A Dark Horse

 Do I start a New Army for the New Year? 

The answer is of course no, not at all. I already started one last year and 2024 is going to be absolutely packed with building up three existing armies already as it is even under ideal circumstances. A fourth one just is not even remotely feasible unless it just happens to fall out of the sky into my lap fully formed and painted and everything. 

But the new year does nonetheless bring with it an unforeseen opportunity. 

If you don't know, Games Workshop is releasing a new game in 2024 called The Old World that re-uses some of the models from Warhammer. Now, the TOW game itself is a total non-starter. I've already seen enough of its rules previewed to know that it will bring me no joy and trying to force myself to like it is only going to end in tears at best and literal actual real gasoline fire at worst. I tried to force myself to enjoy NuGW stuff  for 16 years and it left me emotionally broken. I won't make that same mistake twice. 

My one big dream for The Old World was that it might drain the swamp of tourneycorns and mathletes that's currently killing 6th edition Warhammer all over again, drawing them away with the promise of actual dynamic metas for them to solve and leaving 6th edition Warhammer once again a beautiful virgin paradise to be reclaimed by roleplayers and lore based players in peace. But sadly GW couldn't even get that part right and TOW doesn't even have the good common decency to share compatible base sizes with 6th edition Warhammer, so I still have to watch my favourite fantasy tabletop game die a death all over again as the Sour Prudes continue to optimise all the fun and joy out of it. Again. Forever. 

But a funny thing has happened. For the second time in six years, GW has caught me off guard with a silver lining I never saw coming, which is the starter boxes for this new game they're releasing. These starter boxes appear to be built on the same model as Battlefront's, and contain what appears to be a good amount of the beautiful 2000s era sculpts that I so desperately crave. I was already eyeing up the Bretonnian one as a possible substitute for hunting down 2010 Battalion boxes online, but honestly that one is actually a rather sad let-down. The convenient 12 Knights' worth of sprue is fantastic, but... well... the thing is the box itself is comprised mostly of Peasants, except that it has an idiotic number of peasant models that leaves it infuriatingly just 4 models short of both Men-at-arms and Peasant Bowmen, each, and.. honestly it's Knights that I really need more of, not Peasants (I'll get more than enough of them from any 2010 Battalion boxes and 2003 Army boxes I manage to find), and frankly I'm probably going to be be better served just picking up a couple of individual Bretonnian Knight boxes instead, especially if they get repackaged as 12 models to a box. 

But where things get REALLY interesting is the other starter box GW is releasing, the Tomb Kings one. 

See like the Bretonnian starter box, the Tomb Kings one is comprised mostly of what appears to be beautiful authentic 6th edition Tomb King sculpts. But unlike the Bretonnian starter box, this one actually has sensible model numbers that produce nice even self-contained units. Quite a lot of them, in fact. 

And I have long desired a Tomb Kings army (I have of course long desired pretty much every 6th edition Warhammer army except Chaos Hordes and Ogre Kingdoms, and even then I've recently desired that first one). Like many cis-het boys I went through a somewhat prominent Ancient Egypt phase growing up, although far more important than that was the Rachel Weisz phase I went through during puberty, which irrevocably changed me forever and has left me with a weakness for nubile shy charmingly awkward brunette bookworms ever since. 

But most importantly of all, in 2010 I discovered this band called Nightwish, which had set my soul to music and continues to maintain a direct line to my heart of hearts to this day (well, most of the time at least). And out of all their numbers that I spent 1100 hours listening to in high school, one of the ones I played over and over most was this little banger called Sahara. 

And just like how... pretty much all of Nightwish's other tracks birthed my real interest in traditional Europeanesque fantasy worlds, this gorgeous little song triggered a huge wave of mania over hotter, dryer, palm tree.. ee..er fantasy settings. This mostly resulted in an obsession to one day have a magnificent army of Araby models for Warmaster, but the Tomb King faction for Warhammer was also able to piggy-back on the same fascination and get a sizeable boost of my attention. 

(And I was just in time for the Katy Perry boom, and my Katy Perry phase managed to survive my transition to melodramatic orchestral heavy metal, which didn't hurt either) 

Now, the thing is, my ideal prospective Tomb Kings army looks something like this: 

The Grand Eternal Legion of Kakapophis The Defiant, Most Glorious Eagle King of Hamnuptra 

Colours: Bone whites for Skeletons, Black Marble for Constructs, attire either in traditional studio blue and gold or that green and gold combo from the army book, or very possibly both because I kind of like the idea of this army being an alliance of two different Nehekaran city-kingdoms. 

One of the most ancient dynasties of all Nehekara, the lost kingdom of Hamnuptra was legendary for never being conquered by Settra the Imperishable. Settra is recorded to have launched no less than 13 separate campaigns to bring Hamnuptra to heel, his armies being repulsed every time, until at last the reigning king Kakapophis brought Hamnuptra into the fold amicably after Khemri finally opened diplomatic channels, and negotiated a settlement that was most favourable to Hamnuptra granting great autonomy as a partner kingdom of Khemri. 

The city of Hamnuptra was widely renowned for its spectacular hanging gardens, originally constructed as a gift for queen Khatiperria and said to be the most beautiful sight in all of Nehekara until they were destroyed by Nagash's sorcery. 

Lords 

Glorious King Kakapophis The Defiant: Tomb King with light armour, Blade of Setep, Cloak of The Dunes, Shield of Ptra and Talisman of Protection - 273 pts 

Loyal Liche High Priest: Liche High Priest with Serpent Staff, Neferra's Plaques of Mighty Incantations, Collar of Shapesh and Vambraces of The Sun, mounted on a Skeletal Steed - 352 pts

Wise Liche High Priest: Liche High Priest with Staff of Mastery and Blue Khepra mounted on a Skeletal Steeed - 337 pts

Heroes 

Prince of The Stone Scorpion: Tomb Prince with shield, Scorpion Armour and Biting Blade - 152 pts

Prince Xhibt the Bold: Tomb Prince with spear, light armour and Shield, mounted on a Chariot with Golden Eye of Rah-Nutt and Chariot of Fire - 201 pts 

Honourable Prince: Tomb Prince with Great Weapon, Light Armour, Shield and Amulet of Pha-Stah - 148 pts 

Deadly Prince: Tomb Prince with Light Armour, Shield and The Blade of Mourning - 154 pts 

Scary Prince: Tomb Prince with Flail, Light Armour, Shield and Death Mask of Kharnut - 141 pts

Faithful Icon Bearer: Icon Bearer with Standard of The Sands - 142 pts

Keeper of The Casket: Liche Priest with Golden Ankhra and Casket of Souls - 325 pts

Keeper of The Plagues: Liche Priest with Staff of Ravening, mounted on Skeletal Steed - 168 pts 

Cunning Liche Priest: Liche Priest with Hieratic Jar and Brooch of The Great Desert, mounted on Skeletal Steed - 173 pts 

Humble Liche Priest: Liche Priest with Staff of Sorcery, mounted on Skeletal Steed - 173 pts

Core 

Skeleton Legion: 20 Skeleton Warriors with hand weapons, shields, light armour, Full Command and Standard of The Cursing Word - 230 pts

Skeleton Legion: 20 Skeleton Warriors with hand weapons, shields, light armour and Full Command - 205 pts 

Skeleton Legion: 20 Skeleton Warriors with spears, shields, light armour and Full Command - 225 pts

Skeleton Legion: 20 Skeleton Warriors with spears, shields, light armour and Full Command - 225 pts

Skeleton Legion: 16 Skeleton Warriors with bows, light armour and Full Command - 169 pts

Skeleton Legion: 16 Skeleton Warriors with bows, light armour and Full Command - 169 pts

Skeleton Legion: 16 Skeleton Warriors with bows, light armour and Full Command - 169 pts

Skeleton Legion: 16 Skeleton Warriors with bows, light armour and Full Command - 169 pts

Skeleton Riders: 16 Skeleton Heavy Horsemen with Full Command and Banner of The Undying Legion - 316 pts

Skeleton Riders: 5 Skeleton Light Horsemen with Full Command - 105 pts

Skeleton Riders: 5 Skeleton Light Horsemen with Full Command - 105 pts

Skeleton Riders: 5 Skeleton Light Horsemen with Full Command - 105 pts 

Skeleton Riders: 5 Skeleton Light Horsemen with Full Command - 105 pts 

Skeleton Riders: 5 Skeleton Light Horsemen with Full Command - 105 pts

Ravening Swarms: 5 Tomb Swarm bases - 225 pts

Chariot Squadron: 6 Chariots with Full Command and Icon of The Sacred Eye - 340 pts

