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

====<span style="color:#471F5F;">HQ</span>====
=====<span style="color:#471F5F;">General</span>=====
*'''[[Keeper of Secrets]]:''' With the release of the new plastic model the Keeper has gotten a new revised datasheet and 210 pts base cost. The new price includes one of three options: the living whip, ritual knife, or Sinistrous Hand. If you take the Shining Aegis, that adds +10 pts.  An already frightfully speedy unit (who gets slower the more wounds it takes) its movement has increased to 14", and now has 16 wounds. Its base combat ability remains impressive as always, with its Snapping Claws becoming Malefic 4 with an absurdly high AP-4 D3 while the primary Witstealer Sword boosts combat with S+2 AP-3 D3 that makes those wounded by it suffer -1 to hit. The best part is you don't have to choose between the two; with the claws being Malefic, all your attacks default to the sword for a total of 10 (!) attacks at full wounds, and even at its lowest, you're still throwing around an impressive amount of attacks. Mesmerizing Aura penalizes enemy attacks in melee with -1 to hit, which gives it protection similar to the Bloodthirster's flat 4+/4+. Cast Symphony of Pain on the target of your charge for an additional -1 to hit. In combat wound them with Witstealer for an additional -1 to hit. Now characters are hitting on a 5+. Or alternately, take the free Soulstealer relic sword and recover previously lost wounds by killing enemy models, all of which stack with the Sinistrous Hand. Make this Keeper exalted with the Insatiable Onslaught trait and now you're charging 20+2d6" EVERY TURN. If you make the charge into a chaff unit, she'll kill 6 and recover a max of 6+d3 wounds. Soulstealer also auto-wounds all Eldar, making it into an evil blender with picky tastes.
**As with the Lord of Change, the KoS can actually learn two powers on top of Smite, making for a potent buffing daemon as well. Grab Symphony of Pain and Hysterical Frenzy and you've got yourself the ideal blender at hand. Swap Symphony of Pain for Delightful Agonies and you've just made a pack of Daemonettes durable and much deadlier. 
**As this is a fancy multi-part kit, your keeper comes with new wargear options:
<tabs>
<tab name="Living Whip"> 
12" Assault 6 S6 AP-2 D2. It can no longer hit anything within engagement range, so its value solely relies upon how much you need that shooting. Luckily, that 2+ BS doesn't decay.
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<tab name="Shining Aegis">
Grants a 4+/4+ save, which is very handy for a unit that's likely to attract chargers and incapable of hiding behind anything. Nothing quite tops a Daemon Prince hiding behind the Daemonettes though.
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<tab name="Ritual Knife">
At the end of the fight phase, pick one enemy model about 3" away that lost wounds by this model and roll D6: On a 2+, that enemy suffers D3 MW. Made specifically to screw over monsters and heroes with annoying damage mitigation.
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<tab name="Sinustrous Hand">
If the user kills any non-vehicle in the Fight phase, it heals D3 wounds. What, was the Soulstealer sword not enough healing for you?
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*'''Herald of Slaanesh:''' 
<tabs>
<tab name="Tranceweaver"> 
The newly named generic Herald of Slaanesh on foot, oddly renamed from Viceleader to Tranceweaver. Sadly, the official miniature is still resin only but easily converted from various Slaanesh plastic kits. She's fairly speedy at 9" movement and is a Psyker who can cast/deny 1 power, knowing Smite and one power from the Soulstain discipline. Alongside her herald-based re-roll 1s to wound aura, the special aura gives {{W40kKeyword|Core Daemonettes}} who roll a natual 6 to wound a bump in AP, which is...not quite as necessary considering that they get AP-2 on those claws, but it does negate Armour of Contempt.
