Being a thread on the Emperor's Children Sonic Dreadnought

[LSM]

Prompted by posts about what a current Emperor's Children/Slaanesh Sonic Dreadnought datasheet would be like, as well as what the future might hold for the concept, I thought about going over the history of the old girl.

 

(As always, corrections and additions most welcome.)

 

 

1996 Codex: Chaos

 

Perhaps an odd place to start, but this was where some of the first lore of Chaos Dreadnoughts in general started to deviate from Loyalists. While both's Dreadnoughts are said to be ancient warmachines, constantly salvaged and repaired (the knowledge of their construction "virtually lost" by the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Dark Mech not really being a notable at this point), Chaos Space Marines are said to find internment a torture or punishment, and resent it far worse than a Space Marine (who at least can tell themselves that it's a great and honourable duty).

 

They are noted to be, on average, quite insane. To represent this, Chaos Dreadnoughts had both Frenzy and Stupidity (with special rules for working out which might have effect over the other).

 

There was also an entire two pages on Dreadnought Weapons. They were noted to have been testbeds for new weaponry, and so often had Mk1 Heavy Plasma Guns (the lore being that infantry Plasma Cannons didn't exist until after the Heresy), Autocannons and Heavy Bolters (with special systems to prevent jamming and overheating), Lascannons (with more advanced targeting systems), the original Havoc Launchers, auxiliary Combi-Weapons (generally fitted to the torso, rather than the arm), and esoteric melee weapons like the Power Scourge, Power Claw, and Thunder Hammer. (The latter of which was also noted to only be mounted on Dreadnoughts at the time of the Heresy, being literally too big to be wielded by infantry until later, smaller iterations.)

 

This is the Codex that created the concept of the Cult Legions, and it talks about Noise Marines in the same manner as the other Cult Troops/Terminators. "...the Emperor's Children are a savage fighting force. Like many of Slaanesh's followers they have become what are known as Noise Marines."* The Marks at this point (which could only be given to characters) didn't equate one-to-one with the Cults (ie. a Slaaneshi character didn't get a Noise Marine's Psychic Cacophony, a Khorne character didn't get a Berzerker's Furious Charge, a Nurgle character couldn't take a Plague Knife, and... well, Tzeentch was a bit of a special case, as arguably the Sorcerers are the Cult, and the Rubricae an extension of them). They also couldn't be given to Vehicles.

 

But if you wanted to theme a vehicle to a certain god, there were four upgrades available (Nurgling Infestation, Coruscating Warp Flame, Destroyer, and the Warp Amp). Warp Amps were for "Slaanesh Daemonic Vehicles only" and required the presence of at least one unit of Noise Marines (the other gods' gifts did not require the presence of their Cult), but could technically not be given to a Chaos Dreadnought (only Land Raiders, Predators, and Rhinos). Still worth mentioning, I think. Warp Amplifiers were described as rune-encrusted pipes and horns which projected resonating warp energy which made it difficult to maintain coherent thought, and so reduced Leadership the closer the enemy got to it (-1 at within 18", -2 within 12", and -3 within 6").

 

1999 Codex: Chaos Space Marines

 

Presented mostly the same, though gaining a Multi-Melta (and ~Plasma Cannon). Melee options were condensed into a singular "Dreadnought close combat weapon" with twin-linked Bolter (or Heavy Flamer). The Frenzy/Stupidity was replaced by Fire Frenzy! where before Shooting you'd roll a d6. On a '1', instead of firing its guns it would move d6" towards the nearest enemy and if it was within 6" then it must Charge in the Assault Phase, but doubled its Attacks characteristic. On a '6', the Dreadnought couldn't move in the upcoming Assault Phase, and you would immediately fire all of its guns twice, allocating hits starting with the model nearest to you (friend or foe).

 

In this Codex, a Chaos Dreadnought could not take a Havoc Launcher (or Searchlight, or Smoke Launchers) but could take a Chaos Vehicle Gift like a Warp Amp. (Which functioned identically to in 2nd; uniquely requiring the presence of Noise Marines to be taken, and modifying enemy Leadership.) Marks were still a thing for Characters only, so the way of having a "Slaaneshi Dreadnought" would be to buy it a Warp Amp. 