Special 

Tomb Guardians: 20 Tomb Guard with Full Command and Mirage Standard - 310 pts

Tomb Guardians: 20 Tomb Guard with Full Command and Icon of Rakaph - 310 pts

Legion of The Gods: 10 Ushabti - 650 pts

Legion of The Gods: 10 Ushabti - 650 pts

Black Vultures: 10 Carrion - 240 pts

Death on Swift Wings: 10 Carrion - 240 pts

The Keeper: Tomb Scorpion - 85 pts

The Sentinel: Tomb Scorpion - 85 pts

Rare

Breaker of Cities: Screaming Skull Catapult with Skulls of The Foe - 110 pts

Breaker of Strongholds: Screaming Skull Catapult with Skulls of The Foe - 110 pts

Breaker of Legions: Bone Giant - 220 pts

The Forbidden One: Bone Giant - 220 pts

Spoils

Captive Damsel: Beautiful wise Librarian with distant Nehekaran ancestry - 300 pts

Minions 

Groveling Thief: Groveling weasley cutthroat of ill repute with talent for getting into the right place at the right time (or the wrong place at the wrong time, depending on your point of view) - 200 pts

Defences 

Scorpion Trap: Cunningly hidden and activated secret chute that leads to pit of deadly venomous scorpions - 100 pts 

Snake Trap: Cunningly hidden and activated secret chute that leads to pit of deadly venomous asps (very dangerous!) - 100 pts 

Mirage: Uncanny trick of the light that renders a stronghold almost invisible from afar - 100 pts 

Sand Trap: Cunningly hidden and activated series of chutes and resevoirs that fill entire stronghold with sand - 100 pts 

Boulder Trap: Cunningly hidden and activated series of guidelines that direct massive boulder to crush intruders - 100 pts 

TOTAL: 10000 pts 

This does put the army at 2000 pts over the regular 8000 point game size for 6th edition Warhammer, but when the entire army can be completely hard-countered by a combination of two Dogs of War options available to everyone except Bretonnians, a few extra points seems like an acceptable handicap. 

Remember when I said I wanted no Skeletons at all in any Vampire Counts army I made? Well this is where all those Skeletons went. The Tomb King army is custom built for hordes of skeletons, and that's exactly what I'm leaning into here, backed up by plenty of giant statue monsters in support because the giant statue monsters are easily the coolest part of the Tomb Kings army alongside the skeleton legions. 

On the other hand, the army includes pretty much no chariots. This is partially because I've just never really found the chariots all that appealing, and they're one of my less favoured Warhammer units in general. But it is also because I am increasingly becoming obsessed with the idea that this particular Tomb King dynasty is in fact older than Settra's, and that they were actually around to see men domesticate horses for the first time ever, and that they did in fact witness the first ever riding and harnessing of horses for war and... 

... concluded that this whole chariot thing was a dead-end fad that would never catch on. 

And then they beat Settra's chariot forces a bunch of times without using any themselves, which seemed to confirm that chariots were in fact a dead-end and a waste of time, so they invested the resources for them into building up great libraries, beautiful hanging gardens and giant statue monsters instead. 

And then they all passed away of various natural causes before they could ever see themselves proven otherwise. 

And then they reawakened thousands of years later and were utterly baffled at why on earth these chariot things were suddenly everywhere in Nehekara now. And what the HELL happened to their hanging gardens! 

The one exception of course being the dynamic Prince Xhibt, a renowned patron of the sciences and lover of all things technological, who took Hamnuptra's experimental chariot force under his wing as a pet project. 

But I digress. 

See, that army list up there.... it's.... not that far off from two of those big Tomb King starter boxes and a few metal models. Well OK a lot of metal models, but two of those starter boxes would provide pretty much all of the core units for it, and when necessary they could even transform into a Vanilla Pumpkin Spice Latte Lahmian army if paired with the modest scattering of Vampire Counts stuff I'm slowly accumulating. 

Especially if I can come into a few extra Skeleton Horsemen sprues. And fleecing off the character models from the starter boxes - which I have no use or taste for - will help subsidise the costs somewhat. 

It would of course require me to figure out a supply of 20mm square bases for all those foot soldiers, but that's not impossible to do. 

And of course the whole thing would only really be an option once I've settled the not insignificant trade deficit I'm raking up. But there is a plan for that. 

So the question is, do I pull the trigger? 

Do I wanna play with magic? And if so, am I really ready for a perfect storm? 

Because if I do, there's no going back...

Genesis

"And so He called forth in a loud voice 'ARISE ALL YOU WHO WOULD CALL THYSELF MAN, FOR YOUR LORD IS AT HAND'! 

And His words were as fire, and the unbearable brilliance did sear at their flesh unto bone, burning away the sin and wickedness, until they emerged from perdition anew as men of purity!

And His voice was as a glorious brazen trumpet that did sunder the heavens in its clarion blast, and the men lept to their feet anew with their souls fired by righteous purpose! 

And His truth was as a great flail of gold that lashed and scoured the sin from the hearts of men, for all who beheld Him knew at once the blinding majesty of Emperor, and none could deny His bidding without curse of blood and leprosy, and so all the men cried out in praise that Emperor is Lord! 

And so it was that where once walked urchins, thieves, liars, fornicators and the blind sick, there now strode a mighty host of men gold of faith and a great love and fear of Emperor immortal, and with great trumpeting of fanfare and singing Emperor is master did they march through the iron gates of Nod!" 

A simple passage, but one full of wisdom. For just like the pilgrims who came from the lowest of human life, so too is the tremendous might of The Emperor the birthright of all mankind, no matter the station, and it is the sprit of man that is the immortal God Emperor's gift unto every human being, no matter their birth. We too, are as wretched as the pilgrims on the road to Nod when the God Emperor met them, for even the greatest man is but fleeting and insignificant before the eternal grace of the Emperor. 

And just as The Emperor called to the lost souls on the road to Nod, so too does He call to us even now! He burns within the righteous hart of every good man, imploring us all to rise up, to take a stand against the darkness, to fight humanity's blighted fate with every fiber of our very being! And so long as we fight with unyielding faith in the God Emperor and His Will in our souls, we will triumph over all and march forward in the golden light of a glorious new dawn over the galaxy that is His Emperor's kingdom for mankind! 

So sayeth the holy gospel of the God Emperor of Man.

Wonderful news everyone! I am a new man, saved from the death and torment that is the wages of sin, and delivered unto the glorious path of the God Emperor, for I am His servant and His plan is my destiny! I have been lifted up from the filth and the maggots to walk by his side in the everlasting kingdom of man! I have cast off the suffocating bands of degeneracy and wickedness and embraced the purity of the light! 

Take heart, for I am at long last, just in time for their 20th anniversary, starting the Witch Hunters army I always wanted.

The first time I discovered the Witch Hunters was when I had just started into 40k for the first time, at age 8 going on 9. I was researching every scrap of information I could find on the Games Workshop website and so invariably turned to the Witch Hunters page and.... was horribly confused. Witches in space? Witch Hunters in space? What the hell was going on? What's with all the braziers and torches? Why is everything half-medieval in my sci-fi game? What the hell does this Inqzecution thing have to do with anything? Or this Ordos Hathfickfehichsurs? Wait their troops are mostly girls? Ew cooties!

Pretty much the only thing that didn't go completely over my head was a photo and short blurb describing a type of fighting machine called a Penitent Engine, which was a kind of battle robot powered by a prisoner hard-wired into it whose desperate frantic need for mercy and forgiveness directed the robot straight into the teeth of the opposition. And even at that young age the whole concept and the model were both very creepy awesome and the ultimate illustration of the evil of the Imperium, so that very quickly earned a special place in my heart even when I could not make any kind of sense out of the rest of the model line. 

But the real origin of this Witch Hunter army lies almost a decade later, in 2011. By this time I had become a morbid depressed teenager and had discovered the darker joys of horror films and gloomy symphonic metal ballads about suicide. I had also learnt how to read and pronounce 'Ordo Hereticus' properly (well sort of, by habit I was still putting the accent emphasis on the second-to-last syllable for 'Ordo HereTICus' but it's a minor squibble). 

And in what might have been their greatest stroke of brilliance in the 2010s, GW released the entire complete Witch Hunters codex online as a free PDF. One fateful night I decided to look through it out of curiosity. And everything changed. 

I understood everything. 

I understood the Imperium. I understood what playing an Imperial army was supposed to be like. I understood space gothic aesthetics and hunting witches in space with crossbows and everything. And I understood the appeal of it all. Reading through that book was what finally broke me out of my bubble of Tau-powered classic science fiction. Ever since then I've wanted an army of heavy metal Witch Hunters. 

