Unleash the anger of the World Eaters with our guide to their Warhammer 40k codex, how-to-play strategies, index changes, and rules review
Updated on May 20th, 2025, by Rob Baer with updated information and links.
The World Eaters are back, and they’re angrier, bloodier, and deadlier than ever in the 10th Edition Warhammer 40k codex. Whether you’re looking to dominate the tabletop with relentless melee assaults or just appreciate the art of carnage in the grimdark future, this guide breaks down everything you need to know.
From the latest index changes to key rules, must-know strategies, and the PDF details you’ve been hunting for, we’ve got it all covered.
Khorne rewards brutality, but that doesn’t mean playing World Eaters is as simple as throwing Berzerkers forward and hoping for the best. Getting the most out of this faction means understanding their strengths, maximizing key synergies, and knowing exactly when to unleash overwhelming violence.
This guide runs through the tactics that matter, how to wield their brutal wargear, and what’s changed in the codex so you can hit the battlefield with ferocity—and results.
World Eaters Faction in 10th Edition
So, what’s coming with this update? Quite a bit, actually. From five new detachment rules to brutal tweaks in key units, the details suggest an army that rewards raw aggression, decisive charges, and battlefield dominance through sheer bloodlust. Let’s go through the highlights and break down what’s promising.
How the World Eaters Play in 10th Edition
The World Eaters’ rules are all about raw, unrelenting aggression. They excel in close combat, tearing through enemy lines with brutal efficiency, and their bloodthirsty bonuses push them to fight harder the more carnage they cause. Their unique abilities allow them to chain charges and capitalize on momentum, ensuring they keep the pressure on from the first swing to the last.
However, their devotion to pure violence means subtlety isn’t their strong suit. While they hit like a freight train, they can be vulnerable to being outmaneuvered or bogged down by resilient foes if not handled carefully.
Strengths:
- Unmatched melee damage potential
- High aggression with bonuses for successful charges
- Strong unit synergy through buffs and auras
- Access to powerful, blood-soaked stratagems
Weaknesses:
- Lower resilience against ranged or attrition-heavy armies
- Limited range capabilities
- High-risk, high-reward playstyle that demands smart target prioritization
If you thrive on leading a force that embodies raw fury, smashing enemy lines with unstoppable momentum, and offering skulls to the Blood God with every victory, the World Eaters are your legion of choice.
Core World Eaters Army Rules
What’s better than running at the enemy, screaming? Running at the enem,y screaming with Khorne’s blessings on your side.
In the World Eaters 10th Edition codex, they get a delightful toy: Blessings of Khorne. Think of it like Warhammer’s angriest slot machine — you roll a fistful of dice at the start of each battle round, and depending on your Blessing of Khorne roll, you get to activate two bloody good powers for your entire army.
Need your Berzerkers to hit harder? Boom, grab Warp Blades. Want your Eightbound to re-roll their charges and crash into the enemy like a tidal wave of axes? Unbridled Bloodlust says hello.
Feel like turning your soon-to-be-dead Marines into last-gasp grenades? Total Carnage has your back. But you can never go wrong with grabbing devastating wounds!
But here’s the kicker: you have to play the hand you’re dealt. No hoarding dice, no careful planning. Khorne rewards boldness, not spreadsheets.
Sometimes you’ll have the perfect combo — other times, you’ll be improvising with whatever the Blood God throws your way. Either way, it’s metal as hell.
Blessings of Khorne captures everything great about the World Eaters: speed, violence, and just enough chaos to keep every turn feeling wild. It’s not just “move forward and kill” anymore—it’s “move forward, kill, and adapt like a madman while screaming praises to Khorne.”
Detachment Rules: Picking Your Destruction
The World Eaters aren’t getting just one detachment—five different options let you tailor your playstyle. Each one leans into a different strength, meaning you can go full speed, focus on cultists, or even stack transport-based buffs. Here’s what they bring to the table:
Berzerker Warband Detachment– Pure, Unrelenting Fury
If you believe battles should be won with sheer brute force and rivers of blood, the Berzerker Warband is your jam. Every time your warriors charge, they hit harder (+1 Attack, +1 Strength), turning even small squads into a chainsaw of meat-grinding terror.
Stratagems here crank your killing power to the max—better armor penetration, furious charges, and resilience that shrugs off enemy hits. If you want to run headlong into your opponent and tear them apart in a frenzy of screaming chainaxes, this detachment makes every fight phase feel like a festival of violence.
