Playing Emperor’s Children with the Chaos Space Marine Codex

It seemed like Games workshop ran a pretty tight ship this time, but inevitably as we near launch the full Chaos Space Marine 10^th Edition Codex has now leaked. I’m not going to link or post it here, if you’re interested you can find it yourself easily enough, however let’s have a look at what this may mean for the Emperor’s Children.

First, we’ll have a quick look at the unit changes, then walk through the detachments. After that we’ll get into some speculation around the Emperor’s Children Index, by association the future Emperor’s Children Codex.

On that note, until the Index itself lands, we won’t know exactly how things will play out for us. Given we will be using these detachments and the army rule as confirmed in the release announcement though as well as the majority if the CSM datasheets we’ll have a pretty good idea!

Emperor’s Children Index leaks and Emperor’s Children Codex confirmation

We’re highly unlikely see any Emperors’ Children Index leaks before it launches, it’s much easier to keep on online pdf locked down than it is a printed book after all.

Another quick note, but a big one. As you’ll see below, Emperor’s Children are listed in full alongside other brethren from the other cult factions. We knew this was coming, the Emperor’s Children Codex was confirmed by in index announcement essentially, but damned if it’s isn’t good to see it in print!

Chaos Space Marine Codex – The Units

There haven’t been too many changes to units within the codex, but some of them are fairly significant. Nothing can really be said until the points values arrive, and likely adjusted thereafter.

However, it does seem a few datasheets shine and some others are destined to be either left on, or return to, the shelf.

Remember that some of these changes need to be taken into account when looking at the detachments, you may find that even though a datasheet has been nerfed, it’s shines within certain detachments still.

As you will see later some of the detachments lean into specific units and play-styles. As with any Codex they will therefore be priced for the best usage. Expect to see some units only appear under certain detachments and be weaker, and not competitively viable, in others.

Units have been listed in the order we had them our Emperor’s Children Codex Unit preview article, just for easy references. Those likely to remain with our Codex have also been highlighted.

New and Excluded Units

We excluded the Khorne Lord of skulls from our preview unit as it was certainly not going to appear in a future Emperor’s children Codex. There were no changes to that datasheet and should be of little interest to us.

Two new units arrive in this codex, the Cultists Leader Firebrand, and the Chaos Space Marine Jump Pack Lord.

Firebrand – T4, 4 wounds with a D6+3 S5 AP-1 Damage 1 flamer. Allows cultists to re-roll leadership tests and Infantry hit with the flamer but take a Battle-shock test.

Jump Pack Lord – Standard Chaos lord profile, with 12 Inch move, Power fist and twin lightning claws options, the 0CP Battle Tactics stratagem ability and a 6inch consolidate or or pile in for his unit.

Epic Heroes

HQ / Characters

Battleline / Troops

Elites

Heavy Support

Fast Attack

Other units

Emperor’s Children

Noise Marines and Lucius – GONE. Moved to EC Index.

Chaos Space Marine Codex Leaks – Detachments

We’ll now take a very brief walk through the detachments’, these are hot takes after all!

Note that rules are not listed word for word having been noted from the leaks but the key points are there.

General Observations

Chaos Space Marine Detachment theming is absolutely on point

The first hot take, these are absolutely fantastic, not just in a competitive sense (and some of them are shaping up to be very competitive) but theming to the legions, offering district playstyles and just being downright fun (even in the non-competitive detachments suitable for casual and fluff only, they are still right on point)

This feels very similar to the Ork Codex. Whether Games Workshop really do have two teams with drastically opposing views on codex construction, or they are just generally hit and miss, is up in the air but thankfully we have certainly seen one of the better releases.

Here’s hoping the same happens with the eventual Emperor’s Children Codex, after 25 years of waiting we deserve some proper treatment!

Balancing these may well be a nightmare

Another hot take – there is a bit of the danger with such a wide array of detachments that lean heavily into specific units. Generic detachments could be left for little to play with at reasonable points cost if everything is costed with their best use case in mind.

That could see the specialist detachments rise, and the whole faction splintered into running subsets of units only in those detachments. This can then veer into ‘feels bad’ territory if that isn’t how you want to play. Not particularly different from any other meta though, as the best units rise to the top.

This then leads to, long-term, shelved units though as making them too cheap breaks them in one detachment, so they stay non-viable for the other 7. (Soulforged Warpack, we’re looking at you!)

A generic detachment powerful enough to either lead as the main competitive detachment regardless, or to make many units viable and, in the sum of their parts, better than a skew detachment is possible as well, however it’s a tight balancing act.

Focusing on the Emperor’s Children

Over the coming weeks and months, we’ll see the meta settle and the dream float to the top. The Emperor’s Children Index will give us a subset of this and out faction specifically will start to show up in the data. She Who this will be reviewing this as it comes through and bringing you the latest news from the front lines.

There is plenty of analysis out there already, I’d highly recommend heading over to Goonhammer <and having a search as they will undoubtedly have some fantastic content as well. (At the time of this draft they haven’t released anything but I’m sure it’ll be up in short order once the Games Workshop review embargo lifts)

However this is She Who Thirsts, and we are more concerned about the Emperor’s Children specifically, so on that slightly different note we can look at these detachments to see which fit best with the legion in terms of lore and likely playstyle.

More importantly, given the speculation on which models we can retain, we can see which datasheets each detachment lean into these units and thus which will give you the best chance for their most competitive datasheets to carry over to an eventual Emperor’s Children Codex!

