Games Workshop’s latest rules previews hit two very different hobby pleasures. First, the World Eaters got a faction focus that doubles down on raw violence.
Meanwhile, the Cities of Sigmar received a rules reveal built around discipline, formation fighting, and layered support. So, one army wants to smash through the wall. The other wants to become the wall, then shoot and counterpunch from behind it.
Daemon engines, Terminator anvils, and killer champions give the World Eaters three nasty ways to play
The World Eaters preview does a good job showing that the army is not just Berserkers running straight ahead.
Brazen Engines is the first big clue, because it turns daemon vehicles into terror weapons that force engaged enemies to take battle-shock rolls at minus 1 in the Fight phase. That immediately gives Defilers and Maulerfiends more bite, especially when failed tests lock opponents out of stratagems.
Then the article spotlights Talons of Butchery, which gives a Maulerfiend’s fists Cleave 2.
![Infographic explaining the [CLEAVE] ability: warriors sweep blades; you gather attack dice for the weapon and add extra dice for every five models in the targeted unit; includes an example.](https://frontlinegaming.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/image-264.png "image Frontline Gaming")
So, the unit suddenly stops being just a can-opener and starts mulching larger squads too.
Apoplectic Clarity then keeps those daemon engines swinging cleanly by ignoring modifiers to Weapon Skill, Ballistic Skill, hit rolls, and wound rolls.
Meanwhile, Butchers of Khorne pushes Terminator Squads into full Red Butcher mode.
Adamantine Avalanche gives engaged Terminators an extra Blessing of Khorne in the Fight phase, on top of whatever blessings are already active. As a result, they can stack truly ugly combinations like Sustained Hits, Lethal Hits, and Devastating Wounds at once.
Gore-stained Veterans sharpens that even further with +1 Weapon Skill, while A Trophy for the Throne gives Terminators +1 to wound against Monsters and Vehicles.
Then Vessels of Wrath pivots from squad brutality to character murder.
Non-Epic Hero World Eaters Characters can choose either Cleave 1 or +1 AP on their melee attacks, which already makes them flexible.
However, the real nonsense is Archslaughterer, a once-per-battle enhancement that turns every Blessing of Khorne on for one model until your next turn. Aspire to Infamy piles on another buff with +1 Attack and +2 Strength.
Altogether, the whole preview sells three distinct World Eaters moods: rampaging daemon machines, elite Terminator crushers, and heroes trying to impress Khorne through pure overkill.
Discipline, linked orders, and trap-setting counterattacks make the Cities feel like a real army, not a pile of warscrolls
The Cities of Sigmar reveal lands just as cleanly, but in the opposite direction. Instead of rewarding individual bloodlust, it rewards tight planning and combined arms.
Form Up! is the core rule, and it is a very clever one. At the start of the battle round, one Cities unit can place itself and two visible allies within 12 inches under orders, as long as all three are different unit types. That means you are always thinking in little tactical trios instead of isolated units.
Better still, Form Up! is not once per turn, so the article makes clear that positioning and redundancy matter all game.
Take Aim! then gives an ordered unit +1 to hit with one ranged weapon in your Shooting phase, which is already strong on Fusiliers. However, ordered Fusiliers also gain Fortified Position, letting them Shoot in Combat and reduce incoming Rend by 1. So, they can act like a real gunline anchor instead of folding the moment enemies reach them.
The article then shifts to melee, where Hurl Them Back! adds 1 Rend when an ordered unit fights something that charged it that turn. That gets especially nasty with Freeguild Gallants, because the article calls out how quickly their attacks can spike with other buffs layered on top.
Throngs of the Faithful then adds +1 to wound against an enemy using Fight, which turns a defensive trap into a proper punishment mechanic. Meanwhile, offensive builds still get toys. The Last Blade of Embergard can give a melee weapon +2 Attacks and +2 Rend for the battle, even while the bearer is in reserve.
High Star’s Light can boost Freeguild Cavaliers, while the Reckoning of Sinners prayer helps lock down crucial objectives. Altogether, the Cities rules preview makes the army sound exactly as it should: steady, practical, and suddenly vicious when the plan clicks.
Taken together, these previews are a great example of good faction design. The World Eaters look more varied without losing their savage identity. Meanwhile, the Cities of Sigmar feel coordinated, flexible, and properly mortal in the best way.
