warhammer 40k chaos daemons codex pdf
Warhammer 40k Chaos Daemons Codex PDF: A Guide for Beginners
Are you fascinated by the dark forces of chaos that lurk in the warp? Do you want to unleash hordes of twisted creatures that defy the laws of nature? Do you enjoy playing a versatile army that can adapt to any situation? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you might want to try playing chaos daemons in Warhammer 40k.
Chaos daemons are the manifestations of the four chaos gods: Khorne, Tzeentch, Nurgle, and Slaanesh. They are not bound by the physical realm and can enter the material world through warp rifts or summoning rituals. They are unpredictable, powerful, and terrifying foes that can overwhelm their enemies with sheer numbers or quality.
In this article, we will give you a comprehensive guide on how to play chaos daemons in Warhammer 40k. We will cover the main features and rules of the chaos daemons codex, how to download the PDF version of the codex, how to build a chaos daemons army, how to play a chaos daemons army, and some tips and tricks for playing chaos daemons. By the end of this article, you will have a solid foundation on how to start or improve your chaos daemons army.
The Four Chaos Gods and Their Daemons
The first thing you need to know about chaos daemons is that they are divided into four factions based on their allegiance to one of the four chaos gods. Each god has its own theme, personality, and style of play. Here is a brief overview of each god and their daemons:
Khorne: The Blood God and his bloodthirsty followers
Khorne is the god of war, violence, bloodshed, and rage. He cares not from where the blood flows, only that it flows. His daemons are red-skinned, horned, and armed with axes, swords, and claws. They are fast, strong, and brutal in close combat, but have no psychic powers or ranged weapons. They also have a special rule called Blood for the Blood God, which allows them to generate extra attacks when they kill enemy models.
Some of the most iconic Khorne daemons are:
Bloodthirster: The most powerful and feared of all Khorne daemons, a towering winged beast that can slaughter entire units with its massive axe and whip.
Bloodletters: The basic infantry of Khorne, armed with hellblades that can cut through armor and flesh with ease.
Bloodcrushers: The cavalry of Khorne, mounted on juggernauts, which are metal-skinned rhinos that can crush anything in their path.
Skulltaker: A special character and the champion of Khorne, who collects the skulls of his enemies and wears them as trophies.
Tzeentch: The Changer of Ways and his scheming sorcerers
Tzeentch is the god of change, magic, knowledge, and deception. He is the master of fate and the architect of destiny. His daemons are blue-skinned, feathered, and armed with staffs, swords, and flames. They are the most powerful psykers in the game, capable of casting and denying multiple psychic powers per turn. They also have a special rule called Ephemeral Form, which gives them a bonus to their invulnerable saves.
Some of the most iconic Tzeentch daemons are:
Lord of Change: The most powerful and wise of all Tzeentch daemons, a giant bird-like creature that can manipulate reality with its mind and magic.
Pink Horrors: The basic infantry of Tzeentch, armed with warpfire that can burn their enemies with warp energy.
Screamers: The fast attack of Tzeentch, flying manta-like creatures that can slash their enemies with their razor-sharp teeth and tails.
The Changeling: A special character and the trickster of Tzeentch, who can shapeshift into any form and mimic any ability.
Nurgle: The Plague Lord and his diseased minions
Nurgle is the god of decay, disease, pestilence, and despair. He is the giver of life and the lord of death. His daemons are green-skinned, bloated, and covered with boils, pus, and maggots. They are slow, tough, and resilient, able to withstand any damage and inflict mortal wounds with their toxic weapons. They also have a special rule called Disgustingly Resilient, which allows them to ignore some of the wounds they suffer.
Some of the most iconic Nurgle daemons are:
Great Unclean One: The most powerful and disgusting of all Nurgle daemons, a huge fat creature that can spread diseases and summon more daemons with its bell and bile.
Plaguebearers: The basic infantry of Nurgle, armed with plague swords that can infect their enemies with deadly plagues.