Veterans of the Long War (Black Legion)

Emperor’s Children Detachment Rating

Veterans of the Long War

Power
Thematic Fit
Units / Datasheets Fit

Overall Emperor’s Children Rating

First on the list is, naturally, our generic brethren. The destroyers of Canticle City.

Now that alone should set this detachment aside on a lore / disgust point, but technically these aren’t legion specific detachments, though it’s pretty clear from the language which each relates to.

Even then, for the less fluff inclined, we can have a look more at the rules and units fit. This is approach we’ll take here. After an Index of needing marks from other gods to be viable competitively merely setting aside some obvious language in stratagems etc. is more of a relief!

Detachment: Focus of Hatred

Re-roll hits (excluding damned, i.e. mortals) on a marked unit until your next command phase.

Enhancements

• Warmaster’s Gift – Bearer only. 5+ Crit wounds on your focus of hatred.
• Eager for Vengeance – Bearers Unit. Excludes Damned. Fallback, shoot and charge. +1 hit and +1 charge on Focus of hared.
• Eye of Abaddon – Bearer only. Excludes Damned.  Each time your focus of hatred unit is destroyed +1CP on a 4+.
• Mark of Legend – Bearer only. Excludes Damned.  Once per turn can re-roll one Hit, Wound or Save.

Stratagems

we will be listing battle tactics specifically given those have the potential to be vected and to be used for 0CP by abilities.

• Endless Ire (2CP) – After your focus of hatred is destroyed one enemy unit visible and within 12 inches becomes your focus of hatred.
• Contemptuous Disregard (1CP) – Battle Tactic. Excludes damned. AP-1 for attacks targetting one of your units until the end of the phase.
• Bringers of Despair (2CP) – Excludes damned. Gives a unit Fights First for the fight phase.
• Black Crusade (1CP) – Excludes damned. Advance / fallback and shoot until end of turn., Bolters have [Devastating wounds] up to a maximum of 6.
• Let the Galaxy Burn (1CP) – Battle tactic. Excludes Tzeentch. Until the end of phase weapons have [ignores cover] and torrent weapons have attacks of 6.
• Millennia of Experience (1CP) – Excludes damned. Infantry or mounted only. Just after an enemy unit moves to within 9 inches you can make a 6 inch normal move.

Overview

This is, as expected for Black legion, a fairly wide and generic detachment. The lack of focus on damned is on theme and this combined with Abaddon’s rules changes should keep the Warmaster well clear of the rabble, as it should be.

Power wise this is pretty good at first glance without jumping out at straight out powerful or over-tuned. It has flexible options, with essentially oaths of moment (options of double) which combined with our army wide sustains or lethal hits is always strong.

Armour of contempt in there, a reactive move and fights first all offer some defence and control play.

Overall being very broad may be the main weakness here, and for a faction that tends into bullying on damage and, somewhat, being glass cannons there really isn’t that much to spike damage.

Running with Abaddon and the CP generating enhancements means that, for what looks to be a CP hungry detachment, it at least has decent generation to dovetail with discarding tactical objectives.

Expect this to be a viable option competitively, but to be overshadowed by some of the other detachments that are either, on paper at this early stage, outright more powerful or lean heavier into a bit of skew.

Emperor’s Children detachment analysis

Excluding Damned from a lot of the detachment rules is on broadly theme (taking Emperor’s Children mortals as absolute trash / disposable) and doesn’t really impact future Emperor’s Children unit choices.

Generic cultists may come across, but it’s not that likely and none of the other damned units will either.

If you stick to the ‘safe’ Emperor’s Children units then you’ll be fine here and won’t lose out on the Codex changeover. However, this also limits your selection, which isn’t great in the face of a wide generic detachment or changing meta if it locks you out of some units that end up shining here.

Let the galaxy burn may be situationally useful with Lucius and Noise marines, with dual doom sirens, or if we see some surprises in the Emperor’s Children index to make more use of them, however expect it to be more used to deny cover (effectively +1AP) for other units.

Assuming Lucius keeps fights first then an option for a second unit, albeit at 2 CP, to completely mess with Melee armies (potentially also in combination with the defiler datasheet change) also seems powerful. Often this is more useful as a control mechanism, dictating play or baiting errors.

Other detachments, as we’ll see, lean into Noise Marines and Lucius more though (assuming they remain largely unchanged)

Overall, the fact this is so generic offers a chance to be largely on theme and use likely Emperor’s Children units. It seems to be a reasonable competitive option as well. A decent choice for an Emperor’s Children detachment.

Deceptors (Alpha Legion)

Emperor’s Children Detachment Rating

Deceptors

Power
Thematic Fit
Units / Datasheets Fit

Overall Emperor’s Children Rating

Sneaking quietly forward hardly fits the Emperor’s children, however with open and hidden blade, the Maru Skara, it does lean into our lore somewhat here.

Detachment: Masters of Misdirection

Legionaries and cultists units, and their attached characters (excluding Epic heroes) can infiltrate.

2 units of each up top 1000 points, 3 units  up to 2000, 4 units above this.

Enhancements

• Falsehood – Chaos lord on foot only. Setup in reserves and replace a model in a Chosen or Legionaries unit in the reinforcements step
• Cursed Fang – Infantry model only. Improve melee weapon AP by 1 and give [Precision]
• Shroud of Obfuscation – Infantry model only. Gives [Stealth] and [Lone operative]
• Soul Link – Infantry model only Bearer only. Select another character (excluding Epic Heroes) in the command phase and give the [Psyker] and replace their characteristics with the bearers characteristics until the next command phase.

