Editing Warhammer 40,000/9th Edition Tactics/Chaos Space Marines (section)

===[[Black Legion]]===
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[[File:BlackLegionInsignia.png|100px|left|]]
In the grim darkness of the far future, the galaxy will burn.

Thematically the Black Legion are arguably the largest force of Chaos Space Marines, their exact size is unknown and they do not worship any singular entity. They are all united by one desire: to finish what Horus started and to tear down the Imperium. After all, united behind the Warmaster, how can you fail?

The Black Legion are easily the favourite Chaos Space Marines of Games Workshop, being the poster boys of the faction (even though they're not on the cover). This leads to them having rather basic options to allow them to fill practically any role you want. They also were the first to get expanded WTs, Stratagems, and Relics. While they aren't the most competitive it's hard to go wrong with them, as it should be for the "ordinary" Chaos Space Marines.
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*'''Legion Trait: ''Black Crusaders'':''' Units with this trait ignore all modifiers to Combat Attrition. In addition, they gain +1 to hit if they charged or they shoot the closest enemy. While combat attrition is...meh, the +1 to hit is a lot more useful and easily stacks with any re-roll buffs from your Chaos Lords and Daemon Princes. This harkens back a little to their origins as the shock attack forces of the Legiones and with the multitude of guns at your disposal it's hard to go wrong.
*'''Secondary Objective: ''Despoil Dominions'':''' All {{W40Kkeyword|Infantry}} and {{W40Kkeyword|Bikers}} gain a new action that lets them desecrate the objective they're on instead of shooting. Not only does this score VP (1 if it's in your DZ, 4 if it isn't), but any enemies near that objective also fail any actions they attempt on a 4+. Lucky you that your secondary actually lets you perform some (meager) effects on the enemy while still being able to fight.
*'''Warlord Traits:''' As the poster-boys of the CSM, as well as the Imperium's main antagonists, the Black Legion have several traits they can choose from, which also work really well with their unique Stratagems.
**'''''Veteran Raider'':''' In your Command phase, you can select one friendly {{W40Kkeyword|BLACK LEGION CORE}} or {{W40Kkeyword|BLACK LEGION CHARACTER}} unit within 6" of this {{W40Kkeyword|WARLORD}}. Until the end of the turn, that unit is eligible to shoot and declare a charge in a turn in which it Fell Back.
**'''''Indomitable'':''' All damage to your warlord is halved. Pairs very well with characters that are likely to draw heavy fire from your opponent. Looking at you, Lord Discordant.
***Half damage is a rare feat nowadays, especially after it was removed from Helbrutes/Dreadnoughts in 8e. Stack relics like the Gorget of Eternal hate for some vicious tankiness.
**'''''Merciless Overseer'':''' In your Command phase, you can select one friendly BLACK LEGION unit within 6" of this WARLORD. Until the start of your next Command phase, each time a model in that unit makes an attack, if your army is engaged in Wanton Destruction or Wanton Slaughter, that unit is considered to be engaged in Wanton Massacre for that attack instead.
**'''''Soul Eater'':''' Each time this WARLORD makes a melee attack, you can re-roll the wound roll and Each time this WARLORD fights, after it has finished making its attacks, if one or more enemy models were destroyed by those attacks, this WARLORD regains up to D3 lost wounds.
***You dont even have to kill the entire unit to benefit from this, so this can go great on anything, but is obviously best on something tough enough to survive fights with at least some wounds remaining.
**'''''Trusted Warleader'':''' Roll every time you use a command point. On a 5+, it is refunded. A trait that can pay for itself, although it can't trigger successfully more than once per battle round. 
**'''''Paragon of Hatred'':''' Reroll charges for your warlord, and add one to their attacks when fighting, increasing to D3 when fighting {{W40kKeyword|IMPERIUM}} units. The extra attacks can be handy, but rerolling charges is critical for a character that wants to smash face, like termie lords, lord discordants and daemon princes.
*'''Stratagems:''' 
**'''''Heralds of Doom (2 CP)'':''' Use this in your command phase and pick a {{W40kKeyword|BLACK LEGION LEGIONARIES}} unit that's on the battlefield. Until your next command phase, they gain an aura that turns off any enemy unit's ''Objective Secured'' abilities. Good to use against blobs of ObSec enemies (like Orks) or if you're running MSU. That said, the 2 CP requirement makes this a rather niche choice, especially when compared to other options.
