Warp Magic! Talking Psychic Powers!

Today I want to go over the four different Psychic disciplines in the Chaos Daemon codex and rank the powers while also going over some personal tactics.

Pandaemoniac discipline 

It only felt right to start with the god of Sorcery, tzeentch.

The Pandaemoniac discipline has some incredibly good powers and good casters to use them to boot.

Bolt of Change: Warp Charge 7

Pick a visible enemy unit within 18", roll 9 dice and on every roll of a 5+, that unit takes a mortal wound.

For every model destroyed by this power, you cause an additional mortal wound up to three extra.

This is a ridiculously good power, capable of spiking and downing characters or really softening big targets. This is also amazing on one wound model units like Sisters, GSC, Daemons, Ork Boyz etc....

Also great into the Cron match up since they can't reanimated in the psychic phase.

A+

Infernal Gateway: Warp Charge 8

The closest visible enemy unit in 18" takes d3 mortal wounds, then all enemy units within 3" take d3 mortal wounds. If the result of the psychic test was a 12+, you instead cause 3 mortal wounds.

This again is amazing, especially against those armies that clump up or have that super unit backed by a few characters like CSM.

This is a great way to also target characters hitting them off the initial target and then using Bolt to try and finish them off.

The Lord of Change is great at casting this with his +2 to cast, especially if you add the warpstorm for another +1 to cast making it flat 3 mortal wounds on a 9+!

A+

Infernal Flames: Warp charge 7

+1 to wound in the shooting phase for a visible core Tzeentch unit within 18".

Basicly this is for Flamers, though it can effect Horrors if you have no Flamers around.

This is of course fantastic, paired with an Exalted Flamer for +1 strength, and using shrivilling Pox to make a unit -1 toughness, you can be wounding alot of different units on 2+ or 3+ with your billions of auto hits.

A+

Boon of Change: Warp charge 6

Pick a friendly visible tzeentch daemon unit within 18" and roll a d3 applying the corresponding result to that unit. 1-2= +2 movement, 3-4= +1 strength and 5-6= +1 toughness.

If the result of the test was a 9+, you can pick the result.

So let's be real, you want this to make Be'lakor or an Incorporeal Form chicken toughness 8 with -1 to wound.

Again combining this with a chickens innate additions to cast or even a fateskimmer makes this more likely to go off. Getting Flamers or Belly to a 14" move is actually real good, either getting that little extra range on key units for Flamers, or getting that little closer for a charge (My Be'lakor loves failing those average charges with re-rolls).

B

Treason of Tzeentch: Warp charge 7

Pick a visible enemy unit within 18", that unit cannot be affected from aura abilities from other enemy units.

I think this looks better on paper than it is in practice. It still has alot of potential to be amazing if used right though. Being able to stop a unit gaining re-rolls or stop a key unit benefitting from an obsec aura.

B

Gaze of Fate: Warp charge 7

You can retain up to two unspent warpstorm points at the end of the battle round if the psyker is still on the board.

This is ok. Can be good for those turns you roll low or turn 1 where you may not need to really spend any, but need the points for round 2.

Can be good in a list where you include other warpstorm retaining abilities to make the most of it.

C

Warprot discipline

The Nurgle discipline has some decent powers available, though the best use of it is using the Pestilent Inspiration stratagem on Be'lakor.

Stream of Corruption: Warp charge 6

The closest vsible enemy unit within 12" takes d3 mortal wounds. If the unit contains 11 or more models, it takes d3+2 mortal wounds instead. This isn't bad, basicly a short ranged Smite. Can be handy to help chip those extra wounds off of big targets or kill the last few guys in a unit, essiently giving you 2d3 mortals when paired with Smite. Not bad if Belly hasn't got much else to cast in a psychic phase.

C+

Shrivelling Pox: Warp charge 6

Reduce the toughness of a visible enemy unit within 18". This is solid, awesome for turning T5 units into T4 for units like Bloodletters or Fiends to then wound on 3+.

