Editing Warhammer 40,000/9th Edition Tactics/Chaos Daemons (section)

===<span style="color:#8b0000;">Daemons of Khorne</span>===
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The Daemons of Khorne perceive everything through a red mist of undiluted rage. They cannot wait to spill blood, and so surge across the battlefield to get to grips with their foes as quickly as possible so that the slaughter can begin in earnest.

Horny Khornys are a reliable source of High Strength, AP, and Damage weaponry other god's minions often don't have and even some elite choices have a decent armour save. But like Slaanesh, most Khorne daemons lack defenses and once in combat, the lesser daemons' 5+ won't keep them alive for long.
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====<span style="color:#8b0000;">Warlord Traits</span>====

{{W40kKeyword|HERALD}} units can only choose from the first 3 warlord traits. 

#'''Aspect of Death:''' Enemies within 6" of the general take -1 to Leadership and -1 to Combat Attrition checks. Because of fuck conscript and cultist blobs. Karanak gets this. 
#*Because of the two stacking effects, this leads to a -2 leadership AND -2 to all attrition checks. Works well enough to break mobs but nothing more.
#'''Brazen Hide:''' 5+++ FNP save, making this as valuable on Bloodthirsters as it is on heralds.
#'''Devastating Blow:''' The Warlord's melee attacks cannot be ignored by any sort of FNP save. Skulltaker gets this.
#*With how many ways you can get an FNP save, having the ability to just ignore them is pretty nice, especially against enemy warlords.
#'''Glory of Battle:''' +1 attack, plus another if the warlord's within 3" of 6+ enemies, plus yet another if they're within 3" of 11+ models. Better saved for <s>heralds</s> and princes since thirsters already have the sweep profiles of their axes providing double the attack output.
#'''Immense Power:''' +1 to Wound in melee. On the charge in a Khorne detachment, <s>this gives heralds an effective S8 which can be huge in a low anti-vehicle army,</s> or particularly an Str9 DP with 9 attacks, great against high wound T8 models, with a Bloodthirster with a greataxe wounding them on +2.
#'''Rage Incarnate:''' +1 to charge and advance rolls. Any {{W40kKeyword|CORE KHORNE}} units charging an enemy engaged to the warlord get +1 to their charge rolls. Skarbrand gets this.
#*Probably the best for a support hero, as it gives your Bloodletters even more incentive to get stuck in as quickly as possible.

====<span style="color:#8b0000;">Stratagems</span>====
*'''Banner of Blood (1CP):''' One {{W40kKeyword|Khorne Icon}} unit can roll 3d6 when making a charge, dropping the lowest. This version makes the focus on reliability clearer and as an added bonus, this isn't restricted to once per game. 
*'''Brass Stampede (1CP):''' When a {{W40kKeyword|Khorne Cavalry}} or {{W40kKeyword|Khorne Vehicle}} finishes a charge move, roll a d6 for each model in your unit. One enemy unit within 1" takes d3 MW on a 6+ or d3+3 MW on a 9. As you can tell, this has become a lot less viable, especially for anything smaller than a vehicle since that roll only adds +3 when charging with the Skull Cannon or Throne of Skulls. This is especially shitty because this reduces the effectiveness on big bads.
*'''Frenetic Bloodlust (1/2CP):''' Use at the start of any fight phase. A {{W40kKeyword|Bloodletters Core}} unit can either move 6" towards the nearest enemy if they're not engaged or pile in if they're engaged with any enemies. A far cry from 8E's version, but mobility is equally as vital, especially at the beginning. Costs 2 CP for a normal move, otherwise it's 1 CP.
*'''Glorious Decapitation (2 CP):''' If one of your characters murders an enemy character in melee, they gain a new 6" aura that lets fellow daemons of Khorne deal a mortal wound on a natural 6 to wound, adding a bit of extra punch to your forces.
*'''Relics of the Brass Citadel (1 CP):''' Typical "more relics" strat.
*'''Contempt for Sorcery (1 CP):''' If an enemy psyker casts within 12" of a Khorne unit, roll a d6, adding +1 if there are flesh hounds within 12" of the psyker. On a 4+, that power is blocked.

