Chaos Daemons Review Part IV: HQ part III: Heralds.

goatboy

Chaos Daemons Codex Review Part IV: HQ part III: Heralds.
Daemon Heralds are the cheapest HQ choice available to Daemons, and there’s one for any army you would like to build.

Herald of Khorne: Pretty Good!
He is 70 pts, and you get a pretty good statline for that price. He’s pretty useful to stick in a squad of bloodletters or bloodcrushers: think of him as an upgrade from a bloodletter that takes 1/2 an hq slot, and that’s about what his role is. Upgrades after the jump.


you can put him on a bloodcrusher for 35 pts, or a chariot for 15 pts: hang on. The chariot is 20 pts cheaper and gives another wound over the bloodcrusher? Just because of IC status? Thats... interesting. I would never give him the bloodcrusher, chariot every time. The extra wound and being cheaper outclasses IC status.

Fury of Khorne (rending) is only useful against tanks, but it is worth considering if you don’t want him to be stuck in CC with a dreadnought for the entire game. Death Strike is a plasma pistol, essentially, and with his meh BS and the price, I’d pass. Blessing of the Blood God is good for those pesky force weapons. Iron hide is great if you didn’t get a chariot... but you got a chariot. Chaos Icon? As a principle, I recommend Icons only for beginners: experienced players will have a better idea of how to deepstrike safely, and Icons are expensive. Unholy might is certainly worth a look, and is reasonably priced: if you have points to spare, get it.

Herald of Tzeentch: YEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAH!
FINALLY! Heralds of Tzeentch!
He’s 50 pts base, BS4, T3, 4++, two wounds. He has Daemonic Gaze standard. Pretty meh as it is, but oh, hohoho, let us look at the options...
for 15 pts, a disc gives jump infantry status and +1 attack. Pretty good to keep moving around with, BUT a chariot is also 15 pts: it makes it a jetbike, gives 3(!) wounds, +1T, +2 attacks, and replaces IC with furious charge. I’m taking the chariot every time, thankyouverymuch. T4 4++ W5 jetbike is win.
Options. We are Legion is great and cheap, but only if you get a second shooting attack and can use both- get this and Master of Sorcery, or neither. Soul Devourer... this is not a close combat unit, don’t get it. BOLT OF TZEENTCH. Yes, it’s expensive, but I get it every time. Breath of chaos... you’re not getting close, ever. You will die. Chaos Icon, I hold my previous opinion, but admittedly it is more useful on this guy because he’s faster. Boon of mutation, don’t get this for the same reason you don’t get Breath.
The way I always get them is Chariot, We are Legion, Master of Sorcery, and Bolt of Tzeentch. For 110 pts, they are excellent anti-tank, arguably the best in the codex. They have the speed to get into side and rear armor arcs, the durability to weather fire (immunity to instant death is awesome) and can mow down space marines too! I use 4, in all my lists: the Quad-chariot. The most I’ve lost in a game is 2, and they always reap a bloody harvest in vehicles: don’t shoot them at AV13-14, and you’ll do just fine with these guys.

Herald of Nurgle: Bad or Useful.
Well, the herald of nurgle has the durability and offensive capability of 2 plaguebearers, costs 20 pts more, isn’t scoring, and isn’t a Tzeentch Chariot. Not liking him.
Options? He can ride a palanquin: this costs a plaguebearer, and what a coincidence! Adds exactly the offensive ability and durability of one plaguebearer! And he still costs 20 pts more than 3 plaguebearers! :\ As for his options, all of them can be obtained on a better unit, and used to better effect. Skip this guy.
HOWEVER if you are bringing an Epidemius list, this is a great unit to fill the 1/2 hq slot left by epidemius himself. Give him Breath, flies, and noxious touch, and drop him really, really close: hopefully, he can get the tally going! Maybe bring 3! They’re only 95 pts a pop! Maybe give some palanquins! Get that nurgle groove ON! Carnival of Poxes!

Herald of Slaanesh: Good!
The Herald of Slaanesh is, essentially, a more economical KoS. It has a good statline (I7 means you’ll usually go first) except for the 3’s in T& A- I mean S. T and S. Ahem.
Options: here’s the magical combination: always give it a chariot, Soporific Musk, and Unholy might. Suddenly, it’s not THAT squishy, and it fills the same role as the KoS: bouncing around, helping combats: not winning them by itself, but nabbing the charge and killing things, staying in combat during your opponent’s shooting phase, bouncing out at the end of their assault phase, then slamming back into combat during yours. For 90 pts, you get a lot: bring 2, or more, and go nuts. Just remember: they aren’t chariots of Tzeentch, so you’ll have to find AT elsewhere.

That wraps up the heralds. Special heralds next.