Best Chaos Battalions?

[Hannibal]

Hi all, 

 

I'm just wondering what all you experienced guys out there think: which Chaos battalions are the best in your opinion?

 

I like to run a mixed Chaos force (not settled on any specific gods or units right now) and just want to get some ideas how to improve chaos forces by the use of battalions.

 

Thanks in advance

 

 

 

[Somanlius]

I've been using the Godsworn Champions of Ruin for my undivided Chaos warhost. It allows me 9 units in the battalion and a cheeky pile in and attack during the hero phase against heroes and monsters for 60 points. It usually allows me to get to pick first turns, as with that and my warshrine I only have two drops, and an extra artifact. It's not a terrible battalion. I think there is another great battalion that involves units with the mark of Tzeench that gives all units in the  battalion -1 rend, which can be great if you have Warriors with shields and marauders. Ive got a bunch of warriors with greatweapons and chosen so I took a pass on that one. Can't remember the name of it for the life of me.  Also, the old compendium battalion Chaos Warband from Warriors of Chaos is okay but you can't take it with a Slaves to Darkness Allegiance, so Knights won't be battleline.

[Killax]

From the Blades of Khorne book I would vote:
- Murderhost (20 points, extremely efficient as you typically gain a free move per unit in the Battalion, 2d6" push is fantastic)
- Gore Pilgrims (80 points, the option to have reliable Blood Blessings is a great alternative way to play Khorne. Blood Boil is a sick sniping tool and having 1 Bloodsecrator 'save' is great)
- The Goretide (total banking in at 120, D6" movement in the Hero phase for all is just amazing)

I don't think there is one sole best in the BoK book, I havn't heard DoT players really liking most of their Battalion Warscrolls. I don't play DoT so I really cant comment on it but what I like the most from the above three is that they continue to offer a tactical flexability that most Battalions do not have. With this I mean that nothing in particular forces you to go into a particular Spam build. You can, it will be effective, but because the rules they grand are so effective it isn't required too much. With the only excuse being that with Gore Pilgrims I would always thake 2 Slaughterpriests for sure, ideally 3. Though I dont really see that as spamming. 

 

[Tasman]

On 6/25/2017 at 5:16 PM, Somanlius said:

I think there is another great battalion that involves units with the mark of Tzeench that gives all units in the  battalion -1 rend, which can be great if you have Warriors with shields

Fatesworn battalion from the Everchosen book. It's a nice battalion that gives some much needed rend to StD units. Unfortunately it means that I can't bring Sayl for this build. I love to fly chariots around....

 

On 6/26/2017 at 6:26 AM, Killax said:

I havn't heard DoT players really liking most of their Battalion Warscrolls.

Truth. Really hard to utilize these in matched play, IMO. That being said, I do like the Arcanite cult for the added bravery and ability to choose three DD. But again, it's hard to put a decent list together in a 2k game using this.

Also, I've read a lot of people on this forum weighing in on the changehost. That sounds like fun although I haven't tried it yet.

[Killax]

13 minutes ago, Tasman said:

Truth. Really hard to utilize these in matched play, IMO. That being said, I do like the Arcanite cult for the added bravery and ability to choose three DD. But again, it's hard to put a decent list together in a 2k game using this.

Also, I've read a lot of people on this forum weighing in on the changehost. That sounds like fun although I haven't tried it yet.

Yeah I think that DoT suffered a bit from the intend some things are created with. Because in an open and narrative play a lot of the Battalions seem cool.
Perhaps GH2017 will spell some good news however as I also believe a lot of Tzeentch stuff is so focused on Skyfires because:
1. Shooting is really good
2. Summonning/placing models upon death is not so good

Looking forward to read more about the Battalions but I do guess that this might be it. The Everchosen book does have some nice Battalions also for mixed armies (picking Slaves to Darkness models and respectively DoT or BoK models) but they are also not really the end all be all. They are fun however.

What for example is really cool about the Khorne variant of the Everchosen Battalions is that Bloodreavers can turn into Heroes which furthermore means there is much greater and easier acces to obtaining a lot of Blood Tithe points in a much smaller ammount of time. However in order to do this still things you want to die need to die and a veteran opponent who has some clue of what he/she is doing can play around this.

Unfortunatly to some extend this also applies for some other more combo-based Battalion designs. It then really boils down to your opponent playing into your cards. Same with Gore Pilgrims even, it's amazing if they cannot touch your Slaughterpriests or leave them alone, but if they can snipe them out the additional power of the force dwindles quite quickly.

For example if I would play into a competitive DoT army I would consider Murderhost and The Goretide over any option because it's o so important to reach your opponents pieces in time. Which essentially boils down to a turn where at least one Bloodsecrator has sticked around. This also isn't too easy to archieve but even without a Bloodsecrator huge numbers count and huge numbers is what BoK needs in order to compete anyway.