</tab>
<tab name="Tormentbringer on Seeker Chariot">
Tired of having very fragile Heralds? Have this fairly fragile one. With the Steed of Slaanesh going Legends, these are now your budget mounted heralds. The regular Seeker Chariot variant is now 100 pts, and like all Slaanesh units, it is a bit of a glass hammer. 12" move, T5, a 5+/4+ Save, and 7 wounds to let it hide behind screens gives you a mobile leader, but it will crumble if it gets focused down, -1 to hit from ranged attacks be damned. There is some potential for play if you give the Herald the Slothful Claw relic. Otherwise, you are looking at six S4 AP-2 D2 attacks and four Malefic attacks at S4 with no AP from the steeds pulling the thing. If you manage to charge, you can cause mortal wounds to enemy models within 1" on a roll of a 5+ on 4d6 and gain two extra attacks, which just reinforces the units roll as a chafe cleaner. Charge into a screening unit, clear it out, and hopefully your Keeper of Secrets will have a clear path to something important. All in all, you are paying some extra points for extra toughness and wounds, a few extra attacks, a small chance of mortal wounds when charging, and, most importantly, a bigger base, which means his aura of +1S is bigger. It's probably the best Herald, but it's hard to maneuver, so be careful.
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<tab name="Tormentbringer on Exalted Seeker Chariot">
Sadly inferior to the smaller chariot. On paper, it starts off nice. With 16 attacks in melee (8 from the Herald's ravaging claws and 8 from the mounts) it would seem to be a strong melee threat. Furthermore, the larger base size means more Daemonettes will be benefitting from your auras. Then you run into the problem of getting it to your opponent's battle line. Having 12 wounds looks nice, but that means you can't hide behind a blob, and if you lose half your wounds (and it will be soon enough, trust me) it becomes slower and worthless in melee because of degrading stats. To seal the deal, it costs 20 points more than a normal Herald on Seeker Chariot with no other benefits. Avoid this.
</tab>
<tab name="Tormentbringer on Hellflayer">
For 10 pts more than a Herald on a Seeker Chariot, you get a unit with all the Seeker Chariot's strengths while being slightly better at tackling MEQs. The Hellflayer replace the Scything Impact rule with a unique weapon: the Bladed Axle. This is stronger than the rest of the vehicle's attacks at S+2 AP-2 D2, but it's helf back by being Malefic 4, so you can't rely on it to kill a whole combat squad of marines. However, charging gives this axle Malefic 6, making said wipes come more easily.
</tab>
<tab name="Herald of Slaanesh on Steed of Slaanesh (Legends)">
Sadly consigned to oblivion in Legends. A basic Herald mounted on a Steed which grants 14" movement, re-rolling charges, and +1 wound for 85 pts. Taken in a Slaanesh Daemon detachment she has a 6" aura which allows units to advance and charge in the same turn. The Legends update finally gives her Ravaging Claws with S: user/AP-1/Dmg 2/Counts as AP-4 on a wound roll of 6. Which can now be swapped out for the Slothful Claw relic.
**Even less useful now, as the Herald got none of the updates from the codex. It still relies on (irrelevant) Quicksilver Swiftness and doesn't get any of the new Daemon rules. It also gains nothing from any of the other buff auras due to keyword fuckery.
</tab>
<tab name="Contorted Epitome">
"Mirror, mirror, on the wall, whose ass is going to be fucked up worst of all?" 2 heralds riding on a magic mirror that acts as a psychic turret, casting and denying two powers per turn. Taken along with an Infernal Enrapturess and Fiends it can provide excellent Psychic Defense. It also has a 2+ save against mortal wounds that protect it further from enemy psykers, and enemy units including fliers that get within 6" of it need to roll a Leadership score on a 3d6 or else have their movement cut in half and take -1 to hit anything, making them effectively sitting ducks against the oncoming tide of Fiends and Daemonettes.  Be sure to take Phantasmagoria for its 12" penalty aura of -1 LD as one of its powers. There is only ~37.5% chance to roll lower than LD10 on 3D6 and pass the test. Debuffing LD even by -1 reduces the chance of an LD7-8 unit escaping to ~26%, and if you recall Daemonic's 6" Leadership debuff aura, you'll realize just how devastating this can be. Anything LD7 would effectively be stuck as they only have a ~0.46% chance to escape. 
**Don't count this out as a beatstick! Aside from the eight attacks made by the Heralds' claws, you also get a Malefic 3 attack from the various unpleasantness of the portal, giving S+1 AP-2 D3 attacks to help take down Primaris with ease.
**But the Contorted Epitomes isn't just an extra killy Daemon Prince it's also an amazing Psyker. What really makes the Mirror powerful is its synergy with the Infernal Enrapturess and Fiends. Because of its speed, the Epitome is best taken alongside chariots, fiends or seekers. If you're running swarms of Daemonettes, take Syll'Esske if you have the extra points.
