Hey everyone, we’re back with part 2 of the Traitor Legions preview.
Be sure to read part 1, here, and to check the Tactics Corner for more reviews. Also, please remember, this is a preview not a full review, giving you some of the highlights of the book and some fun details!
Black Legion
The Evil Ultramarines! Black Legion are the elite of the Chaos Space Marines and their special rules reflect this: Chosen and Terminators as Troops…say what? Yes, I will take ObSec Termicide Squads, please. They also gain Hatred, and super Hatred vs. Imperial armies (gaining the benefit every turn vs. them).
Highlights:
- In their Black Legion Speartip detachment, non-vehicle units gain the Fear and Crusader special rules.
- Also, units that can Deep Strike begin rolling for reserves on turn 1. The Warlord and his unit automatically come in on turn 1! All kinds of crazy combos you can pull out of that.
- Unlike many of the other non-Cult legions, Black Legion can include units with any Mark of Chaos.
- Largest selection of specialized formations.
Alpha Legion
WOW, Alpha Legion are comin in hot! They got some outstanding benefits. They get Chosen as Troops and Chosen, Chaos Space Marines and Cultists get Infiltrate! Soooooo gooood. Imagine ObSec Chosen in Rhinos Infiltrating or Outflanking and busting out 4+ Special Weapon shots. But wait, there’s more! What may be the coolest rule in the book: Many Heads of the Hydra, which lets you nominate a new Warlord if you current Warlord dies, generating a new Warlord Trait. The enemy has to destroy ALL of your characters to get Warlord…holy crap. In a tournament, that can seriously make a huge difference as you consistently do not give up Slay the Warlord. What great benefits!
Highlights:
- Warlord Trait: Faceless Commander: Once per game, you can swap places with your Warlord and another Character. Pretty cool but what happens when you swap places with an Aspiring Champion and pull him out of unit coherency? Think they meant Independent Character…
- Artifact: Icon of Insurrection: Friendly units of Chaos Cultists within 12″ of the bearer gain Zealot…wow! That’s awesome and a huge aura ability.
- Artifact: The Mindveil: In the movement phase you can choose to move the bearer and his unit up to 3d6″ instead of moving normally…even if you’re locked in combat. Cool!
- Cannot take any Marked units, Alpha Legion don’t play dat Chaos Worshipin game!
- In their Alpha Legion Insurgency Detachment they gain Shrouded on the first turn and Cultists come back on a 4+!
Iron Warriors
The Iron Warriors are going to be quite popular! True to their fluff, they can bring Obliterators or Mutilators as troops choices. That’s pretty good. On top of that, Oblits, Mutilators and Havocs get Tank Hunters…that’s really good! On top of everything else, much like Iron Hands, they get FnP 6+ to boot.
Highlights:
- In their Iron Warriors Grand Company detachment they can reroll barrage and Ordnance Weapons, and gain Stubborn.
- These guys will rock in a CAD with ObSec, Tank Hunting Oblits!
- They have Warlord Trait that lets Oblits fire the same weapon in subsequent shooting phases.
- Cranium Malevolus: Artifact that in each shooting phase hits all enemy vehicles in 2d6″ with a Haywire hit that ignores cover.
- Can’t take any marked units.
Night Lords
My favorite legion: the Night Lords. If I said I was stoked with their special abilities, well, I’d be lying, haha. They’re clearly (to me, at least) the weakest of the bunch, unfortunately. That said, I am happy to get some rules for them, I just wish they were a bit better. You get Raptors as troops (yay), Fear, Night Vision and Stealth. In melee you subtract 2 from your leadership when taking Fear checks. Stealth is pretty solid. Fear is….not. Le sigh, if only their Raptors were Fearless, they’d be playable…
Highlights:
- No marked units.
- One with the Shadows: Warlord Trait that lets the Warlord and his unit reroll failed cover saves.
- Their Night Lords Murder Talon detachments gives them rerolls for failed charges, and the choice to make the first turn Night Fight, giving non-vehicle Night Lords +1 cover save if they do so.
- Vox Daemonicus: Artifact that gives a -1 leadership debuff to enemy units within 6″, and -1 to enemy reserve rolls. Nice! This combos well with the Raptor Talon which gives a -2 to enemy leadership. You can get a -3 for general leadership tests and -5 to fear checks. Pretty good, but considering so many things ignore morale in the competitive meta it is pretty hit or miss.
Word Bearers
There are some excellent abilities for the Word Bearers! They get Possessed as troops which is OK, makes sense with the fluff, but like Night Lords with their Raptors, it’s a very over-costed unit. They do get 3+ to harness Warp Charge when summoning Daemons though, which is both characterful and awesome! Combined with a Spell Familiar they become ultra efficient. They hate Ultramarines (and vice versa) and their Dark Apostles have a 6″ Zealot aura.
