Grimdark Future: Multi-Faction Deodorant Stick Grav-Tanks (Redux)

Still a classic.

Since the original post has been published, the game Grimdark has undergone some changes in mechanics and the point cost of certain abilities and weapons. As a result, I have decided to redo the stat blocks for the various 'Deodorant Grav Tanks' to make them more in line with recent versions of the game. For added fun, there are more variants of the Grav-Tank to make it fit other armies. The main battlefield function of the Grav Tanks are:

• Its a cheap tank, at Tough 6. It doesn't pack too many guns even when upgraded. This make it cheap both in pts cost and in real-life cost, as it doesn't require all that much to be assembled.
• Its an agile harassment unit, with a role similar to buggies or combat Jeeps. Grav-Tanks are in the same 'weight class' as an army's transport but mount one of the guns of a main battle tank.

With that in mind, here's a redo of the legendary Deodorant-pattern Grav Tank for Grimdark Future. I wasn't quite satisfied with the Ork and Tau version so these are getting a better redo some day.

Grav Tank

Factions: Battle Sisters, Dwarf Guilds, Human Defense Forces, Infected Colonies, Inquisition, Machine Cult, Machine Cult Defilers, Ratmen Clans, Rebel Guerrilla, Soul-Snatchers Cult, Vile Rattus Cult

The basic Imperial Grav-Tanks have a statline which them well-suited to a number of armies, as one can assume a variety of factions either produce and use them or, at the very least, loot them for their own purpose. These two version of the Grav-Tank are not as heavily armed as their Battle Brothers counterpart, the Attack Speeder and lack Ambush. These don't blast down from the sky or anything. They are just regular vehicles who just so happen to float rather than use tracks or wheels. Being light grav-tanks they are limited in the amount of weapons they can pile on, which also reflect the limited nature of building a model for these. Since last time, the Grav-Tank has gone down in price due to the change in points. One difference in its stat blocks is that the Machinegun upgrade now take the place of the 'main gun', limiting its extra weapons to the Storm Rifle and Hunter Missile Launcher, while its main gun has gained a few more options.

Name	Qua	Def	Equipment	Special Rules	Cost
Grav-Tank [1]	4+	2+	Machinegun (36", A3)	Fast, Impact(6), Strider, Tough(6)	150pts
Upgrade with one:
Storm Rifle (24”, A2)					+5pts
Reinforced Ram (Impact(+3))					+10pts
Hunter Missiles (48”, A1, AP(3), Deadly(3))					+30pts
Replace Machinegun:
Heavy Flamethrower (12”, A6, AP(1))					Free
Heavy Machinegun (36”, A3, AP(1))					+5pts
Laser Machinegun (36”, A3, AP(2))					+10pts
Fusion Cannon (24”,A1,AP(4),Blast(3))					+10pts
Missile Launcher – pick one to fire: HE (48”, A1, Blast(3)) AT (48”, A1, AP(3), Deadly(3))					+15pts
Laser Cannon (48”,A1,AP(4),Deadly(3))					+20pts
Upgrade with:
Forward Observer (Scout)					+5pts

Assault Grav-Tank

Factions: Battle Brothers

This type of Grav-Tank is only slightly larger and heavier than the regular Grav-Tank. It differs from its cousins, the Speeders, by its relatively lightweight construction and smaller weaponry. Much like the smaller Light Grav Tank it is a recon vehicle and lacks the ability to dive into the atmosphere. In terms of raw stats and point cost, the two are rather similar when not upgraded.

Name	Qua	Def	Equipment	Special Rules	Cost
Assault Grav-Tank [1]	3+	2+	Heavy Flamethrower (12”, A6, AP(1))	Fearless, Fast, Impact(6), Strider, Tough(6)	210pts
Upgrade with one:
Storm Rifle (24”, A2)					+5pts
Reinforced Ram (Impact(+3))					+10pts
Hunter Missiles (48”, A1, AP(3), Deadly(3))					+40pts
Replace Heavy Flamethrower:
Heavy Machinegun (36”, A3, AP(1))					+10pts
Laser Cannon (48”,A1,AP(4),Deadly(3))					+20pts
Missile Launcher – pick one to fire: HE (48”, A1, Blast(3)) AT (48”, A1, AP(3), Deadly(3))					+45pts
Upgrade with:
Forward Observer (Scout)					+5pts
For Blood Brothers: Very Fast					+15pts
For Dark Brothers: Grim					+15pts

Worlds Without Number: Creatures and Critters of Latter Earth

The last WWN post in a while, this one is a collection of random and weird creatures to populate Latter Earth, as first extrapolated in this post. Not every fantastical or bizarre creature needs to be a 'monster', some are perfectly ordinary animals give or take centuries of human and Outsider experimentation to produce the right type of critters for their needs.

