GW just gave us another teaser for the 40k Be’lakor rules that are coming in Chardon book II including Psychic Powers and weapon profiles.
Warhammer Community just unveiled a bunch of rules to how the big daemon will play in 40k. Since the model came out a while ago, you shouldn’t have any excuses as to why yours isn’t painted (well unless you couldn’t get one cause they were allocated down to 2 per store)!
Let’s jump into all the rules for this big guy from both the old and new previews!
GW Reveals More New 40k Be’lakor Rules
First, he has a standard sweeping attack which will double his attacks (now 12 total), which should help him dig out of horde combats.
The Piercing Strike however is great, and the stat line did seem to get changed last from +2S in his model Datasheet to +4S in the GW preview. All that aside, the main power of these attacks is that they prevent invulnerable saves! That means he might just be one of the best character killers in the game moving forward!
He is also getting a 4+ Invulnerable and -1 to wound rolls for incoming ranged shots. Shadow Form is also pretty good, if he is attacked, the hit roll cannot be re-rolled, additionally, they must subtract 1 from it. These are both great to help make him tougher and last longer on the field, together they kinda push him over the top, he will be a massive pain to deal with.
Psychic Powers
With the ability to manifest two psychic powers each turn and access to the Noctic discipline that’s unique to Disciples of Be’lakor, you can turn the Dark Master into a mass mortal wound generator with Smite, Voidslivers, and Betraying Shades.
Get All Four Assassins For The Price of One Now!
This is really deadly if you can draw a line through a couple of big units, still, if you can draw it through a few smaller units, it will still deal a few mortals, and for only a 5+ it’s not bad.
This power can be insane. While you have to roll 6’s if you can use this on a unit with 3 attacks each, if you get lucky, you can really deal the mortal wounds.
His powers are all pretty sweet, and this one can make a unit, like havocs, near impossible to take out by the enemy.
Special Rules
It may cost you a few Command points, but the Dark Master also has access to one of the best ‘last resort’ Stratagems in the game to help keep him in one piece. Emerging from an apocalyptic explosion entirely unscathed is just so Be’lakor.
If you happen to fail a save against something like a Lascannon or Dark Lance, this can be a super helpful and annoying rule!
This is a really large range and rerolling all attacks is super nice, because if they shoot and charge, you get double value. Also, you only have to be in range when the command phase starts, not the actual phases of shooting or CC.
So, with the trait above, you can pick a unit, have them run the opposite direction, then use him as a bubble for everything close.
Datasheet From the Box
There was an IKEA-style sheet of rules spotted in a PDF from GW so let’s compare it to the old sheet and see what’s changed.
Old rules
New Rules
New Bonuses:
- Wounds up to 16 (was 8)
- Movement at 12″ degrading down to 6″ (was 14″ non-degrading)
- Attacks at 6 degrading down to 4 (was 6 non-degrading)
- Strength up to 8 degrading to 6 (was 6)
- Toughness up to 7 (was 6)
- Armor Save at 6+ (was 4+)
- Sweeping Strike at -3AP and 1 damage (was -2AP 2 damage for talons)
- Piercing Strike is at +2S? (preview said +4s), -4AP, and D3+3 damage (was +1S, -5AP, and flat 3 damage)
What we don’t know:
- Leadership debuff to enemies?
- Re-rolls?
Overall, Be’lakor has a ton of changes looking to make him stand apart from generic princes. Doubling the wounds on him is a great step, but he can be freely targeted and not bubble-wrapped.
Losing damage on the talons/sweeping strike also hurts, especially with all those units going up to 2 wounds now. Hopefully, he keeps his re-rolls and maybe even gains some extra rules.
What do you think of the rules? Are you excited to throw him into your games?
Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group, and make sure you enter the latest monthly giveaway for FREE today!
Get ad-free access to the site, plus a ton of miniatures, and support some of the best creators out there for as little as $6 a month on Patreon!
About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
