What changed for Emperor’s Children in 11th edition
11th edition was a mixed pass for the Emperor's Children. The Defiler and the big Slaanesh centrepieces — the Keeper of Secrets and Fulgrim himself — all climbed in points, while the Heldrake, Lucius the Eternal and the Daemon Princes came down. Three brand-new characters joined the roster on top of that, so if you played the perfect legion in 10th your models still do their job — the maths around them just shifted in both directions.
Summary
- 14 units repriced, 3 new, 9 unchanged
- Biggest drop: Lucius the Eternal (-30)
- Biggest rise: Defiler (+50)
- Detachment Points: 2 / 3 / 4 at Incursion / Strike Force / Onslaught
Detachments
The structural change to relearn is Detachment Points. Detachments are no longer free: each one now costs points out of your army total, scaling with game size — 2 at Incursion, 3 at Strike Force, 4 at Onslaught. That's a fresh budgeting decision layered on top of your unit picks, and it's the single biggest habit to unlearn from 10th. For the Emperor's Children three new detachments arrive — Elegant Brutes, Frenzied Host, and Spectacle of Slaughter — alongside the returning 10th-edition detachments, with none removed; the DP overhead is new on top.
New in 11th: Elegant Brutes, Frenzied Host, Spectacle of Slaughter. None removed.
| Detachment | DP | |
|---|---|---|
| Slaanesh's Chosen | 2 | |
| Peerless Bladesmen | 2 | |
| Rapid Evisceration | 2 | |
| Coterie of the Conceited | 3 | |
| Mercurial Host | 2 | |
| Carnival of Excess | 2 | |
| Court of the Phoenician | 2 | |
| Elegant Brutes | 1 | New in 11th |
| Frenzied Host | 1 | New in 11th |
| Spectacle of Slaughter | 1 | New in 11th |
Points changes
On the units, the movement runs both ways: 11 datasheets were repriced — three up, seven down — with 12 left untouched and three new characters added. The clearest rise is the Defiler, up a hefty 40 points. Against that, the drops are the story for most lists: the Heldrake and Lucius the Eternal each came down 20, the Daemon Prince of Slaanesh and its winged version dropped 10 apiece, and Fiends shed 5 a unit. Some picks are priced per squad size, so check the tier you actually field.
| Unit | Role | 10th | 11th | Δ | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defiler | Vehicles | 250 | 300 | +50 | |
| Lucius the Eternal | Characters | 150 | 120 | -30 | |
| Shalaxi Helbane | Characters | 340 | 315 | -25 | |
| Heldrake | Vehicles | 195 | 175 | -20 | |
| Keeper of Secrets | Characters | 240 | 255 | +15 | |
| Chaos Rhino | Transports | 80 | 70 | -10 | |
| Daemon Prince of Slaanesh | Characters | 180 | 170 | -10 | |
| Daemon Prince of Slaanesh with Wings | Characters | 215 | 205 | -10 | |
| Maulerfiend | Vehicles | 130 | 120 | -10 | |
| Fiends | Mounted & Beasts | 3: 95 6: 190 | 3: 90 4: 180 | -5 -10 | |
| Flawless Blades | Infantry | 3: 100 6: 200 | 3: 95 4: 190 | -5 -10 | |
| Sorcerer | Characters | 60 | 55 | -5 | |
| Tormentors | Battleline | 5: 85 10: 160 | 5: 80 6: 160 | -5 0 | |
| Seekers | Mounted & Beasts | 5: 80 10: 160 | 5: 80 6: 155 | 0 -5 | |
| Champion of Excess | Characters | — | 80 | — | New in 11th |
| Excruciator | Characters | — | 60 | — | New in 11th |
| Flawless Champion | Characters | — | 100 | — | New in 11th |
| Chaos Land Raider | Vehicles | 220 | 220 | — | |
| Chaos Spawn | Mounted & Beasts | 70 | 70 | — | |
| Chaos Terminators | Infantry | 145 | 5: 145 6: 360 | — | |
| Daemonettes | Battleline | 90 | 90 | — | |
| Fulgrim | Characters | 340 | 340 | — | |
| Infractors | Battleline | 5: 85 10: 160 | 5: 85 6: 160 | — | |
| Lord Exultant | Characters | 80 | 80 | — | |
| Lord Kakophonist | Characters | 70 | 70 | — | |
| Noise Marines | Infantry | 145 | 145 | — |
Biggest increases
Are Defiler still worth it?
The single biggest increase in the faction, up 40 points. That's a serious tax, and it lands on a heavy centrepiece rather than a filler unit — the kind of model you buy because you want that silhouette stomping across the table. If it earned a slot in your 10th-edition lists it can still hold one, but at this price it needs to be pulling real weight, not just soaking up spare points.
Are Keeper of Secrets still worth it?
Up 15 points, a middling bump on one of the army's marquee daemon profiles. This has always been a statement pick you field for its presence and threat rather than for efficiency, so the extra cost won't be what makes or breaks it. If the Keeper was already your anchor, keep it; if it was a maybe, the higher price is a reason to look twice.
Frequently asked questions
Did the Emperor's Children get better in 11th edition?
It's a genuine mixed bag. A handful of key pieces — chiefly the Defiler and the two big Slaanesh centrepieces — got more expensive, but more of the roster came down than went up, and staples like the Heldrake, Lucius and the Daemon Princes are all cheaper. Whether that nets out as stronger depends on which units your lists lean on, but most collections can field a little more than they could at the end of 10th.
What got cheaper for Emperor's Children in 11th edition?
Several of the legion's workhorses dropped. The Heldrake and Lucius the Eternal each fell 20 points, the Daemon Prince of Slaanesh and the Daemon Prince of Slaanesh with Wings came down 10 apiece, and Fiends lost 5 a unit. If those pieces were already in your lists, they now leave you room for more.
How do Detachment Points work for Emperor's Children in 11th edition?
Detachment Points are a new 11th-edition layer: your chosen detachment costs points out of your army total, scaling with game size — 2 at Incursion, 3 at Strike Force, and 4 at Onslaught. Every Emperor's Children detachment pays the same rate, so it's a flat overhead you budget for before you pick a single unit.
Why did the Defiler jump so much in 11th edition?
The Defiler's 40-point rise is the largest single change in the faction, and it reflects a centrepiece being re-costed rather than any list quirk. Alongside it, three new characters — the Champion of Excess, the Excruciator and the Flawless Champion — join the roster with no 10th-edition equivalent, giving the legion fresh support options to build around even as the big engine gets pricier.
Is now a good time to start an Emperor's Children army?
It's a fair moment to jump in. The centrepieces cost a bit more, but many of the units you'll actually spam are cheaper, and the range is stable with three new characters to play with. If the perfect legion has been tempting you, the 11th-edition points make a first force easy to plan toward — see the Starting an Emperor's Children Army guide for a buying order.