Sheeps (Fluffers, Beaked Sheeps, Hairy Hen)

Like this, but way bigger. (wVw)

No, not the sheep we know of. Their name is usually 'sheep' in whatever local language because the creature has a role similar to woolly sheep. Not every animal found on Latter Earth is terrifying abomination, some are cute, adorable and cuddly in their own way. The Hairy Hen or Wooled Hen to use a number of names are ancient descendants of genetically engineered Silkie Hen which can grow to the size of cattle. Unlike the regular type, they are much larger and covered in a coat of something very much closer to actual wool. This fluffy coat can be sheared and made into avian wool, which is one of the reason these creatures are raised.

The second reason is that, unlike a sheep, they lay eggs which include fertile and non fertile eggs. A single 'sheep' can lay a giant egg which is good source of food. It is clear these creatures were engineered to optimized farming as the animal is multi purpose: they can be sheared for wool, their eggs and flesh are edible and they are larger enough to cart around wagons, even if they aren't exactly the best beasts of burden by any stretch. While generally kind creatures, they are omnivorous and their beak are lined with teeth which they use to eat grass, small animals and just about anything. An angered and suitably frightened sheep is no fighter but the creature is still capable of biting off a man's hand if suitably frightened.

Blind Hounds (Pale Hound, Pale Beasts, Deep Wolves)

Art by Simon Guillory-Seguin

While quite hideous in form, Blind Hounds aren't monsters. They might smell bad, have slimy skin and a slavering maw filled with teeth for rending flesh but they aren't monstrous. They have no monstrous urge and are simply an engineered life form. Seemingly grown in the Depths from a fusion of canine, moles and underground creatures which may include worms, the Blind Hounds are large quadrupedal blind creatures with a mentality similar to a loyal hound or a vicious attack dog which they were indeed bred to be.

In an reversal of the changes from wolves to dogs, the original Blind Hounds were much smaller creatures, with a slimmer build to squeeze through tunnels and their paws were designed to grab on to ceilings and walls of the Dephs. The modern, surface-dwelling breeds are freed from the constraint of the Depths and have been bred to ever larger size, with increased intelligence and ferocity. As with their genetically engineered ancestors, they are still blind but can detect smells and vibrations through their skin to an almost preternatural degree. Blind Hounds aren't particularly popular on the surface as guard beast now that humans and demihumans have 'real' hounds but these creatures retain a use among folks who live a semi-subterranean existence or among those whose environment is a bit more cramped. Another use of the Blind Hounds is that they can detect things which sight alone cannot, since they can sense pure movement, rending invisibility completely useless against them at short range.

So, Dragonlance got cancelled....I guess? Should I even care at this point?

The Heroes of the Lance

I try to not get too political on the blog, even if I am elsewhere. This post is a bit different.

I'm not sure I got anything truly insightful to add about the current Dragonlance kerfuffle going except a general sense of being both bummed out yet relieved. The Dragonlance books have a special place in my heart and are nothing but a source of memories for not so much better times as simply bitter-yet-nostalgic times, namely my high school years which were absolute hell yet also the only time in my life where deeper friendship and camaraderie were at the forefront of my life. While I consider them to be rather simplistic and often mediocre fantasy novels they nonetheless played a massive part in getting me into D&D (and tabletop as a whole) as well as making new friends and introducing them to fantasy. They're harmlessly 'okay' in my opinion and in spite of their flaws the main books as written by Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman have some genuine moment of friendship and humanity in these characters which elevate an otherwise fairly basic fantasy story. The Heroes of the Lance aren't amazingly complex characters by any means but I like to think their bonds with each others are genuine and touching at times. Sometimes a story can be basic, simple and bland yet still very earnest.

