Kitting out Chaos Warriors

[PaleKing]

Greetings.
I'm in the process of beefing up my WoC army with more core options as I'm only just scraping into 2250 legally under the new comp rules and I can't field a game much larger than that without adding more core.

I've built up another 20 Marauders with Flails to add to the existing 20 (may go 10 x 4 with these) and 5 Marauder Horse with throwing axes. I was wondering what to do with the 12 Chaos Warriors that I've got on my desk.

I could add to the existing unit (currently 12 with extra hand weapons) to give them an extra rank or two or I could go for another unit of 12 equipped differently. If I was to go for an additional small unit what would you suggest regarding weapons?

Options are Halberds, Great weapons, extra hand weapons or shields.

Halberds (1pt) could be tempting as that would give them S5 with I5. Great weapons (2pts) would give them S6 but Always Strike Last, thus negating their nice high initiative. Extra hand weapons (1pt) are already present in the other unit so probably wouldn't go for them again. Shields (1pt) give them a 3+ save with Chaos Armour and the new Parry save too.

So, new unit or bulk up the other one? If it's a new unit what should I go for for kit? Any thoughts?

[Asurya]

New unit for starters and I think that either Halberds or Shields. Like you said, GW's might be Str6, but you hit last and not many basic foot troops will go before Int 5.

If you would ever consider giving the unit the MoT then it's Shields all the way as that would be 3+/5++

As for Halberds, who many other Str5+ attacks can the army dish out?? Do you need the extra strength or would this unit be better off being a defensive one?

[gaarew]

Unless you are giving them the Mark of Tzeentch, I'd go for Halberds. Always nice to be wounding Dwarfs/Orcs/T4 on a 3+.

[Agemman]

To be honest if you've got 12 spare warriors i think getting hold of another box and beef up one unit to 18 then build a fresh 18 man unit with hand weapons & shields with the mark of nurgle.
This mark will give you the - when being shot at and a 3+ sv, when in combat you get your kung foo 6+ward, don't cheese out on Tzeentch. Above all else it will make a great anvil to your army centre with the other warriors & marauders being your hammers!, side note i would use the Marauders as 2 units, more flexible.

[PaleKing]

Yeah, maybe I have enough S5 attacks spread out around the rest of the army. A more defensive hand weapon and shield anvil might be the way to go. They can still put out a lot of attacks at 6x3 too: 19 S4 attacks. I wouldn't stick a mark of Tzeentch in there but I'll give it MoN as with the rest of the army. I think I'll build up to two blocks of 18.

Lordy, a lot of painting on the horizon.

[asterion]

I'd dare to disagree with the venerable Neil!

Go halberds or GW. What does striking last actually matter nowadays except vs small units that you might wipe out? You're still striking in 2 ranks as it is. And they're still striking back at you no matter how many you kill? Unless the unit is so small that you can hope to reduce it below 2 ranks, but in that case you probably won't be very worried about it anyway. I think CW are tough enough and heavily armoured enough to take the pain, and dish out twice as much.

Either halberds (which will negate HE rerolls except for PG and DP's I think [higher ini or equal-higher for rerolling with ASF]) and S5, T4 and 4+ is pretty decent. Or GW for S6 nastiness. But talk on TWF suggests halberds are considered the best choice for 8th.

A block with HW/Sh would be ok, but at S4 I'd probably give it the AP banner to make -2 AS.

I'd agree with Neil about bigger units. I'm not sure about small flanking units at all any more. What could they do against a dwarf horde of 8 blocks? Hide and hope not to die. Can't hide behind woods either, and with TLOS harder to hide them anywhere else.

I'm not even going to run cavalry at all for a while. They are too expensive to use for taking out ranks, and under this they won't stand up to infantry and have to hope the enemy brings something small they can handle. Turn up the HE or Dwarf infantry line and they'll just have to poop themselves and hide to save points. Unless there are war machines and they can hope to get around behind a 6 block wide infantry line to get at them without being shot...

Blocks, blocks, blocks for the win! Oh, and some filthy magic too!