Machines
of Legion
One of
the most important inclusions of this book is that it allows the
chaos space marines to use the tanks that were present during the
heresy. This includes relic predators, which have some rather exotic
weapons such as conversion beamers, plasma destroyers, flamestorm
cannons and more. It may also take something called malefic
ammunition, which gives heavy bolters rending, not a massive boost
but it helps.
Other
rare tanks include the Sicaran battle tank, Land raider proteus, and
infernal relic achilles. These are just like the legion tanks used by
the loyalists with the exception of the proteus, which has been
mutilated by chaos. While the loyalist proteus can have a explorator
augury web, the chaos version has been corrupted, possessed and
defiled so it no longer does that. Now its an unnamable horror, and
when I unit attempts to fire at it, they must take a pinning test,
and if it fails it may not fire. Personally I don't rate it, but its
nice to have options and differences like that available. A larger
tank is also available, the spartan assault tank. For not too much
more than a land raider, you can have an extra hull point and over
double the transport capacity.
Like in
the heresy, the traitor legions had access to super heavy tanks, once
again the marines do. Unfortunately only two are available are the
Fellbalde and Typhon. The fellblade, has 12 hull points and a
accelerator cannon allowing it to fire either an ap 3 7 inch blade or
a small ap 2 armourbane shot. Throw in a demolisher cannon and you
get a rather fancy tank which is a slight upgrade on a baneblade. My
personal favourite is the Typhon however, only 6 hull points (I feel
6 hp super heavies are much more sporting) and it has the beautiful
dreadhammer siege cannon. This gun is strength 10, ap 1 7 inch blade
with ignores cover... no where to hide from that beauty.
These
vehicles are all a welcome addition to the chaos space marine codex,
and especially allows the legions of old to still use some of those
vehicles that they fled into the eye of terror with.
Chaos in
the sky
Based
purely on the chaos codex, the marines only have the heldrake as a
flier, but this book adds in a fair few. A lot of rules have been
added to some of the old models that forgeworld have had for a long
time. The classic old hell blade became a rather skilful anti-air
unit being able to take an upgrade to have 6 twin-linked strength 7
rending shots, its not going to blow up a flier but it damn well will
wreck one. It also has a 5+ invulnerable save and can move D6 + 2
inches in any direction before it moves. And if thats not enough it
can pick a single flier or flying monster at the start of the game
and re-roll 1's to wound or penetrate against it. All that just for
100 points.
The Hell
talon, the other old chaos flier which never really had much love has
been boosted as well.
It gains
strafing run, a nice addition, but also has 4 different bombs to
choose from, ranging from the odd strength 2 ap 2 large blade haywire
warp-pulse bomb, to the heavy 3 shatter charge which can only snap
shot but is strength 8. A nice bit of variety.
In
addition to the old fliers we get all of the legion ones as well that
they have release for the horus heresy, the storm eagle, the fire
raptor, and even the thunderhawk gunship. These are more or less like
their marine counter parts accept for the additional use of malefic
ammunition which can turn the normally boring heavy bolters which
they all have into something of a nasty surprise.
From the
legions chaos also get to use the dreadclaw once more with not much
really changing from its previous rules, just the model is now the
legion one instead of the cool old chaos version which they
discontinued many moons ago. As well as the kharybdis assault claw,
if you need an even bigger version. The only thing with these is they
still suffer from the age old problem they used to, they just don't
do anything very well. Yes they drop in, can hold a unit in place
they drop them off next turn for the assault, but its a lot of points
for an AV 12 transport. Once it has dropped them off you can move it
around, but its not great at anything. The kharybdis has more fire
power so can make more of an effect on the battlefield but again is
more points so it really should. I'm just not a massive fan of these
odd mobile pods.
Dreadnoughts
As a
surprise to me, rules for actual chaos dreadnoughts have been added
to the book, not helbrutes, but actual dreadnoughts. The back ground
for this is that they have resisted mutation and changing by not
seeing their internment as a curse, being driven mad, but as a
blessing, being able to kill and slaughter with greater effect. They
take on this role with glee and as such are devastating on the
battlefield, and there prowess is represented in their stats, with ws
and bs 5, and fear. They may take You can also dedicate the
dreadnought to a chaos god if you so wish, gaining a slight boost.
They have
also gone over the rules for the chaos contemptor dreadnought which
isn't much different from its previous incarnations so not much to
say. We also have the emperors children sonic dreadnought which is an
odd choice, the model has been around for ages so its fair they have
rules again which personally I don't find useful but you can make a
very shooty walker out of it if you so desire.
Daemon
engines
We have
the usual suspects when it comes to daemon engins, the greater brass
scorpion, blood slaughterers, decimator, blight drone and plague
hulk. Just the models that were released first time round for the
siege of vraks. And nothing has changed for them as far as I can see,
even though the plague hulk REALLY needed a slight change. They all
have their own place in a force, except for the plague hulk. I don't
get it, yer its a nice model and is practically just a soul grinder,
but if you want you can pay a whole 25 points to lose strength 10 ap
2, for strength 6 ap 3 with master crafted... what is the point.
Either make it free to chance (no idea why you would) or make the
warpsword useful, such as poison 2+ or instant death! It really does
confuse me.
A bit of
an odd addition to the daemon engine section is the Rapier weapons
carrier. It has no rules to suggest its daemonic in nature, nor does
the background? Its just a heavy weapon platform for chaos space
marines, its nice, but should be in a different part of the book, not
with the beauties of the warp.
Legacies
A rather
interesting addition to the book is the ability to give vehicles
chosen from codex: chaos space marines legacies. Legacies are
additional rules which you can buy for vehicles to represent
something about the vehicle of its glorious past. Now for most of
these you can buy it for regular tanks but also for super heavies
which can lead to some rather cool additions.
These
legacies represent many different things, such as it being possessed
by a certain daemon such as Auloth the primordial iterator who gains
a few bonuses to the tank but also gives units in 12 with the icon
of wrath fear and feel no pain. Its not all possession though, some
show what can happen to a vehicle that has been though different war
zones, such as the 1st war of armageddon or the badad war.
1st war of armageddon allows daemons of khorne within 6 of
it to increase their invulnerable save by 1, to represent the amount
of blood that the vehicle has shed and been washed in. The badab war
upgrade gives regular tanks preferred enemy (space marines) which is
another nice little bit of fluff, however it does have a bit of a
misprint as it gives walkers hatred (chaos space marines) which
doesn't make sense, its probably meant to be space marines.
I can see
these upgrades really helping people make a thematic list, such as a
world eater force which has seen many bloody battlefields, even its
tanks so blood soaked.
Conclusion
Over all
if you are a chaos space marines player I think this book is going to
make you happy. While it doesn't fix any issues with the chaos codex,
such as over costings, it does allow you to really make your force
unique and your own. While some of the additions are probably not
'competitive' and maybe a little pricey some of them will no doubt
let the competitive players scream in joy, as they finally have drop
pods and a real super heavy which won't just get shot to bits before
it can make combat.
It kind
of makes me want to create a chaos force of my own now, which I can't
afford as I can barely afford the cost of the renegades and
heretics... but I guess that's why they release these haha.
Hope you
enjoyed my little review.
Fluff wise, the Warp Ghosts are big winners here.
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