Dragonlance getting 'cancelled' in 2020 is nothing new, especially with Weiss and Hickman's Mormon roots presumably being quite offensive to the very clearly 'Progressive Consumerist'*-aligned Wizards of the Coast. Maybe I could rant and rave about that. Maybe I'm wrong and there are deeper legal thing going on. Somehow I'm not too mad. Sure, maybe I'm angry enough to write a blogpost about it but really, thinking back I have to ask myself: did we really need any more Dragon Lance novels? I haven't read any recent Dragonlance novels in a long time. The series is utterly massive and, as with any long-running fantasy novel series, most are likely to be pretty hit or miss. Generally, my favorite ones are the Hickman & Weiss. The Age of Mortals and everything leading up to it and following it has been quite a mess which broke the setting. The 'Lost Chronicles' seemed little more than an attempt to recapture the 'good years' of Dragon Lance in the mid-to-late 2000 by returning to the Heroes of the Lance.

Ultimately, Dragonlance was always about the Heroes of the Lance and everything else was, at best, a bonus. These characters have come and gone. Their stories have been told and most of them got killed off or retired. While I could decry the loss of one final trilogy by Weiss & Hickman, to be honest I'm quite glad we aren't getting one. Too much of modern pop culture consist of going back to the classics and adding yet another story after the many endings and ruining it to score socio political brownie points. Let Dragonlance's heroes stay dead and retired. Let their story end. Let me remember them as they were, when I was a young teenager and not as a bitter jaded, aging adult.

They earned their rest, haven't they?

*AKA people who pander to Twitter's so-called 'Progressives' while having extremely exploitative companies full of double standards, predatory practices and encouraging consumerist allegiance while supposedly decrying capitalism. The kind of people who think they 'fight the man'...by buying the product of  a global multinational corporation.

Exalted/Godbound: The Age of Brass

Oh, Exalted: my eternal love-hate relationship of liking more the ideas of a game than any execution and certainly disliking the mechanical end of it all. Every few months my mind is inevitably drawn back to it either by something or by someone mentioning or discussing the game, reigniting my endless love-to-hate/hate to love feeling for the game. That's just the way it is for me, it seems.

Exalted: The Third Age

Artist unknown.

The best way to use Exalted, in my eyes, is to reuse the setting but at the same time wipe the slate clean. This may appear a bit counterproductive, but my primary issue with Exalted (okay well, to be fair I have so many issues its hard to list them all, let alone put them in order!) is that its interesting concepts are invariably screwed over by having too much lore written for it. I get that said lore is obviously the appeal but the issue of a setting being too written about is that it never seem to leave much room for a Game Master to interpret and use things in a way beneficial to his game. There need to be space to make shit up.

The name 'Age of Brass' come from the final comic in Return of the Scarlet Empress, which I've discussed before and called the second worst thing to happen to Exalted. It might seem strange to create a hypothetical take on Exalted which follows the events of the Second Edition metaplot I so often malign but the possible list of events described and outlined in that book are designed to utterly shake Creation and break it. As a result it makes a rather good starting point. The main ideas are as follow:

• The Yozi attempted the Reclamation with their Infernal Exalted. While it did temporarily 'work' in a manner of speaking and did immense damage to Creation, this 'second Primordial War' ultimately still ended in a victory for Heaven. At a price.
• Most of the powerful NPC are long dead and/or missing in some shape or form. All 100 Sidereals ended up dead either before, during or after the Reclamation. This mean there is not a single Sidereal alive in the Third Age who wasn't born after it.
• The same applies to all other Celestial Exalted. All Solars died during the second Primordial War or they became one of the few survivors, who then were killed by some other threat in the era of reconstruction that followed. No Solar or Lunar exist today that wasn't Exalted in at the very least the aftermath of it.
• A sizable portion of the already low in number Infernal Exalted are now lost, their Exaltations having been captured during or after the war and returned to their original Solar parameters. The remaining few (less than ten) Infernals are the 'neutral' Devil-Tigers, which are Primordials 2.0.
• The map has changed quite a bit from the ensuing damage, changes and then repair made to Creation. However the five Elemental poles remain.
• The original Realm has been dissolved and the Scarlet Empress is dead, having been turned into the new Earth Pole as eternal penance. There are competing forces of Terrestrials who would want to return either the Realm or Shogunate or something similar.
• Heaven is a mess with most Gods dead and thus replaced by their successors, some of them former mortals or even dead Exalt (previously Ghosts, now elevated to proper Spirit status). Heaven is ever-busy, messy and generally unlikely to ever assemble. Basically, beside calling personal favor if they can, PC cannot count on Yu-Shan and the Incarnae to fix any mess.
• Creation is not ruled by any singular force: there are scattered domains ruled by Exalted, some by Gods eager to retake their role now that the Immaculate Faith is fading, some places are Shadowlands ruled by ancient Ghosts and others are 'garden', invaded by the Fae/Raksha.

