The sorcerers of the Thousand Sons claim mastery over eldritch powers and forbidden lore. They draw on the warp – the roiling extradimensional ocean of psychic energy that underpins reality – to chart the course of fate, alter the course of time, and incinerate any opposition with conflagrations of coruscating warpfire.
Hollow suits of accursed power armour march alongside their sorcerous puppeteers, serving as both a haunting reminder of the warp’s dangers and an instrument of its maddening whims. Today, we’re opening the book on how Tzeentch’s favoured Legion wages war in the new edition of Warhammer 40,000.
Overview
Thousand Sons are the army of choice for anyone who enjoys employing arcane artifice to unmake their enemies. The Traitor Legion’s sorcerous overlords perform terrifying rituals, calling on the labour of lesser wizards embedded within cohorts of relentless and resilient automata. These forces are most effective at mid-range, where they can unleash fusillades of enchanted firepower and magical bolts. Ancient war machines and foul Daemon Engines harry distant enemies with long-range support, while herds of screeching Tzaangor mutants occupy anyone who attempts to interrupt your studies in melee.
The Thousand Sons employ psychic powers with greater variety and flair than any other faction – and their rules reflect this puissance..
Faction Rules
The Thousand Sons wage war through their command of the arcane, conducting esoteric rituals that allow them to dominate the battlefield. This Cabal of Sorcerers pools their powers together each battle round, individual units generating Cabal points which you can spend to perform a variety of potent Rituals.
Psykers have become more specialised in the new edition of Warhammer 40,000, but the sons of Magnus – as ever – defy convention. Each Ritual is a powerful psychic ability channelled through one of your THOUSAND SONS PSYKERS, greatly expanding the arcane techniques available to even the maddest Tzaangor Shaman.
Will you become a Weaver of Fates to re-roll a vital saving throw? Or pluck intriguing Echoes from the Warp to employ a free Stratagem – even one you’ve already used this phase? Just crack open your spellbook and get to work.
The Cult of Magic Detachment offers even more tools to spice up your eldritch output, starting with its practice of Kindred Sorcery. This rule allows you to tinker with all of your Psychic weapons* each round – would you rather consume entire hordes in a Psychic Maelstrom of Sustained Hits 1, or inflict Devastating Wounds that will melt even Terminator armour with the Wrath of the Immaterium?
Unit Spotlight
Azhek Ahriman is well versed in working with cabals of like-minded wizards, though not always to great results – after all, the former Chief Librarian was responsible for the Rubric that turned the majority of his Legion into dusty automata. The master of the Prodigal Sons adds three Cabal points to your pool – a hefty contribution, second only to Magnus himself – and as the Arch-Sorcerer of Tzeentch he can also cast one Ritual for free.
The Rubric of Ahriman augmented the psychic powers of those Sorcerers who survived, but turned the bulk of the Legion into soul-shackled suits of power armour. Battle stirs long-forgotten instincts in these Rubric Marines, awakening arcane automata into Bringers of Change who advance on ritual locations and enemy strongholds in implacable lockstep, unleashing withering salvos of firepower.
Each unit of Rubric Marines is led by a flesh-and-blood Aspiring Sorcerer who guides his ghostly brothers into battle. Each of these apprentice magicians adds to your total pool of Cabal points each round, acts as a locus to channel vital Rituals, and can perform a really neat magic trick where they make enemy INFANTRY disappear with a kaleidoscopic warpsmite.
Weapon Spotlight
The inferno boltguns and warpflamers of the Thousand Sons utilise sorcerous energy to melt flesh and armour like wax, but a Mutalith Vortex Beast can channel the pure essence of the immaterium through its warp vortex – mutating foes into misshapen forms incapable of posing a threat.
These grotesque creatures have such a profound weakening effect on the fabric of reality that nearby THOUSAND SONS PSYKERS can double the range of their Rituals, making them valuable for more than just their soul-melting presence and betentacled maw.
Stratagem Spotlight
Mastery of the empyrean doesn’t just cover empowering your own forces – the Thousand Sons also tamper with powers unleashed by their foes, displaying their Psychic Dominion by dampening even the most devastating psychic assaults.
This Stratagem capitalises on the hubris of foes who think they can step up against the masters of sorcery. It grants all Psychic weapons that target the affected unit the Hazardous ability – meaning the offending psyker risks mortal wounds or even outright destruction – and adds insult to injury by blessing the models in the targeted unit with Feel No Pain 4+ against those Psychic Attacks.**
The Word from the Studio
“The Thousand Sons are the cursed and damned children of their Primarch Magnus, and (mostly) willing followers of Tzeentch,” Scott from the Warhammer Design Studio told us. “Ever making the best of a bad situation, the still-living sorcerers lean on their duplicitous warp powers to march their less fortunate brethren to battle as near automata, manipulating reality to suit their twisted desires.
“To really evoke the feeling of change and opportunism, the army rule Cabal of Sorcerers offers the Thousand Sons tools to deal additional damage, gain extra movement, utilise teleportation, and even get free additional uses of already-used Stratagems! Coupled with their Detachment rule mutating their tactics to best deal with their enemies, they’re just as flexible as you’d expect from the Changer of Ways’ favoured servants.
“Magnus is also getting a real eye in this edition, with one of the most potent single profiles in the game. He shows his love for his misbegotten sons with a choice of auras that allow him to boost their mobility and offensive prowess – or he can play more selfishly, reducing Damage of incoming attacks and sabotaging enemy ranged weapons. Thousand Sons are replete with tricks and twists that are bound to make your opponent's head swim – just be sure to bring plenty of psykers.”
Black Library
After transforming nearly the entire Legion into soulless suits of armour, Ahriman found himself understandably spurned by many of his remaining brothers, and condemned by his father, Magnus the Red.
Ahriman has scoured space and time in search of a way to undo his Rubric’s minor side-effects and reclaim his place as the galaxy’s pre-eminent arcane expert. The Ahriman series by John French follows the Arch-Sorcerer in this very quest, pitting his wits and witchcraft against daemons, Necrons, Aeldari, and even his fellow Thousand Sons.
The first three stories are available in Ahriman: The Omnibus, but the Chief Librarian’s most mind-bending adventure takes place in Ahriman: Eternal. The short story collection Ahriman: Exodus further explores the deeds of Ahriman and his servant Ctesias the Twice-dead, and also features the shadowy Daemon Prince Be’lakor.
You can find out how the other factions of the 41st Millennium fare in our other faction focuses below. Check back tomorrow to discover how the daemon-slaying Grey Knights are preparing for their next hunt.
* These are weapons that represent directly damaging psychic powers, like the old Smite power.
** It’s particularly potent against Aeldari psykers, who’d otherwise remain blissfully untouched by the Hazardous perils of the immaterium.