Highlights:
- No Cult units such as Noise Marines but can take marked units otherwise.
- Warlord Trait: The Voice of Lorgar: 12″ bubble to grant Counter-attack, Fearless, Furious Charge, or Relentless to a friendly Word Bearers unit.
- Artifact: Baleful Icon: Enemy units have to reroll successful charge rolls against the bearer’s unit and even if successful, do not gain any bonus attacks.
- Their Word Bearers Grand Host detachment grants Crusader to all non-vehicle units and at the start of each turn, a character of your choice gets a free roll on the Chaos Boon table.
World Eaters
I seriously love the World Eaters bonuses. They’re characterful, fun, and effective. They gain Berzerkers as troops unsurprisingly, and units with VotLW also gain Adamantium Will, Fearless and Furious Charge…holy Khorne’s Axe! That’s a potent combo. That makes–dare I say it–regular Chaos Space marines…playable! I never thought those words in that order would come out of my mouth without an edition change. Your basic CSM with a Chain Sword and Bolt Pistol with MoK and VotLW (which is free, remember) is now Fearless, has Rage, Furious Charge, Adamantium Will and can get a bonus move before the game starts in their “Decurion” detachment. That is so damn good! You could run 5 man units of them as cheap ObSec objective grabbers that actually pack a punch in melee.
Highlights:
- All units must have the Mark of Khorne if possible.
- Non Khorne marked units cannot be taken.
- Warlord Trait: Violent Urgency: Friendly units with the MoK within 8″ of your Warlord roll 3d6 for charges and take the two highest dice.
- Artifact: Talisman of the Burning Blood: Add 3″ to the bearer and his unit’s move, run and charge rolls. This makes these guys REALLY fast! This combos really well with the Maelstrom of Gore formation wherein Berzerkers get +3″ to charge rolls and Fleet! +6″ charges with rerolls? Holy smokes!
- In their World Eaters Butcherhorde, all non-vehicle units get a 2d6″ free move (NOT a Scout move) and they plus Walkers in the detachment can reroll failed charges. Awesome.
Thousand Sons
This is the same bonuses and such that are presented in the Wrath of Magnus book, which you can get a full breakdown of, here.
Death Guard
This may be the most powerful set of legion rules. Let me know what you think! So, Death Guard get Plague Marines as troops, and anyone with VotLW also get Fearless, Feel no Pain, -1 Initiative, and Relentless. BOOM! So, so good. Also, so characterful. Again, as with World Eaters the magic USR: Fearless makes so many units that stunk, viable. Feel no Pain and Relentless are just icing on the cake! Havocs walking around blasting stuff, min/maxed units of CSMs that are super durable for grabbing objectives, etc. T6 Bikers with FnP and Fearless? So good. Fearless Oblits? Yes, please! These are some seriously awesome and exciting bonuses.
Highlights:
- You may only take units with the Mark of Nurgle, and units that can take the mark, must.
- Warlord Trait: Insensate Pain: +1 to your Feel no Pain role for you Warlord.
- Artifact: Poxwalker Hive: Pick a unit of Cultists within 7″ and turn them into Zombies. Brains!!!
- Their Death Guard Vectorium grants rerolls of 1 for FnP rolls, and Stealth for units in the detachment that are being fired on from over 18″ away. Both awesome traits.
Emperor’s Children
In my opinion, this is dang near equally as good as Death Guard. I seriously love this legion’s rules. For units with VotLW (again, free!) you get Fearless, FnP 6+ (which boosts to a 4+ with their Icon!) and you get to swing one last time before dying in melee. Very cool! As stated, this makes so many units good that were not. I5 Raptors with FnP? Yes, sir! Units of 20 CSMs with FnP 4+, etc. The list goes on. Awesome bonuses.
Highlights:
- Can only take units with Mark of Slaanesh, and all units that can take the MoS must do so.
- Warlord Trait: Stimulated by Pain: Your Warlord gains 1 Attack each time he loses a wound! Pretty cool. If he regains wounds they go back, but Chaos doesn’t have a lot of options to heal.
- Artifact: Intoxicating Elixir: Make D3 rolls on the Combat Drugs table, all effects are cumulative, including with the roll you get in their “Decurion” style detachment. This is pretty bad ass!
- Their Emperor’s Children Rapture Battalion grants Combat Drugs to all non-vehicle units which is a D6 table wherein every single result is good! It is a game long buff to WS, BS, St, T, In, or Attacks. WOWZA!
So there you go. That is seriously just the tip of the iceberg! We will dig further into this beautiful bastard as the weeks roll by, but I can say with total sincerity that this is the most exciting supplement Games Workshop has released for 40k in recent memory. My mind is growing crazy with ideas for Chaos Warbands! If you love the fluff, buy this book. If you love Chaos, buy this book. If you love 40k, buy this book. It is pure awesome.
Which is your favorite legion from the preview?
FOR CHAOS!
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