GW revealed a new cover for Chaos Space Marines codex and here are all the latest new 40k rules rumors including key changes…
Talk about baroque, the art on the cover of the new Chaos Space Marines codex is wild for sure.
Drink it in. It’s an exceptional horde of weirdos and mutants, corrupted combatants and malevolent monsters, brandishing baroque weapons and clad in armour crawling with warp-infused detail.
Wherever you look, maddening mysteries abound. Who are those lamentable lads in the lower left? What about that shifty chap in the hood, conjuring up dark magics? And what manner of vile tyrant stands above it all, bristling with more spikes than a ceramite hedgehog?
Games Workshop took the covers off the new codex, as they will be talking more about it presumably on Wednesday’s edition of the Warhammer Fest Previews.
For now though, here are all the wild Chaos Space Marines codex rules rumors that look to be legit for the most part thus far.
Chaos Space Marines Codex Rules RUMORS
Obviously, these are rumors, so take them with as much salt as you need. However, with the book on the horizon, there are bound to be some pretty strong leaks out there.
These come from Reddit by way of /tg and they usually do pretty well when it comes to the rumor side of things.
Some of those are super spicy for sure, and some are not. Either way, we know new Chaos Space Marines are on the way. Check out all the pages of the new Chaos Space Marine Codex rumors above!
- CSM doctrine:
- Exact same thing as SM, except replace +1AP with exploding 6s (unmodified hits)
- Icons:
vengeance +1 CA
wrath +1ap melee
flame +1ap shooting
excess +1 to hit melee
despair 6s to hit = autowound - All legions are getting 6 WT, 8 relics & 8 stratagems
- What else is in the book They have a way of consistently hitting on 2s (even with thunder hammers)
Chaos Traitor Legion Rules Rumors:
- Legion traits: NL
-2LD & -1CA @ 9”
+1 to advance & +1 to charges
When using a pistol/assault/melee vs below half strength unit or LD 6 and below = +1 to wound - IW
Ignores cover
Reduce ap1/2 by 1
Heavy/grenade vs vehicules/buildings/units in cover = +1 to wound - Word Bearers
Charges/HI = reroll hits
5+++ vs MW
When using a pistol/assault/melee = 6s to wound cause 1MW (capped @ 3MW per unit) - Black Legion
ignore CA
+1 to hit when charge or shoot closest unit
rapid fire/assault/pistol = exploding 5s (hit)
EC (4chain leak, not from my sources) - World Eaters
Not in the codex (queue surprised music)
RUMORS: New Chaos Space Marines Codex Rules Compilation
From this new Chaos Space Mariners Codex rules rumor complication below, the big standouts are Legionnaires being the new name for the CSM troop choice.
Other highlights from the datasheet rumors section:
- Chosen 3w can use TH
- Mutilators no longer in the book
- Warp Talon 2w, lost cancel overwatch, gained no fallback, 5a (these are total with claws)
- Raptors still have the -1LD aura +2a
- Obliterators
Can shoot units that are in engagement range with them (like Wraithguard)
in melee, they have powerfists without the -1 to hit
3 different shooting profiles - Havocs exactly the same as right now but 2w
- Stratagems something to ignore invuls (4chan leak, so take with a grain of salt, leak said EC chosen could destroy Custodes hitting with TH on a 2+ and with strat ignore invul saves) NL deepstrike strat for jump packs, DS turn 1 NL vox scream disables AURAS
- Other: IW Ectoplasma Forgefiend can hit on 2+ and does flat 4 damage
- New Cultist unit HQ
- New Mutant Cultists
Also after the reveal for the new Chaos options in the Kill Team Nachmund box set the predictions of said Legionnaires squad look to be 100% spot on.
That would lend a lot more credibility to the rest of these rumors now that this part seems to have panned out for the most part.
Some of those are super spicy for sure, and some are not. Either way, we know new Chaos Space Marines are on the way. Check out all the pages of the new Chaos Space Marine Codex rumors above!
RUMORS: Chaos Space Marines Traits, Relics & Stratagems Rules
There are also plenty more rumors than this out there, so keep your eyes peeled for more soon!
