If you love Xenos like the Eldar or Orks, you will not want to miss the new Warhammer 40k formation detachments that are coming in Vigilus Defiant.
Whether you play Imperium or Xenos your questions on what new 40k detachments will do for your army may have just been answered.
Games Workshop has previewed some of the new special detachments and rules from the new Vigilus supplement book over the past few days, and now we have all 22 of the formations from a book reviewer over the weekend!
We cleaned up a lot of these images and tried to make them as large and as readable as possible for everyone so you could get as accurate of a preview of the new rules as possible!
Without any more delay, let’s dive in!
Vigilus Defiant Campaigns & Missions
GW posted the table of contents for the new Vigilus Defiant, and some factions are for sure lacking, like Chaos and Necrons for instance.
Does that mean a sequel book is already in the works for the rest of the 40k lineup?
A quick note on how the new Detachments work from Vigilus, and some pointers on Traits, Psychics, Relics and the faux warlord generic Stratagem that we had already seen previewed:
Save your CP’s as it looks like it is possible to retain your normal codex warlord trait, and give another character the detachment one as well.
Xenos Detachments
GSC: Anointed Throng
As we’ve said before, the specialist detachments only affect certain units. In this case, Abominants and Aberrants gain the Anointed Throng keyword. But what does it do for them?
This Specialist Detachment unlocks a number of useful tricks, including a Warlord Trait that adds 1 to charge rolls for nearby Anointed Throng units, and the Blessed Sledgehammer relic that improves your Abominant’s weapon to a tank-busting AP of -4.
You’d want to use this stratagem when you decide to chest bump a Knight with a full squad of Aberrants. This is basically Only in Death does Duty End for an entire unit of Aberrants. Keep in mind that the Aberrants can take power sledges which are literal thunder hammers. Translation: You’ll be able to tear something up.
Here are the two Detachments and new Stratagems Genestealer Cults players now have access to:
Craftworlds: Wraith Host
1Pp gives the Spiritseers and Wraith Constructs in a detachment the Wraith Host Keyword and it looks like the detachment unlocks access to a new Warlord Trait called Revered by the Dead.
…the Revered by the Dead Warlord Trait will enable nearby Wraith Constructs to re-roll charge rolls…
Not only can your Constructs re-roll failed charge rolls, but for just 1CP, you can add 1 to the attacks of every model in the unit.
Windrider Host
Eldar are getting the Windrider Host formation for just 1CP. This unlocks the Wild Rider Warlord Trait. Unfortunately, we can’t see what else the formation will be getting.
- Wild Rider Warlord Trait: Your Warlord and friendly Windrider Host units within 6″ can charge even if they fell back earlier in the turn.
Here are both new detachments:
Orks: Kult of Speed
You now have another stratagem to throw on all of those newfangled Speed Freeks models that just dropped!
Unsurprisingly, all of the associated rules benefit your adrenaline-fuelled Speed Freeks, from a trait that renders Kult of Speed units within 12” of your Warlord immune to Morale tests provided they Advanced (that’s your Warbikers sorted!)
There’s also a 2CP stratagem on the way that allows a unit to double its movement. That’s upwards in the 20+” threat range.
You can turn your Deffkilla Wartrike into Skargim’s Snazztrike as a relic. This just gives it +1 toughness and a 5++ save.
Ork players are getting a grand total of four specialist detachments in Vigilus:
- Kult of Speed
- Dread Waaagh!
- Blitz Brigade
- Stompa Mob
Stompa Mob:
Dread Waagh!
This is the first time we’ve seen a faction get more than one formation. Orks have already had one of their other formations called the Blitz Brigade previewed first. With that being said, if you see a formation for your faction that doesn’t sit well with you, there’s probably more for you to pick from!
We can’t see what the formation gives the Orks besides their Shiny Gubbin and boy is it a Gubbin to behold.
- Dread Waaagh’s Shiny Gubbinz: Da Souped-up Shokka: Range 60″ Heavy 2d6 S 2d6 AP -5 D d6.
Ork Formation: Blitz Brigade
BLITZ BRIGADE 1CP
…Pick an ORK detachment from your army to be a BLITZ BRIGADE Spearhead detachment. WARBIKERS, BATTLEWAGONS, BONECRUSHAS and (OTHER VARIANT) in this detachment gain the BLITZ BRIGADE keyword.
The cost is up in the air for right now. It could be anywhere from 1-3Cp as the pictures are so blurry. However, it looks like spending the CP only gives a certain detachment a keyword. Which in turn, obviously gives you access to restricted warlord traits, relics, and stratagems.
Warlord Trait: Back-seat driver
If a BLITZ BRIGADE CHARACTER is your Warlord, you can give the them the following Warlord Trait. When your Warlord is embarked within a BLITZ BRIGADE TRANSPORT, add 1″ to that transport’s move characteristic. In addition, while your Warlord is embarked within it, the transport gains the “ere we go” ability
Right off the bat, this seems perfect for an Evil Sunz list as a Speed Freeks Blitz Brigade units can move a whopping +2″ and reroll charge rolls. Let’s check out the special relic next.
Da Blitz Shouta
If the relic wielder is in a Blitz Brigade Battlewagon at the start of your shooting phase, you can pick an enemy unit that is visible to the character. Until the end of the phase, reroll all hit rolls of 1 for attacks made by friendly Blitz Brigade units with 6″ that target the enemy you selected.
Blitz Brigade Stratagems
1CP – Opening Salvo – Use this stratagem in your shooting phase in the first battle round. Select a friendly Blitz Brigade Gunwagon. You can double the range of all of its shooting attacks until the end of the phase.
Opening Salvo is perfect for getting that extra bit of reach on a unit you need to cripple turn one.
1CP – CRUSH YA! – Use this stratagem when a Blitz Brigade Bonecrusha unit from your army is chosen to fight. You can roll an additional D6 when using the unit’s ram ability and take the highest result.
2CP – Hold on, Boyz! – Use this stratagem during your movement phase, before moving a Blitz Brigade Battlewagon in your army. Pick a friendly <CLAN> Infantry unit wholly within 3″ of that model and remove it from the battlefield. Once the Battlewagon has moved, you may re-deploy the unit of Ork Infantry unit around the Battlewagon within 3″ of it and more than 1″ away from enemy units.
The infantry unit cannot move further this phase and counts as having moved this turn for all rules purposes and it cannot charge this turn.
While not every Xenos faction will be in Vigilus, there’s plenty of support coming to the ones that are. We’re sure GW will give the factions (Tau & Necrons) some kind of detachment rules somewhere down the line.
What are your thoughts on these new special detachments? Do you think they’ll have a place in the competitive meta?
Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group.
About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