This new Creation is an even more broken and diminished one compared to the Second Age but that doesn't mean hope cannot spring eternal. With the few surviving Yozis locked back in their prison and the Ebon Dragon gone (but is he really dead?), this new era of Creation is more open to sandboxing.

The Missing Exaltations

In Second Edition, the total and exact number of each Exalted type was given. In order to return a sense of mystery, such knowledge is lost in the Third Age. When the Solar, Lunar and even rogue Abyssals went to war against the rising threat of the Reclamation, most of them perished in the conflict. While their Exaltations did return to Heaven in some capacity, many more have become missing. Exaltations are believed to be indestructible but it is known they can be contained. Some have speculated that the dying Primordials could have uttered a second Great Curse while others believe these Exaltations are simply 'trapped' in the death throes of dying Yozis, especially the Ebon Dragon's black hole-like corpse which at one point covered the land in such metaphysical darkness and deceit that no one can even remember who it was that struck the blow which finally killed him. Or perhaps cowards fled into the Wyld rather than fight and simply never returned. Who can say?

The Sidereals are the only ones fully accounted for in numbers, being fated and all that stuff. However even their ranks are diminished as the loss of old factions and mentors have scattered them, with many younger Sidereals now pursuing their own agenda, often in defiance to a lot of other factors. Meanwhile most Infernals are gone, having been destroyed and their Exaltations taken back by Heaven to return to their Solar selves, safe for the remaining Devil-Tigers which will be detailed in a bit. To recap:

• Nobody knows how many Solar, Abyssal and Lunars are left. There might be one or two original Infernals around but that is unlikely.
• Sidereals aren't remotely united, many of them having gone rogue.

The Devil-Tigers and Asura

Art by Peter Mohrbacher

The Devil-Tigers were heretical Infernals, who came to resent their hellish masters and sought to transcend. Heretical Infernal Charms allowed them to reshape their own nature, powers and even Exaltation while also allowing them to create sub-souls like a Yozi. Befitting a slightly more optimistic take on Exalted, the Devil-Tigers are a neutral force in Creation, allowed to exist with the somewhat reluctant agreement of Heaven, even if the two clash just about every single day. Across Creation are pocket empire, cults or other organization and structures centered around the Devil-Tigers, the transcendent ones and the great Asuras. The name is taken from the pre-imprisonment name of Demons, which was Devas, as a nod to Hindu mythology. These beings are the New Titans, quite limited in power and scope compared to their predecessors but still dangerous to face. They are a new power in Creation, one which no one is really sure what exactly it will create in the long run.

The Devil-Tigers are the reincarnated Infernal Exalted whose Exaltation has become redefined by their own nature. They are exultant beings, newborn embodiment of Human will, desire and thoughts ascended to cosmic heights. Wherever their influence spread, the world is slowly reshaped either by their own hand or that of their Asuran sub-souls. The best way to explain them would be to see them as the Neutral or Chaotic Neutral alignment, in a way. They are capable of great feat of rage and destruction as much as grandiose feat of love and passion, creating wars as much as they destroy empires to usher in new peace in a region. Their purpose is to be a 'wild card' distinct from Heaven, the Underworld or the Wyld. Each of them is very much their own Faction and they can be allies just as much as they can become a major antagonist. Some of them work (with great difficulty) with Heaven an other Exalted to help push back ever growing tides of the Wyld, while others seek only material gain and to expand their would-be Empire because that is the nature they have chosen. Yet, fortunately for all, Devil-Tigers being born of once-human beings mean they are tied to Creation and human nature. Which, perhaps, is their only weakness?

Grimdark Future: 'Fluffy' Lists, Odds and Ends

Some miscellaneous lists for Grimdark Future, which don't really fit or belong in a larger thematic post as well as additions to previous posts centered on specific factions. As usual these are 3000pts for the game Grimdark Future and are non-competitive lists, meaning they do not fit the restrictions of competitive play.