====<span style="color:#8b0000;">Exalted Bloodthirster</span>====
As with abilities like Chapter Command, you can now give an unnamed Bloodthirster (so no Skarbrand) a special power by spending points and PL rather than CP.
*'''Indomitable Onslaught:''' This thirster can't lose more than 8 wounds per phase. By itself, it's kinda trash as it's only keeping them alive for two turns when a good force might wipe them out in one. If you take the Blood-Drinker Talisman then you've now got a very good way to keep your thirster around for much longer.
*'''Lord of the Blood Tide:''' +1 to Strength and Attacks when this Bloodthirster charges, gets charged, or heroically intervenes. The good news is that this is your cheapest upgrade.
*'''Rage Unchained:''' Double your wounds for the damage table. Degrading stats were always a bane to monsters, and it's especially the case for a daemon meant to kill in combat.

====<span style="color:#8b0000;">Relics</span>====
*'''A'rgath King of Blades:''' {{W40kKeyword|Khorne}} models only. One weapon of your choosing gains +1 damage and can ignore any modifiers when rolling to wound. While heralds can no longer hit as hard as princes, they now have the potential of taking down enemies much faster. Also lets your Bloodthirster's mini axe be almost as good as the big axe, while still letting you have a flail or lash.
*'''Armour of Scorn:''' {{W40kKeyword|Khorne Monster}} only. The bearer gets a 4+++ FNP against Mortal Wounds and +1 to any saves against attacks with a Damage characteristic of 1, circumventing the rule that typically forbids your saves from being modified and making walls of lasguns even more laughable.
*'''Blood-Drinker Talisman:''' {{W40kKeyword|Khorne}} models only. Heal a wound on a 5+ for each enemy model killed in melee. Can't heal more than 6 wounds a turn. Now that it's been released from only being spent on Thirsters, it's become valuable not only for stopping the degrading statlines of Bloodthirsters but also to help top off heralds and princes as well, as all HQs have their own precious auras to project.
*'''Crimson Crown:''' {{W40kKeyword|Khorne}} models only. When the bearer kills any enemy models, you get to save up to two Warp Storm tokens so you can spend it on something more devastating.
*'''Rune of Brass:''' {{W40kKeyword|Khorne}} models only. Gives a 12" aura that makes Psykers trigger perils on any doubles and deals d6 MW during Perils instead of merely d3, giving you a decent way of scaring them off, though nothing to really stop them from casting in the first place.
*'''Skullreaver:''' {{W40kKeyword|Khorne}} models only, replaces an Axe of Khorne, restricting it to only Bloodthirsters. It essentially gives you a regular axe that can be improved to become a greataxe when fighting against monsters and vehicles with the strike profile, improving the weapon's Strength to x2 and Damage to 3+d3. Great if you're planning on taking on superheavies but still want the ability to fight at range with more than just their breath.