Possessed Slaughterband – Rage That Won’t Die
The Possessed Slaughterband is all about stubborn, daemonic rage. Even when your units take hits, they surge forward like unstoppable murder engines.
Lose models in your opponent’s shooting phase? Good. You get to move closer to your next victims.
This detachment is made for mid-board dominance, with stratagems that boost your durability, pile on extra mortal wounds, and make your possessed even more dangerous as they die. If you like the idea of playing a force that’s part army, part horror movie monster swarm, the Possessed Slaughterband is your nightmare fuel of choice.
Cult of Blood – Blood-Crazed Hordes
Sometimes quantity is its own kind of quality—and the Cult of Blood leans hard into that philosophy. Your cultist hordes, backed by monstrous champions (and especially the Lord of Skulls), get brutal aura buffs that make every Jakhal and Goremonger punch well above their weight.
With stratagems that let you respawn units, stack damage bonuses, and slap invulnerable saves onto your fodder, this detachment turns the battlefield into a seething tide of flesh, iron, and screaming devotion. If you dream of winning battles by drowning your enemies in bodies and rage, the Cult of Blood will feel like home.
Khorne Daemonkin – Blood for the Blood God, Points for the Blood Tithe
The Khorne Daemonkin detachment is all about momentum—and by momentum, we mean a growing mountain of corpses feeding your ever-stronger buffs. Every kill brings you closer to unlocking devastating abilities that make your army even deadlier.
Whether you’re bulking up with invulnerable saves, shrugging off psychic nonsense, or pushing your melee attacks into overdrive, this detachment turns battlefield carnage into tactical advantage. If you like the idea of every fight making your army more monstrous, Khorne Daemonkin gives you a literal blood-fueled power spike.
Goretrack Onslaught – Transports of Terror
The Goretrack Onslaught is for players who want their army to slam into the enemy like a truck—because that’s literally what it does. Units bursting out of transports get bonuses to charge distance and deadly melee upgrades, making every disembark a brutal rush of murder.
Stratagems let you suppress enemy shooting, scout up the board, and bring Fights First to the units that matter. If you want your Rhinos, Land Raiders, or even Dreadclaws to feel like unstoppable battering rams, Goretrack Onslaught gives you the keys to Khorne’s murder convoy.
World Eaters Codex Datasheet Rules:
Let’s jump to what is in the codex from the key datasheets that make the army what it is!
Berzerkers – Still the Kings of Carnage (sort of)
Berzerkers barely survived the jump to 10th (but did keep the Blood Surge rule)—they got faster but lost some other key rules… and strength, which hits them quite hard. Still, with bigger squads, more move characteristics, and even more ways to chop things into chunky salsa, these guys are the ultimate poster boys for “move forward and murder.”
Forget subtlety. When you want a reliable meat-grinder that turns midfield objectives into scenes from a horror movie, you grab the Berzerker unit and never look back.
Angron – The Red Angel Returns… Again
If Angron was mad before, now he’s downright apocalyptic for enemy units. He still hits like a nuclear bomb wearing brass knuckles, dishes out brutal mortal wounds, and even when you finally manage to kill him, surprise!—he’s coming back next round to do it all over again.
However, despite some changes to how he revives (and they are NERFS), he also loses some melee power, but still can knock out entire squads.
Jakhals – Little Murder Machines, Big Annoyance Factor
Jakhals are no longer just speed bumps in red armor. These angry little maniacs got tougher, faster, and hit harder, especially when backed by all the cult synergy goodness. However, they lost their Battleline unless you take the specific detachment.
They’re cheap, they’re scrappy, and they will absolutely flood the board if you let them. Perfect for objective grabs, tarpitting elite units, making big charge rolls, or just making your opponent waste valuable shooting on a bunch of screaming lunatics.
Skarbrand – Rage Made Flesh
Subtlety is dead. Skarbrand killed it personally.
This walking hate-bomb brings sheer overwhelming melee destruction, and he’s even nastier now. You can’t fall back from him without serious consequences, and once he gets stuck in, you’re basically playing “how fast can I die?”
Skarbrand doesn’t care about tactics—he’s here to scream, smash, and turn entire enemy armies into blood pudding.
Bloodthirsters – Giant Flying Problems
Bloodthirsters are back in a big way—literally. They’re faster, tougher, and capable of ruining any poor fool’s day the second they land.
Their big win? Incredible durability mixed with horrifying melee output. They’re not just centerpiece models anymore—they’re must-answer threats. If your opponent can’t deal with them immediately, congratulations: they’re about to meet Khorne personally.
