BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD! SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE! Yes, it’s time for the World Eaters to hit the fields of battle with a 10th Edition Codex for Warhammer 40k! You can check out the review, and unboxing of the battleforce below. Also released today is our review of the new Death Guard Codex, which you can check out here.

Our thanks to Games Workshop for being kind enough to send over the new Codex and Battleforce for us to review. As always, you can help us out by using our affiliates over at Element Games to pick up your hobby goodies. We also recently reviewed the new Emperor’s Children Codex, so make sure to check that out too!

For a while now I’ve been on the fence about collecting a World Eaters army, so this book has landed at the right time! Whilst the Death Guard may be turning my head intially, could Angron and his mad lads tempt me in the future to collect some skulls for Khorne? We’ll have to read on to find out!

During this review we’ll be taking a peek at each of the Detachments within the book, whilst also trying to play spot the difference on the Army Rules and Datasheet changes. Hopefully I catch most of them, and you’ll get a good feel on how good (or bad) the book is.

We are however, opening up this review by checking out the brand new Battleforce which is also up for preorder today.

Gorestorm Slaughterpack Battleforce Unboxed

As has been the case with all the 4 Chaos God Legions, the World Eaters have got an absolutly awesome box coming out alongside the Codex – The Gorestorm Slaughterpack is the World Eater one, and comes chock full of models for a £150 price tag.

Most of the kits in the box are older ones, so let’s start with them first! As this is a Possessed themed box, the bulk of the contents are 3 units of Eightbound (Which also build Exhaulted Eightbound) which retail at £40 a box – this is already £120 of kits in the box, and a great source of Eightbound which are sure to be pretty popular in the new book.

On top of these you also get 2 boxes of Jakhals (£34 each), bringing the running total to £188 of goodies

Both of these units are decent, and something that you’re probably going to want multiples of anyway if you already have an existing World Eaters collection.

The real star of the show however is the new Slaughterbound..

This guy is an Eightbound Character who has been possessed by a Bloodthirster, and has the brilliant ability of being able to bring back a dead Eightbound (Or Exhaulted Eightbound) each turn! Unsurprisingly, I reckon this is a great option to add to each and every unit of them you take – so I really hope he is available separately soon!

The model was an absolute joy to paint up! I’ve not painted much in the way of World Eaters before, with Angron being the core of my collection, but after painting this guy up the nails started biting and I knew I had to paint up an entire Eightbound themed army led by the big red guy himself…

I suspect this character will be around £30 once he’s released, so that brings the total of the box to around £218 of goodies, which is a saving of £60-£70 over RRP

As ever, these boxes only tend to be available while stocks last, so if you want one I’d snap one up!

We’ve also filmed a full unboxing which you can see just below or over on YouTube

With the new character and his chums out of the way, it is time to check out the Codex properly. Grab your Chainaxe!

World Eaters Codex Review

Pretty sure I always open with paragraphs like this, however I will have to give a shout out to the presentation of this book. GW know how to present these Codexes, with a mix of new and returning artwork and imagery that really showcase what the army is about.

The well written background and stories give you a real feel for the army, providing you with enough detail so that you’ll want more. The writing in these books, as well as the narrative books, are going from strength to strength.

Combat Patrol

The first major change is the new Combat Patrol. Previously, whilst good for starting an army, the Combat Patrol was a little underwhelming because it was just a Lord on Juggarnaut, 10 Jakhals and 20 Khorne Beserkers. Yes, it covered all of your core troops, but didn’t give you anything ‘fancy’ to play with (Lord aside). I’ve had a few games of Combat Patrol, and the World Eaters were never an army I really fancied to pick up because of this.