Nurglings: The swarms of Nurgle, tiny mischievous creatures that can crawl out of their larger kin and overwhelm their enemies with sheer numbers.
Epidemius: A special character and the tallyman of Nurgle, who keeps track of the diseases spread by his allies and grants them bonuses accordingly.
Slaanesh: The Prince of Pleasure and his hedonistic cultists
Slaanesh is the god of excess, pleasure, pain, and perfection. He is the seducer of souls and the lord of temptation. His daemons are purple-skinned, elegant, and sensual, armed with whips, claws, and blades. They are fast, agile, and graceful, able to strike first and strike hard with their lethal weapons. They also have a special rule called Quicksilver Swiftness, which allows them to always fight first in close combat.
Some of the most iconic Slaanesh daemons are:
Keeper of Secrets: The most powerful and beautiful of all Slaanesh daemons, a towering humanoid creature that can charm and kill its enemies with its charisma and skill.
Demonettes: The basic infantry of Slaanesh, armed with piercing claws that can rend their enemies with ease.
Seekers: The cavalry of Slaanesh, mounted on steeds, which are sleek and swift creatures that can outrun any enemy.
The Masque: A special character and the dancer of Slaanesh, who can mesmerize and manipulate her enemies with her graceful moves.
How to Build a Chaos Daemons Army
Now that you have an idea of what each chaos god and their daemons can do, you might be wondering how to build your own chaos daemons army. There are a few things you need to consider when building your army, such as choosing your allegiance, picking your units, and creating your detachments.
Choosing your allegiance: Mono-god or mixed-god army
The first thing you need to decide is whether you want to dedicate your army to one chaos god or mix them up. There are pros and cons to both options, depending on your preference and playstyle.
If you choose to dedicate your army to one chaos god, you will gain access to some exclusive benefits, such as:
A unique warlord trait for your warlord.
A unique relic for one of your characters.
A unique stratagem that can boost your army's performance.
A unique psychic power for your psykers.
A unique ability for all of your units that share the same god keyword.
For example, if you choose to dedicate your army to Khorne, you will gain access to the following benefits:
Warlord trait: Immense Power, which gives your warlord +1 strength and +1 attack.
Relic: The Crimson Crown, which gives the bearer and nearby Khorne daemons extra attacks when they kill enemy models.
Stratagem: Skulls for the Skull Throne, which costs 1 command point and allows one of your Khorne units to fight again at the end of the fight phase.
Psychic power: None, because Khorne hates magic.
Ability: Locus of Rage, which gives all Khorne daemons within 6\" of a Khorne character the ability to reroll failed charge rolls.
If you choose to mix different chaos gods in your army, you will lose access to these exclusive benefits, but you will gain some advantages, such as:
A greater variety of units and abilities that can complement each other and cover each other's weaknesses.
A greater flexibility and adaptability to different situations and scenarios.
A greater unpredictability and surprise factor that can catch your enemies off guard.
For example, if you mix Khorne and Tzeentch in your army, you will lose access to their exclusive benefits, but you will gain some advantages, such as:
You can combine the brute force and close combat prowess of Khorne daemons with the psychic power and ranged firepower of Tzeentch daemons.
You can use Tzeentch daemons to support and buff your Khorne daemons with spells and stratagems, or use Khorne daemons to protect and distract for your Tzeentch daemons with charges and assaults.
You can surprise your enemies with unexpected combinations and tactics that they might not be prepared for.
The choice is yours, but remember that whatever you choose, you need to make sure that all of your units share at least one faction keyword (CHAOS or DAEMON) in order to form a valid army.
Picking your units: HQ, troops, elites, fast attack, heavy support, and flyers
The next thing you need to decide is what units you want to include in your army. There are six types of units in Warhammer 40k: HQ, troops, elites, fast attack, heavy support, and flyers. Each type of unit has its own role and function in the game. Here is a brief overview of each type of unit:
HQ
HQ units are the leaders and commanders of your army. They usually have high stats, special abilities, and aura effects that can boost the performance of your other units. They are also the only units that can be chosen as warlords, which gives them an extra warlord trait. You need at least one HQ unit in your army, but you can have up to three in a standard game.