And finally I'm starting to get around to it this year. Here are my first results. 

OK, not my best work by any stretch, but hey that's what test models like these are for. 

In fairness they're much less flat looking in real life - an unexpected side effect of the colour scheme I've chosen is that it is apparently much less photogenic than my usual reverse-engineered GW studio schemes are. This is only compounded by the fact that the 2019 models being used are weirdly barren of details in a lot of places. The hair on them in particular is so poorly sculpted that I gave up trying to highlight it, resulting in the flat blobs of colour pictured. 

But for all that, it is a solid proof of concept and the basic colour scheme is turning out nicely, needing only a little further refinement before being ready for application on my precious metal Witch Hunter models. 

Right now the biggest question that I'm wrestling with is which variant of white to go with on the armour - grey-white (as showcased on the blond and brunette on the left of the group shot) or blue-white (as seen on the redhead and dark haired models on the right of the group shot)? The blue-white does give a nice stony gothic artwork look, but the grey-white produces a very Imperial look. A possible compromise I'm also considering is blue-white for the rank and file and grey-white for the veterans. 

Let me know which one you like more in the comments! Then also take some of these pamphlets and come back every Tuesday night, Thursday night and Sunday morning where we will be studying the holy word of the Emperor's Creed. 

Tor'Vash'Por (2)

 Luna Samara: .... moving on to the Penros system now where Tau expeditionary forces have been struck by an unprecedented surprise attack from Ar'cea fighters in the northern temperate belt of Penros VII, where coalition forces have been evacuating heavy equipment from storage depots situated in the planet's northern tundra. The Ar'cea launched a raid on one of the derelict matter transit gates identified on the planet's surface and sized the surrounding area with extreme prejudice, our correspondent Farrier Seyburey has more now. 

(We see a sweeping vista of rugged temperate wilderness beneath an open sky)

Farrier (VO): One step forward, two steps back. For the Tau expeditionary forces on Penros VII, still in the midst of recovering their heavy equipment abandoned in the planet's northern reaches, the last thing they needed was an unprovoked assault from Ar'cea military units. 

(Several explosions suddenly sound and smoke begins to rise from behind a ridgeline of the wilderness)

(The tiny black shape of a lone monolithic gateway can be seen drifting past near the horizon in the distance from the roof of a speeding Devilfish)

Farrier (VO cont.): Tau convoys loaded with equipment and supplies recovered from further north noticed the second of what is now two known objects on the planet's surface believed to be long distance matter transmitters. Being situated in a remote sector well away from known front-lines, the Tau dispatched a forward detachment comprising a small handful of troops and medium battlesuits to investigate further. 

(A band of Tau Fire Warriors takes shelter against a large rock formation as a stream of burning green-white bolts slam into it. There is a brief pause, and the Fire Warriors spring up and fire off several bursts of pulse rifle fire in response)

Farrier (VO cont.): They were met with shocking force from Ar'cea believed to be affiliated with the Iyanden Craftworld. Accounts from the fighting claim a band of Ar'cea fighters including paramilitary militia and supported by large numbers of autonomous combat drones stormed the matter transmitter site and fired recklessly at the approaching Tau forces, refusing any access to the device. Two of the Ar'cea's heavy combat walkers were also deployed in support of the attack. 

(Tau Fire Warriors pull a number of wounded comrades from the shattered hulk of a Devilfish, smoke and flame billowing from its engines)

Farrier (VO cont.): Despite the timely intervention of a team of remnants from previous actions in the north, the Tau were unable to wrest control of the site and fell back in good order after considerable equipment losses, linking up with elements already retreating from an Ar'cea mind science strike. Nonetheless Fire Caste troops were able to inflict some noteworthy losses on the Ar'cea, most notably crippling one heavy combat walker and eliminating almost the entire Ar'cea troop contingent and the Ar'cea mystic commanding the attack, something that the Tau forces on the ground are taking much solace in. 

(A Tau Fire Warrior talks into a microphone held from just out of sight)

Tau Fire Warrior: Ar'cea Uash'O Or'es Xor'ves[The Ar'cea heavy combat walkers are tough adversaries even under ideal circumstances. They're built more densely than normal vehicles, so they take concentrated heavy weapons to bring down, and we had limited heavy weaponry after our support missiles went down with the TX-6 that was assigned to us. I'm just relieved we got most of our warriors out. Still, we did give them a pretty bloody eye by eliminating all the Ar'cea themselves, including their leader. I hate the thought of killing such sophisticated and intelligent beings, but they launched an unprovoked attack on us, so it had to be done. 

(Farrier walks behind a row of Devilfish parked on crisp blue-grey pavement. Turbines can be heard somewhere in the distance)

Farrier: The Ar'cea attack is a dangerous new paradigm for the Tau Penros coalition, especially as they have launched their first strikes close to the evacuation corridor running from the planet's northern reaches down to the current Tau staging grounds in the equatorial zone. For weeks now under the cover of Air Caste aerospace forces the Tau have been emptying their northern storage depots while the local pirates and terror groups are preoccupied with fighting each other and disrupted with constant Tau aerospace strikes. You can see behind me here some of the heavy equipment recovered - these TX-6 troop transports are now a common site behind the front lines where they're used to rapidly shuttle supplies and troops to where they're needed and they're also now starting to reach front line forces, bolstering them with much needed fire support and tactical mobility, but there's still a lot of equipment to both move to safety further south, and to get up and running again so that coalition fighters on the ground can actually make use of it. 

(A massive Defender class starship drifts above the glow of the planet beneath it with a distant gleaming speck in perfect echelon formation behind it)

Farrier (VO): With the sudden reckless attacks by the Ar'cea now a threat, the Penros expeditionary coalition is believed to be readjusting its long-term strategy in the system. So far no Ar'cea aerospace assets have been identified in the system, which means the Tau still command aerospace supremacy over Penros VII and naval space supremacy across the wider system, an advantage the coalition leadership is keen to maintain. 

(A Barracuda hangs in the air behind a refueling hose suspended from the underside of a Manta just above view)

Farrier (VO, cont.): Already Air Caste forces operating over Penros VII have begun to focus their attacks on identified airbases, concentrations of aerospace craft... 

(Viewed from above in monochrome through a Tau gun camera, a row of Thunderbolts and Lightnings sit on the flight line of an airbase. A series of harsh white explosions ripple across the line, leaving the aircraft in flames)

Farrier (VO, cont.): ... and fuel depots in order to preemptively neutralise as much of the air forces opposing them as possible before either the Gue'la Imperium invasion force receives naval reinforcements, or the Ar'cea begin to deploy aerospace craft in support of their assaults. 

(Aboard a Tau starship Tau, humans and various aliens move past a large set of doors emblazoned with the Water Caste logo)

Farrier (VO, cont.): Meanwhile the Water Caste delegation attached to the Penros expeditionary fleet has issued a statement in direct response to the unprovoked Ar'cea attack, calling for an immediate ceasefire and diplomatic negotiations. 

(A Tau Por'Vre addresses an out-of-sight crowd from a gleaming podium. Several varieties of plant have been placed in the backdrop behind them)

Tau Por'Vre: The senseless violence unleashed by the Ar'cea serves no purpose other than to make the pirates and terror groups in the system stronger. We understand the monumentally profound significance that Ar'cea lives have to the people of Iyanden, as well as the monumentally profound significance and rich cultural importance of the Ar'cea mystics. We greave and weep alongside the people of Iyanden for the loss of such a brilliant mind, and deeply lament that they chose a path of violence and senseless bloodshed. We have no wish to spill any more Ar'cea blood, and so we urge the people of Iyanden to show restraint, abandon their reckless attacks and meet us in peaceful negotiation towards cooperating in Penros against the pirates, against the terrorists that plague the system, and towards cooperating together to make the galaxy a better, safer place for all sentient life as is the imperative for all galactic powers as advanced and intelligent as the Ar'cea people. 

(In the middle of a busy Tau starport, beneath a cold grey pink orange dusk, Tau and drones hastily load grav-tanks and crates into the open cargo hatch of a landed Manta. The vast hulking shapes of landed Tau transport starships loom in the distant background)

Farrier (VO): With no naval assets detected in the system the Ar'cea are believed to be using one or more of their own long range matter transmitters situated somewhere on the planet to move in fighters and equipment without running the formidable gauntlet of coalition warships currently patrolling the Penros system. Without knowing for sure the precise number and location of these matter transmitters it's not possible to determine with certainty where and when the Ar'cea will strike next, putting the Penros expeditionary coalition under increasing pressure. Already growing numbers of recovered equipment from the north is being moved into safety aboard orbiting starships, and its believed that the coalition command might soon withdraw from Penros VII entirely. 

