Here we are! let's start with daemons.
Even if you can mix fairly well Daemons and Warrior of Chaos, I think it’s funnier (and more satisfying, from a certain pov) to design armies from a single battletome, so my daemons are going to stand on their own.
DAEMONS OF CHAOS - TZEENTCH
…sweet chaos. Your essence is eternal change, with no law to bind your whims. And we rejoice the blessing of the only One, between all the Dark Gods, that can bear the title of “God of Change”. Because only Tzeentch embodies the real essence of Chaos.
Daemons of Tzeentch breath magic. Their main magic users are amongst the strongest wizards in all AoS, and only guys like Nagash, Lord Kroak and a Slaan Starmaster can have an edge on a direct confront… but if you consider their army as a whole, they’re by far the most powerful, magic-wise. If this wasn’t enough, they shoot like crazy. Their CC is not bad but cannot compare to the one of the other daemonic armies, so the winning keys are magic and shooting.
As further premise, I would say that Tzeentch daemons, despite the fact that they should be masters in subterfuge and elaborated schemes, in combat are almost embarrassingly simple and brutal… however, a beginner must be careful, because you need to adjust your tactic, depending on the enemy’s army.
Brief Units’ analysis (aka the ones I will use in the list)
Heroes
Kairos Fateweaver: in combat he’s dangerous, however, its strength lies in magic. He can cast 2 spells, but to cast (and dispel) he changes the lowest roll into the highest rolled one. And he can add 2 to the result when casting a spell. His own spell, Gift of Change, is cast with a 8 (basically, Kairos only need to roll at least one 3 with two dices), inflicts d6 mortal wounds and (if you kill a model) you immediately field a Chaos Spawn (WoC battlescroll) within 3” from the damaged unit. As last thing, he can change the result of a dice into the number he wants (once in the game, but SO funny and useful!)
Lord of Change: as Kairos, he can cast 2 spells, changing the lowest roll into the highest one. He can learn any spell that he successfully dispelled, and his command ability is to add +1 to cast / dispel within 18” to other tzeentch wizards. His own spell, Infernal Gateway, is cast with a 7 (thus requiring to roll at least a 3 with two dices) and, if the Lord is at full health, it should inflict 6 mortal wounds.
Herald of Tzeentch: he’s got a missile weap with 18” range, and he’s a wizard (his spell needs a 9 to be cast, and inflicts d6 mortal wounds). Once per game, you can roll 3 dices instead of 2, and every time you roll 9+ to cast a spell, you can cast a second spell (that’s why you will keep the herald near the Lord of Change).
Herald on disc / on chariot: nice move and nice CC, but their spells are less reliable than the previous ones. (You can work on them, but that’s not the objective of my list)
Blue scribes: excellent fly move (disc). Their spell is cast at 4, and let other tzeentch wizards within 18”, to reroll failed “to cast” rolls. Their abilities are excellent: on a 4+, they copy on a scroll each spell cast by a wizard within 18”, and they can cast it on a roll of 2+ on a d6 (and can be dispelled only with a 9+).
The Changeling: I love it… you can hide it in the opponent’s army: if not revealed, you can halve the movement of a target unit within 9”. When you need to reveal it, it’s a wizard that knows any spell known by another wizard within 9”. In combat can attack using the enemy’s weapon profile.
Troops
Pink horrors: 10 or more models, missile weap. at 18” (+4/+4) and a unit can cast one spell in hero phase! (and with a +1 bonus if near a horror hero. With the Lord of Change, they’ll have a +2). On a 1 on battleshock tests, you add d6 models to the unit. They are summoned with a 6 (and with a 9, they come in 20, with bonus to “to hit” to their magical missile flames.
Exalted flamers: any number of models, 4 wounds each, move 9” fly. Their missile weap. (billowing warpflames) is crazy: range 18”, 6 attacks (4+/3+/d3 dam), and as if this wasn’t enough, you roll a d6 for each unit that was wounded: with 1, they heal d3, but with 4+ they suffers additional d3 mortal wounds (capricious warpflames).
Flamers of tzeentch: 3+ models for each unit, move 9” fly. They are basically the exalted flamers toned down: 2 wounds each, 3 attacks with warpflames: range 18”, (4+/3+/d3 dam), and capricious warpflames.
Burning chariots of tzeentch: exalted flamers with move 14” fly.
