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Warhammer 40K Meta Hotness: Chaos Space Marine Terminators!

5 Minute Read
Aug 17 2022
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While CSM terminators are missing some goodies found in the Thousand Sons and Plague Marines they are still a great deal!

I know when they initially came out the thought was CSM Terminators might be too slow. But as the game continues to be updated and changed the idea of having brick of terminator dudes hitting the middle of the table seems like a good idea.  Stacking the Rune of Damnation on top of a few other powerful stratagems and prayers seems well suited to win the dance battle that happens in the middle of the table a lot of the time.  Let’s dive in a bit and see why the newest Terminators on the block might be one of the best.

Chaos Space Marine Terminators Basics!

Like a lot of the other Terminator options – the CSM ones get to keep the CORE  keyword.  This allows a lot of things to stack on them like Prayers, Psychic powers, Character Auras, and Stratagems.  They are still infantry. So walls do not scare them and while they are slow they did get that extra wound and more attacks.  Throw in Armor of Contempt and you have a tough little unit.  You also get to give them a Relic which is in the color Black and gives a powerful -1 to wound ability to the unit.  You stack up some -1 to hit and other fun options and you start to see how this is a hard unit to dig out.

Stack Those Abilities!

This unit is all about getting as much utility stack on top to make it very hard to chew threw.  Even then you also get to heal one of them with the Master of Possession to give you some fun assault tricks and make it hard to remove the unit.  Depending on the legion you choose you could get fun things like advance and charge, no rerolls against them, and hitting without any -1’s due to powerfist/chainfist nonsense.  Heck just be happy you can’t put an ICON on them or else they would have a lot more weird play.  They really seem like one of the perfect units to accompany your possessed as you stack claim to the middle of the table and dare anyone to get close enough to get touched by the cursed weapons.

Sample List

Risky Rollers Open – Dean Sinnbeck (Warhammer 40,000 9th Edition)

Battalion Detachment -3CP (Chaos – Chaos Space Marines)

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Legion

Selections: Creations of Bile

HQ

Daemon Prince with Wings
Selections: 5.-6. Twisted Regeneration, Aspiring Lord, Hellforged sword, Mark of Tzeentch, Warptime, Wings

Dark Apostle
Selections: Chaos Undivided, Illusory Supplication
2x Dark Disciple
Selections: 2x Close combat weapon

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Master of Possession
Selections: Gifts of Chaos, Liber Hereticus, Mark of Slaanesh, Mutated Invigoration, Pact of Flesh

Troops

Cultist Mob
9x Chaos Cultist w/ cultist firearm
Selections: 9x Cultist firearm, 9x Frag & Krak grenades
Cultist Champion
Selections: Autopistol

Cultist Mob
9x Chaos Cultist w/ cultist firearm
Selections: 9x Cultist firearm, 9x Frag & Krak grenades
Cultist Champion
Selections: Autopistol

Cultist Mob
9x Chaos Cultist w/ cultist firearm
Selections: 9x Cultist firearm, 9x Frag & Krak grenades
Cultist Champion
Selections: Autopistol

Elites

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Chaos Terminator Squad
Selections: Mark of Slaanesh
Chaos Terminator
Selections: Chainfist, Heavy flamer
Chaos Terminator
Selections: Chainfist, Heavy flamer
Chaos Terminator
Selections: Accursed weapon, Accursed weapon
Chaos Terminator
Selections: Accursed weapon, Accursed weapon
Chaos Terminator
Selections: Accursed weapon, Combi-bolter
Chaos Terminator
Selections: Accursed weapon, Combi-bolter
Chaos Terminator
Selections: Accursed weapon, Combi-bolter
Chaos Terminator
Selections: Accursed weapon, Combi-bolter
Chaos Terminator
Selections: Accursed weapon, Combi-bolter
Terminator Champion
Selections: Accursed weapon, Black Rune of Damnation, Combi-bolter, Trophies of the Long War

Khorne Berzerkers
Selections: Chaos Icon
Berzerker Champion
Selections: Bolt pistol
5x Khorne Berzerker
Selections: 5x Berzerker chainblade, 5x Bolt pistol, 5x Frag & Krak grenades

Possessed
Selections: Possessed Champion
4x Possessed
Selections: 4x Hideous mutations

Possessed
Selections: Possessed Champion
4x Possessed
Selections: 4x Hideous mutations

Fast Attack

Chaos Bikers
Selections: Chaos Icon, Mark of Khorne
Biker Champion
Selections: Power maul, The Black Mace, Trophies of the Long War
7x Chaos Biker w/ astartes chainsword
Selections: 7x Astartes chainsword, 7x Combi-bolter, 7x Frag & Krak grenades

Raptors
Selections: Chaos Undivided
4x Raptor
Selections: 4x Astartes chainsword, 4x Bolt pistol, 4x Frag & Krak grenades
Raptor Champion
Selections: Astartes chainsword, Bolt pistol

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Supreme Command Detachment +3CP (Chaos – Chaos Space Marines)

Primarch | Daemon Primarch | Supreme Commander

Abaddon the Despoiler

[109 PL, -7CP, 1,997pts]

Chaos Terminator Closing Thoughts

As you an see from the list above the Terminators are used as a brick to move to the center of the table.  Dean went with Servants of Bile as they have access to a advance and charge strat that lets you get a little more aggressive with your piece.  On top of that they are geared up to hit pretty hard with the +1 to strength and ability to attack after death.  I expect the swirling mass of flesh will easily control the tabletop and push your opponent back as you try to murder the enemy.

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Let us know what units you think are hot right now, down in the comments!

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