Strategic review: chaos (LONG)

From: Peter Ramos <primarch_at_...>
Date: Fri, 05 Jan 2001 10:44:47 -0500

Hi!

I had this laying around so here you have it.

While I play all the armies at different times, when I really want to
kick some but I use chaos. It is funny that I have heard a wide spectrum
of chaos players bemoan how difficult it is to win with them, but here
I'll throw some tips to make it easier.

As with any army, know your strengths and capitalize on them....

Chaos is a close combat army by nature. More often times than not you
win of lose by how effectively you get your troops into close combat.
You have a great deal of troops at your disposal, each requiring a
different approach.

"beasties"- these comprise all those units like beastmen, trolls and
minotaurs. The are advantageous to you because they are relatively
cheap, you get 11 units and their CAF is very high. A detachment or two
of these thrown at a single objective is a highly efficient in terms of
cost to you and danger to your opponents. Even terminators are made much
when 20 trolls attack!

Their great disadvantage is speed. They move on foot and even on charge
they can take quite a while to get there. Some chaos cards may remedy
this, but it is a small remedy. A far better solution is to use demon
engines with transport capability or rhinos. Before other players cry
foul (or cheese) remember these units are classed as infantry and also
remember that the old models are horribly out of scale. Second, only TWO
stands may board a rhino. At ten stands in a detachment you need 3 cards
of rhinos to transport ONE detachment of trolls and such. you may find
yourself running out of support card space VERY quickly when you do
this. However never under estimate th power of all those beastment
attacking one or more objectives!!

Demons- this category encompasses all the minor demons and "champions"
like disc riders and such. These troops can accomplish a lot without the
restrictions of speed like teh "beasties". Units like juggernauts, disc
riders and slaneesh rider can cover the battlefield very quickly. These
are the equivalent of the enemies fast attack troops, you need to them
to counter enemy units like rough riders, bikes and jetbikes. A
effective combination is to back up juggers and such with disc riders on
advace or first fire orders to fire upon opposition to keep you juggers
or what have you save until the desicive charge.

Minor demons like horrors and plague bearers pack a nasty puch and their
powers are quite fearsome. The horrors of tzeentch are and excellent
defensive unit since they divide in two when slain, thus making it very
difficult to take a position they have taken. If you have a objective
that is hotly contested, pack a unit or two of horros on it. Your
opponent will have a very difficult time kicking you out. Units like
demonettes are very useful against units in defensive positions since
they can wipe out many using their powers. Use the "one-two punch"
(explained below) to maximize their power.

Chaos marines- these guys are a power to themselves. They shoot and
fight better than the average space marine and have a nasty power to
boot. Also they are a "extra" card that does not occupy the slot of a
support card. They are relatively expensive and lack speed, but this can
be remedied with support cards. It is a must to have at least one
detachment mobile with rhinos or....t-hawks...(ducks). The job of the
mobile detachment is to "secure" a strike area, be it an objective or
other suitable ground. This area is where the non-mobile detachments
will concentrate. Use chaos cards and such to make the area as safe as
you can, then go on first fire to snipe at tagets or defend the
objective while the rest comes in. Although they are good in close
combat avoid it, they are more valuable as shooters.

Use their special powers wisely, they only get to use it once. The death
guard power is best used around a objective where massive close combat
is expected, preferably as close to the objective counter as possible.
This is to guarantee it stays in you hands since with their death you
can kill off any victorious enemy stands close to the objective thus
claiming it for yourself.. Bloodrage, is best used to buy time. If you
note a force is readying to attack the objective the world eaters are in
dont hestitate-attack! with the added bonuses they will be tough to kill
and it will blunt the opponents offensive. In the menatine, just bring
up reserves who will quitely keep the objective in your hands. The
juiced up variant of the Emperor's childrens power can also buy you
time. take over units that are quick moving and have them attack other
enemy quick moving units so as to clear your invasion path. The vortex
or the thousand sons has many uses, plop it on a heavily defended
building or a nearby titan. Of course if t-hawks are available to you
drop a detachment close to a titan and.....you can fiigure the rest!

Demon engines- Many critize how expensive these are and their short
range, but they usually have buckets of firepower. Use these as support
to your infantry attack and keep them in a defensive, rather than attack
role. An objective supported by tower of skulls can be pretty hard to
beat with all the attack dice it can hurl, plus if you are ahead it can
be devastating! Cannons of khorne while they can blow up, provide long
range support within line of sight, very valuable! Go for buildings and
other strong points before your assault comes in.

Your weaknesses are mainly large range support and firepower. Never get
in to shooting matches, you will lose! Never stop moving, regardless of
casualties, if you stop moving the its over for you, your opponent will
then shoot you up good. Even one surviving stand reaching a firebase is
dangerous in the hands of chaos because chaos cards can change the
situation in your favor very quiclkly. Once you silence such bases your
in a better position because of it. Your other units coming up will
benefit. Also, ALWAYS use terrain in your favor. Run through woods
arounf hills and ruins any cover is better than no cover. Some chaos
cards like eye stalks and invisibility can be invaluable in increasing
your defense as you wade in for the kill. Anything that delays the
opponent's firepower, even for one turn, even one detachment is good
news for you!

Chaos cards

This deserves its own section. The first law of chaos "if you finish the
game with cards still in your hand you played a poor game". Most chaos
player retain their cards too long, ever looking for that one moment to
cash them in. Point is that "moment" may never come and you wasted your
hand. Use your cards at any time it helps you obtain your goal, use them
generously. A card used early to help you advance is ten times more
useful than 10 cards you save for later.

