Don’t miss our full reveal of the BIGGEST rules for the new Imperial Knights. From Points, Units, Traits, Relics, Strats and Freeblades we got you covered with the latest.
We’ve trimmed away all the fat, and left you with just the meat rules wise for the new Imperial Knights!
Check out our round-up of the most relevant things you need to know.
Dominus Class-Knight
These knights will have the same stat line from normal Knights except they’ll have 28 wounds. They can not take a melee weapon. You’ll still get 12 attacks at strength 8 with titanic feet.
Dual Plasma Core Explosion: roll 2d6 and if you roll a 6 on one of the rolls, everything within 2d6 range suffers D6 mortal wounds. If you 6s on both dice, the range is increased to 3d6 inches.
The chassis will cost about 500 points for the Dominus Knights. Both arm weapons will cost 0 points. But you will have to pay for the missiles and extra dakka.
Knight Castellan
Base Loadout: 605
- 2x Siege Breaker Cannons: 48″ range heavy 2D3, S7 -1AP D3 damage.
- Shield-Breaker Rockets Heavy 1 S10 -4AP D6 damage. The Shield breaker missile can only be fired once per turn, invulnerable saves cannot be taken by wounds from this weapon.
- 4 melta guns (well 2 assault two melta weapons)
- Plasma Decimator 48″ Range 2D6 Shots S7 -3AP 1D Overcharged: S8 -3AP 2D. The bearer suffers 1 mortal wound after all shots have been resolved. There is a relic replacement for this weapon called “Cawl’s Wrath”. Cawl’s Wrath: (Mechanicus Only) S8 -4AP 2D Overcharged: S9 -4AP 3D and the bearer suffers 1 mortal wound for hit rolls of 1.
- Volcano Lance: 80″ range heavy D6. S14 -5AP 3D3 damage. Reroll failed wound rolls when targeting titanic units.
Knight Valiant
Base Loadout: 595 Points
- Conglaguration Cannon: 18″ 3D6 S7 -2 2 Damage autohits!
- Tundercoil Harpoon 12″S16 -6 10Damage extra d3 MW to vehicles and monsters
- 4 melta guns (well 2 assault two melta weapons)
- Siege Breaker Cannons: 48″ range heavy 2D3, S7 -1AP D3 damage.
- 2x Shield-Breaker Rockets Heavy 1 S10 -4AP D6 damage. The Shield breaker missile can only be fired once per turn, invulnerable saves cannot be taken by wounds from this weapon.
It will also cost a few more to rotate the Dominus’ ion shields
Imperial Knights Point reduction
- The Chasis for knights is going down to 285 points. (35 point drop)
- Avenger Gatling Cannon has gone down 20 points.
- All other point costs for knights are the same.
Imperial Knights Detachments
- If your army consists of more than one Knight and is Battleforged, all Knights must be from the same Household.
- They will all gain the same household tradition with the exception of Freeblade Knights.
- If your detachment has 3 or more Knights, you must select 1 Knight to gain the Character keyword.
- You only gain Command Point benefits for taking 3 or more Knights in a detachment.
- Command Points will only be obtained by taking 3 Questoris Knights or Dominus Knights (You don’t get command points for spamming Armigers.)
Imperial Freeblades
Freeblades will get qualities and burdens since they do not get buffs from Household traits. You may choose a single quality or roll 2D6 and get 2 random qualities. You may also pick 2 burdens or roll for 1. At the start of your turn, you must roll a leadership check and if you roll over your Knight’s Morale, the Burden activates. There is also a way to make them +1 Morale to help with passing this old style leadership test:
Qualities
- Legendary Hero : Once per battle, you may reroll a single dice for this model.
- Last of their Line: Reroll hit rolls of 1 for attacks against units with 10 or more models
- Indomitable: Add 1 to Freeblades wounds and LD
- Peerless Warrior: Roll a d6 and on a 1-3 add 2 to move characteristic. On 4-5, improve weapon characteristic by 1. on a 6, improve the ballistic skill by 1.
- Mysterious Guardian: Freeblade can perform heroic interventions 6″.
- Sworn to a Quest: Reroll hit rolls of 1 when it targets a Warlord and gains Objective Secured.
Burdens
- Exiled in shame: Freeblade cannot be affected by stratagems
- Weary machine spirit: Half wounds for warlord when determining statline characteristics
- Haunted by Failure: Reroll hit rolls of 6
- Obsessed with Vengeance: Freeblade can only target and charge the closest enemy unit.
