RULES / POINTS VERSION:

10th Edition, 2025 – 2026 Chapter Approved

September 2025 Balanced Dataslate and MFM Points Update

MATCHUP:

Faction: Emperor’s Children

Detachment: Coterie of the Conceited

VS

Faction: Blood Angels

Detachment: Angelic Inheritors

MISSION:

Primary: Purge the Foe

Terrain: GW Terrain Layout 1

Deployment: Hammer & Anvil

RESULT:

98 – 42 Win for EC

OVERALL TAKEAWAYS:

• Overall game
  • This game was over by the middle of Round 2 and was nowhere near as close as the score would indicate
  • Spoiler alert for an upcoming project, but Emperor’s Children is easily my favorite army to play.  The play style, and especially the added rules to buff your army via predicting your kills in Coterie, fit me like a glove and everything feels natural.
  • This might bear talking through with Steve, but I am starting to hypothesize that EC, and especially EC Coterie, is an Aggressive Hitter that specializes in blowing out other Hitter army types.  It can get “stat checked” by blocker type armies, but has blown the doors off of any Hitter-type army (Aeldari, CSM, BA, Space Marines) that I have played it into.  I’ll have to keep working on why, but I suspect it may be because it is faster than most of those armies, hits as hard (or harder) than they do, and is willing to tolerate negative trades to advance its Coterie kill count in order to get massive late game buffs.
  • The only reason this game was not a perfect 100 points for EC is because I had tabled BA by Round 3 and therefore did not maximize primary points.
• EC
  • EC Coterie almost reminds me of T’au Kauyon in that it has a very clear and specific win condition that immediately puts your opponent in a mental bind.  The bind is:
    • Screen me out like you would any other uber aggressive army and EC will happily pick off your screens and action units to charge up their Coterie buffs.  
    • Sit back to deny me early kills and therefore try to deny me an army rule and I will stage Round 1 before rushing and jailing you Round 2 (this is what happened in this game)
    • Come out aggressively to engage me before I get to you and I will thank you for the free buffs as I trade what normally would be high value trading units like Noise Marines for Coterie points to buff up my army.
  • During deployment, I was actually pretty worried about the BA’s ranged shooting and focused on hiding a lot of my units.  Specifically, I wanted to keep my Winged Daemon Princes (WDP) hidden as my focus for this game was to play them less aggressively than I usually do, as I have heard they get terrifying if you can buff them with rerolls and Sustained/Lethal in melee.
  • EC got first turn and I used my massive mobility advantage to stage almost my entire army up behind the two line of sight blocking, L shaped pieces of terrain in the center of the board.  The only exceptions were a Rhino and a unit of Noise Marines that combined to shoot The Sanguinor to death and a squad of Infractors + Lord Exultant who Cleansed a side objective.
  • I was able to weather the BA’s turn surprisingly well, suffering only losses to both of my Rhinos and 1 model each to 2 of my Infractor units.  This positioned me well for a massive Round 2 “Go Turn” and I bet the house by predicting 3 kills for my Coterie buffs, which would get me to the 2nd tier and within range of the 3rd tier by using the Unbound Arrogance stratagem to increase my prediction by 1.
  • I then swung for the fences and ended up connecting with pretty much everything.  Sequencing during the movement, shooting, and charge phases proved to be the key hear.  EC can be complicated and I had to ensure I was very deliberate about which units I was moving and which I was advancing so that I could line up all of my shots and charges into appropriate targets.  I also was able to use charge phase sequencing to bait out a BA heroic intervention of Dante + Sanguinary Guard into Lucius so that I could then charge Dante with an Infractor + Lord Exultant squad.
  • The end result was EC killing over 1,000 points of the BA army and racking up 6 total unit kills, while also maximizing Secondaries thanks to Assignation and Overwhelming Force.  That broke BA’s back and essentially ended the game. 
  • Key Combos:
    • WDP + Pledge of Mortal Pain – Being able to get within 12 inches of a unit (easy in EC) and then point at it and make it take a batle shock test at -2 before taking 3 mortal wounds is a greater finishing move so that you can charge something else.
    • WDP + Pledge of Eternal Fortitude to stand back up again if you pass a battle shock test is beyond annoying on what is probably EC’s best unit.
    • Rapid Ingress on a WDP.  They move 14 inches and can Advance Shoot & Charge.  That is horrifying on a Rapid Ingressing WDP and basically guarantees that you will lose your home objective by Round 3.
  • Key Stratagems
    • Unshakeable Opponents – Ignores modifiers to hit or wound rolls plus BS or WS.  This was great when targeting Sanitary Guard.
    • Unbound Arrogance – This is a “must use” as it allows you to be conservative with your bets and then still gain a bonus if you exceed the bet #.
    • Martial Protection – Full hit rerolls in melee is great in the early game to start racking up kills.  Its especially great with Infractors + Lord Exultant to preroll all hits and wounds vs targets on objectives.  It also lets you fish for Lethal Hits thanks to the Lord.
    • Armor of Abhorrence – Essentially Armour of Contempt for EC to reduce incoming AP by 1 and it is just as good here as it is for Space Marines.  Using this was clutch in Round 1 to keep most of my heavy hitters intact for the Round 2 “Go Turn”.
• BA
  • Going into the game, I thought this was going to be a pretty even matchup.  I figured the BA Angelic Inheritors detachment ability to reroll hit and wound rolls of 1 with character units and to fall back shoot and charge with character units would roughly counter EC’s normal advantages.  I also was banking on BA’s access to Fights First as a good counter to EC\s aggressive play style.  Turns out I was wrong……way wrong. 
  • My game plan was to try to use my Lone Operatives (The Sanguinor, Mephiston, and Combi-Weapon Lieutenant) to bait the EC out of their deployment zone.  The goal was to draw them in so that I could shoot them with my Gladiator Lancer, Intercessors, and Devastators before charging them with the Sanguinary Guard + Dante and Bladeguard + Judiciar.  Lastly, I could then Deep Strike or Rapid Ingress or both, the 2 other squads of Sanguinary Guard and the Inceptors into EC’s backfield to catch them in a pseudo |hammer and anvil”.
  • Turns out the game plan was decent so long as you stay within the margin for error.  In this case, that margin error meant that I had exactly 1 turn to shoot some EC units to death and connect on crucial charges before getting swamped.  I was able to get both Rhinos for No Prisoners and Bring It Down, but whiffed hard on the Intercessor shooting (only 2 dead models) and failed both charges.  This led to EC swamping BA in Round 2 (see above).
  • I was able to score another ~20 points by bringing in my Deep Strikes to do actions and pick off the occasional EC unit in Rounds 2 and 3, but by then the game was a blowout. 
  • Key Combos:
    • Combi-weapon Lieutenant + Ordained Sacrifice.  This guy is such a pain in the rear to catch and kill.  Between his Lone Op ability, reactive 6 inch move, 5+ Feel No Pain, and then the enhancement to let him stand back up on a 2+, he is a great unit to deploy near the board center as bait to get you opponent to come out into charge range.
    • Prescient Flash + Judiciar + Bladeguard Veterans – Against almost any other opponent, Scout moving 6 inches on a Fights First unit with a 4+ invulnerable save is great.  Unfortunately, EC has Noise Marines.
    • Librarian + Devastator Squad + In The Shadow of great Wings stratagem (gives the unit 18 inch Lone Op) + Strike Now for Glory (gives the Unit Sustained Hits in shooting).  Against most opponents, this combo is devastating (pun intended) as it allows you to spam Lascannon shots with Sustained on a unit that essentially can’t be shot back.  Unfortunately, EC wants to get within 18 inches and Sustained Hits on Lascannons is massive overkill into Rhinos.
  • Key Stratagems
    • Unto the Burning Skies – This stratagem allows you to “puppy downy” one unit at the end of your opponent’s Fight phase.  That is awesome and normally something you would spam every turn, especially because it allows you to pick up The Sanguinor Round 1 and then hold him in Deep Strike past Round 3 since he started the game on the board.