(A forlorn looking band of Tau Fire Warriors wait inside the sealed interior of a Devilfish)

Farrier (VO, cont.) For coalition fighters on the ground, it's now a race against time to prepare for further Ar'cea aggression as best they can. From Penros System this Farrier Seyburey, Tor'Vash'Por. 

Luna: Time for a quick break now on Tor'Vash'Por, coming up when we return - unlocking the secrets of one of the galaxy's most mysterious elements, Earth Caste scientists release their latest findings on the rare substance Dioxazine, that story and much more still to come when we return...  

Living Dead Girl

 And so at last, on the eve of all Hallows night, the climax of International Goth Month, we come to the final scary Warhammer army I've wanted for a long time but will likely never be. And you best believe I saved the best for last, the most Halloween of armies, one that by without even trying is a near perfect fusion of ghoulish fiends and beautiful women in sexy monster outfits. 

What else could it be? 

Living Dead Girl - Millitant's Vampire Counts 

Vampire Counts are another of my top 3 favourite bad guy armies in Warhammer, and jostle with Beasts of Chaos for the number 1 spot. They were indeed for a long time one of the leading frontrunners to be the first ever Warhammer army I started with, until Dark Passion Play and Diablo III happened and changed everything forever. In fact they even followed a similar trajectory to my path towards the Wood Elves. 

It all began by coincidence when I ended up getting, in early 2007, one of the White Dwarf issues covering the release of the new army book for The Empire in 7th edition Warhammer. In particular, this one featured a battle report showcasing some of the new Empire units and characters. Now, the Empire models were very exciting and managed to break me out of my 'Sci-fi Ride or Die' mentality and get me interested in fantasy briefly, a feat that had at that point been accomplished in Warhammer only by the Dwarfs (it was the flintlocks and clock-punk you see). 

But then a funny thing happened. The army being pitted against the shiny new Empire models also grabbed my attention. It was a collection of various classic spooky Halloween monsters all lead by some Vampires. And that concept caught my interest in a way that it never should have. See this was when I was still in the grip of my science fiction only phase. The level of coolness in these kinds of narrative concepts was directly proportional to the amount of technology they contained, and INVERSLY proportional to the amount of magic and Halloween monsters they contained. Horror films were just barely in the cool zone, and even then it was only Silence of The Lambs type ones where the monster was a serial killer or something with no supernatural elements in sight. At this point in time, those kinds of fiendish ghosts and ghouls were in my eyes the exclusive domain of lame dumb little kids stuff, the very bottom of the coolness barrel. 

But this Warhammer army, these so-called Vampire Counts, they somehow managed to make it work. 

It was likely the models that carried it, but something in the game faction's soul managed to somehow make these elements cool in a way that they never really had to me before. I was fascinated by them. Everything seemed to somehow click. And it was this discovery that not only made me reconsider supernatural themes for the first time ever, but also kept that nascent interest alive until another big milestone a few years later that, again, happened entirely by coincidence. 

One night, as I was looking for something to watch on TV while I painted models, I flipped over to C4 on a whim. What I beheld would stay with me for decades to come. I arrived right in the middle of a horror film, but unlike any I had seen before. It featured magic and Halloween monsters, specifically vampires, but they were very different to the caricatures I was familiar with. There were no red and black capes or white frilly bibs in sight. Instead, this vampire film was dark and brooding and violent and blood-soaked and honestly pretty metal. It had (who I learnt later was) Winona Ryder all breathy in corsets, and (who I learnt later was) Monica Bellucci naked from the waist up crawling all over a hapless guy, and I was around 16 at the time so that was a big factor too. 

I didn't know it yet, because I had missed the start of the film, but I was for the very first time watching Bram Stoker's Dracula. 

And I was hooked. I was hooked from the moment I first saw half-nude Monica Bellucci crawling all over some helpless guy (again, this was when I was about 16), and watched the entire rest of the film utterly enthralled. That film was a total game changer. At long last, vampires had started to become kind of cool for me, and that film paved the way for Van Helsing and the Old World of Darkness that were soon to follow. Needless to say this had only improved the standing of that weird Halloween monster vampire army in Warhammer, and I was now seriously considering a Halloween vampire Warhammer army of my own at some point in the future. 

While this string of coincidences had built my desire for a Vampire Counts army of some kind, the specifics of its nature would be shaped by my increasing contact with the goth girls at high school and another, far less fortunate game changer - the apocalyptic fallout of my first attempts at dating some of them. The full horrors of those dark times are now best left undisturbed, and certainly are not appropriate for this blog, but the important thing here is that it left the imprint of the darkly beauteous sexually confident villainess who uses her wiles as much as her weapons forever burnt into my psyche as an iconic character type. 

Then later on I discovered that they also happen to be a lot of fun to write. So when I (re)discovered that in Warhammer there is actually a whole vampire bloodline of just that character it was a natural first choice for what flavour of Vampire Counts are my favourite. Discovering Victoria Frances along the way helped too. 

And that's why if I had enough 2002 era GW Zombies and Vampire Counts metal models, the result would look something like this: 

The House of Favole (Lahmia Bloodline)

Colours: Black and red dresses on characters, natural colours for creatures (decaying flesh for zombies, dark fur for bats and wolves etc.), dark garments and corroded metals for wights. 

An off-shoot of the Lahmian dynasty that has long since assimilated into the Old World and abandoned much of their Nehekharan traditions. They are still fiercely loyal and deeply close with their fellow Lahmian sisters however and frequently cooperate with Neferata's schemes. 

Lords Ladies

Elize Favole: Level 3 Vampire Lady with Seduction, Wristbands of Black Gold and Biting Blade, mounted on a Zombie Dragon - 730 pts 

Monica: Level 2 Vampire Countess with Seduction, Beguile and Tomb Blade - 340 pts 

Solomon Crowley: Level 4 Master Necromancer with Spell Familiar, Cursed Book and Ring of The Night - 315 pts 

Heroes Heroines Villains Villainesses 

Jeanette: Vampire Thrall Battle Standard Bearer with Hell Banner - 170 pts 

Darla: Vampire Thrall with Beguile and Sword of Unholy Power - 130 pts 

Salma: Vampire Thrall with Blood Drinker - 130 pts 

Delphine: Vampire Thrall with Innocence Lost and Sword of Might - 125 pts 

Mina: Vampire Thrall with Innocence Lost and Sword of Battle - 130 pts

Necromancer: Level 2 Necromancer with Power Familiar - 150 pts

Necromancer: Level 2 Necromancer with Skull Staff - 140 pts 

Wraith: Wraith with Obsidian Amulet, mounted on a Barded Ethereal Nightmare - 147 pts 

Wight Lord: Wight Lord with Heavy Armour, Sword of The Kings and Enchanted Shield - 99 pts 

Core 

Zombie Horde: 25 Zombies with Full Command - 165 pts

Zombie Horde: 25 Zombies with Full Command - 165 pts 

Zombie Horde: 25 Zombies with Full Command - 165 pts 

Zombie Horde: 25 Zombies with Full Command - 165 pts

Ghoul Clan: 10 Ghouls with Ghast - 90 pts 

Ghoul Clan: 10 Ghouls with Ghast - 90 pts

Bat Swarm: 5 Bat Swarm bases - 300 pts 

Dire Wolf Pack: 10 Dire Wolves with Doom Wolf - 110 pts 

Dire Wolf Pack: 10 Dire Wolves with Doom Wolf - 110 pts 

Dire Wolf Pack: 10 Dire Wolves with Doom Wolf - 110 pts 

Dire Wolf Pack: 10 Dire Wolves with Doom Wolf - 110 pts 

Special 

Grave Guard Regiment: 20 Grave Guard with Hand Weapons, Shields, Full Command and Banner of Doom - 340 pts

Grave Guard Regiment: 20 Grave Guard with Halberds, Shields, Full Command and Banner of The Dead Legion - 355 pts 

Grave Guard Regiment: 20 Grave Guard with Halberds, Shields, Full Command and Screaming Banner - 370 pts

Black Knight Regiment: 10 Black Knights with Barded Nightmares, Full Command and Banner of The Barrows - 335 pts 

Fell Bat Flock: 10 Fell Bats - 200 pts

Fell Bat Flock: 10 Fell Bats - 200 pts 

Fell Bat Flock: 10 Fell Bats - 200 pts

The Oblivion: 5 Spirit Host bases - 325 pts

Rare

Banshee: 1 Banshee - 90 pts

Banshee: 1 Banshee - 90 pts

Banshee: 1 Banshee - 90 pts

Black Coach: 1 Black Coach - 200 pts 

Spoils 

Damsel Swain: Level 0 nubile doe-eyed Ingenue Damsel to-be held in the clutches of unholy temptation - 19 pts 

TOTAL: 7000 pts

The first crucial element of this list is the Bloodline Powers. Vampires in Warhammer can take a bunch of special abilities that reflects their supernatural Vampire abilities, with each bloodline getting a unique set. The only catch is that at least one of the army book's writing team was a sour prude who hates fun so they compete for points with magic items. But right now the important thing to note is that Lahmians get access to the single best vampire power in the entire book, and easily one of the best special abilities in the entire game, Seduction, which causes opposing characters to fall so madly in love with your vampires that they switch sides mid-fight and do your bidding for a turn. It is glorious and worth every single one of its 55 points. 