With the new book comes a new Combat Patrol, and it is much better. It contains:

• A Daemon Prince (for the purposes of Combat Patrol, the datasheet is the on foot version, however you do get the option to build with wings)
• 10 Jakhals
• 10 Khorne Beserkers
• Master of Executions

Now, it isn’t lightyears away from the previous box, but it is a bit more interesting. The new Daemon Prince model (isn’t so new nowadays I guess, but time goes so quickly!) is really good, and out of each of the Chaos God builds it (IMO) suits Khorne the most. Your box will have enough heads so that you can give your Lord of Executions a Beserker head as well, as the book shows.

This section showcases how you can get your models on the tabletop, and as always the guides are really easy to follow, using a mixture of traditional Citadel paints as well as Contrast.

The rules and datasheets for using your models in games of Combat Patrol are also included, and I think they’ll be a lot more fun to play with. I can certainely forsee me picking this box up to run in a Combat Patrol event at the very least, even if I don’t expand out in to an army.

Forces of the World Eaters

I’ll be honest, I expected a few more kits for the World Eaters. Whilst we have the Slaughterbound, who is an awesome model, the World Eaters are still relying quite a bit on old Chaos Space Marine bits. Now, the bits they do rely on do fit the army, but I do wonder how long it will be until we see the range really fleshed out, like the Death Guard have been.

Whilst we contemplate this, it’s time to check out the Army Rules, and how they have changed between the Index from the start of the edition to now.

Army Rules

The Blessings of Khorne are back, and yet again require you to roll eight D6. You can then use these dice to activate up to two Blessings of Khorne for that battle round.

Your choice of Blessings depends on your roll, but immediately there are two massive buffs missing from the new Blessings table. No longer is there a Feel No Pain option, nor Advance and Charge. These were go to picks, so this one is going to sting.

You may be wondering what has replaced them. Well let me tell you…

Blessing	What You Need on the Dice	Ability
Unbridled Bloodlust	Two x 1+	Re-roll Charges
Rage-Fuelled Invigoration	Two x 2+	Pile-in / Consolidate 6″ instead of 3″
Total Carnage	Two x 3+	Fight on death (requires a 4+ roll for each slain model)
Martial Excellence	Two x 4+ or Three x 1+	Your army gets Sustained Hits (1)
Warp Blades	Two x 5s or Three x 2+	Your army gets Lethal Hits
Decapitating Strikes	Two x 6s or Three x 3+	Devastating Hits (but only against Infantry)

I really like this mechanic, but the loss of the FNP AND Advance and Charge is going to hurt. Glad to seee Lethals and Sustained still in the chart though.

Angron still has his Reborn in Blood rule, so if you roll a triple 6 you can bring back Angron from the dead, which is super SUPER cool. Glad to see this rule survived! As previously, this rule is stated on his datasheet, which we’ll come to soon.

Let’s check out what detachments are on offer. Surprasingly, for an army with not a ton of unit choices, you have 5 detachments to try out.

Detachment: Berkerker Warband

Basically the Index Detachment, but with a few changes. This one is the all rounder detachment, which doesn’t require you to lean in to a particular datasheet or keyword.

The Detachment rule is identical, granting your World Eaters +1 Attack and +2 Strength on the Charge. It’s straightforward and fits the army really well, as you want to get into combat quickly and punch as hard as you can.

All four enhancements are back, but have been either tweaked or reworded:

• Favoured of Khorne: This one still allows you some control over the Blessings roll, but is more straightforward. It now allows you to reroll two D6
• Helm of Brazen Ire: Is now -1 Damage, instead of halving Damage
• Berkerker Glaive: Same as before, however it now states that it does not include any Extra Attacks
• Battle-Lust: Reroll Charges for the bearer’s unit, and whilst Unbridled Bloodlust is in effect you get +1 to Charge

Most of the stratagems have also been reworked or worded. Blood Offering returns and does the same thing, but has been written better. Skulls for the Skull Throne is back in name only, as it now allows you to make a further Blessings of Khorne roll and activatre a further one blessing. Until the end of the battle round one selected World Eaters unit (that has killed a Character or Monster) gets that additional Blessing.

