Word Bearers
The tactics employed by the Word Bearers are influenced heavily by the Daemons they can call upon. They make frequent use of Daemons to shock and terrorise their enemies, seeing themselves as being higher in the grand order of Chaos than any Daemon, save perhaps the Greater Daemons. They have no compunctions about sending Daemons to their destruction.
The Word Bearers are the only Chaos Legion that still includes Chaplains in their ranks. Having abandoned the Imperial faith at the start of the Horus Heresy, Word Bearer Chaplains are now Dark Apostles of Chaos. When they lead the army, the Word Bearers are willing to make any sacrifice to achieve victory. The only way a Word Bearers advance can be stopped is by command of the Apostle or the death of every Word Bearer.
Word Bearers Chaos Space Marine forces are frequently unbalanced, sometimes omitting heavy armour completely, for example. This is because the Legion fights in accordance with the visions of the Apostles. The result can be tactics that border on prescience.
Forced conversion by indoctrination is a common fate for those conquered by their armies, often as a precursor to a short, brutal life as a labour slave building immense temples to the Chaos Gods. Their faith is a valuable commodity to the Chaos Gods and they have been rewarded with the service of hosts of Daemons to further their aims.
- The only Mark that may be assigned to models in a Word Bearers army is the Mark of Chaos Undivided.
- The Word Bearers may use any type of Daemon.
- Amongst the Word Bearers the most distinctive leaders are their Apostles; only the Word Bearers include Chaplains in their ranks and they are the zealots that drive the Legion onward. One Word Bearer Lord or Lieutenant can be designated as a Chaplain, or Dark Apostle, and must be equipped with an Accursed Crozius as testament to his origins. Any Chaplain may have the Demagogue ability (see below) to represent his firebrand oratory.
- Because of the large numbers of Daemon packs that the Word Bearers can call upon they may always include additional Troops choices on the force organisation chart to replace one each of Elites, Fast Attack and Heavy Support choices. Effectively this means they could have nine Troops selections in the same army although they would then only have two each of Elites, Fast Attack and Heavy Support.
- As with the other Undivided Legions, Veterans are a major feature of Word Bearer armies with all skills being utilised.
Accursed Crozius (Daemon Weapon) — 40 pts
During the Horus Heresy most of the Chaplains of the Traitor Legions resisted the taint of Chaos and were murdered by their brethren. The Chaplains of the Word Bearer Legion embraced Chaos willingly though and as an act of faith ritually desecrated their once sacred weapons. These cursed crozius have a powerful effect as talismans of Chaos, proving that even the most pious of the Emperor's followers can be turned to the Path of Damnation.
The Accursed Crozius is a power weapon that is available only to Word Bearer models with the Mark of Chaos Undivided. Its wielder counts as having a Personal Icon of Chaos Undivided. Additionally, the bearer enjoys the protection of the Dark Gods and receives a 4+ Invulnerable save.
Demagogue Ability — 20 pts
The Word Bearer is exceptionally well-versed in the counter-arguments to the Imperial creed. Moreover he is a skilled orator who is able to incite his brethren to a fanatical fervour. The orator, and all Chaos units apart from Daemons with a model within 6" of the orator will automatically pass any Morale checks they are required to take. This skill is available only to independent characters and does not count toward their maximum number of skills.
Errata — Chapter Approved: Codex: Chaos Space Marines Q&A (v3.0): A Word Bearers army may include more than one model with the Demagogue ability at once. Legion-specific abilities and wargear like Stealth Adept, Demagogue, and the Accursed Crozius are generally usable by a model in Terminator armour, but check each skill's own description — Stealth Adept specifically, for example, is not usable in Terminator armour.