Also great in combination with Infernal Flames on Flamers. Turning a unit to toughness 4 or 5, then getting that +1 to wound on your strength 5.

A

Nurgles Rot: Warp charge 7

Roll 2d6 for each enemy unit within 6" of the psyker. If the result is higher than the highest toughness value of models in that unit, the unit takes d3 mortal wounds. If the result was instead atleast double the highest toughness value in the unit, that unit takes d6 mortal wounds instead.

This has the potential to be pretty brutal vs T3 armies like Sisters, GSC, Eldar etc...

Getting Belly right amongst their units and essentially let out a huge Nurgly fart.

Has some good synergy with shrivelling Pox too.

B

Fleshy Abundance: Warp charge 7

+1 toughness for a visible friendly Nurgle daemon core unit within 18".

So T6 Plaguebearers or T7 Plague Drones. It's decent, and a block of 5 T7 flies with 5 wounds is actually abit of a pain to remove.

C

Virulent Blessing: Warp charge 6

+1 damage for melee weapons equipped by a visible friendly Nurgle daemon core unit within 18".

Again this affects Plaguebearers or the riders on Plague Drones.

Damage 2 is good, but you've only got a couple attacks and hit on 4+. In a pure Nurgle list, it of course has play since you can get +1 to hit through the Nurgle warpstorm. Combining this with the poxbringers ability of unmodified wound rolls of 6 are +1 damage for a plaguebearer core unit has some good damage potential.

C

Malodorous Pall: Warp charge 8

Pick a visible enemy unit within 18", that unit cannot perform actions (and fail any action they are currently performing) and lose the obsec ability.

This is actually amazing, considering Belly probably already has Pall of Despair, this gives you two different ways to stop units doing actions and make units fail actions.

Not to mention removing obsec to nick an objective is pretty amazing.

It is hidden behind that high casting value of 8 but using Belly to cast it with the +1 to cast if you have the Tzeentch Warpstorm is a good way around that.

A

Soulstain Discipline 

The Slaaneshi disciple is actually full of pretty amazing powers overall. Some good buffs for daemonettes and Fiends here while you also have some good mortal wound output.

Cacophonic Choir: Warp charge 7

Roll 3d6 against the closest visible enemy unit within 18". For each point the result exceeds that enemy units leadership by, you cause a mortal wound (to a max 6).

Combining this with the multiple leadership debuffs we can put around, you can really hit a unit hard with this.

A

Symphonies of Pain: Warp charge 7

Pick the closest visible enemy unit within 18", each time that unit makes a melee attack, subtract 1 from the hit and wound roll.

This isn't bad, if you're charging a combat unit you know you can't kill, this is a way to soften the return blow. 

Also not bad if you anticipate an enemy unit about to run into your lines to minimise their effectiveness. The need for this to be the closest unit though definitely dulls it use.

C+

Hysterical Frenzy: Warp charge 7

 

Pick a friendly visible slaanesh Daemon core unit in 18", each model in that get's +1 attack. In additional any unmodified hit roll of a 6 causes an additional hit.

This is amazing, daemonettes or Fiends getting 5 attacks that explode is actually pretty insane.

I love this on daemonettes using the rapturous Standard strat for full re-rolls, letting you fish for those 6's.

A+

Delightful Agonies: Warp charge 6

5+ feel no pain on a visible friendly slaanesh Daemon core unit. This is most effective on a unit of Fiends, 4 wounds with a 5+/4+ and a 5+++ is pretty tough.

I do like putting this on a unit of daemonettes in the psychic match ups to eat those mortal wounds.

A

Pavane of Slaanesh: 6

Pick a visible enemy unit within 18" and roll one d6 for each model in that unit. For each roll of a 5+, that unit suffers one mortal wound to maximum of 6. This has good damage potential into lists with high model count squads.

