Don’t miss the latest new points costs and rules for the Chaos Heretic Knights that are going to have an influence on 40k’s meta for sure.
Warhammer Community and other sources around the web have been revealing more and more info on the Knights. Now that they’re just around the corner, here’s a comprehensive list of everything there is to know on Knights (until they fully release).
Chaos Knight Dreadblades
If you were wondering if Chaos Knights would have a Loyalist Freeblade equivalent, yes…yes they do. They’re called Dreadblades and they get even more rules beyond the Iconoclast/Infernal Household Knights. Dreadblades are the lone-warriors on a path of destruction by their own hands and for their own means. If you bring a Dreadblade, it doesn’t replace their Iconoclast/Infernal Household keyword. However, it does open them up to things called pacts and Damnations.
Two of these pacts are Path to Glory and Galvanized Hull. One helps you to become even more of a headhunter as the Knight pilot is bent on seeking power and recognition. While the other just helps you stay alive longer protecting you from -1 AP shots. (autocannons will take a bit hit here).
You can pick one pact or roll for two (just like the Loyalist Freeblades) as well.
You also will have to deal with Damnations. Damnations are drawbacks that could trigger as you play the game. For example, one of the Damnations shuts you off from benefiting from any Stratagems for a turn. That’s brutal and you better believe your opponent will capitalize on that.
Thankfully these Damnations only apply when you fail a Leadership check at the start of each of your turns, meaning most of the time, you should be fine! You can roll for one Damnation or, if you’re looking for a bit more control over which apply, pick two. After all, losing your Ballistic Skill and being incapable of falling back isn’t much a problem when you were intending to rip your foe apart in close combat anyway!
Knight Loadouts & Rules Previewed
GW gave their opinions on which Knight variants should be taken with certain Legions. You can take them in any Legion you want, but at the very least here, we can see how many points these things will be costing. The Knight Rampager is essentially the Loyalist’s Gallant sitting at 387 pts.
The Vallant equivalent Knight is sitting at 600 pts and still carries the classic flamer, harpoon loadout. The Tyrant is also coming with a nifty little Stratagem too…
This thing works similar to a Kustom Forcefield for Orks. It can extend its Invuln save to any units within 6″ of himself. It’s not too bad, but you’ll need the right units in place to really benefit from it all. We can see massive Cultist blobs being a real threat here.
If you want to run a detachment with the Desecrator and Wardogs, you’ll be shelling out 761 pts which we know none of you have any problem doing. That was literally the loyalist meta for months.
Laser Destructors have some real damage output potential. However, random D3 shots are always unsettling.
Like the Loyalist Preceptor, the Taskmaster will help your War Dogs hit better while they’re within 6″. If you’re going to be running the Desecrator, why not dump a few more points into the tiny Knights and benefit even more.
Chaos Knight Artifacts
Before we jump into the previewed artifacts, the Chaos Knights are coming with a Stratagem that lets them gain the Character keyword and can bring an extra Artifact each. This is pretty common among all newer faction support waves GW has been giving, and we say this with the loyalists.
Chaos is getting even more CP generating fuel on top of the silliness that is the Red Corsairs, Knights are getting a relic that let you gain a CP on a 5+ each turn.
Khornate target puts a literal target on nasty characters’ backs. Robbie G, Mortarion, Magnus, etc. can all be melted with this relic. It’s a one-time use and you’ll want to make sure that you fight first. However, anything this Knight touches is basically insta-dead.
In-Depth Chaos Knights & Weapons Points Cost
Check out more of the base points of your Knights and add up the Wargear options below to get a ballpark of what your list will be looking like once the codex drops.
