40k: Mercer’s Chaos Daemons Review – Troops
Hey up, Mercer from Imperius Dominatus. I am back with the second part of my take on the Chaos Daemons codex and today I’m all about troops. You can find the first part here: Chaos Daemons codex review – HQ
The Bloodletter has changed slightly in the new Daemon codex and is now only T3 and for some reason is BS5, which I am not sure why as it has no shooting weapons – please correct me if I am wrong. The Bloodletter has also taken a points reduction and now you can get a unit of 10 for 100 points.
The Bloodletter has a hellblade as standard (AP3 close combat weapon) and naturally is a daemon of khorne, which gives the ‘Letter furious charge.
You can take a squad leader (Bloodreaper) and take a choice of lesser or greater daemonic rewards. Lesser rewards maybe useful.
You can also take an instrument of chaos and an icon of chaos;
The former lets you tag along another Daemon unit of the same daemons when rolling for reserves, providing both units are in reserve and the first unit is deep striking. In addition the instrument lets you re-roll Warp Storm Table results.
While the latter stops deep striking scattering if both units have the same daemonic alignment i.e both daemons of khorne, if not only scatter 1D6″. You can upgrade the icon to a banner of blood, this gives 6+D6″ for charge distances (instead of normal 2D6), but can only be used once.
Summary
The Bloodletters aren’t too bad unit and a Herald of Khorne can give them some more combat out put with the loci abilities. The problem I see is when this unit either deep strikes or walks across the table it is just going to get blown to bits, they are only T3 with a 5+ inv and no one in their right mind is going to let the Bloodletters reach combat.
I guess what you could do is take a basic unit and have them camp mid field on objectives; this way they can deter would be assaults who wish to claim objectives and also get stuck in if the time is needed.
Rating: 5/10
Pink Horrors
Like the Bloodletters, the Pink Horrors have seen a massive point drop – you can now get a unit of 10 for 90 points while in the old codex the same unit would cost 170 points! The Pink Horror is also the overall ‘weakest’ Daemon troop, when I say weakest I mean it is just as weak as Daemonettes and Bloodletters but it’s combat skill is no where near as good as these.
Horrors have the brotherhood of sorcerers, blue horrors and magic made manifest rules. Blue horrors puts some counters down when a Pink Horror is killed in close combat which attacks at S2 I1. If you take Pink Horrors in unit 11-15 they generate 2 warp charge points and 16-20 generates 3 warp charge points.
You can upgrade one Pink Horror to an Iridescent Horror, who can access lesser and greater daemonic rewards. I wouldn’t bother with the greater rewards as they aren’t worth it for a single model while the lesser might be interesting if you get the right rolls.
Horrors can take an instrument and an icon of chaos; the icon can be upgraded to a blasted standard which gives an additional 2D6 S5 AP- hits. This can only be done once per game and is done before the unit makes a shooting attack (including overwatch) and before psychic tests.
Summary
As a shooty player I’ve always had a little soft spot for the Pink Horrors’ shooting ability and over time the models have grown on me. I would load up on Pink Horrors units of 20 and then they can knock out 4D6 shots from the primaris Tzeentch psychic power, of course you still get the choice of other powers too.
I can see Pink Horrors been handy with Daemonettes, Daemonettes run up while Pink Horrors come behind and lay down fire power.
Rating: 6.5/10
Plaguebearers
The poor Plaguebearer took a nerf in the new Chaos Daemons codex; lost feel no pain and toughness 5, though still the Plaguebearer is the toughest among the Chaos Daemons troops.
Though it is not all gloom, as a daemon of nurgle they gain the shrouding special rule and also have defensive grenades. In addition their blades can glance any vehicle on a 6+ when rolling to penetrate – rust them Land Raiders up! Also you can do now get 10 Plaguebearers for 90 points, previously they would cost 150 points.
You can make one Plaguebearer a Plagueridden, the Plagueridden can access lesser and greater daemonic rewards. I would consider lesser rewards though would probably leave the greater rewards for the same reason as the other troop choices – only a single model.
