by von Moltke
Taken with permission of Skavenblight
Daemons In General
Daemons are a truly shock force. Everything is expensive and
deals out tons of damage, yet for the most part has a low
toughness and 4+ save. Remember the special rules concerning
Daemons, as they will be very important. First of all, all
Daemons cause Fear.even those cute little Nurglings! Fear is one
of the most powerful tools in the hands of a Daemonic commander,
as any Undead player will attest to. Although you cannot field
hordes of expendable, fear- causing troops, your expensive, fear
causing troops have great statistics! If you can outnumber your
opponent by the end of the combat phase (by killing lots of them)
and win combat, you autobreak your enemy-no test required! This
is important to remember, and while not as crucial to this army
as it is to the Undead, is one of the things that tilts a close
game in your favor. Next on the line is the Daemonic Aura, a 4+
save that all Daemons get. It is modified as normal by Strength
and is negated entirely by the presence of a magic weapon.
Throughout this article I will not mention saves except with
cavalry and Pink Horrors, but remember that it exists. Finally,
remember Terror from Daemon Princes and Greater Daemons. Its uses
are self-explanatory.
I will divide this article up by the way troop types work. In each section I will compare the troops of each of the 4 Powers-Khorne, Tzeentch, Nurgle, and Slaanesh. You can mix and match each of the powers, but I do not recommend that for reasons that I will describe under Daemon Princes. I will also touch upon Daemonic Rewards, the substitutes for the Magic Items that Daemons cannot have. Finally, I will discuss at length how to use the Deamonic army on the battlefield, including how to handle what you can expect your enemies to throw at you.
Greater Deamons
At 625 Points (or 750 for the Bloodthirster) all Greater Daemons
are as expensive as it gets. Some are more useful than others. In
general, though, they should be equipped for combat-use Daemon
Princes and spellcasting Daemons for magic.
Khorne's Bloodthirster-Easily the best Greater Daemon, and probably the most feared unit or character in the game. The Bloodthirster is all but invincible, at least at first glance. He flies, has amazing statistics, and that's before he gets his rewards! However, he costs one hell of a lot of points, and can be defeated by the Black Gem of Gnar, Talisman of Ravensdark, or Van Horstmann's Speculum (especially if combined with a Daemon Slayer sword.) The Bloodthirster is actually at his most effective if used in a 2000 or 2500 point game so long as your opponent is not expecting him, but this only works once. Remember, although the 'Thirster can take out anything, the aforementioned Magic Items can stop him, so avoid units which you think are equipped with this. Also, Great Cannons, Sky Arrow of Naelor, and other things of that sort can harm him. If your enemy is prepared for the Bloodthirster, you're probably tossing away 8VP (with rewards.) If you don't overuse it, though, it is one of the most deadly tools in the hand of a Khornate commander.
Tzeentch's Lord of Change-The Lord of Change is a decent Daemon, especially with his ability to fly, but is not the match of a Bloodthirster or indeed any other Greater Daemon in terms of statistics. The Lord of Change is a nice supporting force in 3000+ point games, but is not as useful as the Bloodthirster under any circumstances. I will use this space to talk about Amon'Shakai, the only Daemonic special character. He is a pumped up Lord of Change who is a terribly deadly character in large games, though he is even more expensive than a Bloodthirster. I like Amon'Shakai in 3500 or more points, as he provides the powerful hitting force that Tzeentch's daemons tend to lack, IMO.
Nurgle's Great Unclean One-Although the Unclean One is IMO the coolest model in all of Warhammer, his M of 4 makes him hard to get into combat. In very large games he can be used as a support for your Plaguebearer blocks, but anybody besides Dwarves will be able to avoid this guy (and the Dwarves will just kill him with Organ Guns.) I don't use him.
Slaanesh's Keeper of Secrets-Despite a fast land-based M6, the Keeper of Secrets' lack of wings makes him a target for all enemy warmachines. Once again, as with the Unclean One, he is too vulnerable to warmachine fire for me to use him. Also, he doesn't have the punch in HTH that the Unclean One has, making him less useful in general. I don't tend to use him.
Daemon Princes
Daemon Princes are the same for all of the Powers except for Mark
and some Rewards. The Marks are rated as followed
The Mark of Khorne-Frenzy-45 Points-The Mark of Khorne really sucks. Frenzy makes the Prince charge anything within his charge range, which is a full 24 inches! It is easy for your enemy to make you charge a unit you don't want to charge by getting into your way. Although it makes the Prince into a killing monster, think long and hard before making this choice
The Mark of Tzeentch-One reroll with +1/-1-15 Points-Tzeentch's mark is a nice and cheap little addition, but nothing special
The Mark of Nurgle-+1 Toughness-50 Points-The most expensive of the marks, Nurgle's mark is very powerful and helps the Prince a lot. Especially important is that it makes him immune to normal bowfire at T6-you'd be surprised how many wounds Wood Elves can do when shooting at a large target, even though they wound on a 6+.
