Avian
Chaos Daemons army book
The book is out in May 2008, meaning that some stuff goes on sale late in April.
How will this army book interact with the Hordes and Beasts of Chaos army book?
It appears that it is a stand-alone book, similar to how the Daemonic Legion
list was and how the Daemon Codex for 40K has been confirmed to be.
What about the Daemons in the Hordes of Chaos book?
It would appear that these are used as they currently are until the Hordes book is redone in November this year. So for about six months there will be two sets of rules for Bloodletters, Daemonettes, etc.
How am I supposed to play a god-specific list now that I only have three different units and three different characters to choose from?
It appears at the moment that the idea will be that you can play god-specific lists (since each god had two Lords, one Hero, one Core unit, one Special unit and one Rare unit), but that it will be very limited and that the norm will be to play mixed armies.
New models
Bloodletter of Khorne on Juggernaut (box of 1 metal mini)
Bloodletters of Khorne (box of 10 plastic minis)
Daemonettes of Slaanesh (box of 10 plastic minis)
Flesh Hounds of Khorne (box of 5 metal minis?)
Fiends of Slaanesh (blister of 1 metal mini)
Beast of Nurgle (blister of 1 metal mini)
Plaguebearer command group (box of 3 metal minis)
The Masque, Herald of Slaanesh (blister of 1 metal mini)
Skulltaker, Herald of Khorne (blister of 1 metal mini)
Epidemius, Herald of Nurgle (blister of 1 metal mini)
Karanak, Flesh Hound champion (blister of 1 metal mini)
Herald of Khorne on Juggernaut (direct order only(?), 1 metal mini)
Daemon Spearhead box (32 minis)
- The army book
-10 Bloodletters
-10 Daemonettes
- 5 Fleshhounds
- 1 Bloodcrusher
- 1 Beast of nurgle
- 1 Fiend of slaanesh
- Epidemius
- The Masque
- Skulltaker
- Karanak
Models expected at some later date
- remaining five special characters (possibly not the greater daemon ones)
- plastic Horrors
- plastic Plaguebearers
- plastic Daemon Prince and/or Herald
- new Seekers of Slaanesh minis
Remember that no rumours of changes for a unit/character does NOT imply a rumour of no changes for it.
Army composition and special rules:
- Instability is altered somewhat, now there is no special effect of rolling above your basic Leadership, so you just take a modified break test and lose a number of wounds equal to the amount you failed the roll by.
- Supposedly, units within 12" of the army general may take their Daemonic Ward save against any kind of attacks, not just non-magical ones. Units more than 12" away from the general follow the current rules for Daemonic auras.
- The restrictions on not mixing followers of different gods unless your general is Undivided is almost certainly gone.
- The list of daemonic gifts will almost certainly be altered and extended, though it is not know by how much.
- As with all previous books in this edition, characters will almost certainly only take up a single character choice.
Signature special rules
Khorne: Killing blow, Hatred, Magic Resistance
Slaanesh: Armour piercing, Always strikes first
Nurgle: Poison, Regeneration
Tzeench: Magic, Flaming Attacks
Slaanesh has the overall best movement (anything apart from Daemonettes and Heralds on foot is M10), Khorne has a bit less than that and Nurgle and Tzeentch has human-level movement (though some units have M6 or can fly).
Daemon Lores of Nurgle, Slaanesh and Tzeentch
- Different from the ones in the other two chaos books.
- Almost certainly only useable by characters from this book.
Daemon Lore of Tzeentch
- Supposedly only 6 spells
#1: Flickering Fire of Tzeentch: D6+1 hits, Strength D6+1, 18" range, 4+
#2: Boon of Tzeentch: Gain d3+1 Power dice only the caster can use. 3+
#3: Glean Magic: Cast any enemy spell (other than one that creates new models, such as certain Undead spells) as a Bound spell with a power level equal to its basic casting level. 7+
#4: Gift of Chaos: Each enemy unit within 12", including units in combat, take D6 S6 hits. 9+
#5: Bolt of Change: D6 hits, Strength D6+4, 18" range, 12+
#6: Tzeentch Firestorm: Target unit takes 2D6 S5 hits, every 3 wounds caused creates a Horror. New unit is worth 50 VPs and placed within 3" of the target unit. 24" range, 13+
Daemon Lore of Slaanesh
#1: Enemy unit must test for Stupidity each turn for the rest of the game
Lords
- Greater daemons are supposedly more modifiable than currently, more resembling how they were in 5th edition. It is possible that the basic ones are weaker than currently, to make them more useable in smaller battles (i.e. at or just above 2k), but that they can be significantly improved, similar to the new Vampire Lord can be.
- It is probably not possible to buy outright stat boosts (+1 WS, S, etc.), if previous army books are anything to go by.
- Greater Daemons stat line is rumoured to have 5 wounds across the board, with a 5+ Ward.
- Rumours that Greater Daemons will go on bases four times as big as currently are nonsense. The models stay as they currently are.
