Champions of Slaanesh

The Emperor’s Children, once paragons of martial excellence, have long since embraced the hedonistic allure of Slaanesh, the Chaos God of Excess. Their descent into decadence has been both their damnation and their liberation, allowing them to pursue perfection in all its twisted forms. Now, with the release of the Champions of Slaanesh Army Set and the accompanying Codex: Emperor’s Children, devotees can bring this symphony of excess to the tabletop in resplendent detail ( … literally, Bring the Noise … marines).

Unboxing the Symphony of Excess

The Champions of Slaanesh Army Set is a treasure trove for any devotee of the Dark Prince. Inside, you’ll find 33 exquisitely sculpted miniatures that capture the essence of the Emperor’s Children:

Lord Exultant: This orchestral conductor leads your warband with the usual array of Games Workshop’s customisable options. Choose between a rapture lash (oooer!), plasma pistol, or power fist for the right arm, and a phoenix power spear, power sword, or screamer pistol for the left.

Noise Marines: Twelve noice marines equipped with sonic weaponry that turns your tabletop warfare right up to 11. Each model is posed uniquely with interchangeable components, including six distinct sonic blaster barrels and a more helmeted and unhelmeted head swaps than the Skulltaker at a head-swapping convention. The Blastmaster adds a rumbling undertone to your army’s assault ( … literally, Bring the Noise … oh, we’ve done that one already!).

Infractors and Tormentors: These 20 versatile Chaos Space Marines can be assembled as either Infractor close-combat specialists (The Emperor’s Children stalwarts) or ranged Tormentors (as close to Forge Wo … sorry … Expert Kits … as plastic money can buy!). The dueling sabres and bolt pistols are the perfect Slaanesh aesthetic. (Bring ALL the Purple!)

Completing the set is the new Codex: Emperor’s Children, with the customary special edition cover, which will be exclusive to the release box. Accompanying the codex are a set of datacards for quick reference plus the oh so cool transfer sheet with 150 decals in black, gold, and the legion’s signature pink. (Bring the Pink – ALL the pink!)

The Codex: A Manifesto of Excess (The following borrows heavily from the Warhammer Community posts … well, they didn’t send us a box, I guess it must have got lost in the post?!)

The Codex: Emperor’s Children is more than just a rulebook; it’s a manifesto of excess. Within its pages, you’ll discover the rich history of the III Legion, from their noble origins to their fall from grace and ultimate rebirth under the patronage of Slaanesh. The codex introduces new rules that emphasize the unique synergy between mortal warriors and daemonic entities.

One of the standout features is the Carnival of Excess Detachment, which allows for a harmonious blend of Heretic Astartes and daemonic units. This detachment enables you to allocate up to half of your army’s points to daemonic allies, despite differing faction keywords. The codex provides datasheets for key daemonic units such as Daemonettes, Fiends, Seekers, the Keeper of Secrets, and Shalaxi Helbane, ensuring seamless integration into your forces.

The synergy between mortals and daemons is further enhanced by the Daemonic Empowerment ability:

While an Emperor’s Children unit from your army is within 6″ of one or more friendly Legions of Excess units, it is Empowered.

While a Legions of Excess unit from your army is within 6″ of one or more friendly Emperor’s Children units, it is Empowered.

While a unit from your army is Empowered, weapons equipped by models in that unit have the [Sustained Hits 1] ability. If such a weapon already has that ability, each time an attack is made with that weapon, an unmodified Hit roll of 5+ scores a Critical Hit.

This rule encourages an orgy of violence, rewarding you with increased lethality as your forces fight in unison. Things will get messy!

The codex also introduces potent Enhancements that embody the Emperor’s Children’s pursuit of perfection:

Possessed Blade: This daemon weapon grants its bearer martial prowess at a perilous cost. It adds 1 to the weapon’s Attacks characteristic and, when activated, increases its Damage by 1 while bestowing the [Devastating Wounds] and [Hazardous] abilities.

Warp Walker: This enhancement allows a champion to traverse the warp at will. The bearer adds 6″ to their Move characteristic when advancing and can move through enemy models during Normal, Advance, or Fall Back moves, reflecting their supernatural agility.

Strategies to Enrapture

The codex is replete with stratagems that capitalize on the Emperor’s Children’s unique combat style. For instance, Ecstatic Slaughter allows an Emperor’s Children unit to charge immediately after a nearby Legions of Excess unit destroys an enemy, reflecting the infectious fervor of their assault. Conversely, Sustained by Agony enables a Legions of Excess unit to recover wounds or restore models after an Emperor’s Children unit slays a foe, showcasing the symbiotic relationship between mortals and daemons.

So pink is back in fashion, and meat’s back on the menu boys … sorry, wrong franchise … but it just fits! Go hard or go home for Slaanesh!