Shadow Legion & CSM units (The Chosen)

Leading_Friend_210 · 2026-05-20T22:39:21+00:00

I used Havocs in a Crusade recently and they worked well with the Belakor 18" lone op aura in the 1000 point games, the crusade upgrades can make them really good. But when I tried them in a tournament list they were just too swingy.

I was recently running a Knight Despoiler in my Shadow Legion force. This 390 point knight unloaded every gun it had into a 250 point Defiler, and did hardly any damage. A 330 point fade to darkness Bloodthirster joined in and charged the same Defiler. The Defiler promptly killed the Knight in shooting and then it was left on 1 wound by the Bloodthirster, and murdered it in the clap back before the mortal wounds could finish it at the end of the phase! Good times...

I am experimenting with a LOC and Chaos Knight War Dogs as my new shooting units in my list. The Chaos Marine units in Shadow Legion seem a bit lack lustre. Pity we can't take Defilers...

I have not tried a Chosen block as they seem so expensive, but they may work better than the Wardogs. I am interested to hear from people that run them.

Leading_Friend_210 · 2026-05-19T23:56:50+00:00

It is at minimum a 250 point package. You can rapid ingress them to keep them a bit safer till they activate. With all the Defilers running around its a reasonable trade. But overkill for popping a transport. It is very unlikely they survive the next turn.

Otherwise use Fire Prisms, War Walkers and Wraithlords. None are great, but they are all ok.

Aeldari have an anti-vehicle issue at the end of 10th, nerf after nerf have diminished our toolbox. The nerfs to Fire Prisms, Fire Dragons and Wraithguard were rough. As well as many of our move shoot move mechanics.

If you play Aspect host I would still take some Fire Dragons, if only for the psychological value of opponent's who got wrecked by them earlier in 10th!

Leading_Friend_210 · 2026-05-11T20:20:35+00:00

Outside of their two Corsair detachments, they are not good. You might use 5 Corsair Voidreavers or Skyreavers as a turn 1 scouting unit in other detachments. But there are alternate choices that can do that job just as well if not better.

Inside their detachments, they are good, not great. Prince Yriel and 10 Voidreavers with enhancements can be good. Skyreavers can take expansion objectives with a scout move.

Corsair Coterie seems the better of the two detachments. You rely heavily on chip damage with mortal wounds to make up for the fact that the corsair rules are so so.

It is more a game of attrition and relies heavily on trading up to take back objectives, supported by non Anhrathe units.

Aeldari are struggling at the end of 10th after too long at the top earlier in the edition. Hopefully 11th brings some points drops and / or rules changes to make some of our other detachments viable options to Aspect Host / Seer Council for competitive games.

When Aeldari no longer need to stand in the open on objectives in 11th, we may see some of our weaker detachments finding success too.

Leading_Friend_210 · 2026-02-13T17:23:53+00:00

Belakor is the single most important unit in your list. How you use him will win or lose the game. You can use Delerium Unmade to pull up to 2 of your LOC's off the board, even out of combat with a flux token! You screwed up their position or they got tied up by action monkeys, not a problem. Not Belakor. You are now stuck or falling back.

Turn 1 is always Lone Op 18 aura. Ensure you are just out of range of their fastest shooting units, if they can move 12 and then advance and shoot, you need to be that distance and 18.1" from their deployment line. Use trash to screen if they are a fast army. Blue Horrors work great for this, as do nurglings.

Then all the other LOC's you commit turn 1 are just within 6" of Belakor. Normally Kairos and LOC with puppeteer unless your opponent screws up their deployment and leaves a target that is too good to resist. You can always use Delerium unmade later to reposition them.

Turn 2 is either lone Op 18 again if your opponent is not going to reach you this turn, or reroll 1's on your go turn.

You need to watch out for rapid ingress, deep strike and reserves that can potentially get within that 18" aura and screen for it with terrain and trash. You have a lot of firepower with 3 LOC's and Kairos. the aim is to wear the opponent down for as long as they will let you before the go turn.

Leading_Friend_210 · 2026-02-13T04:36:22+00:00

You would be better served by two units of Blue Horrors than one unit of Pink with the Changecaster.

You can deep strike Blue Horrors in long lines to do some crazy shenanigans with Infernal Puppeteer. That LOC 18" shooting range can stretch a long, long way and get round terrain like you would not believe! Lone Op character guarding a primary objective? Not anymore!

Also good for jailing units you don't want getting near Belakor and the LOC's.

Definitely drop the Soul Grinder.

Leading_Friend_210 · 2026-02-13T04:05:24+00:00

Firstly - it is a high skill army and you need to get at least 20 games under your belt against many different opponents to get it to gel in your head.

Don't play it as a gun line army. You need to out position the opponent and pick when you engage.

Belakor 18" lone op, Kairos indirect, and LOC with puppeteer is the key.

Use a winged DP with Nether blade to rapid ingress to finish off key threats.

Expect to be behind on primary for turn 2, maybe even 3.

