Daemonic gifts for Slaanesh Heralds

Heralds on foot with assorted arms and heads

One of the hardest parts of making my daemonette lists is what gifts to give my heralds, Alluresses, and Heartseeker.  Only heralds can get 30 points of gifts and thus can take exalted gifts, which means one of them is automatically getting the Grimoire since I have no one else that can take it and really need it on the seekers. Alluresses and Heartseekers can only take 20 points, so they're limited to lesser and greater gifts.  You have the option to roll then can choose to swap out one of the gifts for one of the weapon options, which are really good.  Let's look at them individually.

Mounted Herald (unfinished)

The rules for gifts state that you take all your rolls then can choose to swap for the weapon/artefact, which is a nice mechanic that helps you effectively choose equipment.  This gives you freedom depending on the mission and opponent to adjust.  It also means there really is no way to play WYSIWYG because it would be impossible to model all the gifts appropriately.  This can also lead to forgetting what you've actually rolled.  This can be particularly difficult it you have multiple models with gifts in the same unit (such as a herald and Alluress) or across different squads.

Alluress looking badass

Lesser rewards come in at 10 point and are generally the least powerful, but still cheap.

1. Burning Blood causes D3 Str4 ap5 hits if you take a wound in cc.  This could be useful for a greater daemon to cause wounds on termagants or the like to help prevent getting bogged down in combat.  I don't see much use for a 2 wound herald or 1 wound champion to have this.
2. Cleaving Strike makes your cc to hit rolls of 6 go at double strength.  Only heralds are S5, the rest are S3, so having the extra S is useful especially against vehicles. If I was up against a parking lot I would take it, but only activating on a 6 makes it less useful in most cases against other targets.
3. Corrosive Breath is a S5 ap5 template with armourbane.  Ideal for a heartseeker since she has the speed to hit in side or rear armor and get to bunched up groups.  Still good for an alluress, but against infantry you risk missing out on charge range.  It's only S5, but you'll still glance av12 nearly 60% of the time and AV10 over 80%.  It's only ap5, but adds to my limited ways of dealing with AV.
4. Spell Breaker is Adamantium Will.  Not a great choice.  I guess if I knew my opponent was going witchfire heavy as it doubles my chances of denying.  Very situational and therefore not going to be used often.  The one time I think it will be really good I won't get it.
5. Warp Breath is an 18" S8 ap4 shot with soul blaze.  It's always useful to have another Str8 shot against vehicles but soul blaze does nothing.  A str8 ap4 shot is good against Tyranid Warriors, but little else.
6. Warp Strider gives you +1 to your reserve roll for this unit.  This can be useful if you're outflanking.  You come in on a 2+ and with acute senses you have 8/9 chance to get the correct side.  Most of the time I prefer to start on the board since you can't assault out of reserve anyways.

The alternative to these is either a witstealer sword or etherblade.  If the witstealer causes a wound, then they must pass an init test or suffer another wound (no armor saves).  It's only ap5 so you're relying on rends to get through the armor, not a problem for greater daemons, so I could see if being useful vs low init armies that have elite troops with multiple wounds like Orks, Necrons, Tau.  It's too situational for heralds and you're better off with the etherblade.  Having an ap2 weapon master-crafted at init 5/7 is pretty incredible for 10 points.

In most cases when I take the lesser reward I'm really just taking the etherblade.  Unless I have some greater plan the sword is going to be the superior option.  If my plan relies on me rolling something on the lesser reward table then I need to reconsider that plan.  Corrosive Breath is really the best option from the table, but cleaving strike is nice.  Both are ideal for heavy AV lists (can't rely on Soul Grinders and princes for everything).  A herald on a steed with 5 attacks base striking at ap2 I7 is going to scare your opponent.

Bases still not finished

Greater rewards are mostly defensive based at 20pts.  Many are ideal for Princes and Greater daemons as they can't join squads.  You don't want to try to tank wounds with heralds or champions but could help you stay alive in a challenge.  This is a very good table.  With daemon princes and Keepers you'll likely want to roll twice on this table hoping to get something that will let you live long enough to get into assault.

1. Corpulence gives an extra wound and it will not die.  Having 3 wounds on a herald is nice and the ability to regenerate is also good.  Being T3 though, they are too easily doubled out. 
2. Daemonic resilience is FNP 4+.  This faces the same problems as the Corpulence in that heralds are too susceptible to S6 weapons and attacks.  At least here you have a chance to save a wound before you die, rather than waiting until the end of the phase.  A 5++ then 4+ is pretty survivable but not worth it on the champions. The table gets better from here.
3. Dark Blessing less you reroll your invulns.  If you can get the grimoire off you'll be rocking a 3++/3++ save.  Even a 5++/5++ is nice because you'll always get it.  I'm probably always keeping this one.
4. Hellfire Gaze is an upgrade of Warp Breath since it has AP1 and swaps Soul Blaze for lance.  Heralds are BS6 so you're going to get it off usually.  The only downside I can think of is that anything the lance would affect (av 13/14) isn't something you should be assaulting anyways so you may end up having to choose between one shot or running.  I'm going to take this most of the time unless I'm facing all infantry.
5. Touch of uncreation gives you armourbane and fleshbane.  You'll push a lot of wounds through, but still only S3/4 so you have to roll average just to glance av10.  Rends work on both dice you have two chances to get the bonus D3 for pen.  It's still a very good option especially against other Daemons where ap is irrelevant or hordes with low armor like orks and nids. I would need to look at the list I've facing before determining it I take this.
6. Unbreakable hide is a 3+ save, which is an improvement over the 5++, but not if I plan on using the grimoire.  You really depend on numbers to weather damage, not a 3+, but it can help when you fail the look out sir.  Not worth 20pts though