- Driven to Slaughter: Freeblade cannot fall back and BS changes to 6+
- Impetuous Nature: Every move the Freeblade makes must take it closer to the enemy model and must declare a charge against every enemy unit within 12″
Knight Stratagems
- Death Grip 1CP- Use this stratagem after an Imperial Knight with a Thunderstrike gauntlet made its attacks. Make an addition attack that does D3 mortal wounds. Both players roll off and add their model’s strength characteristic to the result. If you exceed the enemies result, the model suffers additional D3 mortal wounds. Continue to do this until your opponent rolls higher and breaks free or the model is killed.
- Skyreaper Protocols 1CP- Reroll failed hit rolls when shooting something with the FLY keyword.
- Ion Aegis 2CP- Cannot move and any Imperial unit wholly within 6″ of the Knight gains a 5++
- Noble Sacrifice 2CP- Explodes on a 4+
- Thunderstomp 1CP- After fighting against infantry or swarm, on a 4+ do D3 mortal wounds
- Pack Hunt 1CP- Reroll failed charge rolls for any Armigers within 12″ of an Armiger that has made a successful charge.
- Full Tilt 2CP- Use the stratagem on a model that has advanced, the model may still charge.
- Devastating Reach 1CP- The Knight may hit enemy models in a building within 2″ of the models and 6″ of the base. Cannot use feet.
- Chainsweep 1CP- Roll a D6 for every model within 3″ of a Knight with a Chainsword. on a 6+ the unit suffers a mortal wound
- Valliant Last Stand 2CP- After a Questor Imperialis Knight dies, you may shoot as if it were in your shooting phase or fight as if it were in the fight phase. Treat the model as having 1 wound remaining.
- Machine Spirit Resurgent 1CP- A Knight may use the top statline to shoot and fight for the rest of the phase.
- Sally Forth 3CP- You may put this model into play at the end of any movement phase 6″ from a table edge and 9″ from any enemy models. Once per battle only.
House-Specific Stratagems
- Mortan: Slayer of Shadows – Ignores all modifiers positive and negative when it shoots.
- Terryn: Glory and Honor 3CP- You may fight twice with a Knight
- Raven 2CP: Reroll ALL rolls of 1 made for the Knight
- Taranis: Our Darkest Hour 2CP- When the Knight dies and does not explode, roll a dice on a 4+ at the end of the turn, you may set it back up more than 1″ away from enemy models and in the same spot as it died with D3 wounds remaining.
- Vulker: Saturation Bombardment- Each hit roll of a 6 in the shooting phase counts as 2 hits.
- Griffith: Dragonslayer- Add 1 to wound rolls for models attacks in shooting or fight phase against enemies with 10 or more wounds.
- Krast: Controlled Aggression 1CP- Hit rolls of a 6+ in the fight phase cause an extra attack.
- Cadmus: Bioscrier Cogitator Array 3CP- Use this after the opponent sets up a unit within 12″ from your Knight, You may shoot at it as if it were your shooting phase.
- Hawkshroud: 2CP- You may fire overwatch on an enemy unit if your Knight is within 12″ of the unit being charged. You may also heroicly intervene up to 2D6
Knight Relics
- Replaces Stormspear Rocket Pod: S8 AP-3 D6 Damage and reroll failed hit rolls with this weapon.
- Endless Fury replaces Avenger Gatling Cannon: Heavy 14 S6 -2AP 2D and each hit roll of a 6 causes 2 hits instead of 1.
- Sanctuary: 5++ save against all attacks
- Armor of the Sainted Ion: 2+ save characteristic
- Helm of the Nameless Warrior: Add 1 to hit rolls in the fight phase
- Banner of Macarius: Questor Imperial class model only: Add 1 to LD characteristics of friendly Imperium units within 6″ of the bearer. In addition, the bearer gains Objective Secured. If the enemy has a similar ability, the wearer counts as 10 models.
- Mark of the Ommnissiah: Questor Mechanicus model only: Roll a D6 at the start of your turn and on a 6+ regain D3 lost wounds. Any other result gains 1 wound.
- Helm dominus: Questor Mechanicus-Dominus model only: Once per battle round at the start of shooting or fight phase, Select an enemy unit within 12″ of the bearer. Add 1 to hit rolls made for Armigers that target that unit while within 6″ of the bearer.
