Editing Warhammer 40,000/8th Edition Tactics/Chaos Space Marines (section)

===HQ===
*'''Chaos Lord''': Your vanilla leader. Lots of customization and a solid statline. You may want to take another version as your Warlord, but this guy is useful as a secondary HQ for his aura, which lets you re-roll every 1 to hit in a 6" bubble for friendly {{Template:W40kKeyword|<LEGION>}} units. You can keep this guy around plasma Chosen or even Predators/Helbrutes to protect them and let them use the overcharge more freely. Note that this aura, like all auras, also applies to himself. You have the option for a Jump-Pack. Also interesting is that the vanilla Chaos Lord is cheap as chips even after you throw him a load of shiny toys. Even his gear options are notably cheap unless you go for something crazy like Combi-Melta and Power Fist and even then he's still coming in under 100pts. What this means is that there's very little reason not to take one to buff your units. Hell, give him a pair of Lightning Claws and he becomes an excellent babysitter that can keep your Havoc Gunline safe from assassins like Lictors, and all of that without having to pay for Power Fists on your Havoc Champions.
** There is one fun trick you can do with this Lord that the loyalist equivalent (Captain) can't: dual wielding Plasma pistols. If you can't decide between going shooty or choppy with your Lord, this is a decent compromise. Two Plasma Pistols cost 1 point less than a Combi-Plasma, and it gives you the exact same number of plasma shots at 12", provided you don't overcharge. You're basically trading the ability to make a single plasma shot at 24" for the ability to shoot in close combat. And remember, his reroll-1s aura applies to himself, so don't be afraid to supercharge that shit. Just Woo it! Oh, and remember that posh Moritat model from HH that nobody used? Well now you've got an excuse to field it! Arguably just taking the combi-plasma is better, tho... Because Daemon shells are a thing.
*** Note that a plasma gun or combi-plasma doesn't kill the wielder until all shots resolve, but with dual plasma pistols, if the first pistol rolls a 1, the wielder is dead before they can fire the second pistol.  This means the two pistols will deal fewer wounds to the target than the rifle, as well as fewer wounds per point (due to the high cost of the lord, the 1 point savings is less significant than the decrease in output, even with re-rolling 1s).
** With the release of the revamped codex Chaos lords are one of a few units that can now take a Thunder hammer! However they can't take a thunder hammer if they're in terminator armor. So put your lords on bikes or give them jump packs and enjoy the smashlords. Just don't forget that the -1 to hit prevents Death to the False Emperor from triggering.
**Jump chain sword lord, take a Lord with jump pack and 2 chain swords in black legion, use the relic chain sword and the WLT for Mortal wounds on 6+, use buffs to +1 to wound rolls. So you can get 2+ to hit re-rolling 1's, with mortal wounds on a 4+ with veterans of the long war and the prayer. You can also use psychic powers and give the psyker a WLT from the Host Raptorial for extra utility. 

*'''Chaos Terminator Lord''': Like above, but with Terminator Armour. Sadly, unlike loyalists you don't have a choice between different types of armour, you're stuck with the Indomitus. 2+ armour, an extra wound, comes stock with Combi-Bolter and Power-sword and ability to Teleport onto the field from Turn 2 onwards (Thanks FAQ). This is your heavy duty Chaos Lord, the one you will want as your Warlord. Can be very cheap & effective considering what he can do. For weapon upgrades a pair of lightning claws. A combi-plasma w/ Chainfist if you don't want to give up shooting. Or a Combi-Bolter and a melee relic.
**Thunder Hammers now cost nearly double for this guy as of CA2019 while Lightning Claws got a tad cheaper, both single and paired. Consider making him Slaaneshi while running him with the Slaanesh Daemon weapon from Faith & Fury, even unbuffed he can throw out up to 11 AP-2 D2 attacks on the charge if you roll well and that is before counting warlord traits and other buffs although this is all at S:User rather than Sx2. That said buffs like Diabolic Strength will still have him hitting at S6 meaning he still wounds MEQ on 3s and is more efficient at blending Primaris.