You can swap out for a greater etherblade (an etherblade with +1S) or a lash of despair.  The lash is 2D6 S:user ap- shots. Heralds, even at S4, and champions at S3 just don't make this worth it.  The ideal user of this is a Daemon prince where you have someone that got iron arm.  You can place 2D6 S9 hits where you like and that's no joke at all.

The biggest issue with the greater daemon table is the opportunity cost.  Being more surviable is great, but killing a character with your 6 S5 AP2 attacks at I7 before they can strike is more valuable so the greater etherblade is a fine choice in any case.

It's amazing how many flaws show up in photos

Exalted rewards are only available to heralds, princes, and GD. At 30pts each most of them are lacking.

1. Doubly Blessed gives you a free roll on the lesser table along with an exalted reward.  Obviously this is the best, since you get freebies.
2. Riftbringer can get you a free unit.  You just need to cause a wound and then roll a 9 or above with 2D6. You do get a bonus to this roll for every 3 wounds you cause.  Causing 3 wounds is achievable, but 6 wounds is not without killing swarms of the like.  So you'll usually need an 8 on the roll, which is about 40%.  If you get this you generate a unit worth more than the 30pts for the reward, but even still it seems like a lot of hoops to go through.
3. Souleater gives you back a wound on 2+ if you cause one in assaul and can take you up to10.  This is probably the best roll on the table since Slaanesh characters are combat oriented.  If I'm in a KP match I'm hoping for this one in place of the Portalglyph.
4. Unholy Frenzy is rage and rampage.  You shouldn't be outnumbered often so rampage is less useful for heralds.  Rage is always nice, but not worth 30pts.  Ideal for GDs.
5. Warp Tether is a bit wordy but essentially you resurrect with 1 wound, but you come out from ongoing reserve.  I guess if you play GK with force weapons everywhere this would be worth considering, but really it is strictly worse than Corpulescence.
6. Wind of Chaos is a 24" S2D6 Ap4 small blast, but if you roll 11 or 12 it is S10 Large blast.  Small blast 2D6 isn't great.  I'm usually running not shooting.  It's too unreliable to affect vehicles so this is pretty worthless to me.

My favorite Alluress

You can swap for a hellforged artefact, of which there are clear standouts and losers.

• The Doomstone seems fluffy but I struggle to think of a case where you're going to get a lot of value out of it.  Most characters have high leadership.  Although one failed test will lead to more failed tests and death, getting that first failed test will be tough.  I can see it coming into play, but I don't know how you look at your opponents list and say that the Doomstone is the best option in this case
• The Eternal Blade is S+1 Ap- but gives you D3 WS, I, and A each combat phase.  Since it is Ap - it is better for MCs or against enemies where AP isn't a factor (orks, daemons).  Not a terrible choice but I'd rather have a greater etherblade
• The portalglyph is an av12 portal that gives you D6 deamon troops on a 4+ each turn.  Almost always useful except in KP missions but needs further discussion.
• The Grimoire can cause -1 to daemon invulns on an enemy unit or you can try to apply to one of your own units: on 1-2 you are -1 to invulns on 3-6 you get +2 to invulns.  The crux of the 2++ reroll, which requires fateweaver's reroll to be truly effective.  Throwing this on seekers is very necessary to give them a 3++ which will let them get into combat.

If I take an exalted gift I'm really taking the Grimoire with a 1 in 6 chance of getting an extra lesser gift.  My real question is whether to take a 2nd for the portalglyph or not.

Only D6 daemons isn't a lot but you'll usually average more points of daemons than the Portal cost.  Any of the deamons are useful depending on the situation.  Daemonettes can really move with 9" + D6 coming out and can get to an objective if needed or hide. Plaguebearers with shrouded and plague knives could be an annoyance. Getting some horrors out for extra dice and turning them into a Keeper of Secrets would be pretty badass, but unlikely . Bloodletters  are the least useful, but there could be merit in clearing out some MSU tac marines off an objective late.

It is still a very situational item though. In kill point missions (most tournaments still use 1 mission and/or for secondaries) it would be a liability.  AV12 1 HP can die pretty quickly, but is small enough to be hidden. A lot of armies can quickly destroy it.

For only 5pts you get +1A and char

The biggest problem is that I can't take any other gifts if I take an exalted and can't swap it for an etherblade.  If the mission isn't right, then none of the exalted gifts are worth the 30 points on a herald.  I guess I would hope to roll for souleater then swap all the others for the eternal blade, but really I'd rather have a roll on the greater table.

All the Alluresses together

Ultimately, I think I'm going to prioritize anti-vehicle with hellfire gaze, corrosive breath, touch of uncreation being the standouts since anti-vehicle in a daemon list is at a premium.  Otherwise, I love the etherblades and plan on mostly sticking with them.