====<span style="color:#8b0000;">HQ</span>====
=====<span style="color:#8b0000;">General</span>=====
*'''Bloodthirster:''' Streamlined from three different datasheets to one, though you'll have to pick the correct tools for the job you need to be done. Like all Greater Daemons, they have a 6" aura that grants allied Khornate Daemons re-rolls of 1 to hit. They also got a new rule where they deal d3 mortal wounds to a nearby enemy on a 2+ (4+ for infantry characters). FLY alleviates that problem somewhat, but anti-tank weapons (and to a lesser extent anti-air) will fuck a Bloodthirster's shit up real fast. Don't let those 20 wounds lull you into a false sense of security. Although Khorne favors getting stuck in and fucking things up in melee, remember that the support aura is still useful. They are very very very attractive for enemy lascannons (often the only targets in the whole army), cannot hide from it (the models are massive), and only get a 4++ save against something that can hit them from anywhere on the table, at any time. They are melee fighters with degrading WS to make their problems even more severe... One could deepstrike one with the new stratagems, but doing so with 30 Bloodletters instead is probably better... or both for the lols. There is an argument to be made for giving your Bloodthirster the Armor of Scorn so it can zoom up the board without getting shot off the table. Make him your warlord and take the 5+++ FNP for added defensive power. Next, you'll want enough other threats on the board that your opponent will be left with only bad options: Flesh Hound blob screening a Daemon Prince with Skullreaper and a JuggerHerald with King of Blades make for an unavoidable distraction. Skull Cannons in your backfield, now cheaper and stronger, splits your enemy's anti-tank while allowing you to clear away screens for your harder hitting units. You'll be annoyed by units on upper floors of buildings, but your Skull Cannons should make enough room for your deep striking Bloodletter units (or Furies moving up the board) to stream up the floors. A Bloodthirster is a commitment: rush into the enemy as fast and hard as you can with everything you have. They may kill the Bloodthirster, but they leave the rest of your offensive power untouched.
**As part of the consolidation, all Bloodthirsters got the S5 AP-2 heavy flamer breath that was originally for the Insensate Rage thirster. Both the regular thirster axe and the Insensate Fury's massive axe both got two differing profiles for crowd control and monster-slaying, with the great axe being most useful in instances where you're most worried about knights and other superheavies where hitting at S16 would make a difference - stick with the regular axe for anything else. When picking between the whip and the flail, note that the whip, while decent, is at AP-1 and thus will fall flat against Armour of Contempt. The flail, on the other hand, got a remarkably dangerous upgrade, now being Sx2 AP-4 D3d3 with damage that can spread to other models in a unit - just the thing to thin space marines of any flavor if you manage to make that one hit roll.
*'''Herald of Khorne:''' Gain two 6" auras, one giving the mandatory "re-roll 1s to wound" given to all Lieutenant-types and the other lets Bloodletters auto-wound on a hit roll to 6. Heralds are super useful to summon during combat if you have space since you aren't moving in combat anyway and they have low power levels (which makes them easier to summon). Is armed with a Blade of Blood that is S6 AP-3 D3, plenty threatening against other heroes.
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The baseline Foot slogger Herald. Less mobility, weapons, and defense but significantly cheaper. 
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<tab name="Skullmaster on Juggernaut">
Juggernaut Herald. Fastest Herald of Khorne option. Adds T+1, +2 Wounds and movement +4". While you no longer get a better save from being stuck on it, you are getting the extra Toughness.
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<tab name="Rendmaster on Blood Throne">  
T+1 Herald with +3 wounds for about double the price of a normal Herald with about double the attacks when accounting for the dopes driving the thing. While their auto-wound aura got a bit of a range boost to 9", their re-roll aura remains the same. They also get to re-roll to wound enemy monsters and characters, something that can capitalize on the Bloodthirster's re-roll aura.
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=====<span style="color:#8b0000;">Named</span>=====
*'''Skulltaker:''' They took his Khorne damned Juggernaut option away, but Skulltaker is still pretty beastly. He moves 1 inch faster than other infantry, has a 3+/5++, and rerolls everything when fighting a character. His aura lets nearby {{W40kKeyword|Bloodletters Core}} units within 8" add 1 to hit (no longer includes other heralds, including himself, as of 9E), and his weapon is Strength User, AP -3, D3, on 6+ to wound boosted to D3+3 damage. Get him into combat and he'll lop heads off with ease, a double bonus as each kill also boosts the range of his auras by 3" to a maximum of 12". A pretty nice support character with a very specific focus that is overshadowed by more generalist Princes with Skullreaver and Skullmasters.
*'''Karanak:''' Still a character-hunter who can deny 2 psychic powers per turn. You call out an enemy character at the start of the game and for the rest of the game, when Karanak is fighting against that character, his attacks now deal 2 Mortal Wounds instead of S6 AP-2 D2, meaning that everything will be targeting him. Fortunately, he can also give a re-roll 1s to wound aura to his fellow Flesh Hounds that will re-roll all wounds if they attack a psyker.
*'''Uraka the Warfiend<sup>Forge World</sup>:''' Uraka the Warfiend now gives a re-roll hits of 1 for Khorne Deamon with 6", but also he buffs HIMSELF when he kills things. He defiantly likes to make a synergy bubble with a herald. He's certainly not a pushover with a 5+/4+ save and 6 attacks, a decent short-range attack, and may attempt to deny 1 enemy psychic power a turn. He does get to killing after slaying 8 models for +1 to movement, Strength, and Attack. As the new codex has stripped the Heralds of the good Loci, you're not going to be getting those kills as easily as you used to.
*'''Skarbrand:''' Remains the utter frothing berserker he ever has been, utterly immune to any psychic power while sadly unable to bock for you. Note that as his wounds reach certain thresholds, his attacks actually INCREASE - so what he loses inaccuracy, he compensates for with sheer undiluted RAGE. This partially solves the main problem that you'd have with a base thirster with the big axe. Still - you're going to have to play him very cleverly, otherwise, you can expect him to get wrecked by anti-tank weapons before he reaches the enemy's front lines. He does have a ranged attack that acts like the Thirster's Hellfire, however, so he can surprise a foe cocky enough to charge him with an Overwatch shot. 
**Rather than the basic aura given to most Thirsters, Skarbrand's is a bit less discriminating on who benefits from it. See, now every unit within 6" gets a spare attack and auto-passes morale checks - both things that are awesome for your Bloodletters, but not for whoever you're planning on killing with the big guy, especially if they're kitted out to kill him in particular. It also forces anyone in range to roll 3d6 when falling back, preventing them if the roll exceeds the unit's Leadership, which can prove troublesome on a bad combat turn. 
'''Samus<sup>Legends</sup>:''' Samus, Daemon Prince of the Ruinstorm is as Khorne as it gets. A decent number of attacks that wound more often on infantry. Psykers nearby get minus 1 from their power rolls. Friendly units summoning near him get to reroll the summon. Anything not Khorne near him subtracts 1 from their LD. He's a big red rat and he's ANGRY.