*'''Dark Apostle''': Although his stats and gear are nothing to write home about, he has a variety of abilities that are a great force multiplier. Demagogue essentially fixes most of the Ld issues you have to worry about, while Prayers can offer significant buffs, ranging from flat buffs to friendly units (+1 to hit with ranged weapons, +1 to wound in melee), to debuff for your opponent (roll 2 Dice for Leadership discard lowest). Nowadays, he's best used as a backfield totem who hangs around nearby units that could benefit from a little help. If you need your Sorcerer to fly around throwing out smites and warp-timing things, rather than be stuck backfield casting prescience on Havocs, use a Dark Apostle to do it instead. Need to make those deep-strike disrupting cultists last longer, but they aren't Tzeentch marked? Use a Dark Apostle to give them an invulnerable save and Ld 9. Think of him more as a multi-role support unit than the melee leader of old.
**The Dark Apostle now needs to roll to activate Dark Zealot, and the inability for him to activate any Prayers while in a transport (as units not on the board cannot affect the board unless specifically stated), means he'll be getting out without chanting for at least a turn if you want to use him near your front lines (and his disciples take up extra space in the transport). 
**Multiple Apostles can't repeat the same prayer, so you can't use multiples of him to make a bigger bubble of re-rolling misses in melee.  Instead think of him working like a Psyker now - who has to roll to succeed, with a maximum of 1 attempt at a prayer, period, no matter how many of him you have.
**The primary use of multiples apostles is keeping them close to the same pair of Disciples, and using the entire cluster to buff a specific unit/group of units multiple times.  This means the best prayers, practically speaking, are -1 to be shot on a target unit, +1 to shoot on a target unit (safe plasma!), and 5++ to all nearby units.
**A special note goes to the Word Bearers, as he can benefit greatly from The Voice of Lorgar WT, since as of the FAQ it also affects prayers, boosting the range of them by an extra 3". This might not sound like much at first, but going from having a 12" diameter for Illusory Supplication to an 18" diameter (not including his base) will be noticed immediately, as you can cover most (if not all) of your backfield with it along with a great portion of your front lines. You can also give him the Cursed Crozius and then go for the Omen of Potency to royally fuck up some Space Marines and even Custodes. Don't ever send him out unsupported, though; with the relic and prayer he can dish out the pain, but he'll go down like a bitch if he has to take it.
**Consider a Word Bearers Dark Apostle with the Flames of Spite Warlord Trait and the Cursed Crozius.  You'll have upgraded him with Apostle of the Dark Council, natch.  Have him chant Omen of Potency and Soultearer Portent on himself.  He'll kick all ass in the name of the Dark Gods, handing out mortal wounds like candy on a 5+ and just generally beating the shit out of people.  Have a sorcerer with Warptime handy to help him actually get where he needs to go (and remember, with Malevolent Covenant, Word Bearer sorcerers just got super reliable), or keep him as backline counter-assault protection.

