Should I join Chaos..?

[White Tiger88]

I really liked painting my drakes....but I went to town with the technical paints

Easy way is to paint the metal first then fill in the wings :P makes it much more fun to work on and looks awesome! (I have a heldrake somewhere i really need to take a picture of...)

[Charon]

By doing this you limit yourself. Sure you can do it and if you think ist "more fun" its up to you.
I airbrushed a flame pattern over the entire model and added the webbing (brazen) at the end. Not too much work and the result is very nice.

[Merellin]

Hmm.. Maybe I should try to make a DEath Guard based chaos army.. And then I can always add other things to it later..

[Power Klawz]

A Rather Vague List of Chaos Space Marine Units That Are Widely Considered Either Bad or Good
-By Power Klawz (Age 30, Grade uh...)

Good Units
-Consisting of units that will bring glorious, blood drenched doom to the vassals of the corpse-god and sundry other non-believers.

H.Q.

Daemon Princes
-While susceptible to strength 10 instagibs and not quite as almighty as they were in the previous edition, they are still giant muscle-bound beasts of destruction with wings. A good amount of options are available but your standard Prince of Cheese and Filth is probably rocking a Nurgle tint, wings, power armor and a black mace, with perhaps a few psycher levels for good measure. He does what it says on the tin, namely beating the everloving snot out of everything that isn't Lebron James level awesome. (Abby, Swarmy, Draigo etc. will probably punch his clock, but he threatens everything with good rolls and his ridiculous initiative. Only thing that really brings him down is a rather disappointing invulnerable save, a somewhat wimpy toughness and a lack of eternal warrior.)

Chaos Lord: The mac-daddy of mortal renegade marines rocks an impressive statline, a few key special rules as standard (fearless!) and a rock bottom price tag out of the box. He's cheap enough to act as a simple unit buffer and combat multiplier for beatstick melee units, and customizable enough to become Lord Beardy, The Evercheesen. Both codex supplements offer some unique options as well for your duke of disorderly conduct. Some nasty builds are a Khornate lord on a juggernaut with the axe of blind RAAAAAGE (or fury, whatever) with whatever extra bells and whistles you're into. This madman will cheerfully rampage his way through anything with legs. A nurgle biker lord with that ap3 flamer I forget the name of can also wreak much devastation, but the gnarliest build I've seen as yet comes from the Crimson Slaughter. A nurgle lord riding a palanquin with the daemonheart and a sigil, give this happy chap a power axe and go to town with a toughness 5, 5 wound 2+, 4++ IWND machine of utter cruelty. As an added bonus Lords can unlock cult units as troops by simply taking the appropriate mark. Two of these units are totally great (Noise Marines and Plague Marnines) one of these units isn't that great (Berserkers) Thousand sons can only be unlocked by an Egyptian space wizard, but they occupy their own category of bad anyways.

ELITES
Being an account of the most fearsome champions of the dark gods, whom delight in murder, mayhem and malfeasance.

Plague Marines
The disciples of papa nurgle come up big this edition with their usual bag of nasty tricks (High toughness, feel no pain, fearlessness, dirty prison shivs for shanking monstrous creatures and a decent special weapons loadout.)They are pricey but you get what you pay for, especially with a nurgle lord or Master Nasty himself, Typhus, as they then become scoring troops choices.

Noise Marines
THINGS WILL GET LOUD NOW!
The hardiest partiers in the chaos army come stock with drug-induced super powers like fearless and initiative 5 with nifty weapon choices that ignore cover. They make a decent close combat threat as well with an above average initiative and the option to take extra close combat weapons and pistolos in addition to their giant, d battery driven jukeboxes of carnage. In keeping with Slaanesh's theme of being cheap and dirty, they are the cheapest cult troops baseline as well. Hilarity ensues when you pare these guys with a slaaneshi sorcerer who can amplify their attacks strength and debuff their foes.

Troops
Basically consisting of disposable cannon fodder who think dying for an eldritch abomination from beyond the stars is better than dying for a zombie god-king from Samoa (or wherever the Emperor was born.)

Cultists
Wounds! Copious, cheap wounds with staple guns! They can also, hilariously, take chaos marks. Load these guys up with marks of the changer of ways and laugh as bullets bounce off their invulnerable 6++ saves! (no don't do that, it is a silly thing.) Can also be transformed into brain-munching zombros by Typhus in case you're not into shooting things.

Fast Attack
Wherein a dragon shaped airplane creates hate and discontent across the galaxy.