Night Lords
- -2LD & -1CA @ 9”
- +1 to advance & +1 to charges
- Wanton Slaughter: When using a pistol/assault/melee vs below half strength unit or LD 6 and below = +1 to wound (Super doctrine)
Warlord Traits
- 6″ aura that cancels obsec
- +1 CA to enemies and always consolidate 3″ in any direction, even if touching base to base
- The horrible warlord trait of once per battle you can reroll 1 dice for hit, wounds, advance, charge, and saves have been changed. It is now once per turn you can auto 6 a dice for a hit, wound, advance, or saves
- +D3 attacks and warlord is considered always in the slaughter phase… this is evil on a disco lord
- +1 to armor and invul saves in terrain is GONE
- Fall back and charge + -1 to hit is GONE
Relics
- FLY relic (Daemon Prince only it seems): moving over or charging units causes d3 MW on a 2+
- Claws of the Black Hunt are back but have been renamed, S+1 ap3 D2, does not gain reroll wounds instead gains enemies cannot use rules that ignore wounds
- Vox Daemonicus is 12″ no deepstrike & enemies must pass a leadership test or cannot perform actions or psychic actions; infantry only
- Flayer is still there and seems to be exactly the same
- Stormbolt plate, infantry only, 2+ save, and untargetable beyond 12″
Stratagems
- Vox scream: cancels AURAS
- Units in deepstrike or strategic reserves count themselves as 1 turn earlier. 1cp for infantry & bikers; 2cp for Daemonkin
- No fallback strat
- Fall back and charge
- -1 to hit if fired upon
- Rerolls to hit if Ld is higher than the enemies (used to be +1 to hit)
- There are no more stratagems that influence moral
- Lost the stratagem that gives +2 to the charge and +1 to hit in melee from terrain
- If you slay the enemy warlord, +1 CA to enemies for the rest of the game
Iron Warriors
- Ignores cover
- Reduce ap1/2 by 1
- Wanton Destruction: Heavy/grenade vs vehicules/buildings/units in cover = +1 to wound (Super doctrine)
Warlord Traits
- Some way to give +1 damage to certain units
Stratagems
- 5+++ vs MW
- -1 damage for core infantry & daemonkin.
- Reduce incoming ap strat is GONE
- Cultist bodyguards are still there
Word Bearers
- Charges/HI = reroll hits
- 5+++ vs MW
- Wanton Slaughter: When using a pistol/assault/melee = 6s to wound cause 1MW (capped @ 3MW per unit) (Super doctrine)
Stratagems
- No more strat for possessed +1d
- The auto pass psyker spell is still there
- The autosave strat has been changed to take 0 damage instead
- They have 2 strats that affect daemonkin or possessed
Black Legion
- Ignore CA
- +1 to hit when charge or shoot closest unit
- Wanton Massacre: rapid fire/assault/pistol = exploding 5s (hit) (Super doctrine)
Stratagem
- Strat that lets you change a unit’s legion for a turn.
- 1 unit can be considered destruction/massacre/slaughter at the same time, core units only
Alpha Legion
- -1 to hit 12″ away, if wounds are 10+ then it’s 18″
- Can charge and perform actions if they fell back
- Wanton massacre (super doctrine):Rapid fire, assault, pistol if within half range +1 ap
Warlord Traits
- Sniper warlord trait
- Redeploy for up to 3 units
- A cultist buff
- I am Alpharius is still there
Relics
- One turn per battle: enemy strats cost +1cp on a 4+
- Power sword with dd3 and causes -1 to hit (GONE)
- Bolt weapons wounds on +2(except vehicules and titanic), ignores cover
- The combi bolter relic must be gone since no way for HQ to get combis (GONE)
- +2 armor, and transhuman
- Armor with 3d6 movement that can “ghost walk” through units (still there)
Stratagems
- The sabotage strat is now auto explode
- Fall back and shoot
- 12″ deepstrike denial
- Shoot a unit that deepstrikes nearby
- Forward operatives, pregame move
- Conceal is replaced with untargetable beyond 12″
Emperor’s Children
- Ignore any/all negative modifiers to WS/BS
- Any attack on a 6 to wound +1ap
- Wanton Slaughter (super doctrine): Melee hits on a 6 give an additional hit, combine this with the slaughter bonus and you’d get 2 additional hits on a 6
- Side note, this matches up with a 4chan leak that said TH chosen could hit on 2s with EC (legion trait+icon of excess)
- Noise Marines are troops
- Don’t need to pay for Slaanesh marks
Stratagems
- Honour the Prince is still there
- The sonic weapons strat does mortal wounds now, no longer +1s +1d
Red Corsairs
- Charge if they advanced
- Models count as 2 for obsec; Models with 10+ wounds count as 5
- Wanton Destruction (super doctrine): Heavy, rapid, grenades get +1ap
Creations of Bile
- +1 str/move
- Fight after death in melee
- Wanton Slaughter (super doctrine): Melee hits on 6 auto wound
”Build a Warband” Renegade Traits
- +4″ to range other than grenade and relic
- After killing a unit, the unit is then considered to be in destruction, massacre, and slaughter for the rest of the game
- After charging, in melee 6s to hit autowound (Khorne specific)
- In melee or shooting, reroll 1 wound or 1 damage (Tzeentch specific)
- +1 to wound vs half-strength unit (Nurgle specific)
- +1ap on a 6 to wound unmodified (Slaanesh specific)
- +1 to advance and charge rolls
- +1 to hit when targetting closest enemy unit
- +1 movement & strength
- Ignore CA/Fallback and shoot/fallback and charge; but with -1 to hit for the rest of the turn (All encompassing; unmarked specific, so no marks allowed)
World Eaters
- Not in the codex
We know what this means! They have to be getting their own book soon! Right?