 

Side note: whereas the previous Codex (and every subsequent Codex until 10th edition) had Sonic Weapons as an optional upgrade for Noise Marine, the 1999 Codex (like the 1991 White Dwarf rules, 1993 Black Codex rules, and 2025 Codex rules) had Sonic Blasters as the basic loadout, with no ability to take a simple Bolt Pistol and Close Combat Weapon build. (Though in '91, '93, and '99 a Sonic Blaster was more of a Bolter equivalent than the modern ~Heavy Bolter analogue.)

 

 

(As a preview of things to come, some Adrian Smith card art from the 2003 WH40k CCG set "The Siege of Malogrim Hive'. This chap was named Amadeo.)

 

2001 Index Astartes, White Dwarf 255

 

The Emperor's Children army rules were a little funny compared to those of the other Cult Legions (potentially as a result of them being the first to get such a list). Rather than presenting a list with a couple bespoke units, the Third gets the entire Codex (minus any Mark other than Slaanesh, but also not requiring the Mark like the other Cult Legions). There are then some restrictions (0-1 Havocs, Predators, and Land Raiders; only Slaaneshi Daemons, etc), and a bunch of units get access to Sonic Blasters and Blastmasters which they otherwise would not have - "Noise-ifying" them up, even if they are not perverted to the degree of the Noise Marines.

 

One of the main notable points to the rules was the special bit about Emperor's Children Dreadnoughts. As encasement in a Dreadnought was even more of a hell for a sensation addict of the Third than the average CSM, they would be subject to Fire Frenzy's Blood Rage! (the "can't-shoot, must Charge") on a 1 or 2, rather than just a 1. Additionally, they also gained access to Sonic Blasters. But note: they were an upgrade to the Dreadnought's Bolters - not their "main weapon".

 

2002 Codex: Chaos Space Marines

 

Here we see the Emperor's Children rules pushed to be in line with the other Cult Legions. (Though it should be remembered that Noise Marines were far more diverse in their weapon options than the other Cults.) Vehicles could still not be Marked, but Vehicles dedicated to Slaanesh gained the Warp Amp ability. (It's effects were tightened up a bit, reducing enemy Leadership by -1 within 12", -2 within 6", and -3 in base contact, and there was no longer a need to have Noise Marines present.)

 

Also introduced was the new Dirge Caster upgrade for Vehicles. (This will come up again.) At the time, the Dirge Caster was lorefully a broadcaster putting out a non-stop litany of Chaos. This bolstered the morale of CSMs nearby, making any within 6" Fearless. It could specifically not be given to a Vehicle which already had a Warp Amp (ie. a Dirge Caster could not be given to a Vehicle dedicated to Slaanesh) and Noise Marines themselves were already Fearless (so a Dirge Caster was not useful to the Emperor's Children).

 

The Chaos Dreadnought got back their Havoc Launchers (etc) and gained the option of taking two Dreadnought close combat weapons. (Humourously, the rules block says it's "unlikely this component will be made" but it's an option "for those interested in doing conversions"). Fire Frenzy is still present, though the '1' result is now to Move 6+d6" (and flips to a '6' if Immobilised) while the '6' result is now to fire twice at the nearest enemy unit (and flips to a '1' if none is visible/in range).

 

In this Codex, while every Infantry unit had to be given the Mark of Slaanesh (ie at this time, be a Noise Marine), Vehicles were not required in the Cult Legions to be dedicated. Still, if a Chaos Dreadnought had been dedicated to Slaanesh (and had a Warp Amplifier) then in an Emperor's Children army (and only in an Emperor's Children army) they could replace a twin-linked Heavy Bolter with a twin-linked Sonic Blaster, a twin-linked Autocannon with a (single) Blastmaster, and a Heavy Flamer with a Doom Siren. (The Codex has a mistake and says Flamer instead of Heavy Flamer, but it was FAQ'd.)

 

The first option, you will note, is a straight downgrade (R24" vs R36", S4 vs S5, AP5 vs AP4, both 3 shots). If I recall correctly, Andy Chambers even replied to an FAQ question about whether there was intended to be some sort of benefit with, "~it's just in the rules for thematic purposes". The (Single Frequency) Blastmaster is more reasonable, but still not great (R36" vs R48", S8 vs S7, both AP4, Blast vs 2 shots with Hit rerolls). The Doom Siren is a step down in Strength and AP vs a Heavy Flamer, but Doom Sirens also forced enemies in cover to fight at Initiative Order so there was some reason to take one.