*'''Daemon Prince''': No longer the one man army he used to be, though his melee is still rather powerful. Use him to support other units with his 6" bubble and psychic powers. 8 wounds means he can't be targeted by shooting if he's not the closest unit, so keep him behind another unit that can match his 8" move speed. Unless you're playing a Khorne army, always take him as a psyker, the +1 attack isn't even close in to doing what his psychic powers can do (especially considering one gives him an extra attack anyway). The new Codex made all the melee weapon options for them the exact same cost, so now it's a choice between two more attacks (Talons), doing 1 more Damage per attack (Sword), or having your Strength, AP and Damage by 1 better at the cost of -1 to hit (Axe). The Talons are probably still his best equipment choice unless you're desperate for something to kill vehicles with, but even then, 7 (8 for Khorne... ''I see what you did there GW'') attacks at -2 AP are nothing to scoff at. An Emperor's Children Daemon Prince is especially brutal. Take the Intoxicating Elixir relic for +1 strength and +1 attack; and the Stimulated by Pain WL trait for +1 attack per wound taken up to +3 attacks. With Malefic Talons that's S8/AP-2/DMG 2 with 8-11 attacks once he starts taking wounds! He can also cast Delightful Agonies on himself for 5+ FNP. Or Diabolic Strength for S10 and 9-12 attacks! He can also take a Warp Bolter for some but not game-breaking shooting. 
**''Important Note:'' Thanks to the 2019 FAQ ALL Daemon Princes: Chaos Space Marines, Chaos Daemons, Death Guard, and Thousand Sons are all now count as the same datasheet for purposes of Matched Play. So, now despite the number and type of detachments you take you're now limited to a max of 3. So, Daemon Prince spam has been nerfed.
**''Important Note:'' Fly again allows models to move across enemy models while charging. However, flyers can no longer block movement, and a demon prince that flies into ruins in the movement phase can still be stuck there in the charge phase. 
** Don't forget the extra attack you get for his standard one set of malific talons!

*'''Exalted Champion''': One of your main close-combat buffers and an automatic requirement for melee-focused armies, as he provides a re-roll failed to-wound aura for friendly {{Template:W40kKeyword|<LEGION>}} units within 6" during the Fight Phase. Also a bit of a duellist as he re-rolls all hits against enemy Characters (including overcharged Plasma pistols in melee so grab one). Can take a range of different weapons to help him in melee, and with the codex update, a Thunder Hammer. No model yet, though any suitably kit-bashed model will do. Benefits greatly from a Mark of Khorne, as it gives him access to the fight twice stratagem. If you're feeling really mean, keep a Dark Apostle and an Exalted Champion next to your Berzerkers or Chosen armed with power weapons for re-rolls on hits and wounds. Only downside is his lack of mobility-increasing options and painful lack of Invulnerable save.
**Synergises well with nearly every Relic in the codex and Vigilus ablaze, except maybe the shooting relics as he wants to be in CC.
**When comparing him to other HQs in pure character killing potential, Executioner is slightly better than a Champion with a Powerfist, but almost twice as bad against a Hammer Champion for 50pts extra, a Lord is marginally worse with both due to Unwieldy. The higher the mark's Toughness, the better Exalted compares.
**As a duellist type, he is a prime candidate for Anathema, and an obnoxiously cost-effective one at that. DTTFE on this build is hilarious, exponentially more so with Flawless Host crazies. Add in Fury of Khorne for some spectacular character-mashing - 8 mortal wounds is enough to deck most characters, and with enough luck you can solo Big Bobby G in one round. That being said, a Lord is situationally better with this build due to his self-reliability with Sigil and Deepstrike shenanigans.