Necrons: Destroyer Cults

List: Robot Legions

DESTROY

The Destroyer Cult is a massive expansion of the concept of Necron Destroyers, which once used to be simply a variation of Necrons with a skimmer body, carrying heavy weapons. The Destroyer Cult is what happen when higher ranked (and thus more intelligent and self-aware) Necrons become utterly consumed by the urge to kill and destroy even by the omnicidal standards of their race. Destroyers are modified and augmented into stronger forms more directly optimized for utter destruction which come in an ever increasing variety these days to the point an all-Destroyer army is now viable.

While they are powerful, the other Necrons somewhat dislike them as Destroyers have a bit of a bad habit of causing more damage than what their master may desire. This can even get to the point that their destruction could actively sabotage the greater plans of the Necron Overlords. It is safe to say that, while Destroyers usually win the battle they sometime risk costing the war.

Tri-Scorpion Overseer [1] (235pts)

Tri-Scorpions [3] x2 (680pts)

2x Twin Armblades

1x Heavy Armblade

Annihilators [3] x2 (870pts)

2x Gauss Cannons

1x Heavy Gauss Cannon

Heavy Annihilator [1] x2 (600pts)

Exterminator Cannon

Tri-Scorpion Pistoleer [1] x2 (440pts)

Tactics: Elite armies are always difficult to play and this list is no different. The closest the list has to basic units are the Tri-Scorpion, with one squad led by their Overseer. These all-melee (except the Overseer, he has a gun) are quite powerful but lack in versatility beyond just getting into melee and wrecking stuff. The different types of Annihilator are the main ranged units and their function varies, with the basic type having one anti-tank weapon for squad while the heavies carry anti-infantry with Blast. In both cases they use Ambush and should be deployed accordingly. Finally, the pistoleer are close range anti-infantry, each packing six guns and the relentless ability.

Tyranids: Hive Fleet Nidhoggr

The Balor Hive Tyrant

List: Alien Hives

Hive Fleet Nidhoggr is a creation of /tg/, back when the board was any good and not consisting of nothing but shit stirring. Taking a break from creating Space Marine chapters, people worked in creating a Tyranid Hive-Fleet. While the army is infamous for endless horde of lesser creatures, this one diverge from the usual spam of lesser life forms to focus on the really fun part of Tyranids: the monsters.

Hive Fleet Nidhoggr evolved two things in its bioforms: increase size and mass combined with a love of all form of fire, with matching resistance built into their biology. These Tyranids launch spores which burrow themselves into the planet's crust, only to later disgorge the massive, smoldering Tyranid bio creatures, each a towering inferno of rage and flame. This, combined with the inevitable tectonic damage, has given the Hive Fleet a reputation as true eater and breakers of worlds.

Hive Lord Balor Hive Tyrant [1] (430pts)

Whip Limb and Sword Claw

Heavy Bio-Carbine Bio-Flamer

Bio-Recovery (Regeneration)

Tyrant Beast [1] x2 (1120pts)

Bio-Minigun

Serrated Claws

Bio-Recovery (Regeneration)

Flamer Beast [1] x3 (555pts)

Serrated Claws

Veteran Warrior [1] x2 (290pts)

Serrated Claws

Whip Limb & Sword Claw

Wings

Hive Warriors [3] x2 (480pts)

Serrated Claws

Whip Limb & Sword Claw

Wings

Tactics: This is an elite all-monster army and boy is it a shooty one, too. The weaknesses often found in such a limited army are (somewhat) alleviated by the sheer firepower and number of attacks stacked on several of these creatures, making use of Serrated Claws to increase the number of attacks in order to dispatch any mass of infantry that may get into melee while the guns are equally adept at keeping the enemy at bay in a hail of bio-plasma, flame and whatever else these bastard regurgitate. The closest this list has to a base infantry are the flying warriors, who can be either used to claim objective or charge into melee, lacking any guns but being equipped with two pairs of melee weapons; one for anti-infantry and one for anti-tank.

Imperial Guard: Solar Auxillia

List: Feudal Guards

They also looked way cooler.

The Solar Auxillia were, during the Great Crusade, among if not the best non-Astartes fighting force. The Imperial Army, predecessor to the Imperial Guard, had its elite soldiers the same way the modern guard has Stormtroopers and these are the Solar Auxilia. In an era dominated by power armored posthuman, the Solar Auxilia dared to challenge even the might of the Astartes Legion as being some of the best damn soldiers the Imperium of Man had. Compared to the modern Guards they were better trained and better equipped compared to the mere rabble the modern Imperial Guard would look like by comparison.

