40k Balance Update – April 2024

Happy points changes day!

Warhammer 40,000 Metawatch was published on the Warhammer Community today and there are a number of changes across a lot of factions. I’m singularly unqualified to comment on 99.9% of the changes and even the points changes for the factions I play – Chaos Daemons and Chaos Space Marines are largely beyond my limited understanding – but I’m going to try in the context of my lists.

Chaos Daemons
A nice easy one to start with. Chaos Daemons haven’t received any changes. Daemons remain a bit of a tricky one for Games Workshop to balance I’d imagine. They’re one army but they’re made up of 4 (and a bit) factions. Daemons as a whole aren’t doing badly (not exactly setting the world on fire either) but the internal balance across those God-marked sub-factions seems a little bit off to my Slaaneshi focused eyes. But, as a result, my Mono-Slaanesh lists remains the same:

Mono-Slaanesh Daemons Army List

The Yearning Throng (2000 points)

Chaos Daemons
Strike Force (2000 points)
Daemonic Incursion


CHARACTERS

Keeper of Secrets (305 points)
  • 1x Phantasmagoria
    1x Shining Aegis
    1x Snapping claws
    1x Witstealer sword
  • Enhancement: Soulstealer

Keeper of Secrets (290 points)
  • 1x Phantasmagoria
    1x Shining Aegis
    1x Snapping claws
    1x Witstealer sword

Keeper of Secrets (290 points)
  • 1x Phantasmagoria
    1x Shining Aegis
    1x Snapping claws
    1x Witstealer sword

Shalaxi Helbane (450 points)
  • Warlord
  • 1x Lash of Slaanesh
    1x Pavane of Slaanesh
    1x Snapping claws
    1x Soulpiercer

The Masque of Slaanesh (85 points)
  • 1x Serrated claws


BATTLELINE

Nurglings (40 points)
  • 3x Nurgling Swarm
    • 3x Diseased claws and teeth


OTHER DATASHEETS

Seekers (80 points)
  • 1x Heartseeker
    • 1x Lashing tongue
      1x Slashing claws
  • 4x Seeker
    • 4x Lashing tongue
      4x Slashing claws

Seekers (80 points)
  • 1x Heartseeker
    • 1x Lashing tongue
      1x Slashing claws
  • 4x Seeker
    • 4x Lashing tongue
      4x Slashing claws

Soul Grinder (190 points)
  • Daemonic Allegiance: Slaanesh
  • 1x Harvester cannon
    1x Iron claw
    1x Scream of despair
    1x Warpclaw

Soul Grinder (190 points)
  • Daemonic Allegiance: Slaanesh
  • 1x Harvester cannon
    1x Iron claw
    1x Scream of despair
    1x Warpsword

Exported with App Version: v1.13.0 (41), Data Version: v373

Chaos Space Marines
Quite a few changes here!

Points decreases on all of the following:

  • Chaos Bikers
  • Chaos Terminator Squad
  • Chaos Vindicator
  • Cultist Mob
  • Cypher
  • Havocs
  • Helbrute
  • Daemon Prince
  • Daemon Prince with Wings
  • Legionaries
  • Maulerfiend
  • Possessed
  • Raptors
  • Venomcrawler

The thing that strikes me is that there are some good units in that list! Bikers, Vindicators, Cultists, Daemon Princes (with Wings), Legionaries, Possessed and Raptors are all units that are either already useful or were on the cusp of being useful with Legionaries, Cultists and Vindicators standing out as suddenly being a bit more interesting.

For me personally, the drop on the Legionaries on my MSU Rhino-Rush Creations of Bile frees up enough points for a free Cultist Mob (their points drop working to perfection here!)

Chaos Space Marines Army List

Creations of Bile (2000 points)

Chaos Space Marines
Strike Force (2000 points)
Slaves to Darkness


CHARACTERS

Chaos Lord (95 points)
  • Mark of Chaos: Slaanesh
  • 1x Daemon hammer
    1x Plasma pistol

Chaos Lord (95 points)
  • Mark of Chaos: Slaanesh
  • 1x Daemon hammer
    1x Plasma pistol

Fabius Bile (85 points)
  • 1x Fabius Bile
    • 1x Chirurgeon
      1x Rod of Torment
      1x Xyclos Needler
  • 1x Surgeon Acolyte
    • 1x Surgeon Acolyte’s tools

Lucius the Eternal (95 points)
  • Warlord
  • 1x Doom siren
    1x Duellist’s sword and Lash of Torment

Master of Executions (80 points)
  • Mark of Chaos: Slaanesh
  • 1x Axe of dismemberment
    1x Bolt pistol


BATTLELINE

Cultist Mob (50 points)
  • Mark of Chaos: Slaanesh
  • 1x Cultist Champion
    • 1x Autopistol
      1x Brutal assault weapon
  • 9x Chaos Cultist
    • 9x Autopistol
      9x Brutal assault weapon

