Chaos Icons discussion

[alasgun]

I usually strictly use the Icon of Slaanesh. The advantage of striking before other marines is very nice, especially on terminators. It's the second cheapest icon as well. It's 2 points a model with an icon for I5 but 5 more to make them a noise marine (without sonic weaponry). Granted they can lose the icons and the noise marines are fearless but it works well enough for the points.

[RogueGarou]

I have been playing Chaos in 40k since 2nd Ed. Sometimes the army is more powerful, sometimes less so. The current Codex is not my favorite but personally, I didn't care for the 3rd Ed Codex, either. Actually, I only played two games under the 3rd Ed rules and was not very happy at all with that version of the rules. We lost a lot with the 5th Ed Codex but we also gained some things. Icons can be one of the more useful items gained.

For example, I never had to worry about my Terminators breaking in before. I have not been as happy with Terminators in 5th Ed as before so I have not fielded them too often. A few months ago I was using some Termies and in one game, the whole unit was destroyed during Deep Strike. Ouch. A second game they did not kill more than a couple of enemy infantry; lousy CC rolls and an annoyingly ineffective Reaper plus combis. Good news was they held an objective and could not be dislodged. Third game, they broke from a hail of fire. Fourth game, they broke from a charge of Kroot and were run down. I have also lost Havoc squads from breaking due to incoming fire. Icon of Chaos Undivided greatly helps with those instances.

I have not fielded anything with the Icon of Khorne, I will just use Berzerkers. I have used Nurgle a couple of times and been fairly happy with it. Tzeentch is hit or miss but I usually just take Thousand Sons. With the cover saves in 5th Ed their Inv save is not as special as it used to be. I think the Icon of Slaanesh is money, though. I do like Noise Marines but I love a Raptor squad or a Bike squad for assaulting with the Initiative bonus. Striking in Initiative order is why I don't field very many Power- or Chainfists anymore. Getting to strike first can often mean you are the only one getting to strike. Ask a Genestealer or Howling Banshee fan how much they value a good Initiative score. But that is just my opinion.

[DarkLink]

I kind of like how they seperate out the hardcore cult troops from the more recent converts, though as a former Berzerker player I am a little annoyed you can't get WS 5, Furious Charge Terminators.

Icon of Chaos Glory should be pretty much standard in most squads. It's cheap and effective. If you're going for a theme, or have need of a special unit for a specific roll, then the other Icons are useful, though they should be used in conjecture with larger squads (more bang for your proverbial buck). Some units, like Raptors, benifit greatly from the Icons. But for standard CSM's, taking cult troops are probably a better idea than giving them an Icon other than Chaos Glory.

[mountaincycle661]

Ok, first of all, the icons are pretty much useless on regular CSM if you're considering khorne, slaanesh or nurlge. Nurgle is WAY too expensive, slaanesh doesnt make THAT huge of a difference and with khorne...well, you may as well take berserkers. However, with Tzeentch...now thats an interesting conversation.

I whole heartedly agree that the mark of tzeentch is totally worth it. There are so many plasma guns, melta guns, powerfists and weapons, and battlecannons, nowadays. That +5 invo comes in handly! But mostly, this is the only icon worth taking because its cult counterpart (thousand sons) are worth JACK $HIT. Noise marines? Totally worth it over slaanesh iconed marines. Plague Marines? Totally worth it over nurgle marked troops. Berserkers?! Hell yeah, bring it on over those regular marines with their pathetic WS4 . But thousand sons? Please.

With all the +4 cover nowadays, a +4 invo means jack. Thousand sons die just as easily to a lasgun as any other 15pt marine. Oh, and did i mention the part where THOUSAND SONS ARE THE ONLY MARINES THAT DONT HAVE 2 ATTACKS BASE?!?!?!

Take the mark of tzeentch on your basic troops. its cheap enough, gives them awesome survivability, and its just freaking cool. Leave the thousand douche-bags at home.

(by the way, im a dedicated thousand sons player who has since given up on the BULL$hit rules GW threw at us tzeentchian players with the new chaos marines codex)

[Legionary]

I agree that the icon being a piece of wargear instead of a unit upgrade is very silly, but they're usually worth it.

And I think it's about the only reason that the icons aren't far too cheap. The fact that you can pay 30pts and give the unit twice as many attacks, for instance, would be so inexpensive that it'd be a joke. Since those benefits can be lost if the icon bearer is slain then they're more reasonably priced.

Unless I'm after sonic weaponry I usually select CSM with the icon of Slaanesh over Noise Marines. It's quite a large saving (in a ten-man squad, 17pts/model instead of 20pts/model).

I think the icon of Khorne is of limited use. Bezerkers are just so much better that I think if you're after combat troops you should forget the CSMs with the icon and just go for the Bezerkers.

Nurgle bikers are obviously extremely expensive but are very difficult to kill. My friend usually gives his Raptors the Nurgle icon to protect them after they've deep struck. I wouldn't give CSM squads the icon of Nurgle though: Plague Marines are so much better.

Tzeentch is worth it on units that already have an invulnerable save, otherwise I tend to think it's not very points efficient.