The 'Feudal Guard' list for Grimdark Future is as close as one can get to remaking the ass-kicking glory of the Solar Auxillia, thanks to their superior skill, armor and much better morale. These guys and gals are better, tougher, with better guns and they are a lot less likely to shit their pants when a daemon start tearing into their ranks.

Feudal General Squad Sergeant [1] x3 (210pts)

Commander

Feudal Guardsmen [10] x3 (645pts)

Feudal Standard (Fear)

Medical Training

Feudal Specialists [10] x2 (540pts)

10x Flamethrower

Heavy Battle Tank Malcador Heavy Tank A [1] x2 (950pts)

Battle Cannon

Heavy Machinegun

2x Heavy Machineguns

Heavy Battle Tank Malcador Heavy Tank B [1] (475pts)

Anti-Tank Cannon

Laser Cannon

2x Heavy Machineguns

Tactics: Know that you rule the firepower game and that only a few armies can truly outshine such a list in terms of firepower. The three basic squads of infantry, while not particularly impressive, are reliable and able to sustain a constant hail of fire, augmented by their hero's ability. In particular the 'Focus Fire' option should help. Meanwhile the two Specialist squads all pack flamethrower ensuring no enemy infantry can out compete you. The true stars, however, are the three monstrous Heavy Tanks. The first type is fairly general-purpose but the last one of the trio is a designate tank-killer.

Bonus: The Megarachnids

List: Alien Hives

Megarachnids handing their asses
to the Emperor's Children

Technically speaking, the Megarachnids aren't Tyranids and as far as we know and aren't remotely related. However the two races are clearly cut from the same mold, both being hive-bade arthropoidal creatures which use bio-engineering to create many different forms and caste (or 'clades' as they were known), all serving a different purpose within the hive and their society. Now the Megarachnids weren't as powerful as Tyranids, having been previously defeated by a Human-Xenos civilization and exiled to a single planet. The Imperium came across that world during the course of the Great Crusade, where it earned the name 'Murder' due to the sheer amount of bloodshed the Megarachnids unleashed on the unsuspecting Astartes.

The Alien Hives list is well suited to represent the Megarachnids as they were in their diminished state upon the planet 'Murder', as even without their more advanced technology each of their warrior clades was a monster filled with razor-sharp limbs able to cut to ribbons a fully armored Space Marine which is no easy feat. These partially organic, partially synthetic limbs were the hallmark of the warrior clade.

Ravenous Beasts [6] x5 (2250pts)

Twin Sword Claws

Tunnel Attack (Ambush)

Hive Warriors [3] x3 (720pts)

Twin Sword Claws

Wings

Tactics: This isn't an optimal army list by any mean, but its very thematic. The army consist of fast, three wounds monsters all with Ambush, representing how the Megarachnids loved to pop out of nowhere from between their weird alien 'tree' and would descend upon Space Marines to cut them to ribbons. With AP1 Deadly 3 a single attack still has a chance to inflict enough wounds to instantly kill a captain or similar heroes, which is the point. A full squad has 36 of those damn attacks so you know someone is going to fail and get brutally maimed, which re-enact what happen in the novel 'Horus Rising'. The flying dudes are similar but they fly, so that's some variety but not much. All Megarachnids do is jump on enemies and create a tar pit of melee violence where they cut and cut and cut.

Grimdark Future: 'Fluffy' Havoc Brothers Lists 2.0, Part 2

We continue the look at a second version of Chaos Space Marines Havoc Brothers for Grimdark Future, this time focused on the 'cult' Legions and units of the four Gods of Chaos, which would be the World Eaters of Khorne, Death Guards of Nurgle, Emperor's Children of Slaanesh and the Thousand Sons of Tzeentch. Each a legion reshaped by their dedication to their baleful patron.

World Eaters: Tides of Fury

MAIMKILLBURNMAIM
KILLBURNMAIMKILL...

Armies: Havoc Brothers+Disciples of War

The World Eaters are a broken Legion, shattered by internal conflicts and a general lack of sanity and coherence. Driven by martial pride and a berzerker rage they fight forever and ever to the pleasure of their patron, the Blood God known as Khorne, the lord of skulls. While normally these long blurbs tend to discuss the Legion's history and themes, this blurb will rather offer a criticism of the World Eaters lore, namely that they have severely 'devolved' in the lore since the early editions with the Berzerkers going from elite (if unhinged) Assault Troops to basically being often the only thing they have.

