One aspect of daemon armies that is easily over-looked is their novelty value. A number of times over this past 12 months, I have been asked by a number of opponents how daemon armies work. Most of the time the question comes from new players (old and young), but some of the veterans out there also need reminded about a number of items in the daemon armies. This doesn't surprise me as daemon armies are not the most common on the tabletops out there by any means, but they do have a loyal following by those that play with them (like myself). 
The novelty impact of the daemon army can be a valuable weapon in the daemon player's arsenal (and any other player who doesn't play standard lists and armies for that matter).
Not knowing exactly how to counter the various components of the armies, or where to concentrate and dedicate firepower can be to the daemon player's advantage. Even after explaining what every unit does ("those screamers are like flying melta bombs"), the choice of where to concentrate firepower can be a complex choice that is sometimes made incorrectly. Additionally, setting up incorrectly to counter a daemon army can also be something that can be taken advantage of. However, this is sometimes offset by the sheer randomness of daemon armies as they come in to deep-strike.
What I would like to know from non-daemon players out there is this: what do you instinctively decide is the biggest threat (generally) when you face off against daemons? The greater daemons, the large mobs of lesser daemons, the elite bloodcrushers and fiends of Slaanesh, or the soul grinders and daemon princes? Just curious!
The novelty impact of the daemon army can be a valuable weapon in the daemon player's arsenal (and any other player who doesn't play standard lists and armies for that matter). Not knowing exactly how to counter the various components of the armies, or where to concentrate and dedicate firepower can be to the daemon player's advantage. Even after explaining what every unit does ("those screamers are like flying melta bombs"), the choice of where to concentrate firepower can be a complex choice that is sometimes made incorrectly. Additionally, setting up incorrectly to counter a daemon army can also be something that can be taken advantage of. However, this is sometimes offset by the sheer randomness of daemon armies as they come in to deep-strike.
What I would like to know from non-daemon players out there is this: what do you instinctively decide is the biggest threat (generally) when you face off against daemons? The greater daemons, the large mobs of lesser daemons, the elite bloodcrushers and fiends of Slaanesh, or the soul grinders and daemon princes? Just curious!
5 comments:
I generally go for what ever is closest or what will hit me first/hardest.
aka. If blood letters scatter so they are right in front of me, I'm going to shift my army away from the rest of the deamons to give myself a turn, and focus on the blood letters with my close range fire.
I have only played daemons once, when I was playing my Tyranids. The battle was quick and two the point as the player was over-aggressive and due to having only half his army, I was able to overwhelm him.
With my Chaos army, I would concentrate on the biggest threat, whether this is the bloodcrushers or a group of lesser daemons.
Anything with Pavane tops my hit list, (it makes a mockery of battle plans and is slightly infuriating). Big guys (HQ and Heavy Support) come next, all the while the smaller guns (lasguns and catapults) reduce the numbers of assault troops. It seems to work for me....
Playing IG, the choice isn't usually that hard. You castle up and kill the troops as they drop with flamers, blast templates, and meltas. While you take down the Greater Daemons with your long-range anti-tank weapons and the odd 12" Chimelta rush.
The only real trick is learning to ignore Fateweaver as he's near impossible to kill, but isn't much of a threat all by his lonesome either.
Thanks for all your thoughts folks! It is an education hearing how you handle this codex and its multitude of threats.
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