So Admiral, you have joined the ranks of Chaos Undivided.

The tactic advice here is only for fleets comprising of light cruisers. As you access the more powerful classes of ship expect to have to adjust your tactics.
However, the aim here is develop a strong baseline force for you to expand from and gain you valuable experience in using chaos fleets.

Your choices of tactics at this stage is limited to direct brawling with your fleet or relying on ordnance to cripple your foes.
While both have there pros and cons, I recommend you focus your efforts on the use of ordnance and manuevuer.
This will change as you gain more experience and access to better ships.

You will need:
• Minimum Ship Requirements: 2x Mark I Hellbringers. These will form the backbone of your ordnance firepower due to the 2 launch bays each.
  
• You may opt for either a extra Mark I Hellbringer for more ordnance or a Mark II Hellbringer for the beginnings of experimentation with other tactics.

Tactics: Crippling Attrition
The aim of Crippling Attrition is to render the enemy fleet to unable to effectively engage you and face slow destruction. This will be done by repeated use of assault craft, lances and as a last resort: lightning strikes.

1. Ship Selection:
   Two key reminders, maximise launch bays in your fleet and careful think about how you plan on scouting out your enemy without risking your carriers.
   Check your objectives. We will assume a cruiser clash for these tactics. Speciallised tactics and ship selection are needed for other missions.
   
   
2. Pre-battle:
   This is where you get to make your life easier. While you only have a one and a half minute make the most of this time.
   
   First, look over the battlefield.
   Note where the gas clouds and asteroids fields are. You likely will need to use them if things are going badly.
   Also, work out were you can gain the most maneveuring space, you will need a lot.
   
   Second, place ships.
   
   Third, click on each ship. You will note that a number of abilities are greyed out. While you can not activate them now, you can set them to auto activate by right clicking on them.
   I recommend that you auto-activate boarding craft, lightning strikes, emergency repairs, reload and other special abilities.
   This is key at your current skill level. It reduces your micro management and give you time to focus on your maneveuring.
   You can also modify the auto engagement options and order ships to move to a location immediately as the battle begins.
   
   
3. Early Battle:
   You have three key jobs in order at this stage: launch fighters, positioning and recon.
   
   Launching fighter straight away is your prioity.
   Remember how you set up the auto boarding craft, this does not trigger until you are within range. However, fighter do not have this restriction. These will act as your anti-torp defence.
   If possible, try to launch two rounds. However, do not launch if the enemy will close within the cooldown time.
   
   Positioning is next. Your key is to delay the engagement until you are ready. You also must move away from map edges to avoid being trapped later on. The exception is if your opponent fields a nova cannon or more, engage immediately.
   
   Recon is going to help you. I recommend either a auger probe or a expendable escort. The sooner, you identify your opponent, the sooner you can hurt them or avoid them.
   
   
4. Contact:
   Your goal once within 12k is to maneveur to allow you boarding craft to damage enemy systems while staying out of direct fire of the enemy.
   This is going to use a lot of your time making use of special manevuers to counter his efforts close with you.
   This is where auto orders save you time and damage. However, there is one other action you must perform: setting your targeting priorities.
   
   Targetting Priorities:
   Each enemy ship should have a clear proirity.
   
   Escorts should be 4s as they will keep up with you close enough for your guns to engage with if no better target is available and you do not want to use assault boats on these guys. Use bombers if they are your only target.
   
   All cruisers or large should be set at 3s. Pick one enemy cruiser as a 2s. You will be focusing on this ship until crippled.
   Reserve a 1 for emergency changes in targetting.
   
   You should target key enemy ship systems in the following order: engines, generators, weapons then deck.
   Should you destroy the engines, target a new ship and disengage. This will force his fleet to chase and remove the crippled ship from immediate combat.
   Repeat until you out gun your opponent in the area.
   
   
5. Clean up:
   Once, your enemy is spread out. You can finally crush him. Board away until his generators are down and then switch to bombers. At this point, you can close with your own guns, launch teleporting boarding attacks or consider ramming.

For added snergy:
• Crew points invested in fighter squadrons.
  
• Upgrading fighter squadrons reload time.
  
• Recon options such as the Auger Probe.
  
• Stasis Bombs with other bombs as optional extras.
  
• Micro war jumps to get you out of trouble quickly.
  
• Macro turret range increases and ship maneveuring upgrades.

Counters:
• Fighters: The traditional counter. The issue is imperium fleet are not able to access this early on. However, expect eldar and orks to have access early.
  
• Tight formations: Auto turrets will fire on ordnance regardless of it's target. Ships close together will create overlapping fields of fire.
  
• Turret upgrades.
  
• Sudden maneveurs including ramming.
  
• Avoiding chasing while leaving units behind. Warp out damaged units or bring them along.

Thanks to:

Ahmazzan

Schola Astra Nautica Imperialis: Department of Heretical Studies: Traitor Fleets.

For other useful guides: check out Tactica Obscurus