Age of Darkness Starter Series Pt 9: World Eaters

In this ongoing series we present an accessible and thematic starting list for each of the 18 Space Marine Legions. Each list utilizes the Age of Darkness starter set as a foundation from which to build a 2,000 point list using as few additional components as possible from readily available official plastic kits.

To build this force yourself you’ll need:
1 Age of Darkness Starter Set
1 Special Weapons Upgrade Set

The Age of Darkness starter set is an undeniably great entry point into the Horus Heresy for new players, but its contents aren’t equally well-suited for every legion. World Eaters are one of the trickier legions to build out from this starting point but it’s far from impossible! Many people have it in their heads that the World Eaters are a melee-only force and only utilize hordes of chain axe wielding berserkers. This is certainly the iconic image of the legion, especially in 40k and late in the Heresy, but even so, they still had lots of guys with bolt guns and utilized combined arms tactics on a regular basis. Still, if you’re getting into World Eaters, it’s probably because you want to get up close and personal with your opponents and while a plastic breacher/despoiler conversion kit is not yet available, my hope is that you can use the Age of Darkness starter set as presented here to provide a set of tactically versatile small units that will support the big close-combat oriented blocks that you will probably add to your force down the road.

This list uses the Crimson Path rite of war, which while certainly not functioning at full efficiency is still a decent bonus with infantry ignoring the first Wound inflicted each Phase and It Will Not Die (5+) granted to independent characters of which you’ll have one in the axe wielding Praetor. He is going to be given the Berserker benefit and can lurk behind your big squads to deliver a hard assault on enemy tactical squads or lone characters. As you expand you’ll probably add him to a unit with Berserker to get more mileage out of him but he’s a surprising little threat in this starting 2k list. A pair of 10 man tactical squads are your Line troops and will be useful even as you expand your army since they’re a bread an butter unit for pretty much any army no matter your preferred playstyle. Similarly, a pair of 10 man Tactical Support squads armed with rotor cannons and volkite chargers offers you some versatile options that offer you a hard charging assault unit with the volkites and a chance to pin your opponent’s squads with the rotor cannons. Both of these squads are likely to offer your expanded close combat World Eaters some much needed support as you build on this starting point. Naturally, the terminators, spartan and dreadnought will make up the heart of this force, with your praetor leading the terminators, though he might do well attached to the support squad with volkite chargers, as well. Conveniently the volkites and rotor cannons are both found in the same upgrade kit meaning you’ll only need to buy that single extra box to add on to the starter set keeping the price down as you get started on the Crimson Path!

++ 1. Crusade Force Organisation Chart (LA – XII: World Eaters) [1,996Pts] ++

Allegiance: Traitor

XII: World Eaters

+ Rite of War: +

Rite of War: The Crimson Path (WE)

+ HQ: [300Pts] +

Centurion [150Pts]: Warmonger [45Pts]
. Warmonger [105Pts]: Artificer Armour, Berserker [20Pts], Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Meltabombs [10Pts], Refractor Field
. . Chainsword: Chainsword
. . Power Weapon [15Pts]: Power Axe

Praetor [150Pts]: The Butcher’s Claws, Warlord
. Legion Praetor [150Pts]: Artificer Armour, Frag Grenades, Iron Halo, Krak Grenades, Master of the Legion
. . Archaeotech Pistol [15Pts]
. . Power Weapon [15Pts]: Power Sword

+ Elites: [980Pts] +

Contemptor Dreadnought Talon [175Pts]
. Contemptor Dreadnought [175Pts]: Atomantic Deflector, Combi-Bolter, Gravis Bolt Cannon, Gravis Power Fist with in-built ranged weapon

Terminator Cataphractii Squad [805Pts]: Cataphractii Terminator Armour
. Cataphractii [45Pts]: Chainfist [15Pts], Combi-Bolter
. Cataphractii [40Pts]: Combi-Bolter, Power Fist [10Pts]
. Cataphractii Sergeant w/TLC [15Pts]: Grenade Harness [5Pts], Pair of Lightning Claws [10Pts]
. Cataphractii w/Heavy Weapon (1 in 5) [50Pts]: Chainfist [15Pts], Heavy Flamer [5Pts]
. Cataphractii w/Heavy Weapon (1 in 5) [45Pts]: Heavy Flamer [5Pts], Power Fist [10Pts]
. 5x Cataphractii w/Lightning Claws [200Pts]: 5x Pair of Lightning Claws
. Land Raider Spartan [355Pts]
. . Land Raider Spartan [355Pts]: 2x Lascannon Array, Hull (Front) Mounted Twin-linked Heavy Bolter, Legiones Astartes (X), Searchlights [5Pts], Smoke Launchers

+ Troops: [716Pts] +

Tactical Squad [168Pts]: Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Power Armour
. Legion Tactical Sergeant [20Pts]: Bolter, Lightning Claw [10Pts], Plasma Pistol [10Pts], Power Armour
. 6x Legionaries (collective) [72Pts]: 6x Bolt Pistol, 6x Bolter, 6x Chain Bayonet [12Pts]
. Legionary w/ Options: [22Pts]: Augury Scanner [10Pts], Bolt Pistol, Bolter, Chain Bayonet [2Pts]
. Legionary w/ Options: [22Pts]: Bolt Pistol, Bolter, Chain Bayonet [2Pts], Legion Vexilla [10Pts]
. Legionary w/ Options: [22Pts]: Bolt Pistol, Bolter, Chain Bayonet [2Pts], Nuncio-Vox [10Pts]

Tactical Support Squad [165Pts]: Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Power Armour, Volkite Charger
. Legion Tactical Support Sergeant: Bolt Pistol, Power Armour
. 7x Legionaries (collective) [84Pts]: 7x Bolt Pistol
. Legionary w/ Options [22Pts]: Bolt Pistol, Legion Vexilla [10Pts]
. Legionary w/ Options [22Pts]: Augury Scanner [10Pts], Bolt Pistol

Tactical Support Squad [215Pts]: Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Power Armour, Rotor Cannon [50Pts]
. Legion Tactical Support Sergeant: Bolt Pistol, Power Armour
. 7x Legionaries (collective) [84Pts]: 7x Bolt Pistol
. Legionary w/ Options [22Pts]: Bolt Pistol, Legion Vexilla [10Pts]
. Legionary w/ Options [22Pts]: Augury Scanner [10Pts], Bolt Pistol

++ Total: [1,996Pts] ++