I don't mean to discuss the personal icons used as summoning points for daemons. That makes sense to me and is something that I feel fits the army.

I mean to discuss the icons of the Chaos Gods. I currently have a very negative view of them. I was much happier with the marking system of the previous Chaos Space Marine codex. However, I would like to delve into some of the other thoughts that are out there and see if I might be looking at things in an overly negative light.

I play a Nurgle-focused army. But I refuse to buy an Icon of Nurgle. If I need Nurgle infantry, I will buy Plague Marines (and don't get me wrong, those things are the single toughest nut to crack in the game, as far as I'm concerned). I don't see any real reason to buy, say, normal Chaos Marines and give them the icon. Nor do I see a point in giving an icon to any other unit capable of taking it. It seems both expensive and fragile, since you lose the bonuses if the icon is removed as a casualty.

So what do you think? Are these icons worth taking? Or do you agree that one ought to just stick with the cult troops for their god-specific needs?