My Magic is Better then Yours

                From the first time I gazed into the Chaos Space Marine book, I fell in love with the Sorcerers.  They first break in a 100 point Space Marine Psyker and the shear amount of options they were open to them.  The 25 point cost for Mastery Level, and up to three of them no less.  Being able to actually switch a shooting weapon for another close combat weapon was so amazing to me, a Sorc with a force sword and a powerfist.

                I like the return to 4^th editions Armoury selection as a hybrid with the 5^th edition selection.  It reminds me of the days where I could field a Librarian with a Iron Halo and Artificer Armour and making him a close combat smiting monster.  It makes the selections you have access to so much more, and opens up so many different combinations that people can spice units up to fit their own fighting style.

                The following is just a small example of what can be done with some of these combo’s.

                Option 1: Alpha Legion - 63 Points: Combi-Bolter.  This guy can be fielded using Telekinesis, as well can be easily hidden in a troop of regular space marines, as in the nature of the Alpha Legion, and surprise your opponent with a sudden flash of instant death, or a blast of psychic energy ripping apart a group of troops.  This is a basic build for lower point battles or in games fielded a couple ‘tac’ squads and a ton of cultists.  Believe me when I say this, the less flashy the model the more chance someone will forget you HQ is even in the squad, it is like well positioned snipers, even you forget they are there.

                Option 2: Lord of Tzeentch - 220 Points: Power Weapon, Mark of Tzeentch, Disc of Tzeentch, Sigil of Corruption, two additional spell Masteries, Gift of Mutation, and a spell familiar.  Rolling two spells on the Tzeentch table and another on Biomancy gives you a healthy hard hitting selection.  This guy is tough, 1+ attack and Toughness 5 because of the disc being a Jetbike, a 3++ Invulnerable save and having both his Force Axe, and a Power Sword, the gift of Mutation doesn’t have to be taken, but since the first one you re-roll the bad stuff, it helps buff you, and the spell familiar gives you peace of mind when casting your spells.  He can move about the field, blast things apart and hit into combat and do decently well.  He costs an Arm and a Leg but he is damn fun to play in the end it things go your way, might just get luck and roll feel no pain of another 1+ to toughness.

                Option 3: Foul Punch - 200 Points: Power Fist, one additional mastery level, Sigil of Corruption, Blight Grenade, Ichor Blood, Mark of Nurgle, and Palanquin of Nurgle.  This guy is also expensive, and could get more expensive if you felt like it.  His Toughness 5 and 4 wounds will keep this guy alive, stick him with plague marine marines and just watch him ooze forward spreading Nurgle’s Gift.  The Power fist helps him with Instant deathing Space Marine hero’s as they try to hurt him in assault.  The 4+ Invulnerable save helps keep him alive against most heavy hitting attacks but he is also able to dish it out back with his psychic .  Taking a Nurgle power and a Biomancy Power might actually make this guy super strong and tough to beat.

                Option 4: Undivided Power - 125 Points: Terminator Armour, An additional power level, and a Spell Familiar.  This Option is very cheap for what you have access to, you have a simple 2+ armour save, and a 5+ invulnerable save.  So far you are better off than a regular space marine Librarian and then to make it better for half the cost you have access to an addition mastery level, and re-roll your failed attempts.  At this point level this guy is tough not to consider, he isn’t flashy he doesn’t have a mark, he is just a Renegade Librarian who is really good at summoning powers.

                I could list more and more of these combo’s, they are all personally favorite choices stuff I’ve fiddled around with.  Chaos nowadays with the new codex just seem more lively and the amount of choices you can make with the various units bring all kinds of options to the table.  Some people don’t like the new codex, I personally think it was well written and now for us fluff bunnies we can make such a variety of armies and actually make all nine traitor legions from the codex.  I like the thought of making unchaos renegade army that has no daemon influence but uses the traitor codex to get access to mighty HQ’s, good chosen units, and auto cannon dev’s.  If you haven’t given the codex a chance, look again, feel the potential.  Its not the DA Codex, but it doesn’t mean it’s a bad codex.  No other codex has poisoned 4+ close combat weapon, T5, 3+ FnP elite/troop choice that can take double special weapon.

                Give Chaos a chance, they have cookies.

Libarians, Do you trust them?

                Librarians, Can you really put your faith in them, they can turn on you in a heartbeat, blow up when you need them the most.  Well Psykers in general are fickle beings.  Most of a nice LD of 10, but if you roll a double 6, or a double 1, you get hurt, and with most psykers, you have no save what so ever to protect you. 