*'''Lord Discordant''': The answer to the question "What do you get when you cross a Warpsmith, a Chaos Lord with a mount, and a Daemon Engine?" The Lord Discordant is...eccentric to say the least, and despite being geared towards targeting vehicles, is surprisingly well-rounded for what you pay. '''Beware though''' that having 12 wounds means he can be targeted in the shooting phase, so expect your giant spider rider to be shot off the table turn 1 if you don't plan in advance (Benediction of Darkness, Prepared Positions, etc). He can take a fair beating, though, having a 2+/5++, an automatic wound healed on your turn, as well as having the choice to either heal 1d3 wounds or deal 1d3 mortal wounds to an enemy vehicle within 12" after killing an enemy vehicle. Provides a buff to friendly Daemon Engines which at the same time debuffs enemy vehicles, though you'll use him much more for the former than the latter. Also, with BS2+ his aura will naturally cancel out the negative modifier to hit after moving, should you decide to equip him with the autocannon instead of the baleflamer. He actually excels best in melee combat with MEQ and TEQ over multiple rounds, rather than vehicles, due to the damage and AP profiles of his weapons. Just be careful, though, as he can become bogged down by blobs like everyone else (and can't escape). His attacks also require a bit of book-keeping and a little head scratching to employ practically. The Lord Discordant himself has 4A base with his Chain Glaive, hitting at S+2 (usually 6) or x2 (usually 8) if you Heroic Intervened or Charged, AP-2 D2. This means he's best taking on vehicles if you can get the charge off; otherwise, he's probably going to be wounding on a 5. His mechatendrils then provide 2A at SU (usually 4) AP0 D1 which will largely be used to target either GEQ or as a Hail Mary to chink off a final wound on a vehicle. Depending on his remaining health, the spider then gets to chip in, striking with 3 to 5 (depending on wounds remaining) S+3 (usually 7) AP-2 D1d3 and a Techno-Virus Injector at S+4 (usually 8) AP-4 D1d3, which deals an additional 1d3 mortal wounds to {{W40Kkeyword|vehicles}} it successfully wounds.  He can swap the injector for a magma cutter if you're an idiot, so don't be an idiot.
** His +1 to hit means he naturally triggers Death to the False Emperor on 5+.
** Take a Disco Lord in a Flawless Host detachment, throw the Ultimate Confidence trait and Intoxicating Elixir relic on him. Then have a prince or sorcerer nearby to cast prescience on him and you now have a 160 pt model that can kill a knight in one fight phase. You get 5 S10 -2 2dmg attacks, 5 S8 -2 D3 dmg attacks and a 1 S9 -4 D3 dmg attack all that proc 3 extra hit rolls on a 4+ (4 hit rolls if your target is imperial). Have fun.

*'''Master of Executions:''' Similar to Exalted Champions, is meant to be a character killer. Has a greater heroic intervention of 6" if there are any enemy characters within 6" and can re-roll one hit roll, wound roll or damage roll that targets a character once per fight phase. His Axe of Dismemberment is basically a power-fist without the penalty to hit and deals additional mortal wounds on wound rolls of 6+. 
** A Slaanesh Master of Execution with the Intoxicating Elixir will come up at WS2+, S10, A6, AP-3 D3. In addition to character-killing, this allows the MoE to punch some pretty big holes in vehicles and monsters. It is so cheap that it will almost always make its points back should it get into melee.
** Now cheaper and more efficient along with rhinos, now even more attractive as a character hunter especially with all the factions getting cuts to their characters as well.

*'''Master of Possessions:''' A slightly retooled Sorcerer. No weapon options beyond the bolt pistol and force staff, but comes with a 5+ invulnerable save and forces Psykers within 12" to treat ''all'' doubles rolls as Perils of the Warp. He also uses Malefic powers instead of Dark Hereticus powers. Unclear where he's meant to fit in the big picture across the army, as most his powers focus around Daemon buffing. Unless you really want to run Daemonkin and a normal Sorcerer isn't doing it for you, there are better things than this guy.
** This guy also force multiplies Daemon Engines like nothing else. Cursed Earth and Dark Power are both auras, so you can cram several Forgefiends in range for a big ball of dakka that refuses to die. If you add a Defiler, it also gets better in melee allowing you to chase off any pesky Deep Striking units and makes its guns more than just an afterthought. At the complete opposite end of the spectrum, you can use Chaos Familiar to swap a power for Warptime, throw the MoP across the board and cast Incursion to summon Daemons right on your opponents doorstep, in the process bypassing virtually all of the drawbacks of conventional summoning.

