Thousand Sons
The tang of sorcery taints the air as the Thousand Sons attack. Coruscating bolts of warp energy explode in washes of mutating fire, while hails of ensorcelled shot mow down rank after rank of the foe. Those not reduced to smouldering corpses are transmogrified by the magicks of Tzeentch, leaving the battlefield strewn with crystal statues, clouds of screaming vapour and writhing mounds of flesh.
Books
| Book | Kind | Edition | Version | Last update |
 Thousand Sons | ||||
| Thousand Sons | Index | 10 | June 2024 | |
 Munitorum Field Manual | ||||
| Munitorum Field Manual | Expansion | 10 | 1.11 | June 2024 |
 Legends: Heretic Astartes | ||||
| Legends: Heretic Astartes | Datasheet | 10 | May 2024 | |
 Horus Heresy Legends: Heretic Astartes | ||||
| Horus Heresy Legends: Heretic Astartes | Datasheet | 10 | June 2023 | |
| Horus Heresy Legends: Adeptus Astartes | ||||
| Horus Heresy Legends: Adeptus Astartes | Datasheet | 10 | June 2023 | |
FAQ
Index: Thousand Sons
| Q: | Is Doombolt considered a Psychic ability for the purpose of determining whether the mortal wounds it inflicts are considered to have been inflicted by a Psychic Attack? |
| A: | Yes. |
| Q: | If multiple THOUSAND SONS HELBRUTE models are within range of a friendly THOUSAND SONS PSYKER model, can that Psyker model gain more than one Cabal point from the Arcane Knowledge Amidst Babbling Insanity ability? |
| A: | No, as Aura abilities only apply once, regardless of the number of sources of the same Aura. |
| Q: | While a model with the Arcane Vortex Enhancement is embarked within a TRANSPORT, do the weapons that TRANSPORT shoots with using the Firing Deck ability gain the effects from that Enhancement? |
| A: | No (see Firing Deck in the Core Rules). |
Army Rules
Cabal of Sorcerers
The Thousand Sons channel their arcane power through battlefield ritual, beseeching the Changer of the Ways to gift them forbidden knowledge or ravage their foes with warpfire and mutation.
If your Army Faction is THOUSAND SONS, at the end of your Command phase, each model from your army with this ability that is on the battlefield (excluding Battle-shocked models) generates you a number of Cabal points equal to the number shown in its ability (e.g. a model with the Cabal of Sorcerers 2 ability would generate you 2 Cabal points). The combined total of these is your Cabal points pool. During the battle round, you can use Rituals from the list below, deducting the Cabal points cost of each one from your Cabal points pool. If you do not have enough Cabal points for a Ritual, you cannot use it. Each Ritual can only be used once per phase. At the start of your next Command phase, your Cabal points pool resets to zero. Each time you use a Ritual, select one THOUSAND SONS PSYKER model from your army (excluding models that have already been selected for this rule this turn), then apply that Ritual’s effect using that PSYKER.WEAVER OF FATES (PSYCHIC) 2 CABAL POINTS |
TEMPORAL SURGE (PSYCHIC) 5 CABAL POINTS |
ECHOES FROM THE WARP (PSYCHIC) 6 CABAL POINTS |
DOOMBOLT (PSYCHIC) 7 CABAL POINTS |
TWIST OF FATE (PSYCHIC) 9 CABAL POINTS |
Cult of Magic
Detachment Rule
If your Army Faction is THOUSAND SONS, you can use this Cult of Magic Detachment rule.Kindred Sorcery
For an instant, the chanting voices of the Thousand Sons achieve perfect synchronisation, words of malign incantation rolling out like the peal of some cursed bell amidst the empyrean.
In your Command phase, you can select one of the abilities listed below to take effect until the start of your next Command phase.MALEVOLENT CHARGE Psychic weapons equipped by THOUSAND SONS models from your army have the [LETHAL HITS] ability. |
PSYCHIC MAELSTROM Psychic weapons equipped by THOUSAND SONS models from your army have the [SUSTAINED HITS 1] ability. |
WRATH OF THE IMMATERIUM Psychic weapons equipped by THOUSAND SONS models from your army have the [DEVASTATING WOUNDS] ability. |
Stratagems
If you are using the Cult of Magic Detachment rule, you can use these Cult of Magic Stratagems.TARGET: One THOUSAND SONS unit from your army that was selected as the target of one or more of the attacking unit’s attacks.
