Rumours - Dates for the 40k Chaos Marines

A while back I posted some rumours about the forthcoming Chaos Space Marines codex. This new book will have big ramifications for both me and my regular gaming buddy as we both collect Chaos armies. It is also likely that the codex will be released before the next Games Workshop Grand Tournament, which will see an end to all those hideously overpowered Iron Warriors lists. Huzzah!

Gordy 2000 confirmed the release schedule on Dakka. It looks like a late August release for the army deal with the codex and new plastic kits arriving in mid-September and after. His post confirms new Possessed (5 to a box), the new plastic Terminators and a model for Huron Blackheart. Nice.

Shebnar and Wraithlord on Warseer commented on the release dates and added more rumours to the initial thread. I have reproduced a summary here.

******NEW CODEX RUMOURS******:

Generic Points:
- Daemon summoning to remain basically the same
- All daemonic gifts are gone
- most god specific wargear is gone... Though the armoury is gone only in the sense of there being one huge page of stuff to take. Now all the options it would have contained are in each individual unit entry for easier use. According to the source of these rumours, the Chaos Lord entry is similar to the Carnifex entry, with nearly 3/4's of the page given over to all the options he can take. Chaos Lords have apparently just as much choice as before if not a little more. (thanks Wraithlord! :-) )
- Veteran skill upgrades are gone
- books of chaos are gone
- no special rules for any specific legion
- Marks/Icons work as follows Khorne +1A, Tzeentch 5+ invul save or +1 to existing invul save, Slaanesh +1I, Nurgle +1T. The units which can take them are identified as such below.
- Daemon weapons are generic, simply give +1S and +D6 attacks, but if a 1 is rolled something bad happens
- NEW: there ARE god weapons. Khorne weapon becomes +2D6 hits, the Nurgle one always wounds on a 4+, the Tzeentch weapon is a S4 or 5, AP3 storm bolter or similar (wasn't super clear on this one but basically said it was a better Kai gun), and the Slaanesh one causes instant death regardless of wounds (he thought this applied to Nids as well). They are also counted as 2 handed weapons. (Thanks Wraithlord! :-) )
- daemonic steeds do exist, simply giving IC's which are given them stat bonuses. A juggernaught of Khorne gives the character +1S and +1A, but he takes up 2 spots in a land raider. Others include tzeentch discs, steeds of slaanesh, and nurgle palanquins (rumoured to provide +1W and +1A).
- most troops come with a bolter, bolt pistol, ccw, and frag and krak grenades as standard (yes, all of those)
- Rhinos reduced in points cost, as in the Dark Angels codex.
- Vehicle upgrades ARE still in the book (whoo hoo, first confirmation of this afaik). Most are the same as now however, Daemonic Possession has been slightly altered (didn't say how) and Mutated Hull is completely removed. (thanks Wraithlord! :-) )


NOTE: there are no cult units beyond those listed in the troops section. For example, the only plague marines are the "plague marines" unit entry in the troops section. You cannot take plague marine havocs or plague marine terminators. You can give terminators the mark of Nurgle, but they only gain +1T, they do not get FNP or blight grenades. This is true for all 4 gods.

HQ
Lord
- comes with daemonic aura as standard
- can be marked

Sorcerer
- can be marked,
- there is one god specific psychic power for each god (except Khorne) and many of the existing psychic powers remain
- new power 'warp time' allows re-rolls to hit and to wound in close combat
- nurgles rot acts like a pandemic staff
- bolt of change is AP1

Daemon prince
- may be marked
- may have psychic powers
- Deamon Princes are all S6, T5 now and are immune to instant kill. The rumours of the gifts they have already posted were pretty much dead on with the Prince having the option to buy wings and maybe a couple other things. Cannot take deamon weapons but apparently make up for it in just sheer power on their own. Cost before the few upgrades allowed is -just- above 100 or so apparently. (thanks Wraithlord! :-) )


Generic Greater Daemon
- does not take HQ slot
- does not fly
- CANNOT be marked
- Greater daemons have generic stats. Reported WS9, Str8, In5. (thanks Wraithlord! :-) )


Typhus
- has the nurgles rot power without a psychic test
- has daemon weapon that is also a force weapon

Abaddon
-Talon/Drachn'yen now one weapon. Counts as a Daemon weapon (DW's are a generic weapon now, all grant +D6 attacks and +1S, but if a 1 is rolled you cannot attack) but it doubles his Strength and you can re-roll failed hits and wounds.

Arihman
- can use 3 psychic powers a turn including force staff
- knows all the chaos psychic powers except the god-specific Slaanesh and Nurgle powers

Kharn
- more or less the same as he is in the current dex except:
- gorechild has 2D6 penetration vs. vehicles
- he's immune to all psychic powers.
- WS 8? maybe?

Lucious

Fabius Bile

Huron Blackheart
-Tyrant's claw is a powerfist with built in heavy flamer.
-Hamadyra grants him the "Warp Time" psychic power (WT allows you to re-roll all failed hits and wounds in HTH)

ELITE
Possessed
- have a randomly generated ability (nothing, fleet, power weapons, furious charge, rending, feel no pain)

Terminators
- one reaper autocannon
- may all be upgraded to aspiring champions with +1A
- can be marked
- squads can be 3+ models

Chosen
- only unit with infiltrate
- can be marked
- many options, a bit like DA's Veterans

Dreadnoughts
- may be given 2ccw
- frenzy table still exists but is slightly changed

TROOPS
Chaos space marines
- can be marked
- min size need for some weapon upgrades
- aspiring champion limited to basic wargear upgrades (PW, PF, PP)

Khorne Beserkers
- have the +1A over normal marines, WS5 and furious charge
- no bloodfrenzy or chainaxes

Plague Marines
- +1T, blight grenades, feel no pain

Noise Marines/Emperors children
- +1I and access to sonic weapons
- doomsiren AP3
- blastmaster on max power is a small blast krak missile

Thousand Sons
- slow and purposeful on 1 dice
- AP 3 bolters (inferno bolts)
- 4+ invul save
- only 1 wound
- sorcerer sergeant with 2 psychic powers, but no power fist option, and allows 2d6 for slow and purposeful

Generic Lesser Daemons
- do not take up a troop slot
- CANNOT take marks

FAST ATTACK
Raptors
- no more hit and run
- can be marked
- price reduced

Spawn
- may be beasts/cavalry
- do NOT take up a Fast Attack slot

NO Daemon beast units

Bikers
- can be marked

HEAVY SUPPORT
Obliterators
- CANNOT be marked (heard somewhere on the net, highly contested)
- S and T 4
- no longer 0-1
- possibly lose power fists for power weapons (contested)
- possibly only access energy weapons, not ballistic weapons (ie lascannons but not bolters)

Vindicator
- currently highly contested between two sources

Land Raider

Predator

Defiler
- no more indirect fire
- WS3
- A3
- can trade in some of its shooting weapons for more CCW having up to 6A
- can be given fleet (probably it will be a default upgrade)
- loses the status of Monstrous Creature, but gains S10 (thanks Wraithlord! :-) )

Havocs
- Can be marked


******FUTURE CODEX RUMOURS******:

- There WILL be a codex down the road that focuses on cultists, Latd, and daemons which is where you will see the return of the daemons we all know and love now. (thanks Wraithlord! :-) )

Must resist buying models for my Exigators...