                The standard state line for a Librarian is WS5 BS4 S4 T4 W2 I4 A2 Ld10 Sv3+ which is pretty so-so as Space Marines go, one point 1 extra of weapon skill, wound and Leadership than your Joe Sergeant.  Not someone I really want leading the force at the front, more of a back field character, which is good expect the fact in most armies you pay a pretty penny for maybe a couple re-rolls and maybe a nice blast.

                Don’t get me wrong, I like the using them, especially the Sorcerers from the Chaos Space Marine Codex, and the Librarians from the new Dark Angels Codex being able to grant a 4+ invulnerable save to them and having them starting at a low point cost with decently priced mastery level increases.  They will in the end still cost you a lot, but you will get more use out of them and have more fun.

                Having to roll though to get powers and to use them, and having the risk of blasting your prized Psyker into little glowing pieces is not something I look forward too.  You run great risks when playing with Psychic Fire and if you build your army around it then you can run even greater risks of your army folding under itself because of the random dice rolls.  Use them or not, you run the risks of them blowing up in your face.  Then again if your playing Orks, then your guy is as likely to blow up as the guy standing beside him.  Head explosions gotta love them.

Its a Scouts Life

The Assault Angel was not a large ship by imperial standards, by it still was big enough to house a comfortable crew complement of forty thousand, not including passengers.  Even larger yet when trying to reach a destination on the opposite side of the ship with an untold amount of hostiles blocking your path and no known reinforcements to back you up.  Scout Squad Archanus, was trapped in the loading dock area of the ship when the daemon incursion began.

Archanus, a veteran of the Angels of Silence tenth company, had been on patrol of the docking area, constantly training and teaching his scouts the ways of the Angels, perfection in every action.  Now they crouched hunkered down in their grey camouflage cloaks, planning their next move, hiding amongst the debris of old damaged that never got repaired fully.

“Scouts, listen,” Archanus voice was hushed, “We need to regroup with our brothers, we are in a very isolated area, and I doubt, even with our skills, we will survive long.”

The determination in the scouts was strong, and it ran across their faces, they knew no fear, and they will die for the glories light of the Emperor.  “We are with you Sergeant, we will find the others, we will not let chaos win,” Marnem spoke with fervor.  He would become a great Space Marine one day if he makes it out of this thought Archanus.

“Good I’d expect no less from my scouts, now let’s show this worthless daemons who they are messing with one last time.” Archanus pulled the dagger from his belt, and flipped the switch on the hilt to test it; this blade was barely longer than a foot and a half but was deadly in his hands.  Preferring it to clumsier longer blades, he needed every little bit of speed he could get, especially with his lack of power armour.

Staying crouch the group moved forward, down a disused corridor, hopefully circumventing most of the larger forces aboard the ship, and enabling the ability to perform mass stealth attacks on the enemy.

“Sir, my Auspex is reading Astrates over this way,” Zethar spoke, holding a odd machine in his hand, as he rested his shotgun upon his lap.

“How many? Are they friendly?”

“It’s not clear too much interference coming in, but the power armour is easy enough to read,”

“Zethar, you and Kinias take point, keep your shot guns level, keep your wits, Marnem, Ashor, take the rear, and keep your blades handy, pistols out.  Let’s not get caught with your pants down now,” He gestured his hand forward, moving the group onwards to check out the signal.  Finding anyone from the First Company would increase their odds of survival by tenfold, and he dared to hope that’s what he would find.

The corridor began to smell, the air smelling like blood, lots of blood, and the soar smell of daemon entrails.  Taking their time and utter most caution they sneak forward until they reached the point where the Auspex signaled they found the power armoured individual s and the smell was the worst.

Archanus glanced around the corner just ever so quickly to take a count of all who was there, capturing the image with his augmented eye.  He swore silently to himself after noticing that those power armoured Astrates, were in fact dead, and being munched on by Khorne Flesh Hounds; A group of five from his count, and luckily enough they were distracted.

“We take them by surprise, Zethar, Kinias, give them hell, show them what your worth, Marnem, Ashor your with me and we are going hit them hard, blades out, empty your clips and pray to the Emperors glory there isn’t more around that corner.” Archanus spoke softly, he then lifted up his fingers to represent on, three.

Three, Two, One.  They group bursts from cover, the shotgun wielding scouts blast out their shots in rapid succession, Zethar catching one off guard and punching a hole through its unholy aura, and blasting a crater into his chest smashing it into the wall.  Archanus and his three run headlong forward, the Flesh Hounds barking in anger, blast up without a moment’s thought,  not even phased at the sudden attack of these Space Marines.

The hounds hit them hard, knocking all three down to a knee in force, they were barely able to push them off, each as strong as themselves, the shotgunners, dash forward, Zethar and Kinias, blasting away.  A found losses itself from the three already engages and tackles down Zethar hard, its teeth biting deep into his chest, Kinias took the opening and sent a shell into the creatures side blasting it apart in a red mess.