Chaos Space Marines “Doctrines” Rules
- Similar to SM Doctrine, except exploding 6s (unmodified hits) instead of +1AP. Still, 3 levels that affect different weapons (the weapons listed below are not confirmed by my sources, but the ones in the Legion Traits are confirmed by my sources as well as the names, so what I am about to list may be subject to change)
- Destruction ”Doctrine”: Heavy/grenade
- Massacre ”Doctrine”: Rapid fire/assault
- Slaughter ”Doctrine”: pistol/melee
Marks of Chaos
- Can only be applied to CORE & CHARACTERS and cost points
- Marks provide the keyword and a daemonic gift
- ”Daemonic Gifts”: (Included with mark)
- Khorne: +1S on the charge
- Nurgle: -1 to wound, IF S=T or S/2>=T
- Tzeentch: ignore all damage on the first missed save (this is per unit per turn)
- Slaanesh: fight first in the fight phase
Icons: (Purchasable Upgrade)
- Vengeance +1 CA
- Wrath +1ap melee
- Flame +1ap shooting
- Excess +1 to hit melee
- Despair 6’s to hit = autowound
New Chaos Space Marines 40k Datasheets & Unit Rules RUMORS
Let’s check out the latest en masse:
Chaos lord
- Base loadout is thunder hammer and plasma pistol
- Has access to all melee weapons
- Can only have a bolt or plasma pistol
Abbadon
- 8A s10 ap4 d3, 6+ to wound causes d3 MW (drachnyen pierce)
- 16A s7 ap4 d1 (drachnyen sweep)
- always fights first
- -1 to wound
- The damage of the first failed save is reduced to 0 damage
- +1s on the charge
- can only take a max 3 damage per phase
- full rerolls
- charge bonus
- supposedly very pricy (would be around 300 ish points)
Disco lord
- +1 to hit vehicles in melee
- Bs2 ws2 s4 t6 9w 6A LD9 2+/5++
- Limited to 1 and cant get multiple boosts (i don’t understand what this means yet)
- Techno virus injector: in engagement range, all weapons get +1 damage vs VEHICULES
- impaler chainglaive: ap3 d2; on the charge +1 to wound
- the melta mouth weapon is a melta pistol
- claws and tail are 4 additional attacks @ S6 ap2 d2
- mechadentritees: 4x s4 ap0 d1
- ability to wound vehicles: you can corrupt a vehicle: roll a d6 for every wound that a vehicle has on a 6s=1MW (maximum of 6); if you kill an enemy vehicle in melee you can corrupt 2 different vehicles instead of just 1. The double corruption ability is gained for the rest of the game. Happens in the command phase.
Warpsmith
- Can heal vehicles
- +1 to hit for VEHICULES for shooting
- MoE (elite slot)
- Rerolls wounds v char
- 6″ heroic intervene
- Hits of six do two mortals and the attack ends
- Axe got worse Doesn’t reroll hits Doesn’t explode (does with legion)
- Gains a wound and an attack
Dark Apostle
- All god specific prayers are entirely new
- cast 1 prayer (stratagem to cast another prayer)
- no longer has an illusionary supplication
- MoP
- Has a staff that causes perils in combat with a psyker
- Cast 2 deny 1
- When casting, can cause d3 mortals to a friendly non-daemonkin unit to gain +2 to cast
- Enemy psykers suffer one additional wound if they peril within 12″
- Sorcerer in terminator armor
- can have a chaos familiar
Cultist HQ squad
- It’s a squad, with a banner, a priest and a psyker, + some extra bullet catchers
- The banner: rerolls 1s to hit for cultists & +2Ld to cultists
- psyker: cast 1 deny 1
- priest: knows the basic prayer and another, always lands prayer on a 3+
- a squad of 5 models
Lucius
- gains 3 additional attacks
- +1 damage if fighting a unit with a 3+ WS
Harken
- Can make a raptor unit reroll to hit and wound
Huron
- Gains one toughness, wound, attack & leadership
- His claw doubles his attacks instead of being a powerfist.
