Grimdark Future: 'Fluffy' Havoc Brothers Lists 2.0, Part 1

With things and points values having being shuffled around and army lists having been tidied up with improvements, it was only a matter of time before I did for the dread Chaos Space Marines Havoc Brothers what has been done with the Battle Brothers 2.0 list. Much of what has changed with Battle Brothers also applied to their dark counterparts. For added variety, each of these 3k list has a secondary army added for both fluff and variety as that is technically legal in Grimdark Future! These also include callbacks to my favorite codex, the second version of the 3rd edition Codex: Chaos Space Marines.

Alpha Legion: The Hydra's Domination

"Hydra Dominatus!"

Armies: Havoc Brothers+Human Defense Forces

Much has been written about the Alpha Legion and most of it is a total lie. Of the Traitor Legions they are arguably those who have been both expanded and changed the most, having started almost as 'filler' in 2nd and 3rd edition as the youngest and most unproven Legion which was seduced to Horus' side. While the sneaky side of the Legion was quickly established by the time of the 3rd edition as well as their human operatives/cultist, it is the Horus Heresy novels which have pretty much defined the Alpha Legion as a potential 'third faction' manipulating loyalist and heretics alike. Except this contradicted previous portrayals so, clearly, this was a clear cut retcon of new lore outright replacing the new lore yes? Again, things aren't that simple with the Alpha Legion. It never is. Everything which is know about them is both true and false. That is the nature of the clusterfuck that are the Alpha Legion, where nothing make sense anymore and, maybe, never did.

Dark Champion Alpharius(?) [1] (145pts)

Assault Rifle+Fusion Rifle

Chosen Veteran

Havoc Tactics

Havoc Brothers [10] x2 (860pts)

6x Assault Rifles

2x Assault Rifle+Fusion Rifle

2x Flamethrower

Chosen Veteran

Havoc APC [1] x2 (470pts)

Assault Rifle+Flamethrower

Dozer Blade (Strider)

Havoc Missiles

Veteran Squad Demolition Cultists [10] x2 (400pts)

6x Shotgun

4x Heavy Flamethrower

Demo Experts (Rending in melee)

Veteran Squad Scout Cultists [10] x2 (460pts)

6x Assault Rifle

4x Plasma Rifle

Forward Sentries (Scout)

Sniper Squads Sniper Cultists [6] x4 (600pts)

Tactics: Playing with this list is knowing when and where to strike and with what weapon, applying force as need be. The various cultist squads have equipment analogous to Imperial Guard troops and each fill a different role, from the melee Demotion Cultist which can take care of soft targets to the Scouts bearing heavier weapons to suppress enemy forces ahead of time to the Snipers, who are weak but can eliminate enemies with deadly precision. Meanwhile, the main marine forces are heavily armed veterans with a versatile loadout, each in their own equally versatile tank.

Iron Warriors: Bitter Storm

Armies: Havoc Brothers+Human Defense Forces

Go dig a trench, you loser!

The Iron Warriors are bitter and cruel, even by the standards of the Traitor Legions. They are not the stark raving mad fools of the frenzied World Eaters or addicted Emperor's Children. No, the fury of the Iron Warriors is a cold thing. It is old, bitter, rancid and very petty. In the older lore, they were the hardy backbone of the Legiones Astartes and became known as the Legion to send in where all others would fail to secure victory and their battles were not the glorious and celebrated acts of heroism but nothing short of a meat grinder. Ten thousand years later and the Iron Warriors are still bitter and have since turned their iron will and technical aptitude toward the destruction of the Imperium of Man. They are Chaos Space Marines but, as with the Night Lords below, see Chaos more as a tool and weapon than something to slavishly worship and obey.

Dark Engineer [1] x2 (180pts)

Energy Hammer and Plasma Pistol

Havoc Brothers [10] x2 (700pts)

6x Assault Rifle¸

2x Assault Rifle+Flamethrower

2x Autocannon

Havoc Tank Vindicator [1] x2 (690pts)

Demolition Cannon

Twin Assault Rifle

Support Vehicle [1] x2 (570pts)

Artillery Cannon

Heavy Machinegun

Infernal Brute [1] x2 (770pts)

Brute Fist and Twin Assault Rifle

Twin Laser Cannon

Tactics: A brutal list lacking subtlety, with a strong focus on vehicles and walkers. It is inspired by the Iron Warrior's 3rd edition ability to take more Heavy Supports than anything else and the addition of Vindicators (before they were used by all Chaos Marines) and servitor-crewed Basiliks. There is little to no deeper thinking in this list beyond pummeling the enemy into a pile of dust and ashes. The army's leaders are Dark Engineer, whose primary purpose is to repair the various vehicles and mechs.

