GW has officially announced the War Zone Charadon Act II book for pre-order next week, meaning all the Be’lakor rules for 40k are close!
Warhammer Community previously showed off a bunch of rules to how the big daemon will play in 40k. Since the model came out a while ago, you shouldn’t have any excuses as to why yours isn’t painted (well unless you couldn’t get one cause they were allocated down to 2 per store- big oof)!
All The Be’lakor & Charadon Act II 40k Rules So Far!
In case you missed them, we have included everything here that we know so far, so now is as good as ever to get a refresher! Let’s jump into all the rules for this big guy and a reminder of what else comes in the book!
War Zone Charadon – Act II: The Book of Fire
The book features a wealth of background information plus a narrative campaign allowing you to play out the key engagements for yourself and see how you match up to Typhus and Morvenn Vahl as generals. There are also two new Armies of Renown in the form of The Disciples of Be’lakor and Skitarii Veteran Cohort, and a codex supplement for the Adepta Sororitas Order of Our Martyred Lady.
The book also collates a range of existing rules for the Chaos Space Marines in one place. They have been updated with their relevant FAQ changes and formatted for the current edition of Warhammer 40,000 to give you an easy overview of their Traits, Stratagems, and Relics.
Here’s the list of included Chaos forces in full.
Of course, you will also have access to the usual collector’s edition for a different cover style if you so chose. A sweet bonus for Chaos players who might not care about their rules being compiled, it will also be coming with Be’lakor’s 40k rules! Way back when the rules were previewed they let everyone know that he would be in it. Now that we also know he is getting a themed “Army of Renown” this might make out for a big update for some CSM players until they get their codex.
A while back we spotted a variety of special rules and a datasheet for an updated Be’lakor, so check that out below for a sneak peek at what’s to come.
All The Be’lakor Rules Spotted So Far
First, he has a standard sweeping attack which will double his attacks (now 12 total), which should help him dig out of horde combats.
The Piercing Strike however is great, and the stat line did seem to get changed last from +2S in his model Datasheet to +4S in the GW preview. All that aside, the main power of these attacks is that they prevent invulnerable saves! That means he might just be one of the best character killers in the game moving forward!
He is also getting a 4+ Invulnerable and -1 to wound rolls for incoming ranged shots. Shadow Form is also pretty good, if he is attacked, the hit roll cannot be re-rolled, additionally, they must subtract 1 from it. These are both great to help make him tougher and last longer on the field, together they kinda push him over the top, he will be a massive pain to deal with.
Psychic Powers
With the ability to manifest two psychic powers each turn and access to the Noctic discipline that’s unique to Disciples of Be’lakor, you can turn the Dark Master into a mass mortal wound generator with Smite, Voidslivers, and Betraying Shades.
Get All Four Assassins For The Price of One Now!
This is really deadly if you can draw a line through a couple of big units, still, if you can draw it through a few smaller units, it will still deal a few mortals, and for only a 5+ it’s not bad.
This power can be insane. While you have to roll 6’s if you can use this on a unit with 3 attacks each, if you get lucky, you can really deal the mortal wounds.
His powers are all pretty sweet, and this one can make a unit, like havocs, near impossible to take out by the enemy.
Special Rules
It may cost you a few Command points, but the Dark Master also has access to one of the best ‘last resort’ Stratagems in the game to help keep him in one piece. Emerging from an apocalyptic explosion entirely unscathed is just so Be’lakor.
If you happen to fail a save against something like a Lascannon or Dark Lance, this can be a super helpful and annoying rule!
This is a really large range and rerolling all attacks is super nice, because if they shoot and charge, you get double value. Also, you only have to be in range when the command phase starts, not the actual phases of shooting or CC.
So, with the trait above, you can pick a unit, have them run the opposite direction, then use him as a bubble for everything close.
Datasheet From the Box
There was an IKEA-style sheet of rules spotted in a PDF from GW so let’s compare it to the old sheet and see what’s changed.
Old rules
New Rules
New Bonuses:
- Wounds up to 16 (was 8)
- Movement at 12″ degrading down to 6″ (was 14″ non-degrading)
- Attacks at 6 degrading down to 4 (was 6 non-degrading)
- Strength up to 8 degrading to 6 (was 6)
- Toughness up to 7 (was 6)
- Armor Save at 6+ (was 4+)
- Sweeping Strike at -3AP and 1 damage (was -2AP 2 damage for talons)
- Piercing Strike is at +2S? (preview said +4s), -4AP, and D3+3 damage (was +1S, -5AP, and flat 3 damage)
What we don’t know:
- Leadership debuff to enemies?
- Re-rolls?
Overall, Be’lakor has a ton of changes looking to make him stand apart from generic princes. Doubling the wounds on him is a great step, but he can be freely targeted and not bubble-wrapped.
Losing damage on the talons/sweeping strike also hurts, especially with all those units going up to 2 wounds now. Hopefully, he keeps his re-rolls and maybe even gains some extra rules.
What do you think of the rules? Are you excited to throw him into your games?
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About the Author: Andrew Schrank
Andrew Schrank
Job Title: Miniatures & Warhammer Hobby Staff Writer
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About Andrew Schrank: Over the past 15 years, Andrew has played all the games, including tabletop and video games, and immersed himself in the associated lore. Andrew joined the Spikey Bits team in 2018 and covers the Warhammer hobby and tournament scene, along with the latest in tabletop miniatures, each week.
Aspiring diplomat, Lord of Fluff, and Master of Ice Hammer, He loves Star Wars, Chaos Undivided, and Gundam. During his free time, he hunts Platinum trophies on PS5 and reads international news. On weekends, Andrew plays commander and cEDH games, often with unique strategies that push the limits.
He believes each day presents a new opportunity to grow and be challenged.
