Warhammer 40,000/10th Edition Tactics/Chaos Space Marines

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This is the current 10th Edition's Chaos Space Marine tactics. 9th Edition Tactics are here.

Why Play Chaos Space Marines

Faction Rules

  • Dark Pacts: Any time one of your units makes an attack, you can choose to make an offering to the dark gods, giving either Lethal Hits or Sustained Hits 1. After you resolve your hits, you have to pass a Leadership test or suffer d3 mortal wounds. While not the wisest take on cultists, but the marines could make use of this - especially if you grab an icon to re-roll their Ld test.
  • The Lost and the Damned: The rule that lets you attach Khorne Berserkers, Plague Marines and Rubric Marines despite no longer sharing a codex. This gives them the Heretic Astartes keyword instead of whatever they used to have. That said, it's only presumed that they get Dark Pacts, since their datasheets only have their faction rules. It's also uncertain if anyone can attach to them due to the limitations of the Leader rule.

Detachments

Slaves to Darkness

Special Rules

  • Marks of Chaos: Every non-epic hero unit without any of the following keywords must be assigned one; khorne psyker is an illegal pairing, and characters can only Leader Bodyguards who have the same Mark keyword as them. Each keyword also provides a special rule, all of which buff your hit rolls, so leave those Torrent weapons at home, folks.
    • Khorne: If you use Dark Pacts in the Fight Phase to gain [Lethal Hits], you critically hit on a 5+.
    • Nurgle: If you use Dark Pacts in the Shooting Phase to gain [Sustained Hits 1], you critically hit on a 5+.
      • That means Nurgle particularly favors Combi-Weapons, the Infernal Gaze Sorcerer gun on Hazardous mode, Forgefiends regardless of guns, and the Fellgor Beastmen Corrupted Stave.
    • Slaanesh: If you use Dark Pacts in the Fight Phase to gain [Sustained Hits 1], you critically hit on a 5+.
      • That means Slaanesh particularly favors Axes of Dismemberment, the Commune Stave on Dark Communes, Daemon and Warp Hammers, Heldrakes, and Possessed.
    • Tzeentch: If you use Dark Pacts in the Shooting Phase to gain [Lethal Hits], you critically hit on a 5+.
      • That means Tzeentch particularly favors Fleshmetal Guns on warp hail mode, (Twin) Heavy Bolters, and Reaper Autocannons.
    • Chaos Undivided: Re-roll hit rolls of 1.
      • Note that this means Khorne and Tzeentch have less use than the other three keywords for [Devastating Wounds], as their special buff makes critical wounds even less likely, and across the board you should be avoiding [Torrent] weapons.
        • If you use a Helbrute to pick up both Dark Pact abilities at once, Khorne and Tzeentch will like this just fine. The same is true if you're wielding a weapon with [Sustained Hits 1] built in, like a Heavy Bolter.

Stratagems

<tabs> <tab name="Battle Tactic">

  • Infernal Rites (2 CP): Any attacks against one unit reduce their AP by 1. Twice as expensive as the loyalist equivalent, just in case you forgot who the favorites were.
  • Profane Zeal (1 CP): One unit may reroll any 1s to hit or to wound. If that unit was marked with Chaos Undivided, reroll any hit rolls or wound rolls. The stuff dreams are made of, you'll be using this every turn.

</tab> <tab name="Epic Deed">

  • Skinshift (1 CP): In the command phase, one unit regains 3 wounds. If marked with Tzeentch, one destroyed model that isn't a character can be returned to that unit at full wounds. Last edition's Master of Posession wishes it had something this good. Perfect for Obliterators, who also benefit greatly from being marked Tzeentch thanks to Dark Pact.

