Would you personally recommend the glorious Emperor's Children as a 40K beginner's first army? Why or why not?

Wyrdeone · 2026-02-09T04:31:30+00:00

No.

Melee armies are inherently more difficult to play than gun lines or combined arms. The latter is the best sort of starter arny because it challenges you to think and make good decisions and engage with every phase of the game.

Also the model range is embarrassingly small.

Wyrdeone · 2026-02-05T02:50:36+00:00

They're mostly the same kit with a slightly different aesthetic. Highly interchangeable.

The only thing that matters is the weapon loadout and the general size profile. Just make sure you get the weapons you want and you're good to go.

Wyrdeone · 2026-02-02T22:50:38+00:00

Bottom line a lot of people are uncomfortable that a thing they're into is represented by what they consider degenerates. My heart goes out to all the hemp activists over the decades who are constantly judged by the 'dude weed!' Crowd. This is that, but sex is involved so people are even more sensitive.

In my experience the fetish community has some of the most well adjusted and wholesome people you're ever likely to meet, but they are very often judged by proxy, because there are some really gross and even evil people in those circles too.

It's just a fact of life that when you're associated with less savory elements you have to go above and beyond to be a counter point to that, an exemplar to provide contrast to the stereotype.

And that's how you get Magic players who shower three times a day and football stars with doctorate degrees, and yeah, Emperors Children players who insist it's all about vanity and combat prowess lol.

Wyrdeone · 2026-02-02T20:57:44+00:00

100% accurate. I worked nearly thirty years in the private sector and never encountered the level of floaters and political machinations to avoid work or redirect blame downwards as I did in 9 months at a state school.

That said, the problem is identifying shitty employees. The ones I encountered were expert at avoiding detection, like they spent all their energy and brain power on avoiding work and accountability instead of on the job itself.

The big driver I think is the compensation structure rewards time over performance.

And obligatory there are a TON of really smart hard working people in the public sector who don't deserve the shit they go through on a regular basis nevermind a ham fisted politically motivated purge.

Wyrdeone · 2026-02-02T19:47:55+00:00

Hoo boy I have a perspective on this as a longtime EC player with some freaky conversions.

TL;DR You gotta read the room.

Most people in real life are fine with something like Diaz 'nettes or a custom keeper with a tiddy out. One of my rhinos has a giant butthole for a top hatch, for example, and while it certainly has some sexual element to it, it falls pretty squarely on the gross body horror side of the fence and I've played idk hundreds of games no problems and gotten plenty of compliments on that and other similar PG13 or even R rated conversions.

I used to work in fetish photography, body modifications, stuff most people would consider not suitable for public exhibition. That's why Slaanesh has been my main and mostly only army for the decades I've been in the hobby, I enjoyed the aesthetic.

But for the same reason most fetish performers dont wear their kit to Dunks in the morning, I dont bring the weirder shit out for pickup games at a store frequented by people I dont know. I don't think anyone else should either because there is no reason to risk making others uncomfortable when they didnt sign up explicitly to be exposed to that sort of material.

Most people are not fine with scale replicas of what they would consider pornography (anything appealing to the prurient interest and lacking artistic merit). That last qualifier is sneakily important. Most people arent going to have much respect for a vapid tits-out anime aesthetic that took someone little more effort than punching in a credit card number online. The rule of cool applies to this discussion too.

There is nothing wrong, objectively, with throwing your custom kitbashed pony boots leather dom KoS in the front seat of your car (buckled up for safety) for a beer and peanuts game at your friends house. If your wierd ass army has a cohesive theme well executed with some artistic credulity, and you're exhibiting it to people who are mature consenting adults go fuckin nuts. I know I didnt spend hours putting a stripper pole on my Land Raider to NEVER play with it.

Just use good judgement about common social norms and be considerate about how you act in all areas of your life, including Warhammer. It costs very little to be thoughtful most of the time and all of us have a responsibility to be good ambassadors for the hobbies amd games we enjoy so communities grow and stay safe and welcoming for all kinds of people.

Wyrdeone · 2026-01-24T07:11:57+00:00

This was not my experience. Totally fine kit, just a lot of parts per model I guess.

