Back from the Warp – Emperor’s Children

Ancient History

I’ve been playing 40k since the Rogue Trader days.  Ever since those early days I’ve stuck to Craftworld Eldar 99% of the time.  I’ve owned several other armies – Tyranids, Squats, Blood Angels – but nothing ever stuck with me like Eldrad and the Ulthwe Black Guardians.

2011 – Eldar still going strong

A few years back – fifth or sixth edition I think – I gave myself a real push to build a proper second army.  I went for the Emperor’s Children with Daemon backup.  The attraction was three-fold – They’re not Imperium, they are the natural enemies of my main army, and almost not a bolter in sight (damn I hated bolters!)

I put together a few squads of Noise Marines and some termies, customising every model with Sonic weaponry – back then even Terminators could take sonic blasters!  I played a few games with them, then went off 40K for a while.

Eventually my Daughter wanted to start playing, so I dusted off the Chaos for her.  Added a few bits, updated it a bit, and set her loose.  As kids are want to do, her interest waned and back in the box they went.

 9th Edition

Fast forward to 9th.  I’ve played a few games with my Eldar while lockdown has allowed, but started to hanker for something different.  I also started seeing some really nice third party models kicking around for the Emperor’s, especially a rather groovy Daemon Prince.  So it was time to bring out the Guitars once more!

So here’s where I am atm after a couple of months painting, printing and painting…

I had originally wanted to go for the 40k Emperor’s Children scheme, but after a couple of attempts I just couldn’t get it to work for me.  So I went for the 30K colour scheme which I found much easier to paint; and after starting to incorporate sculpts from ThatEvilOne’s range it al started to make sense!

The List…

So, 2000pt list which more or less covers what’s in the pic.  There’s a few changes though;

• The Land Raider has been dropped.  It didn’t seem to perform, and was a lot of points to have tied up.
• Added some bikes, which aren’t in the pic yet.  Going to be using some excellent Jetbike prints from ThatEvilOne’s latest work.

++ Battalion Detachment 0CP (Chaos – Chaos Space Marines) [95 PL, 11CP, 1,978pts] ++

+ Configuration +

Battle Size [12CP]: 3. Strike Force (101-200 Total PL / 1001-2000 Points)

Detachment CP

Gametype: Matched

Legion: Emperor’s Children

+ Stratagems +

Gifts of Chaos (1 Relic) [-1CP]

+ HQ +

Chaos Lord in Terminator Armour [6 PL, 105pts]: Fatal Sonancy, 2x Lightning Claw, Mark of Slaanesh

Daemon Prince with Wings [10 PL, 200pts]: 6. Loathsome Grace, Malefic talon, Raiment Repulsive, Warlord, Warptime, Wings
. Slaanesh

Lucius the Eternal [5 PL, 90pts]

+ Troops +

Noise Marines [10 PL, 235pts]
. 2x Marine w/ blastmaster: 2x Blastmaster, 2x Bolt pistol, 2x Frag & Krak grenades
. 7x Marine w/ sonic blaster: 7x Bolt pistol, 7x Frag & Krak grenades, 7x Sonic Blaster
. Noise Champion: Doom siren, Power sword, Sonic blaster

Noise Marines [10 PL, 235pts]
. 2x Marine w/ blastmaster: 2x Blastmaster, 2x Bolt pistol, 2x Frag & Krak grenades
. 7x Marine w/ sonic blaster: 7x Bolt pistol, 7x Frag & Krak grenades, 7x Sonic Blaster
. Noise Champion: Doom siren, Power sword, Sonic blaster

Noise Marines [10 PL, 235pts]
. 2x Marine w/ blastmaster: 2x Blastmaster, 2x Bolt pistol, 2x Frag & Krak grenades
. 7x Marine w/ sonic blaster: 7x Bolt pistol, 7x Frag & Krak grenades, 7x Sonic Blaster
. Noise Champion: Doom siren, Power sword, Sonic blaster

+ Elites +

Helbrute [6 PL, 120pts]: Mark of Slaanesh, Multi-melta, Power scourge

Helbrute [6 PL, 120pts]: Mark of Slaanesh, Multi-melta, Power scourge

Terminators [8 PL, 200pts]: Icon of Excess, Mark of Slaanesh
. Terminator: Combi-melta, Power sword
. Terminator: Combi-melta, Power sword
. Terminator: Combi-melta, Power sword
. Terminator: Combi-melta, Power sword
. Terminator Champion: Combi-melta, Power sword

+ Fast Attack +

Bikers [9 PL, 137pts]: Mark of Slaanesh
. Biker: Chainsword, Combi-bolter, Meltagun
. Biker: Chainsword, Combi-bolter
. Biker: Chainsword, Combi-bolter, Meltagun
. Biker Champion: Combi-bolter, Power sword

+ Heavy Support +

Havocs [7 PL, 145pts]: Mark of Slaanesh
. Aspiring Champion: Boltgun, Chainsword
. 4x Havoc w/ lascannon: 4x Frag & Krak grenades, 4x Lascannon

+ Dedicated Transport +

Chaos Rhino [4 PL, 78pts]: Combi-bolter, Mark of Slaanesh

Chaos Rhino [4 PL, 78pts]: Combi-bolter, Mark of Slaanesh

++ Total: [95 PL, 11CP, 1,978pts] ++

Strategies and tactics

So let’s talk through these chaps…

HQ

Warlord – Winged Daemon Prince with Malefic Talons

He’s here to be ‘The Man’.  With Warp Time he should be engaging first turn without fail.  He’s re-rolling his charge roll, hits and wounds.  9 Attacks on the charge.  Generally he’s scoring 7-8 wounding rolls at -2 D2 on almost any troop unit.  Throw a few close combat strategums at him and you can kick that number up even higher.   Once he’s in the thick of it switch his psychic power to something more offensive if you want.  Can very easily shred the enemy warlod first turn if you use Tactical Perfection to get him in the right place and your opponent hasn’t ring fenced his general.