Stratagems

• Detonator (1CP) – any phase after enemy unit with deadly demise destroyed within 18 inches of your character. Auto explodes.
• From all Sides (1CP) – Battle Tactic. +1 charge for every other unit that made a charge that phase (max +3)
• Pick them off (1CP) – Battle Tactic. Attack a unit below starting strength, re-roll hit. Below half strength, also re-roll wounds.
• Coils of Deception (1CP) – Fall back and shoot.
• Relentless Pursuit (1CP) – Infantry or mounted only. Just after an enemy unit moves to within 9 inches you can make a 6 inch normal move.
• Scrambled Co-ordinates (1CP) – give one unit a 12 inches reserves exclusion zone.

Overview

Veterans of the long war did a great job of feeling like Black Legion, almost a dark mirror to Space Marines. Here we really see the Codex start to stretch its legs though, holy theme batman!

Regardless of power level Alpha legion fans must be over the moon here, as we will see through most of the other detachments, this is really on point.

Over and above theme alone, there’s chance for this to impact to the wider meta, this mass infiltration offers something that really doesn’t exist at the moment.

And it’s not the only detachment that does something new within this Codex, though is the only one likely to have an impact. Absolutely fantastic from Games Workshop.

Once you get your head around, potentially, 60 Cultists and 30 legionaries (plus attached communes and characters taking that even higher) getting right down your throat with characters popping up wherever suits best, breaking down the detachment looks slightly less imposing.

We also start to see something of a running thing, the same stratagems just with differing names. I can understand the desire to theme each detachment, but in an era for less complexity and more Universal Special Rules it’s an odd choice.

Shenanigans

There are Shenanigans galore here but not much to spike damage. Some opponents will struggle to deal with such a body of wounds blocking out the midfield and primary, boxing them into their deployment zone, but some will eat it gladly and you’ll be left with a block of lacklustre points.

Board control for days is on display, but Chaos generally don’t fare well flooding the board for early primary and dying slowly, we’re too expensive and not tough enough, other armies do it better. There’s nothing really to change that here.

This detachment also doesn’t have the damage to focus pressure like some other armies can when flooding forward early. Indeed, it may even play into the hands of some of those lists. World Eaters would be rubbing their hands in glee.

The sheer volume of models and terrain density in 10^th may offer some play in terms of layered screens, perhaps even enough to counter lists with [Fly]. Even without detachment support Chaos has some spicy options in the second wave to still play a damage and delay game.

It feels like this detachment, as with the recent Ork green wave lists, could be meta shifting, but not meta defining. Certainly it’ll punish some of the more elite vehicle heavy lists and force a more all comers approach, but if other detachments are more competitive it’s unlikely to see enough sustained use for this.

Early days and hot takes though, once the cream of the competitive crop get into this it will have legs and looks like it will be high skill ceiling. The ability to completely neuter some factions, potentially, may give is serious play if win paths against weaker matchups are solved.

Emperor’s Children detachment analysis

Waves of cultists and Legionaries both look like very poor options for us. Even if generic cultists come across, or we can proxy the new unique chaff the units with them, it still looks like you’d have to accept a significant loss of usable models.

There isn’t much of a role for Noise Marines here either. They don’t synergise well and their more tactical unit role would be largely filled better with the other infiltrating core.

Lucius being still able to attach to Legionaries (we can assume, perhaps only Noise Marines now though) is as strong as ever, but as an epic hero he can’t infiltrate and having yet another unit of Legionaries is unlikely to be useful in a list crying out for other units with Legionaries going forward.

The rest of the units are likely to be geared more to specialist and heavy support / supporting roles. Perhaps with secondary charge threats and ranged shooting to back up the delaying, infiltrating chaff. All in all, a very poor effort for Emperor’s Children units.

As noted, there are parts of the lore this fits into, the open hand first opening up a lightning strike for the hidden blade later, so we’ll give it that.

But this theme is more sneaking forward than a loud frontal assault. The sneaking part is backwards! However, if you are dead set on this and play to the fluff you can make an argument here.

Renegade Raiders (Red Corsairs)

Emperor’s Children Detachment Rating

Renegade Raiders

Power
Thematic Fit
Units / Datasheets Fit

Overall Emperor’s Children Rating

Detachment: Raiders and Reavers

Ranged Weapons have [Assault]and each time you target a unit within range of an objective marker improve the AP of the attack by 1.

Enhancements

• Despots Claim – Bearer only. 5+ for 1 CP if on the field during the command phase, 4+ if wholly within 12 inches of your opponent’s deployment zone.
• Dread Reaver – Bearer only. Reroll hits and wounds if wholly within 12 inches of your opponent’s deployment zone.
• Mark of the House – Models in the bearer’s unit have Scots 6 inches.
• Tyrants Lash – the bearer’s unit can re-roll advances and can fallback and shoot.

Stratagems

• Unfailingly Obdurate (1CP) – Battle Tactic. Excludes damned. AP-1 for attacks targeting one of your units until the end of the phase.
• Scour and Seize (1CP) – Battle Tactic. Gives models in a unit [Precision] if within range of an objective marker.
• Opportunistic Raisers (1CP) – At the end of the fight phase a unit outside engagement range can move 6 inches, 12 inches if mounted. Can make a fallback if engaged. Can enter a transport if it did not disembark this turn.
• Warpcharged Engines (1CP) – Transport or mounted unit. Auto 6 advance for the movement phase.
• Ruinous Raid (1CP) – Battle Tactic. When unit disembarks from a transport this turn re-roll hits and wounds if unit is within range of an objective marker for this phase (shoot or fight phase)
• Reaver’s Hate (1CP) – Advance and charge, +1 charge if target is within range of an objective marker.