 

2003 Forge World 

 

Around this time, Forge World began the process of making Chaos Dreadnoughts for all the Chaos Legions. This mostly consisted of special torsos (using the generic legs and arms), but as Emperor's Children Dreadnoughts actually had (not particularly good) rules for weapons variants, the Third's Dreadnoughts got some extras in the form of a twin-linked Sonic Blaster arm, and a Blastmaster arm.

 

 

I'd also like to make a special call out to the Emperor's Children Dreadnought head, which is particularly awesome, and I wish we had gotten/will get in future a reference to it in some capacity.

 

 

I'd further like to make note of the "screaming face speaker" bits that go on top. Particularly, I see these referred to commonly as Doom Siren bits (and they might have been labelled as such at some point), but upon release the Doom Siren was an upgrade for the Heavy Flamer (which you can commonly see mounted on the torso in most pictures). As such, I think these were originally intended as ForgeWorld's take on what the Warp Amp upgrade looked like.

 

2009 Imperial Armour - Apocalypse II

 

With the 2007 Codex: Chaos Space Marines removing both broader Legion rules, and the godly Vehicle Gifts (including the Warp Amplifier), ForgeWorld decided to include rules for the "Slaanesh Sonic Dreadnought" in their Imperial Armour series. If a CSM army included at least one unit of Noise Marines, Chaos Dreadnoughts could be upgrade to be Slaanesh Sonic Dreadnoughts. This gave them: a Dirge Caster (now -1 to enemy Leadership when Tank Shock'ing), Assault grenades (to represent the noisiness, maybe - adding an effect like the Doom Siren used to provide), and a twin-linked Heavy Bolter could be exchanged for a twin-linked Sonic Blaster (still terrible), twin-linked Autocannon for a single Blastmaster (now good, the Single Frequency having gained more range, AP3 and 'Pinning'), and the Heavy Flamer for a Doom Siren (now really good, having gained S5 and AP3).

 

They also gained their own battle formation, called a Slaanesh Lament of the Damned. The lore notes again how Emperor's Children Dreadnoughts (being deprived sensory addicts) are even more insane than normal Chaos Dreadnoughts. (Speaking of which, Fire Frenzy was renamed Crazed - a good idea, as one of the results had always also been called Fire Frenzy! - and the '1' and '6' effects were flipped. Also: back to possibly shooting your own troops.) One Dreadnought in the formation would be designated a Fallen Lord, and gain the Daemonic special rule.

 

The formation also had the special rule 'Cacophony of Madness'. The combined effect of the Sonic Dreadnought's Dirge Casters and sonic weaponry can drive even the hardiest enemies insane merely by proximity as reality around them rebels and begins to mutate. Anyone wishing to Assault them had to pass a Morale check or be unable to do so that turn.

 

2014 Imperial Armour Volume Thirteen - War Machines of the Lost and the Damned

 

By 7th edition, the Sonic Dreadnought was in need of an update. Now completely their own unit (instead of a Chaos Dreadnought upgrade), they have a more bespoke suite of rules. 'Dedicated to Slaanesh' gave them Assault and Defensive Grenades, and 'Overdriven Sonic Weaponry' allowed a player to choose to give the model's sonic weapons Rending and Gets Hot. 

 

It's base weapons were now the twin-linked Sonic Blaster (with the twin-linked Heavy Bolter being a points upgrade, heh), a Chainfist with bolters, and a Doom Siren. (The first time that the Doom Siren is just... part of its loadout, rather than a trade for a Heavy Flamer.) Still, the Warp Amp was back as a unique upgrade (and what an upgrade): The baroque Warp Amplifiers mounted atop the Sonic Dreadnought siphon off and channel the fell powers of the Immaterium, modulated by the sinful soul of the champion interred within. The resulting cacophony is projected outwards through the Dreadnought's sonic weaponry in a torrent of excess before which few can stand. This allowed it to double the rate of fire of its sonic weapons if it did not Move.

