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Warriors of Chaos · 152 points · Mutated infantry
Are Chaos Forsaken good? Which god is best?
Chaos Forsaken are good if you pick Khorne, and a coin flip with the other three gods. Eight Forsaken by Khorne won 75% of their charges and 58% of fights when charged in my simulations.
Quick answer: it depends which god the Forsaken follow
- Best god
- Khorne: 75% charging, 58% receiving
- Middle of the pack
- Nurgle and Tzeentch: about 50% overall
- Weakest in pure combat
- Slaanesh: 38.4% overall, though Swiftstride gave them more run-downs
- Surprise strength
- Forsaken by Khorne beat charging Swordmasters 61% of the time
The god choice matters more for Forsaken than a Mark does for most units, because each god grants a different rule: Hatred, Fear, Swiftstride or Magic Resistance.
How many simulations I ran
I ran 64,000 complete combats with Chaos Forsaken: eight Forsaken for each of the four gods, fighting 2,000 times against each of eight opponents, charging and receiving. These were the results.
My Forsaken rolled their D3 Attacks and Rampant Mutation afresh in every fight, which makes them swingier than most units, and 2,000 fights per matchup smooths that out more than a single game will. Magic Resistance never mattered because I cast no spells, so Forsaken by Tzeentch look weaker here than they might in a real game.
Chaos Forsaken: all four gods compared
Eight Chaos Forsaken, average win rates by god. n = 8,000 combats per direction ±1 point
| Build | Pts | Charging | Receiving | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Forsaken by Khorne | 152 | 75.0% | 58.0% | 66.5% |
| 8 Forsaken by Nurgle | 152 | 56.0% | 45.5% | 50.8% |
| 8 Forsaken by Slaanesh | 152 | 43.3% | 33.5% | 38.4% |
| 8 Forsaken by Tzeentch | 152 | 55.3% | 45.8% | 50.5% |
How each god did against each opponent
Every matchup for 8 Forsaken by Khorne (152 pts). n = 2,000 combats per row ±2 points
| Opponent | Who charged | Won | Destroyed | Wounds dealt, round 1 | Wounds taken, round 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jade Warriors | Forsaken | 74% | 46% | 5.61 | 0.70 |
| 8 Ironbreakers | Forsaken | 62% | 50% | 2.61 | 1.11 |
| 20 Clanrats | Forsaken | 84% | 46% | 6.64 | 0.63 |
| 3 Rat Ogres + Master Moulder | Forsaken | 80% | 49% | 4.43 | 1.44 |
| 5 Knights of the Realm | Opponent | 66% | 52% | 2.20 | 1.70 |
| 17 Gors | Opponent | 34% | 18% | 3.88 | 1.32 |
| 20 Empire halberdiers | Opponent | 71% | 43% | 6.25 | 0.96 |
| 9 Swordmasters of Hoeth | Opponent | 61% | 42% | 3.98 | 1.78 |
Every matchup for 8 Forsaken by Nurgle (152 pts). n = 2,000 combats per row ±2 points
| Opponent | Who charged | Won | Destroyed | Wounds dealt, round 1 | Wounds taken, round 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jade Warriors | Forsaken | 51% | 32% | 3.70 | 1.00 |
| 8 Ironbreakers | Forsaken | 49% | 40% | 1.82 | 1.28 |
| 20 Clanrats | Forsaken | 67% | 37% | 4.99 | 0.76 |
| 3 Rat Ogres + Master Moulder | Forsaken | 57% | 35% | 2.97 | 1.67 |
| 5 Knights of the Realm | Opponent | 55% | 46% | 1.49 | 1.71 |
| 17 Gors | Opponent | 23% | 12% | 2.62 | 1.33 |
| 20 Empire halberdiers | Opponent | 56% | 33% | 4.60 | 0.98 |
| 9 Swordmasters of Hoeth | Opponent | 48% | 34% | 2.64 | 1.80 |
Every matchup for 8 Forsaken by Slaanesh (152 pts). n = 2,000 combats per row ±2 points
| Opponent | Who charged | Won | Destroyed | Wounds dealt, round 1 | Wounds taken, round 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jade Warriors | Forsaken | 34% | 29% | 3.69 | 1.05 |
| 8 Ironbreakers | Forsaken | 34% | 31% | 1.80 | 1.30 |