*'''Sorcerer''': Pretty standard. You cast 2 powers and deny one, stats are in line with the rest of your Warriors and... that's it really. He can take a Jump Pack if desired and  Force Weapons are cool, but don't let this guy join melee if you can avoid it; his 3+ WS and 3 attacks mean he's not good enough to fight tough units (where his D3 damage would be really handy) and not good enough to take on hordes (since excess damage is wasted). He is however your primary source of Mortal Wounds and Buffs. Important to note that in the bump over from 7th Chaos Lords were given a invulnerable save, most Sorcerers however, were not. Make sure he's well guarded or surrounded by screen units, as he'll fall over quicker than you'd expect.
**Note: As of the FAQ, exalted sorcs are more expensive than regular ones, making this guy a reasonable option again for 'cheap" psychic options, unless you're playing Thousand Sons.
**Don't forget his Bolt Pistol, with his 2+ BS this guy is an excellent target for Daemon Shell to dish out another 1D3 Mortal Wounds.

*'''Terminator Sorcerer''': Heavy duty Sorcerer. Note that this guy costs slightly more than the vanilla one, but where mobility isn't a concern, is overall a better investment. Termi-Sorcerer's come with +1W, and more importantly, a 5++ save as standard, just remember to [[Nemeroth| wear a helmet]]. You can make him a second-line fighter, using a combination of wargear and psychic powers, but don't bother. His stock equipment is a Combi-Bolter and Power Sword, and where possible the sword should be changed for a Staff almost immediately, as overall the +2 Str on a character like this is more important than the -3AP. Strangely, despite being obsessed with warp-trinkets and magical items, not many relics fit well on this guy. 

*'''Warpsmith''': Drastically improved for 8th edition, the Warpsmith is the cheapest HQ you can get, but don't let his low cost deceive you - he is figuratively a Swiss army knife. As standard, comes with a range of tools in the form of a Flamer, Meltagun, and Bolt Pistol (which you will never fire). Having no mobility-increasing options, he'll be advancing everywhere, but his base weapons are Assault anyway so it doesn't really matter. His pistol can also be swapped out for a combi-weapon, which isn't a bad idea at all, as the most expensive choice, the combi-melta, means he still comes in just 1pt more than a standard, unequipped Chaos Lord. This is made all the better considering he shoots at 2+, comes with a 2+ save thanks to his modded power armour, and his stock melee options are a power axe and mecha-tendrils (two chainswords), letting him hold his own against small squads of MEQs. With so much kit for what you pay, he can slot in pretty much anywhere and contribute, though it can often be hard to determine where he'll add the most. Also comes with a few helpful abilities; the first lets him repair your vehicles, allowing one he ends up within 1" of to regain d3 lost wounds at the end of the movement phase. The second lets him curse an enemy vehicle, dealing a mortal wound on a roll of 2+ within 18".  Another option is to have him assist your artillery and long-range firepower by repairing them or protecting against deepstrikes. Alternatively, he can be used to ride shotgun in a Land Raider that, once it deposits whatever it was carrying, he can then repair and ride off in to go sit on an objective or two. With all the bells and whistles that come with other HQ options it's very easy to overlook this guy; don't.
**Giving him a combi-melta makes him an exceptionally dangerous tank hunter at a variety of ranges. BS 2+ and the bolter allows him to reliably hand out Mortal Wounds at 24" with Daemon Shell, at 18" enemy vehicles are in range of being Cursed for even more Mortal Wounds, and a pair of meltaguns at close range will wreck virtually anything short of super-heavies. It's also worth noting that the meltagun's bonus works against ''any'' target in 8th, meaning you can char-broil enemy Characters that might be squaring off for a fight.
**Of course, the combi-melta is less efficient than the combi-plasma outside of 6", provided you don't mind overcharging (and you generally shouldn't).  
*'''Chaos Lord on Bike <sup>Index only</sup>''': This Lord is fast and durable. 14" movement, Toughness 5 and the extra wound are very nice. If you can't decide if you want a tough or a fast Lord, you cannot go wrong with this guy. Now that you can shoot all non-pistol weapons, swap his bolt pistol for a second combi-bolter. Currently he and the Bike Sorcerer are the only Chaos HQ's that can legitimately have two combi-bolters. 8 S4 shots at 12" on a guy that can hit on 2+, reroll 1s, and move 14" per turn? Yes please.
**With Bolter Drill a Combi-Bolter Lord makes a solid Outrider HQ choice backed up with 15 Bikes of Various special weapons and combinations. Clocking in around 570pts you can really throw out alot of shots down range without turbo-boosting.