Seduction was always going to be going on the head vampiress of the army, and for Elize Favole it is paired with some Wonder Woman-grade magic wristbands to deflect shooting attacks with style and elegance. This doesn't leave a whole lot of points left over for weapons, but there is just enough to squeeze in a magic sword. 

Which brings up another important element - with the exception of the standard bearer every single vampire in the army is carrying some kind of magic weapon, because no self-respecting Lahmian queen of the night would degrade herself by getting her hands and fingernails dirty fighting unarmed, and no Lahmian queen of the night worth her dresses would settle for any mere piece of dull metal for a weapon. The only reason the standard bearer has to go without one is because the rules won't let me take one along with a big flashy magic standard. I can only conclude that the rules for Battle Standards were written by the same fun-hating sour prude who wrote in the part where Bloodline Powers are not a separate points budget to Magic Items. 

Elize is joined by a right-hand Vampire Countess who also packs Seduction, because having two characters with it doubles the chances of it happening each turn. She also has Beguile, because I want to get some of the other Lahmian manipulation powers into the army too, and the best magic sword in the Vampire Counts army book, the tomb blade which revives those mortals slain by it as mindless slaves to serve their new mistress for all eternity. 

Completing the trinity of high-end characters is a master necromancer held in check by his obsessive lust over Elize herself. He gets a spell familiar because having more spells to choose from is always good, and the Cursed Book because every good wizard needs either a magic staff or a magic spellbook and the Cursed Book was the only magic book available that didn't compete with the spell familiar. 

The low-end character selection is dominated by a quintet of Vampire Thralls that comprise much of the army's fighting power. One carries the Hell Banner because the only thing better than a unit that causes Fear is a unit that causes Terror. Another has Beguile because as established I love Presence powers in Warhammer as much as I love them in Vampire The Masquerade. 

Rounding the characters out are a pair of Necromancers for a little bit of magic support and to sustain larger numbers of undying minions, and a Wight Lord and Wraith to give me at least one of every available character type. 

The Core units consist of at least one of every available option except one. The key theme for this army, besides sexy vampires. is No Skeletons. At All. No units of them bought, no units of them raised or summoned, just none in the army whatsoever. Don't get me wrong, I love a good skeleton horde as much as the next fantasy nerd, but the thing is if I want a skeleton horde I can go to a whole other Warhammer game faction called the Tomb Kings just for that specifically. If I want other flavours of undead, I have no alternatives besides the Vampire Counts. So for the Vampire Counts army I'm bringing every single other variety of undead horror I can, besides Skeletons. 

This is also the key reason why I'm not using the Lahmian list and instead defaulting to the regular army book list. Giving up swains is unbearable, but being stuck with a boring troop unit is even more so. I can only hope that the fun-hating sour prude behind all these decisions gets what's coming to them. 

Instead of Skeletons there are 4 nice big units of Zombies to give me a dependable source of rank bonuses for my vampires that I don't have to roll magic dice for, and plenty of Wolves and Bats for roaming the land far and wide and being my eyes and ears. There's also a couple of packs of Ghouls to tear apart any defiant mortals who displease me. 

For Special units there's a trio of Grave Guard regiments to provide a solid battle line and a unit of Black Knights to act as a mobile reserve to help push through a decisive breakthrough or plug a hole in a troubled sector. There's also a healthy-sized Sprit Host to tie down a key area and plenty of nice giant bats to both spy on my enemies and conduct general harassment of opposing armies. 

Finally, every self-respecting vampire needs a magnificent Black Coach to whisk them away from danger, and the metal GW one is one of my favourite models in the Vampire range, so naturally I'm taking as many as I'm allowed. It shares the Rare section with a trio of Banshees for troubleshooting particularly tough adversaries. 

And that's what I'd do with masses and masses of 2000s Vampire Counts models.  If you wish to see this army on the tabletop then you are welcome to donate any NIB 2002-2004 NIB Vampire Counts models to me free of charge, especially NOS 2002-2004 Zombies. 

Otherwise have a spooktacular sugar-fueled Halloween!

I'm a Mouse! Duh!

 With all this talk about 40k, it can be easy to forget that I'm also partial to Warhammer, and just like 40k I had a great many plans for Warhammer armies that will most likely never reach the table now. I desired an army of pretty much every game faction in Warhammer except maybe Ogres, and unfortunately GW stopped selling all the Warhammer models I want some time ago. 

But that doesn't stop me from talking about some of the most Halloween Warhammer armies I wanted as a shameless tie-in for International Goth Month. 

Now quite often when we talk about Halloween we talk about the old superficial things like spooky monster mashes and candy. But, there is another side to Halloween. A side that happens after hours just for grown-ups who are still young at heart. It tends to be less visible in the public mind, but it is always there, just below the surface in the slinkiest of outfits.... 

.... and it's this aspect of Halloween that is embodied by this next army list. 

Nymphomaniac Fantasia - Millitant's Cult of Pleasure 

Dark Elves have for some time been one of my top 3 favourite evil armies in Warhammer. I first got curious about them after seeing a White Dwarf battle report featuring a siege game between them and some Bretonnians with Wood Elf allies and thought the Hydras were pretty cool and the whole 'Tolkien Elves but bad' thing was kind of neat. While they never quite managed to break into the shortlist of frontrunners for my first Warhammer army, my interest in them did steadily simmer away in the background. 

Within the Dark Elves themselves I've always been drawn to the Khainite elements in particular, because I just can't pass up a horde of cocaine-fueled murder vixens and the models are ace, especially the awe inspiring Cauldron of Blood from the 6th edition release. 

So between that and Slaanesh being my favourite single Chaos God it's a pretty natural fit that the Dark Elf Cult of Pleasure from Storm of Chaos would be my second favourite Chaos army in Warhammer. 

Unfortunately it was not until recently that I was really able to cement down what I wanted the army to be like, which means its backstory and character lore is almost completely unfiormed, but if I had the models it would look something like this: 

The Cult of Pleasure 

Colours: Lots of blacks on clothing with electric blue and purple accents. Standard silver-metalic weapons. Pale tones for skin. 

This Cult of Pleasure is born from the fallout of the tangled obsessive love dodecahedron between the characters in my related planned Dark Elf army. Once the Sorceresses become jilted a few too many times they break off and seek revenge with Morathi's uprising. 

Lords 

High Sorceress: Level 4 High Sorceress with Mark of Slaanesh, Tome of Furion, Crystal of Midnight, Crown of Black Iron and Blade of Spite, mounted on a Steed of Slaanesh - 420 pts 

High Sorceress: Level 4 High Sorceress with Mark of Slaanesh, Soulstone, Black Amulet and Sword of Battle - 380 pts

High Sorceress: Level 4 High Sorceress with Mark of Slaanesh, Black Staff, Heart-stone of Darkness and Crimson Death - 380 pts 

Heroes 

Sorceress: Level 2 Sorceress with Mark of Slaanesh, Darkstar Cloak and Seal of Ghrond - 195 pts

Sorceress: Level 2 Sorceress with Mark of Slaanesh and Wand of the Kharaidon - 190 pts 

Sorceress: Level 2 Sorceress with Mark of Slaanesh and Staff of Sorcery - 200 pts 

Sorceress: Level 2 Sorceress with Mark of Slaanesh and Rubric of Dark Dimensions - 200 pts

Sorceress: Level 2 Sorceress with Mark of Slaanesh and Ring of Darkness - 195 pts

Core 

Devoted of Slaanesh: Mistress with Speed of Slaanesh, Standard Bearer with Soul Shadows Standard, 22 Devoted of Slaanesh with Musician - 378 pts 

