These were just revealed on the Warhammer-community site and look pretty awesome so far! What do you think?
Slaanesh: The New Datasheets!
If you’ve been patiently waiting for the Warhammer 40,000 rules ever since we showed you the shiny new Slaanesh miniatures, give praise to the Dark Prince of Chaos, as that time has come! Before we go any further, it’s worth pointing out that the assembly guide that comes with each miniature includes a datasheet with their full rules for Warhammer 40,000, so you’ll be free to set them loose on the battlefield the moment you finish building them!
Keeper of Secrets
The incredible new Keeper of Secrets model is much larger and more regal than its previous incarnation, so you’ll be unsurprised to learn that its profile has been boosted accordingly – more specifically, it now has a whopping 16 Wounds, while its witstealer sword and snapping claws hit even harder than they did before.
There are also a number of new wargear options in the kit – a living whip, sinistrous hand, ritual knife and shining aegis – all of which have a powerful profile or ability to represent them. For example, if you like the idea of your Keeper of Secrets stealing the life essence of its victims to heal itself, then the sinistrous hand is for you!
Shalaxi Helbane
You can instead assemble your Keeper of Secrets as one of Slaanesh’s foremost champions, Shalaxi Helbane. This monstrous duellist is nigh on unstoppable in melee, where they can cut down even the most formidable opponents with their baleful weapon, Soulpiercer.
Shalaxi wears the Cloak of Constriction which, when combined with the Mesmerising Aura ability shared by all Greater Daemons of Slaanesh, will confound even the most dangerous enemies.
Syll’Esske, the Vengeful Allegiance
This strange Daemon is part Herald, part Daemon Prince, and has a murderously powerful combined profile to match.
If your heart skipped a beat when you saw that they fight with 8 Attacks, just wait until you see the profiles for the weapons they wield. Oh, and did we mention they can fight with both weapons – with 8 Attacks each? Enemies of Slaanesh beware!
Of course, as a combination of Herald and Daemon Prince, they also combine the Locus and Prince of Slaanesh aura abilities for re-rolls of 1s to hit and +1 Strength. Ouch!
The Contorted Epitome
This disturbing creation will make a formidable addition to any army of Slaanesh Daemons. It’s a psychic powerhouse, able to manifest and deny two powers a turn, all the while gaining a bonus from its Gift of Power ability whenever it does so.
On the off chance that an enemy Psyker does breach the Contorted Epitome’s psychic defences, it will be all but immune to any mortal wounds it suffers.
It also has the means to prevent enemies from Falling Back – an ability will be all the more effective if you supplement it with the Phantasmagoria power from the Slaanesh discipline first.
If you’re chomping at the bit to get your hands on these new – and frankly terrifying – Daemons of Slaanesh, they’re up for pre-order this weekend, so you won’t have long to wait. Which of these units do you most desire? Let us know on the Warhammer 40,000 Facebook page.
Slaanesh: The New Warscrolls!
Still hungry for more Slaanesh previews after yesterday’s in-depth look at the new battletome? Even trapped in the Hidden Gloaming,* we’ve heard your cries, and we’ve got some tantalising new rules to share with you…
Keeper of Secrets
With an awesome new model, it was only fitting the Keeper of Secrets should get some awesome new rules to match!
The new Keeper of Secrets is an unspeakably deadly combatant that’s more than a match for any monster in the game, capable of slicing them apart from a hail of deadly attacks and sinister abilities. Dark Temptations, for instance, can be used to lure your enemy into making a deadly bargain that could well slay their favourite Hero.
The Keeper of Secrets has a range of optional gear that allows you to tailor your strategy to your preferences. The living whip, for instance, is great for hunting Monsters – Ghoul Kings on Terrorgheists beware!
Shalaxi Helbane
Shalaxi Helbane is very similar to the Keeper of Secrets, with some deadly additional kit that makes them great against enemy Heroes. Irresistible Challenge, for instance, forces enemy Heroes to choose between charging Shalaxi or suffering mortal wounds.
Syll’Esske, the Vengeful Allegiance
Syll’Esske is an excellent “toolbox” unit, offering a number of benefits to a Slaanesh army and slotting neatly into a variety of army builds.
While pretty excellent in melee, Syll’Esske is most useful for its incredible unique spell, Subvert, which can shut down enemy command abilities, potentially devastating their strategy.
Meanwhile, the Regal Authority command ability can be used to bolster your offensive abilities or shield units from Battleshock, making it a great combination with hordes of Daemonettes.
The Contorted Epitome
The Contorted Epitome is the magical lynchpin of the Slaanesh army. With one on your side, you’ll be able to dominate the hero phase and shut down enemy sorcerers and endless spells with ease, thanks to its ability to re-roll failed casting, unbinding and dispelling rolls.
Attempting to destroy the Contorted Epitome with mortal wounds is all but impossible thanks to its excellent Swallow Energy ability…
…while anyone that tries to destroy it in close combat risks being hit by the Horrible Fascination ability.
You’ll be able to pre-order all of these new models for yourself this weekend, while more rules for them can be found in Battletome: Hedonites of Slaanesh. In the meantime, let us know how you’ll be using them in your army on the Warhammer Age of Sigmar Facebook page!
* Or, as mortals call it, the Warhammer Community office.
And remember, Frontline Gaming sells gaming products at a discount, every day in their webcart!
It was at this moment, boys and girls, that I fell to Slaanesh.
lol
I am ready to dust off my Keepers of Secrets but I am still worried if they are going to be a 6+/5++ model that is north of 200pts. Even a 4++ Hive Tyrant isn’t super survivable at this point in 8th edition.
GW is nailing the glass cannon aspect of these new Slaanesh Daemons. Currently, they are just glass.
They mentioned a shield as one of the pieces of wargear, hopefully it improves the invul or helps with extra protection.
Yeah. Even something as simple as the Greater Daemon rule they used to have that improved their Invul to 4++ would be welcome
I really think they need to give all greater daemons (including Avatars) a 4++ base like they used to have.
So if he isn’t to expensive in points Ssyl’Esque might see some play as he’s under 10 wounds and hits hard. The Epitome could also be interesting since Slaanesh has quite a good psychic discipline. The KoS though… There’s no way he’s going to make it across the table, lol…
Depending on the price point, though, it may be feasible to run a bunch of them (as well as other stuff) and overload threats. That may be possible, if the FAQ sees a trend towards less AT firepower around.
Nouveau KoS may be valuable just as a distraction-fex for other fast-moving Slaanesh units like Seekers, Fiends, or Chariots.
KoS making nearby units LD 10 (assuming it still has the same aura) also means if he lives you probably aren’t morale removing a lot of adjacent daemons.
14″ + advance is just fast enough to clear 18″ no man’s land for a turn 1 charge and maybe a turn 1 charge on a 24″ no man’s land.
Yeah, that leadership aura is surprisingly relevant for units, since it cuts down on the casualties you potentially take with a horde.
14″ is definitely speedy, but from past experience units like Custodes jetbikes very rarely get turn 1 charges, so I wouldn’t expect that KoS would, either (though if you get lucky with an advance roll, perhaps?) Still, the combination of hitting power, speed, and at least passable durability is potentially quite dangerous.