WHAT I WOULD CHANGE NEXT TIME:

• EC
  • Not much.  For some reason, this list and detachment just jive with me.  
• BA
  • I have to think on this one.  I could have deployed more conservatively, but I’m not sure it changes anything.  In some ways, this almost felt like a hard counter against BA.

EARNED HIMSELF A NAME:Too many to count.  Literally the entire EC army was savage in this game.

MAGNUS OF THE GAME: The Sanguinor.  What a difference deploying 1.5 inches too aggressively made as it put him in range of a squad of Noise Marines.

LISTS:

Emperor’s Children

Coterie of the Conceited

Strike Force (2,000 Points)

CHARACTERS

Daemon Prince of Slaanesh with Wings (225 Points)

  • 1x Hellforged weapons

  • 1x Infernal cannon

  • Enhancements: Pledge to Eternal Servitude

Daemon Prince of Slaanesh with Wings (215 Points)

  • 1x Hellforged weapons

  • 1x Infernal cannon

  • Enhancements: Pledge of Mortal Pain

Daemon Prince of Slaanesh with Wings (230 Points)

  • 1x Hellforged weapons

  • 1x Infernal cannon

  • Enhancements: Pledge of Unholy Fortune

Lord Exultant (80 Points)

  • 1x Bolt Pistol

  • 1x Close combat weapon

  • 1x Phoenix power spear

  • 1x Power fist

Lord Exultant (80 Points)

  • 1x Bolt Pistol

  • 1x Close combat weapon

  • 1x Phoenix power spear

  • 1x Power fist

Lord Exultant (80 Points)

  • 1x Bolt Pistol

  • 1x Close combat weapon

  • 1x Phoenix power spear

  • 1x Power fist

Lucius the Eternal (150 Points)

  • Warlord

  • 1x Blade of the Laer

  • 1x Lash of Torment

BATTLELINE

Infractors (85 Points)

  • 1x Obsessionist

     ◦ 1x Plasma pistol

     ◦ 1x Power sword

  • 4x Infractor

     ◦ 4x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 4x Duelling sabre

     ◦ 1x Icon of Excess

Infractors (85 Points)

  • 1x Obsessionist

     ◦ 1x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 1x Power sword

  • 4x Infractor

     ◦ 4x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 4x Duelling sabre

Infractors (85 Points)

  • 1x Obsessionist

     ◦ 1x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 1x Power sword

  • 4x Infractor

     ◦ 4x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 4x Duelling sabre

Tormentors (85 Points)

  • 1x Obsessionist

     ◦ 1x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 1x Power sword

  • 4x Tormentor

     ◦ 2x Boltgun

     ◦ 4x Close combat weapon

     ◦ 1x Icon of Excess

     ◦ 1x Meltagun

     ◦ 1x Plasma gun

DEDICATED TRANSPORTS

Chaos Rhino (80 Points)

  • 1x Armoured tracks

  • 1x Combi-bolter

  • 1x Combi-bolter

  • 1x Havoc launcher

Chaos Rhino (80 Points)

  • 1x Armoured tracks

  • 1x Combi-bolter

  • 1x Combi-bolter

  • 1x Havoc launcher

OTHER DATASHEETS

Noise Marines (145 Points)

  • 1x Disharmonist

     ◦ 1x Close combat weapon

     ◦ 1x Sonic blaster

  • 5x Noise Marine

     ◦ 2x Blastmaster

     ◦ 5x Close combat weapon

     ◦ 3x Sonic blaster

Noise Marines (145 Points)

  • 1x Disharmonist

     ◦ 1x Close combat weapon

     ◦ 1x Sonic blaster

  • 5x Noise Marine

     ◦ 2x Blastmaster

     ◦ 5x Close combat weapon

     ◦ 3x Sonic blaster

Noise Marines (145 Points)

  • 1x Disharmonist

     ◦ 1x Close combat weapon

     ◦ 1x Sonic blaster

  • 5x Noise Marine

     ◦ 2x Blastmaster

     ◦ 5x Close combat weapon

     ◦ 3x Sonic blaster

Space Marines

Blood Angels

Angelic Inheritors

Strike Force (2,000 Points)

CHARACTERS

Captain with Jump Pack (75 Points)