Devoted of Slaanesh: Mistress with Speed of Slaanesh, Standard Bearer with Banner of Murder, 22 Devoted of Slaanesh with Musician - 373 pts 

Devoted of Slaanesh: Mistress with Speed of Slaanesh, Standard Bearer with Standard of Slaughter, 22 Devoted of Slaanesh with Musician - 363 pts 

Devoted of Slaanesh: Mistress with Speed of Slaanesh, 23 Devoted of Slaanesh with Full Command - 328 pts

Devoted of Slaanesh: Mistress with Speed of Slaanesh, 23 Devoted of Slaanesh with Full Command - 328 pts

Devoted of Slaanesh: Mistress with Speed of Slaanesh, 23 Devoted of Slaanesh with Full Command - 328 pts 

Devoted of Slaanesh: Mistress with Speed of Slaanesh, 23 Devoted of Slaanesh with Full Command - 328 pts

Special 

Mounted Daemonettes: 12 Mounted Daemonettes - 360 pts 

Mounted Daemonettes: 12 Mounted Daemonettes - 360 pts

Rare 

Reaper Bolt Thrower Battery: 2 Reaper Bolt Throwers with Mark of Slaanesh - 210 pts

Reaper Bolt Thrower Battery: 2 Reaper Bolt Throwers with Mark of Slaanesh - 210 pts

Reaper Bolt Thrower Battery: 2 Reaper Bolt Throwers with Mark of Slaanesh - 210 pts 

Spoils 

Captive Maiden Princess - 1 bound captive maiden princess of exceptional beauty, charm and kindness - 64 pts 

TOTAL: 6000 pts 

This is not a subtle list. 

The entire army is of course centred around no less than seven full regiments of Devoted of Slaanesh, one for each mortal sin and not at all because I started aiming for 6 and then needed an extra Core unit once I broke the 5000 point threshold. Now, normally infantry units in Warhammer are at their best in units of 20 or 25 so that they can form into nice even symmetrical ranks of 5 models, but Slaanesh's sacred number is 6 so these units needed to be in multiples of that. 

The solution is in units of 24 with organic character support. Normally this is also something unwise since units generally need to be capable of fully independent action in order to properly function in the chaos of the battlefield, but I had enough spare points and character slots floating around to bring in some extra villainesses to lead them. 

Speaking of, the army is led by a trio of High Sorceresses, because when it comes to magical leadership nothing beats a good trinity of mages. If it's good enough for Charmed then it's good enough for me here. They are backed up by 5 regular Sorceresses with an array of powerful magic items to create what is probably the single most magic-heavy Warhammer army I will ever devise. 

Acting in support are two healthy units of mounted Daemonettes for a manoeuvre element and for some shooting cover six Reaper Bolt Throwers - the only mechanical compromise to the all-female all-nude murder orgy, and you damn well better believe they're getting some alternate crew figures to conform to the theme. Probably adapted from the Cauldron of Blood crew figures. 

Finally all this leaves me with just enough points left over for a captive princess to have some fun corrupting. 

And that's what I would do with a glut of 2000s Dark Elf and Daemonette models. If you wish to see this army on the tabletop then you are welcome to donate any NIB 2002-2004 Witch-Elf, Mounted Daemonette, Sorceress, Steed of Slaanesh, Cauldron of Blood or Reaper Bolt Thrower models to me free of charge. 

Otherwise come back next week for the final spooky Halloween list for International Goth Month...

Under Black Flags We March

One of the classic staples of Halloween is the slasher, the monstrous depraved serial killer that roams the night pouncing on and dismembering helpless teenagers one by one with an arsenal of sharp rusty pointy implements and whatever other potentially deadly items happen to be around. Even after they've been outwitted by a plucky heroine they return again and again in ever more death-defying comebacks. They're iconic unrepentant villains of the highest caliber. 

So naturally it would be pretty Halloween for this month's International Goth Month themed post to be... 

... AN ENTIRE ARMY OF HORROR SLASHERS (AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!) 

But also with power armour and rocket guns. If I were to ever come into enough 2002 Chaos Space Marine sculpts, including enough 2002 metal Night Lords bitz packs, this would be the result. 

Under Black Flags We March - Militant's Night Lords 

Chaos Space Marines, much like their loyalist cousins, were one of the 40k armies that I never quite clicked to for a long time. I appreciated them as bad guys for my Tau to save the day from (especially in Firewarrior), but never really had any serious desire to actually build an army of them myself. 

Despite this they did remain a solid army that I loved to hate, because it kind of is hard to go past them for good pure evil villains when you need a change of pace from the Imperium. And within the Chaos Space Marines there were certain Traitor Legions that stuck out to me as more interesting villains. This was driven a lot by the spectacular intro pieces for each Traitor Legion posted up on the Games Workshop website, which in hindsight appear to be condensed and paraphrased from the Index Astartes series in White Dwarf. 

At first I gravitated towards the Death Guard, because their colour scheme was the greenest and the delightful cancer analogy in their intro blurb was amazingly creepy. Then I started to be pulled by the World Eaters, because I was 9 years old and they were described as being the toughest deadliest fighters in all the Chaos Space Marines and they were called the WORLD EATERS and their logo was a literal earth being eaten by metal jaws. I also drifted towards the Iron Warriors for a bit because as a... well basically Calvin but in real life and with parrot toys instead of a tiger, I had rather an affinity for guns and explosions. 

But all throughout this there was a more or less constant fascination with this other Traitor Legion of scary bad guys with a cool blue colour scheme and awesome bat-wing helmets. A lot of the stuff about weaponised horror went over my head at this early point, but their iconic war cry of  "WE'VE COME FOR YOU!" made an unforgettable impression. 

Things began to change some years later when I became a horribly depressed teenager. A byproduct of this (and of befriending the goth girls at high school) was acquiring a taste for heavy metal and horror films. This in turn led me to reevaluate the prospect of a Chaos Space Marine army at some point in the future - after all, my Tau will need some bad guys to fight, and having an opposing force to loan out to people for games couldn't hurt. 

And it was during this that the aforementioned love of horror films cemented the Night Lords as my favourite Traitor Legion. It is hard to go past an entire Traitor Legion of horror film villains after all. 

Discovering the awesome Night Lords Hero model - easily be best Chaos Space Marine character sculpt Games Workshop ever made - only sweetened the deal. 

Perhaps one day tables might quake under the dread might of this: 

The Fell Legions of Lord Herod 

Colours: Traditional Night Lords colour scheme. Dark blue armour, brass/dark gold trim, red bat wing helmets. Copious gore splatter applied to key models. Dark Grey urban basing. Firefly Reaver decorations applied to vehicles. 

Little is known of the origins and mortal life of Herod. What little record survives indicates that he once belonged to the nascent Adeptus Arbites on Nostramo, where he roamed the perpetually dark streets of the planet's morbid cities at the forefront of Imperial justice. It is also known that he was among the many of Nostamo's law enforcement to gleefully embrace corruption, and abused his powers without remorse. Like many of his fellow corrupt arbitrators, Herod thrived in the cut-throat atmosphere of Nostraman society and in time was duly inducted into the Night Lords Space Marine Legion. 

As an Astartes Legionnaire Herod enjoyed a meteoric rise through the ranks during the Great Crusade, as much due to his astute grasp of politics and power as his tactical acumen in battle, and he soon found himself commanding a sizeable host of warriors. These Herod used to leverage power over the worlds they subjugated for humanity, directly exacting heavy bribes and tributes directly from the conquered populations for their own profit and patroning officials who were especially loyal and compliant with Herod's own interests. Soon an underground shadow empire began to take root in the sectors reclaimed by the Night Lords, with Herod himself as its ultimate ruler. 

Herod had always chafed under Imperial oversight, and when the Horus Heresy broke out he jumped to Horus's cause early and with relish, taking part in the Night Lords' terror campaigns across the Eastern Fringe and orchestrating savage and grotesque atrocities across the Ultima Segmentum that many worlds still have not recovered from over ten thousand years later. 

In the Aftermath of the Horus Heresy Herod and his warband carved out an empire of terror and corruption in the outer darkness of the galactic east, separate from but closely aligned to the main body of the legion under the monstrous Daemon Primarch Night Haunter. Herod managed to retain this empire even after Night Haunter's assassination, and to this day it remains a festering scar in the Ultima Segmentum. Dozens of systems have fallen under Herod's shadow, and those few refugees that manage to escape speak of unending horror under the merciless jackboot of their superhuman oppressors. 

Thus far all Imperial efforts to snuff out Herod's realm of darkness have ended in catastrophe, and while its eastward expansion has been contained by the Tau Empire, contact is lost with another world deeper into the Ultima Segmentum every passing year... 

