Soul Reapers Mini-Dex Project Part One

This is a follow up post to my post on the Problems with Chaos space marines. This will be the first post of many on this subject.

I have set myself in motion to make a Soul Reapers min-dex as a companion to use with the Codex Chaos Space Marines. I am not trying to reinvent the “Wheel” here, what I am attempting to do is make Chaos Space Marines viable at their current points values.

The only thing that I will be creating from scratch are two new units to be mentioned later, and the Soul Reapers Special Characters. For the Special Characters I will be tweaking existing ones to make them fit my background and to ease balancing them.

So now onto the meat of this post:

The following special rules apply to all Soul Reaper units chosen from the following entries in the Codex Chaos Space Marines.

Chaos Sorcerers
Chaos Chosen Space Marines
Chaos Terminators
Chaos Space Marine
Chaos Raptors
Chaos Bikes
Chaos Havocs

Fear is for the weak: Soul Reapers automatically pass all tests to regroup, they can make such tests even if the squad has been reduced less than half strength through casualties. Usually squads that regroup cannot move and count as moving, but these restrictions do not apply to units with this rule. If a sweeping advance catches any Soul Reapers unit they take an immediate leadership test. If they pass the leadership test they are not destroyed, and will continue to fight as normal. If this happens the unit is subject to the No Retreat rule for the rest of the combat.


Preferred Enemy: The Soul Reapers have been fighting their loyalist brothers for ten thousand years and have become accustomed to their combat doctrines. Because of this all Soul Reapers are subject to the Preferred enemy rules when fighting any Space Marines loyal to the Emperor.


Listed below are the Units from Codex Chaos Space Marines with changes to their entry in the codex listed. Anything not listed below is used as is out of the Codex.

HQ

Chaos Lord: Gains Preferred Enemy

Chaos Sorcerer: Gains Fear is for the Weak and Preferred Enemy

Elite

Chaos Chosen Space Marines: Gain Fear is for the Weak and Preferred Enemy, they are otherwise unchanged.

Chaos Terminators: Gain Fear is for the Weak and Preferred Enemy, they are otherwise unchanged.

Possessed Chaos Space Marines: Roll for their Daemonkin abilities at the beginning of the game before deployment.

Troops

Chaos Space Marines: Gain Fear is for the Weak and Preferred Enemy, they are otherwise unchanged.

Fast Attack

Chaos Raptors: Gain Fear is for the Weak and Preferred Enemy, they are otherwise unchanged.

Chaos Bikes: Gain Fear is for the Weak and Preferred Enemy, and the point value drops from 35 to 28 points per model.

Chaos Spawn: Gain the Feel no Pain special rule for no additional cost.

Heavy Support

Chaos Havocs: Gain Fear is for the Weak and Preferred Enemy, they are otherwise unchanged.


Now you may be saying to yourself that the “Fear is for the Weak” special rule is just a tweaked version of “And they shall know no Fear”; you’d be right. Chaos Marines have just changed their faith from the Emperor to the Dark Gods of Chaos, so I see no reason for Chaos Marines to be weaker than Imperial Marines. Should they be different, yes, but weaker absolutely not. So to be different they must pass a leadership test to avoid being destroyed in a sweeping advance, but if they pass they basically become fearless. I think this adds character to the forces of Chaos.

Preferred Enemy is added because it makes sense. Chaos Space Marines detest the blind faith of their loyal brothers. With the ultimate goal for the Chaos Space Marines being the destruction of the Imperium, the loyalist Space Marines are their main obstacles in achieving those goals. Combine this with the fact that the have been fighting loyalist Space Marines for ten thousand years, it again makes sense.

I am looking for feedback on these ideas. I don’t mind criticisms, but please keep it constructive.