Overview

Wow. Where to start here. You don’t have to get into particularly deep analysis to see the power jumping off the page here. Let’s start with the Army Rule.

Chaos Space marines love a tussle over an objective, they also love AP -1 and AP -2 weaponry. The bonus pip of AP here will do more than it seems as it tips the balance in a lot of scenarios. It’s in both shooting and melee. Absolutely bonkers.

Movement wins games, and this has options in abundance.

As we know from Noise Marines, Assault is great for flexibility. Having it on ALL ranged weapons is absolutely fantastic for mobility and secondaries. When you combine that with an advance as charge stratagem as and when needed this is even more flexible.

Let’s look at the other stratagems. Each and every one is fantastic and all 1 CP. Perhaps with the exception of the situational [Precision], but that can help with control, and only pales as the others are so strong.

Ruinous Raid particularly is bonkers. Except to see this FAQed to just Hits or RR 1 on hit and wound or move to 2 CP. It puts not just Chosen back to where they were pre nerf to Profane Zeal, but any unit in a transport. It’s a battle tactic so 0CP stratgems are back on the cards as well. This is the best stratagem in the codex.

Slaanesh Legionaries were already used as objective missiles from Transports with 5+ sustained and re-roll wound on objectives. This in effect trades that for Re-roll hits and ‘only’ 6+ lethal and sustained (and costs a CP) but still is in the same vein.

Even the much-maligned Havocs dropping out and unloading hate with re-roll hits and wounds now makes them viable here.

Movement shenanigans and Armour of contempt by a different name just adds even more strong options.

Expect to see this right away in the top of the competitive space, Chaos Space Marines will be well and truly back on the map with this.

We still suffer the same weaknesses – high in damage but points costs to match and lacking staying power on Primary, but this ramps up primary denial by blasting things off objectives to the nth degree and we still have a strong secondary game. I can’t wait to see what lists we see.

Theme wise this is exactly how you would expect raiders to run, it has a whiff of Dark Eldar (Drukhari) as you would expect but, more generally, plays into how a lot of Chaos plays out in the Lore. Speaking of which, onto Emperor’s Children.

Emperor’s Children detachment analysis

Are you feeling comfortable basking in the competitive glow here? Well you should be, and hopefully you feel the same about the theme.

Rules and Theme

Assault on Sonic Blasters does nothing, as it already exists, however getting it back on Blastmasters again is fantastic and both really benefit from that extra pip of AP. It’s close to having out 9th Edition Blastmasters back. Add in the forced Battle-shock as gravy on top and Noise Marines start to shine.

Even going transport heavy, drop them out of a Rhino, manage to avoid cover for some units on an objective and the pain they put out isn’t small. Add in the Doom Siren, Hopefully OC2 in the coming index and an option to Advance and Charge for a CP and you have almost the perfect tactical unit around objective play.

Lucius doesn’t miss out here either. Fights first is rare, and fantastic an any unit. If he changes to be able to join Chosen they will approach being broken.

Regardless it’s an absolutely horrid unit for your opponent to deal with and will mince almost anything on an Objective with Re-roll hits and wounds, without the need of a Master of Execution now.

This is still a great option in combination with Legionaries, setting aside the fact neither unit is likely of unit carry over to the Emperor’s Children Codex, to have that threat without the need of CP (and if the meta is back to maxing out 3 Chosen squads with Lords again).

Clearing an objective (with bonus AP and full re-rolls, plus stained or lethal 6+) it’s almost a given and holding it with Armour of Contempt giving some more durable and Fights first making clearing our own unit in melee problematic is fantastic.

Theme wise this is a near perfect match, this could well be one of the potential detachments in an Emperor’s Children Codex.

Slave raids feature heavily in the lore, as does the lightning-fast strikes and movement stratagems here. We also tend towards infantry heavy list and that fits very well here (though of the mechanised infantry / Rhino rush variety)

Datasheets

Model wise, we’re less set. Chosen, Warp Talons, Legionaries, Nurglings, Bikers (potentially, even with the nerf they are great, and there is stratagem support here) all are far from certain, moving to unlikely to make it to The Emperor’s Children Codex.

Predator Destructors, already strong and efficient, get a huge boon from this detachment, so are worth leaning into. Melee Noise marines should be a thing in the Codex and allow Legionaries to cross over if potentially.

The focus on Rhinos and, if pushing things further, Land Raiders though are units that will absolutely carry over.

The Detachment will need some shooting support, and Heavy support are the more certain units to make it across but frustratingly Havocs, who may now be viable in this, likely won’t be one of those.

As is the theme with the Chaos Space Marine Codex at the competitive edge we likely will need to accept we can’t just only use the likely Emperor’s Children Units.

The good news is, even if we chose to do so, this detachment is so strong it will still have great play and a lot of them really love this detachment.

Overall

Overall this is an absolutely fantastic match for Emperor’s Children and should be top of your list. We’ll go through the other detachments in turn but this will be hard to beat.

Dread Talons (Night Lords)

Emperor’s Children Detachment Rating

Dread Talons

Power
Thematic Fit
Units / Datasheets Fit

Overall Emperor’s Children Rating

Detachment: Terror Descends

In the Battle-shock step of your opponents command phase, if an enemy unit is below starting strength and within 12 inches of one or more of your units then it must take a Battle-shock test.

