Chaos - Focus on Slaanesh

Alright, so I went a little bonkers with the release of the new Chaos codex. At least I didn't go and spend a whole bunch of money on new models... maybe fifty bucks, if that. The first thing that everyone notices in the troops section are the Khorne Berserkers because they're rather brutal. I did the math on them, and when 10 of them charge, they can kill like 7 MEQ models, and that's without upgrading with a Skull Champion. That's pretty good, but what about the other troop choices? As it turns out, the Noise Marines are really, really good.

HQ:

Sorcerer - 150
mark of slaanesh
lash of submission
jump pack
meltabombs

Daemon Prince - 155
mark of slaanesh
lash of submission
wings

Greater Daemon - 100

Troops:

Noise Marines Squad #1 (7) - 250
champion
powerfist
doom siren
4 sonic blasters
rhino

Noise Marines Squad #2 (7) - 250
champion
powerfist
doom siren
4 sonic blasters
rhino

Noise Marines Squad #3 (7) - 250
champion
powerfist
doom siren
4 sonic blasters
rhino

Noise Marines Squad #4 (5) - 140
blastmaster

Noise Marines Squad #5 (5) - 140
blastmaster

Noise Marines Squad #6 (7) - 190
champion

Heavy Support:

Defiler - 150

Obliterators (3) - 225

The Noise Marines are the mainstay of the army and they're very high quality troops. It's all thanks to that nasty little contraption called the Doom Siren. Talk about devastating. People thought that Wind of Chaos was good, but pount for pound, when you're facing off against regular troops (not monstrous creatures or crazy big stuff), this thing is much better and also requires no psychic test to use. It doesn't take the place of an extra attack (like a flamer would), and it has AP3...and here's the kicker: it ignores cover saves. Since the army strategy is to wipe large amounts of MEQ models off the table, I decided to take 3 close-assault units with Doom Sirens and Powerfists and back them with Rhino transports.

Noise Marine units equipped with Blastmasters are pretty decent too, and especially good at anti-MEQ at long range. It's debatable whether or not they're better than a Defiler (140 points for a 5-man unit with BM, as opposed to a Defiler's 150), but I think they'll shine out in a 2500 point army when your 3 heavy support choices are already filled up.

The units that bring the entire force together are the Sorcerer and the Daemon Prince, specifically for the Lash of Submission psychic power. In concert with the Doom Siren and the rest of the army's template weapons, it's the most deadly, versatile power ever...even more powerful than Fear of the Darkness and Fury of the Ancients. If there's a unit that can't be dealt with by the Prince, the Greater Daemon, long-range Obliterator firepower, or close-range Powerfist/DoomSiren units, then perhaps it can be pushed away by the lash. But what kinds of units fall into that category? Nothing comes to mind immediately with the exception of an army of Eldar grav tanks, but then again, nothing can really hurt them reliably to begin with except EMP grenades or maybe Swooping Hawks.

The only other nasty stuff in the army are the Defiler and Obliterators, and those units speak for themselves when it comes to how powerful they are...especially now that the Obliterators get Plasma Cannons!