**'''''Vengeful Skies (3 CP)'':''' Used once per battle in your command phase, if any {{W40kKeyword|BLACK LEGION CHARACTER}} models are on the board. Place a marker anywhere on the battlefield, and then in your next command phase, place another marker anywhere within 12" of the first one and draw a straight line between them. Roll a d6 for each unit that line passes over or through, adding one to the roll if that unit contains 11 or more models, and subtracting one from the roll if that unit is a {{W40kKeyword|CHARACTER}}. On a 3+, those units suffer d3 mortal wounds and the markers are removed. Frankly terrible, the cost in CP is absurd and your opponent will do everything they can to avoid taking damage from this. Hard pass.
**'''''Unrelenting Onslaught (2 CP)'':''' Used in the movement phase, when you choose to move a {{W40kKeyword|BLACK LEGION}} unit. Until the start of your next movement phase, that unit ignores modifiers to their movement, advances and charges, and can shoot and charge if it fell back. Not too shabby, the movement buff is a welcome addition, but being able to shoot and charge after falling back stops your opponent from being able to tie up your units effectively.
**'''''Confluence of Traitors (1 CP)'':''' Use this in the command phase. Select one {{W40kKeyword|HERETIC ASTARTES}} unit, and then pick a Legion trait to give them until your next command phase. This opens up some interesting plays, and adds a great deal of flexibility to your army. Can be a clutch pick in some cases.
**'''''Bringers of Despair (2 CP)'':''' Use this at the start of your ''opponent's'' fight phase, when you have a unit of {{W40kKeyword|TERMINATORS}} within 3" of any enemy unit. They now are eligable to fight, they fight first, ''and'' they get an extra attack. Absolutely bananas, if you can convince your opponent to charge your block of 10 Terminators.
**'''''Tip of the Spear (2 CP)'':''' Reworked in the new codex. Used at the start of the charge phase. If you have no {{W40kKeyword|BLACK LEGION}} units within engagement range of any enemy units, you can select a {{W40kKeyword|BLACK LEGION CORE, DAEMONKIN, or CHARACTER}} unit that is closest to an enemy unit. Until the end of the turn, they can reroll charges, and if the enemy unit is within range of an objective marker or within their deployment zone, they get an extra point of AP. The extra point of AP is okay, but rerolling charges makes this amazing for things that rely on it, like any deepstrikers. Warp Talons and close combat Terminators will love this.
**'''''Lord of the Ezekarion (1CP)'':''' Give your warlord another warlord trait, unless your warlord is a [[Lord Discordant|daemon]] or named character. Pretty damn good, there's loads of deadly comboes you can pull off with this, with the only drawback being that it's limited to non-daemon HQs.
**'''''Hatred Unbound (2 CP)'':''' Use this when your warlord is on the field and your army is engaged in Wanton Destruction, Massacre or Slaughter. If so, then choose a {{W40kKeyword|BLACK LEGION CORE}} unit within 18" of your warlord. They can gain the benefit of all the Wanton abilities. Good if you have a unit nearby that likes to be in certain turns, like Havocs.
*'''Relics:''' Yep, because why wouldn't they get a lot of them as well?
**'''Loyalty's Reward''': Use this on a model with a bolt weapon. When targeting models with the {{W40kKeyword|IMPERIUM}} keyword, successful hits score 1 mortal wound. If you target any other models, a successful wound scored 1 mortal wound instead. Very very meh.
**'''Cloak of Conquest''': Grants {{W40kKeyword|CORE}} and {{W40kKeyword|CHARACTER}} units within 6" ''Objective Secured'' Severely nerfed from the old codex, this now has the niche use of giving things like Terminators and Havocs ObSec, if you're not already using another ability to do so. 
**'''Ghorisvex's Teeth''': Replaces a chainsword. AP-3 D2 that adds +3 attacks. The loss of the mortal wounds this weapon grants from the last edition has hurt the usability of this weapon, and the wealth of weapon relics that Chaos gets means that there will always be a better option. 
**'''Sightless Helm''': This relic lets you ignore hit, weapon and ballistic skill modifiers, improves the AP of any attack made by 1, and lets you ignore an enemy unit's cover save. Can be used by cultists, but why would you? A nice little upgrade for something like a Lord Discordant, who has a wide variety of attacks that benefit from this. 
**'''Wrath of the Abyss''': Essentially a thunder hammer with and extra point of AP and no -1 to hit. Not great, not terrible.
**'''Trophies of Slaughter''': Add 3" to the bearer's aura abilties, except for psychic powers, and force enemy units within 9" to subtract 1 from ''Combat Attrition'' tests. Has a few niche uses, notably with increasing a Master of Possession's Rites of Possession ability to 15", but there are better options out there.
