CSM in 6th Review: Heldrake

One of the most talked about new miniatures in the chaos space marine codex has to be the Heldrake.  Much has been spoken about its physical appearance and aesthetics.  But I'm actually a fan - I like the way it looks and I'm honestly contemplating getting one for my chaos space marine forces.

But let's take a proper look and review of the Heldrake.

Firstly: weapons.  The Heldrake only has one option: the baleflamer, or the hades autocannon.  The baleflamer is probably the most natural choice for the Heldrake.  It is a torrenting AP3 S6 flamer.  Now, with torrent, we can place the flamer template narrow end anywhere within 12" of the nozzle.  This is terrific: taking out T4 save=3+ space marines is made easy with this (so long as you're not already running Tzeentch Flamers, that is).  Use the Heldrake to mop up any infantry short of terminators with ease: this is essentially what the Heldrake is designed to do with the baleflamer option.  It can also cause minor headaches for some lesser vehicles (such as transports).  But remember that we're only getting 1 shot with this per turn.  The alternative is to go with the hades autocannon.  Given a BS of 3, this means that only 2 out of 4 the shots per turn are going to be hitting.  The hades autocannon's strength also means that its primarily going to be hunting down transport units and gunning for the rear armour of tanks like vindicators.  That said, it has a (mean) chance of 41% (rounded) of taking down a space marine stormtalon (recall the Heldrake has skyfire!).  That's nothing to be sneezed at.  But, I think the ability to take down marines with ease outweighs this possibility.  And on top of that, once per game the Heldrake gets the daemonforge rule to re-roll missed to-penetrate or missed to-wound rolls.  Both of these gel nicely with the available main weaponry.

The final weapon at the disposal of the Heldrake is the meteroic descent rule.  This is a S7 vector strike that one would expect the likes of daemon princes to be pulling off -- not flyers!  Against side armour, this has a good chance of getting rid of enemy transports and light tanks.  What this means is that the Heldrake, properly positioned and properly controlled should be making 2 attacks per turn: one with a vector strike and one with either the baleflamer or hades autocannon (but probably the former).  Consider striking a rhino with the vector strike, and then using the baleflamer on another target: its a great combination.

It gets better though.  Despite the somewhat "normal" 12 12 10 HP3 statline, the Heldrake is very well armoured in comparison to other flyers.  The Daemon, Deamonic Possession, and It Will Not Die rule combine to make the Heldrake a terrifying prospect to take down.  That's a 5+ invulnerable roll, ignoring shaken and stunned on 2+, and regains a hullpoint on a 5+ at the end of your turn.  Frankly, this is an amazing suite of defensive abilities that will require the most dedicated amount of firepower available to your opponent to down. Even a quad gun operated by flakk firing devastators / havocs will need to be lucky to down it.  Let's explore that a bit further: suppose there is a squad of 5 havocs with 4 flakk missiles and a quad gun available.  (Note from the outset that this costs more than the Heldrake itself).  Each flakk missile hits on 3+, and needs a 3+ to glance the rear armour (5+ for the side or front).   Fold in the 5+ save, that means each flakk missile has a chance of glancing of 0.30.  Four of them will only cause one glance (potentially penetrating hit) per turn.  The quad gun ups this to possibly 2 glancing hits in one turn.  That's a lot of shots.  Even a havoc squad snap-firing something a bit punchier like las cannons fares little better.  Lots of dedicated firepower will be needed to get rid of the Heldrake.  That means that opponents need to ignore it, or flee from it.  Suits me.

The Dimensional Key and lack of Homing Beacons in the New Chaos Marine Codex

One of the biggest losses in the new chaos space marine codex is that of homing beacons and their analogues.  No longer do we have access to icons of chaos that double up as a homing beacon as we've come to expect from that last few iterations of the codex.  No personal icons. No way to bring down daemons, terminators, and obliterators on to the battlefield in a guided way.  Except for one.  The Dimensional Key.

This sole (new) icon will undoubtably be carried by an HQ choice. And since it requires enemy blood to "activate", we'll want it attached to a forefront unit.  But therein is the issue.  We could take it on a biker lord, or perhaps a Tzeentchian terminator.  But by the time they're causing wounds on the opponent, its probably already turn 2 (more likely turn 3 though) and three-quarters of the army are already on the board, making it a less attractive upgrade option.

