Some material taken from GW website. No challenge to copyrights intended.
An Introduction to the Hordes of Chaos
By Bart Egnal
Some material taken from GW website. No challenge to copyrights intended.
Background: To the North, past any realm of mortal men, past even the desolate and dangerous Troll Country, resides the land of Chaos. Here the warping effect of raw magic is at its strongest, and all manner of creatures, including the very daemons of the warp are free to walk the lands. As its name implies, a Chaos Army can include a huge variety of troops and monsters. First off there are four main Chaos gods - Khorne the blood god, Tzeentch the god of sorcery and change, Nurgle the god of decay, and Slaanesh, the god of indulgence. Each of these major powers has its own followers, champions, and daemons. While each of the Chaos gods are brothers, the rivalry is intense, and all of them want to conquer the world in their own name. Throughout the Old World there are also many creatures and monsters of Chaos who owe no allegiance to any god. The dark forests are home to the blasphemy of nature known as Beastmen. The bestial Centaurs and gigantic Minotaurs roam south from the northern plains. The mountains are home to the massive Dragon Ogres, and who knows what other nameless horrors are being evolved even as you read this!
What will an average Chaos army consist of? Well, this is a trick questions since there are really three types of Chaos army!! The first is made up of Chaos warriors and Marauders, elite knights and footsoldiers but whether on foot, or mounted on Chaos Steeds, these troops are always heavily armored and tough to beat. The second army type is the Beastman army. The beastmen cost the fewest points of the Chaos forces and hence are the most numerous. In battle the toughness and multiple wounds of Beastmen makes them invaluable troops, able to absorb tremendous damage and still unleash their own ferocious attacks in hand-to-hand. Both the Chaos warrior and Beastman armies are usually built around tough and hard-hitting blocks of infantry. The Chaos warriors are accompanied and led by some very very powerful characters along with tough cavalry. Beastmen have elite troops called Bestigors as well as tough characters. Neither force uses missle troops to any great degree.
The Daemonic hordes are the most interesting (In my opinion) of the Chaos powers. Brought from the swirling realms of Chaos by magical powers, the very Daemons of the warp materialize to battle for their dark masters. Each of the four main powers has its own Daemon followers, each type has different abilites as per their allegiance. For instance, the Daemons of Khorne, the god of battle and war, abhor magic, and excel in hand-to-hand combat. The Daemons of Tzeentch, the god of change and magic can cast spells, shapeshift, and shoot magical flames. Players may field armies with a mix of Daemonic powers, but their age-old animosity can cause the heinous creatures to fight amongst themselves. A daemonic horde is led by extremely powerful characters and will usually include some blocks of expensive infantry.
What are the strengths of Chaos? The Chaos powers all share one trait: they hit VERY hard. There are few armies which can match the strength of Chaos in hand to hand combat. From a Greater Daemon of Khorne to a Beastlord on his chariot Chaos also has access to the most powerful characters in Warhammer (aside from Nagash). Each army has its own strenghts as well. The knights are very well armoured and disciplined, the beastmen are really tough to kill and Daemons are for the most part very flexible and mobile.
What are the weaknesses of Chaos? All the Chaos powers, even the beastmen, are very expensive points-wise. This means that you won't have many troops to get the job done with. Chaos has no ranged weaponry either, and must often face a hail of fire as they advance. Beastmen have low leadership, Chaos knights are frail beneath their armour and daemons die almost as easily as goblins.
Should I collect a Chaos army? If you enjoy winning the game in hand to hand combat then yes--you will get a lot of fight for your money with Chaos. Chaos, with a few exceptions, is not the most subtle army in the world, and with few units to work with your plan will usually be: get stuck in NOW. If this appeals to you then yes, Chaos is for you!