Eightbound – Silent, Savage, and Very, Very Fast
The Eightbound aren’t just scary—they’re everywhere. With boosted speed and horrifying new rules that punish weakened enemies and rip through failed fallback attempts, these daemon-bound berserkers are built to exploit chaos.
They’re not here for a fair fight. They’re here to hit weakened targets, cripple enemy plans, and then disappear into the next bloody mess they can cause. If you want surgical brutality with a side of “no, you’re not escaping,” Eightbound are your new best friends.
Slaughterbound – Demon-Fueled Turbo Murder
If you thought Eightbound were scary before, meet their bigger, badder cousin: the Slaughterbound. This new beast is basically what happens when a Bloodthirster says, “Hey, can I borrow your body real quick?”
Screaming across the battlefield at a ridiculous 10″ movement, the Slaughterbound isn’t just fast — it’s unhinged. It leads your Eightbound or Exalted Eightbound squads like a howling death coach, resurrects one dead model every Command phase (because why settle for dead when you can be angry and still swinging?), and when the time is right, it pops off with a once-per-game berserk button that jacks its attack count through the roof and lets it hand out mortal wounds like candy.
10th Edition Codex & PDF – What’s Inside?
The latest codex for the World Eaters offers a comprehensive look into their lore, unit profiles, and unique rules that set them apart on the battlefield. Inside, you’ll find detailed datasheets for their specialized units, stratagems that emphasize their combat style, and Crusade rules that reflect their quest for battle.
Where to Get the World Eaters Codex
Snag your new codex goodies from our handpicked list of retailers, and give us a high-five in support! Every qualifying purchase helps Spikey Bits keep the lights on and the fun going.
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Mid Atlantic US: Fabricators Forge | Bazooka Games | Frontline Gaming (West Coast US) | The Rogue Traders | Central US: Dicehead Games | Noble Knight Games | Warpfire Minis | West Coast US: Squadmarks |
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You can save even more on your purchase by using our exclusive list of redeemable discount codes from some of the best hobby retailers and miniature manufacturers!
If you’re looking for the World Eaters codex PDF, Wahapedia is the go-to spot for free reference material, but if you want the full book with lore, art, and all the extras, Games Workshop’s official version is the way to go.
Supporting your local game store or preferred retailer not only gets you the codex but also helps sustain the community.
Major Changes from the World Eaters Index to the Codex
Transitioning from the Index to the full 10th Edition Codex brings some truly blood-soaked updates:
Reworked Detachments
The Codex introduces a full spread of brutal new detachments, like the Berzerker Warband and Possessed Slaughterband, each leaning into a different flavor of violence.
Whether you want unstoppable infantry charges, daemon-possessed mid-board brawlers, or deep striking murder squads, there’s a detachment to match your brand of bloodshed. These setups reward aggressive momentum and decisive plays, perfect for an army that only knows one direction: forward.
Stratagems Overhaul
World Eaters’ stratagems have been reworked to embrace their all-gas-no-brakes style. Now you’ll find powerful options that amplify your charges, punish enemy movement, and add that signature Khorne-flavored chaos to every engagement.
Want your transports to scout forward? Need to slap bonus mortal wounds onto your death-throes? Need to stop a unit from falling back? There’s a brutal tool for every moment.
Unit Profiles and Weapon Adjustments
Almost every unit got faster, meaner, or tougher.
- Berzerkers are speedier and more numerous, now able to flood the field with 20 maniacs per squad (but are weaker).
- Eightbound gained vicious new fall-back punishment abilities.
- Daemon Engines like the Forgefiend and Maulerfiend now hit harder and force Battleshock tests just for daring to shoot them.
- Angron got new tricks too — still a nuclear option who refuses to stay dead.
And for the first time, World Eaters players have dedicated rules for new stars like the Slaughterbound, a regenerating Eightbound leader who’s all about violent momentum.
The new Codex doesn’t just polish the army — it unleashes it.
Why Play World Eaters?
Speed, Momentum, and Unrelenting Violence
This army isn’t about careful setup or defensive play—it’s about getting in your opponent’s face by Turn 1 and staying there. World Eaters now chain together bonuses with every kill: advancing faster, hitting harder, and refusing to let up once the blood starts flowing.
Units like Berzerkers, Eightbound, and even your Cultist mobs (hello Jakhals!) benefit from crazy movement boosts and charge bonuses, making them absolutely lethal the second they hit the field.