*'''Chaos Hellwright <sup>[Forge World]</sup>''': A suped up Warpsmith for all intents and purposes with +1 strength, +1 toughness, and +1 wound when compared to the standard CSM counterpart, though he has altered weapon options. He costs a fair bit more, but given the better statline and similar wargear (and healing) he can be a solid choice if you wanted quality over quantity, and don't have to buy more than one to take care of your vehicles. That said, their Master of Mechanisms allows them to heal allied Chaos Knights, so if you're taking one, giving them D3 wounds/turn back on top of everything else is probably worth the price tag.

*'''Chaos Hellwright on Dark Abeyant <sup>[Forge World]</sup>''': All the same options as above with the inclusion an extra gun and boosted statline. If you really only want one Hellwright and he's likely to be targeted and/or you have points to spare, you'll want him on the Abeyant. The Abeyant is also valuable for escorting melee-focused daemon engines into the fight, as it allows the Hellwright to move at their full 8 inches and not have to run his ass up. Thanks to the mortal wounds his pistol spits out and the improved damage of his axe, he's also much more able to make a valuable contribution once it's time to get stuck in.

*'''Chaos Lord on Bike (Legends)''': Tough and fast. The extra wound and toughness are nice, and the Sigil grants him decent protection. Throw him alongside some fellow bikers if you really want to make it hurt.

*'''Sorcerer on Bike (Legends)''': Tough and fast. The extra wound and toughness are nice, but again this guy has no invulnerable save and jink isn't a thing anymore. If you don't plan to use his speed for keeping him safe (and even then why not use a jumpack?), you may as well choose another option. 
** One thing this variant has over any other type of Sorcerer is mobility. The ability to zip 20" across the board and still cast psychic powers can drastically improve the viability of shorter-range psychic powers like Warptime or Prescience.

*'''Chaos Lord/Sorcerer on Daemonic Mount (Legends)''': Before we get into these, notice that Daemonic Mounts give the model the {{Template:W40kKeyword|DAEMON}} keyword. This is both good and bad. Good, because this means you get buffed by nearby Heralds (+1 Strength is nice), so if you want to go Daemonkin you have some synergy right there (confirmed in the Designers' Commentary). Bad because things like Grey Knights are that much stronger against you, keep it in mind when you choose your Lords and Sorcerers. Remember that despite having {{Template:W40kKeyword|DAEMON}} you do not gain god specific bonuses. For example, Ahriman with a disc has both {{Template:W40kKeyword|DAEMON}} and {{Template:W40kKeyword|TZEENTCH}} keywords but he does not gain +1 to his invuln because he lacks the Ephemeral Form special rule.
** As per the FAQ: ‘If your army is Battle-forged, all Character, Infantry, Biker and Helbrute units in Chaos Space Marine Detachments gain a Legion Trait, so long as every unit in that Detachment is from the same Legion.’ Means  that Characters on Daemon mounts can benefit from Legion Traits.
**'''Chaos Lord on Juggernaut (Legends)''': Slow for a mounted Chaos Lord, with only a 8" movement, trading off speed for punch. Has the same stats as the Chaos Lord on Bike but with S5, and the Juggernaut itself has 3 attacks at S5 (+2 on the charge) and AP-1 with its bladed horn. Solidly killy and one of the best to go for if you plan an assault-heavy army, after all, S5 means S10 powerfist swings. He can also do decent damage with dual claws, and Flames of Spite. Re-rolls to hit and wound while getting extra mortal wounds on a 5+, even for the 3 mount attacks. Statistically, he kills most HQs in a single activation. They can no longer take Thunder Hammers per the newest BIG FAQ (AKA BIG FAQYOU).

