Build a Prince! Daemon Prince tactics

Today let's have some fun and talk about some cool Daemon Prince builds for Daemons.

Stats

So every Prince has it's base statline with an 8" move, WS/BS 2+, strength 7, toughness 6 with 8 wounds, 6 attacks and leadership 10. He also is rocking the standard 5+ save in combat and 4+ vs range.

Taking a set of wings will change his move to 12" and give him the fly keyword, all for the cost of 35pts (and 2 power level). This is pretty much mandatory allowing him to just go straight over screens and buildings.

Marks

Of course you have to mark your Prince as a patron of one of the four Chaos gods. Marking it will give you a specific boost depending on which God they are dedicated to.

Khorne- +1 strength and 2 extra attacks. (Cannot cast a power or deny a power)

Tzeentch- gains an extra cast in the psychic phase and knows an extra power from the Pandaemoniac discipline.

Nurgle- +1 toughness

Slaanesh- +2" movement

The stand out here is definitely Khorne, making him strength 8 standard with 8 attacks, though he is no longer a psyker (though does gain a 4+ deny within 24" for 1cp).

Nurgle isn't bad either making him toughness 7 and gives you access to the warprot discipline.

Tzeentch isn't bad for a mono Tzeentch list, but if you're running a mixed god list, you're better off just taking a Fateskimmer.

Slaanesh is ok, again in a mono slaanesh list he has a place.

Wargear

So every Prince has 1 set of malefic talons which gives him 1 attack at strength 7(8 if you're khorne) ap-1 2 damage. You can take a second set as his main wargear which just makes this profile your only weapon for all your attacks with 2 extra attacks all together.

You can also take a daemonic axe in addition to your 1 set of talons, which gives him +2 strength, ap-2 3 damage attacks.

The best wargear though is the hellforged sword, making your attacks strength +1, ap-3 damage 3. This pairs very well with certain Relics.

Relics

So let's have a look at some of the best Relics available to each god marked Prince.

Khorne:

A'rgath, The king of blades

This replaces a melee weapon your Prince is equipped with, giving it +1 damage and allows it to ignore any or all modifiers to hit and wound.

This is amazing on the sword making it 8 attacks at strength 9 ap-3 4 damage that ignores any or all modifiers to hit and wound.

This is pretty brutal and can just rip apart units that rely on modifiers to survive.

Armour of Scorn

Each time an attack with a damage characteristic of 1 is allocated against this model, add 1 to any saving throws made against those attacks. In addition each time this model would lose a wound as a result of a mortal wound in the psychic phase, roll a dice, on a 4+ that wound is ignored.

So, after A'rgath, everything else pales in comparison for a Khorne Prince. Armour of Scorn may have abit of play if you already have A'rgath on a Bloodthirster but want to take a Prince and give it a Relic. Having a 3+ save against those damage 1 shots/attacks that your oppoent uses to try and pull him down will help against this. Having a 4+ feel no pain against any potential psychic sniping is also very decent.

Nurgle:

Corruption

This replaces a melee weapon the Prince has, giving it +1 damage and rules that ignore wounds cannot be used against attacks made with this weapon.

This ignores feel no pain abilities and wound caps! This is great for the C'tan/Abby/bloodthirster/phoenix lord match ups. Not to mention ignore feel no pain with 4 damage hits is brutal.

This makes him a real good assassin.

The Endless gift

At the start of your command phase, this model heals a number wounds equal to the battle round number.

This is good to keep him in the fight longer, again though you're only really going to take this on a Prince if you have someone with Corruption already.

Tzeentch:

The Impossible Robe

When a saving throw for this model is failed, once per phase you can choose to turn the damage of that failed saving throw to 0.

If you don't have a Lord of Change (or you're running Kairos) then this is great for a Prince. Allowing him to go into a big or dangerous target, and have a good chance of surviving the round.

Warpfire Blade

This replaces a weapon the model is equipped with, add 1 to the damage characteristic. In addition, each unmodified wound roll of a 6 inflicts 1 mortal wound in addition to any normal damage.

This can have some good synergy with the Rampant Mutation warpstorm ability that also causes 1 mortal wound in addition to normal damage on an unmodified wound roll of a 6 (capped at 3).

Doing 2 mortal wounds and a save at ap-3 4 damage with a sword is actually pretty tasty.

Slaanesh:

Soulstealer

This replaces a hellforged sword at strength +2 ap-3 damage 3. In addition, everytime an enemy model is destroyed by an attack made with this weapon, the Bearer regains 1 lost wound (up to 6). Each time the bearer makes an attack with this weapon vs an Aeldari unit, if a hit is scored that attack automatically wounds.

This gives you an extra point of strength over the hellforged sword and is a great way to heal your Prince. It's also great in the Craftworld/Drukhari/Harlequin match up.

The Mark of Excess

Add 1 to this Bearers attack characteristic, in addition each time the Bearer makes a melee attack that destroys a character, monster or vehicles unit, add 1 to the Bearers attacks characteristic.

This makes him abit of a character/big guy killer and goes very well with a certain slaaneshi warlord trait.

Warlord traits:

Khorne:

Devastating Blow 

Each time this warlord makes a melee attack, rules that ignore wounds cannot be used.

So he can no now ignore wound caps and feel no pains... paired with A'rgath that ignores modifiers to hit and wound makes him an absolute combat monster!

Immense power

Add 1 to this warlords wound rolls.

A'rgaths wording is you can ignore any or all modifiers to hit and wound rolls. So you can ignore -1 to wound but gain the +1 to wound from this trait on a Prince which allows him to just cut through most units with absolute ease. Absolutely brutal!

Brazen Hide

Each time this model loses a wound, roll a dice. On a 5+ that wound is ignored.

