, but taking it means instant death to those you charge. Just pray that there's no overwatch traps to do you in.
  • Unbreakable Hide: 3+ Armor Save. A definitely welcome take against most armies, as it'll make you wear Marine armor with an Invul.

Wargear

• Soul Devourer: If this model ever dies to anything but a Sweeping Advance, they roll a d6. On a 6, you regain a single wound.
• Crushing Mass: Model gains HoW. Good idea for Khorne units.
• Aura of Disruption: Gains AW. Not a bad idea to take.
• Warp Blink: A basic teleporter, you give up assaulting and can shunt 2d6" anywhere. A nice take for escapes, but only tougher units should consider using it to get into battles.

Khorne Only

• Unbreakable Skin: 4+ Armor. Better than nothing at least.

Nurgle Only

• Lesser Corpulence: Half the price gives you half the demonic reward. In this case, the more worthwhile half: IWND.
• Virulence: All rolls of 6 to-hit make you Poisoned (2+). Fukken sweet if you make it, and it's cheap.

Slaanesh Only

• Allure of Slaanesh: Anything this model charges must test Ld or lose -1 Attack.

Leaders Only

• Warp Coalescence: A one-time ability that grants d6 unengaged Daemons on your side to teleport within 6" of your user. For a Khorne army, this is a major blessing as it'll give you a shot to bring them to their kills.
• Warp Beacon: Models that Deep Strike within 6" of the user don't scatter. If your user can survive long enough to benefit from it, it'll help to use them for the goal you need them for.

Khorne Only

• Khorne's Ruling: A Two-Handed Power Axe with the equivalent of Rampage (If facing 3+ enemies in combat, the user gains +3 more attacks), this isn't that smart an idea if you're aware of something more likely to waste you like Fists. Otherwise, just pray you'll survive long enough to waste everything.

Tzeentch Only

• Wand of Whimsy: As befitting the God of Change, this is an item used in the Psychic Phase. On your psychic phase roll a d6: on a 1, you Perils; on a 2-3, nothing happens; on a 4-5, you can re-roll one Warp Charge for the turn; on a 6, you gain an additional ML and can use another power based on what you can use. Quite handy based on how you roll.

Nurgle Only

• Plague Casket: This is basically your risky bomb. Once per game, you can use this in any phase, including your opponent's; All models including friendly ones must test T or take one unsavable wound. Of course, if you have Nurgle models with you, this won't matter, so stick yourself with a few if you need a retinue.

Slaanesh Only

• Shrieking Lash: A curious melee weapon, it's S:User and AP-, but if you're up against anything with I7 or less, you automatically gain AP2. This pretty much means you'll cleave through about anything less than an Eldar or Broodlord.

FOC

• 1 Leader
• 1-25 Core
• 0-3 Special

Leaders

• Bloodreaper: A mini-herald of Khorne, he can grab two rewards, a Juggernaut for 35, and can replace his sword with an Etherblade/Greater Etherblade/Axe of Khorne/Blood Blade. Your key melee unit.
• Iridescent Horror: A mini-herald of Tzeentch with ML1, two rewards, and can replace CCW with an Etherblade/Greater Etherblade/Staff of Change/Mutating Warpblade. He can spend his ML on either Flickering Fire (A crapshoot), Tzeentch's Firestorm (Shite), or Prescience (The least random of the three, though best utilized with other shooting units). Choose which one depending on your army's loadout and then if you want, take the Wand of Whimsy to grab a potential ML2.
• Pyrocaster: An Exalted Flamer Jr., he can grab 2 rewards or grab an Etherblade/Greater Etherblade/Staff of Change/Mutating Warpblade. They're okay against low-armor and low T mobs, which won't live long enough to luck out and gain FNP, but he's easily passed up for the Horror above him for at least Prescience.
• Alluress: A mini-herald of Slaanesh with the option for ML1 (and thus Lash of Slaanesh only, sweetness), this dear can grab a Steed for 5 freakin' points, 2 rewards, and can replace grab an Etherblade/Greater Etherblade/Witstealer Sword/Lash of Despair. Probably the most balanced of them, with good ability in combat and the option for a great power.
• Plagueridden: A mini-herald of Nurgle with the option for ML1 (and thus only gets Stream of Corruption, rather nice), 30 points gets him a Rot Fly mount and then can spend 5 points for either a Rot Proboscis (Booya), Venom Sting (Risky but rewarding), or Death's Heads (Rather...underwhelming) and can always grab 2 rewards and an Etherblade/Greater Etherblade/Plague Flail/Balesword.