Hack and Slash is a nice easy one, granting a World Eaters unit another pip of AP. Apoplectic Frenzy grants a Berkerker unit Advance and Charge for a CP.

I still think this is a great detachment, but may be not quite as good as it was.

Detachment: Cult of Blood

This is a cool detachment, and leans in to your big scary World Eater units and your half naked mad lads and lasses.

The detachment rule, Idols of Khorne, allows you to choose one effect from a list. The effect goes on to all of your Titanic and Monster units. Each of the buffs affect Goremongers and Jakhals only:

• Idol of Infinite Rage (Aura): +1 to Hit and Wound within 6″ or 9″ of Titanic rules. My favourite of the bunch.
• Idol of Burning Wrath (Aura): + 1 to Move and Charge, again only affecting Jakhals and Goremongers, and having to be within either 6″ or 9″.
• Idol of Blessed Blood (Aura): Gives a 4+ invulnerable save. A 4+ invulnerable save on a Jakhal or Goremonger unit is crazy, and potentially very good!

In addition to the above, both your Jakhals and Goremongers gain the Battleline keyword.

The enhancements are interesting. Brazen Form can be given to any Monster unit and grants a 5+ FnP, whilst Butcher Lord allows you to attach a World Eaters Infantry character to a unit of either Goremongers or Jakhals. If attached to Goremongers, then that unit also gains Infilitrate.

As you’d imagine, the stratagems affect your Goremongers and Jakhals primarily, with additional benefits if in range of a Monster or Titanic unit. Fail Not the Blood God is a great example, which for a CP grants one unit of Jakhals or Goremongers reroll 1s to Hit, unless they are within 6″ of a Titanic or Monster unit, of which then the unit gets full rerolls to Hit instead. In the Shadow of Brass Idols is another, granting a 6+ FnP to a unit of Goremongers or Jakhals, or a 5+ FnP if within 9″ of a Titanic, or 6″ of a Monster.

It’s certainley a fun detachment. Both Jakhals and Goremongers are fun units, and I really like the idea of flooding the board with them, as they run round the feet of Angron, or the tracks of a Lord of Skulls.

Sadly though I do feel this is the weakest of the detachments.

Detachment: Khorne Daemonkin

This is the one I was really looking forward to seeing. I mean, who wouldn’t want a Bloodthirster running round with Angron and Kharn?!

The detachment rule is perfect, and sees the return of Blood Tithe points. Each time one of your Blood Legions (Daemons) or World Eaters uniy destroys an enemy unit, on a roll of a 3+ you gain a Blood Tithe point (BTP). Would have prefered it not to require a roll, but there you go.

You can then spend these on abilties (with no limit, so if you had enough points you can use multiple). These abiltiies last until the end of the battle, which is amazing:

• Enraged Abjuration (2 BTP): All your units (Daemons and WEs) gain a 5+ FnP against Mortal and Psychic attacks.
• Daemonic Rage (3BTP): All Blood Legion units gain Lance.
• Boon of Blood (4BTP): Blood Legion units gain a 4+ invulnerable save
• Might of Khorne (5BTP): Your Blood Legion units gain the Blessings of Khorne ability.

These are all amazing abilties, and granting 5+ FnP to everything in your army (at least for mortal wounds and Psychic Attacks) is brilliant.

Blood-Forged Armour grants the bearer (who can be a Daemon or World Eater) a 2+ save. Should they be slain they give you a BTP. Disciple of Khorne allows a Lord on Juggernaut to join either a unit of Flesh Hounds or a unit of Bloodcrushers (FINALLY). Whilst he is leading one of said units that unit gains Deep Strike AND your lord gains the Blood Legions keyword (but loses the World Eaters one).

