As the title suggests, how do you use chaos spawns?

Everything has a main role in an army, but how exactly should you best use these gribblies?

To be more specific, a spawn of slaanesh, in games of 1000 or 1500pts. Are they useful for charging the biggest enemy units, like most things, or better at flanking to support others...

Any and all opinions are welcomed, just wanted to get a bit of discussion going ^_^

Depends on your needs. The way I see it, spawn have three roles: speed bump, light unit hunter/flank guard and mage hunter.

1) Speed bump explains itself: T5, unbreakable, some decent attacks. Units without access to S4 or better can be stuck a VERY long time against a spawn.

2) It's a major deterrent to light units due to its 360° charge arc. If it gets stuck in, they usually die. Very handy on the flanks.

3) D6 S attacjs vs (generally) a T3 W2 mage = one dead mage. Since most mages are in units these days, you can combine option 1 and 3 ^_^ .

I've seen it used to paralyze units in close combat.

In one battle report in an old White Dwarf, a big unit of Flagellants was stuck in combat against two Spawns. Needless to say, it was a very long fight. The Spawns won.

If it helps this is the army list:

155: Exalted Champion
-Chaos Armour, Mark of Slaanesh, Sword of Battle, Enchanted Shield

360: 19 Warriors of Chaos
-CA, MOS, Full Command, Warbanner

156: Beastherd
- 12 Gor (2 hand weapons), 8 ungor (spears), Full Command

91: 5 Marauder Horsemen
-Throwing Axes, Musician

90: 6 Furies

30: 5 Warhounds

30: 5 Warhounds

75: Fiend of Slaanesh

987pts

So basically the spawn was spawn is mainly in the army to fill up points, but now im more inclined to find a proper role for the model.

Maelduin ab Sardis: I can see how a spawn would be suited against large units or ordinary infantry, as it would be hard to hurt at toughness 5, but I always thought it was not very good, but then again, a basic spawn is only 60 points, which is good for an unbreakable model (not literally ^_^ )

Never knew myself that spawns had 360 charge arc..... Always presumed they acted like a unit, but I suppose it makes sense. It would be good to post a spawn opposite a large unit of lowly foot troops, or just to cover the flanks.

Not sure If a spawn could be used to hunt mages? I mean, surely mages are kept near the backs of armies, or hiding in terrain. I can understand with large units though, just pick out the characters :lol:

@ztech: What do you think of the new flagellent models? Im considering using them as marauders in my army :D

Not sure about this: they have monster bases, don't they? Unless the rules specifically say that they have a 360 line of sight, I don't think they do. -_-

Do they have new models? My GW linky shows the good old flagellants as they were in 6th Ed. The models don't need to be changed, though: they're cool. And they look good for Marauders, with their ragged and fanatical look. Being metal models, though, they're more expensive.

*is skeptical*
You better have something that flies (like Furies or Screamers) for that part of the job.

Did you take the Fiend of Slaanesh as filler?

You should strip your list of all filler: I want to see what the core of this army looks like. Then we will be able to decide what we should add.

Theyre are new models indeed, here is a link:

http://uk.games-workshop.com/storefront/st...2022&orignav=13

Let me know if it works, this does not do the new models total justice, but basically, they now come in plastic option with multiple ways to arm them, they all just count as flails but you can make them have bells, large books, chains and all matter of things as weapons. Also I have a thing for paiting plastics of metals, less chipping ^_^

Monster bases probably do give them "normal" LOS, seeing as they are not skirmishers and it does not say they have 360 LOS.

Fliers would probably suit the role more, furies take that job, or attacking War machines, depending on the army.

The fiend is a filler yes, I can understand that you would like to see the base army first, but I do not like certain models, mainly metal models, hence why I choose the spawn over say, another unit of M horseman. However I suppose I should show you the list first then see.

So the list without Spawn:

155: Exalted Champion
-Chaos Armour, Mark of Slaanesh, Sword of Battle, Enchanted Shield

360: 19 Warriors of Chaos
-CA, MOS, Full Command, Warbanner

156: Beastherd
- 12 Gor (2 hand weapons), 8 ungor (spears), Full Command

91: 5 Marauder Horsemen
-Throwing Axes, Musician

90: 6 Furies

30: 5 Warhounds

30: 5 Warhounds


912pts

I was originally considering a sorcerer to lead the army but havent been able to read the new rule changes, magic is said to have changed so wanted to stick with good old hack and slash combat.