====<span style="color:#8b0000;">Troops</span>====
*'''Bloodletters:''' (12ppm) Managed to get a bit of a bump up, as now they're S5 and T4, but they remain glass cannons with only a 5++ save in melee. Their Hellblades are now better, being Power Swords that do a flat 2 damage, making them more reliable at butchering multi-wound thickies like the Marines. 2 attacks each (3 with Fury of Khorne up), at AP-3, hitting on 3+, wounding on 3+ (against MEQ), each dealing 2 damage with one swing? These guys can be brutal.

====<span style="color:#8b0000;">Elites</span>====
*'''Bloodcrushers:''' By Khorne, these are brutal. Charging produces MW from Brass Stampede, 13 S6 AP-3 D2 sword attacks, and 9 S8 AP-1 is enough to pummel most non-superheavy units, or severely maim them. And that's what a MINIMUM squad of these does. The fact that they have 4 wounds, 4+ regular save and a 5++ daemon save. Position them well for an early charge before they are spotted and promptly shot to bits, or summon them with an appropriate hero and let them loose on the enemy and they would be hard-pressed to NOT win their points back. Seriously, this anon bought a bunch to use in Sigmar, but they are way more brutal in newhammer 40k. 
**'''Bloodcrusher Bomb?:''' While not as board control as the Bloodletter Bomb, Deep Striking Bloodcrushers gets them into position out the gate as full strength. And hey, it's not like you can't also give them a Banner of Blood alongside your other Bomb. 1CP for 3 Crushers, 1CP for the banner, and Deep Strike in Skulltaker nearby (8" aura) for the +1 hit rolls. Food for thought...
**'''Alternate Opinion:''' Bloodcrushers are largely (if ''not totally'') outclassed by Bloodletters. It's less than Bloodcrushers are bad, but it's simply a case that Bloodletters are some of the best infantry in the game at the moment. As well as being far cheaper (at 8pts), they'll produce an even greater number of attacks than the Bloodcrushers. The Bloodcrushers larger base size might also make deep striking them an issue. Since Bloodletters can charge 3d6+1 (re-rolling charges in pure Khorne detachment), just 20 of them deliver '''41 hits at 2+ str 5 and ap-3'''. At a cost of only 230 points (with 2 icons and 2 instruments), on the other hand, a minimum squad of Juggernauts (at 135 points) produces 19 attacks (with 10 at 2+ str 5 and a-3/ and 9 at str 5 -ap3). 
***'''Alternate Opinion:''' as of 9th, Durability matters more, so paying for a balance of defenses, speed and damage while a group Bloodletters will die quickly to blast weapons.