Each time an enemy unit takes a Battle-shock test within 12 inches of one or more of your units, subtract 1 from the result.

Enemy units affected by this rule do not need to take any other Battle-shock tests in the same phase.

Enhancements

• Night’s Shroud – Chaos Lord Lord (excluding Terminators) Models in the bearer’s unit have stealth.
• Willbreaker – For Battle-shock after the bearer has made it’s attacks in the fight phase.
• Warp-Fuelled Thrusters – Jump Pack Chaos Lord only. At the end of your Opponents turn if the bearer’s unit is not within Engagement range you can put the unit into strategic reserves.
• Eater of Dread – Bearer only. 5+ for 1 CP if on the field during the command phase, add 1 to the result for each enemy unit that is Battle-shocked.

Stratagems

• Depthless Cruelty (1CP) – Battle Tactic. Infantry only. AP+1 of targeting a Battle-shocked or half strength unit in the fight phase.
• Bloody Example (1CP) – After destroying an Enemy Unit in the fight phase, each enemy unit within 12 inches and visible to your unit takes a Battle-shock test.
• Pitiless Hunters (1CP) – Battle Tactic. Infantry only. RR hits and wounds on shooting against a unit at half strength or below or Battle-shocked.
• Relentless Terror (1CP) – Infantry unit only. Fallback and charge.
• Screaming Descent (1CP) – Jump back unit in reserves. 3 inch deep strike, cannot charge. Single Infantry or mounted unit within 6 inches must take a Battle-shock test.
• Merciless Pursuit (1CP) – Infantry only. At end of opponents move phase can declare a charge into a unit that feel back and is within 6 inches. No charge bonus.

Overview

Ah, a Battle-shock detachment for Night lords. As expected. Emperor’s Children will almost certainly receive one as well given our themes and history. Games Workshop is really trying to lean into Battle-shock as a mechanic this edition, have they managed to make it meaningful here?

Well, yes and no. Mostly no, but that’s more to do with Battle-shock itself as a mechanic. It’s just not that game defining when in your own turn aside from certain stratagem dependant matchups.

We do have a push here to make it more impactful in an opponent’s command phase, but it will still be hit and miss.

On the positive side this has got to be the strongest detachment to use force Battles-shock tests across the board so far on 10^th Edition. With Raptors pushing that test to -2 you’ll be seeing plenty fails given a 7+ is 58% pass and 8+ 42%.

A bonus for Emperor’s Children is that, assuming they keep the Battle-shock on hit, this ability for Noise Marines actually sees decent use as a way to dish out the tests in the shooting phase which is comparatively rare.

If there was some sort of mortal wound on Battle-shock or forcing units to make a fallback move even when not engaged, ‘sticky’ Battle-shock with loss of OC in your phase carrying forward or the like this would see more play. It needs something. As it stands though it’ll be relegated to die-hards.

Why would you opt for this, with stratagems making you jump through hoops for boons that other detachments get as standard, when you could run Raiders and blow an opponent off primary for better and more reliable denial, whilst also taking units out of play?

The running trend at least holds and this is very on theme for Night Lords. It would have been good to see a really impactful Battle-shock based detachment, but this isn’t quite it.

Maybe Games Workshop will drop that with Emperor’s Children? In reality expect one of our detachments to be a similar semi-dud at best.

This is a bit harsh, there are options here and it does seem fun to send opponents screaming in fear and leaving them no reliable stratagems or concrete primary. In the right hands it will work, but so would anything, it’s just hard to see this riding higher or changing the meta.

Emperor’s Children detachment analysis

The theme here is reasonably on point. Hordes of screaming Raptors terrorising the enemy, Noise Marines blasting and breaking units across the table. Close range Battle-shock simulating the cacophony. Fits right in.

Saying that though, this is still very much a Night Lords detachment first and foremost. Where some of the other Chaos Space Marine detachments are a bit more generic, this one just screams Night Lords.

Use of Noise Marines is a great boost, but they can be better used in other detachments still if you want to run them.

Raptors making it across the Emperors Children Codex, even though the fit theme wise, seems unlikely. Though there are some permutations around this and the new jump lords along with theme fit.

Overall a reasonable, but not great, fit.

Fellhammmer Siege Host (Iron Warriors)

Emperor’s Children Detachment Rating

Veterans of the Long War (Black Legion)

Power
Thematic Fit
Units / Datasheets Fit

Overall Emperor’s Children Rating

Detachment: Iron Fortitude

Against ranged attacked all units from your army (excluding damned) subtract 1 from the would roll if the strength if the attack is greater than that unit’s toughness.

Enhancements

• Bastion Plate – Chaos Lords excluding Jump Pack Lords. Once per battle round when the bearer’s unit fails a saving throw change the damage to 0.
• Warp Tracer – Bearer only. One enemy unit hit by attacks from the bearer in the shooting phase loses cover for the phase.
• Ironbound Enmity – Bearer only. +1 wound in range of objectives.
• Iron Artifice – Bearer only. [Anti-vehicle 4+] and [Anti-fortification 4+]

Stratagems

• Persistent Assailants (1CP) – Battle Tactic. Re-rill hits in the fights phase, re-roll wounds as well if below half strength.
• Brutal Attrition (1CP) – Excludes Damned. up to six when a melee attack is allocated to you units, 4+ causes a mortal wound on the attacking unit.
• Pitiless Cannonade (1CP) – Battle Tactic. 5+ Critical when shooting a unit below half strength.
• Point Blank Destruction (1CP) – Battle Tactic. Ranged weapons, excluding [Blast] have the [Pistol] keyword until the end of the shooting phase.
• Steadfast Determination (1CP) – Excludes damned. 5++ Fell no Pain in your opponent’s shooting phase.
• Siegecraft (1CP) – Charge phase, -2 to charge rolls to a single unit this phase.