Heldrake
The heldrake is the scariest thing in the skies of the 41st millennium. It roasts space marines by the handfuls, it punches carnifexes in the face and takes flaming prometheum dumps on basicallly everything that isn't rocking a 2+ save. It also has great armor values, a daemonic invulnerable saving throw so it never has to jink and IT WILL NOT DIE for trolltastic hullpoint regeneration. It is broken and won't help you make any friends, fielding one of these will elicit exasperated sighs from more sensitive opponents, fielding two might get you punched in the face, depending on how rough your local game store is. It also has the option to take a single hades autocannon in case you feel merciful or are really wary of enemy flyers.

Bikers
They are space marines who ride on motorcycles. They are also evil. I really shouldn't have to spell this out for you. Very fast, reasonably survivable (especially with the mark of Nurgle, which turns them into toughness 6 monstrosities) and customizable enough to threaten different targets, an all around great unit that will stick around long enough to get the job done. A 5 man squad rocking dual plasma guns (with optional combi-plas for the champion) can put a serious dent in most anything from turn 1 until someone decides to level enough firepower at them to make them go away. A 3 man unit with meltas can act as a swift vehicle elimination squad, zipping around the sides of Russes and other behemoths to get at the tender rear armor values.

Heavy Support
Things that make other things explode violently, at a distance.

Obliterators
These creatures are made from bullets and play-dough. They can somehow produce any manner of heavy or special weapon from their flesh like some kind of horrific birthday clown (well, horrificer I guess.) They are relentless and survivable with terminator save levels, 2 wounds each and the option to take marks. Again Nurgle is the top choice since it makes them more resistant to small arms fire and removes the threat of instant death from strength 8 and 9 weaponry. Deep strike these guys in range of basically anything and extrude the appropriate weapon from their disgusting flesh-folds for instant satisfaction.

Bad Units
-Consisting of misbegotten abominations that will likely die messily upon the altar of war, perhaps staining the paintjobs of the enemy before expiring.

ELITES
Suffering more than any other slot in the list, the CSM elites section is chock full of Rocky Balboas that didn't go the distance. (Eye of Chaos instead of Eye of The Tiger?)

Thousand Sons
Mindless automata with good invulnerable saves, fearlessness and ap3 boltguns. What's not to love? Well the fact that they cost too many points by far for one. With a mandatory Aspiring sorcerer in tow who must choose his single psychic power from the disappointing Tzeentch discipline eating up the lion's share of the point value you're left with a unit that pays too much to do what other units do for cheaper. (Namely kill space marines.)They also have next to no utility outside of their primary role of infantry elimination. They can't take heavy or special weapons and are about as effective in close combat as Johnny 5 from Short Circuit. (RE-assemble Stephany!)

Mutilators
Basically angrier cousins to the obliterators. The main thing keeping these guys down is a lack of mobility and limited squad size. Also their nifty trick of being swiss army knives of death is sort of redundant when its highly unlikely that such a slow moving unit will be able to engage in more than one combat per game before they are scoured from the face of table-top earth. All this combined with the fact that the majority of the CSM list can do what these guys do (mulch infantry in close combat) for cheaper, and with more speed makes these guys an ill advised choice.

Possessed
Raving lunatics that let daemons live in their organs. These guys are way too killable and expensive. In Warhammer 40,000: Guns Are Better Edition they are a unit without any sort of ranged attack. They're no more survivable than your average marine and don't have any reliable ap value for their numberous high strength attacks, meaning even polo-shirt wearing guardsmen can escape unharmed from their maulings. The Crimson Slaughter version of these crazies is slightly better, with a random effect table that focuses on making them more survivable and faster instead of killier. Still too expensive to be good, but maybe not-bad enough to be considered marginal.

Helbrutes
Despite a brand new kit that makes them look faaabulous, these guys are still burdened with a silly random table that makes them poop themselves in stupidity every time they take damage. This makes them unreliable gun platforms (which is basically what dreadnoughts are supposed to be.) If it weren't for that random table these guys would be squarely ok in my opinion. (Also, apparently there is some sort of data-slate out there that lets you circumvent the worst of this random table, making helbrutes pretty decent if taken in a certain configuration, but the number needed would mean you'd have to build your list around the rage-addled zombie-robots, which probably isn't for everyone.)

Also they have no default deployment options other than kicking rocks and hoping nobody shoves a missile up their eye of terror.

FAST ATTACK
Because warp-fueled killing machines from an age of myth and legend don't remember how to use grenades.