5+ feel no pain is never a bad thing and can spike to allow your khorne Prince to just last most of the game.

Nurgle:

Virulent Touch 

Each time this model makes a melee attack (excluding attacks against a titanic unit), any successful hit rolls automatically wound.

This is an amazing way to get around wound modifiers or just wound rolls in general, especially on a Prince with Corruption.

Hitting on 2+ automatically wounding on every hit roll at damage 4 ignoring wound caps and feel no pain.

Overflowing Fecundity 

Each time an attack is made against this model, an unmodified wound roll of 1-3 for that attack automatically fails.

Transhuman on a Daemon Prince is just funny.

Tzeentch:

Incorporeal Form

Each time an attack is made against this model, subtract 1 from the wound roll.

-1 to wound vs ranged and melee is very good, of course since you can only take one Daemon warlord trait anyway, this is assuming you don't have a Lord of Change to give this to.

Born of Sorcery

Each time this model attempts to cast a psychic power, add +1 to result of that psychic test.

+1 to cast, is very good and considering a Tzeentch Prince get's 2 casts, this just helps makes him more reliable.

Fractal Mind

This model can attempt to perform a psychic action, and still attempt to cast one psychic power without that psychic action failing.

I actually love this trait and have been running it on my fluxmaster in my competitive lists for a while.

This let's your Prince do Interrogation or ritual while still casting a bolt of Change or Infernal Flames, makes him a very flexible unit.

Slaanesh:

Quicksilver Duellist 

Each time this model makes a melee attack, you can re-roll the hit roll. In addition if that attack is made against a character model, you can re-roll the wound roll.

This is very good, and makes him a real character sniper, paired well with the mark of Excess.

Fatal Caress 

Each time this model makes a melee attack, on an unmodified successful wound roll of 5+, invulnerable saving throws cannot be made against that attack.

Ignoring invuls is always good, especially at ap-3. Shame it is only on a 5+.

The Murderdance

Each time this model fights, if it made a charge roll this turn, add d3 to it's attack characteristic.

The thought of a slaaneshi Daemon Prince prancing about as it just murders your opponents units is pretty terrifying.

Builds

So I will show one build for each Prince and give a little run down of it. Note that this is assuming that you are not running any greater daemons and are giving this Prince the warlord trait and a Relic.

Khorne

Mark: Khorne

Wargear: Wings, Hellforged sword, 1 malefic talon

Relic: A'rgath (replacing the sword)

Warlord Trait: Devastating Blow

So this Prince has 8 strength 9 ap-3 4 damage attacks that ignore any or all modifiers to hit and wound and stops rules that ignore wounds from being used. Give him an extra attack for the Fury of Khorne warpstorm ability and watch this dude chop down Skorpekh destroyers, Abaddon, C'tan and pretty much anything else he wants to.

He becomes a real monster and gives you a real good way to deal with big targets and elite units.

Nurgle

Mark: Nurgle

Wargear: Wings, Hellforged Sword, 1 malefic talon

Psychic power: Nurgles Rot

Relic: Corruption (replacing sword)

Warlord Trait: Virulent Touch 

This Prince chucks out 6 attacks at strength 8 ap-3 4 damage auto wounding on any successful hit roll against anything non titanic and stops any rules that ignore wounds from being used. Again an amazing answer to C'tan, Abby, Onslaught Thirsters etc.... this guy can just do work on most units around not giving a crap about their toughness and hitting on 2's. If you have access to the Nurgle warpstrom table, you can get a+1 to hit in combat to counter any potential -1 to hit aswell. Top this off with him being able to drop a great big Nurgle fart with Nurgles rot, on all units within 6" of him, rolling 2d6 for each unit and doing d3 mortals if the result is higher than that units toughness or d6 if the result is double the units toughness. Let's not forget he also get's access to all of the warprot discipline for 1cp through Pestilent Inspiration. Allowing you access to Shrivelling Pox for -1 toughness or Malodorous Pall to remove obsec and prevent/auto fail actions on a unit.

Tzeentch

Mark: Tzeentch

Wargear: Wings, Hellforged sword, 1 malefic talon

Psychic power: Bolt of Change, Boon of Change 

Relic: Impossible Robe

Warlord Trait: Incorporeal Form 

This Tzeentchy build is just a huge pain in the butt to remove, with -1 to wound and being able to ignore one failed saving throw a phase. We have gone for boon of Change for one of his powers to either get +2 move, +1 strength or +1 toughness. This can either give him a 14" move with fly, strength 9 allowing him to wound toughness 8 on 3+, or Toughness 7 (with -1 to wound) and remember if you cast this on a 9+, you can pick the result instead of rolling a d3 for it.

We also gave him Bolt of Change because it's the best power in the book and can help soften a target up with some mortals before he goes in with his 6 strength 8 ap-3 3 damage attacks.

Slaanesh 

Mark: Slaanesh

Wargear: Wings, Hellforged sword, 1 malefic talon

Psychic power: Cacophonic Choir

Relic: Soulstealer

Warlord Trait: Murderdance

6 attacks +d3 on the charge at strength 9 ap-3 3 damage healing any wounds for each model killed with these attacks (up to 6). Pretty brutal, and with a 14" move and fly, it can get to most places quite easily. We went with cacophonic choir for it's power because I just love it. Roll 3d6 and compare it to the closest visible enemy unit, for each each point the result exceeds the leadership of that unit by, you cause a mortal wound (up to 6).

With all the negative modifiers to leadership you can get, you can really do a number on a unit. 

So these are just how I would build a Prince of each god with a Relic and warlord trait, though the Khorne and Nurgle prince's are common builds in the competitive scene. I keep eyeing a Prince or two for my tournament lists since their flexibility and damage output is super good.

Doing this write up has made me want to test a list dropping Belly for a couple prince's!