Some examples of HQ units for chaos daemons are:
Daemon Prince: A powerful and versatile character that can be dedicated to any chaos god and can fly, cast psychic powers, and fight well in close combat.
Herald: A cheap and cheerful character that can be dedicated to any chaos god and can provide a +1 strength bonus to nearby daemons of the same god.
Skullmaster: A Khorne character that is mounted on a juggernaut and can deal a lot of damage with his blade of blood.
Changecaster: A Tzeentch character that can cast two psychic powers per turn and can increase the strength and AP of nearby pink, blue, and brimstone horrors.
Poxbringer: A Nurgle character that can cast one psychic power per turn and can heal nearby Nurgle daemons with his fleshy abundance spell.
Infernal Enrapturess: A Slaanesh character that can shoot sonic blasts with her harp and prevent enemy psykers from using their powers with her cacophonic choir ability.
Troops
Troops units are the backbone and core of your army. They usually have low stats, but high numbers and low costs. They are the main units that can capture and hold objectives on the battlefield, which is essential for winning the game. You need at least two troops units in your army, but you can have up to six in a standard game.
Some examples of troops units for chaos daemons are:
Bloodletters: Khorne troops that can charge after advancing and can deal mortal wounds with their hellblades on a roll of 6+.
Pink Horrors: Tzeentch troops that can shoot warpfire and split into blue horrors and brimstone horrors when they die.
Plaguebearers: Nurgle troops that have a 5+ disgustingly resilient save and a -1 to hit modifier when they have 20 or more models in the unit.
Demonettes: Slaanesh troops that can always fight first in close combat and can deal extra hits with their piercing claws on a roll of 6+.
Elites
Elites units are the specialists and experts of your army. They usually have high stats, special abilities, and unique roles that can enhance your army's capabilities. They are not essential for your army, but they can provide some useful options and benefits. You can have up to six elites units in your army in a standard game.
Some examples of elites units for chaos daemons are:
Bloodcrushers: Khorne elites that are mounted on juggernauts and can deal mortal wounds with their hooves and horns when they charge.
Flamers: Tzeentch elites that can shoot warpflame that automatically hits and wounds on a 4+.
Beasts of Nurgle: Nurgle elites that are slow but tough and can deal mortal wounds with their slimy touch and acidic slobber.
Fiends: Slaanesh elites that are fast and agile and can prevent enemy units from falling back with their grasping tongues.
Fast Attack
Fast attack units are the speedsters and scouts of your army. They usually have high movement, special abilities, and roles that allow them to move quickly across the battlefield, flank the enemy, or perform specific tasks. They are not essential for your army, but they can provide some tactical advantages and surprises. You can have up to six fast attack units in your army in a standard game.
Some examples of fast attack units for chaos daemons are:
Flesh Hounds: Khorne fast attack that have a 10\" movement, a 5+ invulnerable save, and the ability to deny one psychic power per turn.
Screamers: Tzeentch fast attack that have a 16\" movement, a 4+ invulnerable save, and the ability to cut through enemy vehicles with their slashing attacks.
Nurglings: Nurgle fast attack that have a 5\" movement, a 5+ disgustingly resilient save, and the ability to deploy anywhere on the battlefield more than 9\" away from enemy models.
Seekers: Slaanesh fast attack that have a 14\" movement, a 5+ invulnerable save, and the ability to advance and charge in the same turn.
Heavy Support
Heavy support units are the firepower and muscle of your army. They usually have high stats, special abilities, and roles that allow them to deal a lot of damage to enemy units or objectives. They are not essential for your army, but they can provide some impressive and devastating effects. You can have up to six heavy support units in your army in a standard game.
Some examples of heavy support units for chaos daemons are:
Skull Cannon: Khorne heavy support that can shoot a large skull that explodes on impact and can also fight well in close combat.
