40K: Chaos Knights – Infernal & Iconoclast Households Preview
Games Workshop has peeled back the curtains and is showing off the new Chaos Knight Household rules!
Do you like knights but wish they were more chaos-y? Well you’re in luck because the new Chaos Knight Codex is just around the corner. Along with the book, the Chaos Knights are getting a host of new rules to match their new Chaos Knight Kit. Let’s take a closer look at what those Knights will bring to the tabletop.
Three Types of Chaos Knights
There are basically three different types of Chaos Knights we’ll be able to put on the tabletop. Iconoclasts are Knights and Knight-houses that may have sworn loyalty to Horus during the Heresy, Imperial Knight Houses that have turned to chaos over the millennia, or Knight Houses that have just become corrupted by years of endless war. Think of these as the Dark Mirror of the Imperial Knight Houses.
Infernals are Knights and Knight-houses that are more closely linked with the Dark Mechanicus. Expect these knights to have some extra tricks up their metal sleeves in terms of “warped mechanisms and daemon infestations.” These knights are the chaos-y versions of the Adeptus Mechanicus Knights. Only these might have abilities that literally mutate in the middle of the battle.
Finally, we have Dreadblades – these Knights are basically the Chaos version of Freeblades. We don’t have much detail on them yet, but you can bet they will have lots of customization options just like their Freeblade counterparts.
Iconoclast Households
“On the tabletop, Iconoclast Households are perfect for players who like to go at their enemies full tilt! Thanks to the Conquerors Without Mercy rule, these Knights are brutal when charging into close combat, gaining an additional attack and point of Armour Penetration to better crush their foes.”
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Smash your foes to a pulp and keep them running off the tabletop with this Ambition. A bonus attack, extra AP, and you cause an additional model to flee when they fail morale. Not too shabby!
Stratagems
Chaos Knights will also have their own stratagems and the Iconoclasts have some extra mean tricks to play.
The Vow of Dominance make your Knight extra durable. Unmodified wound rolls of 1, 2, or 3 ALWAYS fail regardless of any other abilities or modifiers those attacks might have.
Vow of Carnage allows you to get ramp-up your Attacks Characteristic. For every 10 models you destroy, you can add 1 to your attacks. Depending on how you’re equipped, that could provide you with a massive amount of late game attacks. Horde armies, you’re been warned!
That’s a whole lot of flavor text to tell you that this is actually not a stratagem and it’s actually a relic that provides you with a 4+ invulnerable save without having to rotate your ion shields. Neat.
Infernal Households
“On the tabletop, dedicating your Knights to the Infernal Households allows you to draw on incredible power – for a price! The Daemonic Surge rule allows you to increase the abilities of your Knights in exchange for taking Mortal Wounds. Take 1, and you get to roll randomly. Take D3, and you can choose!”
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Yeah – that chart could be pretty handy to use in a game. And if these Knights have a way to repair, then look out…
Stratagems
Did you think that the knight was dead? Guess again! Also note the language used for this stratagem – you could theoretically use this on multiple knights per game! Just not in the same model more than once per battle. I know I sure enjoy having to kill knights twice…
Oh hey – look, a way for knights to heal back up! Did not see that one coming. At least it’s “only” on a 4+…and they are capped at 6 wounds per fight phase.
Get ready for a chaos knight wave – coming to a tabletop near you!