DETACHMENT I - LORD HEROD'S OWN (Night Lords Legion)

HQ 

Lord Herod: Chaos Lord with Master-crafted Power Fist, Combi-flamer, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Aura, Daemonic Rune, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept - 213 pts 

The Devil's Rejects: Chosen Aspiring Champion Sorcerer with Gift of Chaos, Plasma Pistol, Warp Focus Power Weapon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Teleport Homer, Warp Talisman, Daemonic Aura, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept 

2 Chosen Aspiring Champions with Bolt Pistols, Power Weapons, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Aura, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept 

 Chosen Aspiring Champion with Plasma Pistol, Power Fist, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Aura, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept 

2 Chosen Aspiring Champions with Bolt Pistols, Power Fists, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Aura, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept 

3 Chosen Aspiring Champions with Lightning Claws, Frag Greandes, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Aura, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept - 801 pts 

Elites 

Black Vultures: Chosen Aspiring Champion Sorcerer with bolt pistol, Warp Focus Power Weapon, Bionics, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, 3 Minor Psychic Powers, Warp Talisman, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept 

1 Chosen Aspiring Champion with Combi-flamer, Bionics, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept

2 Chosen Aspiring Champions with Combi-flamers, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept 

1 Chosen Aspiring Champion with Combi-melta, Bionics, Frag Grenad7es, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept 

2 Chosen Aspiring Champions with Combi-meltas, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept 

1 Chosen with Lascannon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept 

2 Chosen with Missile Launchers, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept - 654 pts 

Troops 

The Craven: Aspiring Champion Friedrick Kraeger with Master-crafted Lightning Claws, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Aura, Daemonic Essence, Daemonic Visage, Counter-attack, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept

1 Chaos Space Marine with with Flamer, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Counter-attack, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept 

1 Chaos Space Marine with Meltagun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Counter-attack, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept 

7 Chaos Space Marines with Bolt Pistols, Close Combat Weapons, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Counter-attack, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept - 351 pts 

Chaos Space Marine Squad: Aspiring Champion Jhar-sun Vhoors with Bolt Pistol, Master-crafted Power Weapon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Aura, Daemonic Essence, Daemonic Strength, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept 

1 Chaos Space Marine with Flamer, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept 

1 Chaos Space Marine with Meltagun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept 

7 Chaos Space Marines with Bolt Pistols, Close Combat Weapons, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept - 345 pts

Chaos Space Marine Squad: Aspiring Champion Mikael M'yers with Plasma Pistol, Power Weapon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Aura, Daemonic Essence, Daemonic Resilience, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept 

1 Chaos Space Marine with Flamer, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept 

1 Chaos Space Marine with Meltagun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept 

7 Chaos Space Marines with Bolt Pistols, Close Combat Weapons, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Furious Charge, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept - 349 pts 

Chaos Space Marine Squad: Aspiring Champion with Plasma Pistol, Power Weapon, Bionics, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept 

1 Chaos Space Marine with Lascannon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept 

1 Chaos Space Marine with Flamer, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept 

7 Chaos Space Marines with Bolters, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept - 324 pts 

Chaos Space Marine Squad: Aspiring Champion with Bolt Pistol, Power Weapon, Bionics, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Stealth Adept 

1 Chaos Space Marine with Missile Launcher, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Stealth Adept 

1 Chaos Space Marine with Plasma Gun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Stealth Adept 

7 Chaos Space Marines with Bolters, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Stealth Adept - 294 pts

Chaos Space Marine Squad: Aspiring Champion with Plasma Pistol, Power Weapon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Visage, Counter-attack, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept 

1 Chaos Space Marine with Heavy Bolter, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Counter-attack, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept 

1 Chaos Space Marine with Meltagun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Counter-attack, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept 

7 Chaos Space Marines with Bolters, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Counter-attack, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept - 305 pts 

Fast Attack 

Black Cataphracts - Chaos Biker Aspiring Champion with Master-crafted Power Weapon, 2 Chaos Hounds, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Visage, Night Vision, Skilled Riders and Tank Hunters 

1 Chaos Biker with Meltagun, Close Combat Weapon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Night Vision, Skilled Riders and Tank Hunters 

1 Chaos Biker with Flamer, Close Combat Weapon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Night Vision, Skilled Riders and Tank Hunters 

7 Chaos Bikers with Close Combat Weapons, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Night Vision, Skilled Riders and Tank Hunters - 510 pts

Night Cataphracts - Chaos Biker Aspiring Champion with Master-crafted Power Weapon, Bionics, 2 Chaos Hounds, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Visage, Furious Charge, Night Vision and Skilled Riders 

1 Chaos Biker with Meltagun, Close Combat Weapon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Furious Charge, Night Vision and Skilled Riders 

1 Chaos Biker with Flamer, Close Combat Weapon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Furious Charge, Night Vision and Skilled Riders 

7 Chaos Bikers with Close Combat Weapons, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Furious Charge, Night Vision and Skilled Riders - 515 pts

Raptor Squad: Chaos Raptor Aspiring Champion with Lightning Claws, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Furious Charge and Night Vision 

Chaos Raptor Icon Bearer with Bolt Pistol, Close Combat Weapon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Furious Charge and Night Vision 

1 Chaos Raptor with Meltagun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Furious Charge and Night Vision 

1 Chaos Raptor with Plasma Gun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Furious Charge and Night Vision 

1 Chaos Raptor with Flamer, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Furious Charge and Night Vision 

5 Chaos Raptors with Bolt Pistols, Close Combat Weapons, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Furious Charge and Night Vision - 480 pts 

The Furies: 10 Furies - 150 pts

Heavy Support 

Reaper-6 (Hell on Wheels): Chaos Land Raider with Blasphemous Rune, Dirge Caster, Dozer Blade, Extra Armour, Havoc Launcher, Pintle Combi-melta, Searchlight and Smoke Launchers - 329 pts 

Global Effects 

Day-for-Night: An eerie blue-tinged gloom at all times -  10 pts 

Mist Screen: A sinister haze of misty fog at all times - 10 pts 

Provisions 

Roast Victory Feast: Full post-battle feast of 26 Roast Cattle, 26 Roast Swine, 26 Roast Bantam-Fowl, 26 Roast Ducks, 26 Roast Geese, 26 Roast Turkeys, 4992 Roast Potatoes, 4992 Roast Parsnips, 4992 Roast Kūmera, 4992 Roast Pumpkins (chopped), 4992 Chopped Butter/Garlic-sautéed Carrots, 500 tons of Rosemary-oregano-sage-garlic-bacon-breadcrumb stuffing, 10,000 gallons of gravy - 60 pts 

DETACHMENT II - HEROD'S HARBINGERS (Night Lords Legion)

HQ

Hannibal: Chaos Sorcerer with Gift of Chaos, Wind of Chaos, Warp Focus Power Weapon, Bolt Pistol, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Personal Icon, Teleport Homer, Familiar, Warp Talisman, Minor Psychic Power, Daemonic Essence, Daemonic Rune, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Infiltrate and Night Vision - 244 pts 

Elites 

The Death Hand: Chosen Terminator Aspiring Champion with Combi-bolter and Master-crafted Chainfist, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Strength, Daemonic Visage, Furious Charge, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Tank Hunters 

1 Chosen Terminator with Heavy Flamer, Power Weapon, Furious Charge, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Tank Hunters 

2 Chosen Terminators with Reaper Autocannons, Power Weapons, Furious Charge, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Tank Hunters 

1 Chosen Terminator with Combi-flamer, Power Fist, Furious Charge, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Tank Hunters 

1 Chosen Terminator with Combi-flamer, Power Weapon, Furious Charge, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Tank Hunters 

1 Chosen Terminator with Combi-melta, Lightning Claw, Furious Charge, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Tank Hunters 

1 Chosen Terminator with Combi-melta, Power Weapon, Furious Charge, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Tank Hunters 

2 Chosen Terminators with Combi-bolter, Chainfist, Furious Charge, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Tank Hunters - 586 pts 

Possessed Chaos Space Marines: Possessed Aspiring Champion with Daemonic Talons, Personal Icon, Spiky Bits and Mark of Chaos Undivided, 9 Possessed with Daemonic Talons and Mark of Chaos Undivided- 315 pts

Mounted in 

Hell Knight-1: Chaos Rhino with Blasphemous Rune, Dirge Caster, Extra Armour, Havoc Launcher, Living Vehicle, Pintle Combi-melta, Searchlight and Smoke Launchers - 144 pts 