Cypher
- In the codex
- can only be hit on a 4+
CSM Legionaries (5-10)
- Legionaries is the new name for the CSM troop unit choice
- same profile as before but 2W and 2a (3a on the AC)
- Ld9
- loadout:
- AC gets a daemon blade (S user ap2 d2; 6s to wound= 1MW); plasma pistol; can choose 1 weapon from the melee weapons list
- Any of all legionnaires can replace bolter for chainswords
- 1 legionaire can take a special weapon
- 1 legionaire can take a heavy weapon
- 1 legionaire can take balefire tome (cast 1/deny 1)
- 1 legionaire can take a heavy chainaxe (S+4 ap4 d2; -1 to hit)
- 1 legionaire can take a chaos icon
Cultist
- 10-20
Accursed Cultists
- a squad made of a mix of big mutant and small mutants
- 3-6 big models per unit
- 5-10 small models per unit
- big mutant at S5 t4 1W & ap2 in melee
- small mutant are S4 t4 1W & ap1 in melee
Cult units (berzerkers/rubrics/plague marines, only noise marines are still in the codex because EC won’t be getting their own book very soon)
- Are no longuer in the codex
- Act like harlequins in a CWE army, or like Scions in Guard (including them is like including Fabius Bile, it doesn’t cancel your legion trait)
- Always Elites
- can benefit from army rules
- Cannot gain a legion trait
Fallen
- Not in the codex
Exalted Champion
- Same loadout as the model (power axe, combi melta & pistol)
- Is elite and is now a lieutenant (rerolls 1 to wound @6″)
- Cannot change loadout
- Hits better, more wounds, more attacks
Chosen (5-10)
- 3w
- Stat wise similar to CSM troops (6” S4 T4 3+/no invul)
- WS 3+/BS 3+/ 3A (champion 4a)
- can take icon
- Gain gain an additional trait that you can choose, this trait is one of the traits from the list of: build a warband traits
Loadout: - everyone comes with a bolter, bolt pistol, and accursed weapon (S+1 ap3 d1; +1A)
- 2 per 5 chosen can replace their bolt pistol with a plasma pistol
- 2 per 5 chosen can replace their bolter with a combi-weapon
- 1 per 5 chosen can replace their bolter with an additional accursed weapon (S+1 ap3 d1; +1A)
Terminators (5-10)
- Base loadout combi-bolters, accursed weapons (S+1 ap3 d1; +1a)
- 1 per 5 can replace combi bolter with autocannon or heavy flamer
- 1 per 5 can replace combi bolter with an extra accursed weapon
- 3 per 5 can replace an accursed weapon with a powerfist
- 1 per 5 can replace an accursed weapon with a chainfist
- 2 per 5 can replace combi bolters with up to 2 combi flamers
- 2 per 5 can replace combi bolter with 2 combi melta
- 1 per 5 can replace combi bolters with 1 combi plasma
Greater Possessed
Not in the codex (my guess is the models are the new regular possessed models)
Possessed (5-10)
- 9” s5 t5 3w 5a 3+/5++
- Melee S user ap2 d2
- Take 2 slots in transports
- Personal guess: either the greater possessed model will be the new stand possessed model, or it will be an upgrade to the standard possessed unit
Mutilators
- no longer in the book
Warp talon (unit 5 to 10)
- lost cancel overwatch
- gained no fallback rule
- 5a (these are total with claws)
Raptors (unit 5 to 10)
- still have the -1LD aura
- +2a
- Chainsword and pistol
- Up to 2 special weapons
- Up to 2 plasma pistols
- Champ can take plasma pistol Power sword or fist
Venomcrawler
- is now FA
- 12″ bs3 ws2 s7 t7 9w 6a 3+/5++ (no longer degrades)
- Assault 3 s6 ap2 d2
- Melee S user ap3 d2
- now gives +1 to psychic tests
- Bikers (unit 3 to 9)
- 14″ bs3 ws3 t5 3w 3a ld9 3+
- Replace pistol for chainsword
- Up to 2 special weapons
- Up to 2 replace combi weapons with combi plas/melt/flam
Icon
- Champ
- Plasma pistol
- 1 weapon from Melee weapon
Obliterators (1-3)
- 5″ bs3 ws3 t5 5w 4a ld9 2+/5++
- have essentially big guns never tire(shoot into engagement range with -1 to hit)
- Not core
- ignore modifier for heavy weapons
- armed with powerfists without -1 to hit
- 24” range
- Has 3 shooting profiles:
- Heavy 9+d6 s5 ap1 d1/ Heavy 3+d3 s7 ap2 d2/ Heavy d3 s9 ap3 d4
Havocs (5)
- exactly the same as right now but 2w
Noctilith Crown
- T8 14w
- Lash has 8 shots and improved strength but degrades
- Increasing aura every turn of -1l/4++ vs shooting
- PRIEST & PSYKER within 9″ can perform an ACTION: perform leadership test, if equal or below, gain 1 CP, can also replace 1 prayer or 1 spell
Some of these we have already seen in the past, and some of these are new. Obviously lining up with previous rumors is a good sign that the rules in the new Chaos codex may be headed in the right direction soon!