</tab> <tab name="Strategic Ploy">

  • Dark Obscuration (1 CP): When an enemy tries to shoot at one of your units, that unit gains Stealth for some extra protection. Nurgle units take this a step further by preventing enemies from attacking them unless they're within 12".
  • Eternal Hate (1 CP): When one unit is attacked in melee, any models that die can make one last round of attacks before dying on a 4+. If that unit had the Khorne mark, add 1 to that roll.
  • Unnatural Swiftness (1 CP): One unit can shoot and charge after falling back. If that unit was marked with Slannesh, it can shoot and charge after advancing as well.
    • This is broadly useful, but the Slannesh mark kicks it into overdrive by making one unit capable of slingshotting itself across the board whilst remaining a threat the whole time. Venomcrawlers come to mind as the perfect target for this.

</tab> </tabs>

Enhancements

  • Eye of Tzeentch: Tzeentch only, of course. Whenever the bearer's unit uses Dark Pacts, they also need to make a Leadership test for a free CP.
  • Intoxicating Elixir: Slaanesh only. Grants the bearer a 5+ FNP and whenever they make a Dark Pact, one enemy they hit must take a battle-shock test.
  • Liber Hereticus: Chaos Undivided only. Using Dark Pacts grants the bearer's unit both [Sustained Hits 1] AND [Lethal Hits] at the same time.
  • Orbs of Unlife: Nurgle only. At the end of the fight phase, roll a d6 for every enemy unit within 6" of the bearer, adding +1 if they used a Dark Pact on that turn. On a 4+, the enemy suffers d3 mortal wounds.
  • Talisman of Burning Blood: Khorne only. Bearer's melee weapons gain +1 to Attacks and Strength. Whenever the bearer's unit makes a Dark Pact, the weapon instead adds +d3 to Attacks and Strength.

Tactics

  • Take Abbadon and a Helbrute and mark all of your units to be of Tzeentch or Nurgle; re-roll even successful hits to fish for crits. Now a BS3+ shooter will hit critically 5/9 (56%) of the time (and hit non-critically another 2/9 or 22% of the time); each critical hit is an automatic wound that must roll to penetrate and a hit that must roll to wound.
    • Add Forgefiends and fire in Hazardous mode so the hits that roll to wound are hoping to Devastate and ignore saves.
    • Give Abbadon a Chaos Terminator escort full of combi-weapons and a reaper cannon; he has Chaos Undivided, so you can use the Profane Zeal strat to re-roll wound rolls to fish for critical wounds for Devastating Wounds. Odds are good Abbadon will refund the cost of the strat anyway.

Equipment

Unit Analysis

As per the Daemon index, you can have 1/4 of your army in points be Chaos Daemons. As per the Adeptus Titanicus index, you can have up to 1 Chaos Titan model. As per the Chaos Knights index, you can have up to 1 titanic or 3 war dog Chaos Knights models in your army. See those tactica pages for an in-depth analysis, but remember, in both cases anything you field will lose its Faction rules (what happens in terms of Detachment rules will still be Detachment-specific, but you'll have to pick a CSM Detachment).

Characters

  • Chaos Lord: The typical leader of your Chaos Marines and a general powerhouse that can make a stratagem have no cost for his unit.

<tabs> <tab name="Chaos Lord"> In addition, once per game, he can increase the stats of his equipped melee weapons by 1 for the rest of the fighting phase; +1 attack, strength, armor piercing, and damage. Sadly he gives no buffs to anyone he leads, so grouping him with Legionnaires and Chosen only exist to add bodies between him and any enemy that isn't made for killing characters.

  • Comes right out the gate with a mighty daemon hammer. Though you do still have other weapons, none of them really stack up - The power fist is the closest in stats, but it still gives up [Devastating Wounds] for a 2+ WS while the Accursed Weapon that now stands in for power weapons and the chainsword both see dropoffs in effectiveness for more attacks.
  • While you can dual wield, there's not much point since it costs you the plasma pistol.

</tab> <tab name="Terminator"> Alongside the basic buffs of a Terminator, this beast of a man halves any damage he takes rather than a once-per-game ability, making this model an indomitable ire upon your opponent. Of course he still has the same flaw of the leader of the group having no actual buffs to anyone he leads, and the gutting of combi weapons has rendered him useless to gunner armies, but at least he’s more durable this edition, right? Right?