Quickly checking on Zethar, alive but out, he trained his shotgun up, aiming about, watching for any other enemy that might attempt to sneak up.  Leaving the three outfitted for combat to their duties. 

Archanus and his two other attack scouts had the hounds right on them, teeth snapping at their faces, claws trying to dig into their braces, giving no quarter.  Archanus quickly activated his daggers power, it blazed in electrical might as he quickly jabbed it deep under the jaw of the beasts head, breaking through the horrendously thick skull.

Archanus kicked the body off his blade, with only enough time to dodge another hound which had disengaged Ashor, attempting to strike the leader of the scouts.  It growled at him, Archanus noticed that it had clipped his arm, and red fluid rolled down his dark skin.  That had been a close one, and he would not let it happen again.

As the creature lunged again, he ducked down and stabbed his dagger into the chest of the and rolled with it.  Slicing through the inner’s of the flesh hound and spilling its guts all over the metal corridors floor.  With another quick flick of the wrist, he tossed that same dagger deep into the head of the remaining hound as its teeth had found purchase on the scouts shoulder plate.

Marnem quickly stabbed with his own blade, chopping at it, as its jaw would not let go, even dead.  Ashor rushed over chopping the head off the creature, and pried its head off with his hands, leaving deep groves in his shoulder pad, and blood running down his arm.  A mix of Marnem’s own blood and that off the daemon’s.

“Scouts status?” Archanus asked as he pulled his dagger from the creatures head.

“Zethar is alive, but he needs to heal, the creature cut deep but looks to have missed vital implants.” Reported Kinias.

“Minor wounds, will heal in a short period of time,” Reported Marnem

                “Superficial damage, not injured,” Ashor reported last.

                “No Casualties,” Archanus moved over to a nearby hatch, and opened it, scanning it quickly. “In here, we will reload, bandage our wounded, and prepare to head out again. Move”

                On command, they grabbed Zethar, and rushed into the room, Archanus sealing it behind himself.  It looked like a servitor storage room, though no servitors remained, most were damaged or on duty at the time, and unlikely many would remain.  “Kinias, keep watch of the door, Ashor, tend to Zethar, Marnem check this room for any supplies we can use.  We need everything we can get.”

                It wouldn’t be long before they had to head out again, with or without Zethar, and far more deadlier creature roam this ship….

Skeletor of the 40k World

            The Chaplain, a very nice unit to use to help buff yours units in assault, this unit is rarely fielded in the Vanilla codex, which is sad since he just has the spunk that you need as an HQ and he has an attitude to match it.  Skeletor as I like to call him grants those handy re-rolls in the first round of combat and also has a mighty Strength 6 hit in close combat.  Yeah I know AP4, but really it doesn’t always matter, the hits and wounds will cause deaths, just let him do his thing.

            I’ve made a couple setups for this model and fun ways to use him, hopefully you get some use out of it, and maybe even use one once.

            Option 1:  Skeletor - 100 Points:  He has no equipment other than what he starts with.  Bland and blank but even like this he is perfectly set up for attacking, no addition, no need to add weapons or equipment.  He is a formidable force to fight anyway you look at it.  Also outfit him with a staff with a dear skull on the tip of the staff if you feel inclined to fit the look.

            Option 2:  Flying Hate - 150 Points: Jump Pack, and a Power Fist.  It may seem simple, but he now can move up field quickly attached to an Assault Squad who already are a force to be reckoned with, but with the Flying Hate you get tank busting, hero cracking, unit smasher.  He can choose to hit I4 or I1, S6 or S8, he also comes with W2 and 4++ save.  How can you go wrong with that? Don’t answer that.

            Option 3:  Light the Way - 135 Points:  Terminator Armour and Combi-Flamer.  Still seems too simple to be any good, can never forget what he already has and what you would have to pay for anything is super cheap.  Got to love a unit who only needs a few extra’s to become a bigger super hero.

            Option 4:  Road Warrior – 155 Points:  Space Marine Bike, Plasma Pistol, and Metla Bomb.  This guy isn’t happy, and he is very angry, chaos beware when this guy comes wheeling towards you, T5 with a 4++ save, its going to be hard to really hurt him.  The plasma pistol gives that little extra damage you need to higher Toughness and lower AV vehicles.  If your going bikes, he needs to be in your command squad, get all those nice power weapons with re-rolls to hit first round of combat and also getting the attention of the Challenges to protect your really well outfitted HQ.

            There isn’t many more choices you can have with this guy, however he is made for assault and if your army is trying to be geared to towards that, he will be a benefit to say the least and never really costing a lot of points leaving you free to fill your roster.

            Yay or Nay for the Brave Chaplains guys!