Core

• Bloodletter of Khorne: The basic Daemons of Khorne still have the same issues they normally have: They're utter crap against shooty armies, and their single attack will make them shit against anything with a little better combat specialization. Keep them in mobs, bring them as a Bloodreaper's disposable wounds. Like all Daemons, they can grab an Instrument of Chaos, an Icon, or their marked Banner. Take the banner if you plan on massing them up for a charge, grab the Instrument if you're taking the Bloodreaper to DS with you.
• Pink Horror of Tzeentch: These guys have something of a side-grade with the addition of HoR: They aren't traditionally psykers like normally. Instead, during the psychic phase each Horror generates a Manifestation Token; one model of five after the first five gains a bonus Token. All models with Tokens then gain an ML equal to the number of Tokens with access to Flickering Fire. In short, they're recommending hordes of Horrors like in 7E so that all them mindbullets can kill something before they FNP it out. Like all Daemons, they can grab an Instrument of Chaos, an Icon, or their marked Banner. Unlike other Daemons, these ones don't NEED bonuses to their tactics, though if you're feeling adventurous, the Standard's a good way to boost those mindbullets for a turn.
• Plaguebearer of Nurgle: Shrouded makes them good at keeping to cover and holding down an objective, and their auto-glances on 6 to-hit make a mob of them good at pestering transports. Like all Daemons, they can grab an Instrument of Chaos, an Icon, or their marked Banner. Depending on how badly you need things dead, the Banner might be something to take.
• Daemonette of Slaanesh: Flimsy, but so fast that you'll likely hit the other guy before they can retaliate. Keep them in numbers against Eldar and Genestealers, since they not only can match you in Initiative and Eldar get the bonus of Hatred against you. Like all Daemons, they can grab an Instrument of Chaos, an Icon, or their marked Banner. In their case, the standard's only really worth using in larger combats.
• Nurgling Swarm: Disgustingly expensive at 15 points, but they're Infiltrating swarms with Non-Learning, making keeping them something less of a priority. Bring a couple to piss off guys without S6/Template weapons.
• Chaos Fury Horde: The Furies aren't any better here, and they're grabbed as squads. They can grab marks for a slight chance at being better, but they're still not going to do anything more than any other choice here.

Special

• Screamer of Tzeentch: Against anything other than Transports, they're going to crumble like Feta. Don't take unless there is one to exploit.
• Flamer of Tzeentch: Their flamer attacks are really nice against swarms and low-T mobs, but against anything else, there's less likelihood. With only 3 slots, these guys are likely to be skipped over.
• Beast of Nurgle: Disgustingly expensive at 52 points. While they're absurdly survivable, they're absolutely useless unless in cover or keeping something else busy.
• Fiend of Slaanesh: These things are very fast, but their offensive potential is only adequate. They're best used keeping something else occupied, especially a priority target that could kill the Leader in combat.
• Seeker of Slaanesh: With Acute Senses and Outflank, these things are insanely fast and capable of holding up in combat. The sad thing is that you'll only be able to take up to 3 of these babes for use, so consider taking one to tie things up for an Alluress. One can also take Instruments and Icons to help.
• Flesh Hound of Khorne: Though nowhere near the psyker-hunters they once were, they're still real good at attacking. When taken alongside a Bloodreaper, they can also become Core, making them a great replacement for the more mediocre Bloodletters.
• Bloodcrushers of Khorne: Bloodletters on Juggernauts who can take Icons and Instruments. While still very large and killy, they'll go down like bitches against anything above S4. While tempting for a mono-Khorne army, just don't.
• Eminent Bloodletter: Where the Bloodreaper had +1A/Ld, these guys just grab a spare attack. Other than that, they're just Bloodletters with the options for Magic Weapons or other special goodies.
• Eminent Plaguebearer: A Plaguebearer with +1A and Magic Weapons. Kit like you're footslogging a Plagueridden.
• Eminent Daemonette: A Daemonette with +1A and Magic Weapons. Kit like a footslogging Alluress.