  • If you're looking for more melee options, you're pretty much given only two options: The twin weapons that are essentially the heretical equivalent to twin claws and the power fist for something stronger (with the Chainfist being just that with [Anti-Vehicle 3+].

</tab> </tabs>

  • Dark Apostle: The evil chaplain is now stuck with his two lackeys. He retains all the big draws of a chaplain, giving +1 to wound for any pack of legionaries, chosen, cultists or accursed cultists he joins in melee while also having a single-use ability to cure a unit within 9" of battle-shock. However, he also has an ability to sacrifice one of his lackeys (and sadly nobody else) to make one enemy he's engaged with to suffer 1 MW on a 2+ or d3 MWs on a 6.
    • Simply put, the sacrifice isn't worth it unless you really want someone dead on that turn. MEQs are all W2 or higher and no hero worth their statline will be threatened by the loss of those wounds.
  • Dark Commune: Not much they could do but go up, the Commune can join a mob of cultists or mutants to grant them a 5++ while the Demagogue is around. While all of them contain all manner of meager weapons, you do get a psyker and an Icon to get a re-roll when using Dark Pacts - Something you need with how puny they are. The demagogue also has a single-use ability to let the squad charge after advancing and adding +1 to hit and wound - maybe helpful for mutated cultists getting into the fray but nothing else.
    • Any sniper or unit with [Precision] can easily kill the Demagogue and turn the entire unit useless, of course.
  • Exalted Champion: What a sad day it is that the Exalted Champion, which lost practically everything in the previous edition, came to become the absolute necessity with the Chaos Lord being too obsessed with his own ego to help his men out. While his gear remains utterly anemic with a combi-weapon and exalted weapon, he now gives out the very handy +1 to hit to any squad he's a part of. Even better, he can now accompany any units occupied by another character so they can do all the heavy lifting.
  • Heretic Astartes Daemon Prince: While beefed at T9 W10 with a 2+/4++ save with a one-use 3++, they can no longer hide behind the other heretics. Their Hellforged Weapons is pretty much an amalgamation of their old sword, axe and claws with a split profile, though their Strike only sees them able to take on other smaller monsters and tanks while their swipes make them only somewhat able to handle MEQs while their Infernal Cannon lets them shoot something.
    • Of course, each god gives a bit of a boost on the prince. Khorne provides a hefty boost to the Strength of the melee weapons, Tzeentch only boosts the number of shots the cannon makes, Nurgle adds extra Toughness and Slaanesh adds to the Movement. What you don't get from any of this is any psychic power whatsoever.

<tabs> <tab name="On Foot"> Bumped to T10 thanks to not needing to be aerodynamic, making him less likely to go down to meltas. Gains both a 6" bubble of [Stealth] to make heretics crowd around them as well as a re-roll to one hit and wound roll per phase. </tab> <tab name="Wings"> The boost in speed is also met with a boost in aggression. In addition to making enemies test for battle-shock when charged, you also roll a pool of d6s for each wound they have left, dealing a mortal wound for each 4+. While it won't make them any better at punching anything bigger, it does help make your intended prey go down much faster. </tab> </tabs>

  • Lord Discordant on Helstalker:
  • Master of Executions: The duelist hero, as his super-axe both [Devastating Wounds] and [Precision] as well as the ability to grant CP for killing characters. The one reason you stick him onto a unit is because he can let them re-roll to hit when the enemy is missing models and re-rolls to wound when below half-strength.
    • While this all sounds cool, he isn't anywhere near his loyalist brethren. The Primaris Champion lets his squad re-roll charges and gives free uses of Heroic Intervention while the Judiciar has an invulnerable save in melee and lets his units fight first. Simply put, they will run you down in a fight.
  • Master of Possession: While not as powerful and as important as 9th edition, the buffs given to a unit he leads can get into the fray faster with a +1 to advance and charge; something that synergizes well with the Chosen’s ability to Advance and Charge. The 6+++ FNP isn’t the best thing in the world, but it gives extra durability to units he leads and makes failed tests from the Dark Pact survivable.
    • He also comes with an ability to deal a mortal wound to his unit (something to use your FNP on) to improve his psychic attacks with a +1 to hit and wound. This is actually really good because it ensures he wounds MEQs and TEQs on a 2+ with [Precision] on his Rites of Possession so any leaders in your opponent’s unit isn’t safe. Psykers Beware.
  • Sorcerer:

<tabs> <tab name="Sorcerer"> The Sorcerer has become limited in power this edition, with his Infernal Gaze power being relegated to a 24" shooting attack, with a variable profile depending on how hard you want to stare at your target. Can attach to Chosen and Legionaries, which limits his admittedly useful abilities from being widely effective. His first ability, Prescience, grants the unit he's leading a -1 to be hit, and his second ability, Gift of Chaos, happens after he fights or shoots with a [Psychic] ability, and forces a battle-shock test. If that test is failed, the enemy unit takes d3 mortal wounds. A decidedly average model with average abilities, take him if he appeals to you. </tab> <tab name="Terminator"> The chunkiest wizard you can get, coming with the standard termie profile and packing some choice abilities. Attaching this guy to your Terminator squad will let them reroll their advances and charges thanks to Warptime, and even better, Death Hex lets you gain an extra pip to your AP. Seeing as how he's the only unit apart from the termie Lord and Abaddon that can attach to them and is the only guy that actually buffs them, you'll be taking him if you want to actually run Terminators and not a gaggle of meat shields. </tab> </tabs>

  • Traitor Enforcer: An evil Commissar with a power fist whose only use is to join a pack of Traitor Guardsmen. He allows the guardsmen to use the Insane Bravery Strat for no CP, but it will cost you a model each time you use it. Consider it at your peril because you don't have someone to resurrect them.
    • You can also grab a chaos ogryn as a bodyguard, giving both some extra muscle and a 4+ FNP to go along with the enforcer's 5++ save.
  • Warpsmith: The evil techmarine, coming stock with two servos with a melta and flamer while wielding a plasma pistol and a powerful exalted weapon in place of any power weapons. If you really want him to dent tanks and paste MEQs, you can buy a daemon hammer. Despite being able to hide behind havocs, legionaries and chosen, he gets Lone Operative when he's within 3" of a Vehicle while also being able to heal d3 wounds on one to give +1 to hit.
    • While he can comfortably camp in the back with havocs and legionaries, there is an incentive to get him closer. His third ability forces an enemy Vehicle within 12" to make an instant Battle-shock test, which can help screw up things for the tank in question.

Epic Heroes

  • Abaddon the Despoiler: One of the very few to have lost out in tankiness, being nerfed to T5 with the same W9 and 2+/4++. Dark Destiny at least makes using Dark Pacts a good idea as passing the associated Leadership test lets him roll another d6 and win 1 CP. The Warmaster lets him pick from one of three different 6" buff auras: Paragon of Hatred lets friendly units re-roll to hit, Mark of Chaos Ascendant shares his 4++ save with friendly Infantry and Mounted units, Lord of the Chaos Legions lets friendly units re-roll Leadership and Battle-shock tests.
    • His combat loadout remains quite the threat and then some. The Talon of Horus remains plenty terrifying with a barrage of S7 AP-3 with Devastating Wounds while the strapped-on Combi-Bolter remaining S5 AP-1 D2 with Sustained Hits 1. Drach'nyen, however, got an absolutely monstrous buff, now being upped to Strength FOURTEEN AP-4 D3, also with Devastating Wounds - and all without any drawbacks that come with being a Daemon Weapon.
  • Cypher:
  • Haarken Worldclaimer: Benefited a lot from the edition change. For starters, he's learned how to throw his spear, which can be fired on the move thanks to [Assault], and also gets [Sustained Hits d3] as well, in case you roll a 6. Thanks to his Chaos Undivided mark, he'll be able to fish for that 6. In addition, his Head Taker ability gives his attached unit (just Raptors) a Hammer of Wrath-like ability, causing whatever they charge to take a mortal wound on a 4+ for every model that charged into engagement range. Because he hangs around with other scary guys, he forces units within 6" to take a battle-shock test if they're below starting strength, and thanks to the Raptors he's likely leading, those units take that test at a -1. His melee capability hasn't suffered, either, with his claw getting precision with 6 attacks on 2+, so he'll definitely nail anything lighter than a Marine captain in combat. He can also swing his spear in combat thanks to [Extra Attacks], and it keeps the [Sustained Hits d3] and gains [Lance]. All of this on a platform that can deep strike as well as rocking a 12" move and 4++, he'll definitely earn his keep if you're going all in on Raptors.
  • Huron Blackheart:
  • Fabius Bile:
  • Lucius the Eternal: If he is your warlord, you can only take slaanesh Chaos Daemons.
  • Vashtorr the Arkifane:

Battleline

A unit that can gain Battleline from a special rule, like Noise Marines, is not listed here as it does not have the keyword intrinsically.

  • Cultist Mob: Cheap, Shitty, and now no longer limited by arbitrary rules for Mere Mortals. These are units you leave on an objective point in your deployment zone and never care about for the rest of the game. They have a few minor guns they can use to defend themselves, but don’t bother kitting them for melee because they can’t take a punch at T3, Sv6, and a 7+ leadership making Dark Pacts more of a gamble than any other unit. It is probably a good idea to have a dark commune leading them just so they don’t die as quickly.
  • Legionaries: As the frontliners of your forces, they deservedly get plenty of variety in weapons, with so many guns they don't all even fit on the card. Among the ones more unique to the unit is the Balefire Tome, which used to make the unit psychic but now just gives a rather basic 18" A2 S5 AP-1 gun.
    • While they're plenty useful at range, their Veterans of the Long War ability strangely only lets them re-roll 1s to wound in melee (or re-roll all wounds if they're on an objective). Part of the issue is that they've undergone the great consolidation of weapons, now stuck with either their S4 CCWs or Chainswords if they want an extra attack and AP-1, with the sergeant having the option for an S5 AP-2 Accursed Weapon instead of the variety of power weapons. You can also take an S8 AP-2 D2 Heavy Melee weapon in case you have the heavy chainaxe from the more recent Legionaries box.

The Lost and the Damned

You can have up to 25% of your points be imported Battleline units from World Eaters, Death Guard, or Thousand Sons, and you modify their faction keyword on the way in. Note that you do not modify their Faction rule, which means any imported units below will get your Detachment rule but not your Faction rule (i.e. they will not get Dark Pacts, and instead will have to function with no Faction rule).

  • Khorne Berzerkers:
  • Plague Marines:
  • Rubric Marines:

Infantry

  • Accursed Cultists: Slightly tougher cultists with a 6+ FNP and OC2 for...some reason... Look, the only reason you're using these is because they're easy resurrectable fodder. It doesn't matter whether you sacrifice some of the puny mutants or the slightly stronger torments, you can resurrect them provided that they can hide for a bit.
  • Chaos Terminator Squad: Benefits from the new termie profile with an improved invulnerable save of 4++, though where the loyalist Terminators gain much from having attached characters, these guys don't benefit nearly as much. What they do get, is Despoilers: Each time a Dark Pact is made for the unit, reroll a hit roll of 1. Ideally they should be marked with Nurgle if you're footslogging them, preferably with an autocannon and combi-weapons in the squad in order to benefit from both [Sustained Hits 1] and [Devastating Wounds]. If you wish to Deep Strike them, then Khorne may be the way to go, thanks to [Lethal Hits] from their powerfists and chainfist.
  • Chosen: Chaos Marine Sternguard with a schizophrenic loadout and not much else. 2 per 5 can take combi-weapons, 1 can take a power fist but cannot replace their boltgun when they do, 2 can take plasma pistols instead of bolt pistols, and one can forgo all ranged weapons to take a set of paired accursed weapons. Admittedly, they have a great unit ability in Chosen Marauders, which lets them shoot and charge whenever they advance or fall back, but with such an anemic loadout you'll find it challenging to find a place for them in your army, especially since many units contribute far more.
    • Perhaps the best use for them might be to load them up with accursed weapons, partner them up with a Master of Possession & Exalted Champion, and use them as a MEQ grinder. When you have actual Possessed for that, or heck, even Warp Talons who do murdering much better, you might as well not bother.
  • Fellgor Beastmen: Gallowfall's newest kill team. While a bit tougher and stronger than any mere cultist, they are still OC1. This unit has strong preference to get into fights, as the entire squad only gets pistols except for the Shaman's Staff, and that offers nothing but a psychic weapon. In melee, meanwhile, the squad gets a +2 to charge rolls when charging enemies on objectives and you can pick up a very powerful great weapon to kill a couple MEQ on the way.
  • Havocs: Your versatile devastator marines. Their Stabilization Talons ability lets them ignore all modifiers to hit rolls or ballistic skill when firing their weapons, which is nice and lets you bully fliers or other folks with -1 to hit. Their weapons can be fired on the move due to the lack of [Heavy] at full ballistic skill, so feel free to reposition them if you need it. As for weapons, each Havoc can take any heavy weapon available, apart from the champ who's locked to either special weapons or melee. Their loadout should be focused around what you need to use them for (lascannons for anti-vehicle and monster, autocannons for pasting termies and light vehicles, and the heavy bolter or chaincannon for hordes and MEQs). The missile launcher is still the same jack of all trades and master of none, with the autocannon roughly approaching their krak profile with more consistency. They can be led by a Warpsmith, though he provides no specific benefit to them.
  • Noise Marines:
  • Obliterators: Something of a sidegrade from their previous incarnation, they retain the variable profile for their Fleshmetal Guns, they gained the ability to take marks, they can be taken in squads of 2-4, and they lose their ability to shoot into combat, which is replaced with something arguably better in Warp Rift Bombardment: Making a Dark Pact lets this unit gain the [Indirect Fire] ability for all their guns. Incredibly useful for all kinds of situations, this makes Obliterators into a versatile threat on the board. They didn't lose out on melee punch either, so don't be afraid to charge them into stuff.
    • Skinshift is the stratagem you'll want to remember for these guys, with Tzeentch-marked Oblits reviving a model on full wounds whenever this stratagem is used on them.
  • Possessed: They can take icons now, which is fantastic since Dark Pact is nuts on them. First off you're going to want to mark them as Slaanesh for that sweet, sweet 5+ [Sustained Hits], and then you're going to want to look at their ability, Unholy Bloodshed. This grants them [Devastating Wounds]. After this, feel free to toss them at anything at all, since they'll happily butcher anything smaller than a Leman Russ in melee. Take a Master of Possession to give them a 6+++ and +1 to advance and charge rolls, and consider using Unnatural Swiftness to get advance and charge, just to make sure whatever they're pointed at dies.
  • Traitor Guardsmen Squad: These cultists get access to some of the fancier guns of the Guard like plasma and snipers. While impressive, their melee output suffers as a result. While they can't perma-cap units like regular cultists, they do get cover when camping on an objective.

Fly

  • Raptors:
  • Warp Talons:

Beasts

  • Chaos Spawn:

Mounted

  • Chaos Bikers:

Vehicles

  • Chaos Land Raider:
  • Chaos Predator Annihilator: Much like the Destructor, using Dark Pact will be instrumental in getting this tank to work. Its lascannons pack a mighty wallop, and it's inbuilt ability Annihilator lets it reroll damage rolls, which is nice. Marking it with Nurgle lets it gain [Sustained Hits 1] on a 5+ after using Dark Pact which might be the better choice compared to Tzeentch thanks to the low shot count of the lascannons. If you choose to equip anything in the pintle mount, don't, since getting close defeats the purpose of lascannons and unlike the Destructor they gain no benefit from the Annihilator's ability.
    • You can use the Skinshift stratagem on this model to recover 3 lost wounds. Keep this in mind if you didn't bring a Warpsmith, though taking him alongside any Predator, or indeed, any vehicle at all, lets them gain an extra d3 in healing and a bonus +1 to hit rolls.
  • Chaos Predator Destructor: Might be worth something with Dark Pact now. Can swap their heavy bolter sponsons for lascannons, which offers them some flexibility against enemy armor. Their ability, Destructor, lets them improve the AP of their attacks by 1, which will make those pesky marines cry. Inexplicably lacks the [Rapid Fire 2] that the Death Guard Predator Destructor has, though this is likely because of the buffs Dark Pact grants. The most useful pintle weapon, if you choose to take one, is the Havoc Launcher, because it benefits from the Destructor ability and gains a pip of AP, making it effective for combating hordes.
    • Once again, marking them with Tzeentch or Nurgle makes them effective firing platforms, with the former granting them [Lethal Hits] on a 5+, and the latter providing [Sustained Hits 1] on a 5+.
  • Chaos Vindicator:

Walkers

  • Defiler:
  • Forgefiend: Has weapon options, but assuming you pay attention to the rules, it'll always have 1 ectoplasma cannon and 2 autocannons - both with Devastating Wounds. You'll also be constantly Dark Pacting for Sustained Hits 1, so make sure your trio of these have a Warpsmith babysitter.
  • Helbrute: An absolutely critical piece of your Tzeentch/Nurgle army, this dude has a 6" aura letting everyone in it (including him) get both Dark Pact benefits at once, not just one.
  • Maulerfiend:
  • Venomcrawler: This guy has gotten a bit of a glow up, with its Excruciator Cannons now getting 6 shots each with a decent anti MEQ profile at S6, -1 AP and 2D. In addition, it hits in melee with his Soulflayer Tendrils with the same profile. Where it really shines, though, is the ability it gets: Soul Eater. This nifty number lets it add 1 to all attacks it makes with its weapons when it kills a unit. All weapons. Kill a unit at range and get 1 bonus attack on your guns, for a total of 14 shots! Mark it with the Tzeentch mark and you wound anything on a 5+ with Dark Pact! Mark it with Slaanesh and use Unnatural Swiftness for 1 CP on it, and you don't even have to worry about the lack of [Assault]! What's more, it's got a movement of 12" and a defensive profile of a Rhino, with a 5++ thrown into the bargain. Treat it as a marine-blending torpedo and it should get the job done.
    • There are a few drawbacks to this guy, however. He doesn't buff psychic at all, compared to previous editions (though with the psychic keyword looking increasingly more and more like a liability this might not be a bad thing), and is of little use against heavier vehicles or monsters that will more than likely eat him for lunch.
    • It is uncertain whether or not this unit will keep the 6 shot Excruciator Cannon, seeing as how it has double the shots of its 9th edition incarnation. If it is intended, then the point cost for this unit is likely to increase dramatically compared to what it was previously.

Dedicated Transports

Aircraft

  • Heldrake: A terrifying model that stalks the skies of the battlefield and ensures the sky belongs to you. Its guns are nothing special, but its Heldrake Claws hit on a 2+ against flying models and comes with Devastating Wounds and Anti-Fly 2+, turning its S7 -1AP 2D into mortal wounds on anything with that [Fly] Keyword. It may be a bit fragile at T9, 12 Wounds with a -1 at a third of its health, but anything that is targeted by this fearsome flyer will be dropped to the ground bloodied and battered. Eldar vehicles beware, especially when the slaaneshi heldrake gets a lot of fives.

Titanic

  • Khorne Lord of Skulls:

Fortifications

  • Noctilith Crown: A large shield generator for your heretics, as they all get a 4++ save within 9" of it on top of all the other benefits of hiding behind it. It curiously has some token weapon in some ambient warp energy lashing out, but it's too short-ranged to matter for anything unless you've got peopled fighting around it.

Tactics

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Eldar
Necrons
Orks
Tau
Tyranids

</tab>

</tabs>

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