Troops 

Chaos Space Marine Squad: Aspiring Champion with Plasma Pistol, Power Fist, Bionics, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept 

1 Chaos Space Marine with Missile Launcher, Frag Grenades, Krak Greandes, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept 

1 Chaos Space Marine with Plasma Gun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept 

7 Chaos Space Marines with Bolters, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept - 298 pts

Mounted in: 

Hell Knight-2: Chaos Rhino with Blasphemous Rune, Dirge Caster, Extra Armour, Havoc Launcher, Living Vehicle, Pintle Combi-melta, Searchlight and Smoke Launchers - 144 pts

Chaos Space Marine Squad: Aspiring Champion with Bolt Pistol, Power Fist, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Visage, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Stealth Adept 

1 Chaos Space Marine with Autocannon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Stealth Adept 

1 Chaos Space Marine with Meltagun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Stealth Adept 

7 Chaos Space Marines with Bolters, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Siege Specialists and Stealth Adept - 266 pts

Mounted in: 

Hell Knight-3: Chaos Rhino with Blasphemous Rune, Dirge Caster, Extra Armour, Havoc Launcher, Living Vehicle, Pintle Combi-melta, Searchlight and Smoke Launchers - 144 pts

Chaos Space Marine Squad: Aspiring Champion with Plasma Pistol, Power Fist, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Mutation, Daemonic Visage, Counter-attack, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept 

1 Chaos Space Marine with Heavy Bolter, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Counter-attack, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept 

1 Chaos Space Marine with Plasma Gun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Counter-attack, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept 

6 Chaos Space Marines with Bolt Pistols, Close Combat Weapons, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Counter-attack, Move Through Cover, Night Vision and Stealth Adept - 276 pts

Mounted in: 

Hell Knight-4: Chaos Rhino with Blasphemous Rune, Dirge Caster, Extra Armour, Havoc Launcher, Living Vehicle, Pintle Combi-melta, Searchlight and Smoke Launchers - 144 pts

Fast Attack

Death Cataphracts - Chaos Biker Aspiring Champion with Master-crafted Power Weapon, 2 Chaos Hounds, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemonic Visage, Night Vision, Skilled Riders and Tank Hunters 

1 Chaos Biker with Meltagun, Close Combat Weapon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Night Vision, Skilled Riders and Tank Hunters 

1 Chaos Biker with Flamer, Close Combat Weapon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Night Vision, Skilled Riders and Tank Hunters 

7 Chaos Bikers with Close Combat Weapons, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Night Vision, Skilled Riders and Tank Hunters - 510 pts

Raptor Squad: Chaos Raptor Aspiring Champion with Lightning Claws, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Personal Icon, Spiky Bits, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Counter-attack and Night Vision 

1 Chaos Raptor with Meltagun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Counter-attack and Night Vision 

1 Chaos Raptor with Plasma Gun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Counter-attack and Night Vision 

1 Chaos Raptor with Flamer, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Counter-attack and Night Vision 

6 Chaos Raptors with Bolt Pistols, Close Combat Weapons, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Counter-attack and Night Vision - 470 pts 

The Furies: 10 Furies - 150 pts 

Heavy Support 

Chaos Havocs: Aspiring Champion with Bolt Pistol, Power Weapon, Bionics, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Melta Bombs, Spiky Bits, Daemon Armour, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept 

2 Chaos Space Marines with Lascannons, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept 

2 Chaos Space Marines with Missile Launchers, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Tank Hunters and Stealth Adept - 277 pts

Wight-1: Chaos Predator with Autocannon, Lascannon sponsons, Blasphemous Rune, Dirge Caster, Dozer Blade, Extra Armour, Havoc Launcher, Pintle Combi-melta, Searchlight and Smoke Launchers - 204 pts

Wight-2: Chaos Predator with Twin-linked Lascannon, Heavy Bolter sponsons, Blasphemous Rune, Dirge Caster, Dozer Blade, Extra Armour, Havoc Launcher, Pintle Combi-melta, Searchlight and Smoke Launchers - 209 pts 

Strategic Reserve 

The Butcher: Chaos Dreadnought with Dreadnought Close Combat Weapon (Power Scourge), Plasma Cannon, Blasphemous Rune, Mutated Hull and Smoke Launchers - 158 pts 

Followers 

Forsaken Children: 2 eerie forsaken small girls with jump ropes, hopscotch, archaic toy strollers and haunting giggles - 3 pts 

Lecherous Jock: 1 Reckless athlete convinced there is no danger at all - 2 pts 

TOTAL: 10,000 pts 

The list is considerably less complicated than it first seems. Everyone starts with a core package of Veteran Skills consisting of Infiltrate and Move Through Cover - the better to pounce on helpless prey from nowhere in a sudden jump-cut - and the Night Lord staples Night Vision and Stealth Adept. From there, they also get one or two special Veteran Skills to reflect their history and preferred fighting styles. The exceptions are vehicles obviously, and Terminators who can't get half of those skills, and the few units with a Mark of Chaos because Marked units only get a single Veteran Skill plus any Legion freebies. This, incidentally is a major reason why most of the army has no Chaos Marks, because why settle for just 2 special bonuses when you can get 4-6 special bonuses instead? That's like twice or three times as many. 

Then all the Characters and Aspiring Champions get a core wargear package of all the thrown explosives, plus Spiky Bits because there is no way in hell I am not taking such a gloriously meta upgrade at every opportunity. Some particularly battered veterans here and there have bionics on top of that, and Daemonic Visage to ensure that this army of Night Lords retains terror superiority. 

Moving into the units themselves we start with Lord Herod himself and his hand-picked retinue of elite Black Vulture veterans, tooled up for maximum close combat carnage and featuring a Sorcerer with Gift of Chaos to enact the ultimate punishment on anyone who dares to double-cross Herod. 

Speaking of the Black Vultures, there is also a standalone unit of Lord Herod's elite, equipped with an arsenal of combi-weapons and Spiky Bits for seizing objectives and a battery of heavy weapons for holding them. 

The stars of the Troops section are 3 aggressively-kitted Chaos Space Marine squads each led by an icon of Horror, but there are also plenty of bolter-slinging Chaos Space Marines supported by a variety of heavy and assault weapons too. 

The Cataphracts are the elite enforcers of Lord Herod's will across his domain of terror, and are ever at the forefront of his assaults. In addition to their iconic adamantium kill-sabres the Champions of this shock cavalry corps are bestowed with a pair of Chaos Hounds for sniffing out runaway slaves and hiding women and children. As bikers they also can't take Infiltrate or Stealth Adept, but they have Skilled Riders instead as befitting of expert biker troops. 

There are also a couple of Raptor bands for some variety in the Fast Attack selection, with the Mark of Chaos Undivided and corresponding icons so that I actually have somewhere to summon the Fury packs I also included for terrorising defenceless families. 

The single Heavy Support slot in the core force is filled by a Land Raider. If you're running Chaos Space marines, don't have them in any transports, and can take only one Heavy Support unit, make it a Land Raider. The ability to redeploy any unit of foot troops that will fit inside is invaluable, and the armour and guns are a juicy bonus too. 

I WAS going to leave everything in a nice neat little package, but it turns out that all the Chosen in an Elites Choice get lumped together in a single blob if they're not part of an HQ retinue. So out of sheer spite I took the Sorcerer and Possessed I had planned as a secondary commander and third Elites unit and spun them out into a whole other second detachment just to circumvent that and get a discrete unit of Chosen Terminators. I also took the chance to turn this detachment into an armoured manoeuvre group since I love playing with vehicles in 40k and wanted lots of Rhinos with crazy robot buzzsaw arms just like the one in the 'Eavy Metal studio Black Legion army that I've been obsessed with for 20 years now. 

Then finally to really punish Pete Haines and show him that MY INEVITABLE WILL CANNOT BE DENIED I opted not to use the special Night Lords Force Organisation chart and took a few extra Heavy Support units to play with in the form of a stealthy tank-hunting band of Havocs and a pair of Chaos Predators to escort the Rhino column and spearhead its advance through treacherous areas. 

There wasn't an awful lot of points left over for feeding 206 Chaos Space Marines after all that, but I managed to squeeze in a regular post-battle feast as an extra treat to keep everyone loyal too. 

And that's what I would do with all the Chaos Space Marine models. If you wish to see this army on the tabletop then you are welcome to donate any NIB or NOS 2002-2004 Chaos Space Marine models to me free of charge. 

Otherwise be sure to come back throughout International Goth Month for more ghoulish and spooky army lists.