- Mark of the Lance: House Griffith model only: Each time the bearer completes a charge move, roll a D6 for each unit within 1″ on a 2+ it suffers 1 mortal wound and on a 6+ it suffers D3 mortal wounds.
- Angel’s Grace: House Hawkshroud model only: Roll a D6 each time the bearer suffers a mortal wound in the opponent’s psychic phase and on a 4+ the wound is ignored.
- Hunter’s Eye: House Cadmus model only: Enemy units don’t gain cover saves for shooting attacks made by this model
- Bearer Inviolate: House Raven Questoris class only: Reroll hit rolls of 1 in the fight phase for House units within 6″ of the bearer.
- Headsman’s Mark: House Krast model only: Increase damage by 1 for wearers weapons against models with 10 or more wounds. +2 damage for attacks made against Titanic models.
- Auric Mask: House Vulker model only: The enemy must roll an additional D6 when taking morale tests within 12″ of the bearer and use the highest result.
Two More Knight Kits
Warhammer Community released the rules for the Armiger Warglaives chain weapon recently.
Armiger Chain Cleaver
One of the weakest points about the Warglaive was that is could be swarmed by Ork Boys or Gaunts and it would stay tar-pitted for the rest of the game. It had no means of dealing with hordes at all. The sweeping attack is exactly what the unit needed. Not making 2 total hits. But 3 hits per attack.
Armigers definitely didn’t get overlooked in the stratagem department either. Full tilt is a good way to surprise your opponent with an angry Armiger turn 1.
- Pack Hunt 1CP- Reroll failed charge rolls for any Armigers within 12″ of an Armiger that has made a successful charge.
Pack hunt is nasty too. A bunch of knights jumping on one thing can help ensure it dies. Plus the name “Pack Hunt” is cool.
Armigers in the Codex
If you didn’t know, Armigers will cost a lot less after the codex comes out because their wargear will cost 0, but you do have to take the top weapon option.
The Thermal Spear and Chainsword are going to cost 0 points on their loadout. Bringing these guys down to 160 points.
Loadout:
- Thermal Spear- D3 -4AP D6 damage
- Chain Cleaver- SX2 -3AP 3 damage
Armiger Helveren
The Helveren will cost 170 points base with no cost to wargear either.
Loadout
- 2X Armiger Autocannons- Heavy 2D3 S7 -1AP 3 damage.
We released a Codex review recently and here are some of the big points for knights if you missed them.
This is a named Freeblade Knight Canis Rex. They’ve announced that the Preceptor- Class knight (what Canis Rex is) won’t be coming out until later this year.
Canis Rex
Loadout:
- Las-Impulsor: 36″ range Heavy 2D6 S6 -2AP D3 damage. High Intensity: 18″ range Heavy D6 S12 -4AP D6 damage.
- Freedom’s Hand: S16 -4AP 2D6 damage with minimum 6 flat damage.
Canis Rex has the following Freeblade Quality and Burden. His Warlord trait is -1 ld to all enemies within 12″ warlord trait for 450 points.
- Legendary Hero: Once per battle, you may reroll a single dice for this model.
- Obsessed with Vengeance: Freeblade can only target and charge the closest enemy unit.
The cool thing about this model is that when this model dies and does not explode, you can get sir Hektor out of the knight within 3″ and the model doesn’t count as destroyed until Hektor is killed. He has a pistol that is S5 -2AP 2D.
Knight Codex
The combination of Mechanicus and Questor rules will be enough to fill a normal sized 8th edition codex, here is the rumored breakdown:
- 120+ page codex
- 12 Knight Datasheets (one fortification)
- 9 Traditions (House Rules)
- 29 Stratagems
- 6 Generic Warlord Traits, including the 4+ inv we saw already, command point buffs, and re-rolls etc.
- 9 House Warlord Traits
- 22 Relics!
- Freeblade chart, which includes 6 bonuses and 6 drawbacks to use for customizing your very own character. Canis Rex comes preloaded with a bonus and a negative already (as well as a warlord trait).
This codex is going to be incredibly strong. If you want command points, just pay 300ish points for a battalion of Guardsmen.
Then let your Knights do all the legwork. What do you think about this codex? What Knight will compliment your Army?
Let us know in the comments over on our Facebook Hobby Group.
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About the Author: Wesley Floyd
