Warhammer 40K Hot Mess – Chaos Daemons Soul Grinder
Let’s take a deep dive into a hot mess of a 40K unit and some thoughts in how we can fix them up. What is up with the Soul Grinder?!
I remember when these models hit the shelves – I think I ended up having 4+ of them because I obviously have purchasing problems. I thought what the heck is this weird thing that looks a bit better than a Defiler but still looks weird? Of course I utilized a lot of them as conversion basis but I did run a few in my Chaos Daemon lists. They were utilized as bully units that barely hit anything but took up a heck of a lot of room in the backfield. I thought of them as annoy walls the opponents had to deal with. Sadly they are still sort of the same thing as they just don’t feel like they work well. You could say this with any of these crab based models in the Chaos line as a lot of them are hampered by older rules while their brethren have hotter updates.
Soul Grinder Basics
They were supposed to be some kind of weird more Daemonic Daemon engine. Like the AI was replaced with a Greater Daemon but somehow that Greater Daemon just got worse when locked in this metallic prison of nonsense. They can have a few different weapons that just don’t fit that well and a close combat attack that would be decent if it hit better. I really think the bigger issue is that these guy are just too expensive as they can only get their points back by rushing in, throwing out close combat attacks, and hitting the enemy. Beyond that they are just big point sinks that just don’t feel like they work. Oh and somehow they are still a unit for AoS and Fantasy before it which is also a weird thing.
How Can We Make Soul Grinders Good?
Hey Give Them More Guns That Are Actually Useful!
We all know how they love to give CSM some kind of Battle Cannon option so why not just make it good? Update the d6 shots to 2d3, give it Ap -3, and 3 damage. You think this sounds like a lot but hitting on 3’s (I hope soon) means you might get 2-3 hits. It is better but not nearly as back breaking. Or heck give them 3d3 shots and let them go to town. Just make them better! Beyond this, maybe give them all their weapon options in one weapon type. Call it Daemonic Super Gun with a Vomit option, Blast Option, and spittle option for a ton more shooting. Basically a giant version of whatever techno-daemonic nonsense Obliterators have. Then update that other weird arm gun to shoot out a ton of mini bullets too that are just better Reaper autocannon shots.
Auras?
This unit is supposed to be a central monster that an army can be built around so why not make it like an Altar to a Chaos God? You have to mark it something so why not give it some kind of sweet warp aura that causes problems for enemies and drives the Daemons around it insane? You could just give it Loci like effects but I think making them like these giant war engines of the gods could be a cool thing.
Close Combat Monster!
This model needs some kind of sweet crushing charge as it rushes in. Do something like the unit that it is hitting is crushed by its oily bulk. It throws out some Mortal wounds, gets better on the charge, or just is a pain in the butt when it gets mixed in. It just needs to be scary in combat so its value is utilized in Chaos Daemons. I mean look at it. It’s basically a pissed off giant Jugger!
Chaos God Based Upgrades
We have seen how the new Chaos Knights get Marks/Favours of the gods and we need this to happen for these big monsters. I want those units that don’t come with a Mark to get something to pledge themselves to a Chaos God. This also means an Undivided one too but just something to make them neat and powerful. It also gives you another unit to really go to town when building and converting.
Formidable Opponents
I can’t wait to see the new Chaos stuff that will be coming at some point. Between the Chaos Space Marines and hopefully a glow up for the Defiler we need to see something just as sweet for the Soul Grinder. Something to make this weird goofy model of doom usable on the tabletop again. I got a few of them just waiting to be a terror again instead of just sleeping on the dusty shelf with all my Daemon Princes.
Let us know how you would fix the unit, down in the comments!
