So we have our first teaser of the new Chaos Space Marine 10th Edition Codex from AdeptiCon 2024.
How is this relevant to the Emperor’s Children though? Let’s set aside what the full Chaos Space Marines Codex reveal can tell us as there are a myriad of implications to unpack there, instead let’s focus on what was actually announced, namely information on the detachments (8 of them!) and the miniatures.
Table of Contents
The new miniatures
Let’s first start with the miniatures. Similar to a lot of recent Codex releases these seem to be limited to just a couple of Characters, the return of the jump pack lord and an updated Chaos Lord on foot. Completely irrelevant to Emperor’s Children and any future release you might expect? Well, not entirely.
New Chaos Space Marine Jump Pack Lord
Let’s first look at the Jump Pack Lord. No hints at all at the Emperor’s Children in the aesthetic, in fact there’s another nod to the Night Lords after the brilliant recent Kill Team release <link>. We’re not stopping here though.
Have a closer look at the model itself. It’s entirely in line with the current Raptor / Warp Talon range. These Miniatures are pushing 12 years old now and there were some rumblings they may see a refresh given the rumours of Kill Team releasing a series of aerial jump Infantry sets.
It’s unlikely (but not impossible, this is Games Workshop after all) that the Jump Chaos Lord would launch close to any kit refresh when it’s modelled the same as the current kits. If we take that as given, what could it mean for the Emperor’s Children release?
Perhaps not a great deal if jump infantry aren’t in the eventual Codex or to be shared with mainline Chaos Space Marines. Shared kits between factions have been space with most losing access to the majority of the Main Codex units in favour of unique units.
Raptors and Warp talons (to a lesser extent, Hello Night lords fans!) have always screamed Emperor’s Children though. Wailing doom falling from the heavens, breaking morale and zipping across the battlefield, how could they not?!
The lack of a kit update could, at a stretch, hint at legion specific jump infantry (perhaps Rypax) but more likely would be that if we are to have them in the Codex we’d simply retain access to the current datasheet and kit.
Now, to draw an even longer bow, a very long one. This then could hint that Chaos Bikes are more likely to see a refresh. They are also well overdue and update, and they have been slightly whispers relating to them. The rumours of a mounted Emperor’s Children unit are also out there, though even more ephemeral.
This would give Games Workshop a two-for-one, perhaps even more if open to other legions as well. That logic stands regardless, but it would certainly fit the theme / lore and direction Games Workshop are likely to head with Emperor’s Children.
Piggybacking that release onto the release of Emperor’s Children, in terms of timing, theme and bolstering the range at launch (though, let’s hope we do not need ‘bolstering’) makes sense.
New bikes with a return of Doomrider is wishful thinking at best and any jet bikes, should they turn out to be the result of the rumoured mounted unit, you could expect would stay an Emperor’s Children exclusive unit which dashes this speculative bubble somewhat.
New Chaos Space Marine Lord on foot
So, as we see from the above, we can draw quite a lot of inference from a single miniature if we are included to walk well down the dark and twisted path of hope and speculation. What then can we draw from the new Lord on foot?
Nothing. We’ll, almost nothing. As before there is no Emperor’s Children styling or aesthetic, we’re treated to Alpha Legion in the alternative image this time. Aside from that there isn’t really much, it’s an updated generic Chaos Lord.
Perhaps the full sprue may give some more minor insight when released when you get down into the various grubbins, weapons and icons, but even after the stretched analysis above it would be somewhat tortured to draw much of anything even from that.
With that out of the way let’s get into the main dish, and where we can start drawing on something a little firmer, the detachments.
Detachments
There were some very juicy reveals to be had, if you were looking for them, through the video and text in the announcement. 8 detachments, with very strong indications, and outright confirmations in a few cases, of what those would be geared towards.
First, let us consider what we have in terms of Legions and major factions within Chaos as a whole within Warhammer 40k. There are more, of course, but these have weight in in the form or lore, models, rules and history.
- The four God specific legions (Emperor’s Children, World Eaters, Death Guard, Thousand Sons)
- The other 5 traitor Legions (Black Legion, Alpha Legion, Iron Warriors, Word Bearers, Night lords)
- Mortals / Lost and the Damned
- Dark Mechanicum / Vashtorr the Arkifane
- Red Corsairs / Huron Blackheart
- Chaos Daemons
- Chaos Knights
Taking off the three other god specific legions with their own rules, and likewise for Chaos Daemons and Chaos Knights we are left with an interesting number. Nine. Nine factions and eight detachments.