====<span style="color:#8b0000;">Fast Attack</span>====
*'''Flesh Hounds''':  Remained mostly the same stat-wise and rule-wise, however, the rules around them have changed.  Compared to the previous codex they only move 10" max and are now susceptible to being slowed by terrain.  To compound these new issues Daemonic Instability is gone, and with LD7 morale tests are going to hurt.  Positives:  They're 15 points each for relatively speedy, two wound, two attack models, they now always hit on a 3+ in combat, and they get +1 S and A on the charge from Unstoppable Ferocity (20 of these is 300 points. Let that sink in a minute...).  Combine this with always striking first on the charge, and their fangs being AP-1 CCWs, and you will tear light infantry to pieces.  This leaves them in a similar niche as before, a light infantry killer and your front line bubblewrap unit to tank light weapons fire for harder-hitting characters (JuggerHerald, Karanak, etc.)  However, the loss of Herald locus upgrades and the attachment of characters leaves the Hounds as mostly an expensive tarpit unit, unable to effectively deal with anything higher than a 4+ save, and unable to hold units in assaults for longer than one turn. Screamers do a better job of being zippy harassment units, and Bloodcrushers are more durable and hit so much harder.
**'''A quick note on Flesh Hounds''': If you are taking a fluffy Khorne-dedicated list (and if you're not, Khorne will send these fuckers after you anyway) these puppies are (as of time of writing this) Khorne's only source of denying the witch outside of Karanak excluding forgeworld. So for this reason alone, a few MSU squads of these should be auto-includes unless you want your face melted with mind bullets
**In case you forgot that Wrath and Rapture are giving Khorne some new stuff too, Flesh Hounds are finally getting a plastic kit! One of them can now be upgraded to a Gore Hound, which lets their bark does damage - D6 autohits at 8", S4 AP0 D1 (as per the most recent faq). So, basically a flamer. Not a big boost but now they can do something before they charge.
**9E is looking to give them a bit of a boost. Aside from the 4++ invulnerability from shooting, they now move 12" and got an offensive boost with A3 and S5 by default. On top of that, they now add +1 to their bite's damage when they charge or heroically intervene, making them much better at taking down MEQs.

====<span style="color:#8b0000;">Heavy Support</span>====
*'''Skull Cannon''' A mixed bag like the Soul Grinder but cheaper at 80 pts. It's gun is 48" Heavy D6 (S8 AP-2 D2 Blast, that ignores cover bonus), more to take out MEU and light vehicles. On the plus side, it hits on a 3+ and can do some good damage on the charge, but even melee is only a last-ditch surprise option, especially now that it lost its healing power. Overall not that great, but it's one of the few long-range options we have and ok to get a few wounds off some light tanks and marines.

====<span style="color:#8b0000;">Lord of War</span>====
*'''Anggrath the Unbound''' - Oh boy, THIS guy. When you absolutely need to have the angriest, smashiest guy on the board and price is of no concern, accept no substitutes! He will always hit things on a 2+ and starts off with a massive axe that is just as versatile as any Bloodthirster's that just happens to have S10. He shrugs off attacks like nothing too, thanks to his T8, 24 wounds, 4+/4+ and 2 uses of Deny the Witch without needing a Stratagem. If anyone manages to bring him down by some chance he gets a chance to wound everyone around him. Don't expect much to come from his whip, even though it got a slight boost by being able to be used while in close combat. Also, note that he can be your warlord now. Why yes, I did want 6+ FNP on him to thank you very much! 
**With the new codex, Anggrath feels a lot less killy than before with the skimmed-down strats given to each god. Heralds now only give measly re-rolls to wound and he doesn't even give his forces any re-rolls to hit so he can't support his army like a traditional thirster. If you're fielding him, it's because you seriously want to kill a rival superheavy and nothing else.

====<span style="color:#8b0000;">Fortification</span>====
*'''Skull Altar''' - First Khorne approved building ladies and gentlemen! First, off all just like Nurgle tree, it cannot be targeted and affected by enemy attacks and cannot move. Secondly, this altar has a bunch of good abilities, especially when playing defender with Khorne, as the footslogging Bloodmaster/Skulltaker can hide inside it and improve their footprint - and the range of their auras with it. The last 2 abilities are also nice, it gives -2 to psychic tests if the enemy is within 18" of the altar and the herald inside it can perform a special action between the movement and charge phases, allowing you to roll 1d6 for Warp Storm points for each of your units in combat within 12". All of this for 100 points

====<span style="color:#8b0000;">Biggest Problem</span>====
The best way to run mono-Khorne daemons appears to be simply picking 1 unit and spamming it as much as physically possible. So a list with a mixture of Bloodletters, Flesh Hounds, and Bloodcrushers would not be anywhere near as effective as a list including only 1 of those units in vast numbers.

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