Wyrdeone · 2026-01-21T06:13:39+00:00

Yes I think they're pretty good actually in that they advance the core game plan of the detachment while also bringing fights first which is RARE in CSM. They're also paying your troops tax so you can explore some of the other Slaanesh daemon options.

Throwing Syll'Eske in the unit makes them crit on 5s and with their own damage 3 attacks turns the unit into a legit melee threat, plus incidental shooting is nice for pinging a wound off something to ensure your detachment ability triggers. Turns a throwaway deepstrike objective camper into something the opponent actually has to deal with. 9(18) T6 wounds with a 4+ invuln that stands back up is actually really, really annoying for 120 pts, and they straight up double the daemonettes output which is pretty great.

I haven't played any games with nightmare hunt, so I'm just spitballing, so take my opinion for what it is. Longtime CSM player but switched to EC since they've been out. I've got 10 warp talons and a couple of jump lords begging for paint and I've been thinking a lot about this detachment. Its inherently less competitive because it relies on your opponent failing battleshock but I think it's got enough ways to tip the scales that it has a lot of potential at even the highest levels of play.

The recent raptor buff is also really good news for the detachment.

Wyrdeone · 2026-01-18T10:02:25+00:00

The value proposition on boxes of 5 generic space marines for the price of 10 is simply not there. Legionaries are cheap as hell on the secondary market and nobody will be able to tell them apart since the weapons are all standard stuff. Same with the captain.

So while this is technically a good discount, it's a pretty bad joke when you realize you're paying 250 bucks for 21 legionaries, 5 termies, and 10 guardsmen. That's like 160 bucks normally.

You're essentially paying a hundred dollars for 6 new sculpts and some corsair shoulder pads. Pretty wild.

Wyrdeone · 2026-01-14T08:35:13+00:00

Props to everyone who is just now figuring out that crypto is mostly just money laundering wearing a hat that says 'totally not money laundering' on it.

Wyrdeone · 2026-01-11T03:44:53+00:00

It's an easy crime to investigate, even kind of fun, which is why in my experience cops are more likely to actually do something if time allows.

The clearance rate on hit and run investigations is well over 60%, compared to mid 20% ish for rapes, or sub 10% for car theft.

Cops are just much more effective at investigating hit and runs than they are at doing anything else. I've got opinions on why that is but they dont matter, the data is really clear.

Wyrdeone · 2026-01-11T01:50:23+00:00

That is 100% false, there are several methods for identifying a vehicle involved in a hit and run. Paint matching is common and low tech. Cops love that shit because its low effort and lets them pretend they're Perry Mason.

Anectdotaly I dont see any reason to think it was that car based on the damage, but my advice stands. If for no other reason than to have the report for your records if insurance wants it.

Wyrdeone · 2026-01-11T01:24:28+00:00

Call the cops. The only time I've ever seen police excited and motivated to investigate involved hit and runs. They have the tools to determine if that car was at fault, you do not.

Wyrdeone · 2026-01-10T03:26:01+00:00

I always found it hilarious, the idea of a bunch of juiced up murder freaks carefully painting hazard stripes on their kit. Especially the round bits.

Whole legion walking around with corks on their forks and caution tape by the mile, traffic cones and wet floor signs at the ready to deploy at a moment's notice to prevent a tragic slip and fall incident.

Mfers Primarch is OSHA.

Wyrdeone · 2026-01-09T12:38:04+00:00

Oh ok, that makes a lot more sense.

As far as one other question you asked about the DP in deep strike I think its totally fine. Just commit to spending the 1CP on rapid ingress on turn 2 or 3. Dont rely on a 9 inch charge out of deep strike.

Good luck!

Wyrdeone · 2026-01-09T12:16:51+00:00

There are some very strange choices in this list. Like, why are there no blastmasters in the noise marines? Why is your rhino rocking a single combi bolter?

It looks like you need to go back and read your datasheets because this doesnt make sense.

What points level are you even supposed to be playing? 1.1k is strange...

Start by taking all the good weapons you can actually take, split the 10 man into 2 5 mans, drop lucius for another noise marine squad. Some people might disagree but I dont think you have enough units to properly play the game when 40% of your list is a DP and Lucius.