Another common mistake is saving them to save your greater demons. A
greater demon is a tool like all the rest of your troops. If you deem
that that model has fulfilled its mission, why save it? Its wasting one
or more cards that may be crucial to win the game. What if the opponent
luckily draws that one card you really need for your plan to work? Thin
about these things before you decide its worth spending the cards. It
more effective to use cards like iron hard skin and regeneration to save
your demons or cards that confer a bonus to the armor save. A +1 armor
save bonus given at the right time negates a lot of shots. It means
weapons with a -1 modifier only make you fail on a roll of 1, give the
demon two such cards and the opponents is forced to hit you with volcano
cannons and such to get teh job done. Remember what was said above "
each turn the enemy fires is delayed its goo for you!". Even if your
demon deos nothing but be a fire magnet, thats good!! Better they shoot
it than your precious troops who will take the objective and win the game!

"The one-two-punch" - most of the cards you get are either CAF cards or
morale check cards. Use them with gusto! Why use one morale check card
when you can use two, three or more in succession? Remember two failed
checks is a rout-instant destruction! You dont even need to shoot to
accomplish this! Even against marines it is useful, even one failed
check goes a long way. Now learn how to use this in conjuction with you
troops.

Example #1 chrage with a greater demon, force one check, then use
several cards to force a rout. Angron is great for this since he can do
it twice without cards, add a couple and you got a rout-machine maker
running amok.

Example #2 Use cards to provoke one failed check them charge with
ordinary units that automatically provoke a second check!

There are many other variant ways to do this!

Card tricks

Here are some dirty tricks with chaos cards

1. Your thousand sons have thrown their vortex and as luck would have it
scatters of course. As your opponent laughs use your telekenisis card to
move the intended target into the nearby vortex!

2. March a juicy unit into a fire killing zone and let him fire at you
with his most shootiest unit, then play the invisibilty card rendering
all his nominated shots useless. THEN march in you real attack force who
is now a bit safer after he wasted good shots on the invisible units.

3. Grab a primarch and charge a titan, he's a knight class unit he can
do it, THEN play the growth card and watch Angron with a +24 CAF rip
that titan limb from limb!!

4. Your defending an objective against grim odds you are engaged in
close combat, the end is near. Use spits acid or body slamm to
automatically kill units with out saves or inflict one hit at -2!
Usually you will kill off your attackers and sit smiling on top of that
objective for yet another turn!

5. Your opponent likes titans armed with turbo-lasers? Make him pay when
his intended target has crystalline body and hurls all the shots back!

6. Damn opponent, his lurking in the woods/buildings/ruins just wainting
to pounce on me with those fast attack vehicles. Plat burning body and
you have 50% chance of killing everybody in the terrain feature AND
make it unpassible!!

These are but some you can invent may others. Always remember a chaos
card used in isolation is less effective than used in combination with
other cards or your own troops.

How to deal with different armies.

Space marines
They are fast, can shoot well and close combat well, but they are few.
Don't trade shoots with them, get into close combat and overwhelm them.
Dont worry about t-hawls and drop pods they are just to distract you, go
for his firing units and slay them, you can always turn around later and
kill the para-dropped troops.

IG
They can shoot you to pieces! Hide, but keep on moving. Make him take
shots with a penalty. Use your fast units to strike deep and take out
that artillery! Use morale cards versus his fast attack units, watch his
rough riders rout after a few well played chaos cards!! Isolate his
troops in buildings and such then assault with beasties. He is so weak
in close combat even one detachment of beasties will slay him.

Eldar
They have some nasty psychics, but so do you. You are many they are few.
Play the morale card game versus those pesky jetbikes or fire chaos
spwans into thier mists. Better yet play Filgrim and capture some and
make THEM hunt down those other jetbikes, once his fast attack is
neutralized he is toast! He shoots well, but no barrage weapons to deal
with, you can hide in buildings and close in for the kill. Use magic to
eliminate aspect warroriors, they are ptifully few, so each card you use
against them hurts. Swarm him and watch him die.

Squats
Tough bastards. Great barrage, great firepower, not bad warriors, good
morale. Too few. Take all the objectives they cant and concentrate on
their support units, "juggernize" their neavy support since they can get
shot but still fight close combat. Use maginc to increase you saves as
you close in. get mortarion in close to his thunderers and breath on
them, watch them die. This alone may win the game!

Orks
Many, fight good. This is the only army I'd recomment to trade shots
with. You'll need some heavily armed titans and units. Shoot them up
good as they close then charge them when they are sufficiently weakened
and their numbers down. Play the morale check game in earnest! Play
every single morale check card you got on their core clans even if they
just go on fallback orders it one more turn to shoot at them.

Tyranids
Problem. They use the same strategies you do. They fight as good as you
do and are numerous too. Their cheif units like the DOm are a nightware
to contend with, ignore them. Go for the broods. Morale cards are
useless <ouch!> Shoot when you can charge when weakend. Dont kid
yourself it will be a bloodbath! take all the objectives you need to end
this as early as possible. Retreat units hat are broken, no need to give
him double VP's!

Slann
Jerks. Morale is not an issue, they shoot great! they are few. Swarm,
swarm, swarm. Be a tyranid in everything but name. His close combat is
poor that where you need to be. Destroy his support units, even their
tanks can be a pain. Dont bother shooting at them, they self-repair.
More than any other army you need close combat to win here.


Peter
Received on Fri Jan 05 2001 - 15:44:47 UTC