Night Lords: Talons of the Night

*cue edgy Disturbed songs*

Armies: Havoc Brothers+Disciples of War

Space Marines, but their very nature are monsters: transhuman abominations and killers, living weapons designed for a grim task. The Night Lords, however, were the absolute worst of the worst. Their Legion was created from the progeny of scum, criminal, rapists and worse and later from the gangs of Nostramo. With a wicked nature and affinity for the dark (to the point of light allergy) the Night Lords were destined to become the monsters in the night and were a Legion well on its way toward dissolution before even the Horus Heresy, as the extreme nature of its members and Primarch alike were on a constantly downward spiral of brutality. Of course, this description is somewhat flowery and on the purple side as the reality is that the Night Lords are edgy as fuck: the got fanged demon helmets, skull, chain, razors and flayed skin covered their large armored frame. If the Iron Warriors are unsubtle in their application, the Night Lords are unsubtle in presentation as they proudly and openly make themselves icons of absolute terror to the point gaudiness. Of course good luck telling that to the massive, armored super soldier with razor claws and live.

Dark Champion [1] (100pts)

Twin Energy Claws

War Chant

+Furious

Talon Raptors [10] x2 (950pts)

1x Plasma Pistol & Energy Hammer

1x Flamethrower

1x Fusion Pistol

Talon Raptors Warp Talons [10] (670pts)

Twin Energy Claw

Veteran Infantry

+Frenzy

Havoc Bikers [6] x2 (1240pts)

2x Assault Rifle

4x Fusion Rifle

+Furious

Tactics: This is an ambush army, relying primarily on jump pack-equipped infantry. There are two types, the regular Raptors and the dreaded, part-man-part-warp-entity-part-something else Warp Talons, who are represented in this list as Talon Raptors upgraded with Frenzy and Veteran Infantry. These are a costly unit but its results in melee cannot be overstated as with a good roll they can pretty much end anything on a well-placed charge. The biker outriders, meanwhile, can flank enemy positions and destroy tanks.

Word Bearers: Zealous Assault

"Have you heard of the Word of
Chaos?"

Armies: Havoc Brothers+Wormhole Daemons (Change)

Faith is a complicated thing. In this day and age it is often seen as superstition or the refuge of those who cannot face reality. This is a cruel interpretation of faith which does not address the human need and desire for a power greater than themselves, indeed, the Emperor of Mankind's foolish ban on Faith only fueled religious cults in the Imperium as people needed something to cling to. In time, dark powers whispered to the truly desperate, luring them to he side of Chaos. It is my personal interpretation that the Word Bearers embody the worst aspects of faith: not because it is faith, but rather it is faith which the foul and the weak willed crave to self-justify. The Word Bearers and their Primarch needed something to believe in and, even worse, they needed to believe in something which would not only acknowledge them and reward them, granting them power and purpose. To me, at least personally, there is something perverse and needy in the Word Bearers. There is something wrong, perverse and transactional in that faith there which led these Marines into the open arms of a perverse and demonic powers which, while completely true within the context of that universe, are not Gods one should worship.

Dark Champion Dark Apostle [1] (90pts)

Plasma Pistol & Energy Hammer Accursed Crozius

War Chant

Cultist Champion [1] x3 (105pts)

Pistol & CCW

Daemon Champion [1] (200pts)

Psychic (1)

Mutated Possessed [6] (520pts)

Havoc Brothers [10] x3 (870pts)

8x Pistol & CCW

1x Flamethrower

1x Fusion Rifle

Cultists [10] x3 (540pts)

8x Pistol & CCW

2x Shotgun

Change Warriors [10] x3 (570pts)

10x Twin Claws

Tactics: This is a foot-slogging, assault-heavy army with Daemons of Tzeentch to aid them, with expendable cultists to act as a screening force. This army is quite geared for short range engagements and charging enemy forces, even if it isn't purely optimized for melee. The Dark Apostle can give +1 attack to any Havoc Brothers squad, the cultists got pistols & CCW and the Daemon Champion is a monstrous unit too (and Psychic). The Possessed are fast and the Change Warriors can ambuh, allowing this list to quickly flank an enemy with some fairly hard-hitting melee units.