Overview

Iron Warriors shooting and fortifications. For an army that can get very nasty in shooting, particularly at close range, you’d feel entitled to be rubbing your hands in glee at this. Instead we have the Fellhammer Siege Host detachment.

You can see the aim here. Tough, plodding Iron Warriors and throw in a smattering of melee deterrents to cover off that weakness. This is loud and proud stating they are the tough, shooty detachment, different from the killing or fast detachments. Makes sense.

The execution leaves a lot to be desired. Giving up the initiative to your opponent to dictate play, sitting back with an army that wants to be on the closer side with an army rule that switches off in melee is not a great start.

Even with these buffs Chaos Space Marines still don’t have the units, OC or toughness to sit and deny primary, especially when all it takes is a melee threat to turn off their biggest defensive buff.

Stratagems based on melee defence, but not powerful enough to make a huge difference, rather than buffing shooting. Even contingent on half strength to get the best from some. (why Games Workshop persists with this rule theme we’ll never know, it is usually horrible)

-1 to wound to shooting is great, there’s no denying that. Some units will get a lot of mileage from it, particularly Obliterators and Terminators. There’s just not enough meat on the bones here.

Poor all round and, for once, not particularly great thematically (though it’s still largely on point)

Emperor’s Children detachment analysis

This one is more of a miss for us.

Certainly a lot of heavy support options will make it through to the Emperor’s Children codex, as has been the case with other faction releases. Obliterators are not one of them and Vindicators are not guaranteed.

Noise Marines will see some use of the Army rule, but really it won’t make a huge difference to a weak tactical unit.

Perhaps some screened and -1W, 4++, 5+++ terminators, With a Lord to soak up half damage (perhaps solo), will have some play here. These also may make it to the Codex, but it’s really not a good option even then.

If you absolutely love Terminators then at least there’s an option to make heavy touch infantry even tougher here.

Soulforged Warpack (Vashtorr / Daemon Engines)

Emperor’s Children Detachment Rating

Soulforged Warpack

Power
Thematic Fit
Units / Datasheets Fit

Overall Emperor’s Children Rating

Detachment: Debt to the Soul Forge

Each time a Heretic Astartes Daemon Vehicle makes a dark pact it can invoke a contract. -1 LD for the pact and:

+1 Wound on attacks

+2 Attacks on Melee weapons

Enhancements

• Invigorated Mechatendrils – Warpsmith only, add 4 inches to their movement characteristic.
• Tempting Addendum – If a Daemon Vehicle within 3 inches of the bearer invokes a contract if it suffers mortal wounds from the contract, add 1 more. Until the end of the phase that unit re-rolls hits.
• Forge’s Blessing – FNP 6+ on one friendly vehicles within 12 inches of the bearer until next command phase.
• Soul Harvester – 5+ to gain a CP when any unit within 12 inches of the bearer is destroyed.

Stratagems

• Desperate Pledge (1CP) – Battle Tactic. +1 AP on a contract (shoot or fight phase)
• Glut of Souls (1CP) – Excludes Titanic. On contract regain a wound on 5+ to a maximum of 6 for each model destroyed in the fight phase.
• Daemonic Possession (1CP) – Give a Vehicle the Daemon keyword.
• Unstoppable Rampage (1CP) – Vehicles can move through terrain.
• Predatory Persuit (1CP) – After enemy movement ends within 9 inches, a vehicle and make a normal move up to 6 inches but must end as close as possible to that uit.
• Feeding Frenzy (1CP) – When an enemy (excluding vehicles and monsters) chooses to fall back. Each time an enemy unit makes a fallback move they must make a desperate escape, subtracting 1 from the roll if battle stocked.

Overview

Hello Maulerfiends. Wow. Maybe add in some Daemonic Land Raiders and Vindicators for 1 CP, easy Re-roll hits Foregefiends. Vashtorr himself had a glow up but hilariously cannot benefit from his own army rule.

This detachment has legs (many, many legs of course, but also in the competitive sense). After the initial view though, perhaps not as many as expected, and I’m not taking about the Discolord not being a vehicle.

Points are going to make or break this list, and that’s a problem, as we noted on the general observations.

It leans so heavily into the Daemon Engines that, should their datasheets be problematic elsewhere then the nerf will be felt far more keenly here. Where other detachments can pivot away, here there there’s really much choice.

On the plus side, given they have some pretty crazy rules for those units, it’s more likely they will be costed to keep Soulforge in check and perhaps falter in other detachments.

As with other vehicle skew lists scoring will be an issue, but Chaos have enough chaff units to fill that gap reasonably well. The ratios will be a balancing act though.

Theme wise, Discolord and Vashtorr rule oddities aside, this is another hit and looks damned fun to play. It’s a two for one almost as well in that many iron Warriors fans will gravitate here over the somewhat more sedate Fellhammer detachment.

Emperor’s Children detachment analysis

Well, a fair number of these units will come over to Emperor’s Children, and you could use Noise Marines as you tactical choice, but less than ideal. Therein ends the fit for Emperor’s Children.

It’s fine, for units and crossover, owing to the Heavy support ubiquitousness across factions, and looks pretty powerful, but horrid for theme.