Main issue is keeping him alive after that first turn.  Attacking on the flanks can work if you using LOS blocking terrain.  Either way, he’s a threat that simply cannot be ignored.

Lucius the Eternal

I keep him back to give out re-rerolls and act as a counter-attacker.  No slouch in close combat, a good deterrent to put people off marauding your troops.  Plus EC isn’t EC without Lucius…

Chaos Lord in Termie Armour

Not used him yet.  There to lend more oomph to the Termie drop squad.  My biggest concern is wasting a turn failing his charge from deepstrike (Honour the Prince needed for the Termies) so I;ve given him Fatal Sonancy so he’s got a bit of anti-infantry shooting.  He’ll give the Termies a 1’s reroll on their melta shooting and then hopefully help in combat if he makes it in.

Troops

Noise Marines!  Here’s the basis of the whole army.  These guys are one of the coolest units in 40K, and they have SO MUCH DAKKA.  The new strategum Excruciating Frequencies from Faith and Fury (hopefully retained in the new codex when it eventually drops!) really dials it up to 11 (pun intended) especially if you combine it with Veterans of the Long War and Endless Cacophony.  Putting out sonic shots that wound T4 on a 2+ and are D2 is pretty insane, especially when you do it twice.  Or spread the love, putting Veterans on one squad and Frequencies on another.  We haven’t mentioned the Blastmasters either; 2 per squad, and with both cards in play you are wounding a T8 model on a 2+…  As always the poor AP is the biggest downside but given that you ignore cover you ARE going to cut through even MEPs with these guys.

I’ve gone with 2 squads in Rhinos – generally with the new rules I try and keep everything out of line of sight on the first turn (5″ high ruins are your friend!) in case I lose first turn, and the Rhinos help with maintaining a smaller footprint.  Plus the flexibility is there if you need to get up the board quick and with a semblance of protection.  The new Smoke Launcher rules that the marines have will come in very handy for us for this…  Otherwise I use the Rhinos to mark home objectives, giving my opponent the horrible choice of shooting at them or shooting my stuff that will otherwise murder them…

The 3rd squad originally rode the Land Raider; now it’s going to be used to back-mark an objective and lay down supporting fire.

Fast Attack

So the new guys on the block, a squad of Bikers.  I do have some normal Marine bikers, but they aren’t the best looking models so I’ll be using THESE!

With the Sergeant rocking a Power Sword and Melta Gun, 2 additional melta guns, and a tonne of Storm bolter fire and Astartes chainswords these guys should hit quite hard.  The plan is for them to support the Daemon Prince and stop him getting wiped after his first charge / fight, so we will see how it goes…

Elites

Sonic Dreadnoughts

So first up we’ve got 2 Sonic Dreadnoughts with twin Blastmasters and Doom Sirens

So these guys are Legend in the rules now.  Does this matter to me?  Not at all.  They are still completely legit, and their only restriction is that some tournaments won;t allow them.  As I’m not planning to attend many tournies with these guys that’s fine, if it’s an issue I’ll simply switch the weapons for Multimeltas and crack on.

So these things are just pure spite.  They move up the field and the closer they get, the more dangerous they get.  The Power Scourge is just plain nasty in CC and the Doom Siren should certainly cut a dent in anyone charging.  Don;t forget Fire Frenzy and Crazed, as I have done so far…

Terminators

I keep reading Terminators are no good.  I disagree.  With the new terrain rules and blocking LOS, deep strike is more deadly than ever.  With Honour the Prince you virtually guarantee a successful charge from Deepstrike.  I;ve given all 5 Combi Meltas; their signature move in the first couple of games I;ve had has been to teleport down 9″ from a vehicle and an infantry squad; splat the vehicle with the Meltas and then charge the Infantry and dice them.  Hopefully with the Chaos Lord giving them re-roll 1s this should be even more reliable.  I’ve taken Power Swords across the board for them as their new profile really hits the spot. D1 is the biggest downfall but if you throw in a CC Strategum or 2 (Excess of Violence, Veterans for instance) and they have the Icon of Excess when splatting Marines…

Heavy Support

Havocs

4 Lascannons that can move and fire without penalty… Keep their angles of fire limited with terrain to stop them getting insta splatted and they will put in good work for you.  I do have a Quad Lascannon Predator but it just doesn’t seem to last like these boys do.

General Strategy

My first couple of games have gone very well but my biggest issue has been getting forward onto objectives.  I’m hoping the bikes will help with this.  I’ll continue to be really cagey with my deployment to minimise first turn casualties but might look to try pushing on of the Rhinos forward with troops on board to back up the Prince and Bikes on an objective grab.

Future plans

So I want to get a few more games in with the above army and see how it goes.  Some options are:

• Drop the Termie Lord and take more Termies, giving them +1A Combat Elixirs Strategum
• Swap the Daemon Prince for a Lord Discordant.  Will see how he goes the next few games

Hope you’ve enjoyed the write-up as much is I’ve enjoyed resurrecting this army for 9th Edition.

More updates coming soon!