The Chaos Space Marines are set to receive a huge wave of new reinforcements from tomorrow – not to mention the amazing Daemonkin units in Warhammer 40,000: Shadowspear – so this week, we’re taking a closer look at the Traitor Legions themselves. Get your chainaxes at the ready, as today we’re looking at the most violent and warlike of the Traitor Legions – the mighty World Eaters – and their eternal allies in bloodshed, the Khorne Daemons!
This article was originally published on the Warhammer-community page.
Who are the World Eaters?
From the very earliest days of the Great Crusade, the World Eaters had a reputation for overkill, mercilessly suppressing worlds that refused compliance, and always by direct assault rather than faceless bombardment. Though the victories of Angron’s Legion were many, tales of bloody massacres and the slaughter of defeated foes ever followed in their wake. For his part, the Primarch of the World Eaters cared little for mercy, for he had been raised on a gladiatorial world and fought only to kill – a trait which he passed on to the rest of his Legion.
Many of the World Eaters had also taken to using crude replicas of Angron’s cybernetic cortical implants known as Butcher’s Nails. These implants enhanced aggression and tolerance to pain but dulled the senses to the point where only the thrill of battle offered release from the emotional ennui. Though the Butcher’s Nails doubtless enhanced the fighting prowess of the World Eaters, it turned them into little more than berserk killers. The fall of the World Eaters to Khorne was all but inevitable.
Shortly after the events of the Horus Heresy, the World Eaters Legion ceased to exist as a cohesive Legion. At the climax of the Battle of Skalathrax, fought between the World Eaters and Emperor’s Children, Khârn – named ‘the Betrayer’ in the aftermath – slaughtered friend and foe alike in a murderous rampage that permanently scattered the Legion. The World Eaters became roving warbands of Khorne Berzerkers, united under the bloodiest of their number and seeking battle wherever it could be found.
On the Battlefield
The World Eaters are the consummate assault army, unrivalled in the Fight phase by any of the other Traitor Legions. Their ferocity in battle is exemplified by their Legion Trait, which rewards you for fighting on the front foot with bonus attacks.
Vigilus Ablaze is up for pre-order tomorrow and graces the World Eaters and their daemonic allies with a number of cool (by which we mean ultra-violent) new options that couldn’t be any more Khornate. Let’s take a closer look…
Master of Executions
There are those among the Traitor Legionnaires who have wholly given over their existence to the art of the kill. Known as Masters of Executions, they bestride the battlefield like avenging gods of war, using warp-enhanced senses to seek their prey.
These guys are a virtual no-brainer for your World Eaters. Who needs snipers to eliminate enemy Characters when you can do it the good old-fashioned way – with an axe to the neck? Masters of Executions have two useful abilities that make them even better at getting up close and personal with your target of choice (and then horribly killing them, obviously).
When it comes to delivering the coup-de-grace, the aptly-named axe of dismemberment hits like… well, an 8-foot, warp-forged battleaxe! Against Character-dependent armies such as the Genestealer Cults and Astra Militarum, a Master of Executions will be an absolute terror!
A Master of Executions makes for an exceptional Warlord in a World Eaters army, where their skill at hunting down enemy characters will be greatly rewarded by their Warlord Trait.
Of course, the horrifically violent battlefield acts of the World Eaters often lead to the arrival of some of Khorne’s Daemons as the Blood Gods sends his infernal legions forth to join in the slaughter. An allied host of Bloodletters is not only thematic, but it can do wonders for your Armour Penetration in the Fight phase and complement your Khorne Berzerkers nicely. On that note, check out this Specialist Detachment from Vigilus Ablaze.
A Warlord (or Field Commander) from this Detachment with the Bloodblessed Warlord Trait would work well alongside a Master of Executions, making for a pretty terrifying tag team that can cut their way through even the toughest Characters.
Alternatively, why not include the best of the best? Skulltaker is second to none when it comes to lopping off heads. With a BS of 2+, he’ll also be a dead-eye shot with a Brazen Skull – a handy Stratagem for picking off a vulnerable enemy unit or ridding yourself of a close-combat enemy to free up your units to charge elsewhere.
We’ll have more on the Emperor’s Children and Alpha Legion this weekend (when Codex: Chaos Space Marines and Vigilus Ablaze will be available to pre-order!) so be sure to check back with us then.
If you haven’t picked up Khârn the Betrayer for your Worlds Eaters army, you’d be mad not to – after all, he fights twice every turn! While you’re building and painting him, give Chosen of Khorne a listen and learn all about the early history of the World Eaters and the aforementioned Betrayer. Meanwhile, if you’re looking to add in a Legion of Skulls to your force, why not kick things off with a Start Collecting! Khorne Daemons set?
And remember, Frontline Gaming sells gaming products at a discount, every day in their webcart!