One interesting idea though, would be to have a primary daemons detachment, alongside an allied chaos space marine detachment with a dimensional key carrying HQ choice.  Flamers, screamers and other daemons coming in late will therefore not scatter and can be placed at will where they're needed. This is particularly important to late turn flamer units.  Has anyone tried an experiment like this?  I'm thinking of trying something similar for an upcoming league round ... but am hesitant as I don't really see the Dimensional Key as being worthwhile for anything but Apocalypse style games.

Wargames Gallery: Tau Overrun

The Tau attempted a turn 1 victory against daemons by using a huge amount of firepower to cleanse the board of the daemons' preferred first wave. Despite a near perfect set-up, the firepower of the Tau was unable to overcome the string of (frankly) amazing invulnerable saves made by the daemons.  The remaining bloodcrushers raced to overrun the Tau positions as the second wave comes down to support the ground assault.

CSM in 6th Review: Warp Talons

Having read through the rules, I can't help but feel something is missing for the Warp Talons.  Overall, the idea of having a deepstriking, lightning clawed jump infantry that blinds all around it when it comes in to play is awesome!  But I think the rules let it down a bit from there on in.  For example, the warp talons do not have any grenades to use whatsoever.  They could really do with assault grenades for instance.  They do get the daemon rule, which is nice.  But their deepstrike move is very risky.  They want to be landing within 6" of their target for the warpflame (i.e. blind) effect to have a chance.  But that's not going to happen too often (at least without the risk of a mishap occurring). So I can't help shake the feeling that they need an extra rule such as half distance scatter on deepstrike (or no scatter even?), or a larger blinding radius (say 8" instead of 6").  Perhaps even the ability to charge on the turn that they enter play would make them really good.  They're just not quite cutting the mustard for me personally.

Warp Talons also don't get too many options in the new codex: a mark, Veterans of the Long War and up to two gifts of mutation for the warp talon champion.  This means customizability is low.  Let's take a look at a few possibilities.

6 Warp Talons, Mark of Slaanesh, Veterans of the Long War, Warp Talon Champion with 2 gifts of mutation (246 points)
Take down some loyalist tactical or devastator squads in a single turn.  Hope you deepstrike in to position well and don't get blasted before you assault.

5 Warp Talons, Mark of Tzeentch, Warp Talon Champion with 2 gifts of mutation (210 points)
Improved invulnerable save to stack with the daemon rule means these guys can potentially jump infront of devastator squads and stand a chance of surviving.

10 Warp Talons, Mark of Nurgle (350 points)
Large, blobby, and high toughness.  Team up with Epidemius to cause a little extra mayhem.

8 Warp Talons, Mark of Khorne, Veterans of the Long War (306 points)
Blood for the blood god!

5 Warp Talons (160 points)
Distraction!!!

CSM in 6th Review: Raptors

The analogue of loyalist assault marines; I have always had a bit of a thing for chaos raptors - particularly from a conversion point of view. The new models however, are gorgeous and may curb my conversion desire somewhat for raptors now.

To be fair, I see raptors as now being a second rate choice for the chaos space marine fast attack slot to chaos bikers.  They do serve two slightly different purposes, but at 3 extra points per model, I'm favouring bikers these days.  But I still love you raptors...

One of the changes that raptors see in the new edition is the automatic inclusion of the fear rule.  Now, fear is a bit useless (during this extended review of the new chaos marine codex, you'll see how many times I've suggested taking an Icon of Despair for instance: which is to say zero) given the meta-game's preponderance of space marines and other fearless units.  It'll occasionally be useful against certain horde armies, but not truly fearsome at all.  They keep their frag and krak grenades (unlike their poorer Warp Talon brethren).

Otherwise, the raptors get a series of common options: two special weapons, champion with access to melee and ranged weapons, gift of mutation and melta bombs; plus the whole range of marks, icons and the veterans rule. So let's have a look at a few permutations of unit possibilities.