The stratagems are all a lot of fun as well, and many of them benefit from having your daemons fighting within touching distance of your World Eaters:

• Daemonic Fury: Select a Blood Legion unit, then select a World Eaters unit within 6″ of your unit. The World Eaters unit gains Lance. If Daemonic Rage is in effect those melee weapons also gain Twin-Linkd. Brutal!
• Murder-Call: At the end of your opponents Fight phase you can pick up a Daemon unit and place it in to strategic reserve (cannot pick a unit in combat). I love me a movement mechanic.
• Blessing of Burning Blood: This can be used in your Opponents shooting phase. Pick a Blood Legions unit within 6″ of a World Eaters unit. Until the end of the phase your World Eaters unit has a 5+ inv save. If you have Boon of Blood active, World Eater models have a 4+ invunerable save instead.

Detachment: Possessed Slaughterband

You can take a guess which keyword this detachment is looking for…favouring your Eightbound and Exalted Eighbound, thanks to the Possessed keyword.

Brazen Fury, the detachment rule, grants your Possessed units a free D6 move if they lose any models/wounds in the opponents shooting phase (much like a Carnifex). This can only be triggered once per batte round. You can use this movement to go into Engagement range. This could be amazing if you have a unit so close to combat, but not quite in punching range.

The enhancements are pretty cool, such as Frenzied Focus, which can only be given to a World Eaters Daemon. Grants him Crits on 5s. Violent Demise is really fun, as it triggers Deadly Demise on a 2+ rather than a 6. In addition the mode has Deadly Demise D3+1.

This detachment has some very good strats, for example:

• Daemonic Strength: One Possessed unit can have this strat put on them, and in short, if they are Eightbound they do +1 damage (excludes Monsters/Vehicles) or if they are Exalted Eightbound they get +1 damage against Monsters and Vehicles
• Immortal Fury: A simple fight on death strat that affects Possessed keyworded units. No roll needed either.
• Daemonic Resistance: Target a Possessed unit which is about to get shot at. Subtract 1 from the Wound roll.

A very fun and elite detachment if you plan on stocking up on Daemon Princes, Eighbound, Exalted Eightbound and the new Slaughterbound mini.

Detachment: Goretrack Onslaught

The final detachment is an interesting one, as it wants you to take full advantage of transports.

To that end the detachment rule, Rush to the Fray, grants your units disembarking from transports +1 to Charge and Lance until the end of your turn. Easy, affective.

The enhancements keep the fun, transport filled, train flowing:

• Murderous Onslaught makes a unit immune to Overwatch after disembarking a transport.
• Aggressive Deployment gives a Dedicated Transport Scout 9″ ( if the bearer is inside with his unit)
• Infernal Infusion is a Once per Battle ability which allows the bearer and his unit to Fight First.

And finally the stratagems further make you want to take all the Rhinos and Land Raiders.

Smash Through, as the name may suggest, prevents terrain from getting in the way of your chosen tank. Aggressive Disembarkation allows a unit to jump out of a Rhino and straight in to combat. The main one however is Full-Throttle Assualt, which allows you to disembark a unit, move and then charge, Rawr!

Datasheets

Time to check out those all important datasheets. I cannot promise that I have found EVERY change, but hopefully I’ve caught the biggest ones.

First question is, however, have any models been lost to the warp between Index to Codex?

And the answer is no! Every unit you could take from the Index is right here in the Codex.

Now let’s see if we can spot any amendments…

• Angron: Whereas his Wrathful Presence aura abilities were very aggressive in the Index, they are now much more, strategic I guess? The Blood God’s Favour for example allows you to reroll up to six D6 when doing your Blessings, Overwheling Wrath forces your enemies to take a leadership test if they want to disengage from Angron and Driven by Ultimate Rage allows Angron and friendly World Eater units within 6″ to ignore any modifiers to WS/To Hit rolls. None of which are bad, but I think a lot of people will miss the extra charge bonuses he gave out, such as additional attacks. His Strike profile has been slightly downgraded too, from Strength 16 to 14, and now -3 rather than -4.