And the more carnage you cause, the better — with Blessings of Khorne powering up your army each round based on dice rolls that favor the bold and the bloody.
Daemonic Fury and Massive Centerpieces
If you’re into big, angry centerpiece models, the World Eaters have you covered. Angron remains the angry centerpiece who refuses to stay dead. Skarbrand is here too, turning fallback attempts into desperate scrambles (or just more dead bodies).
And Bloodthirsters aren’t just gorgeous models anymore—they’re giant, flying doom engines that force your opponent to deal with them now, or suffer a very quick, very bloody death.
These monsters don’t just hit hard—they force your enemy to completely rethink their game plan.
Relentless Stratagems and Battlefield Control
The Codex’s new stratagems turn battlefield pressure into total domination:
Hack and Slash – Improve armor penetration when charging into the meat grinder.
Blood Offering – Turn a dying World Eaters unit into a brutal blessing trigger.
Murder-Call – Yank a damaged unit into Strategic Reserves after a fight, saving it for more violence later.
Everything about the new World Eaters plays into non-stop momentum: stall out the charge, and you’re punished. Keep the blood flowing, and you snowball into an unstoppable avalanche of gore.
Weaknesses to Consider
Not the Toughest Army Around
World Eaters bring overwhelming offense, but they aren’t the tankiest force out there. Most units rely on movement tricks, quick charges, and smart trades to stay alive. If you get bogged down or stuck out of position, you’re going to feel the pain pretty quickly.
Aggression Demands Precision
World Eaters aren’t the army for people who want to sit back and castle. You need to commit—and commit hard. Hesitate on your charges, fail to capitalize on early kills, or split your forces unwisely, and you’ll find yourself overwhelmed before the real bloodshed can even begin.
Heavy Reliance on Synergy and Timing
Blessings of Khorne, deep strike tricks, unit buffs—most of the World Eaters’ big plays depend on everything hitting just right. Miscalculating positioning, messing up charge distances, or whiffing critical dice rolls can cost you hard. This army rewards the bold but punishes the careless.
Latest World Eaters 40k Rules Updates
The latest updates for the World Eaters Codex 10th Edition rules will be released in what Games Workshop calls a Balance Dataslate, sometimes along with accompanying points changes as well.
You can see all the latest Balance Dataslate updates here in our post, which breaks down the most recent changes.
How Do World Eaters Compare to Other Factions?
Strengths and Weaknesses in the Meta
Strengths:
- Hyper-Aggressive Combat – Insane movement boosts, advance-and-charge tricks, and Blessings of Khorne buffs let you control the pace of battle from the first turn.
- Explosive Melee Damage – Eightbound, Berzerkers, and daemonic monsters can tear through almost anything if they make it into combat.
- Character Powerhouses – Between Angron, Skarbrand, and Bloodthirsters, World Eaters have some of the most terrifying centerpiece threats in the entire game.
Weaknesses:
- Not the Tankiest Army – While deadly, many World Eaters units rely more on speed and early aggression than on surviving a drawn-out firefight.
- Positioning is Critical – You need to be in the right place at the right time. Miss a charge, or let yourself get screened out, and your momentum dies fast.
- Momentum-Based Playstyle – World Eaters hit hardest when they chain kills and dominate objectives early. If you get stalled or bogged down, the army’s power curve drops sharply.
Against fast, high-damage armies like Aeldari or Genestealer Cults, you’ll need aggressive moves and clever Blessings of Khorne combos to catch and kill them before they kite you off objectives.
Against tougher armies like Death Guard or Adeptus Custodes, it’s all about smart target priority—hitting them where it hurts, forcing trades, and keeping the blood flowing.
The World Eaters codex rewards players who aren’t afraid to commit hard and keep the pressure up. If you like decisive, full-throttle play backed by some of the nastiest characters in 40k, this army is your ultimate expression of chaos and carnage.
Final Thoughts
The new World Eaters codex is shaping up to be one of the most brutally fun releases in a while. The army has always been about raw aggression, but now it’s got mechanical depth too.
Between revamped core units, monstrous new characters like the Slaughterbound, and five blood-soaked detachments to experiment with, there’s a ton of flexibility buried under all that rage.
Will World Eaters be the most dominant force in competitive 40k? Too early to say—but they absolutely have the tools to smash face in the hands of an aggressive, tactical player.
World Eaters Battleforce is Packed With Miniatures
What do you think about the new Warhammer 40k 10th Edition codex rules for the World Eaters?
