Charge the field with the Chaos Knights and our guide to their 10th Edition Warhammer 40k codex, how-to-play strategies, index changes, and rules review!
Updated on June 19th, 2025, by Rob Baer with the latest new codex Chaos Knights rules and pictures!
The Chaos Knights are back in the 10th Edition Warhammer 40k with clawed fists, tighter rules, and more focused detachment options. If your idea of battlefield control includes giant chainswords, stomping feet, and just the right amount of humongous weaponry, this guide covers what’s changed—and what still hits hard.
From points adjustments to cleaner datasheets, we’ve pulled together the key info—without the fluff—to help you charge into the new rules with purpose.
Chaos Knights in 10th Edition: What’s the Deal?
The new Chaos Knights update is here—and it’s brutal, streamlined, and tuned for carnage. The latest tweaks have shifted the way these towering engines of war fit into the game, with stat changes and points adjustments that make for a very different battlefield presence.
Let’s talk toughness. War Dogs are now Toughness 9, which means mid-strength weapons like autocannons and meltas actually pack a punch against them—no more shrugging off small arms with impunity. On the other hand, the big boys—Questoris-class Knights—are now T11, but that doesn’t help them either.
The problem is, now the kind of weapons that were already killing knights are just doing it faster now. And Dominus-class? Still sitting at T12, still a pain to bring down. Perhaps feeling a bit more exposed than before in a world full of high-strength tools.
One of the more curious shifts is the Ruinator—GW’s new plastic centerpiece knight. It’s flashy, yes, but when you look at it next to Forge World’s Acheron, it’s kind of a downgrade. It tries to fill the same niche, but doesn’t quite get there in terms of raw impact.
The silver lining? Points drops across the board. The lowered Toughness comes with cheaper costs, and that means more machines of war on the table. You can realistically field 4–5 big Knights with a solid War Dog screen at 2,000 points, which opens up new list-building options and aggressive alpha-strike potential.
Chaos Knights (along with Imperial Knights) are probably still a force to be reckoned with. Just now it’s about quality through quantity, fielding enough threats to overwhelm before your opponent picks them apart.
Want to stomp your enemies with infernal fury and a super heavy walker? This update gives Chaos Knights players the tools to do it.
How Chaos Knights Play in 10th Edition
The Chaos Knights 10th Edition codex brings relentless pressure, towering presence, and overwhelming firepower to the battlefield. You’re not playing a finesse game here—you’re asserting dominance with a few brutal, high-impact units backed by a tide of War Dogs that can snap objectives and punish anything that gets too close.
The new army rules thrive on force projection and psychological pressure. With towering Knights now at Toughness 11 (and Dominus at T12), they still soak fire, but not like they used to. You’re trading durability for more bodies, as points drops let you run 4–5 big Knights with a solid War Dog escort at 2,000.
That’s where the power lies now: swarming your opponent with towering threats before they can respond.
Don’t expect surgical combos or fragile synergies. This is a sledgehammer army—one that rewards bold movement, ruthless target priority, and board control through fear and fire.
Strengths:
- High-pressure alpha strike with fast, aggressive War Dogs
- Multiple towering threats that demand immediate answers from the enemy unit
- Flexible list-building with more Knights on the table
- Board control through raw presence and brutal firepower
- Simplified datasheets let you focus on positioning and output, not rule-layering
Weaknesses:
- Toughness reduction makes the Chaos Knight army more vulnerable to efficient anti-tank
- War Dogs are also now T9, which means autocannons and melta hurt more than before
- The Ruinator lags behind Forge World options like the Acheron
- Limited utility pieces—almost everything is a hammer
- If you lose momentum early, recovery is difficult
If your idea of fun is filling the board with nightmare engines and daring your opponent to stop you, Chaos Knights in 10th deliver. They’re not subtle—but subtlety isn’t the point. This is about crushing everything in your path with daemonic fury and infernal steel.
Army Rules: Harbingers of Dread
Chaos Knights now also radiate pure nightmare fuel. Thanks to their army-wide Harbingers of Dread rule, everything in your army exudes an aura of “you’re gonna have a bad time.” Okay, it’s just a battle shock test, but still. From turn one, enemies within 9″ are already sweating with -1 Leadership—and that’s just the opening act.
As the game goes on (rounds 1, 3, and 5), you’ll stack on even more debilitating effects like extra Leadership penalties, mortal wounds for failing Battle-shock, or the spicy +1 to wound against already terrified targets. You can pick the effects you want or roll for a random double feature—because hey, Chaos.
And don’t sleep on Dominion—it boosts all your scary aura ranges by 3″, turning your Knights into walking horror vacuums.
All this dread plays beautifully into the Battle-shock mechanics of 10th. Your job? Make them fail. Then punish them for it. You’re not just winning the game—you’re ruining morale one aura at a time.