Given the rumours swirling around Emperor’s Children this would seem a very strong indicator from that alone we are the odd one out, hopefully as an Emperor’s Children 10th Edition release is imminent.
That is unless there is a major surprise such as Dark Mechcanicum or Night Lords (they have had some love in terms of models lately…) releasing before us.
Creations of Bile could, at a stretch, be in with a shout to have a detachment but building one around a single Character has always seems a bit of a stretch when compared to the other sub-factions. Possible though. Perhaps, given the recent lore, more likely in an Emperor’s Children Codex though.
Let’s not assume though, where does an analysis of the sneak peak get us?
AdeptiCon 2024: Chaos Space Marines reveal: detachment breakdown
Word Bearers
The index detachment has been updated forming one of the eight in the Codex. At 3:18 the videos confirms that this is the Word Bearers detachment, leaning into the pacts with the various dark gods.
Dark Mechanicum / Vashtorr the Arkifane
A Daemon Engine focused list is mentioned around 2:37 in the video, which we can safely assume fits Vashtorr. He was mentioned a few times through the Video, and again in the article text when it referring to ‘devotees of Vashtorr the Arkifane’ specifically in reference to detachments.
Iron Warriors
Iron warriors were also specifically confirmed with a ‘tanks and siege engines’ detachment around 3:11 in the video. This specifically delineates it from the Daemon Engine Vashtorr detachments and picks up another of the slots.
Alpha Legion
2:42 and 3:06. Infiltrating and sneaking abound and Alpha legion are confirmed, another slot gone.
Lost and the Damned / Mortals
Cultist Horde 2:38 and Traitor Guard 2:58 are also confirmed. This isn’t quite a full Lost and the damned, but certainly confirmed a mortals focused detachment
Red Corsairs / Pirates
In a section specifically to detachments the article text makes refers to ‘other renegade forces like piratical raiders’ so again we have one detachment confirmed.
Night Lords
Mentioned by name at 3:19, but nothing specific. Given the recent kill team release and the jump pack lord alternate paint scheme it seems likely they have a detachment and lean heavily into the Dread Talons box
Confirmed detachments
This really doesn’t leave much room for interpretation:
- Word Bearers
- Dark Mechanicum / Vashtorr the Arkifane
- Iron Warriors
- Alpha Legion
- Lost and the damned / Mortals
- Red Corsairs /Pirates
- Night lords (weak confirmation)
As the poster children of Chaos, we can expect Black Legion too, though perhaps with a sidelong glance at them being lumped together with the Word Bearers detachment.
Given Abaddon is the perennial ‘Big Bad’ of Chaos you would expect he and the Black Legion would receive their own detachment, even with the rise of Vashtorr to prominence in the lore.
You could argue that Night Lords may face the same treatment however their playstyle is decidedly distinct from the others so this seems a bit of a stretch.
Take note of what hasn’t been said though. Black Legion aside every sub-faction got a mention, right now to mortals who have been living off hope and crumbs for decades just like ourselves.
Emperor’s Children seen very conspicuous with their absence here.
Where does this leave the Emperor’s Children Codex in 10th Edition?
Finally, we get to the big question! Thankfully we’ll know one way or the other soon enough, how much or how little we feature in the Chaos Space Marine codex essentially will date our release.
If we’re missing, and this strongly hints that we will be (huge implications indeed) Emperor’s Children will in all likelihood release sooner rather than later. The winter (Dec 2024 -Feb 2025) Emperor’s Children Codex rumours start to gain some serious weight.
We may even heave the boon of an announcement or Index in White Dwarf, and remove all doubt, just as World Easters did in their (mostly recent of the other three) faction release.
Should Lucius, Noise Marines & co. still be present we can expect a late Edition or even early 11th Edition release more likely than not.
Whatever the case expect the rumour mill to kick into overdrive soon after the Chaos Space Marine Codex hits.
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What are your thoughts? Feel free to speculate or completely disagree and have at it in the comments below or on our forums.