This is pretty stupid, as even the Orks, a race entirely focused on violence, have fire support units, mechanics and more to help sustain their war effort while the World Eaters are supposedly all a bunch of drooling morons who can only scream and attack each others when there is nothing in sight. If the World Eaters are truly such degenerated animalistic monsters then their warbands simply cannot sustain themselves post-heresy. Older lore featured mention and concept art of things such as 'World Eater Devastators' (before the name of 'Havocs' was invented for Chaos Marine heavy weapon squads?). While their ban on sorcerers make sense given the Khornate nature it seems extremely silly to think the World Eaters are 100% composed of Berzerkers and nothing but Berzerkers.

Lord of War [1] (165pts)

Heavy Cleaver

Destroyer Armor

Blessing of War

Dark Champion [1] (90pts)

Energy Sword and Plasma Pistol

War Chant

+Furious

Havoc Destroyers [5] (435pts)

5x Twin Assault Rifles and Energy Fist

+Furious

Berserkers [10] x3 (930pts)

6x Pistol and CCW

4x Plasma Pistol & Energy Sword

Havoc APC [1] x3 (720pts)

Assault Rifle+Flamethrower

Havoc Missiles

Spiked Ram (Impact(+3))

Infernal Brute A [1] (340pts)

Brute Fist & Assault Rifle Array

Twin Heavy Machinegun

Infernal Brute B [1] (290pts)

2x Brute Flail

Tactics: The World Eaters excel at close quarter combat and this is a list with the potential to absolutely wreck everything. Assign the Lord of War to his Destroyer squad and watch the enemy crumble as any 2+ roll in melee results in multiple hits from Energy Fists and the Lord's cleaver. The Champion can be assigned to a Berzerker squad and help them generate additional attacks while their designated transport can help deal with infantry masses, since it is able to charge into melee and generate multiple automatic hits while their guns are also geared to counter masses of infantry. Finally, the first Infernal Brute can offer fire support while the other join the melee fun.

Death Guards: Terminal Disease

The funk of forty thousand years

Armies: Havoc Brothers+Disciples of Plague

Before their re-imagining as a moral jovial and comical force, the Death Guards embodied the truly terrible side of Nurgle. Their Legion was a proud one and to see themselves warped and twisted by the Plague God in a moment of weakness has rendered them bitter and almost pathetic. One could easily see their more exultant portrayal as servants of Nurgle as something almost akin to a Legion-wide Stockholm Syndrome, a lie they tell themselves to be able to look in the mirror and see their diseased and twisted forms.

Forget the grinning and the laughter because the Death Guard have not become 'softer' in those ten thousand years. They are still the bitter, hardened veterans of the most dangerous battlefields and this should always be remembered: Mortarion's sons are a toughened lot in body and mind and their diseased, almost undead, bodies have only grown tougher and swelled with Nurgle's foul gifts. The Death Guards can be an extremely serious and terrifying foe, whose very presence (and smell) can render entire battalion of Imperial Guardsmen with warp-tinged fear and any survivor is bound to be sickened and doomed to a slow death, their soul ending in Nurgle's garden.

Lord of Plague [1] (255pts)

Plasma Pistol & Reaper Scythe

Destroyer Armor

Blessing of Plague

Plague Bodyguard Destroyers [6] (590pts)

Plague Destroyers [5] x2 (1150pts)

2x Assault Rifle+Plasma Rifle

2x Assault Rifle+Fusion Rifle

1x Plague Flamethrower & Plague Swords

Plague Brothers [10] x2 (700pts)

8x Assault Rifle

2x Plague Launcher

Plague Walkers [10] x2 (280pts)

Tactics: This is an elite, tanky infantry-only list but it has the potential to seriously cave in the enemy's face. Assign the Lord of Plague to the Bodyguards. These and the two other Destroyer squads are ambush units and can deployed accordingly. Squads of expendable Plague Walkers help the meager infantry selection a bit by increasing the amount of activations to enable a better board presence and control.

Emperor's Children: Warp Amp

Armies: Havoc Brothers+Disciples of Lust

"THIS QUIET OFFENDS
SLAANESH!!"