If you have a large enough Emperor’s Children Force already to full this out (as you’d be unlikely to look to these units first in a smaller army) with a smattering of Daemon Engines, and enjoy them, you could do worse than Soulforge.

Are you sure you are really one of us though if that’s the case and aren’t harbouring some Iron below the purple?

Chaos Cult (Lost and the Damned & Fabius Bile?!)

Emperor’s Children Detachment Rating

Chaos Cult

Power
Thematic Fit
Units / Datasheets Fit

Overall Emperor’s Children Rating

Detachment: Desperate Devotion

On Move, Advance and charge of Damned units (besides when entering from reserves, units can make a desperate pact.

Leadership test with D3 Mortal wounds on failure. +2 Movement +2 Charge.

Traitor Guardsmen are Battleline.

Enhancements

• Cultist’s Brand – Dark Apostle or Damned only. If every other model in the bearer’s unit (excluding Dark Disciples) is damned, reroll advance and charge,
• Amulet of Tainted Vigour – Dark Apostle only. In your command phase return up to D3 Damned models from the bearer’s unit.
• Incendiary Goad – Dark Apostle or Damned only. When the bearer’s unit is below starting strength, +1 strength on melee weapons. +1A as well when below half strength.
• Warped Foresight – Dark Apostle or Damned only. Bearer has counts 6 inches.

Stratagems

• Chosen for Glory (1CP) – Battle Tactic. Damned only.Shooting or Fight phase, desperate Pact. RR hits, RR wounds as well if you did not fail the test.
• Selfless Demise (1CP) – Damned only. After opponent resolves it’s attacks in the fight phase roll a D6 for every model destroyed, that unit suffers a mortal wound on a 6.
• Infernal Sacrifice (1CP) – Battle Tactic. Damned only. Additional D3 mortal wounds when making a Desperate Pact. +1 Attacks to melee weapons for the fight phase, +1S as well if test passed.
• Crazed Focus (1CP) – Battle Tactic. Damned only. AP+1 on desperate pact when shooting, +1 S as well if passed.
• Reckless Haste (1CP) – Damned only. Advance and charge.
• Mortal Thralls (1CP) – Your unit selected by shooting attacks and a damned unit within 3 inches. Instead the damned unit takes mortal wounds equal to the damage characteristic with no rolls made.

Overview

As we run up to the Emperor’s Children Codex spare a thought for our Lost and the Damned brethren. I suspect a few still have the rotting husks of Basilisks that will likely never see the table again.

At one point they were rumoured to be getting a codex before any of the other Chaos Factions. A weak rumour some 20+ years ago, but there was hope once. We feel your pain brothers. 7th edition renegades is not enough.

The theme of this detachment may well be a balm for those wounds, but the rules certainly aren’t. Cultists and Traitor Guard copping minor nerfs is a head scratcher. The datasheets here simply do not hold up.

Perhaps the rules were initially written with pre-nerf Accursed Cultists in mind. This detachment looks to be trying to rely on them.

Fabius Bile being able to join Cultists and SAccursed seems odd, but we can suppose this is as close to a Creations of Bile detachment as we will get until there is an Agents of Chaos Codex. Certainly, Bile and Damned fans would be better suited by something more fleshed out, if you’ll excuse the pun.

Still, there are rules for the die-hard fans here. Emperor’s Children converts will fall ravenously on our own index when it launches, regardless of competitiveness, just to shave something.

The dedicated Lost and the Damned playerbase perhaps will care less for the competitive edge and more for the fit.

At the very least these is an incredibly thematic list for the hordes of mortal rabble. Perhaps if Possessed were included as damned, even with their own significant nerfs, it would have a bit more bite.

Emperor’s Children detachment analysis

Theme wise this has some links to Emperor’s Children. A unorganised wave of rabble is hardly martial perfection, but pleasure / drug addicted cults are certainly in our wheelhouse and we have Bile lurking around the midst of our Lore. Especially when they shake themselves apart, in both instances.

Sadly few of the main units, perhaps none, will make it across to our eventual Codex, and mortal hordes have only rarely been competitive. Even then the time clock strain leaves them not particularly enjoyable to play in a competitive environment.

A great option if you want something casual and thematic. Games Workshop put out so many mortal models that this is a modeller / hobbyist’s dream. It’s going to be great to see some damned forces around again.

Pactbound Zealots (Word Bearers)

Emperor’s Children Detachment Rating

Pactbound Zealots

Power
Thematic Fit
Units / Datasheets Fit

Overall Emperor’s Children Rating

Detachment: Marks of Chaos

These are the same as before with 5+ Lethal and Sustained depending on your mark, and undivided re-rolling hits of 1.

The crucial differences are this happens before the action, and a failure loses out on the pact bonus.

Enhancements

• Talisman of Burning Blood – KHorne only. +1A +1S melee. +D3 on passing a pact.
• Eye of Tzeentch – Tzeentch only. Passing a pact on 8+ = +1CP.
• Orbs of Unlife – Nurgle only.D6 per unit within 3 inches at the end of the phase, +1 if the Unit made a pact that phase and passed. D3 Mortal wounds on a 4+.
• Intoxicating Elixir – Slaanesh only. 5+++ Feel no paint. On passing a pact this phase any enemies hit must rake a Battle-shock test.