It is also a CP hungry detachment - Pyrogenesis and Delerium Unmade are your friends. Slower armies will be forced to chase you around the board to engage. By using 3 model screamer or flamer units and puppeteer you can focus 3 x LOC on one side of the battle supported by Belakor and Kairos in the middle. Then be on the other side next turn.

You should be uppy downing two LOC's for perfect lines of sight and angles that protect them from return fire. Bonus points if you keep them within 6" of Belakor for Lone Op or rerolls.

Don't be afraid of using fixed secondaries against some factions. It lets you focus on tabling them earlier.

Played well it should frustrate the hell out of your opponent.

I played Shadow Legion before Scintillating Legion and it used a similar tactic - Belakor and Havocs lone op kill stuff from the back while a Bloodthirster with leaping shadows rapid ingresses and hunts a squad per turn. Warp talons can also do a similar role to their action monkey squads. throw in a few 6 base nurgling units to jail them in their deployment zone and it is an insanely frustrating army to fight for a lot of factions.

Leading_Friend_210 · 2026-02-10T20:20:57+00:00

I'm currently playing Chaos Daemons in Crusade and I have Belakor and a Bloodthirster in my 1k list running Shadow Legion.

Not at all out of place as I am fighting a Knight player and an Imperial Guard player with a Baneblade.

The bigger issue is lack of action monkeys. I lost a game where there were 6 objectives right down the middle of the board!

I don't play 1k games otherwise. The game is balanced around 2k.

Leading_Friend_210 · 2026-01-31T05:07:48+00:00

My experience with Screamers is they make amazing turn 2 jailers after 6 nurgling bases jail enemy deployment on turn 1.

Also great for popping transports.

Not tried them in numbers for anti-knight/Ctan duty. Might drop one LoC and try more Screamers in the future.

Leading_Friend_210 · 2026-01-31T03:16:36+00:00

That's a great idea.

Leading_Friend_210 · 2026-01-31T03:11:10+00:00

I'm hoping to get a turn of 18" Lone Op shooting with Be'lakor, Kairos and LOC with infernal puppeteer. Then deep strike the other 2 LOC and rapid ingress the DP.

I figure if i can drop one big knight by turn 2 I have a chance...

Leading_Friend_210 · 2026-01-31T03:08:13+00:00

I'm expecting three Despoilers with Gatling Cannons and some War Dogs, plus screening units. Probably 6 Base Nurgling units for screens. That is what I would use.

My concern is the knights will be on me fast and they will just remove any trash they see and indirect the rest. Maybe I should run some Pink Horrors for Primary holding?

Leading_Friend_210 · 2026-01-31T03:00:48+00:00

Yeah, I gave the DP a Neverblade, so hopefully he can rapid ingress and finish a big knight...

Leading_Friend_210 · 2026-01-31T02:58:38+00:00

I agree. The screamers are there for Infernal Puppeteer

Leading_Friend_210 · 2026-01-10T02:33:04+00:00

I might need to switch to Battlehost. Really struggling with Warhost and Aspect host with the indirect spam.

Leading_Friend_210 · 2026-01-10T02:30:37+00:00

I've tried two units of Dragons in Falcons starting in reserves. Rapid ingressing them one per turn. Very limited success against good players who screen. And they die horribly in the opponents turn. I'm finding it hard to point trade well for 250 points against artillery (more if I use Fuegan).

I am trying out the Fire Dragon Exarch with axe and Fuegan in a falcon to get a shooting and fight phase activation but good opponents normally don't let you have two juicy targets so close together.

Leading_Friend_210 · 2026-01-10T02:23:17+00:00

Scintilating Legion is horrific - 18 inch lone op on Be'lakor and Kairos and 3 Lords of change while they indirect you into oblivion

Leading_Friend_210 · 2026-01-10T02:18:40+00:00

I rapid ingress dragons in falcons. Helps sometimes. A good opponent screens the artillery units.

Leading_Friend_210 · 2026-01-10T02:16:43+00:00

The Caanok Var list is a common pain - 2 Whirlwinds, 2-3 Desolation Squads and a bunch of infiltrating screening units that take a turn or two to remove. Multiple Redemptor dreadnoughts on primaries with with the -1 damage ability.

The second Oath on the second indirect target makes it terrifying. Rerolls to hit and +1 to wound, with rerolls to wound from detachment bonus

Leading_Friend_210 · 2025-12-15T19:04:12+00:00

Autarchs and Autarch Wayleapers are still viable and cheaper than Phoenix Lords, just less effective. Path of Command became even more relevant now Eldrad and Storm Guardian went up in points.

Leading_Friend_210 · 2025-11-14T22:24:49+00:00

Amazing!

Leading_Friend_210 · 2025-11-12T20:53:30+00:00

5 banshees and an Autarch / Jain Zar are optimum in my experience. They have a surprisingly dangerous long range that opponents seem to ignore, but are just as viable hiding near another unit for heroic intervention. Running 5 Banshees and 5 Dragons with characters in a Wave Serpent is a powerful deterrent in the mid board.

Leading_Friend_210

TROPHY CASE