CSM Wishlist

[Djbz]

Legion/warband specific rules (and/or detachments)
Chaos Lords being equal to chapter masters (Or upgrade-able to similar) And be upgradeable to cult level (i.e Bezerker Lord/Noise Lord/Plaugelord)
Unique characters- (sigh). (Look at Ahiraman compared to Tigerius-80pts more for a model that is worse in virtually every possible way)
Return of the Sorceror lord and the Chaos Lieutenant
Warpsmith should actually compare to a loyalist techmarine (warpsmith is nearly twice the cost for the same stats without ATSKNF or chapter tactics)
Bring back the daemonic gifts from "3.5"
Chaos versions of the 'recent' loyalist tanks(they would steal them or modify what they already have at the very least)
POTMS for land raiders- it is still there in the background
Marks of chaos and cult marines being appropriately priced (mark of slaanesh for example, 2 points for +1 I seriously? Goes double for character marks (15!!!!) especially when you consider that you may want an ap2 melee weapon-which are all unwieldy)
Cultists having infiltrate (they are just worse versions of guardsmen as they are now)
Full sized psychic lores for Tzneetch, Nurgle and Slaanesh (and them being good!)
Daemon princes being T 6. and different stats and points for each different god's Daemon princes(There is a Space marine character that is TOUGHER than them- what the heck!?!)
The "Hellbrute", needs everything that the loyalist dread got in the last codex And to be 5 pts cheaper(chaos have to buy the underslung weapon on the powerfist)
Daemon weapons for each of the chaos gods-not just the one like the current codex
Mutilators and Obliterators should be T5 again
Mark of nurgle should give feel no pain instead of +1 T (T6 bikers is a bit mental)
And decent relics. 2 are restricted to specific marks, 1 requires a melee kill to become a glorified teleport homer. 1 that is a 35pt powersword unless you reach base contact with a specific character- who will be avoiding him like the plague. The other two aren't too bad.

[Venomlust]

Berzerkers on juggernauts comparable to Thunderwolf Cavalry. This is my only wish. It is unlikely to ever be granted.

[Path Walker]

I think the CSM Codex should cover the basics but be more focused on renegade chapters and post heresy Chaos Space Marines, rather than the Legions. The Legions are special cases that should get their own rules a la Daemonkin, which works very well.

Fluff wise, it should be established that, by the 41st millennium most Chaos Space Marine warbands wouldn't be anything like the Legions, either they've turned their back on legion doctrine to pursue their own thing, they've recruited to replace losses to the extent where its watered down or they're more recent renegades, so I they don't need to be specifically in there and are better looked at with unique detachments and formations with god specific rules to show how different they are, available separately, either in one massive "Legions of Chaos" book or as separate supplements.

Unit wise, I'd want to buff the average Chaos Space Marine, they tend to older because replacement is trickier and have been working without support from the wider imperium for tens, hundreds or in some cases thousands of years and so only the toughest of them would survive. Most have, through madness or necessity made pacts with the dark gods.

A line warrior of the Chaos Space Marines should be more than your average Space Marine. I'd make Chaos Tactical Squads the equivalent of Space Marine Sternguard but without the ammo options and an option of a CC weapon and Bolt Pistol.

This creates an interesting shift in play from regular Space Marines, where they're more elite but have the option of bringing tons of Cannon Fodder cultists along with them. On top of that you have the pacts with the Gods to given them even more advantages over your regular vanilla dudes.

I think Cultists work well how there are, especially when you take their Formation uses into account. They represent the rabble of human followers of chaos and with the right use can be very tricky to deal with. I'd bring back the demogorge (showing my age there) as an 1 per cult choice HQ unit, who boosts them in a similar way to a Dark Apostle, but less so and you would save an HQ slot.

Daemon engines are great, fluffy could do with a few points tweaks to bring them into line but otherwise they seem to be working as intended, obviously current trends are to allow 1-3 of most of those size units so add that in. Helbrutes could do with a another attack I think.

I think trying to make Chaos Space Marines "Space Marines but with MOAR" is not going to get anyone anywhere and is kind of reductive, I think they need to double down on what they started with making Chaos unique to play, which is why I've made my suggestions.

If i could go really extreme super wishlisty? I'd get rid of Obliterators from the CSM book, they're ugly and I always hated the idea, it doesn't really add much lore-wise, I'd maybe save them for a unique "cult" choice for the non-god aligned Legions in a Legion book. So, any renedage force can have Khorne Marked squads of Space Marines that are badass but only the World Eaters legion list gets berserkers, only the Emperors Children have noise marined. etc.
We all know the god aligned cults, but then Iron Warriors get Oblits (reluctantly because people have modesl for them and we wouldn't want to invalidate those ugly, ugly things), with Terror Squads for Night Lords, Alpha Legion would get a Power Armoured infiltration/sniping squad, Black Legion get super Chosen that buff nearby units when they fight (the traitors might hate the Black Legion, but seeming them at war will make anyone fight harder)

There needs to be an effort to bring Abaddon back to being one of the most potent threats out there too, the unifier, a formation with him where, uniquely for one Detachment, you could have loads of different cult squads all working together would be cool. When he was introduces in 2nd ed he was an utter, utter ******* and one of the scariest things in the game, you could easily believe this was the son of a primarch who could hold his own against the imperium, now that doesn't seem the case.

[Captain Bubonicus]

...You know what I wouldn't mind seeing?

Rules for Chaos war-band skirmish games, like we had in Slaves to Darkness/Lost and the Damned.

[grimmas]

Actually on second thoughts all my wishes have already come true in the FW HH series ( which I purchased at great expense, best I've ever spent on Wargaming though). Renegades and Dinobots all round then 🍻

[Cactus]

I wrote a much longer response and scrapped it because it basically boils down to this:

Here's what I want:
Formations that give free upgrades on weapons and/or free transports.
Infantry that can have a regular armor save and a way to stack FNP or cover saves.
Transports that can fly or deepstrike.
Fear, Fearless, or not knowing any fear.
Scout, outflank, infiltrating Troop choices.
Point costs more in line with the current Marine books.

These sort of things can be built with marks or "boons" like the old wargear/magic item cards from days of old. I guess my idea is that a Chaos god should be able to customize their followers for a specific task or function no matter if the want blood, disease, pleasure or secrets.

I'd remove:
Random chart rolls during each phase, like spawn. Just give them some rules a player can count on.

[Andrew Thomas]

I want the models to earn their price point, in terms of point value, honest-to goodness Chapter Tactics, and more choice-efficient vehicle units. To that end, Chosen, Thousand Sons, Mutilators, and Obliterators need to be reworked.

[AlexRae]

Make it a little bit broken. They deserve it after the penance of 3.5

[Path Walker]

I wrote a much longer response and scrapped it because it basically boils down to this:

Here's what I want:
Formations that give free upgrades on weapons and/or free transports.
Infantry that can have a regular armor save and a way to stack FNP or cover saves.
Transports that can fly or deepstrike.
Fear, Fearless, or not knowing any fear.
Scout, outflank, infiltrating Troop choices.
Point costs more in line with the current Marine books.

These sort of things can be built with marks or "boons" like the old wargear/magic item cards from days of old. I guess my idea is that a Chaos god should be able to customize their followers for a specific task or function no matter if the want blood, disease, pleasure or secrets.

I'd remove:
Random chart rolls during each phase, like spawn. Just give them some rules a player can count on.

So you just want them to be space marines with spikes. Why?

[Cutter]

So you just want them to be space marines with spikes. Why?

I think the clue is probably in the name, Chaos Space Marines...