Changer of Ways, Greater Daemon of Tzeentch
- Level 4 wizard
- Can take 100 pts of Daemonic gifts, including an additional head (the extra brain gives a +2 bonus to casting), Master of Sorcery (knows all spells from one Lore in the rulebook) and Tzeentch's Will (re-roll one D6 per turn)
Keeper of Secrets, Greater Daemon of Slaanesh
- Level 2 wizard, may be upgraded up to level 4
- Movement 10, WS9, S6, A6
- Always strikes first
- Can take 100 pts of Daemonic gifts, including Enrapturing Gaze (models in base contact cannot use any LD value other than their own), Temptator (enemy model in base contact must pass a Ld test or attack whomever the daemon wishes) and Siren Song (nominated enemy unit must either charge the daemon or flee)
Great Unclean One, Greater Daemon of Nurgle
- Level 2 wizard, may be upgraded up to level 4
- Weapon skill 4, Attacks 4
- Poisoned attacks
- Can take 100 pts of Daemonic gifts, including Balesword (wounds automatically, each unsaved wound is multiplied to D6), Nurgling Infestation (creates new Nurgling bases) and Trappings of Nurgle (armour save and Regeneration)
Bloodthirster, Greater Daemon of Khorne
- Not frenzied(!)
- WS10, S6, T6, A7
- Can take 100 pts of Daemonic gifts, including Awesome Strength (S10), Dark Insanity (2D6+2 attacks) and Spellbreaker (Dispel Scroll-equivalent)
Daemon Prince
- The most customisable Lord-level character
- Can take 75 pts of Daemonic gifts, out of which a max of 50 pts can be gifts specific to the Greater Daemons of their patron god (if they have one)
- They also have their own list of daemonic gifts
- All, apart from Khornate ones, can be wizards up to level 2
- Wings are an optional gift, though base Movement has increased
Heroes
- Chariots are only available as a mount for Heralds (apart from Nurgle who only get the Palanquin)
- There are no Undivided Heralds
Herald of Nurgle
- Poisoned attacks
- May ride a Palanquin of Nurgle
- The only Herald with no chariot option
- Grants the Regeneration special rule to Plaguebearer units he joins
Herald of Khorne
- May ride a Juggernaut of Khorne or a chariot pulled by Juggernauts
- Grants the Hatred special rule to Bloodletter units he joins
- Not frenzied
Herald of Slaanesh
- May ride a Steed of Slaanesh or a chariot pulled by Mounts of Slaanesh
- Grants the Always Strikes First special rule to Daemonette units he/she/it joins
Herald of Tzeentch
- May ride a Disk of Tzeentch or a chariot pulled by Screamers
- Grants Horror units he joins a 4+ aura save instead of the normal 5+ aura save
Mounts
- Juggernauts, Steeds of Slaanesh, Disks of Tzeentch and Palanquins of Nurgle all have *1* wound only, so count as cavalry mounts and cannot be killed separately.
- Statwise they also get weaker (Disks have one S3 attack, for example)
- Steeds of Slaanesh are essentially equivalent to the mounts of Mounted Daemonettes, NOT the Steeds that can be ridden by Chaos Mortal characters
Core
- Units do not get the Leadership boost they got in the Daemonic Legion list. Indeed, lesser Daemons are all Leadership 7 (apart from Furies)
- There is one unit type per god (plus Furies)
Bloodletters of Khorne
- New plastic models
- Start with MR1 and Killing Blow. Can get Hatred from a Herald of Khorne
- NOT Frenzied
- Movement 5
- Full command options
Daemonettes of Slaanesh
- New plastic models
- Worse, but cheaper and faster
- Movement 6, WS5, Strength 3
- Gain Armour Piercing
- Full command options
Plaguebearers of Nurgle
- New metal command models, possibly a plastic set at some later date
- Poisoned attacks. Can get Regeneration from a Herald of Nurgle.
- WS3, Strength 4, Toughness 4
- No more Cloud of Flies
- Full command options
Horrors of Tzeentch
- New metal command models, possibly a plastic set at some later date
- Do not cast Bound spells, instead the unit counts as a wizard with magic levels depending on the number of Horrors in the unit (1-5: lvl 0, 6-15: lvl 1, 16-25: lvl 2, etc).
- If the Horror unit miscasts, it takes D6 wounds
- Spells are set depending on the unit's level (lvl 1: spell #1 Flickering Fire of Tzeentch, lvl 2: spells #1+4, lvl 3: spells #1+4+5, lvl 4: spells #1+4+5+6)
- Improved WS, but lower Ld
- All attacks are flaming
- Noticeably cheaper
- Full command options
Chaos Furies
- Do not count towards minimum number of Core
- Strength 3, Leadership 2
Special
- There is one unit type per god
Nurglings
- Almost certainly no longer 0-1
- Scouts(!)