EFFECT: Until the end of the phase, all attacks made against your unit with Psychic weapons have the [HAZARDOUS] ability and all models in your unit have the Feel No Pain 4+ ability against Psychic Attacks
TARGET: That PSYKER model.
EFFECT: Change the Damage characteristic of that attack to 0.
TARGET: One THOUSAND SONS PSYKER unit from your army that has not been selected to shoot this phase.
EFFECT: Until the end of the phase, each time a model in your unit makes a Psychic Attack, you can re-roll the Hit roll and you can re-roll the Wound roll.
TARGET: One THOUSAND SONS PSYKER unit from your army that has not been selected to shoot this phase.
EFFECT: Until the end of the phase, all inferno bolt pistols, inferno boltguns, inferno combi-bolters and inferno combi-weapons equipped by models in your unit have the [PSYCHIC] ability and a Strength characteristic of 5.
TARGET: One THOUSAND SONS PSYKER unit from your army that has not been selected to shoot this phase.
EFFECT: Until the end of the phase, add 9" to the range of Psychic weapons equipped by your unit.
TARGET: One THOUSAND SONS PSYKER unit from your army and one enemy unit that is visible to that unit.
EFFECT: Until the end of the phase, each time a friendly THOUSAND SONS PSYKER model makes an attack with a Psychic weapon that targets that enemy unit, that attack has the [INDIRECT FIRE] and [IGNORES COVER] abilities.
Enhancements
If you are using the Cult of Magic Detachment rule, you can use these Cult of Magic Enhancements.
This sorcerer has committed many a grimoire and unholy tome to memory, giving him unparalleled knowledge of hexes, curses and destructive rites. THOUSAND SONS PSYKER model only. The bearer can be selected to use a Ritual even if another PSYKER from your army has already been selected to use that Ritual this phase. |
Ahriman consumed the knowledge contained in the Athenaeum of Kallimakus long ago, but not all of the Athenaeum’s founders were slain when their repository of knowledge was destroyed. Some of their lore has since been transcribed to keep an echo of that great library in existence. One who possesses these texts has access to techniques that make his spells exceptionally potent. THOUSAND SONS PSYKER model only. In your Command phase, if the bearer is on the battlefield and is not Battle-shocked, it generates you 1 additional Cabal point this phase. |
By siphoning the perpetual gloom from the location where the cursed planet Mangel III once existed in realspace, a cabal of sorcerers from the Cult of Magic created the Umbralefic Crystal. One in command of this powerful relic can use its energies to temporarily fold space, creating a gate of sorcerous translocation through which he or his allies can step. THOUSAND SONS model only. Once per battle, in your Command phase, you can remove the bearer’s unit from the battlefield. If you do, in the Reinforcements step of your next Movement phase, set that unit back up anywhere on the battlefield that is more than 9" horizontally away from all enemy models. |
This ritualistic locus is formed from the matter of arcane objects, their substance broken down at a molecular level and added to a nexus of energy surrounding the creator. When battle is joined, the sorcerer draws upon this power, all the better to unleash warp-fuelled destruction upon the enemy. THOUSAND SONS model only. Add 1 to the Strength and Damage characteristics of Psychic weapons equipped by the bearer. |
Weapons powered by unstable and dangerous energy sources pose a substantial risk to the wielder every time they are used.
Weapons with [HAZARDOUS] in their profile are known as Hazardous weapons. Each time a unit is selected to shoot or fight, after that unit has resolved all of its attacks, for each Hazardous weapon that targets were selected for when resolving those attacks, that unit must take one Hazardous test. To do so, roll one D6: on a 1, that test is failed. For each failed test you must resolve the following sequence (resolve each failed test one at a time):- If possible, select one model in that unit that has lost one or more wounds and is equipped with one or more Hazardous weapons.
- Otherwise, if possible, select one model in that unit (excluding CHARACTER models) equipped with one or more Hazardous weapons.
- Otherwise, select one CHARACTER model in that unit equipped with one or more Hazardous weapons.
If a unit from a player’s army is selected as the target of the Fire Overwatch Stratagem in their opponent’s Charge phase, any mortal wounds inflicted by Hazardous tests are allocated after the charging unit has ended its Charge move.
- After a unit shoots or fights, roll one Hazardous test (one D6) for each Hazardous weapon used. For each 1, one model equipped with a Hazardous weapon is destroyed (CHARACTERS, MONSTERS and VEHICLES suffer 3 mortal wounds instead).