**'''Chaos Lord on Disc (Legends)''': The only mount that does not boost the statline of the Chaos Lord, instead you get 12" movement and the FLY keyword, as well as a weak single attack from the mount itself. There's nothing he can do that a Chaos Lord with a Jump Pack can't, aside from [[FAIL|getting killed easier by Grey Knights]]. He can, however, benefit from a variety of {{Template:W40kKeyword|DAEMON}} buffs, such as Heralds.
**'''Chaos Lord on Palanquin (Legends)''': The slowest of the Chaos Lords. You'll go at par with the Terminator Lords, with the big difference being you can't teleport onto the field. T5 and 6 wounds, like the Bike Lord, and some negligible extra attacks from the Nurglings. Fairly cheap, which makes him a decently tough lynchpin for a gunline, as he can buff the Plague Marines while intercepting any melee threats. Fun fact: because he has the {{Template:W40kKeyword|NURGLE}} and {{Template:W40kKeyword|DAEMON}} keywords, any units he wipes out count toward the Tally of Pestilence for Epidemius. 
***Now that the FAQ has confirmed that CSM characters can summon daemons, he performs the "lynchpin" role even better by being able to summon in Nurglings and Plaguebearers to screw with deepstrikers or tie up and harass anyone who gets close.
**'''Chaos Lord on Steed of Slaanesh (Legends)''': The (in)famous Chaos Lord on Steed of Slaanesh has lost all his tactical advantages in the new edition, but he's still pretty good. 12" movement and he can advance and still charge. He gets the extra wound of the bike but not the Toughness improvement; he gets an extra attack instead. Consider giving this guy a Combi-Flamer, so he can advance, shoot without penalties and still charge. Give him some brutal melee weapons to take advantage of the extra attack.

**'''Sorcerer on Disc (Legends)''': Tzeentch blessed him with a 5+ invulnerable save, which makes this guy pretty interesting. However, if you're taking a caster on a disc, you're probably playing <strike>Tzeentch</strike> Thousand Sons, in which case an Exalted is better. A sorcerer of Tzeentch is still interesting to cast Weaver of Fates on non Thousand Sons units like Tzeentch Possessed for a 4++.
***If you are playing one of the Undivided Legions, consider this guy as a further upgrade over a Sorcerer with Jump Pack; the Tzeentch keyword isn't as crucial, and you're not obligated to take the God-aligned power. He has the same mobility to reach crucial areas and provide psychic support, and the increased durability allows him to operate better as a lone wanderer. The price difference between the two is almost identical to what you'd have paid to give a character an Invulnerable save in previous editions.

**'''Sorcerer on Palanquin (Legends)''': Unlike the Chaos Lord, being slow is not as big of a deal for a Sorcerer, so this may be a good option since it's cheaper than giving him Terminator Armour. Fun fact: because he has the {{Template:W40kKeyword|NURGLE}} {{Template:W40kKeyword|DAEMON}} keywords, any units he wipes out counts toward the Tally of Pestilence for Epidemius.
**'''Sorcerer on Steed of Slaanesh (Legends)''': Extra attack and the ability to advance and charge are not good selling points for a Sorcerer's mount. Yes, force weapons are mean, but you don't want this guy in melee if you can avoid it. Yes, it gives you an extra wound and more mobility, but so does the Bike. In smaller games, where you can't afford many HQs, this guy may be useful as a jack-of-all-trades.

====Special Characters====
Note that any special characters belonging to a specific legion/renegade chapter can be found in their own Legion section; for example, you'll find Abaddon in the Black Legion section.

*'''[[Cypher]]''': Technically more of a renegade, but close enough for the purposes of the rules, sporting both the {{W40kKeyword|IMPERIUM}} and {{W40kKeyword|CHAOS}} keywords. Has the same protection as a Chaos Lord as well as the same stats and +1" Movement, Cypher is a bargain for what he does. Not only can he put out a lot of hurt with his weapons, but he buffs nearby Fallen allowing for plasma-spam out the ass and the best part is that if he goes down, roll a D6. On a 2+ (keep a CP ready) he doesn't count as being slain for the purposes of any mission victory conditions, just to spite your opponent.

