Making a zombie army work in 7th edition - Chaos Space Marine tactica

Right, zombies. Hmm. Definitly looks like a fun army to play, bringing around 200+ models to the board in 1750/2000 points shambling up the board as i remove handful amounts of them a turn. The only problem is effectivness. dont get me wrong, im not a tournement player, and i dont play to win... much. I want me and my opponent to have as much fun as possible, but i still want my army to be effective and good to use. So lets have a look at making zombies effective.

With a zombie army you want to bring as many bodies as possible and drown the enemy in it. Try to outnumber even their bullets. A list bringing as many zombies as possible looks something like this:

Typhus

x9:
x35 zombies

Huron blackhart

1740

Thats 317 models. Wow. Huron is there to bring the second combined arms detachment, and to be your warlord to infiltrate d3 units up the board (you will only be able to get them 18'' away from enemy units as hiding 35 models from sight is going to be very difficult). This will help the zombies get up the board as a smart player will just sit back and shoot for the 4 turns it takes for them to shamble up there (3 turns if they infiltrated 18'' away). You could drop huron for a naked chaos lord and bring an extra 22 zombies if you wanted. The problem with a zombie list is that its slow, and if your opponent is disiplined he will keep moving backward while shooting as you will never catch up unless you succeed in a charge (he should be keeping at least 18'' away though). On the other hand, if you manage to corner him near the end of the game, you MAY have enough models left to devour their brains, or at least tarpit them for the rest of the game. Another strength of the zombie army is a huge amount of objective secured (OS) meaning if you can cross the board, you can jump on objectives and try to steal as many away as possible.

Here is another list i though of trying to help zombies get across the board and be able to deal with tanks (which they cant, other then swarming around it any trying to trap it):

Typhus

x9:
x34 zombies

x3:
Chaos lord
terminator armour
chain fist
mark of nurgle (not very useful, maybe worth dropping)
blight grenades

2000

The lords sit in front and tank as many hits as possible, and throw off S10 and AP2/1 hits with look out sir, and when they finally hit the front line they can decimate tanks and un-tarpit the unit they are in. Hmmm, what if we got huron in there to aid getting across the board with his warlord trait. A third combined arms detachment we need!:

Typhus


x3:
Chaos lord
terminator armour
chain fist

huron

x7:
x31 zombies

x2:
x33 zombies

2000

This list allows 1-3 units to basically get a free movement with infiltrate, and 4 units to have a 2+ save in front tanking wounds. You've also got 284 models. Not bad. You can deal with tanks, and hopefully get up the board with enough models left to swamp the enemy. Definitly looks fun to use, although moving 200+ models each turn may take a while, and hurt my back. Oh well. Before i invest hundred of pounds and hours into this list though i will test it out with proxies. I won't be able to do that for about 3 weeks as soon i am preparing a 40,000 point battle with my brother and dad - more on that soon!

Until then

Cheers.

Nurgle chaos lord loadout

In my last post i showed my list that i was thinking of for Death guard. It has changed some and will change some more so i wont share the final product till i have tested it (will take a while).

Anyway, my lord loadout has changed. I dont think the MURDER sword is really that good as the chaos lord isn't that quick on foot, so it would be a waste of 35 points. I want my lord to have a scythe as it is a signiture weapon of the death guard. I am counting scythes as power axes as they are used in similar ways. Anyway this is the loadout i was thinking of:

Lord
Mark of nurgle
palaquin of nurgle
power axe
sigil of corruption
vets of the long war
gift of mutation
175

While the power axe may waste his high I, he does pack a punch with his axe, and with T5 and W5 he can take the hits. Gift of mutation i have never used but people say its useful (as most of the time it helps him in combat).

I was tempted by terminator armour but i worked out that a palaquin lord can take 15 armour saves before dieing on average, while the terminator lord can take 18; and the lord can take 10 invuns and the terminator can take around 5. This means that the palaquin can take more hits on average.

I think 175 points is an ok cost for a HQ, as on the charge he has 6 S5 AP2 attacks. Not bad.

I will be converting my lord soon so stay tuned.

Until then.

Death guard force

I am not NOT going to do Dark eldar kroot. I just change my mind of what i want to do all the time. I is on my list of things i want to do. I went through a Sisters of battle stage (or Apapta Soroitas now) but i want a Death Guard force now. I need to get a real Chaos space marine force, not just an allied detachment for a Heldrake.

I want Chaos space marines to be my 'fun' army. Tau are my cheese force, sisters are my tournement army. So i need something to balence everything out, when i don't want to win all the time, and just relax. So, Death guard!