Chaos Knights Detachments
Houndpack Lance
Chaos doesn’t always mean disorganized. Sometimes it means a pack of snarling War Dogs moving like a single, murderous organism. Houndpack Lance is all about coordination, speed, and overwhelming force projection.
This detachment rewards you for hunting in sync. Through Marked Prey, your War Dogs become guided missiles—hitting and wounding chosen targets with brutal efficiency. You don’t spread damage; you focus it until there’s nothing left.
Fast, focused, and vicious. This is Chaos with tactical teeth.
Traitoris Lance
Subtlety? No. But psychological warfare? Absolutely. Traitoris Lance thrives on fear, and it wants your opponent to feel it from the very first turn.
If you enjoy watching battle plans fall apart from the inside out, this is your flavor of evil.
You begin with extra Dread abilities, letting you pile on leadership penalties and Battle-shock triggers before your opponent gets their footing. Every aura you activate is another nail in the morale coffin.
Lords of Dread
Commanding the battlefield with raw presence and strategic malice, Lords of Dread is for those who see war as a chessboard—and every Knight a king. This detachment turns your leaders into linchpins, anchoring an army of fear and fury.
The Tyrannical Court rule empowers your auras, expanding their range and impact. Your battlefield becomes a radius of doom, with debuffs that punish proximity and control objectives.
If you like the idea of walking fortresses that dominate space just by existing, this is your court. Rule with dread, and let the enemy fall apart on your terms.
Infernal Lance
This is Chaos turned up to 11. Infernal Lance is for the bold, the reckless, and the unhinged—Knights that burn twice as bright (and half as long). It’s not about surviving—it’s about annihilating everything before survival matters.
With Malefic Surge, you can overclock your war engines to squeeze out devastating damage spikes, even if it costs you. Every surge is a gamble, but the payoff? Worth it.
Perfect for players who live for the big plays and don’t mind setting themselves on fire to do it.
Codex Datasheet Rules:
Let’s break down the key datasheets that define the army’s identity, as outlined in the codex.
Knight Despoiler
Call it the “build-a-Knight” kit. The Despoiler is Chaos Knight versatility at its finest—you want thermal lances, battle cannons, reaper chainswords, claws? You got it.
Its aura boosts War Dog OC near objectives, and it gains bonus melee AP against Battle-shocked units. You can lean ranged, go melee, or mix both. It’s whatever your list needs.
This is the backbone of many lists—flexible, deadly, and customizable to the chaos at hand.
Knight Desecrator
The Desecrator brings heavy vibes and heavier weapons. With the Las-impaler cannon, it delivers long-range D6+1 anti-tank punch—and it brings Devastating Wounds on 6s to wound.
But it’s not just about firepower. It buffs nearby War Dogs by improving their hit rolls, making it a command piece worth protecting. Plus, its melee suite means it’s not helpless up close.
If you want a knight that hits hard, helps friends, and doesn’t mind doing a little of everything, this one’s your guy.
Knight Ruinator
Flamers. Missiles. Aura buffs. The Ruinator is a walking terror zone. With a Darkflame lance (Torrent) and Terrorpulse Missiles (Blast), it melts units in the midboard with eerie precision.
Its Methodical Destruction ability lets it re-roll wounds against its chosen prey, and once it finishes them, it can mark another. Oh—and it buffs nearby War Dogs with +1 AP if they’re shooting the closest thing.
Set it up mid-board and let it anchor your onslaught while everything else goes nuts.
War Dog Executioner
Got a problem unit limping along with a few wounds left? The Executioner specializes in finishing jobs and breaking morale while doing it. Each time it targets a Below Half-strength unit, it gets +1 to Hit. Clean, simple, and scary.
And if it kills a unit? Nearby enemies might panic and auto-test for Battle-shock. It’s a long-range gun dog with a taste for shattered nerves and broken lines.
This thing doesn’t just shoot—it hunts. A sniper in a War Dog’s frame.
War Dog Karnivore
This dog doesn’t bark—it bites. The Karnivore is all melee, all the time, and it re-rolls Advance and Charge rolls to make sure it gets there.
With Sustained Hits on both melee weapons, it’s tearing through infantry, slapping light vehicles, and loving every second of it. It’s also the fastest War Dog on the board with a 14″ move.
Unleash it up a flank and let it go to town. If it reaches combat, something’s not walking away.
War Dog Brigand
Fast, flexible, and always gunning for control, the Brigand is your mid-field workhorse. With a solid statline and a mix of high-rate-of-fire and melta-style weaponry, it’s ready to scrap with just about anything.
It brings Ignores Cover when shooting at targets near objectives, making it great for stripping stubborn infantry off key points. Not too flashy, but brutally efficient—especially in packs.
Think of it as your utility knife with chaincannons. Reliable, dangerous, and always looking to trade up.
