Making Noise Marines Work?

[DrBored]

I love Noise Marines, I'll say that right up front. I love their style, their sonic weapons, and the fact that they can strike first against most other players out there (Space Marines). I love their fluff, Slaanesh, and I'd love to make a list of them.

Unfortunately, lists that I've tried in the past have simply crashed and burned when filled with Noise Marines. I've tried small squads with Sonic Blasters, I've tried squads that focus around the Champion with Power Fist and Doom Siren, and I've tried mixed squads as well. People tell me that Blastmasters are way too expensive for what they do, and the Rhinos that I put the Noise Marines in tend to fall apart before I can get them where I need them, and then it's just footslogging across the board for a troop with no Fleet or anything.

Now, suddenly, in response to Fritz's recent article about building a Themed army, people are telling me Noise Marines are amazing, that lists focused around them kick some serious behind!

... How?

I would love it if you guys could explain to me the tactics that I seem to be missing. Are Blastmasters 'the shiz' that I've been missing out on? Do my Rhinos need Daemonic Possession? Should my Noise Champions have Power Weapons or Power Fists? Please help a little Slaanesh initiate learn!!

[Commander Vimes]

I faced a quite nasty Slaneesh list that fielded two flying Lash Princes, 6 obliteraterers, a land raider and a four squads of six noise marines. I think he had a powerfist champ in the land raider squad and Blast Masters in the shooting squads.

The power of the list is in the Princes and Oblits, but the Noise Marines provide good ranged support, and a nasty charge.

[Nungunz]

Eh, personally I've never had a problem playing against Lash lists. I would not rely on them as your main strategy.

All noise marines probably wouldn't work very well. Maybe take 1 or 2 medium sized squads and fill the rest out with CSM w/ Mark of Slannesh.

[Tynskel]

I like Fabius Bile. Jack of All Trades Marines + Noisy Marines.

[Lunar Camel]

I play an Emperor's Children army with four squads of 6 Noise Marines. Two squads have blastmasters and 5 Sonic Blasters; the other two with 6 Sonic Blasters. All of the Champions have Doom Sirens and each squad is in a Rhino. With assault shooting, I get 12 shots of equivalent bolter shooting. Standing still, I get 24 bolter shots and 1 Krak missile (equivalent) shot. Now combine each squad and thats a lot of firepower to put out.

My HQ is Sorcerer and Daemon Prince (both with Lash) with a Greater Daemon in reserve and two squads of Daemonettes.

Instead of splitting up each squad to counter my opponent's squad, I use them all on one squad (whoever is the biggest threat) and Rhino rush. When that one is killed, I move on to the next one and so on. This tactic works well and is how I win most of my games.

The only time it doesn't work is when my opponent recognizes the Rhino rush and shoots them all to make me walk across the board.

Either way, I love that my army is themed and looks good on the battlefield. You win some, you lose some.

[Lockark]

They do make very good body gaurds to a Slaanesh Chaos sorcerer.

Give them a Blast Master and Sargent with power sword and Doom Siren.


The idea is you put them in a rhino and **** them in the back shooting/lashing things.


The trick is keeping them cheep.


The rest of my Troops is made up with basic CSM squads with Icons of Chaos Glory sadly. With out meltaguns/plasma it hurts pure noise marine armies to much in 5th.

[JxKxR]

You might just be focusing in on too much noise marine and not enough slannesh. Slannesh's style always seemed to me as skillful and fast you can have the skillful side of it like noise marines, regular CSM with the mark, and Daemon Prince with lash. Then you could put some Bikers or Raptors in and even if you don't give them marks of slannesh they would still go very well with your fluffy army since raptors are very vein. I would also load them out with melta weapons and Icons of chaos glory for quick up field deepstrike.