- A Critical Wound inflicts mortal wounds equal to the weapon’s Damage characteristic, instead of any normal damage.
Some attacks are so powerful that no armour or force field can withstand their fury.
Some rules inflict mortal wounds on units. Each time mortal wounds are inflicted on a unit, each of those mortal wounds inflicts one point of damage to that unit, and they are always applied one at a time. Each mortal wound is allocated to a model in the same manner as allocating an attack. Excess damage from mortal wounds is not lost if the damage can be allocated to another model. Instead, keep allocating damage to another model in the target unit until either all the damage has been allocated or the target unit is destroyed.If an attack inflicts mortal wounds in addition to any normal damage, do not make a Wound roll or saving throw (including invulnerable saving throws) against those mortal wounds. If those mortal wounds are inflicted by an attack that has the [PRECISION] ability, the attacking model’s controlling player can allocate those mortal wounds to a CHARACTER model in that unit.
If mortal wounds are being inflicted as a result of the [HAZARDOUS] ability or by an attack with the [DEVASTATING WOUNDS] ability that scored a Critical Wound, each time those mortal wounds are allocated to a model, if that model is destroyed as a result of those mortal wounds, the remaining mortal wounds from that attack are lost, just as with a normal attack.
If, when a unit is selected to shoot or fight, one or more of its attacks can inflict mortal wounds on the target, resolve any normal damage inflicted by the attacking unit’s attacks on that target before inflicting any mortal wounds on that target. If an attack inflicts mortal wounds in addition to any normal damage, but the normal damage is subsequently saved, the target unit still suffers those mortal wounds, as described above.
- Each mortal wound inflicted on a unit causes one model in that unit to lose one wound.
- Unless the source of the mortal wounds is the [HAZARDOUS] ability or an attack with the [DEVASTATING WOUNDS] ability, damage from mortal wounds is not lost if it can be allocated to another model.
- No saving throws can be made against mortal wounds.
- Mortal wounds inflicted by attacks always apply after any normal damage, even if that damage was saved.
The THOUSAND SONS and PSYKER keywords are used in the following Thousand Sons datasheets:
If the result is greater than or equal to the Save characteristic of the model the attack was allocated to, then that saving throw is successful and the attack sequence ends. Otherwise, that saving throw fails and that model suffers damage.
An unmodified saving throw of 1 always fails. A saving throw can never be improved by more than +1.
- Saving Throw: Roll one D6 and modify by the attack’s AP. If the result is less than the Save of the model being rolled for, the saving throw is failed and that model suffers damage. Otherwise, that attack is saved.
- An unmodified saving throw of 1 always fails.
- A saving throw can never be improved by more than +1.
Models cannot be set up or end a Normal, Advance or Fall Back move within Engagement Range of any enemy models. If for any reason a model cannot meet this condition, that model is destroyed.
- Engagement Range: Within 1" horizontally and 5" vertically.
- Models cannot be set up or end a Normal, Advance or Fall Back move within Engagement Range of any enemy models.
- Normal Move: Models move up to M".
- Cannot move within Engagement Range of any enemy models.
Mighty heroes fight at the forefront of battle.
Some CHARACTER units have ‘Leader’ listed on their datasheets. Such CHARACTER units are known as Leaders, and the units they can lead – known as their Bodyguard units – are listed on their datasheet.During the Declare Battle Formations step, for each Leader in your army, if your army also includes one or more of that Leader’s Bodyguard units, you can select one of those Bodyguard units. That Leader will then attach to that Bodyguard unit for the duration of the battle and is said to be leading that unit. Each Bodyguard unit can only have one Leader attached to it.
While a Bodyguard unit contains a Leader, it is known as an Attached unit and, with the exception of rules that are triggered when units are destroyed, it is treated as a single unit for all rules purposes. Each time an attack targets an Attached unit, until the attacking unit has resolved all of its attacks, you must use the Toughness characteristic of the Bodyguard models in that unit, even if a Leader in that unit has a different Toughness characteristic. Each time an attack sucessfully wounds an Attached unit, that attack cannot be allocated to a CHARACTER model in that unit, even if that CHARACTER model has lost one or more wounds or has already had attacks allocated to it this phase. As soon as the last Bodyguard model in an Attached unit has been destroyed, any attacks made against that unit that have yet to be allocated can then be allocated to CHARACTER models in that unit.
Each time the last model in a Bodyguard unit is destroyed, each CHARACTER unit that is part of that Attached unit becomes a separate unit, with its original Starting Strength. If this happens as the result of an attack, they become separate units after the attacking unit has resolved all of its attacks.
