The battlefield trembles once more with the upcoming release of the updated Codex: Chaos Knights. Bringing four distinct Detachments to the table, this new codex offers a deeper, more thematic approach to how Chaos Knights can dominate the battlefield. Each Detachment caters to different styles of play—ranging from mixed arms to all-out War Dog swarms—and collectively represents the most refined iteration of Chaos Knight rules to date.
Traitoris Lance – The Balanced Core
Designed as the foundational Detachment, Traitoris Lance enhances Dread abilities and smooths out army-wide performance. It rewards a flexible list that blends towering Questoris-class Knights with fast, aggressive War Dogs. While not flashy, it provides consistent reliability and a strong control of the board through psychological pressure and measured aggression.
This Detachment suits players looking for well-rounded tools without excessive risk, and serves as an ideal launch point for learning the codex’s new mechanics.
Infernal Lance – Power at a Price
Infernal Lance embraces the dark pact between Knight and Warp, offering incredible bonuses—often at a steep cost. Units can push themselves far beyond normal limits, increasing output dramatically, but risking self-destruction in the process.
This is a high-risk, high-reward Detachment that fits aggressive players who value burst power and are comfortable playing close to the edge. Enhancements and abilities can turn even smaller War Dogs into glass cannons capable of deleting elite units—if they survive long enough to do it.
Lords of Dread – The Elite Hammer
Focused entirely on Questoris and Dominus pattern Knights, this Detachment ignores the War Dogs and embraces the arrogant might of Chaos "Nobility." Lords of Dread provides six unique Enhancements—an unusually high number—each granting a passive bonus and a powerful once-per-battle ability. Many Stratagems revolve around CHARACTER units, turning these titanic figures into nearly unstoppable forces.
It’s a slower, heavier playstyle but one that offers crushing lethality and thematic appeal for those who prefer fewer, more powerful models that dominate the board through presence alone.
Houndpack Lance – The War Dog Swarm
Houndpack Lance flips the script. Rather than supporting Knights, it’s a Detachment entirely dedicated to War Dogs—and it makes them shine. For the first time, War Dog units can gain the CHARACTER keyword, allowing three of them to be upgraded with Enhancements, one of which becomes the Warlord.
This enables swarm-style lists with up to 13 War Dogs, combining high mobility with deadly firepower. One Enhancement even grants a War Dog the Super-heavy Walker rule, letting it trample across enemy lines unhindered.
This Detachment is ideal for aggressive, board-control-focused armies that value speed and weight of fire over individual durability.
Summary and Impressions
The updated Chaos Knights codex offers meaningful mechanical diversity without overcomplication. Each Detachment feels distinct and strategically valuable, opening up a wide range of viable builds from elite stomping forces to feral mech-wolf packs. The rules strike a balance between flavor and function, with clear design goals evident in each Detachment’s structure.
Whether aiming for narrative immersion or competitive effectiveness, players will find plenty to enjoy—and plenty to fear—in this release.
Final Verdict: 9/10
A robust update that gives Chaos Knights clear identity, tactical depth, and fresh brutality on the battlefield.
