Daemonic Legions army list

Strategy Rating

No Strategy Rating is provided in the source text. However, the Black Crusade army list states '2' for an army that "comprises only Cultists and/or Daemon detachments".

Special rules

Summoning Daemons

Daemons are naturally attracted to the aura of despair and terror that pervades every battlefield, and may be summoned to war through foul magics which break down the barriers between their immaterial realm and our universe. If you wish to summon a Daemon detachment, then it is not deployed at the start of the battle and is in Reserve (even if the battle does not normally use reserves). Roll for their arrival as detailed at Reserves. In addition, if the opposing army lost more from its Army Morale total last turn than the Chaos army, you may add +1 to the D6 roll. When the Daemons become available then they are deployed using the rules for Drop Pods [Drop pods].

It *seems* like these rules are mean to apply to Daemons in the Black Crusades list — after all, the rules below state that Daemonic Legions are normally fighting on Daemon Worlds and then deploy like normal troops anyway...

Creating Daemon Princes

The Chaos Black Crusade army list in the Epic 40,000 Armies and Enemies of the lmperium book [Chaos Black Crusade army list] includes a very simple list of upgrades you can use to slightly tailor your Daemon Princes. The Daemon Princes in that list are also rather 'middle range' in terms of their power and abilities. The following Daemonic Legion army list allows you to field a daemonic army, such as can be found on any of a thousand Daemon Worlds in the Eye of Terror, battling with each other for the constant amusement of their gods. Daemonic Legions do not generally exist outside the warp/real space interface of the Eye of Terror and fight against each other. However, if your opponent agrees there's no reason why you couldn't use a Daemon Prince generated using the system below in other battles.

Each Daemon Prince has its own history and motives, and these are just as important as its profile and special abilities. You can chart the progress of your Daemon Princes from battle to battle, recording their deeds in long sagas dwelling in gory detail on the mighty feats of their god's most trusted champions.

The most powerful Daemon Princes have a patron god who elevated them from their mortal to past to Daemonhood, so this is the first choice you must make. Once you know who your Prince's patron is, you can upgrade their profile with the options shown in the sections below. All Daemon Princes start with the standard profile given in the Armies and Enemies of the Imperium book [Armies], and the options given at [Chaos Black Crusade army list] remain unchanged (i.e. upgrade to Skimmer, Psyker and so on).

...and everything else

These are just a few ideas for personalising Daemon Princes, and there are many others which you can probably think of. For example, how about giving a Prince of Tzeentch an Anti-tank psychic Doombolt? Of course, you'II have to sort out a suitable points cost with your opponents. Also remember that the existing special abilities may also be applied, if interpreted in a characterful way. For example, a Daemon Prince of Slaanesh with the Rampage ability might not necessarily tear through the enemy in a display of pure savagery like a Bloodthirster. It's more likely that it entrances its foes with a hypnotic glare and then cuts them down at a more leisurely pace, but is so unconcerned with its own well being (actually enjoying the pain of being shot and attacked) it will never retreat. Similarly, you could have a Daemon Prince of Tzeentch who can teleport itself and its bodyguard into the thick of the fighting. You could either say the whole detachment has the Infiltrators ability, or they could be deployed using the Drop Pod special rules.

Using Daemonic Legions

On the Daemon Worlds of the Eye of Terror, Chaos armies clash with each other in eternal battle. Some merely fight to prove their dedication to their god, others have more real ambitions and goals. The Chaos Gods themselves will throw their followers at each other in bloody conflict too, using a battle of minions for amusement or to decide some dispute between the great powers. The following Daemonic Legion army list allows you to field armies of this type, battling with other Daemonic Legions to see who is the victor. Occasionally a Daemon World may be attacked by other forces, such as an army from the Imperium led by the Ordo Malleus or an Eldar Warhost intent on some alien mission. However, these are very special circumstances, and you would have to agree with your opponent before using a Daemonic Legion against an army which is not another Daemonic Legion.

A Daemonic Legion can choose allies from the [Chaos Black Crusade army list or Ork army list.

You must choose a patron Chaos God for your Daemonic Legion. The Daemonic Legion can only include Daemons, Greater Daemons and Daemon Princes which follow the Chaos God of the whole Legion. For example, you cannot include Plaguebearers of Nurgle in a Daemonic Legion dedicated to Tzeentch.

Since Daemonic Legions fight on the Chaos saturated Daemon Worlds of the Eye of Terror, any Daemons in the army are treated like any other troops. They are not summoned and start the battle deployed or in reserve as any other detachment.

Forces of Terror

As well as Daemons, the Daemonic Legions of Chaos also contain many mortal followers. The majority of these are the foul Beastmen and their larger cousins such as Trolls and Minotaurs. There are also the ranks upon ranks of Chaos Warriors who battle with each other in bloody hand-to-hand fighting.

Note that Minotaurs and Trolls are mounted three to a base, like Tyranid Warriors.

Detachment lists