The Mark of Slaanesh-Immune to Psychology and Unbreakable-The best mark in the game, period, no question mark, don't even waste your time arguing it. Look at those stats! Now you no longer have to worry about being overrun by a horde of Goblins whose boss just happens to have the Talisman of Ravensdark. You'll just stick around and demolish them the next round. I love this mark. Of course Slaanesh has its own disadvantages (like crappy magic with the exception of Cacophonic Choir) but the Mark goes a long way towards making up for it.
The Mark of Chaos Undivided-May Choose Daemons for his Retinue from any God. This seems very useful, but doing this forces you to put the Lord of Chaos reward on your Princes, which is a real hassle and denies your prince of one of his essential rewards. Furthermore, if the Prince dies, you are confronted with Daemonic Animosity.and you ex-Orc Warbosses, this is a whole new ballgame compared to "Lets Show'em Ladz!" This is all-out war, and believe me it isn't pretty. Don't risk being forced to watch your 35 point Daemons slaughtering your 30 point Daemons. Stick to daemons from one god!!
Next on the line is the rewards. These are entirely different from the rewards available to Warrior armies (sorry, no Aura of Slaanesh or Fortune of Tzeentch.) Each of the 4 Powers has a few special rewards, the best of which I will cover here:
Khorne's Spellbreaker-If you don't include a wizard (and Khornate armies should not have wizards), Spellbreaker is fabulous. Dispelling as a Lvl4 and especially the re-roll almost makes up for having no magic of your own. I said almost. This is a great reward nonetheless.
Whip and Axe of Khorne-+1 Attack and D3 Wounds makes your already-deadly DP of Khorne (or Bloodthirster) into a true killing monster.
All-Seeing Eye of Tzeentch-One of the games best rewards, you get to steal an enemy spell! Goodbye Vanhels, or Curse of the Years, or Banishment, or Hold Fast, or Plague, or..Too bad you don't get to pick the spell, but its still incredibly useful nonetheless.
Flames of Tzeentch-Does a nice job of whittling down ranks to make HTH an easier proposition for the Prince.
Nurgle's Stream of Corruption-Whoa there sonny! What's that again? That's Initiative tests using the flame template! Useless against Elves and Chaos Warriors, but against everybody else.especially Lizardmen, Orcs, and Dwarves, who combine high prices with pathetic initiative for the ultimate in Nurgle-y fun.
Nurgle's Plague Flail-Turn your Nurgle DP into more of a killer with this baby. Nice vs. Characters and strong enemy units.
Aura of Slaanesh-Useful against low-Ld types, but that's about it. Slaanesh lacks good rewards in general (though the Mark makes up for it.) I will cover general rewards later.
Now to the Princes themselves. They are quite powerful in combat, but don't be fooled: they are not invincible, and even normal bowfire will kill them if enough of it comes at you. Cannons are a major threat. If you are expecting Cannons or Organ Guns, you will want to Fly High, but otherwise avoid this, as it leaves you open to Sky Arrow of Naelor and other things. If you are convinced that your enemy is going to base his game around killing your Princes from a distance, consider the Ward of Chaos reward. As for attacking units, Princes have trouble with enemy Elites on their own, especially if they have ranks and standards, and even more so if there are characters in the unit. While powerful enemy characters tend to die when charged by mighty Daemon Princes (Hint: Leave Vampire Lords with the Carstein Ring alone, very alone.) he may not cause enough wounds to overcome the ranks and standards and could flee. Even more disturbing is measly Champions with items such as Van Horstmann's Speculum, Black Gem of Gnar, etc. However, perhaps worst is some Magic Standards like Battle Banner or Banner of Defiance. These items will see to it that your Prince is driven off or broken. The 2 exceptions here are Khornate and Slaaneshi Princes. Khornate Princes, with double attacks due to Frenzy, are killing monsters who can eviscerate almost any enemy unit with ease. Of course, there are some units who will beat the Princes, and you can guarantee that your enemy will try and make you charge them. Worse yet, these units might contain a Gem, but that's another subject entirely. Slaaneshi Princes, however, are immune to all break tests, so they will never be driven off by ranks and standards. However, you still must beware of Van Horstmann's and the Black Gem. I will talk about how to use Daemon Princes in more depth when I discuss varies strategies for each different god.
Daemonic Infantry
Daemonic Infantry blocks are the basis of your army's combat
potential. These guys will move mountains for you. All except
Bloodletters have magic levels, all have fancy Musician things,
and all have T3 and a point cost upwards of 20. Oh well, can't
have it all. There is a question as to how large units should be.