The Emperor's Children are easily among the worst scum of the Chaos Space Marines. This seems a bit harsh in a faction which include the Iron Warriors and Night Lords but one need to understand and remember that the Emperor's Children have become debauchery incarnate, constantly injecting in their superhuman bodies a level of narcotics that even Astartes physiology isn't designed to handle just to 'feel good'. These drugs are also usually made from people. Basically these whackjobs are injecting themselves human juice made from torture victims, sodomized children, tortured sodomized children and possibly grounded up old ladies.

Does that sound vile? Over the top to the point one is unsure if its offensive or laughable? Good. That's the point. And the worst thing is these demented junkies still see themselves as the great paragon of skill and perfection they were as Astartes when their bodies and minds have been ravaged by a mixture of drugs, the influence of the Warp and a non negligible amount of biological modifications first pioneered by that sick fuck Fabius Bile. To the Emperor's Children nothing is sacred and there is no such thing as 'too much' of anything when it come to seeking pleasure.

Havoc Lord [1] (200pts)

Twin Assault Rifle & Energy Sword Spear

Destroyer Armor

Havoc Tactics

+Fast

Lord of Lust [1] x2 (330pts)

Assault Rifle+Fusion Rifle & Lust Whip

Blessing of Lust

Dark Psychic [1] (125pts)

Assault Rifle+Fusion Rifle & Energy Sword

+Fast

Noise Brothers [10] x3 (1110pts)

8x Noise Rifle

2x Noise Amplifier

Havoc Destroyers [5] (475pts)

4x Twin Assault Rifle & Energy Sword Spear

1x Heavy Flamethrower Noise Cannon & Energy Sword

+Fast

Infernal Brute Sonic Dreadnought [1] x2 (660pts)

Twin Brute Fist & Heavy Flamethrower Noise Cannons

Tactics: This list make use of the fact that Noise Amplifiers in the Lust Brothers list has identical stats to a Heavy Flamethrower to load several units with 'count as' sonic weapons, including a pair of Infernal Brutes to be used as a close enough replacement to the beloved Sonic Dreadnought. As a close range gun-focused list, these units excel at getting close to the enemy and delivering an absurd amount of shots. With their speed, they can still excel at melee due to the advantage of mobility, improving their charge range. Heroes are where this army gets stronger, however, as they have the anti-vehicle/monsters and the buffs.

Thousand Sons: Minions of Magnus

Hashtag Magnus Did Nothing
Wrong

Armies: Havoc Brothers+Disciples of Change

There's much to be written about the Thousand Sons: their fall to Chaos is a terrible tragedy which could have been avoided had cooler and more open minded heads had prevailed. They and their Primarch, Magnus the Red, were created with the strongest psychic potential of all Astartes. Some attribute this to some 'mistake' but we have little evidence to think the Emperor did not purposefully engineer these sons of his to be potent Psykers. Unfortunately, fear of psychic powers and the risks of mutation it entail cast a large shadow on the Thousand Sons and their entire history. Ultimately they were damned by Horus' machinations, only for him to essentially claim the legion he had helped destroy and damn as one of his minions, condemning the Thousand Sons to being Chaos Space Marines claimed by Tzeentch.

Never a large legion to begin with, the Thousand Sons are depleted of their ranks by their base soldiers being turned into dust automatons. As a result, a Thousand Sons warband relying on powerful heroes backed by a horde of minions (be it mutant or human) is very much a formation one is likely to encounter. Wreathed in eldritch energies, they use it for both offense and defense.

Sorcerer of Change [1] (115pts)

Plasma Pistol & Energy Sword Staff

Psychic (2)

Change Brothers [10] x2 (720pts)

8x Hexed Rifles

2x Reaper Minigun

Psychic (1)

Support Havocs [10] (650pts)

10x Autocannon

Birdman Sorcerer [1] x3 (225pts)

Psychic (2)

Birdmen [10] x2 (495pts)

Daemon Spawn [1] x5 (650pts)

+Stealth

Tactics: This is very much a spam army, relying on its massive amount of activation to harass the enemy. And what an annoying harassment it is, since everything has Stealth (-1 to hit at ranged)! The squads of mutant beastmen are cheap, expendable yet backed by a Sorcerer to enable to use of Psychic powers. The five Daemon Spawns all have Fast, which can make them good to rush and contest objectives, helping with the harassment. Even if they die it doesn't really matter. Meanwhile, the 'proper' Thousand Son units are the hardy hammer of the army, including a support squad all equipped with the terrifying and powerful auto cannons, which are as efficient at mowing down infantry as much as tanks.