My Chaos marine force will not contain any Heldrakes. I am going to stay strictly within Death guard combat doctrine. That means no transports, bikes, jump infantry, tanks, or flyers. I am going to have lots of boots on the ground (cultists and plague marines) backed up by obilterators. This is a list i have been thinking of:

Chaos lord (The leader of my force, and the focal point)
Mark of nurgle (He's death guard...)
power axe (Bye terminators)
murder sword (FUN)
palaquin of nurgle (Will make him stand out model wise and makes him T5 W5 and with 6 attacks on the charge)
veterans of the long war (He's from the original legion, he fought on Terra!)
sigil of corruption (Whats better then T5 W5? T5 W5 with a 4++!)

x2:
x7 plague marines
x2 plasma guns
power axe
veteran of the long war

x6 plague marines <------Lord goes here (making the squad number 7)
x2 plasma guns
power axe
veterans of th... you get it

x3:
x14 cultists (bubble wrap for the marines

x3:
x2 obilterators (going to convert some centurions, i do not like finecast)
Mark of nurgle

1490

The obilterators unleash hell on the enemy while the cultists meat shield for the plague marines and they march up the board blasting away with plasma. The lord character hunts. Pretty simple and true to the DG combat doctrine i think.

I want to use the warriors of chaos lord as my lord, but with some converting to make him nurgley. Then im going to put him on a palaquin (nurglings with a rhino door on top). This is going to make him insanely tall and make him stand out. I have to be careful actually no i dont: T5 W5 3+ 4++.

I will take me a while to get everything i need but for now i am going to get the lord and the palaquin so stay tuned for that.

Until then.

Followed by crushing defeat!

Just battled a friend on his board. 1500. He had Tau. He wiped me out. I killed 82 points. Not a good day for daemons.

What i am bringing back from the battle is that the princes should drop some upgrades and more stuff should be in deep strike.

New list!:

great unclean one

x2 greater reward

x2:

herald of nurgle

locus of fencusity

x2:

x14 plague bearers

x2:

daemon prince

nurgle

wings

x2 exalted reward

sorcerer

x10 cultists

heldrake

baleflamer

aegis

quad gun

I may change it, what do you think?

Until then.

Victory!

Using the list i posted about last, i won 2 times in a row (white scars, then eldar).
The list is incredibly solid, and i would say it is an all comers.

Next up, grey knights (not looking forward to that) then a 1000 point battle against ravenwing (a thinned down version of the list) and then space wolves (grey hunter spam).

Will update you on painting soon.

Until then.

Painting challenge!

All my exams are done! WOOOOOOOOO! No more school for 3 months! WOOOOOOOOO!

This is my 1500 point chaos list as it stands:

great unclean one
x2 exalted rewards
mastery level 2


x2:
14 plague bearers

x2:
daemon prince
nurgle
x2 exalted rewards
wings
mastery 2

sorceror
mastery 3
sigil of corruption
spell familiar

x20 cultists

heldrake
baleflamer

I intend to get all of this painted for the summer holidays. So thats 5 weeks odd to paint 21 models! I will put a counter on the side saying how much is painted and the pencentage painted.

I also want to convert the second nurgle prince from the plastic kit, stay tuned for that.

Until then.

X vs Y. Maulerfiend VS Helbrute

Both the Maulerfiend and Helbrute are very similar, even though they have huge differences. In this post i will decide which is better and why. I will either help your decision, or confuse you even more. Lets begin.

 Maulerfiend:
Pros:

• Fast
• Can get alot of attacks (magma-cutters)
• Tough (IWND, daemon)
• Can debuff units (lasher tendrils)

Cons:

• Low WS
• Low initiative
• No shooting attacks
• Competes in a force org. slot for EVERYTHING

Helbrute:
Pros:

• Versitile
• Crazed
• Cheap

Cons:

• Competes in force org. slot for things like terminators and cult marines (even though you should have a lord to make them troops) 

The Maulerfiend has loads of things going for him and for only an extra 25 point. With 4 attacks on a charge with a potential of getting up to 6 (if you are lucky with magma cutters) it destroys tanks and buildings (fortress of redemption anyone?). It is strictly tanks and buildings only since infantry will tarpit it (making lasher tendrils obsolite).

On the other hand the Helbrute can make an excelent firing platform. With a missile launcher and reaper autocannon it can shoot out lots of tank busting shots and potentially fire double in a turn (crazed).

If you take both a Maulerfiend and Helbrute, then kit the Helbrute out to shooting and keep the Maulerfiend simple. If you have to choose, then take the Maulerfiend. It is faster (potential 24'' in a turn!) and killier (but the Helbrute is still damn fun).

What do you think, which model is better and why? Tell me in the comments and they will be read and replied to.

Also, what should i X vs Y next? Choose 2 units from the Chaos daemons/chaos space marines codex that your not sure what to take over what, then post it in the comments.

Until then.