**'''Veilbreaker Plate''': {{W40kKeyword|TERMINATOR}} models only. Reduce incoming AP by one, and once per game you may use the following ability. In your movement phase, if the model with this relic did ''not'' arrive via reinforcements, then you may move the bearer and one {{W40kKeyword|BLACK LEGION CORE}} unit within 3" more than 9" away from any enemy models, with both units moved this way within 6" of each other. Reducing incoming AP is utterly pointless on models that can take this in the era of Armor of Contempt, but the other ability is essentially the Necron relic Veil of Darkness, with all that it implies. You can drop a squad of melee Terminators or Legionaries in someone's face, and you can even pull a friendly unit out of a fight and drop them somewhere safe. An incredible pick and one that may be worth building around.
====Unique Characters==== 
Of course the Black Legion naturally have the most special characters, while the other Legions are struggling to get even one.

*'''[[Abaddon the Despoiler]]''': Abaddon, armless failure though he is, now at least has stats and rules worthy of the Warmaster name. Abaddon is now a {{W40kKeyword|SUPREME COMMANDER}}, and so he ''must'' be your Warlord (unless you're also bringing Magnus, Morty, or Angron); ''if'' he's your Warlord, he also gains the {{W40kKeyword|AGENT OF CHAOS}} keyword, meaning you can take him with other Legions or other {{W40kKeyword|CHAOS}} factions without breaking any monofaction bonuses. And for 300 points (significantly cheaper than the Primarchs) you're going to want to take him, because he buffs everyone: as '''Lord of the Traitor Legions''' he is able to let one friendly {{W40kKeyword|HERETIC ASTARTES CORE}} or {{W40kKeyword|CHARACTER}} re-roll hits (and wounds if they're {{W40kKeyword|BLACK LEGION}}), and he pushes all {{W40kKeyword|CHAOS CORE}} within 6" to add 1 to Charge rolls and re-roll hit rolls of 1, because why not let War Dogs join the fun. 
**WS/BS 2+ S6 '''8A''' T6 2+/4++ 9W means he's still able to cower behind his bodyguards. Not that he needs it, because the codex will give him figurative [[Plot Armor]] via '''The Mark of Chaos Ascendant''' and '''Dark Destiny''' : Dark Destiny means that he can never lose more than 3 wounds per phase; the Mark of Chaos Ascendant gives him ''four'' fucking abilities: 
**# +1 Strength in a turn he charges, was charged, or performed a Heroic Intervention.
**# The first failed saving throw each turn does 0 damage.
**# [[Bullshit|Attacks that are either at his T (so S6) or at least double (so S12) are at -1 to Wound, so 4s become 5s and 2s become 3s]].
**# And he fights first, because why not.
**His weapons have also been similarly buffed: The Talon's gun half is now an Assault 4 Heavy Bolter, while the Choppy half is S6(7 if you charge) AP-4 D1, but you can make 2 hit rolls for every attack made with this weapon. But you probably won't ever be using that profile, not when Drachnyen no longer throws a bitch-fit every time Abaddon fails: Drachnyen no longer needs to roll to be used and is now S+3(9/10) AP-4 D3, with unmodified wound rolls of 6 doing 1d3 mortal wounds ''on top'' of any damage.   
*'''Haarken Worldclaimer''': The Lord of Raptors has received a massive points increase, and with it, a stats boost. First, weapons, still can't use the Helspear in melee, but now its S7 AP-3 D3 and functions similarly to Mortarion's Lantern. Likewise his lightning claw has gotten mastercrafted (renamed to "Herald's Talon"), don't worry the extra attack and the loss of DttFE have been baked into his stats, bumping him up to A7. Alas, he's also the last relic from a bygone era as the ONLY Chaos character that can take a jump pack, meaning he'll easily leave every other character in the dust bar a daemon prince. Abilities wise, Haarken has a Chapter Master re-roll hits ability with an added caveat where if you select a {{W40Kkeyword|Raptors}} unit in the Command Phase they can re-roll wound rolls as well. Likewise, as a Chaos Lord he finally has a normal reroll 1's to hit aura for {{W40Kkeyword|Core}} units, something he sorely lacked in 8th. Head Taker lets him gain a permanent +1 to his attacks for every {{W40Kkeyword|Character}} he's slain, which also adds an additional 6" to his Herald of the Apocalypse ability. HotA has a maximum range of 24" and causes an additional model to flee when a morale test is failed if an enemy unit is in range of him. Lastly, to top it all off, he has a 4++. Now, is he better? Hell yes he's better, but is he any good? Well, the thing is that he's pretty much just gotten better at doing what he already did, acting as a character killer and morale dropper, the issue with that is that usually those two things don't blend very well together. Since characters care little for morale and those units that actually do don't generate Haarken an additional attack or expand his debuff aura. The best way to use him probably would be with Raptors (duh), have them debuff the infantry with their -1 morale, while Haarken goes for the characters that are supporting them. Appropriate, given how the fluff depicts him.
====Tactics====
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