You also have the option for an instrument and icon of chaos. You can upgrade the icon to a plague banner which gives poison (2+) for close combat. The banner must be popped at the start of the fight sub phase and can only be used once per game.
Summary
The Plaguebearer is still probably the best close combat orientated troop choice – Bloodletters hit hard but can’t take punishment and Daemonettes can’t take punishment and hope for lucky rends. The plague banner is also in combat if you really want to destroy the enemy unit, well worth the 20 points.
I can still see Plaguebearers been the default troop choice, though Pink Horrors and Daemonettes may get a look in.
Rating: 8/10
Daemonettes
Like the Pink Horrors and the Plaguebearers, the Daemonette also costs 90 points for a unit of 10. I might be wrong but I do not think the Daemonettes took a nerf.
As daemon of slaanesh the Daemonettes get the fleet rule, rending rule and can also run an additional 3″.
You can upgrade a Daemonette to an Alluress, who can take lesser and greater daemonic rewards. Out of these I would only take the lesser rewards, I personally don’t think the greater of worth it as they add survivability and it isn’t worth the points cost just for a single model.
Daemonettes can also take an instrument and icon of chaos, this icon can be upgraded to a rapturous standard. The standard issues an -D3 penalty to weapon skill to ALL models in close combat – this doesn’t effect daemons of slaanesh or models which have mark of slaanesh. Like other standards this can only be used once. As Daemonettes are WS5 they will be hitting on a 3+ most of the time, though the enemy could be hitting on anything from a 3+ to a 5+ depending on how good your roll is.
Summary
The Daemonettes aren’t too bad, though I still worry about their lower toughness and invulnerable save and I can see them just not making combat or when they do they won’t have enough numbers.
For example 10 Daemonettes charge 10 Tactical Marines. The Daemonettes strike first 30 attacks – hit with 20 – wound with 7 (one rend) – 2 dead Tacticals plus the rend = 3 dead Tactical Marines.
The Tacticals strike back with 9 attacks (Sgt) – hit with 5 – wound with 3 – 2 dead Daemonettes.
I think next turn the combat maybe a draw, if not Daemonettes may pull a victory.
Rating: 6.5/10
Nurglings
Nurglings are now 15 points a swarm, I think they have stayed the same points and profile wise (maybe got an extra wound?) from the previous codex.
Naturally the Nurglings are daemons of nurgle (shrouding, slow and purposeful and defensive grenades). They also have the infiltrate rule and of course are swarms. These two rules go hand in hand as the Nurglings can infiltrate into terrain and aren’t slowed in terrain because they are swarm and then add shrouding, the little buggers will have a 2+ cover save!
Summary
Handy for tarpits but that’s about it. Without feel no pain and a bite back the Nurglings won’t last as long as they used to.
Rating: 5/10
Overall
The Bloodletter sports the most killy power with the AP3 choppy sword, however T3 and 5+ inv means you won’t see loads of them in combat. I think you will need 20 of them and start on the field and take the banner to give you the super assault range. You could deep strike loads of units of 10 if you wanted. I don’t expect Bloodletters to be that popular due to the weaknesses they have and they also have the higher points cost of all Daemon troops.
Pink Horror is an interesting unit and fairly costs. Can be unreliable with the primaris psychic power (3D6 assault S4 if using 20 Horrors) and the general Tzeentch powers aren’t mega reliable either. I would say the Pink Horrors are just meh and that’s all they will ever be. The exalted locus from a Herald maybe useful, though adds up in points just to get a +1 strength bonus.
Plaguebearers I still think are the best troop unit. Sure they cannot shoot, but they can take some damage thanks to being the toughest Daemon troops and can look after objectives like a boss. Thanks to the poison weapons they are not too bad in combat and can deal with vehicles.
Daemonettes suffer the same problem as Bloodletters; can’t take punishment well and need numbers to achieve some real damage. At least they have fleet and run 3″ extra as standard. These benefits put them over the Bloodletters.
Nurglings are fun if you have some points left and a spare troop choice. I don’t think they make as good tarpit as they did before thanks to loss of feel no pain.
That’s the Daemon troops done. Which units are your favourites and which ones do you dislike?