Each time the last model in a CHARACTER unit that is attached to a Bodyguard unit is destroyed and there is not another CHARACTER unit attached, that Attached unit’s Bodyguard unit becomes a separate unit, with its original Starting Strength. If this happens as the result of an attack, they become separate units after the attacking unit has resolved all of its attacks.
Each time a unit that is part of an Attached unit is destroyed, it does not have the keywords of any other units that make up that Attached unit (unless it has those keywords on its own datasheet) for the purposes of any rules that would be triggered when that unit is destroyed.
- Before the battle, CHARACTER units with the Leader ability can be attached to one of their Bodyguard units to form an Attached unit.
- Attached units can only contain one Leader.
- Attacks cannot be allocated to CHARACTER models in Attached units.
Assassins and other covert agents are difficult to track and pinpoint in the swirling maelstrom of battle.
Unless part of an Attached unit (see Leader), this unit can only be selected as the target of a ranged attack if the attacking model is within 12".The Starting Strength of an Attached unit is equal to the combined Starting Strengths of all of its units (i.e. the number of models in the Leader unit added to the number of models in the Bodyguard unit). If either the Leader unit or the Bodyguard unit in an Attached unit is destroyed, the Starting Strength of the remaining unit is changed to be equal to its original Starting Strength.
For the purposes of rules that are triggered when a unit is destroyed, such rules are still triggered when one of the individual units that made up an Attached unit is destroyed (the Leader or the Bodyguard unit).
The Thousand Sons channel their arcane power through battlefield ritual, beseeching the Changer of the Ways to gift them forbidden knowledge or ravage their foes with warpfire and mutation.
If your Army Faction is THOUSAND SONS, at the end of your Command phase, each model from your army with this ability that is on the battlefield (excluding Battle-shocked models) generates you a number of Cabal points equal to the number shown in its ability (e.g. a model with the Cabal of Sorcerers 2 ability would generate you 2 Cabal points). The combined total of these is your Cabal points pool. During the battle round, you can use Rituals from the list below, deducting the Cabal points cost of each one from your Cabal points pool. If you do not have enough Cabal points for a Ritual, you cannot use it. Each Ritual can only be used once per phase. At the start of your next Command phase, your Cabal points pool resets to zero. Each time you use a Ritual, select one THOUSAND SONS PSYKER model from your army (excluding models that have already been selected for this rule this turn), then apply that Ritual’s effect using that PSYKER.WEAVER OF FATES (PSYCHIC) 2 CABAL POINTS |
TEMPORAL SURGE (PSYCHIC) 5 CABAL POINTS |
ECHOES FROM THE WARP (PSYCHIC) 6 CABAL POINTS |
DOOMBOLT (PSYCHIC) 7 CABAL POINTS |
TWIST OF FATE (PSYCHIC) 9 CABAL POINTS |
This ritualistic locus is formed from the matter of arcane objects, their substance broken down at a molecular level and added to a nexus of energy surrounding the creator. When battle is joined, the sorcerer draws upon this power, all the better to unleash warp-fuelled destruction upon the enemy.
THOUSAND SONS model only. Add 1 to the Strength and Damage characteristics of Psychic weapons equipped by the bearer.
- A unit can embark within a friendly TRANSPORT if all of its models end a Normal, Advance or Fall Back move within 3" of that TRANSPORT.
- A unit cannot embark and disembark in the same phase.
Some transports have firing hatches, ports or platforms from which embarked passengers can shoot.
Some TRANSPORT models have ‘Firing Deck x’ listed in their abilities. Each time such a model is selected to shoot in the Shooting phase, you can select up to ‘x’ models embarked within it whose units have not already shot this phase. Then, for each of those embarked models, you can select one ranged weapon that embarked model is equipped with (excluding weapons with the [ONE SHOT] ability). Until that TRANSPORT model has resolved all of its attacks, it counts as being equipped with all of the weapons you selected in this way, in addition to its other weapons. Until the end of the phase, those selected models’ units are not eligible to shoot.- Firing Deck ‘x’: Each time this TRANSPORT shoots, select one weapon (excluding weapons with the [ONE SHOT] ability) from up to ‘x’ models embarked within it whose units have not shot this phase; this TRANSPORT counts as being equipped with those weapons as well. Until the end of the phase, those selected models’ units are not eligible to shoot.
While a unit is Battle-shocked:
- The Objective Control characteristic of all of its models is 0.
