Warhammer 40K: Why Every Space Marine List Should Start with 2 Vindicators
Goatboy here and that’s right – if you are playing a Marine army you should get at least two Vindicators for that list!
That includes almost all of the Chaos Marine versions and for any true Adeptus Astartes. It is one of the best tanks currently in the game for so many reasons. Heck I wish it was in the World Eater Index right now as having two would solve so many problems that I am currently solving with Forgefiends (which are underrated). It is one of the old chassis models that just carries so much potential beyond just having a flat surface to paint a giant hazard stripe on the dozer blade.
Today will talk about it with the current new strong CSM list in the Creations of Bile detachment. The Vindicator doesn’t get any bonus from the Bile upgrades. It doesn’t have a driver that all of a sudden gets buff, mad, and addicted to mutation oils sold by Fabius. It just doesn’t need them. It does enough on its own without having to use any kind of benefit beyond just activating Dark Pact and throwing some dice on the tabletop. Sometimes those Dice get to be rerolled when near Abaddon and sometimes they just get extra dice if they get a lucky 6.
Vindicators are TOUGH!
Still the Vindicator is just tough as nails. It starts with a 2+ armor save which is a pretty rough thing on a Predator like chassis. This means for most weapons that are coming at it – it will most likely have a 3+ to a 4+ save due to cover and just not giving a crap about incoming firepower. On top of that it even has an extra pip of toughness due to having a giant Dozer blade on the front. Just having T11 is a huge pain in the butt for things to chew through. You need to invest in real firepower or melee damage to get past its armor and crack open the candy that is obviously inside.
Just the sheer toughness of the Vindicator makes it a pain but then you look at its offensive potential. It has an “upgraded” Demolisher cannon in gaining d6+3 shots with Blast. The ability to always throw out 4 shots at minimum is the big reason why this guy is a pain in the butt. If you are rolling up to a unit of 10 guys and you at least get 6 shots thrown at them. While you might not kill them – you will put a huge dent into their number. But it really isn’t about killing units of troops. The Vindicator is more about killing something mean and tough that might wreck you just from having a min of 4 shots that are strength 14, AP -3, and Damage d6. The d6 damage is probably the worst thing about it but having that nice little +3 to their shooting profile helps cover the sheer embarrassment of rolling that 1 for how many shots you got loaded up.
Vindicators are Mobile Walls
We got two things now let’s get to the third and probably one of the most interesting. The Vindicator’s ability to be within engagement range of the enemy and still able to fire its cannon at point blank range as long as no other friendly models are engagement range. This tough little tank can now be a “wall” that bites if you decide to move them a bit closer. This is huge and such a pain in the butt for your opponent to deal with. It even doesn’t suffer any penalties to shoot its why out of a combat – and loves the fact the models most likely won’t be in cover when being dealt with. It is just a huge thing as this little tank can be on the move, get in the way, and always be effective if it doesn’t die in close combat.
I won’t say how many times facing one of these tanks down is such a pain in the butt. My powerful World Eater Exalted look on in horror as this tank rolls up, Dark Pacts, and just vomits out a ton of shots that will end up killing me. Or even watching Angron tank a shell in the face and pray those 4+ saves stick is such a clenching time on the tabletop. Sure the tank has a 24″ range but the game is criminally short-ranged and cramped these days, with a more packed in feeling and the sheer threat of a strong tank wrecking you on the tabletop.
Lately I have been looking at assault armies with some kind of true shooting elements to help “make the opponent” rethink sitting out in the open. This tank would love to fit in those designs as I build out pressure builds meant to get close and force the opponent into bad situations. Nothing hurts them more than having to worry about sticking their nose out and getting showered with a giant Demolisher cannon of death that sees their units disappear.
Here is a Bile list I am thinking of piloting after LVO this year. I have played a ton of World Eaters lately and will most likely run it once last time at LVO but once that is done I will look towards something else. I got some Blood Angels painted and I might go out and find two Vindicators to paint black for that army to help shore up some “gaps” in its interactions. But that is something I will look at next year as I decide what I want to invest my time into.