5 Raptors, 2 Meltaguns, Raptor Champion with combi-melta, power weapon, Veterans of the Long War (150 points)
A near-vanilla set-up with triple-melta for some tank busting and a limited amount of close combat potential to take on the contents of a transport, or a set of marines behind an Aegis defence line.

6 Raptors, Mark of Slaanesh, 2 Flamers, Veterans of the Long War, Icon of Excess, Raptor Champion with Lightning Claw and melta bombs (196 points)
A fluffy Slaaneshi squad to go after hordes and foot infantry and take on their lower initiative marine cousins in close combat.  The lightning claw takes advantage of this higher initiative, but feel free to add a second one to taste.  The Icon of Excess provides the squad with a better survivability quotient. Go forth and engage.

7 Raptors, Mark of Nurgle, 1 Flamer, 1 Meltagun, Champion with Powerfist (190 points)
A generalist squad built for speed and durability.  It has the flexibility to go after both small hordes and tanks, backed up with a champion with a powerfist for increased threat across the board.

8 Raptors, Mark of Khorne, Champion with power weapon and melta bombs, Icon of Wrath, Veterans of the Long War (213 points)
Chaaaarrrrgggge!  Add some plasma guns to taste?

5 Raptors, 2 Plasmaguns, Raptor champion with combi-plasma and power fist (160 points)
A re-positionable plasma soak unit.  Once the combi-plasma has been expended, head directly for the rear-face of a transport, try to plasma it, if not, use the powerfist.  Not terrific, but a potentially interesting choice of loadout.

CSM in 6th Review: Chaos Spawn

Don't be too quick to dismiss these entities.  They may be warped beyond recognition by the fickle nature of the warp powers, but that doesn't mean they're cute puppy kitty dog cats either.  Against space marines, they'll be hitting on 4+ and wounding on 3+.

The mutated beyond reason rule is entertaining, in an analogous way to possessed powers, but a little bit weaker perhaps.  They essentially get a one in three chance of a reasonable armour save (they have none otherwise), rolling 2d6 and picking the highest for their attacks (this is actually remarkably powerful) and gaining poisoned attacks (okay, so they're not going to attempt to take on T=8 targets, but re-rolling the "to wound" roll against marines, eldar, gaunts, orks, etc., is a real plus).

They get rage and fearless in-built for the points cost (and fear, meh!) but are very bulky (only 3 per land raider! gah!).  Given the rage rule, the mark of Khorne for these guys is cheap, but not highly warranted.

The mark of Tzeentch will at least give the spawn a regular invulnerable saving throw, even if it is 6+.  So that represents a better investment.

The mark of Slaanesh brings the spawn's initiative up to the same level as a space marine, so at least they're striking at the same time.  But that's not too brilliant.

I think the mark of Nurgle has it here.  Having T=6 means that the chaos spawn will not suffer instant death at the hands of a well placed battle cannon shell and takes the "to wound" roll of ordinary bolter shells to 6+.

Here's some quick ideas.

5 Chaos Spawn, Mark of Nurgle (180 points)
Take with a quick chaos lord (i.e. on a bike!) and charge forward.  Use the spawn to screen any incoming shots against the lord.

3 Chaos Spawn, Mark of Tzeentch, Chaos Landraider (332 points)
What could be more improbable than a small squad of chaos spawn jumping out of a land raider? (Just write down on a piece of paper that they're loaded inside - so that you can show your opponent - whilst you deep-strike the terminators elsewhere -- a nasty distraction!).  Swap out the mark of Tzeentch for the mark of Slaanesh for a slightly cheaper variant.  Hope that you get a full 18 attacks after disembarking.  Don't forget rage!

1 Chaos Spawn (30 points)
Urm, you got 30 points left over, right?  And you're not expecting to get any champion turned in to a chaos spawn.  Soooooo .... use those points and play the chaos you've always wanted to.  Run as fast as your tendrils / legs / hooves / arms can carry you to contest an objective somewhere.  Try not to die too quickly to bolter / gauss / shuriken fire -- stick to cover.  Alternatively, use as a fire magnet to lure a more inexperienced player in to shooting at it instead of something else.

That's about all I've got.  Given the Chaos Boon Table, I think we're going to be investing in the odd chaos spawn or two anyhow, so any additional ideas on what to do with them are welcome!