The new Huron Blackheart and the Masters of the Maelstrom models and rules are here. Get the full scoop on the miniatures and what it means for Chaos in Warhammer 40k now.
Games Workshop saved something spicy for Christmas Day, and it lines up cleanly with the Chaos Space Marines rumor mill. Yep, the big Grotmas Calendar finale delivered a full reveal of Huron Blackheart, pirate lord of the Maelstrom and the infamous Tyrant of Badab, now reborn as a brand new plastic miniature.
If you have been waiting for more Chaos characters to get the glow-up treatment, this one checks a lot of boxes.
Free 40k Maelstrom Rules For Huron & The Masters of the Maelstrom
Updated on January 30th, 2026, by Rob Baer with the latest on Huron and the Red Corsairs.
- Huron Blackheart is back in plastic for 2026: the Tyrant of Badab gets a full modern glow-up, complete with the Tyrant’s Claw, battle damage, trophies, his creepy little Hamadrya, and a crew of corsairs.
- Free rules drop for Huron + the Masters of the Maelstrom: GW is handing out fresh datasheets for the Red Corsairs boss and his war-council “murder-friends,” built to win games by being annoyingly unfair.
- Huron plays like an objective thief: tough profile, Deep Strike, a +1 OC aura for nearby Heretic Astartes infantry, and a once-per-round reaction move to sidestep, snag points, or ruin plans.
- Masters rig the setup and bankroll the fight: they attach pre-game to Legionaries/Chosen/Raiders, redeploy up to three units after deployment (and shove units into Strategic Reserves past the usual limits), then keep the engine humming with a model back or one CP in command, plus a once-per-game mortal wound “pay the toll” button.
Games Workshop dropped free new 40k Huron Blackheart rules for the Red Corsairs’ most infamous “problem solver” and the war council he keeps on a short leash. Huron Blackheart is your headline pirate lord, part bruiser, part objective thief, with a built-in flamer and a nasty habit of slipping away when you think you have him pinned.
The Masters of the Maelstrom are his elite entourage, equal parts command staff and deployment scam artists. Huron can slot into a bunch of infantry bricks, the Masters make deployment feel like a rigged con, and together they turn the early game into a straight-up heist with these new 40k rules.
Huron Blackheart 40k Rules Datasheet: The Badab Warlord
These new Huron Blackheart rules are not here to “play fair” and politely trade in midfield. He’s a hardier Chaos character with real melee punch, a spicy heavy flamer, and a couple of rules that punish sloppy positioning.
Huron also boosts nearby infantry’s Objective Control, which is exactly how a pirate lord should win games: by stealing what you thought you owned.
- Built for the scrap: Toughness five, five wounds, a four-plus invulnerable, plus Feel No Pain 5+ for that stubborn staying power.
- Deep Strike threat: he can show up where it hurts and immediately start making decisions for your opponent.
- Objective bully aura: Lord of Badab gives friendly Heretic Astartes infantry within six inches +1 OC, helping your bricks actually flip points.
- Movement trickery on cue: Hamadrya’s Knowledge lets him make a Normal move of D3+3 inches once per battle round when an enemy ends a move within nine, letting him sidestep, reposition, or steal an objective at the worst possible time.
- Real damage, not just vibes: Tyrant’s Claw heavy flamer clears bodies, and his melee profile hits hard enough to matter against elite targets.
Masters of the Maelstrom Rules Datasheet: Huron’s Murder-Friends
These new Masters of the Maelstrom rules are what happens when Huron surrounds himself with lieutenants who are all “very loyal” and absolutely not planning a coup. They are a multi-character package that plugs into another unit before the game starts, then Huron can pile in too, creating a stacked brick that does more than just hit.
The real hook is their deployment manipulation and command utility, plus a reliable once-per-game mortal wound jab for when you need to make a point.
- They “join” a unit at the start: attach at Declare Battle Formations to Chosen, Legionaries, or Red Corsairs Raiders, increasing that unit’s Starting Strength.
- Huron-only stacking: they cannot join an already attached unit, and only Huron can later join the unit they’ve joined, keeping the whole “pirate command blob” under one roof.
- Command phase value engine: Choice Samples lets you either return a destroyed model (non-Character) to the unit or generate one CP if friendly Heretic Astartes infantry are nearby, which is exactly the kind of resource cheating you want from a war council.