Stratagems

• Eye of the Gods (1CP) – Character only. Excludes damned, daemon and Epic heroes.  After destroying an enemy unit in the fight phase. Until the end of the battle +1Move, toughness and wounds. +1 Attacks, strength and damage on Melee attacks.
• Eternal Hate (1CP) – Fights on death 4+, 3+ of Khorne.
• Profane Zeal (1CP) – Battle Tactic. Undivided can re-roll wounds this phase.
• Skinshift (1CP) – In your command phase regenerate 3 lost wounds. If Tzeentch return a model with full wounds.
• Torpefying Refrain (1CP) – Fallback and change., If Slaanesh shoot, and charge on fallback or advance.
• Festering Miasma (1CP) – [Stealth] cannot be targeted outside 18 inches.

Overview

The index detachment returns with some tweaks. Losing our armour of contempt, which was essentially free on Chaos Lords a lot of the time, is a bit of a hit.

The same datasheet buffs and nerfs flow through as well, however that isn’t a detachment issue. It is worth noting though. After the pretty poor win rate competitively after the last round of nerfs you would be forgiven for thinking this detachment is pretty poor and look to the newer options.

However, that is just not the case, the detachment is still solid, on theme, fun to play and has ridiculous output with a near effective 5+ lethal or sustained hits army wide.

The change to Dark Pacts impacts this to some degree, perhaps more than you would think as it’s not just a damage downgrade, being unable to reply on it for crucial players and mental math hammer will have a moderately significant impact.

Overall though, as long as points remain competitive, this remains a fantastic detachment. As alluded to earlier though, this may suffer from some units being costs for best use, which isn’t here, limiting options.

The Army Rule benefit is the most generic and widespread of all detachments though so it has some of the best, if not the best, flexibility to adapt.

Emperor’s Children detachment analysis

As before, not great news for Noise Marines with their 6+ on shooting pact. Lucius however should remain very strong here as was starting to see tracking with Legionaries and the master of Executions.

The detachment being so broad should work our favour when selecting Units for an Emperor’s Children codex, an aspect it shares with both Veterans of the Long war and renegade raiders.

However you will have to accept the fluff hit to running different marked units to get the most from them. If you can stomach this, and the rating has assumed you can, then it’s a decent offering for an Emperor’s Children Army.

A major point also in favour is that, if you’ve been masquerading as Emperor’s Children whilst playing Chaps Space marines in 10^th Edition thus far, you have an army here already that should tide you over until the full Emperor’s Children codex arrives.

Summary Ratings

Let’s now bring together the overall ratings, and consider some final aspects for our future detachment

Power

Detachment Power

Renegade Raiders
Soulforge Warpack
Pactbound Zealots
Veterans of the Long War
Deceptors
Dread Talons
Fell Hammer
Chaos Cult

Thematic Fit

Emperor’s Children Thematic Fit

Renegade Raiders
Dread Talons
Chaos Cult
Veterans of the Long War
Deceptors
Pactbound Zealots
Fell Hammer
Soulforge Warpack

Units

Unit Fit (making it across to the Emperor’s Children Codex)

Renegade Raiders
Veterans of the Long War
Pactbound Zealots
Soulforge Warpack
Dread Talons
Fell Hammer
Deceptors
Chaos Cult

The Best Emperor’s Children Detachment

Overall

Renegade Raiders
Veterans of the Long War
Pactbound Zealots
Dread Talons
Soulforge Warpack
Chaos Cult
Deceptors
Fell Hammer

Emperor’s Children Index – Outstanding questions

Where to start here? There are so many! We’ll focus on those few major items relating to the coming Emperor’s Children Index. We’ll find out soon enough at least.

Changing datasheets

We have seen that Games Workshop has tweaked, and in a few cases, overhauled datasheets in the Chaos Space Maine Codex. Given we are to receive our own Index it’s perhaps sensible to assume the same happens to the Emperor’s Children.

These may be slight, perhaps OC2 to Noise Marines. They could also be much greater, splitting Noise Marines into shooting and melee, giving Lucius a glow up give he will likely be out own Epic Hero available.

The expectation is they will be minor and the current datasheets will essentially be parked until the Emperor’s Children codex release, but the chance exists.

Should we see larger changes then this may be insight into our Codex as well. The majority of Chaos Space Marine units didn’t change at or, or to a great degree, after all.

Be warned though, there have been some nerfs. Lucius losing fights first, or making it once a game, for example could be on the cards.

The Mark of Slaanesh

The main query remains how exactly will the Mark of Slaanesh interacts here.

We know that we will only be able to use units within these detachments that can take the mark of Slaanesh, so that likely rules out the majority, if not all, of the Epic heroes aside from Lucius long with the Lord of Skulls. Painful (not the KLoS though), but we can deal with it.

Currently every other unit can take the Mark though. Could we potentially see a much more limited list, in line with the future Emperor’s Children Codex?

If so this would be extremely painful until we get our new units however if it means we get an early solid indication of our upcoming Codex then that will certainly alleviate the pain!

Again though the expectation here is something in the Index indicating which units can take the mark and it will just limit the above mentioned units and other allied Cult and Daemon units

Final Word

There you have it. These are early days and general impressions after a quick first pass of the new Chaos Space Marine Codex. It will be fantastic to get out onto the battlefield with Emperor’s Children specific rues again, even if through a heavily limited Index for now.

When we start to see data come through from the various competitive trackers, She Who Thirsts will be there to bring you the low down.

We will also be continuing our series covering the news, rumours and speculation around the Emperor’s Children Codex. If you heave ’t already checked them out have a look at the release date and Emperor’s Children Codex unit speculation.

Next up we’ll have another in-depth analysis covering the likely play-style, rules and detachments so look out for it in the coming days.

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