Tabletop Spotlight: Traitor’s Hate
The Tabletop Spotlight is on Traitor’s Hate – CSMs come take a look inside the new Supplement from Games Workshop!
A lot had already been said about the new Traitor’s Hate book even before our buddies from Dragon’s Lair Comics & Fantasy showed up with it. So I was excited to actually get to flip through it for myself:
I want to say upfront I stopped caring about competitive play a long time ago. If you’re looking for that type of a breakdown of the Traitor’s Hate book Goatboy did an excellent job showing off the Good, the Bad and the Ugly earlier. Go read his article for the full run down but, that said, I can’t help but agree with most of what he laid out:
- Access to basically the same Psychic Powers as the Space Marines from Angels of Death is really good – even if it does feel a little on the lazy side.
- The Raptor Talon formation seems pretty useful as well as a few others (Battle Host, Maulerfiend Formation, Typhus & Co).
- Some of the things in the book feel ‘Okay’ but a bit lackluster (Possessed Formation, Renegade Knights, Heldrake Formations).
- This book lacks Relics, Warlord Traits & some general ‘fixes’ that would have been nice.
If you’re looking for the rebirth of the Chaos 3.5 Dex – this ain’t it. But if you’re looking for something that differentiates Chaos Space Marines from Space Marines I think this book does help highlight some uniqueness between the two. If you like those differences…well, that’s something else entirely.
Nobody wants to play with me…
What I actually really like and find the most interesting about this book is the fact that it’s relaunching the 13th Black Crusade! Holy Cow – how is that NOT exciting news for people?! For me, the original launch of the 13th Black Crusade is scarred into my brain. The online campaign, the epic stakes, the battle for the fate of mankind…Sure the ending kind of fell flat due to online shenanigans but the excitement of participating in it was real at the time.
Angel’s Blade is coming out this weekend. That means there are two new books coming out talking about the new Black Crusade. I definitely care more about the background lore of this event more so than any of the previous “warzone” books that have come before. That news has my attention and really the Traitor’s Hate book delivers a TON of background info about what the heck is going on and who is participating in the attack (at least on the Chaos Side).
Overall, I think this book is one that I’m going to want to pick-up more for the lore than to use in game. I am excited for some of the “new” things but my Chaos Army was built and constructed for a different era (literally – I think I might just relegate it to a 30k army only at this point). I may muster up the willpower to mess around with a few list ideas using this book at some point, but for now, I’m going to stick to the info on the Black Crusade. Maybe that will inspire me to field my Chaos Marines as a 40k army again!
Traitor’s Hate $50
A campaign supplement for Warhammer 40,000, containing a story from the beginning of the 13th Black Crusade – the invasion of the Diamor System; featuring new rules content for Chaos Space Marines.
At least Kharn looks freaking awesome!
