40K: Black Legion Chaos Legion Focus
Games Workshop shows off the leaders of the Black Crusade – it’s the Black Legion!
All this week Games Workshop has been teasing Legions from the upcoming Codex: Chaos Space Marines. We’ve gotten a look a the Emperor’s Children, Iron Warriors, Night Lords, and the World Eaters. Today, we’re taking a look at Abaddon’s person crew of Heretic Marines – here comes the Black Legion!
“The Black Legion combine a ferocious hatred for the Imperium with rigid organisation and discipline. In the new Codex: Chaos Space Marines, the Black Legion are maneuverable, versatile and have one of the best characters in the game as a force multiplier.”
Legion Trait: Black Crusaders
Black Crusaders adds a flat +1 Leadership to all models with this trait. That’s going to help with morale checks quite a bit. It basically raises the minimum number of models a unit has to lose before that will take casualties from other models fleeing the fight. By itself, that’s not too shabby. But there is more to this trait.
When a unit with this trait advances it can treat it’s Rapid Fire weapons as Assault Weapons until the end of the turn. What that means is that CSM Infantry, Bikes and Helbrutes are going to be able to keep moving and firing effectively. Are you outside of Rapid fire range but you want to get even closer? Advance toward the enemy and keep blasting away. Are you wanting to avoid a close-combat unit? Use that extra move to scoot and shoot to stay out of charge range. The Black Legion in mobile and that’s going to be a big deal on the tabletop!
Black Legion Warlord Trait: First Amongst Traitors
First Amongst Traitors enhances the Death to the False Emperor ability. But what does that do?
What that means is attacks against IMPERIUM units now have a 1/3rd chance to trigger another attack vs a 1/6th chance. Statistically speaking, that’s a big improvement! So keep your warlord in the thick of the fighting with other Black Legion units supporting him and they will crush your foes!
Black Legion Stratagem: Let the Galaxy Burn
For 1 CP Let the Galaxy Burn grants a unit the ability to re-roll hit rolls of 1 in that phase (you can use this for Shooting or Fighting). Also, if that unit is a Chaos Space Marine squad, they don’t just re-roll 1s, they re-roll ALL failed hit rolls instead. Games Workshop also makes a note to point out that:
“Noise Marines, Plague Marines, Berzerkers and Rubric Marines are available to a much wider range of Chaos Legions.”
What they are alluding to is that you can take those units as Black Legion units and thus can take advantage of this stratagem as well. Rubric Marines re-rolling 1s with those nasty Bolters? Sounds good to me. Khorne Berzerkers outside of a Character’s buff aura and need some re-rolls? Not a problem. Oh and sense they are also Black Legion don’t for get to run and gun with them as well.
Abaddon the Despoiler
Bad news first: It doesn’t look like we’re getting a new Abaddon Model. I’m not happy about this but it is what it is…That said, Abaddon is still a beast rules wise. Here is what GW has to say:
“Abaddon deserves special highlighting as a key element in any Black Legion force; indeed, he’s as much a part of your Legion Trait as anything else. Abaddon is one of the strongest characters in the game, capable of dealing enormous damage in close combat, allowing huge swathes of your army to essentially ignore Morale and providing vital re-rolls to hit. He even gives you a couple of extra Command Points.”
As the leader of the Black Legion, Abaddon sounds like a really great option for their HQ/Warlord slot. “Essentially” ignoring Morale and providing re-rolls (probably to units within 6″) is actually a really strong ability. He’s also going to be super deadly in close combat (as he should be). Still… I’d like to trade in those 2 CP for a new model. Am I disappointed? Yes. But that’s what I get for getting my hopes up. I’d still totally run him in a Black Legion army however!
Games Workshop has more info on the Black Legion HERE if you’re curious. My impression is that they are going to be one of the more tactically flexible Legions out there. I guess we’ll find out just how flexible when the book comes out next weekend!
What do you think of the Black Legion’s rules? How about Abaddon? Do you believe in the Black Crusade or was 13 enough?