B-

Phantasmagoria: Warp charge 7

Pick a visible enemy unit within 18" and roll six d6. For every 5+ that unit suffers a mortal wound. Until the start of your next psychic phase, that unit subtracts 1 to it's leadership characteristic for each wound it lost as a result of this psychic power.

This is great if you want to hit a certain side with your reserves. On average getting 2 mortals through on this, and then using daemonic terror to severely lower that units leadership helps you get in closer in your next turn.

B

Noctic Discipline 

So, we now on to Be'lakors own discipline. There is an argument over who exactly can take this. Of course Belly does, but the blurb before the discipline states if your army includes Be'lakor OR you are running disciples of Be'lakor, psykers can take powers from this discipline.

Someone I know has emailed the GW rules team, and they said until stated otherwise, if Belly is in your list your psykers do get access to this.

Shrouded Step: Warp charge 6

This is my favourite power, pick a friendly daemon unit within 18", remove that unit from the board and set them back up on the board 9" away from any enemy units.

This allows you to keep your list fairly mobile, throwing a unit of bloodletters at your opponents turn 1 using banner of Blood to help make that 9" charge is a good way to cause early problems. Especially if you use the khorne warpstorm to stop any enemy units you tagged from falling back on a 4+.

Getting a unit over to an objective late game or turn 4 ready to do any actions turn 5 is amazing.

It's also great to screen out the midboard by throwing a unit foward.

A+

Wreathed in Shades: Warp charge 7

Pick a friendly daemon unit (exluding monsters and vehicles), that unit cannot be targeted by ranged attacks unless they are the closest eligible target or is within 12" of the firing model.

This has some good play with despoilers of reality, starting the action and then stopping that unit being shot.

B

Pall of Despair: Warp charge 7

Pick a visible enemy unit within 18" and roll 3d6. If the result exceeds that enemy units leadership, pick one of the following to apply.

Pick an aura ability on that units dataslate, that ability is lost until your next psychic phase.

That unit cannot perform actions and fails any actions they are currently performing.

That unit is not eligible to fight until after all of your eligible units in your army have done so (fights last).

This is a great tool box power, stopping actions to stem your opponents scoring, removing a key aura ability like obsec auras or even just re-rolls to lessen the efficency of your opponents list.

Fights last is clearly the best option here though, allowing you to charge multiple key combat targets without having to worry about interruptions or maybe putting your opponent off from charging a target they wanted to with a one of their good combat threats.

A

Voidslivers: Warp charge 5

Select one visible enemy model within 12", draw a line between the psykers base and any part of the chosen models base.

The selected models unit suffers 1 mortal wound, (If the unit contains 11 or more models, then it suffers d3 mortal wounds instead).

Every other enemy unit the line passes over suffers 1 mortal wound (d3 mortal wounds if the units contain 11 or more models instead).

It's OK, so many better options here and there is far better witchfires in this book.

D

Penumbral Curse: Warp charge 7

Select one enemy unit within 18", each time that unit makes a melee attack, subtract 1 from wounds rolls and worsen ap by 1.

I mean, half this power is useless unless you are running some agents of chaos or disciples with marines.

The fact this is targetable and doesn't require line of sight makes this actually decent, meaning you can just straight up hit an important combat unit in your opponents list.

C

Betraying Shades: Warp charge 7

Select a visible enemy unit within 18". Select up to 6 models in that unit, and add together all their unmodified attacks characteristics. Roll a number of d6 equal to the added amount of attacks for those 6 models, for each roll of a 6+ (+1 if the psychic test was a 11+) , that unit suffers a mortal wound up to a max of 6 mortal wounds.

This isn't bad and actually is quite good into armies like CSM.

A chicken with Bolt, Gateway and this (until it get's faq'ed) plus Master Mutator is probably the best source of mortal wound output in the entire game.

B

So overall, I believe Daemons psychic is actually quite strong. We have a lot of ways to put out mortal wounds. Alot of trickey amongst the powers aswell with ways to remove auras, fights last and stop actions.