Exalted Flamer: Tzeentch heavy support that can shoot a powerful warpflame that can melt through armor and flesh.
Plague Drones: Nurgle heavy support that are mounted on rot flies and can spread diseases and mortal wounds with their plague swords and death's heads.
Seeker Chariots: Slaanesh heavy support that are pulled by steeds and can slice through enemy units with their whips and blades.
Flyers
Flyers units are the aerial and mobile units of your army. They usually have high movement, special abilities, and roles that allow them to fly over the battlefield, ignore terrain, and target enemy units from above. They are not essential for your army, but they can provide some strategic and dynamic options. You can have up to six flyers units in your army in a standard game.
Some examples of flyers units for chaos daemons are:
Burning Chariot: Tzeentch flyer that can shoot warpfire and blue fire that can cause mortal wounds and also cast one psychic power per turn.
Soul Grinder: A daemon engine that can be dedicated to any chaos god and can shoot harvester cannons and iron claws and also fight well in close combat.
How to Play a Chaos Daemons Army
Now that you have built your chaos daemons army, you might be wondering how to play it on the tabletop. There are a few things you need to know about playing chaos daemons, such as deployment, movement, psychic, shooting, charge, fight, and morale phases. Here is a brief overview of each phase:
Deployment
Deployment is the phase where you set up your army on the battlefield before the game begins. You usually have to follow some rules and restrictions on where and how you can deploy your units, depending on the mission and scenario you are playing. Some general tips for deploying your chaos daemons army are:
Try to deploy your units in cover or out of line of sight if possible, to protect them from enemy shooting.
Try to deploy your units close to each other or near your characters, to benefit from their aura effects and abilities.
Try to deploy your units according to your strategy and plan, whether you want to be aggressive or defensive, focus on one flank or spread out, etc.
Remember that you can also use some stratagems or abilities to deploy some of your units in reserve or in the warp, which allows you to bring them later in the game from any table edge or more than 9\" away from enemy models.
Movement
Movement is the phase where you move your units across the battlefield during your turn. You usually have to follow some rules and restrictions on how far and how you can move your units, depending on their type, keywords, abilities, etc. Some general tips for moving your chaos daemons army are:
Try to move your units towards the objectives or the enemy, depending on your priority and goal.
Try to move your units within range or out of range of enemy units, depending on whether you want to engage them or avoid them.
Try to move your units within range or out of range of terrain features, depending on whether you want to use them or avoid them.
Remember that you can also use some stratagems or abilities to move some of your units again or in a different way during or after your movement phase.
Remember that some of your units can also use warp travel, which allows them to move from one point on the battlefield to another more than 9\" away from enemy models, as long as they are more than 12\" away from any enemy model at the start of the movement phase.
Psychic
Psychic is the phase where you use your psykers to cast or deny psychic powers during your turn. You usually have to follow some rules and restrictions on how many and how you can cast or deny psychic powers, depending on your psykers, powers, abilities, etc. Some general tips for using psychic powers with your chaos daemons army are:
Try to use your psychic powers to buff your units or debuff enemy units, depending on the situation and need.
Try to use your psychic powers to deal damage or cause mortal wounds to enemy units, especially if they have high armor or invulnerable saves.
Try to use your psychic powers to manipulate the battlefield or the game, such as moving units, changing objectives, etc.
Remember that you can also use some stratagems or abilities to enhance or modify your psychic powers, such as increasing their range, strength, or effects.
Remember that some of your units can also deny psychic powers, such as Khorne daemons, which can deny one psychic power per turn within 24\" of the caster.
Shooting
Shooting is the phase where you use your units to shoot at enemy units during your turn. You usually have to follow some rules and restrictions on how many and how you can shoot at enemy units, depending on your units, weapons, abilities, etc. Some general tips for shooting with your chaos daemons army are:
Try to shoot at enemy units that are within range and line of sight of your units, unless you have weapons or abilities that ignore these requirements.
Try to shoot at enemy units that are the