- The big brain play: Fleet Command lets you redeploy up to three Heretic Astartes units after both sides deploy, even if the Masters are in a transport, and you can shove units into Strategic Reserves regardless of how many are already there.
- Once-per-game pain button: Plunder lets them spike D3+1 mortal wounds on a 2+ after a normal move, which is rude, reliable, and very on brand.
A New Huron Blackheart For Grotmas Day Twenty Five
Games Workshop revealed an incredible-looking new Huron Blackheart model that is officially on the way for 2026. Best of all, this is not a quiet refresh or a subtle tweak. This is a full modern plastic kit that leans hard into the damage, the brutality, and the legend itself.
Huron strides out of the Maelstrom looking exactly like a Space Marine who survived a melta blast and decided to weaponize the aftermath. His armor is torn open down the right side, his face is mangled, and the Tyrant’s Claw is fully integrated into his ruined frame. It is grim, mean, and very Chaos.
Plus, the dangling Eldar soulstones and Warlock pendant kill trophies feel like a deliberate wink, and it lends credence to an Aeldari hook. If GW wants to stir up a proper corsair mess, that kind of loot points straight at Prince Yriel and the other set of Corsairs cruising the void in recent 40k rumors, too.
And yes, his Hamadrya is right there with him too, because Huron without his creepy little companion would feel wrong.
A Closer Look at the New Huron Blackheart Model
From a hobby angle, this sculpt is doing a lot of work.
The exposed damage tells the story of Huron’s near-death experience without needing a paragraph of lore. The Tyrant’s Claw looks monstrous and oversized, exactly how it should. His pose sells authority without drifting into cartoon villain territory. This feels like a Chaos warlord who has survived betrayal, exile, and far worse.
If you liked the older metal or resin versions but wanted something that actually fits modern Chaos aesthetics, this new Huron Blackheart model delivers 100x.
Masters of the Maelstrom: Huron’s Crew is Coming
Better yet, Huron is not showing up solo. He’s rolling in with the Masters of the Maelstrom, and the Red Corsairs are getting a fresh shot of muscle via a new battleforce: Lords of the Maelstrom. That box has brand-new kits, classic Chaos workhorses, and enough upgrade bits to make the whole army yell “pirate empire” without having to fall back on daemons and tentacles.
See the latest on the new Red Coasairs release here.
Why Huron Blackheart Still Matters in 40k
Well, Huron Blackheart is not just another Chaos Lord with spikes. He’s the guy who built the Red Corsairs from the ground up, turning piracy, intimidation, and pure ambition into a working business model. After surviving what should have been a gruesome death, his former Astral Claws techmarines stitched him back together. Then he started collecting warbands the hard way, by smashing them until they either joined up or got spaced.
He leads with charm right up until he flips the switch, then it gets ugly fast. Loyalty is a nice idea until it gets tested, and Huron has a long history of making examples out of “friends” who start hesitating. That reputation bleeds way past the Maelstrom, and it is exactly why he stays interesting in the lore and on the tabletop.
Plus, seeing Huron Blackheart, the Tyrant of Badab, return in plastic pretty much green-lights that more Chaos, and Red Corsairs are on the way soon…
What This Means for Chaos Space Marines Players
This reveal feels deliberate. A modern Huron Blackheart model opens the door for rules support, narrative focus, and possibly a broader refresh tied to pirate-themed Chaos forces.
Even if you are not running Red Corsairs, this model has serious kitbash potential. The Tyrant’s Claw alone is going to end up on a lot of conversion projects.
Final Thoughts On the New 40k Huron Blackheart Model
So yeah, if you were hoping Chaos would get something other than “here’s another guy with a cape and a different sword,” Huron just kicked your front door in.
On the tabletop, these new Huron Blackheart rules and the Masters of the Maelstrom package are pure Red Corsairs energy: steal the point, rig the deployment, and make your opponent feel like they brought a fair list to a very unfair knife fight.
From the hobby side, the new sculpt is a big deal too. This is modern Chaos design without sanding off the character that made Huron matter. The damage, the trophies, the Hamadrya, the Tyrant’s Claw, it all reads like a warlord who survived the worst day of his life and made it everyone else’s problem.
Either way, Chaos fans finally got a Christmas present that actually bites back.
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- 40k Release Schedule Roadmap
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