Goatboy’s 40K FMC: Flying Circus Revenge!
Goatboy here again with another list extravaganza for your favorite Chaos giant winged monsters of the grimdark.
Goatboy here again – and while I didn’t get a chance to read up on the Fall of Cadia yet I did have another list extravaganza idea for an article. If you’ve read my nonsense for awhile – you know I love the FMC (Flying Monstrous Creature). It is my favorite type of unit in the game as it mixes everything I love about the hobby – big monster, tons of conversion potential, easy to paint, and kicks some butt most of the time on the table top. You can see this in a ton of lists I play at events usually revolve around some way to get a bunch on the table, move them around, and maybe win a game or two.
Have FMCs – Let’s FLY!
Of course beyond the hobby aspects there are the actual travel aspects of the army. It travels small, is easy to protect in a carry on, or can even be simple enough to put in a checked bag. All of these things are one of the big reasons I take them to events even though they might not be the best choice for the missions at hand. Still I love em and while I would love to get in the top 8 and winners circle – the ability to survive an event means there is no way I am taking a 70+ model army. So with that in mind I wanted to spit out a ton of FMC lists today in case other players want to fall into the abyss that is the Daemon Prince Building addiction.
I will present each lists, its strengths and weaknesses plus a little thought on what you want to do with it – i.e. spell rolls, play styles, etc. Right now these will all be Daemon and Chaos Space Marine builds as the other FMC list taker is a bit long in the tooth and needs a decent refresh/point total rework (Tyranids). With that – let’s go with one of the lists that are in the top bracket for the LVO.
6 Jerks of Doom
The Infernal Tetrad
Daemon Prince, MoK, Armor of Scorn, Greater Gift X 2, Wings
Daemon Prince, MoN, Greater Gift X 2, Lvl 2, Wings
Daemon Prince, MoS, Greater Gift X 2, Lvl 3, Wings
Daemon Prince, MoT, Greater Gift X 2, Lvl 3, Wings, Impossible Robes – Warlord
Omniscent Oracles (Wrath of Magnus Daemon Formation)
Fateweaver
Lord of Change, Greater Gift X 2, Paradox, Lvl 3
This is the basic full FMC list that plays to the strengths of the army. It has decent summoning potential with the LOC and Paradox – it can throw out 4 Psychic Shrieks a turn and with the ability to reroll a seize it can hopefully go first versus armies it needs to get in the air. Overall it is mostly immune to Grav. I didn’t put in the Grim due to the nature of the army not having any Warp Storm Protection so it really needs to save that Fateweaver reroll to ensure a safe storm and maybe a chance to get +1 to the Invulnerable save. A quick run down of psychics shows you how to plan ahead.
- Fateweaver – Locked powers and the random nature is why you do him first. If you get cursed earth you know you can go into Biomancy and other powers on the Daemon Princes.
- Lord of Change – Most likely this will all be Malefic to ensure summoning. Roll one at a time and if you get the first two you need then you can try to get lucky and get precog or something else in Divination.
- Daemon Prince of Nurgle – This guy has built in protection with Shrouding. Malefic if you need to still get Cursed earth or Telepathy for Shriek and maybe a shot at Shrouding.
- Daemon Prince of Tzeentch – This again can be more Malefic if you need Cursed but I feel shooting for Shrouding or Endurance based on your gifts as needed.
- Daemon Prince of Slaanesh – Biomancy all the way as you need to get Iron Arm and other gun powers. Getting him up to strength 10 is the only way you will survive multiple Knight lists.
From there make sure you summon some ground game to ensure you can score back objectives. While this army is small it can summon so you will want to have some of those models to bring to the table top. You don’t have a ton of psychic dice so you don’t need a lot. Its mostly just a bunch of one off’s to ensure you can hold back objectives.
Summon List
Herald of Nurgle (Summoning him with a Grotti can do some funny things to bark bark star)
Herald of Tzeentch (Summoning him with a Grim if you are playing versus other Daemons)
3 Bases of Nurglings
1-2 Burning Chariots
10-20 Daemonettes (For the storm and basic summoning)
10-20 Pink Horrors (Depending on their ruling of the new split rule)
3 Screamers (In case of Incursion)
3 Plague Drones
5 Flesh Hounds
Why is this army any good? Well any army that has models that are tough, move fast, and bring “free” units to the table top can win games. I am hoping we get some summoning under control in 8th edition or at least for the Competitive side of it. But this list is pretty small and while yes you have to bring some summoning stuff you can get away with a lot less if you want. Plus the Tetrad can just be good and you know how the Warp Storm can wreck armies. The super Warlord Trait can be huge too – with +1 to all Tzeentch guys in range.
Magnus and his 4 Bro’s of the Apocalypse
Next up on the FMC pain train is one of the newest ones on the block – Magnus and his 4 Bro’s of the Apocalypse. This one plays a bit differently then the one above – as the only real model you care about losing is Magnus. The Daemon Princes – while good – are weaker then the Tetrad ones – but again don’t rely on each other to be better. They can easily survive on their own. Plus the army has access to the new CSM powers – which can give headaches to a ton of other armies.
Rehati War Sect – Thousand Sons Formation
Magnus
Daemon Prince, MoT, Wings, Lvl 3, Spell Familiar, Gift of Mutation
Daemon Prince, MoT, Wings, Lvl 3, Spell Familiar, Gift of Mutation
Daemon Prince, MoT, Wings, Lvl 3, Spell Familiar, Gift of Mutation
Daemon Prince, MoT, Wings, Lvl 3, Spell Familiar, Staff of Arcane Disruption
I threw in the Staff of Arcane disruption on one model to give the army a chance to Force something out like a Wraith Knight or put a ton of wounds into a Storm Surge. This list plays like the Tetrad one above – just with less emphasis on protection the Tetrad. The idea here is to make sure to stay within range of Magnus – help him boost up his free dice, and hopefully wreck an army or two.