  • 1x Hand flamer

  • 1x Power fist

Captain with Jump Pack (90 Points)

  • 1x Hand flamer

  • 1x Power fist

  • Enhancements: Troubling Visions

Chief Librarian Mephiston (120 Points)

  • 1x Fury of the Ancients

  • 1x Plasma pistol

  • 1x Vitarus

Commander Dante (120 Points)

  • Warlord

  • 1x Perdition Pistol

  • 1x The Axe Mortalis

Judiciar (90 Points)

  • 1x Absolvor bolt pistol

  • 1x Executioner relic blade

  • Enhancements: Prescient Flash

Librarian (65 Points)

  • 1x Bolt pistol

  • 1x Force weapon

  • 1x Smite

Lieutenant with Combi-weapon (95 Points)

  • 1x Combi-weapon

  • 1x Paired combat blades

  • Enhancements: Ordained Sacrifice

The Sanguinor (140 Points)

  • 1x Encarmine broadsword

BATTLELINE

Intercessor Squad (80 Points)

  • 1x Intercessor Sergeant

     ◦ 1x Astartes grenade launcher

     ◦ 1x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 1x Bolt rifle

     ◦ 1x Power fist

  • 4x Intercessor

     ◦ 4x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 4x Bolt rifle

     ◦ 4x Close combat weapon

Intercessor Squad (80 Points)

  • 1x Intercessor Sergeant

     ◦ 1x Astartes grenade launcher

     ◦ 1x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 1x Bolt rifle

     ◦ 1x Power fist

  • 4x Intercessor

     ◦ 4x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 4x Bolt rifle

     ◦ 4x Close combat weapon

OTHER DATASHEETS

Bladeguard Veteran Squad (80 Points)

  • 1x Bladeguard Veteran Sergeant

     ◦ 1x Heavy bolt pistol

     ◦ 1x Master-crafted power weapon

  • 2x Bladeguard Veteran

     ◦ 2x Heavy bolt pistol

     ◦ 2x Master-crafted power weapon

Devastator Squad (120 Points)

  • 1x Devastator Sergeant

     ◦ 1x Close combat weapon

     ◦ 1x Plasma pistol

     ◦ 1x Power fist

  • 4x Devastator

     ◦ 4x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 4x Close combat weapon

     ◦ 4x Lascannon

Gladiator Lancer (160 Points)

  • 1x Armoured hull

  • 1x Icarus rocket pod

  • 1x Ironhail heavy stubber

  • 1x Lancer laser destroyer

  • 2x Storm bolter

Inceptor Squad (120 Points)

  • 1x Inceptor Sergeant

     ◦ 1x Assault bolters

     ◦ 1x Close combat weapon

  • 2x Inceptor

     ◦ 2x Assault bolters

     ◦ 2x Close combat weapon

Infiltrator Squad (100 Points)

  • 1x Infiltrator Sergeant

     ◦ 1x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 1x Close combat weapon

     ◦ 1x Marksman bolt carbine

  • 4x Infiltrator

     ◦ 4x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 4x Close combat weapon

     ◦ 4x Marksman bolt carbine

Sanguinary Guard (125 Points)

  • 3x Sanguinary Guard

     ◦ 2x Angelus boltgun

     ◦ 3x Encarmine blade

     ◦ 1x Inferno pistol

     ◦ 1x Sanguinary Banner

Sanguinary Guard (125 Points)

  • 3x Sanguinary Guard

     ◦ 2x Angelus boltgun

     ◦ 3x Encarmine blade

     ◦ 1x Inferno pistol

     ◦ 1x Sanguinary Banner

Sanguinary Guard (125 Points)

  • 3x Sanguinary Guard

     ◦ 2x Angelus boltgun

     ◦ 3x Encarmine blade

     ◦ 1x Inferno pistol

     ◦ 1x Sanguinary Banner

Scout Squad (70 Points)

  • 1x Scout Sergeant

     ◦ 1x Astartes chainsword

     ◦ 1x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 1x Close combat weapon

  • 4x Scout

     ◦ 4x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 4x Boltgun

     ◦ 4x Close combat weapon