Warp Talons
These guys, man. I'm telling you, these guys... They suffer a similar affliction to many alpha predators from previous editions, namely that they aren't allowed near the grenades for whatever reason. (probably because its really hard to pull pins out of things when your fingers are 3 foot long swords, but I digress) This makes them pretty poor assault troops, which is painfully ironic. (don't you think?) While given half a chance these guys will happily turn space marines into kitty chow, they are susceptible to charging into cover where they'll lose out on their good initiative and bonus attacks, and since they're not really any more survivable than regular marines while being more than twice as pricey it makes the proposition a losing one. They suffer a similar fate to most ap3 units as well, meaning that they pay a tax in lost utility for the privilege of treating power armor like margarine. They have literally no other weapon options. Even the champion is stuck dual wielding lightning claws. And (as I have previously mentioned) since they find grenades to be far too complex, they really can't threaten any but the lightest of vehicles by scratching incessantly on the hull until the crew can't take the noise anymore and bail out. Their special power is being really shiny when they arrive from deep strike, causing units within 6" to take a blind test. You might see some limited success with this against Guard, Orks and Tau but Orks hit their targets through volume of fire not accuracy, Tau have markerlights and Guard... well there's always more guard.

THE REST
These guys can find useful applications in lists, depending on how you load them out. Some people might compare them unfavorably to analogs in other lists, but that doesn't necessarily make them useless.

HQ

Dark Apostle
This guy gives units Zealot and lets you reroll chaos boons while radiating LD10 in a small bubble around himself. This good stuff is countered by his limited access to wargear and pre-chosen gear load out, along with a slightly pricey cost. Stick him in a unit of cultists for a potentially surprising beatstick, or let him hang with some power armored pals and enjoy your close combat rerolls and protection from unsightly mutation.

Sorcerer
A pretty cool guy, eh summons daemons and doesn't afraid of anything. With the option to pump his mastery to level 3 and a decently varied selection of disciplines to choose from he's a decent support character with the potential for laying down some psychic beatdown. His only real limiting factor is that he doesn't have access to divination, and that his unique disciplines aren't that amazing. (Although Nurgle is pretty good for killing things and slaanesh is all right. Tzeentch is pretty bland) Note that Crimson Slaughter space wizards have access to a relic that grants them psychic test rerolls and gives them access to divination for the price of not being able to deny the witch with the sorcerer's unit. This makes Crimson Slaughter sorcerers a "good" choice in my opinion, as opposed to an acceptable one.

Elites

Chosen
These guys are kind of pricey but very customizable. Load them up with plasma and stick them in a rhino, ride around being a jerk and spewing ap 2 hate everywhere. They can also form a well equipped if overpriced melee unit that takes up less space than terminators, which might find some application in a deathstar sort of list when accompanying a suitably tooled up lord in a Land Raider. Basically because of their cost these guys are a gamble, they might slaughter untold numbers in the name of your dark gods, or they might die like schmucks the first time a basilisk farts in their general direction.

Berserkers
Kind of pricey, very single minded, very dangerous if used properly, but kind of hard to use properly. When loaded up with chain axes they become decidedly "bad" unless fighting a very specific enemy. (Nobz with 'eavy armor, basically.) They've got the volume of attacks, high weapon skill and the high strength to pile wounds onto most anything, forcing even terminators to die by virtue of sheer wound volume. Without any fancy toys they're still pretty expensive, but not to the ridiculous levels that Thousand Sons are. A decent assault unit choice in an edition that doesn't favor assault.

Terminators

These guys are basically your garden variety terminator with a few key exceptions. Compared to loyalists they have a more limited gear selection (no assault cannons or missile launchers) but are cheaper baseline, coming standard with power weapons instead of power fists or lightning claws. They also don't benefit from ATSKNF and have to pay extra for fearless or take a fearless leader along for the fun. A decent unit that is often times employed in a "termicide" configuration, where a few terminators deep strike onto an important target with combi weapons appropriate to the threat, let loose the hounds of war and hopefully survive the retaliatory fire to charge the next turn.

Troops

Chaos Space Marines
A lot of people get a little upset when talking about the basic troop type of the traitor legions, but they're really not all that bad. The ugly truths are this: when compared to their loyalist brethren they are missing ATSKNF and drop pods. These two things are huge and make basic tactical marines superior, but that doesn't mean that CSM are useless. In terms of weapon loadouts they're just as flexible as ultrasmurfs (even moreso because they can also take additional close combat weapons for bonus attacks.) They're just as tough and just as killy, and they can pump their survivability and killyness with marks and icons. You pay a premium for these perks, but in the right circumstances they can be worth it. Khorne Marines with extra ccw's and boltguns make a great defensive unit with a devastating counter-charge potential. Nurgle marines are bullet sponges extraordinaire, slaanesh marines are good at dueling other marines with their higher initiative and have access to improved survivability from their blasted standard which radiates 3000 watts of feel no pain good vibes. Tzeentch marines can even cost more points in case you run out of models! Other key distinctions are that CSM can come in bunches of 20 instead of a max of 10, making footslogging power armored hordes a reality. They also have access to higher leadership in the form of Veterans of The Long War and fearless in the form of icons of vengeance. Despite what you may read on the internet, not every unit in the game is a sniper that can make precision shots on a 2+, so the threat of losing your expensive icon to sniper fire is oft exaggerated.