</tab>
<tab name="Infernal Enrapturess">
Rather than frontline combat, the Infernal Enrapturess provides powerful sonic fire support with her Heartstring Lyre, a dual profile gun that's either an Assault 6 18” S4 AP-1 D1 assault rifle or an Assault 1 24” S8 AP-3 D3+d3 shotgun. But wait, there's more! Her Discordant Disruption ability causes enemy psykers within 24” to suffer Perils of the Warp on any doubles. While not as powerful with the loss of the Fiends' constant anti-psyker power, it remains a deterrent against careless psykers. Finally, she has the Harmonic Alignment special rule, allowing you to resurrect a single slain {{W40kKeyword|Slaanesh Core}} model or d3 Daemonettes within 6" to top off the ranks.
*Perhaps you're not surprised, but this also has the {{W40kKeyword|Warp Locus}} keyword, making it great for supporting deep-striking daemons.
</tab>
</tabs>

=====<span style="color:#471F5F;">Named</span>=====
*'''[[Shalaxi Helbane]]:''' TACTICAL WHORE, INCOMING! Slaanesh is at long last getting a named Greater Daemon (that isn't the super powerful uber number one overpriced)! Her Soulpiercer spear is a ridiculous Sx2 AP-4 Dd6, and if it scores a 6 to wound against a character it always does the full 6 damage. She also wears the Cloak of Constriction, which imposes a -1 to wound against enemy melee attacks, which nicely complements the hit penalty she shares with the standard Keeper of Secrets. Delicate Precision allows her to re-roll wound rolls of 1. While Monarch of the Hunt allows her to move 6" during a pile in or heroic intervention as long as it is towards the nearest enemy character. If you make her your warlord she must take Quicksilver Duelist which allows her to re-roll to hit and wound enemy characters. Finally, she can take either a Living Whip: 6"/S6/AP-2/Damage 2/Assault 6/attacks from this weapon can target enemy units within 1"; for 240 pts. Or a shining Aegis: roll D6 whenever the model takes a wound on a  6+ the wound is ignored; mortal wounds are ignored on a  5+; for 250 pts. Since she has Delightful Agonies as a psychic power skip the shield and take the living whip instead. Counterpoint - the shield is viable as there are a lot of other excellent Slaanesh powers that make you a beast in cc (looking at you hysterical / symphony). Plus the shield looks dope as hell.
*'''[[The Masque of Slaanesh]]:''' Due to the changes in how characters work, the Masque is finally granted the protection of hiding behind a blob of Daemonettes. As well as gains a stunning new plastic model. She can advance or fall back and charge in the same turn, and she forces a -1 to-hit penalty against enemy attacks that target a Daemonette unit within 6" of her in the fight phase (and she has the DAEMONETTE keyword, so that applies to her too). Also, if she's locked in combat with something, you add 1 to hit against the target unit. Her Ravaging Claws are now S: user and AP-2, with DMG 2. Her cost increased in MFM21 going from 78 pts to 85 pts. If your running Mono-Slaanesh, you should always be taking her. She combo very well with Syll'Esske in a massive swarm of Daemonettes.
*'''[[Syll’Esske]]:''' 200 points and so 15 more than a fully kitted out DP, let's see what they get. For starters, as a Prince and Herald mix, they get the aura abilities of both, rerolls of 1 to hit and wounds for core is pretty nice. Statline wise, Syll'Esske is also a mix of Herald and DP (on foot, but with the +2 movement baked in, moving them to 10"). Syll'Esske's shooting is based off of the herald, who has a 3+, Strength too. Everything else except Leadership is off of a DP except for leadership. Which is neither 8 or 10, and instead a 9? Okay. Deadly Symbiosis is gone, instead opting for turning the Scouring Whip into a Malefic 6 weapon. The Axe of Dominion is still the same, but Syll'Esske loosing the +1 Strength Aura turns this into a worse Hellforged Sword at maxing at S:7 vs 8. Overall it seems like Syll'Esske has seen an overall nerf in 9th edition. In fact the only buff they've done is let them cast and know an extra power, but not deny an extra one. I guess the best place for Syll'Esske is to save yourself an HQ slot and pal them up with a few units of daemonettes to get the most out of their auras.