LVO 2025 Creations of Bile (1925 Points)
Chaos Space Marines
Creations of Bile
Strike Force (2000 Points)
CHARACTERS
Chaos Lord (125 Points)
• 1x Daemon hammer
• 1x Plasma pistol
• 1x Prime Test Subject
Chaos Lord in Terminator Armour (110 Points)
• 1x Combi-weapon
• 1x Powerfist
• 1x Living Carapace
Fabius Bile (85 Points)
• 1x Fabius Bile
• Warlord
◦ 1x Chirurgeon
◦ 1x Rod of Torment
◦ 1x Xyclos Needler
• 1x Surgeon Acolyte
◦ 1x Surgeon Acolyte’s tools
Master of Executions (105 Points)
• 1x Axe of dismemberment
• 1x Bolt pistol
• 1x Helm of All-Seeing
BATTLELINE
Cultist Mob (50 Points)
• 1x Cultist Champion
◦ 1x Autopistol
◦ 1x Brutal assault weapon
• 9x Chaos Cultist
◦ 9x Autopistol
◦ 9x Brutal assault weapon
Legionaries (170 Points)
• 1x Aspiring Champion
◦ 1x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Heavy melee weapon
◦ 1x Plasma pistol
• 9x Legionary
◦ 8x Astartes chainsword
◦ 9x Bolt pistol
◦ 1x Chaos Icon
◦ 9x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Heavy melee weapon
DEDICATED TRANSPORTS
Chaos Rhino (75 Points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Combi-bolter
• 1x Combi-weapon
• 1x Havoc launcher
Chaos Rhino (75 Points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Combi-bolter
• 1x Combi-weapon
• 1x Havoc launcher
Chaos Rhino (75 Points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Combi-bolter
• 1x Combi-weapon
• 1x Havoc launcher
OTHER DATASHEETS
Chaos Vindicator (185 Points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Combi-weapon
• 1x Demolisher cannon
• 1x Havoc launcher
Chaos Vindicator (185 Points)
• 1x Armoured tracks
• 1x Combi-weapon
• 1x Demolisher cannon
• 1x Havoc launcher
Chosen (250 Points)
• 1x Chosen Champion
◦ 1x Accursed weapon
◦ 1x Bolt pistol
◦ 1x Boltgun
• 9x Chosen
◦ 5x Accursed weapon
◦ 5x Bolt pistol
◦ 3x Boltgun
◦ 1x Chaos Icon
◦ 4x Combi-weapon
◦ 2x Paired accursed weapons
◦ 4x Plasma pistol
◦ 2x Power fist
Nemesis Claw (110 Points)
• 1x Visionary
◦ 1x Plasma pistol
◦ 1x Power fist
• 4x Legionary
◦ 1x Accursed weapon
◦ 1x Astartes chainsword
◦ 4x Bolt pistol
◦ 4x Close combat weapon
◦ 1x Nostraman chainglaive
◦ 1x Paired accursed weapons
◦ 1x Voice Eater
Obliterators (160 Points)
• 2x Obliterator
◦ 2x Crushing fists
◦ 2x Fleshmetal guns
Possessed (240 Points)
• 1x Possessed Champion
◦ 1x Hideous mutations
• 9x Possessed
◦ 1x Chaos Icon
◦ 9x Hideous mutations
1925 pts
Creations of Bile Tactics
This is a pretty simple list utilizing a bunch of stuff to try and cause problems. You can see how the two Vindicators can help my Bully units get closer to the opponent by just showing up and laying down a threat to the enemy. The Obliterators are a Deep Striking option as well to help clear some things out as well as the Single Terminator Chaos Lord designed to come down and be a pain to remove with extra wound, FNP, and taking half damage. Even the Nemesis Claw team is just there to help shore up some issues and “turn off” stratagem on tougher units if I need to pour out the damage. It feels like something I should test more and see what works or what other things I need to paint up to add to my “red” Chaos Space Marine army.
Vindicators say BOOM!