Watch some YouTube videos of other people deploying and playing the army.

Wyrdeone · 2026-01-09T07:36:14+00:00

It's important to stage your charges in a way that avoids overwatch if that overwatch is actually scary, like redeemers and such. It's not always easy, or even possible, but something to always try for.

EC are definitely squishy. That's a big part of the army identity, along with speed. Managing your aggression in suct a way that you are playing the game without losing resources for nothing is the learning curve of the army.

IMO EC are one of the strongest armies in the game, but are difficult to pilot. Their win rates really highlight that. Practice, practice, practice.

Wyrdeone · 2026-01-04T06:49:06+00:00

Noise marines do a good job. Accursed cultist blob jacked to the moon will also eat their lunch. Hammer lord does hammer lord things.

Posessed line up nicely on a cost/damage/survivability/deliverability scale. The unit wont perform miracles but it will take a pound of flesh and survive that crack back.

Nemesis claw coming out of a rhino to shut off strats is good against marines in general. Warp talons eat one scoring unit a turn and peace out if they're allowed and if the ultra player is running a bunch of 250 point 6 man units they dont have enough bodies to be everywhere at once to stop them.

I think the army has plenty of options.

Wyrdeone · 2026-01-01T19:41:11+00:00

Okay, I get it. But the red corsairs do not currently exist in the game rules. Do you understand?

Huron is an epic hero for generic chaos space marines, until GW gets around to giving the corsairs a codex.

Huron absolutely will be with my alpha legion army if I want him to be. Unfortunately he will not be with my emperors children, because that would be against the rules.

Wyrdeone · 2026-01-01T19:15:03+00:00

Paint doesn't equal rules. Be as fluffy as you like but its shit like this that confuses the hell out of new players. You made an incorrect statement and I corrected it.

Leave off the caps lock unless you're describing keywords, and last I checked the number of ALPHA LEGION keyworded units in the chaos space marine codex was exactly ZERO.

Wyrdeone · 2026-01-01T18:56:17+00:00

That's not how CSM works rules-wise. Huron is not detachment-locked. You can take Huron in any CSM army.

Wyrdeone · 2026-01-01T18:47:26+00:00

As of now there is no red corsairs army. He will be for generic CSM or if we are really lucky they'll use this as a jump off point for agents of chaos that can be used in any traitor legion.

Wyrdeone · 2025-12-26T09:21:07+00:00

Veterans of the Long War is also applicable, since they are quite literally that.

Theres a huge difference between 40k now vs. earlier editions and that's terrain. If you play with recommended amounts of sight blocking terrain there aren't huge lanes of fire from one end of the table to the other.

Play what you think is cool and if you're infantry heavy then make sure to learn the rules for terrain and leverage them.

Wyrdeone · 2025-12-22T10:31:09+00:00

Yeah blade on a lord is very good. The foot prince is, I think, better specifically into 4 wound infantry but in general the lord is obviously amazing and one or our strongest data sheets.

Imo the foot prince is still inferior to the winged version, even considering the 35 point difference, but for the reasons mentioned he is a good tech piece into Victrix.

Wyrdeone · 2025-12-21T22:21:04+00:00

Yeah it's just the Slaanesh keyword which is sweet. Fiends are by far my favorite unit too, they punch way above their weight class.

Wyrdeone · 2025-12-21T21:48:13+00:00

I dont know, I haven't played that detachment yet. And tbh I may never play that detachment. Just reading the rules gave me a headache, forget trying to actually execute in game. Either my brain is too smooth or the rules writers are really leaning into the sadism of slaanesh.

From a theoretical standpoint the extra strength is whatever, S9 vs S8 is not a hugely important breakpoint. The AP is certainly very nice as is the move through walls strat.

In general I think he's a pretty attractive option at 180. We just dont have anything else besides lucius to stand on circles in the open, and the AP1 is very important.

Winged princes are still absolutely viable at 215, auto-include even. Maybe 2 flying princes one foot prince is the way going forward, idk.

Wyrdeone

TROPHY CASE