Army List & strategy (125 wounds)
We’ll use the formation of Daemon cohort of tzeentch (1 Lord of Change, 1 herald, 3 pink horrors units, 1 unit of flamers or burning chariots): each wizard (pink horrors included) can cast one additional spell, and if a unit is slain, roll a dice: on a 6 the whole unit comes back!
Heroes (total 50 wounds):
Kairos (10), Lord of change (10), two Heralds (5+5), the blue scribes (5), three changeling (5+5+5).
Troops (total 74 wounds)
3 units of 12 pink horrors (36 wounds); 1 unit of 5 flamers of Tzeentch (10 wounds), 2 units of Exalted flamers, for a total of 4 models (16 wounds), 2 burning chariots (12 wounds).
The tactic is simple: drown your enemy in fire and magic.
Magic: given the various bonuses to cast that you will have, the low rolls that becomes high and the rerolls for failed castings, you’re basically 100% sure that you will be able to always cast successfully. Kairos will deal 1d3 and 1d6, the Lord 1d3 and 6, each herald 1d6 and 1d3, the scribes can copy a d6 (the Gift of Change, so you also summon a Chaos Spawn), the pink horrors will grant 3d3. The total is 7d3+4d6+6… we’re talking about 30 mortal wounds, plus a couple of free summon of Chaos spawn. And we’re not counting the Changelings, the additional spells granted by the formation, and the possibility to summon further units...
Fire: all your troops will shoot fire at 18”, and 52 of their attacks can deliver d3 damage each (plus the additional damage by capricious warpflames).
One of the problem is that you (obviously) cast spells at 18”, so this means you have to move “near” enemy’s range, and cast in the following turn, thus risking counterattacks before your next hero phase. But this can be easily avoided.
You will form a line of shooters (horrors, flamers, horrors, exalted flamer, horrors), and behind them you will keep your casters. The chariots and another unit of exalted flamers, will form the mobile wings of your army, while the Changeling will be placed amongst the enemy (and the way you’ll use ‘em, depends on the opponent’s army).
The idea is to move into range and shoot as much fire as you can with your front line, hitting also by the sides with the chariots; the casters will stay behind, to blast with magical hurricanes enemy’s troops that will try to attack in CC your shooters, so your wizards must stay behind the horrors /flamers, but must threaten all the area in front of the shooters.
Are you facing quick armies, that rely on mass attacks that can overrun your defences? Or are you facing defensive armies, with missile attacks with a superior range? Or another magic force? You will adapt, forcing the opponent to play at your terms.
A quick and / or numerous army, as forest goblin spiderfang, or Ogre’s Avalanche, or empire’s knights, could overrun you… but they will be slowed down by the Changelings. With a halved move, there’s no way you will be charged before delivering a storm of fire (and also magic by the horrors), and if something survives and impacts your shooters, you’ll have magic from the casters behind, and summons for other pink horrors / flamers. The Changeling’s ability, will stop also those flyers that could simply bypass your first line.
Nasty magic users, as a Slann or even Lord Kroak, that play defensively, can hit you at distance and can summon? You’re free to copy their spells and reveal the changelings, killing the wizard/s. Wouldn’t it be fun, to cast THREE celestial deliverances at point blank, at the heart of an eternal starhost?
An army with superior range, such Empire’s gunline or Dwarfs? Again, move the chariots and shoot (move 14” and shoot 18”, will let you hit at 32”: only some warmachines have a longer range), and reveal the changelings: even if they get killed, you will have erased the enemy’s shooters, leaving only those units that don’t pose a problem.
Weaknesses: you will be vulnerable to some ambushes (Chama skinks, Ripperdactyls, Bugman’s rangers, some Tomb Kings units, and similar) that can target the rear casters. Luckily, the damage they can deal is relatively limited, and your army lacks a clear focus… really, if you lose Kairos, that would be annoying, but you can still do whatever you want, with a Lord of Change + 2 heralds + blue scribes.
As a final note: Kairos’ Oracle of Eternity (the ability to change the result of a dice) is HUGE. Yeah, it’s once per game, but how many possibilities… just to name a few:
that d6 mortal wounds is a 6.
You can summon a unit with the powered number (20 horrors instead of 10).
That charge of the enemy in that critical moment? Failed!
That unit of leadbelchers just rolled a 6 on battleshock… or better, Lord Kroak rolled a 6 on battleshock.
A Skink Sterseer uses Cosmic Herald… and you enjoy 6 insight re-rolls!
The possibilities are endless, 'cause We are Chaos, and for every new battle, we will show the universe a new, amazing wonder.
I really don't know how we can be on the same boat of those crude bloodthirsters...