• Kharn the Betrayer: Couple of small changes. Gorechild has a 1 extra bit of Strength, going up to S7, however his legendary Plasma Pistol is now just a run of the mill Plasma Pistol.
• Lord Invocatus: His abilities have gone, and have been replaced with dealing mortal wounds on the charge and the ability to Deep Strike and move through terrain.
• Lord on Juggernaut: Again, some slight changes. His Aggressive Advance now grants his Bodyguards movement 10″, whilst he and his unit ignore terrain for any form of movement, including charges.
• Master of Executions: Sadly, he has lost his Fights First ability, and instead allows rerolls to Advance and Blood Surge. He still however rerolls his own Hit and Wound rolls when targeting a Character, and will nab you a CP if you manage to kill a Character.
• Daemon Prince: He has lost his invulnerable save aura, but has gained Lone Operative when close to a friendly Infantry unit. He also has the handy Space Marine Captain ability to reduce a CP by 1 to 0. Still does Devasting Wounds on his own weapons on the Charge.
• Daemon Prince with Wings: Only minor changes again. Bloodied Terror returns, but with a -1 modifier if the unit he is fighting is below half strength. His Oath to Khorne ability has gone, and instead he has the potential to deal mortal wounds to anything he flies over. Is now Movement 14″ rather than 12″.
• Slaughterbound: The new angry boy on the block. Can lead Possessed keyworded units, and if he does lead a unit he gains Deep Strike and Scout 6″. He returns a dead bodyguard in your Command Phase and once per battle he can go full rage, gaining 3 additional attacks and Devastating Wounds. He’s also Toughness 6, with 6 attacks at AP -2 and flat 2 damage at Strength 8.

• Eightbound: Beacons of Rage has slightly changed. Still affects friendly units, but instead base adds +1 to Hit, and now adds +1 to Wound for friendly units when the enemy unit is below half strength. All the various weapon options they once have are now just the one melee profile, 5 Attacks, 3+ WS, S8, AP -2 and D2.
• Exalted Eightbound: Overwhelming Wrath has gone, and in comes Rend and Tear, which is similar. Basically any time an enemy Vehicle or Monster tries to break out of combat with this unit, they must take a Desperate Escape test. Again, like the normal Eightbound they just have the one melee profile, Anti-Monster 3+, Anti-Vehicle 3+, 4 Attacks, S8, AP -3, D2.
• World Eaters Terminators: Bloody Fury now gifts you rerolls to Hit when shooting, and reroll Charge rolls. Now Movement 7″ though!
• Khorne Lord of Skulls: No longer able to add or minus one from your Blessings dice, and instead just gives you an additional dice to roll. Has proper Titanic rules now regarding movement and can cause Battleshock tests.

Summary

It’s been an interesting review, as I wrote this after I’d written the Death Guard book.

The Death Guard felt like they have had, almost a resergence. I did not get the same feeling with this Codex. Instead, I feel like the book has undergone changes to balance. Some good stuff has gone, some new good stuff has been added. Their is nothing like the additional toughness that the Death Guard have had, no level of supraises anywhere near that.

Now I don’t play World Eaters, but I don’t believe they were really under or over performing. The changes to the book make me feel like they must have been over performing a bit, I’ll have to leave that feeling to you veteran World Eater players.

Still, it’s a fantastic book with some very fun detachments. The stand out for me is the Khorne Daemonkin detachment which, if I were to collect World Eaters, I’d be aiming for first without a shadow of doubt, closely followed my the Possessed Slaughterbound. Strangely, the thing I am most drawn to is the new Combat Patrol, as I feel that may scratch an itch, at least for now.

The changes to the Blessings will ultimately be where most of the comments will be focused I feel.

I’m leaving this review with a positive note though. It’s a great book and has done no harm to my ambitions of running the World Eaters one day, it just perhaps didn’t leave me with the same excitement as the Death Guard book.

This Codex and the Battleforce is up for preorder right now. You can claim your copy via our affliates at Element Games for a discount vs RRP and it’ll help us out too!