I urge people to use big blocks of 20 Daemons so as to utilize
Fear and Autobreaking as well as getting Rank Bonus. Realize that
doing this leaves you vulnerable to shooting..but then again no
matter what you do you are vulnerable to shooting, so don't sweat
it. Standard of Shielding is very nice for Daemons. Also useful
is the War Banner of Nurgle, but only Plaguebearers have access
to that. I will mention Champions and BSBs for Daemons here. I
like the idea, but no magic items and a horrendous points cost
turns me off of these guys real fast. As for their statistics,
all of the Lesser Daemons except the Daemonettes and Blue Horrors
have M4, BS5, WS5, S4, T3, W1, I6, A2, and Ld10.
Bloodletters of Khorne-Bloodletters are the cheapest of the Lesser Daemons at 20 points, but don't have magic levels, which is of course a big disadvantage. They have Hellblades, which do D3 Wounds, and the Musician has the Bloodhorn, so they can march even if an enemy is within 8". Bloodletters are nice because their comparatively low points cost means that they can be effectively used in large blocks of 20, a deadly unit in HTH. They have the standard weaknesses of Daemonic Infantry-astronomical point cost compared to toughness and save, even though they are better than the others in this regard.
Pink Horrors of Tzeentch-Pink Horrors are the #1 reason not to play Tzeentch. These guys are the most expensive of the Lesser Daemons (along with Daemonettes) yet have normal statistics, no save, and the incredibly stupid rule about breaking up into Blue Horrors, who have stats that look like they belong on Clanrats! The Blue Horrors don't even count for magic levels! A large unit of Pink Horrors is useful, but is extremely expensive, and you don't get what you pay for. Sure there will be a lot of little Horrors around come HTH time, but those Blue Horrors die in droves when it comes to combat. To add insult to injury, Pink Horrors are terribly expensive money-wise: in a single blister you get 1 Pink Horror and 2 Blue Horrors, meaning that you have to buy 1 blister per model in the unit, driving up the price like mad. Avoid these guys. If you must use them, I strongly suggest the Banner of Defiance. At least you'll get the most out of that huge rank bonus.
Plaguebearers of Nurgle-For 30 Points, a full 5 points cheaper than Horrors and Daemonettes, you get -1 to hit, the Plaguesword, which kills wounded models on a 4+, and magic levels from the best of the Chaos decks. I call that a bargain! The Gong of Despair carried by Plaguebearer musicians is useful if you don't outnumber your enemy, but if you do its useless because of Fear. As an added bonus, the models look totally awesome, especially when painted. As you can see I love Plaguebearers. They are my favorite of the Lesser Daemons for their price.
Daemonettes of Slaanesh-These guys, or rather ladies, are fabulous Daemons to have on your side. Boasting improved stats compared to the other Lesser Daemons, especially due to their 3 attacks, Daemonettes are great troops. The Siren's Flute is not that useful, though. Slaaneshi magic is mostly average to poor, but Cacophonic Choir is a killer if you're lucky enough to draw it. Daemonettes are certainly a fine choice for Slaaneshi princes.
Daemonic Cavalry
All of the powers save Tzeentch may mount one unit of their
lesser Daemons on their Gods' daemonic steed. All of these units
are as expensive as they come and tough as nails in combat. They
also have the same special rules as their foot-bound counterparts
and improved saves thanks to their mounts. Finally, in the case
of Bloodcrushers and Plague Riders, the steeds are counted as
monsters: hits on them are randomized between the steed and the
rider, hitting the steed on a 1-4 and the rider on a 5+.
Bloodcrushers of Khorne-Wow. Forget about the stupid Bloodletter, look at the stats on that Jugger!! 3 attacks at WS3, S5, including one which auto-hits, M7, T5, W3..and 70 points!!! Yes, that's 70 points, I repeat, Seventy points! (or "lots and lots" for you ex-Greenskin Warlords.) And those 70 points are just for the Jugger, when you put a Bloodletter on its back your guys are coming in at a hefty 90 Points a model! And ya know what.they are worth every penny of it. A unit of 5 Bloodcrushers who get the charge can beat just about anything, and I mean just about anything. Avoid Dwarves w/ Rune of Courage and countercharging Bretonnians, that's just about it. Remember randomization on shooting, which will save you a lot of unnecessary agony when those arrows bounce off the T5 Juggers. One last note-beware the Hellblaster Volley Gun and the Organ Gun! So long as you can avoid these things, you'll do fine.
Mounted Daemonettes of Slaanesh-I don't know why they don't have a fancy name, but it doesn't matter, they still rock the house. Movement 12!! Charge/March 24!!! This is faster than those stupid Discs of Tzeentch! And the disgusting yet effective Tongue Attack makes those lovely Daemonettes even more deadly in combat. However, you don't randomize between the Steeds and the Ladies like with Crushers and Plague Riders, but still, these Mounted Ladies (now there's a Slaaneshi name!) are the best of the mounted Daemons for their price. They are masterful flankers with their high movement and great combat strength, plus their fear and 3+ save. Pity you're only allowed one unit.