Legionaries (160 points)
  • Mark of Chaos: Slaanesh
  • 1x Aspiring Champion
    • 1x Chaos Icon
      1x Close combat weapon
      1x Heavy melee weapon
      1x Plasma pistol
  • 9x Legionary
    • 5x Astartes chainsword
      1x Astartes chainsword
      1x Balefire tome
      9x Bolt pistol
      9x Close combat weapon
      1x Flamer
      1x Heavy melee weapon
      1x Plasma pistol

Legionaries (80 points)
  • Mark of Chaos: Chaos Undivided
  • 1x Aspiring Champion
    • 1x Chaos Icon
      1x Close combat weapon
      1x Heavy melee weapon
      1x Plasma pistol
  • 4x Legionary
    • 2x Astartes chainsword
      4x Bolt pistol
      4x Close combat weapon
      1x Heavy melee weapon
      1x Reaper chaincannon

Legionaries (80 points)
  • Mark of Chaos: Slaanesh
  • 1x Aspiring Champion
    • 1x Chaos Icon
      1x Close combat weapon
      1x Heavy melee weapon
      1x Plasma pistol
  • 4x Legionary
    • 2x Astartes chainsword
      4x Bolt pistol
      4x Close combat weapon
      1x Heavy melee weapon
      1x Lascannon

Legionaries (80 points)
  • Mark of Chaos: Slaanesh
  • 1x Aspiring Champion
    • 1x Chaos Icon
      1x Close combat weapon
      1x Heavy melee weapon
      1x Plasma pistol
  • 4x Legionary
    • 2x Astartes chainsword
      4x Bolt pistol
      4x Close combat weapon
      1x Heavy melee weapon
      1x Lascannon

Noise Marines (85 points)
  • 1x Noise Champion
    • 1x Chaos Icon
      1x Close combat weapon
      1x Doom siren
      1x Power fist
      1x Sonic blaster
  • 4x Noise Marine
    • 3x Astartes chainsword
      1x Blastmaster
      4x Bolt pistol
      4x Close combat weapon

Noise Marines (85 points)
  • 1x Noise Champion
    • 1x Chaos Icon
      1x Close combat weapon
      1x Doom siren
      1x Power fist
      1x Sonic blaster
  • 4x Noise Marine
    • 3x Astartes chainsword
      1x Blastmaster
      4x Bolt pistol
      4x Close combat weapon


DEDICATED TRANSPORTS

Chaos Rhino (75 points)
  • Mark of Chaos: Chaos Undivided
  • 1x Armoured tracks
    1x Combi-bolter
    1x Combi-weapon
    1x Havoc launcher

Chaos Rhino (75 points)
  • Mark of Chaos: Slaanesh
  • 1x Armoured tracks
    1x Combi-bolter
    1x Combi-weapon
    1x Havoc launcher

Chaos Rhino (75 points)
  • Mark of Chaos: Slaanesh
  • 1x Armoured tracks
    1x Combi-bolter
    1x Combi-weapon
    1x Havoc launcher

Chaos Rhino (75 points)
  • Mark of Chaos: Slaanesh
  • 1x Armoured tracks
    1x Combi-bolter
    1x Combi-weapon
    1x Havoc launcher


OTHER DATASHEETS

Chaos Land Raider (240 points)
  • Mark of Chaos: Slaanesh
  • 1x Armoured tracks
    1x Combi-weapon
    1x Havoc launcher
    2x Soulshatter lascannon
    1x Twin heavy bolter

Chosen (130 points)
  • Mark of Chaos: Chaos Undivided
  • 1x Chosen Champion
    • 1x Boltgun
      1x Chaos Icon
      1x Plasma pistol
      1x Power fist
  • 4x Chosen
    • 3x Accursed weapon
      3x Bolt pistol
      1x Boltgun
      2x Combi-weapon
      1x Paired accursed weapons
      1x Plasma pistol

Chosen (130 points)
  • Mark of Chaos: Slaanesh
  • 1x Chosen Champion
    • 1x Chaos Icon
      1x Paired accursed weapons
      1x Plasma pistol
  • 4x Chosen
    • 3x Accursed weapon
      3x Bolt pistol
      2x Boltgun
      2x Combi-weapon
      1x Plasma pistol
      1x Power fist

Chosen (130 points)
  • Mark of Chaos: Slaanesh
  • 1x Chosen Champion
    • 1x Boltgun
      1x Chaos Icon
      1x Plasma pistol
      1x Power fist
  • 4x Chosen
    • 3x Accursed weapon
      3x Bolt pistol
      1x Boltgun
      2x Combi-weapon
      1x Paired accursed weapons
      1x Plasma pistol

Exported with App Version: v1.13.0 (41), Data Version: v373

I do think that I may be having a look at a Vindicator and some Possessed moving forwards though…

How have the points changes worked out for you?


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