Let the warp overtake you with the Codex: Chaos Space Marines and take a look at what they will be using to slaughter Xenos and Loyalists alike.
The Codex: Chaos Space Marines is 168 pages full of fluff, 45 datasheets, 24 Stratagems, 8 Legion Traits, 14 Relics, and so much more. This is definitely a Chaos Space Marine oriented codex, which Chaos players have been asking for since before 6th Edition. The last Chaos Space Marine codex focused more on Cultists and Heldrakes, with later supplements adding more to Khorne and Tzeentch.
Games Workshop appears to have listened and, yes, Kharn the Betrayer is in this codex as well.
Our Tips and Tactics breakdown of this codex will be out in just a few days. For now, here is a sample of our quick and dirty review to give you the lowdown on what you can expect to see.
For our complete review, be sure to scroll down and press play on the full video below.
Now, we have already seen a teaser image on Warhammer Community concerning the upcoming Death Guard codex. The Codex: CSM has also confirmed that there will be a Thousand Sons codex coming as well. So far, there has been no word if Slaanesh and Khorne will be getting their own codices. Included in the Codex: CSM are daemons as troop choices for you to summon with Daemonic Ritual.
Where the Index: Chaos lacked a purpose for the choosing a Mark of Chaos, the Codex: CSM takes advantage of them to maximize their battlefield capabilities. Certain units and characters will have their Legion and Mark of Chaos keywords open and ready for you to slot whatever you need in. GW has stated that that with this keyword structure, you could have a unit with the Iron Warriors keyword and Nurgle for their Mark of Chaos.
It sounds a bit odd but when you start working out the process, it becomes much clearer. Add to this a Stratagem that will allow you, at the cost of 1CP at the start of any of your turns, to choose a unit with a Mark of Chaos that you have not dedicated to a Chaos God. You can then immediately choose to dedicate that unit to a Chaos God. This brings far more tactics and methods of play to CSM players. Unless there is specific wording that states otherwise (e.g. the World Eater keyworded units cannot bear the Marks of Slaanesh, Nurgle, or Tzeentch).
Codex: Chaos Space Marines: $40
Death to the False Emperor!
The Chaos Space Marines are superhuman traitors grown strong on the power of the Dark Gods. The ultimate nemesis of the Imperium, they surge from hidden lairs and hellish warp storms to fall without warning upon their victims. Murderous warriors clad in baroque power armour fight alongside teeming human Cultists and hulking Chaos Terminators; gargoyle-mouthed daemon engines stomp to war alongside growling battle tanks and hosts of malevolent entities spawned from the warp. Leading this malefic throng are the Champions of Chaos, evil warlords who have plagued the empire of Man for ten thousand years and more. Now, as the skies bleed raw Chaos energy, their time has come. Let the galaxy burn!
Codex: Chaos Space Marines contains a wealth of background and rules – the definitive book for Chaos Space Marines collectors. Within its pages, you’ll find:
Background
– Let the Galaxy Burn: the terrible origin of the Chaos Space Marines, their betrayal of the Emperor during the Horus Heresy that ushered in an era of damnation, a timeline detailing the Ages of Betrayal, Retribution and Apotheosis with key battles and atrocities in gruesome detail (with a further timeline detailing the horrors of Abaddon’s various Crusades) and a map detailing the current, tainted state of the galaxy;
– Information and details of the 7 major Chaos Legions – The Black Legion, Alpha Legion, Iron Warriors, Night Lords, Word Bearers, World Eaters and Emperor’s Children – with histories, key battles, heraldries and colour schemes for each;
– An in-depth look at each of the characters and units available to each Chaos Space Marines army, with appropriately grisly background;
– A showcase of beautifully painted Citadel miniatures, depicting the colour schemes of the Chaos Space Marines expertly painted by the ‘Eavy Metal team.Rules
Everything needed to get your Chaos Space Marines ready for galaxy-smashing combat in games of Warhammer 40,000 is within:
– 45 datasheets covering the Chaos Space Marines range, featuring their rules and statistics for use in games;
– Army abilities and wargear lists, alongside a brief explanation of their use and the use of keywords;
– Rules profiles for every piece of wargear and every weapon in the Chaos Space Marines’ arsenal;
– Points values for all miniatures, weapons and wargear for use in Matched Play games;
– Rules for Battle-forged armies – 8 Legion Traits, 1 for each of the original Legions and 1 for Renegade Chapters;
– 24 Stratagems of which are Legion-specific; the Dark Hereticus psychic discipline with its 3 powers specific to the Marks of Tzeentch, Nurgle and Slaanesh and 14 weapons and artefacts available only to Chaos Space Marines;
– 6 Warlord Traits usable by any Chaos Space Marines Warlord and a further 7 which are Legion-specific;
– 6 unique Tactical Objectives for Chaos Space Marines.
Datacards: Chaos Space Marines: $15
Designed to make it easier to keep track of Tactical Objectives, psychic powers and Stratagems in games of Warhammer 40,000, this set of 72 cards – each featuring artwork on the reverse – is an indispensable tool in the arsenal of any Chaos Space Marines gamer. Included:
– 10 psychic power cards – 6 from the Dark Hereticus psychic discipline along with Smite, Weaver of Fates, Miasma of Pestilence and Delightful Agonies;
– 24 Chaos Space Marines Stratagems as found in Codex: Chaos Space Marines, featuring 7 Chapter-specific Stratagems (1 each for Alpha Legion, Word Bearers, Iron Warriors, World Eaters, Emperor’s Children, Night Lords, and Black Legion);
– 36 Tactical Objectives, including the 6 Chaos Space Marine specific Objectives from Codex: Chaos Space Marines.
The Codex: Chaos Space Marines is available now online and in local Games Workshop stores. Be sure to press play on our quick and dirty review video below for the full codex breakdown.
For more on the Codex: Chaos Space Marines and all things Warhammer 40k, visit Games Workshop!