Plague Riders of Nurgle-These much-maligned creatures are really much better than you may think. Simply put, their role is different than that of the Mounted Daemonettes or of Bloodcrushers (and also from other fast Daemons like Flamers and Flesh Hounds.) They are support troops for your Plaguebearer blocks. They do lots of damage in combat, and they are great as missile screens with randomization and T5 Beasts. Unfortunately, they are rather expensive. 3000+ points only.
Fast Daemons
Fast Daemons, excluding Cavalry and Princes, is the category used
for 2 Daemons who are best used for flanking due to their high
movement-Flesh Hounds and Flamers.
Flesh Hounds of Khorne-These troops are Khorne's gift to the tactical mind. M10! Combined with decent stats (though only 1 attack), Khorne's hounds are quite a unit. Don't use them as straight attackers-Bloodcrushers and Bloodletters are designed for that job. 2 units of 5 Flesh Hounds can be used to run around the side of the enemy and hit flanks just when the Daemon Princes and Bloodcrushers are getting stuck in. In short, I love Flesh Hounds, and use them at every opportunity. These are also among the best allies for Khornate Warrior armies.
Flamers of Tzeentch-These well-known mushroom-shaped Daemons are very nice troops, but 50 points is a very high point cost for the stats that you're getting. I don't like Flamers, though there are others who disagree with me.
Support Daemons
These Daemons (or Warriors on Drugs in the case of Spawn) are
designed to serve as support troops in myriad ways.
Nurglings of Nurgle-Awww, how cute. These little buggers are marvelous charge and missile screens for your Plagebearers. Put a couple of bases in front to waddle out and get chopped to bits, if they get to strike back it's a nice bonus. Don't make your screen to large, or else they will break and flee and your enemy will pursue into the Plaguebearers. These guys are an important part of Nurgle's assault.
Beasts of Nurgle-The mounts of the Plague Riders, these things could be used as missile screens, but Nurglings do the job better.
Fiends of Slaanesh-They have a boatload of special rules, but when you get down to it, the Price vs. Stats on these odd things really suck. Spend your points (and dollars) on Daemonettes.
Chaos Spawn-Can be used to tie up enemy units because they are unbreakable, but I think they are too easily avoided. I don't use them, though there are people who swear by them.
Magic and Rewards
A brief word on Magic. All of the Four Powers save Khorne have
their own magic decks. None of these are great, but they vary in
quality: Nurgle is good, Tzeentch is OK, and Slaanesh bites it
big time. Remember that your infantry and cavalry have magic
levels: that's what you use for wizards, not the Master of
Sorcery reward. Speaking of Rewards, I recommend the following
rewards: Daemonic Robes, Ward of Chaos, Daemonic Arrogance,
Massive Stature, and Daemonic Strength.
Khornate Tactics
Khorne is the Bloodgod, and has no magic, but a variety of fairly
cheap and extremely powerful troops. His mark of Frenzy makes
Daemon Princes of Khorne into killing machines, though the forced
charges can really hurt. The Bloodthirster is the most effective
Greater Daemon in the game. Khornate armies should be based
around 1-2 blocks of Bloodletters in full ranks with a standard,
a unit of 3-5 Bloodcrushers, and 2 units of 5 Flesh Hounds for
flanking and such. Choose between Princes and the Bloodthirster
depending on the circumstances. Always take the Spellbreaker
reward to compensate for your lack of magic. Be sure to eliminate
War Machines if necessary.
Tzeentch Tactics
First of all, don't use Tzeentch. But if you choose to, take
large units of Horrors supported by Flamers, have the All-Seeing
Eye, and try to dominate the magic phase-even though your spells
aren't the best, stuff like Drum of Change helps on that score.
Slaaneshi Tactics
Daemonettes are your core troops, supported by Mounted
Daemonettes and your wonderful DP's of Slaanesh. Don't worry
overmuch about magic except that you want Cacophonic Choir and
Bondage of Slaanesh. Leave the Fiends at home. Attack
warmachines, as usual.
Nurgle Tactics
Nurgle is IMO the best of the 4 powers for Daemons. Plaguebearers
are your main troops, Nurglings walk in front of them as
"speed bumps" to make sure the Plaguebearers get the
charge. Daemon Princes are your fast guys, who run forward and
keep the missile fire at a minimum. Nurgle's magic is wonderful,
especially Plague Wind, Stream of Corruption and Miasma of
Pestilence. Be sure to take the reward Stream of Corruption.
Forth the Four
Powers..
I hope you enjoyed my Tactica: Daemons. If you have any comments,
questions, concerns, anecdotes, or life stories, don't hesitate
to email me at AGM65@aol.com