 

2017 Index - Imperial Armour: Forces of Chaos

 

For 8th edition, the Sonic Dreadnought received updated rules for an updated ruleset... errr... well... sort of. It was mentioned in an FAQ.

 

The answer to "~is there a datasheet I should use for this model?" was: "Use the Helbrute datasheet on page 33 of Index: Chaos. It must replace its <MARK OF CHAOS> keyword with SLAANESH, it must replace its <LEGION> keyword with EMPEROR'S CHILDREN, and it has two additional wargear options; it may take a doom siren, and it may replace its multi-melta with two blastmasters."

 

The Doom Siren was a nice bonus for Emperor's Children players, but the main thing to note is: either through casual disregard, or because someone finally realised that a twin-linked Sonic Blaster was incredibly unimpressive for a Vehicle-mounted weapons system, changing the arm mount into two (!) Blastmasters was a pretty huge upgrade. 

 

(Crazed changed from its old Fire Frenzy self, and now at the end of any Phase that it took a Wound, one rolled a d6. On a roll of '6' it immediately shot as if it were your Shooting Phase if it was not within engagement range, and immediately fought as if it was your Fight Phase if was within engagement range.)

 

2025 Codex: Emperor's Children

 

As we all know, there are no Sonic Helbrutes in the Codex - there aren't even regular Helbrutes, despite the picture of one on page 32, looming over some Terminators (see below). The fluff in the book does make frequent mention of Warp Amps though, as well as new things like Spite Hailers, and we're told that "combat walkers... thrum with a non-stop dirge of spirit-twisting horror."

 

The Emperor's Children, being deemed a "new army", have not received any Legends support. (Unlike World Eaters, who have rules for their Blood Slaughterers, etc.)

 

One of the Crusade Battle Traits for Vehicles is the Dirge Caster. "Hull-mounted vox-casters scream unholy invocations across the battlefield. Such cursed syllables are capable of inflicting harm on those who hear them." Enemies within 6" subtract -1 from their Leadership, and when such a unit fails a Battle-shock test they are also dealt 1 Mortal Wound.

 

 

//

 

So that's the past, what about the future?

 

There is speculation that the reason that there is no Helbrute in the Codex is that we will (relatively) quickly (ie 3-6 years) see the addition of a new kit taking its place. Whether a new Helbrute for CSM that we'd then borrow (perhaps with some Cult Legion aesthetic bits like the Daemon Prince), or an actual full Emperor's Children Sonic Dreadnought.

 

While the Sonic Blaster is now a bit more respectable, the Blastmaster is still flatly superior in a pointsless ruleset. As such, I'd hope that they don't bother with the former. The Codex art has the look of a twin-linked Lascannon, and a new kit could always pull from other sources and maybe include a Tormentor Cannon, etc.

 

It would also be pretty easy to whip up some Legends rules right now - just give a Helbrute the option for a Blastmaster (or two) and a couple unique abilities.

 

The 7th edition Warp Amp doesn't really fit the modern style (standing still to increase the number of shots), and 'Overdriven Sonic Weaponry" is basically the Devasting Wound + Hazardous trick that Forgefiends are currently pulling. In my thread trying to brainstorm some Sonic Cult Detachment ideas, I had an Enhancement called Psychosonic Overdrive which did basically that, though I have since moved that (in my notes) to a Strategem of the same name which gives Devastating Wound but leaves the unit Battle-shocked. Perhaps something similar? Likewise, I used Warp Amp as a 'Strat to decrease enemy Leadership nearby a targeted Vehicle.

 

Conceptually, I also like the idea of flipping the Warp Amp around and having it create a boost to the Sonic Weapons within a certain radius (rather than just the Dreadnought itself). Or perhaps it can rupture reality in different ways - slowing or weakening enemies around it?

 

Regardless, the Emperor's Children Sonic Dreadnought somewhat oddly managed to become an iconic unit of the Third Legion in 40k. I'd love to see them back in the range, and back on the tabletop.

 

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*Aside: I wonder if this is how Bile ended up being an Unmarked (later Undivided) character? If maybe Jes Goodwin had sculpted him with the intent of being the EC's main guy, but Johnson/Chambers had conceptualised the Cult Legions and so (un-Noisy as Bile is) they felt he didn't fit and reframed him as ex-EC/a neutral party.