Warhammer 40,000/10th Edition Tactics/Chaos Daemons
 This article is a stub. You can help 1d4chan by expanding it |
This is the current 10th Edition's Chaos Daemons tactics. 9th Edition Tactics are here.
Why Play Chaos Daemons
Pros
Cons
Faction Rules
- The Shadow of Chaos: Somewhat familiar if anyone used daemons in the first edition of the Horus Heresy. Certain areas of the board will be under the shadow, which lets you buff units inside it. While you always have your DZ as under the shadow, you can also take the middle of the board and the enemy's DZ respectively if you manage to cap over half of the objectives in that part of the board.
- Daemonic Manifestation: When one of your units is under the shadow, you can add +1 to their Battleshock checks and can recover 1d3 wounds on a passed check, with Battleline units instead resurrecting 1d3 models.
- Daemonic Terror: When an enemy is under the shadow, they suffer -1 to their Battleshock checks and suffers 1d3 additional wounds if they fail.
- Daemonic Pact: The way you can ally in daemons with any other Chaos Army. That said, this detachment can only reach a certain limit (250/500/750 for Incursion/Strike Force/Onslaught) and this detachment can't take any enhancements.
- This does come with restrictions for the mono-god armies. The World Eaters can only take a mono-Khorne detachment, The Death Guard can only take a mono-Nurgle detachment, The Thousand Sons can only take a mono-Tzeentch detachment, and a CSM detachment led by Lucius (please don't make us wait for an EC army GW...) can only take a Slaanesh detachment.
Detachments
Daemonic Incursion
Special Rules
- Warp Rifts: You can set up your daemons anywhere within your Shadow of Chaos, so long as they're over 6" away from any enemies. The reduced distance means that your chances of charging out of a Deep Strike are significantly improved.
Enhancements
- A'rgath, the King of blades: Khorne only. +1 attack and Strenth on melee weapons, and while within your Shadow of Chaos, make that +2.
- The Everstave: Tzeentch only. +1 Strength and +3" to range weapons that become +2 and +6" within your Shadow of Chaos.
Stratagems
- Corrupt Realspace (1 CP): During any command phase, you can corrupt one objective that you're already capping, not only making it always count as capped even when your units aren't next to it, but also making the area within 6" of it count as being under the Shadow of Chaos. Keep in mind that a Battle-shocked unit has its OC set to 0, which means that it can't capture objectives- and, therefore, it'll remain controlled by you!
- Denizens of the Warp (1 CP): When a unit deep strikes, they can arrive at least 3" away from an enemy. While they can't charge, consolidation is still in the cards for entering a fight.
- Warp Surge (1 CP): A unit of daemons under your shadow can charge after advancing. Excellent for your Khornates and Slaaneshis, whom all live for charging into combat anyways.
- Daemonic Invulnerability (1CP): when targeted in the shooting phase, one unit rerolls Invul save of 1.
- The Realm of Chaos (1cp): Taken from the Gray Knight's Teleport Strike Force detachment. At the end of the opponent's turn, place one unit not in engagement range, or two if both are within your Shadow of Chaos, into deepstrike Reserve.
Equipment
- Daemonic Icon: Improves the Leadership of your units by +1, which means a lot more thanks to Shadow of Chaos letting you resurrect units on a successful Battleshock Test. While bonuses can't stack, this can offset any penalties you may encounter.
- Instrument of Chaos: Adds +1 to any charge rolls.
Unit Analysis
Undivided
All the daemons that can be used with any alignment.
Characters
- Daemon Prince:
Epic Heroes
- Be'lakor: Considerably beefed up with T10 W18 while still benefiting from both a 4+/4++ save (meaning last edition's variable saves are dead) and Stealth. On top of that, he's also a mobile emitter of the Shadow of Chaos, letting him assist any allies within 6" of him...and that's on top of his Shadow Master auras in that same range, which lets him pick one psychic power each turn (Enemies can only attack allies in the bubble when they're within 18", any enemies inside the bubble below their starting strength must take Battleshock tests, or friendly units can re-roll Battleshock or Leadership checks).
- His Blade of Shadows remains just as versatile, with the sweep profile giving 14 S8 AP-3 attacks to carve mobs while Strike gives 6 S14 AP-4 D1+d6 with Lethal Hits so you can more easily carve apart enemy monsters and tanks. This is supplemented by a new ranged psychic weapon that gives him a cover-negating barrage of S5 AP-2 Devastating Wounds shots or an even bigger barrage of S6 AP-3 shots with Devastating Wounds and Hazardous.
Monsters
- Soul Grinder:
Khorne
All the daemons aligned with Khorne
Characters
- Bloodthirster:
Epic Heroes
- Skarbrand:
- Skulltaker:
Battleline
- Bloodletters:'
Beasts
- Flesh Hounds: Your very mobile hunters. Each one comes with a pretty decent bite with S5 AP-1 while their leader also gets a flamer-like roar to give them some form of shooting. To your benefit, these hounds can always use the Heroic Intervention stratagem for free, even after using it on someone else.
- Regrettably, these hounds are pretty flimsy. A mere T4 and 5++ save is rather underwhelming against most things so expect to use Shadow of Chaos a lot to raise them. Their only real excellent defense is their collars, which provide a 3+ FNP against psychic weapons.
