New Eradicators with Heavy Bolters rules drop in the Armageddon box, with Overlapping Detonations turning three guns into horde-killing dakka.
Games Workshop just revealed the new 11th edition Armageddon Space Marines datasheet for the Eradicators with Heavy Bolters, and yeah, this is an entirely new unit, not just a quick weapon swap. GW already confirmed in the big Q&A that this is a new unit and can’t join the original Indomitus Eradicators squad. Most importantly, their new job got flipped from anti-tank to horde-deletion.
So, if you’ve been waiting on a Space Marines answer to 30-Boyz mobs and 20-strong Termagant blobs that doesn’t involve praying your Heavy Intercessors roll hot, the math here is actually pretty grim… in a good way.
- Overlapping Detonations turns three guns into Blast 1 dakka: pick one non-MONSTER/VEHICLE target, and every heavy bolter shooting it gets BLAST 1 for the turn.
- Heavy bolter profile stacks HEAVY and SUSTAINED HITS 1: 3 shots at 36″ range, S5, AP-1, D2 per gun, on the Gravis chassis.
- Three models throw 21 shots at a 20-Boyz mob: the per-model output beats Heavy Intercessors once the target unit clears five models.
Overlapping Detonations Turns Three Guns Into Twenty-One Shots
Three models with heavy bolters doesn’t sound like much on paper, especially when Heavy Intercessors get five guns at a similar profile. Fortunately, that’s where the Overlapping Detonations rule comes in, because that math gets nasty fast.
- Stat line: M5″, T6, SV 3+, W3, LD 6+, OC 1, on the same Gravis chassis as the melta-toting originals.
- Three Marines per unit: 1 Eradicator Sergeant plus 2 Eradicators, every model packing a heavy bolter, bolt pistol, and close-combat weapon.
- Heavy bolters: fire 3 shots at 36″ range, S5, AP-1, D2, with HEAVY and SUSTAINED HITS 1 baked in.
- Overlapping Detonations: pick one non-MONSTER/VEHICLE target, and every heavy bolter shooting it that turn gets BLAST 1.
- Faction ability: Oath of Moment, same as the rest of the Warhammer 40k Space Marines lineup.
In your Shooting phase, you pick one non-MONSTER/VEHICLE enemy unit visible to the squad, and every heavy bolter targeting that unit gains [BLAST 1] for the attack (Blast adds one shot per five models in the target unit).
Now stack that with the HEAVY keyword (full hit-roll modifier if you stay still) and SUSTAINED HITS 1 already on the gun, and the per-shot output starts climbing before any other buffs get stacked on top.
Eradicators vs Heavy Intercessors: The Blast 1 Math
So, looking at the math, things get ugly fast for the previous Heavy Intercessors kings. They bring five heavy bolt rifles, and the new Eradicators bring three heavy bolters. At a glance, the Heavy Intercessors look like the better-shooting unit, right?
But the numbers say different, because against a five-model infantry unit, the Eradicators get 12 shots out of three guns (3 attacks × 3 models, +1 Blast per 5 models, +Sustained Hits) versus the Heavy Intercessors’ 11 shots from five guns.
Plus, drop a 20-Boyz mob in front of them, and the Eradicators throw 21 shots from three models. That’s just an absurd shot-per-model ratio.
There is still a trade-off, though, because Heavy Intercessors still beat them on OC and on body count for clearing or holding objectives and absorbing wounds. Overall, the Eradicators with Heavy Bolters trade scoring presence for raw efficiency against the kind of unit GW knows is coming out of the Armageddon box opposite them: Boyz, Gretchin, and whatever the next Ork wave brings.
How to Run Eradicators with Heavy Bolters in an Armageddon List
Three models have a small footprint, which is probably the most underrated part of this datasheet. Honestly, hiding three Gravis bodies behind cover is a lot easier than tucking a full five-model Heavy Intercessor squad out of line of sight, and maybe more importantly, a Repulsor Executioner has plenty of room to ferry them around the table while still doing its own anti-tank job.
Add that all together, and you have a few great ways to field them:
- Static fire base: on a back objective, AP -1 D2 reaching out 36″ with HEAVY active.
- Repulsor Executioner mounted: popping out turn 2 once you’ve seen where the heaviest infantry block is heading.
- Mid-board screen-killer: paired with a melta Eradicator squad, so one unit cracks the transport and the other deletes whatever pours out.
The biggest constraint is the non-MONSTER/VEHICLE restriction on Overlapping Detonations, so don’t expect this unit to flex into anti-tank work. They’re specifically a low-model-count answer for killing hordes, which is exactly the role Space Marines have been missing for a while.
Why This Datasheet Makes a Difference in 11th Edition
The Eradicators with Heavy Bolters reveal lines up perfectly with the rest of the new Space Marine Armageddon detachments push GW has been rolling out. The new Space Marines from Armageddon are clearly being built around a specific battlefield full of Boyz, Gretchin, light vehicles, and the kind of mass-infantry pressure that defines the campaign setting.
It also shows how 11th edition is going to handle new unit identities. Instead of bolting a heavy bolter wargear option onto the existing Eradicator kit, GW created a whole new datasheet with a brand-new rule defining its role. Which is alos the same design instinct that’s been showing up across the recent faction focuses.
Final Thoughts on the New Eradicators with Heavy Bolters Rules
Honestly, the Eradicators with Heavy Bolters rules deliver a real horde-killer profile that Space Marines didn’t quite have before; that’s a meaningful design choice, not just another random unit thrown in.
Putting them in the Armageddon launch box is obviously smart, because Orks are the headline opponent and the Boyz mobs are exactly what Overlapping Detonations was written to delete.
Expect this squad to start showing up in every Armageddon-themed Space Marines list inside two weeks of the box hitting shelves, and don’t be surprised when the Repulsor Executioner taxi rides start trending in tournament reports right after.
🔗 Related Reads:
- New Space Marines Models for 11th Edition 40k Guide + Predictions
- New Space Marine Detachments Go All-In on Armageddon Tanks
- Original Indomitus Eradicators + Cryptothralls Datasheet Rules
- How to Play Space Marines in 40k – Codex Rules Guide
- Warhammer 40k 11th Edition Rules Hub
- Warhammer 40k Hub