- If it Falls Back, you must take a Desperate Escape test for every model in that unit.
- Its controlling player cannot use Stratagems to affect that unit.
Once you have taken Battle-shock tests for all of your units that require them, your Command phase ends and you progress to your Movement phase.
In this step, if for any reason a unit is forced to take a Battle-shock test for being below its Starting Strength, unless otherwise stated, that unit does not also have to take a Battle-shock test for being Below Half-strength. While a unit is Battle-shocked, all models in that unit are also Battle-shocked.
- Take a Battle-shock test for each unit from your army on the battlefield that is Below Half-strength.
- Roll 2D6: if the result is greater than or equal to the unit’s Leadership, the test is passed. Otherwise, the unit is Battle-shocked until the start of your next Command phase.
- Battle-shocked units have an OC of 0 and their controlling player cannot use Stratagems to affect them.
- Battle-shocked units must take Desperate Escape tests if they Fall Back.
Some weapons can inflict fatal injuries on any foe, no matter their resilience.
Weapons with [LETHAL HITS] in their profile are known as Lethal Hits weapons. Each time an attack is made with such a weapon, a Critical Hit automatically wounds the target.Some weapons strike in a flurry of blows, tearing the foe apart with relentless ferocity.
Weapons with [SUSTAINED HITS X] in their profile are known as Sustained Hits weapons. Each time an attack is made with such a weapon, if a Critical Hit is rolled, that attack scores a number of additional hits on the target as denoted by ‘x’.- [SUSTAINED HITS X]: Each Critical Hit scores ‘x’ additional hits on the target.
Some warriors refuse to be laid low, even by what should be fatal wounds.
Some models have ‘Feel No Pain x+’ listed in their abilities. Each time a model with this ability suffers damage and so would lose a wound (including wounds lost due to mortal wounds), roll one D6: if the result is greater than or equal to the number denoted by ‘x’, that wound is ignored and is not lost. If a model has more than one Feel No Pain ability, you can only use one of those abilities each time that model suffers damage and so would lose a wound.- Feel No Pain x+: Each time this model would lose a wound, roll one D6: if the result equals or exceeds ‘x’, that wound is not lost.
An unmodified Hit roll of 6 is called a Critical Hit and is always successful. An unmodified Hit roll of 1 always fails. A Hit roll can never be modified by more than -1 or +1.
- Hit Roll (Ranged Attack): A hit is scored if the D6 result equals or exceeds that attack’s BS.
- Hit Roll (Melee Attack): A hit is scored if the D6 result equals or exceeds that attack’s WS.
- Critical Hit: Unmodified Hit roll of 6. Always successful.
- An unmodified Hit roll of 1 always fails.
- A Hit roll can never be modified by more than -1 or +1.
| ||||||||||||||
If the result of the Wound roll is greater than or equal to the required number shown in the table above, then that Wound roll is successful and scores one wound against the target unit. Otherwise, the attack fails and the attack sequence ends.
An unmodified Wound roll of 6 is called a Critical Wound and is always successful. An unmodified Wound roll of 1 always fails. A Wound roll can never be modified by more than -1 or +1.
- Critical Wound: Unmodified Wound roll of 6. Always successful.
- An unmodified Wound roll of 1 always fails.
- A Wound roll can never be modified by more than -1 or +1.
Indirect fire weapons launch munitions over or around intervening obstacles – nowhere is safe from their fury.
Weapons with [INDIRECT FIRE] in their profile are known as Indirect Fire weapons, and attacks can be made with them even if the target is not visible to the attacking model. These attacks can destroy enemy models in a target unit even though none may have been visible to the attacking unit when you selected that target.If no models in a target unit are visible to the attacking unit when you select that target, then each time a model in the attacking unit makes an attack against that target using an Indirect Fire weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s Hit roll an unmodified Hit roll of 1-3 always fails, and the target has the Benefit of Cover against that attack.
- Can target and make attacks against units that are not visible to the attacking unit.
- If no models are visible in a target unit when it is selected, then when making an attack against that target with an Indirect Fire weapon, subtract 1 from that attack’s Hit roll, an unmodified Hit roll of 1-3 always fails, and the target has the Benefit of Cover against that attack.
Some weapons are designed to root enemy formations out of entrenched positions.
Weapons with [IGNORES COVER] in their profile are known as Ignores Cover weapons. Each time an attack is made with such a weapon, the target cannot have the Benefit of Cover against that attack.