Fast Attack

Chaos Spawn
Previously the most worthless unit in the whole game, these gribbly beasties are now a pretty decent harassment unit that moves fast and can hit pretty hard in close combat. You can couple them with a fast lord, say one on a juggernaut or bike, and delight in the protection afforded by your horrifying meatshields. Of course, they're not THAT great and lack reliable attack numbers and ap values.

Raptors

Basically assault marines with attitude (they cause fear!). They can take a few special weapons, they can deep strike, they can come in groups of 15, they aren't too expensive and they can rumble at a college level. What makes them "meh" is that they don't really have access to high ap values, so they must rely on volume of attacks to kill things, and for an assault unit their attack volume is pretty standard. (Taking a mark of khorne helps with this, but adds to the cost and doesn't add anything to their survivability.)

Heavy Support

Havocs

Havocs are the renegade marines with bad knees who no longer feel like running about chasing frightened peasants through the streets, and so resort to blasting them to pieces from afar. A pretty good unit that might be considered "good" by some players. Basically what makes them average for me is their susceptibility to morale tests (pinning or break tests) and their cost, which isn't too high but isn't exactly a steal when loaded up with heavy weapons. A good unit that will find use in a lot of lists.

Land Raiders

Really expensive metal boxes on wheels. A rare assault vehicle with av14 all around and 4 hull points. It will get your slavering madmen into close combat where they can RIP AND TEAR to their black heart's content. What makes this only ok is that its almost prohibitively expensive despite providing such a huge benefit, and the fact that its weapon loadout is immutable and dumb. Loyalists get a great many variants while chaos is burdened with the classic, can't decide whether I'm into tanks or troops variety.

Forgefiends

The shooty dinobot shoots a lot, either pumping out 8 autocannon shots or 2 to 3 ectoplasma cannon shots a turn. (ectoplasma is just like regular plasma only PLASMAER, hitting at strength 8 instead of 7) This is great and when coupled with its decent armor values, daemonic invulnerable save and IT WILL NOT DIE make this a beast to be feared. It also has a nifty special ability called daemonforge, which lets it reroll failed to wound or armor penetration rolls one turn per game. The downside? Kind of pricey, especially since its highest armor value is only 12, not too fast and only BS 3, and without easy access to divination its accuracy will always be in question.

Maulerfiends

Pretty good assault support machines, fast moving and reasonably tough they can be tooled up to either handle vehicles and fortification or troops. Their low attack volume and weapon skill make them less of a threat however. Lasher tendrils are potentially hilarious when coupled with a friendly co-assault unit, reducing the number of attacks by 1 for each tendril in base contact with the enemy, turning almighty chapter masters into one hit wonders.

Giant Enemy Crab

A thing with like, a crab claw or something, plus a battlecannon and maybe like some missiles or whatever. Man I don't know. Its big and it has a face, it punches things. It costs a brick of points and its kind of ugly.

Predator
One of two main battle tanks fielded by the chaos legions, it has a few loadout options and functions much the way you would expect it to, shooting things from far away while being a tank. Nothing sexy going on here.

Demolisher

Str 10 circle of DOOM! Its short range and overwhelming presence make this priority numero uno on most people's kill lists, making it unlikely that it will have a major impact on games with opponents more savvy than a retarded monkey baby. Still, its a str 10 circle of DOOM!

And that's what I have to say about that.

EDIT: I forgot Warpsmiths!

Warpsmiths are basically huge nerds who thought it would be cool to combine unfathomably evil entities with an erector set to form the dinobots and various other chaosy machines of war. They can throw evil wrenches at damaged vehicles to make them work again and weaken the cover save value of a piece of terrain before the game starts somehow, probably by pointing out how poorly constructed it is in a mocking, neckbeardy sort of voice. They rock a 2+ armor save but only have access to a 4++ invulnerable at best (By taking an aura of dark glory and a mark of tzeentch I believe) they punch hard with their metal back-arms and shoot well with integrated multi-meltas. A pretty decent support HQ for a vehicle heavy force, but limited in application in a list that doesn't include some metal-monstrosities for him to play with.