Top 3 Things Chaos Space Marines Need RIGHT NOW

Top 3 Things Chaos Marines Need

Chaos Space Marines are a rare sight on the tabletop today.  We all have our own theories as to why but here I’m going to propose a few changes that I think would help bring them back.

Here is the bonus top thing.  I’m including it now because it’s obvious – We need GW to focus on some of its truly unique properties like Chaos Marines.  Better focus with clarity of rules and purpose will help drive sales.  In 40k there are no bad guys – except chaos.

3. Fast Moving 2+ Saves and Better Saves.

Marines have this sort of thing in spades and it is one of the reasons they do so well on the tabletop.  Chaos does have access to terminator armor but they have no way of making it move more than 6 inches on the movement phase (inside vehicles doesn’t count).  They need point affordable units that can get across the field.

For some reason heresy means you have to throw your storm shields away.  I know we want to have clear lines between ‘this is the good guys’ and ‘this is the bad guys’ but storm shields are one of the vital parts of close combats right now.

2. Better Daemon Princes

Yeah, I said it..  Outside of a Nurgle Prince they just don’t get work done anymore.  The Nurgle Prince is only good against an army who can’t ignore cover.  These figures need to be able to stay on the table for a long time to justify their points cost.

These guys need to be able to buff their army – through morale or whatever – and need to be their own form of mini titan like Sauron from Lord of the Rings.  There was no mistaking that he meant business when he was on screen.    Our daemon princes don’t toss ranks of mortals into the air.  Ours currently just slap fight until someone with a storm shield comes and puts them out of their misery.

 

1. Relevant Special Characters

Typhus is king.  He cost too many points now, but he is the best thing CSM have going for them in the character department.

You can make a case for Kharn and Abbadon, I guess…  but outside of someone’s personal taste there are better things you can be doing for your points instead of those characters.   Space Marine Characters matter.   All of them aren’t awesome but they all at least pretty much do something that influences army construction or a particular phase of the game in a major way.  Chaos needs this.

Super Secret Bonus Thing – Morale.

I know that GW wants to make the CSM that we are playing with now more like Renegades and warbands instead of 10,000 year old hardened veterans but the way they have it playing out on the table makes marine bodies without And They Should Have No Fear useless.

My suggestion is to give CSM something similar to what the Corsairs from Forge World have now.  They have a high base leadership and then a slash / with a lower number behind it.  The higher number is the result they need to pass a leadership test.  The lower result is what they need to rally after failing an initial check.

Let’s give Chaos Marines something similar but have it work like this:

The higher number is what they need to pass the initial check.  The number after the slash (the lower one) is what they need to rally after failing but they can always attempt to make this regroup check regardless of how many are left in the squad AND they can make this check again if their fallback would take them off the table edge.

You can make this number anything you want 10/5 or 10/6 or whatever and when it happens it will be a neat experience and the fact that it ‘can’ happen may lead to more Chaos Space Marines being on the table.  Who isn’t tired of seeing chaos zombie cultists?!?!

I know this top 3 ended up being 5 but what else would you add to this list?

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