Magnus has locked in powers so the Daemon Princes go into either the CSM powers based on who their a fighting – Death Hex, Diabolic Strength, Evil Fortune, etc are all good things to help you fight other armies. Heck this list has no issues versus Knights as Magnus will D Beam jerks and the other guys can take massed Haywire powers to help remove Knight. The same sort of things are also rolled too – looking at trying to get Cursed Earth and summoning options too. Magnus will summon a Chariot almost every turn as needed – which helps immensely versus the Eldar Match up too. Heck you get a steal power as well with the Treason of Tzeentch.
The biggest issue with this list is that the Daemon Princes are not nearly as survivable as the Daemon Tetrad ones. Still – no Warp Storm, added Benefit of Veteran of the Long War with Thousand Sons ability, and 3+ casting with Spell Familiars means this list will get the powers it wants, when it wants.
Summon List
3-5 Burning Chariots
5 Flesh Hounds
3 Bases of Nurglings
10 Daemonettes
10 Pink Horrors
Flesh Hounds will be important as well as Daemonettes due to the nature of grabbing the basic Summoning spell. The Chariots are a guarantee too. Most of the time this army is looking for Cursed Earth and ways to boost up the “extra” Warp Dice Magnus can get from Siphon magic.
Khorne Knightly Princes
Next we are going to look at some more Extreme lists that try to pull in a pseudo like Daemon Prince unit – the Renegade knight. In a lot of ways they act like a Daemon Prince without any powers in that they move fast, hit extremely hard, and can swing games pretty quickly with a single stomp. This army is more designed for a local event where the stakes are not too high, your games should be fast, and the game should be full of big monsters doing dumb stuff.
3 “Khorne” Daemon Princes and Friends
Foresworn Knight Detachment
Renegade Knight
Renegade Knight
Infernal Tetrad
Daemon Prince, MoK, Armor of Scorn, Greater Gift X 2, Wings
Daemon Prince, MoN, Greater Gift X 2, Wings, Lvl 2
Daemon Prince, MoS, Greater Gift X 2, Wings, Lvl 2
Daemon Prince, MoT, Greater Gift X 2, Wings, Lvl 2 – Warlord
You could knock out one of the Psychic lvls on the Princes to get more access to Iron Arm but I think just going 3 Psychic Shrieks mixed with chances for Shrouding might be a better option. Then these guys don’t fly too high, just Jink as needed and get involved as soon as possible. Of course one throw into summoning or a chance for Cursed Earth might be needed too – just to get some backfield objective holders.
Knightly Oracles
The next Renegade Knight version would be looking at the Omniscient Oracles formation for less big FMC – but a better chance to cast spells and get the much needed summoning. Of course if there is a new LOC model coming – this type of list would look pretty nutty on the table top.
Foresworn Knight Detachment
Renegade Knight
Renegade Knight
Omniscient Oracles
Fateweaver
Lord of Change, Level 3, Paradox, Greater Gift X 2
Lord of Change, Level 2, Impossible Robe, Greater Gift X 2, Lesser Gift
Lord of Change, Level 2, Greater Gift X 2
This list gets a bit more protection in Fateweaver and his Warpstorm control, you have a bit more psychic power and of course the wonderfully powerful Paradox. You do have less access to interesting spells but these FMC are designed to get involved, get punching, and hopefully crushing the enemy.
Calling in Sick
Finally we have some lists that have to be built around the Warband shell of a Traitor legion. There seems to be a lot of avenues to create massed FMC lists – and while the loss of a “small” army is somewhat annoying – the gains of bodies to hold objectives and extra “rules” that match Daemonic Gifts makes for decent replacements. Right now you have to look at the legions that give the most rules to you. Or have access to some of the “best” artifacts. We already looked at a Thousand Sons version and the final list we will look over is the Death Guard massed FMC option. They seem to give some of the best sets of extra rules to their units. With that let’s look at a list that tries to use a “cheap” war band to help facilitate an FMC dominate army.
Vectorium Death Guard Build
Core: Warband
Typhus
Chaos Terminators X 3, VoTLW, MoN, Power Axe X 3, Combi-Melta X 3
Chaos Space Marines X 5, MoN, VoTLW
Chaos Space Marines X 5, MoN, VoTLW
Havocs X 5, Autocannons X 4, MoN, VoTLW, Rhino, Peridus Rift Anomaly
Chaos Biker X 3, MoN, VoTLW, Plasma Gun X 2
Aux
Chaos Spawn X 1, MoN
Lord of the Legion
Daemon Prince, MoN, Wings, Lvl 3, Spell Familiar, The Black Mace, Gift of Mutation, VoTLW
Daemon Prince, MoN, Wings, Lvl 3, Spell Familiar, Plaguebringer, Gift of Mutation, VoTLW
Daemon Prince, MoN, Wings, Lvl 3, Spell Familiar, Gift of Mutation, VoTLW
This is just 3 big ole princes designed to cause Havoc. The Warband is just there to hold objectives and not get too involved. Typhus can come down with the terminators, have objective secured, and just be a pain in the butt wherever they land. It has enough WC dice to do some annoying things and bodies to ensure you have some hope to win the game.
All of these lists are designed to have limited amount of models to fly with as well as have an army that is pretty easy to build and paint. Sure the summoning aspects add more models – but beyond a few things you don’t need all of it if you don’t plan on summoning. Most of the time I just bring in a Chariot or two and Screamers if I get Incursion.
~Do you have any other FMC lists you like to throw out from time to time?