Monsters
Tzeentch
All daemons aligned to Tzeentch.
Characters
- Lord of Change: This big chicken has shifted careers from nerdy master magic to master of artillery ordinance. It starts with an aura that boosts ranged attacks with +1 strength (including itself). Then add a barrage of 9 str 10 attacks from bolt of change that could have the ignore cover, lethal hits, or Sustained Hits D3 rule for that turn.
- Exalted Flamer: An self-important flamer (despite being a character, it can't be the warlord or take Enhancements) with double the wounds and the ability to join other flamers, granting the ever-vital Assault rule so they can always keep torching things. Unlike their lessers, the Exalted Flamer has two settings to their torches, with Pink Fire being the more familiar heavy flamer with 2d6 hits and the Blue Fire requiring to roll to hit but negates cover and is powerful enough to melt a marine. Whichever way they use it, any non-Vehicle non-Monster unit they hit has a 50/50 chance of being set on fire until the end of their next turn, dealing no further harm but robbing -2" to their movement and -2 to any advance or charge rolls they make.
Epic Heroes
- Kairos Fateweaver:
- The Blue Scribes'
Battleline
- Horrors:'
Infantry
- Flamers: A bunch of floating S4 AP-1 flamers (that is, actual flamers and not whatever the fuck last edition errata'd them into) with Psychic, protected only by a 4++ save. Fortunately, they remain pretty nimble with a 9" movement and remain able to shoot after falling back.
Beasts
- Screamers: Surprisingly effective S6 AP-2 D2 bites on a very fast if frail platform. In addition, one unit they fly over still get a 50/50 chance of eating a mortal wound.
Monsters
Slaanesh
All daemons aligned with Slaanesh.
Characters
- Keeper of Secrets: A fleet-footed menace, but it's still relatively frail with T10 and a 5+/4++ save. Fortunately, Mesmerising Form makes all attacks targeting it suffer -1 to hit. Its Witstealer Sword remains a pretty effective weapon with S8 AP-2 D3 and Snapping Claws giving Extra Attacks with S6 AP-2 D3 with Devastating Wounds. You can also pick up another set of attacks with the Ritual Knife with S6 AP-2 D2, a Living Whip for a ranged attack that doesn't bother with casting, or a Shining Aegis to gain a 5+ FNP save. Its lone ranged attack is Phantasmagoria, a psychic power at 18" S6 AP-2 with Devastating Wounds, given the option of either the basic attack or an extra couple of attacks at the risk of Hazardous. Other Slaanesh Daemons also benefit from being near a keeper, as it has a 6" aura that improves the AP of their weapons by 1.
- Tormentbringer:
- Tormentbringer on Exalted Seeker chariot:
Epic Heroes
- Shelaxi Helbane:
- The Masque:
Battleline
- Daemonettes:'
Beasts
- Fiends of Slaanesh:'
Vehicles
- Chariot of Slaanesh:
Nurgle
All daemons aligned with Nurgle.
Characters
- Great Unclean One: still that fat ranid bastard we know. Gives out that missing FNP6+ to Nurgle and makes one enemy 1 less tough. Gets choice between Plaguesword for versatile damage or Doomsday bell to heal Plaguebearers with each kill, and between Flail vs plagueblade for many very short-range attacks or more reliable extra attacks.
- Sloppity Bilepipper: Support hero that adds +1" movement and reroll advances for a plaguebearer unit and course a nearby unit to roll battleshock at the start of the fight phase.
- Spoilpox Scrivener: Support hero with handflamer that gives a plaguebearer unit Sustained hits 1 and +1 OC.
Epic Heroes
- Bubonicus:
- Horticulous Slimux:
Infantry
- Plaguebearers:' Pretty much only protected by a 5++ save and can only fight with their S4 AP-1 Plagueswords with Lethal Hits. While last edition saw the addition of an extra wound become more of a liability than a buff due to the revisions to Shadow of Chaos. While they're just as slow as ever, any objectives they cap will remain capped.
Monsters
- Soul Grinder:'
<tabs>
<tab name="10th">
| General Tactics | |
|---|---|
| Imperium | |
| Chaos | |
| Eldar | |
| Necrons | |
| Orks | |
| Tau | |
| Tyranids | |
| Votann |
</tab>
<tab name="9th">
| General Tactics | |
|---|---|
| Imperium | |
| Chaos | |
| Eldar | |
| Necrons | |
| Orks | |
| Tau | |
| Tyranids | |
| Votann |
</tab>
<tab name="8th">
| General Tactics | |
|---|---|
| Imperium | |
| Chaos | |
| Eldar | |
| Necrons | |
| Orks | |
| Tau | |
| Tyranids |
</tab>
<tab name="7th">
| General Tactics | |
|---|---|
| Imperium | |
| Chaos | |
| Eldar | |
| Necrons | |
| Orks | |
| Tau | |
| Tyranids |
</tab>
<tab name="6th">
| General Tactics | |
|---|---|
| Imperium | |
| Chaos | |
| Eldar | |
| Necrons | |
| Orks | |
| Tau | |
| Tyranids |
</tab>
<tab name="All">
| General Tactics |
|
|---|---|
| Imperium (8th) |
|
| Chaos | |
| Eldar |
|
| Necrons | |
| Orks | |
| Tau | |
| Tyranids |
</tab>
</tabs>