- Reaper Chainsword: 30pts
- Thunderstrike Gauntlet: 35pts
- Avenger Gatling Cannon: 85pts
- Laser Destructor: 0pts
- Rapid Fire Battle Cannon: 90pts
- Thermal Cannon: 55pts
- War Dog Autocannon: 5pts
- Ironstorm Missile Pod: 16pts
- Plasma Decimator: 40pts
- Stormspear Rocket Pod: 45pts
- shield breaker missiles: 15pts
- Thundercoil Harpoon: 0pts
- Conflagration Cannon: 0pts
- Thermal Spear: 0pts
- Volcano Lance: 70pts
- Meltagun: 14pts
- Heavy Flamer: 14pts
- Heavy Stubber: 2pts
There’s a lot going on here in terms of points but the great news is that Chaos is still having full access to what the Imperium has to offer. Though for some options the costs are a bit higher…
Chaos Knight Despoiler Datasheet Spotted
This datasheet was spotted in a youtube video review of the codex. There’s some fantastic news here…
The Knight Despoiler is going to be the option you want to roll with if you plan on bringing any kind of classic Imperial firepower.
Some of the community was worried that they could be getting rid of the dual Avenger Gatling Cannons and the good news is that you can totally still bring two on your Knights. PEW PEW!
Knight Rampager Warscroll Stat Sheet
The Rampager is a Knight Gallant in every sense of the term. However, it’s got a sweet rule called Frenzied Rampage which acts like Death to the False Emperor but against everything instead. A Knight with a flat 6 damage weapon that explodes is bad for business with anything that has any kind of armor.
Corrupted Heirlooms
You might have already seen this page of corrupted heirlooms. However, there is apparently even more out there:
- The Teeth that Hunger: Replaces Chainsword for a S+8 AP -4 Damage flat 6. +1 Attack, and the end of a battle round where you don’t kill any models this model takes a MW.
- Quicksilver throne of Slaanesh: +1 to Advance and Charge rolls. Always fights first.
- Rune of Nak’T’Graa: Model gains a 5++ save. Dreadblade only. (We thought all Knights had Ion Shields, however, this could be a 5++ invuln in combat as well).
- Bound Yaradian Psychogheist: When shooting, an unmodified roll of a 6 increases the AP of the attack by 1.
- The Traitors Mark: Enemies within 12″ are -1 Ld. -2 Ld when they are within 6″.
- Helm of Warp-Sight: Ignore all modifiers to hit when shooting ranged weapons. Especially good against anything -1/-2.
- Carapace of Nurgle: When this model makes a save in melee on a 4+ if causes a Mortal Wound to the unit that caused it. (This is incredible if you pair this with the Nurgle relic that does the exact same thing for Death Guard. Your opponents will be forced to throw their heaviest firepower at the Knight to prevent any unnecessary MW.
Chaos Knight Warlord Traits
- Enemy units within 12″ are -1 to charge and Ld is taken on 2D6 discarding the lowest result.
- Knight has Objective Secured and counts as 10 models.
- Every enemy vehicle within 6″ suffers a MW on a 4+ each turn.
- Knight gets +1″ to charge and +1 attack when they’re in their opponent’s deployment zone.
- Knight can deny one Psychic Power and has a 5+++ FNP against Mortal wounds caused in the Psychic Phase.
Overall, these traits don’t seem overly impressive. They do have their uses. However, are very conditional.
There’s been a lot of ground to cover on Chaos Knights. However, as players will be getting their hands on them soon, the best way to describe their rules is different. We can’t say that they’ll be objectively better or worse than their Imperial counterparts. However, it’ll definitely be interesting to see what units get paired up and deemed as “most effective” with all the Chaos buffs.
How do you think Chaos Knights will stand up to the Loyalists? Which Knight are you going to build? Have you decided on an Heirloom/Warlord Trait? Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group, and sign up to get your free hobby updates newsletter each morning as well!
About the Author: Wesley Floyd
Wesley Floyd
Job Title: Staff Writer
Joined: 2018
Socials: @RealmbrushPainting
About Wesley Floyd: Wes has been in the Warhammer hobby since 2015 and joined the Spikey Bits writing team in 2018. He is known for his satirist takes on trending topics and imaginative yet amazingly affordable hobby solutions to painting Warhammer miniatures.
Imperial fanboy, tabletop fanatic, and the self-proclaimed King of Sprues. He knows for a fact that Mephiston red is the best-tasting paint and is the commission painting equivalent of a Wendy’s 4 for $4. If you like what he writes and want to contact him or have your tabletop minatures painted (to a mostly okayish standard), message him on Instagram.