'''Forgeworld'''
*'''Lord Arkos <sup>[Forge World]</sup>''': A Chaos Lord who has two sub-faction keywords: {{W40kKeyword|THE FAITHLESS}} and {{W40kKeyword|ALPHA LEGION}}. He has good synergy with the Alpha Legion stratagem, being able to infiltrate 12" away from enemy lines for free and supplying +1 CP which can be used to infiltrate a retinue for him. His tankiness tends to be fairy deceptive, as he has only a 3+/5++, yet he has a built in -1 to shooting against him which stacks with the Alpha Legion trait for a -2 to shooting against him outside of 12". However, with his combi-melta and Black Blade of Venom (melee SU AP-2 3 Damage(!), gets +1 to wound things that aren't {{W40kKeyword|VEHICLE}} units), he wants to be able to close into melee. Also note, that you can take a Flames Of Spite warlord trait for him and after then use VotLW stratagem in close combat to inflict 1 mortal wound on the non-vehicle target in addition to any other damage [[Awesome|for every wound roll of 4+]]. Luckily, his aura effect which gives +1 to Advance and Charge rolls for {{W40kKeyword|THE FAITHLESS}} (''not'' {{W40kKeyword|ALPHA LEGION}}) units within 6" allows him to do precisely that. Overall, he's a pretty versatile choice of HQ to use. He's not so good in smaller points games where you may only run 1 HQ, but running him with only 1 HQ is a waste of his WL trait anyways. In higher-points multi-Warlord games, you can run him with the I Am Alpharius warlord trait, abusing his infiltration and CP bonus for a free turn-one nuke and simply switching to the next warlord down the list once he and his retinue are overwhelmed.
** ''Modellers Note:'' As a Forge World special character from after the Heresy, and B: a special character for one of the least popular legions, Arkos has no model. One of the more popular choices for conversion is the Aspiring Champion, since he comes with a combi-melta slung over his backpack, suitably serpentine horns, and arguably the the most vicious-looking combat knife in the range.

*'''Zhufor The Impaler <sup>[Forge World]</sup>''': Another Dual-Legion character, this time as a {{W40kKeyword|WORLD EATER}} / {{W40kKeyword|SKULLTAKER}}. His re-roll aura only buffs {{W40kKeyword|Skulltakers}}, which means that while you can take him in a World Eaters list, you ought to take him in a Skulltakers list.  At 120 points he's a solid HQ choice, and Zhufor will tear his way through any 2-wound units and most of the generic characters he comes across. Comes with a Named Power Fist and Power Axe, the fist being the same as a standard power fist, whilst the Axe goes from AP-2/D2 to AP-4/D3 on rolls of 6+ against characters. He's also quite durable, boasting 7 wounds and a 2+/4++. Uniquely, he also has the ability to deny a Psychic Power, which gives him more mileage in a World Eaters list as a psychic deny option (on top of your stratagem and relics). Not to mention, he also has the ability to deep strike, preventing him from having to run a marathon. Add onto this that he also forces an opponent to ''add'' 1 to their Leadership rolls whilst within 6 inches. As far as Khorne-aligned Terminator Lords go, he's an almost automatic preference, as for comparison purposes, a Khorne Chaos Lord with Power Axe (which is less AP and Damage) and a Power fist (which he loses his bolter for), comes to 109 points.
**GW Have yet to clarify if Zhufor's ability causes a Daemon Banner "Reality Blink" to fail. RAW, Reality Blink occurs on a roll of 1, however as you add one (rather than subtract from the opponents leadership like all similar abilities), that result becomes 2 as per the order of modifier priority. Until FAQ'd, this  means that Zhufor is so scary, that he actually stops daemons coming out the warp to fight him.