Warhammer Old World Chaos:
A Breakdown of Core Units
In this post we are going to talk about the basic Chaos units, which are numerous and also have many equipment options.
They might seem a bit confusing, especially if you are not a regular Warriors of Chaos player. So, we are going to explain the most useful options, starting with the infamous lists.
Berserkers: The Best Light Infantry in the whole army
In this case, I am going to start with my favorite unit, which is only available for the Seawolves list: the Barbarian Berserkers.
I think that a unit of Barbarian Berserkers with flail, ambushers, and throwing axe (for the turn they come in from the edge, for just 1 extra point) is incredibly good. It is a skirmishing unit that has two attacks each at Strength 5, and even though they are naked, they have Toughness 4 and a 6+ 6++ save. For just 10 points per model, I think it’s a steal. I even think it’s spammable.
Infantry usually struggles because it moves too slowly, gets shot down, or just gets stuck as a big block. These guys do not have those problems: they come in from the edge where you want, move enough to charge after that, even if they are near the edge, and have the certainty that they will not flee despite their low Leadership when facing shooting, since they have Frenzy and are Immune to Panic.
The best choice for the pre-battle challenge in a Seawolves army is the Berserkers’ champion. Three Strength 5 attacks, Toughness 4, and a save… and if he dies, it is not a big loss. It is much worse to lose the Huscarl champion, for example.
Chaos Chariot: A Basic Unit with a Big Impact
Worth noting: in the infamous elite cavalry army, 1 Chaos Chariot counts as a basic unit.
Spoiler alert: I am going to publish a post comparing all the chariots in the game, and in it, I will analyze the Chaos Chariot. If it is not published yet when you read this, it will be soon. It is going to be huuuuge.
Chaos Knights: How to Get the Most Out of Them?
Let’s break down Chaos Knights. They have few wounds, a 3+ save, which is not that great, but you can give them the Mark of Khorne and a lance. That makes them useful, because it gives them punch which is the only role they actually do well.
If you want them to hold the line with the Mark of Nurgle, my experience tells me that they are just expensive, low-wound models that do not survive even with Toughness 4.
You can take them in units of four so that the enemy has to kill all of them to get their points, but it is not that important. I already mentioned that this was necessary for units that actually survive, like Dragon Ogors.
Chaos Warriors and Forsaken: A Viable Choice?
No.
Honestly, that’s all there is to say.
But some people use them with halberds and the Mark of Khorne for offense, or shields and the Mark of Nurgle for durability. Either way, they are extremely expensive, move 4″ (Forsaken 5″), will get redirected, and should never make back the points you spent on them (not even if you give Forsaken Swiftstride with the Mark of Slaanesh).
Chaos Marauders on Foot: How to Use Them?
Chaos Marauders on foot do not hold up at all, not even with shields or light armor, which is all they can take.
Not in close formation, not in open formation, not as skirmishers. They just do not work.
The only option is to run a massive unit in a single rank, with Strength 5, no marks, and as cheap as possible.
If you combine them with the Steed of Shadows spell from Daemonology, you can make 50 or 40 Marauders fly and put them in front of the enemy to be charged.
Since they’re in a single rank, anyone who survives gets to swing back with a Strength 5 hit.
However, they are not cheap, and some tournaments are already nerfing support attacks.
Chaos Marauder Horsemen: Speed and Power
Aside from escorting a magic missile caster (with Mark of Tzeentch and a shield), Chaos Marauder Horsemen have a strong combo:
Skirmishers, Mark of Khorne, and a flail. A shield is not mandatory.
You could also consider, in a Seawolves list, paying for Ambushers and throwing axes.
Keep in mind that as Ambushers, they cannot be redirected easily, even with Frenzy, since they deploy exactly where you want them and they have Swiftstride and Warband, so they can cover a lot of ground fast. (I already explained this rule combo in another post—I’ll leave it below).
Chaos Warhounds
I’m not a fan of Chaos Warhounds in this edition, but I have seen people use them to screen their own Khorne units to prevent them from running off or being easily redirected.
I have seen them used with Vanguard. Among all the options, Vanguard is the only acceptable one. But keep in mind that Vanguard moves before rolling for first turn, so you won’t always know how things will shake out.
If you enjoyed this breakdown of basic Warriors of Chaos units, I’ll be doing this for every army.
For now, I have only finished the High Elves one—I will leave it below.
✠ Warriors of Chaos
🔹 High elves | Core Units In-depth Analysis