| 20 Clanrats | Forsaken | 54% | 46% | 4.97 | 0.79 |
| 3 Rat Ogres + Master Moulder | Forsaken | 51% | 44% | 2.89 | 1.76 |
| 5 Knights of the Realm | Opponent | 46% | 41% | 1.47 | 1.71 |
| 17 Gors | Opponent | 12% | 11% | 2.54 | 1.34 |
| 20 Empire halberdiers | Opponent | 42% | 36% | 4.62 | 0.99 |
| 9 Swordmasters of Hoeth | Opponent | 34% | 30% | 2.64 | 1.77 |
Every matchup for 8 Forsaken by Tzeentch (152 pts). n = 2,000 combats per row ±2 points
| Opponent | Who charged | Won | Destroyed | Wounds dealt, round 1 | Wounds taken, round 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jade Warriors | Forsaken | 51% | 30% | 3.69 | 1.06 |
| 8 Ironbreakers | Forsaken | 49% | 39% | 1.79 | 1.31 |
| 20 Clanrats | Forsaken | 65% | 37% | 4.98 | 0.75 |
| 3 Rat Ogres + Master Moulder | Forsaken | 56% | 34% | 2.93 | 1.72 |
| 5 Knights of the Realm | Opponent | 57% | 47% | 1.47 | 1.69 |
| 17 Gors | Opponent | 22% | 13% | 2.67 | 1.34 |
| 20 Empire halberdiers | Opponent | 57% | 32% | 4.66 | 1.00 |
| 9 Swordmasters of Hoeth | Opponent | 47% | 32% | 2.70 | 1.78 |
Why Khorne wins
Hatred lets Forsaken by Khorne reroll failed hits in the first round, and with D3 Attacks per model that turns an unreliable opening into a strong one. They dealt 6.25 wounds in the first round against charging Empire halberdiers, the highest of any Forsaken.
Their 5+ ward and a second fighting rank kept them in the fight against Swordmasters too, which is why they won 61% there while the best Chosen Warriors managed 46%.
What about the other three gods?
Forsaken by Nurgle get Fear, which only matters when they outnumber the enemy in Unit Strength, and that rarely happened against my large benchmark units. Tzeentch’s Magic Resistance had no spells to resist, so this test cannot put a price on it. Slaanesh’s Swiftstride helps with movement and pursuit, which a fixed-charge duel barely measures. I would pick one of those three for a specific army plan, not for its melee numbers.
How I would use Forsaken by Khorne
Their reliable first exchange makes them good at pressuring a valuable target or joining a fight that is already under way, on either wing. I would not ask a small eight-model unit to hold a broad, ranked enemy on its own.
The Gors problem
Charging Gors were the worst matchup for every Forsaken build: 34% for Khorne and 12–23% for the other three gods. I would keep Forsaken out of the path of a big Gor herd.
More elite Chaos results
- All 10 Chosen and Forsaken builds compared
- Are Chosen Chaos Warriors good?
- Are Chosen Chaos Knights good?
My conclusion
Based on these results, I would use Forsaken by Khorne as a hard-hitting unit that also copes with elite infantry such as Swordmasters. I would not pick Slaanesh or Tzeentch Forsaken for a pure combat job, and I would keep any Forsaken away from charging Gors.
FAQs
Which god is best for Chaos Forsaken?
Khorne, in pure combat. Forsaken by Khorne averaged 66.5% across eight fights, well ahead of Nurgle (50.8%), Tzeentch (50.5%) and Slaanesh (38.4%).
Do Forsaken get the Mark of Chaos rules?
No. Each god grants its own Forsaken rule (Hatred, Fear, Swiftstride or Magic Resistance), not the Mark of the same name, and I modelled them that way.
Do Forsaken by Khorne get Frenzy?
No. Their god dedication gives them Hatred, not the Mark of Khorne, so they have no Frenzy, and I did not model any.
Are Forsaken by Slaanesh bad?
In a straight fight they won least often, 38.4% overall. Swiftstride did give them more run-downs than the win rate suggests, so they suit a unit that chases broken enemies.