Plus the fact that many may get a bit bored with reading the typical "1000pt army, what do you think" kind of post :)

1) In 7th ed; models can be picked out with shooting/magic if they're not in a unit, meaning most mages are in units. A spawn can catch up with most infantry units, forcing your opponent's hand.

2) IIRC, you just declare the spawn's direction of movement, then roll 2d6 (3d6 for fiend). This effectively gives it 360° LOS for charging. It still has flanks and a rear though, but being unbreakable and all... Someone with the army book might want to confirm this though.

Yup, the spawn has a "point and go" type of movement. They never wheel, just point the direction you want to go, roll the dice and move the spawn(s) in a straight line. This gives spawns a 360 degree line of sight, just not in the normal kind of way :).

Yeah I can see what you mean now, seeing as it is unbreakable flanks dont matter. Also it can choose a direction to charge in, even if it is unpredictable, or very good, depending on the D6 roll.

I can agree with what you are saying, if a mage or character is in a unit you could charge that unit then pick out the character with your attacks. However what I was getting at was the idea of a single mage, hiding away in difficult terrain.

Heard of that new rule with characters from Blood Dragon, I guess it means then that no more characters can hide away in units, or mages next to them.

I wonder if this will mean more characters (especially mages) taking ward saves? Especially if you are playing wood elves and they choose to shoot up your character :(

Meh, that's lame. <_<


Are Spawns daemonic? My bet is that they're not, since daemonic instability would pretty much counter the awesomeness of unbreakability.

How many points is a Spawn?

Jumping on the question wagon. Are they US 5? if not then they really benifit from a flank charge, and looking over farsights list:

Since its a slaaneshi list you do have pretty schweet magic. However with this current incarnation you are also unprotected from others magic and your Horsemen, hounds and possibly furies are going to be vunerable. With such small units shooting/magic is going to leave you with a big unit of warriors and a unit of beasts marching across the board looking for combat. However since my main opponent is dwarves I dont take spell casters that often either. They seem like a waste of points. i suppose in 1000 point chaos a scroll caddy is out of the question. However when i dont take magic defense and in the new 7th edition old throwaway lores are now back with a vengance. eg: life now has an ability to hit you with a magical "bolt thrower". Against brettonia (my other regular opponent) the magic phase killed off my flanking small units because they were too close to a wood. s4 on goblins hurts. Not quite sure on warhound toughness but i dont see them being any less vunerable to magic missles/ damaging spells. So just a comment about the lack of magic defense.

@ztech: Technically Chaos Spawns are Daemons without control, chaos champions that have been cursed to be a deformed daemon with no control ^_^

Yes they are not counted as technically being daemons, just unbreakable.

KingTut: US3 im afraid ;) . If only they were US5 then they could flank and would be brilliant, but for the low cost in points its not too bad.

I'm confused :blink: . Greatest of respect, but you are suggesting I take magic but then at the same time, I dont take magic.....

The small units in my army would get shot to pieces of destroyed by on or two magic missles, however I planned this army with the warriors and beast as the central push with the flankers (hounds and MHorseman) on the flanks with the Furies to take out any warmachines or hopefully lone wizards.

Any suggestions are more than welcomed ^_^ . Seeing as im still a new to this edition of Warhammer :)

Lore of life has always been nasty, especially if the wood elves had access to plenty of woods, which almost always happens with wood elf players :lol:

I was merely showing two sides of the argument for putting magic in your army sorry if it got confusing

the chaos spawn have the deamon rule ??

It would greatly decrease their usefullness. I refer to instability tests. Actually, maybe they should have the positive aspects of the deamoness, such as the ward save, but ignore instability test becuase they are unbreakable. Although I suppose it doesn't seem fluffy, considering that they are mortals that have just been overwhelmed (or "blessed") with the powers of chaos, and are techincally not daemonic.

Burro Boskov

No. :)

Chaos Spawns aren't daemons. Rather, they are Aspiring Chaos Champions that have succumbed to the mutating effects of chaos, and have devolved into a chaos spawn. While they are tough, they are very much mortal, and are only physically bound to this world, as opposed to magically like so many daemons. No daemonic ward, no daemonic instability. Just a giant mass o' muscles.