Where to Get the Chaos Knights Codex
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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 Chaos Knights 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.
Major Changes from Index to Codex
The jump from Chaos Knights Index to Codex isn’t just a points update—it’s a full-blown identity lock-in. This isn’t a ragtag mob of daemon engines anymore. It’s a fully weaponized philosophy: crush morale, control space, and do it all with towering machines of dread.
You’re not just showing up to the table with big guns—you’re showing up with psychological warfare, lethal synergy, and detachment rules that actually play into your army’s theme.
Refined Detachments – Less Bloat, More Bite
Gone are the generic vibes. Now, Chaos Knights roll into battle with detachments that actually feel like they were built for them. Each one brings a distinct flavor—whether you’re spamming War Dogs, stacking Battle-shock triggers, or overcharging your infernal cores until something explodes.
- Houndpack Lance makes War Dogs lethal pack hunters—fast, focused, and always hitting the target that matters.
- Traitoris Lance doubles down on fear, layering Dread abilities from turn one and punishing armies that crumble under pressure.
- Lords of Dread plays the long game with aura control, leadership debuffs, and field dominance through sheer presence.
- Infernal Lance is chaos at full throttle—high-risk, high-reward overcharges that push your Knights to blowtorch levels of output.
Each detachment feels tight, thematic, and loaded with identity. No fluff, no filler—just rules that scream “Chaos Knights.”
Stratagems Built for Terror and Threat
The Codex scraps the generic Index leftovers and replaces them with stratagems that match the way Chaos Knights actually play. We’re talking tricks to bait out Battle-shock, punish objective play, and boost your aura-fueled terror engines when it matters most.
No gimmicks, no “just reroll everything” spam—these are tools that reward positioning, timing, and picking the exact moment to flip the table. Whether you’re collapsing a flank or setting up an Overwatch trap with flamers and autocannons, you’re playing like a hunter—not a brute.
Unit Reworks and Loadout Streamlining
The Codex hasn’t just balanced stats—it’s made Chaos Knight units feel like specialists.
- War Dogs are now true role-players: Brigands pressure mid-board, Executioners pick off weakened targets, and Karnivores blitz melee with brutal speed.
- Big Knights are just as varied—Rampagers are full tilt melee wrecking balls, Desecrators offer hybrid leadership and heavy firepower, and Despoilers let you customize your own nightmare.
- The new Ruinator might look imposing, but competitively, it’s more of a “flashy but mid” plastic centerpiece—still serviceable, just not replacing FW options like the Acheron anytime soon.
Wargear choices are simpler, cleaner, and more reflective of what’s on your sprue. No more weird upgrade traps—just deadly, thematic kits ready to hit the table.
Why Play Chaos Knights?
Chaos Knights aren’t just an army—they’re a presence. You don’t outscore your opponent—you force them into losing points by failing Battle-shock, getting pushed off objectives, and folding under your relentless pressure.
- This army rewards bold movement, aggressive positioning, and playing the psychological game as much as the tactical one.
- They are durable, lethal, and surprisingly flexible
- Even with lower Toughness (T9 for War Dogs, T11 for Knights), the points drops make up for it. You’re not relying on one giant piece anymore—you’re running 4–5 Knights backed by a pack of Dogs, each doing its job.
And the synergy? It’s there. From AP-boosting auras to Battle-shock mortals, Chaos Knights work best as a cohesive hunting party, not a solo act.
Weaknesses to Keep in Mind
- More Targets, But Less Tanky: You’re running more Knights—but they die faster now. The toughness drop means efficient anti-tank hurts more than it used to. If you’re not careful, your force crumples under concentrated fire.
- Vulnerable to Chip Damage: War Dogs are T9, which makes them vulnerable to meltas, autocannons, and mid-strength spam. You can’t just shrug off small arms anymore.
- Melee or Bust (Sometimes): If your big guns whiff or your melee threats get screened, you’re in trouble. This army isn’t great at recovering from bad trades or bad dice—so plan accordingly.
- Dread Reliant: A lot of your strength comes from Dread abilities and auras. If your opponent can ignore or bypass leadership mechanics, that advantage fades.
Latest Chaos Knights 40k Rules Updates
The latest PDF updates for the Chaos Knights 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.
Final Verdict From Us
The new Chaos Knights Codex doesn’t reinvent the wheel—but it makes the wheel terrifying, faster, and fully wrapped in warp-metal spikes. This is a faction for players who want to apply pressure from turn one, make bold moves, and watch the battlefield bend under the weight of massive, daemonic war engines.
You don’t just win with damage—you win by breaking their spirit. And honestly? That’s peak Chaos.
New 40k Chaos Knights Battleforce: Review
What do you think about the Warhammer 40k Chaos Knights rules or their PDF?