- Stat decrease (most stats are 3s, apart from M and Ld)
- Poisoned attacks replacing Cloud of Flies
- Unit size 3-12
Flesh Hounds of Khorne
- New metal models
- Not frenzied
- Higher Movement, Strength, Toughness, Wounds and Attacks
- Lower Leadership
- More than twice as expensive as before
Screamers of Tzeentch
- Strength3, T3, 1 wound
- Strength of slashing attacks up to 5, may make slashing attacks to all units they move over, not just one
- Slightly cheaper
Seekers of Slaanesh
- Equivalent to Mounted Daemonettes (i.e. the ones on cavalry bases), NOT Pleasureseekers (the daemonettes on Steeds of Slaanesh from the Storm of Chaos list)
- Full command options
- Cheaper (a unit with full command is slightly *cheaper* than an old unit with no command)
Rare
- There is one unit type per god
Bloodcrushers of Khorne (Bloodletters riding Juggernauts)
- New metal models
- Improved armour save (Juggers add +3 to the rider's armour save)
- Unit size 1-8?
- Rider has 2 wounds, the Jugger only counts as a cavalry mount.
- Rider has 1 more Strength and 1 more Attack than a regular Bloodletter
- Full command options
Beasts of Nurgle
- New metal models
- The models don't have riders
- Beasts have D6+2 poisoned attacks
- Regeneration and Slime Trail (opponents get no CR bonus for attacking them in the side or rear)
- 100 pts per model
- Unit size 1+
Fiends of Slaanesh
- New models
- Models go on 40 mm square bases
- Almost identical to old Pleasureseekers
- Special rule that forces enemy units breaking from combat with them roll an additional D6 for distance and discard the highest
- Only unit with Weapon Skill 4(!)
- Unit size 1+
Flamers of Tzeentch
- A separate unit, not longer hangers-on for a unit of Horrors
- Unit size 3-6
- Flame shooting is D6 S4 shots per Flamer, 18" range
- Close combat attacks go up in Strength and are flaming
- Option for champion
Special characters
- Note that the special characters are the same in both the 40K and the Fantasy lists, though naturally their stats and exact abilities may differ somewhat.
- Original rumour that there were 12 special characters appears to have been wrong. Possibly the source meant "a dozen", meaning "a whole lot" rather than "exactly twelve".
- Another reason for the high number of special characters is probably to get more variation into god-specific lists, who would otherwise look pretty much identical
Fateweaver, the Oracle of Tzeentch (Greater Daemon of Tzeentch)
- Model has two heads
- Knows all Tzeentch spells and each head also knows 4 spells from any of the lores (in the rulebook?)
- Some sort of re-roll ability (???)
Kugath, the Plaguefather (Greater Daemon of Nurgle)
- Has two special rules: Blessing of Pus and Nurgling Infestation
Skarbrand, the Exiled One (Greater Daemon of Chaos Undivided)
- Does not fly
- Otherwise very similar to a Bloodthirster statwise but without any Khornate gifts. Possibly he was exiled by Khorne and had his wings cut off.
- 40K version has a special rule called Burning Hatred
Tallyman Epidemius (Herald of Nurgle)
- Mounted on a Palanquin of Nurgle
- Poisoned attacks
- Gives a bonus to other Nurgle units depending on how many enemies he kills (sort of similar to Skrag, the Ogre special character)
The Masque (Herald of Slaanesh)
- Kicked out of Slaanesh's entourage for being able to out-dance his (her? its?) god
- Has a special rule in 40K called the Eternal Dance, which lets you move enemy units
- 3 human arms and a big claw arm. Wields a staff with a mask at either end and changes it's personality depending on who it chooses to be. See below for pictures
Skulltaker (Herald of Khorne)
- Character-killer
- See below for pictures
- Must challenge if able to
- Has deadlier form of Killing Blow (on a 5+ to wound in challenges and works regardless of Unit Strength of the victim)
The Bluescribes (Herald of Tzeentch)
- Two Horrors riding a Disk of Tzeentch, on a mission to recover some lost artefact
The Changeling (Horror champion)
- Formless Horror: At the start of close combat, the Changeling may select any enemy model in base to base contact and swap WS/S/T/I/A with this model (essentially a built-in van Horstman's Speculum)
- NOT an upgrade each and every Horror unit can take. As with any other Special character you can take ONE of it.
Karanak, Hound of Vengeance (Flesh Hound champion)
- Model has multple heads
Stuff removed from the list
- Exalted Daemons (use as Daemon Prince)
- Pleasureseekers of Slaanesh (use as Fiends or Seekers, possibly counting each model as two, or as Heralds)
- Plagueriders of Nurgle (use as Beasts of Nurgle, or as Heralds riding Palanquins)
- Changebringers of Tzeentch (use as Screamers, Heralds riding Disks or as unit fillers in Horror units)
- Daemon chariots as independent units (can now only be taken as mounts for Heralds)
Originally Posted by Occam's Razor
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