New Chaos Space Marines & Codex Rules Revealed
Games Workshop was kind of mum on the details for all the new Chaos Space Marines releases and codex rules, but they did give us this trailer with confirms more of the rumors above…
Yes, Chaos Space Marines players – you’ve beseeched the Ruinous Powers, and they have listened.* We know you’ve been waiting patiently, and your time is soon! Not only is a new codex coming that brings much-anticipated updates to the rules for Heretic Astartes, there will be a slathering of new miniatures to reignite your blasphemous fervour.
These add to what has already been a low-key killer start to 2022 for the Traitor Legions – the Warpsmith and Chosen got new plastic models, reinforcements arrived in the upgraded Legionary kill team, and now this updated tome of forbidden lore will give them the support they deserve.
So from the rumors above, we seem to have A LOT and I mean A LOT of confirmations here…
Possessed or Human Mutants?
More Possessed or Human Mutants?
Click Here To Get Your Eternus Assault Armor!
Icon or standard bearer?
Even more Possessed or Human Mutants?
Looks like a Legionnaire…
A cooler standard or Icon
Looks like a Legionnaire, or possessed holding a “borrowed” Space Marine helmet…
There’s the renegade guard perhaps…?
And probably the most important teaser, nearly two years since the launch of 9th Edition 40k we have a confirmation Chaos will indeed be 2 wounds from the video transformation.
Huzzah!
GW Confirms New Chaos Space Marines Profile & Rules
Legionaries are ferocious in close combat, with millennia of bloodshed as the perfect teacher. The new codex brings this viciousness to life by granting three attacks to each heretic – or four for the Aspiring Champion. That’s right, each Legionary fights with three times as much fury as before. The Great Rift definitely lit a fire under their power-armoured boots.
Welp, we saw them going to two wounds, but gaining two extra attacks and an LD really may really make a huge difference. If literally nothing else changes, this might be enough to bring them into 9th.
Unfortunately, we do have to do our due diligence and mention that this is different from the statline GW revealed during the end of the AdpetiCon video. Truth be told, sometimes it’s even hard to believe what GW tells us even, as they do make typos mistakes, and go back and change their content with no notice to the community.
This was the video from AdeptiCon, and either they didn’t tell their graphics guy to bump those attacks to 3, or they just recently made the decision…
Either way, we hope these rules stick, because when you add in the new balance sheet Armor of Contempt rules, Chaos looks to already be in a great place for it’s release.
New Weapon Profiles
Kill Team’s Balefire Acolyte is sticking around as a unit upgrade for your rank-and-file squads – why should the Thousand Sons be the only ones to put apprentice sorcerers to work? With this insidious PSYKER on-side, you’ll be able to Smite your foes and turn basic troops into psychically-empowered killing machines.**
The Balefire Acolyte isn’t the only upgrade making a return from Kill Team – new melee weapon options are coming too. Take the Legionary Butcher’s mighty two-handed chainaxe, which takes a moment out of its busy operative-killing schedule to crack open tough targets in Warhammer 40,000.
With 3 attacks and S+4, -4AP, and D2, you can really deal a lot of damage! Then, giving your normal squads Smite is pretty sweet. Lastly, the Daemon Blade dealing Mortals with the additional attacks is always sweet.
From the looks of this that extra sprue that came in the Nachmund box looks to be needed in the new Chaos Space Marines rules, so fingers crossed they release it separately, and dont paywall it in Nachmund or an even more expensive box of legionnaires in the future.
The question is what else will we see for the followers of the dark gods this year?
Click Gallery below for full-size images.
Some of those are super spicy for sure, and some are not. Either way, we know new Chaos Space Marines are on the way. Check out all the pages of the new Chaos Space Marine Codex rumors above!
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About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
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About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
