What changed for World Eaters in 11th edition

11th edition handed the World Eaters a mixed report card. The Defiler and the big Khorne characters — the Bloodthirster and Khârn himself — all climbed in points, while workhorses like the Heldrake, the Bloodcrushers and the twin Chaos Predators came down. Three brand-new characters joined the roster too, so there's more to choose from than the raw price shuffle suggests. If you played the Blood God in 10th, your collection still works — but the maths around it has shifted in both directions.

Summary

• 20 units repriced, 4 new, 9 unchanged
• Biggest drop: Forgefiend (-25)
• Biggest rise: Defiler (+20)
• Detachment Points: 2 / 3 / 4 at Incursion / Strike Force / Onslaught

Detachments

The headline mechanical change 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 real budgeting decision on top of your unit choices, and it's the single biggest thing to relearn coming from 10th. For the World Eaters two new detachments join the line-up — Brazen Engines and Butchers of Khorne — while every 10th-edition detachment carries straight over and none were removed. The only genuinely new consideration is the DP overhead you now pay before you start picking units.

New in 11th: Brazen Engines, Butchers of Khorne. None removed.

Points changes

Of the 32 datasheets, 14 were repriced — 6 up and 7 down — while 15 held steady and 3 are entirely new. The most eye-catching rise is the Defiler at +20 (250 to 270), a real tax on a centrepiece walker. Balancing that, several staples got cheaper: the Heldrake dropped a full 25 points (200 to 175), and Bloodcrushers came down 15 (110 to 95 for three). A couple of the big daemon engines and characters crept up while the rank-and-file support got more affordable. Note that some units are priced per squad size, so check the tier you actually field.

Biggest increases

Are Defiler still worth it?

The single biggest increase in the faction, up 20 points. That's a genuine tax on an already expensive walker, and it forces a real question about whether it earns its slot over cheaper armour like the newly-discounted Predators. If the Defiler was a fixture in your 10th-edition lists for its presence and threat, the extra 20 won't push it out — but if it was only there to soak points, this is the nudge to reconsider.

Are Bloodthirster still worth it?

Up 15 points, which lands on one of the army's signature centrepiece profiles. This is a model you buy because you want a Greater Daemon towering over the table, not because the points demand it — and at that altitude, 15 is a surcharge rather than a dealbreaker. If it anchored your list before, it still will; if you were flirting with it, the price is now a touch steeper to justify.

Are Khârn the Betrayer still worth it?

Up 15 points, from 100 to 115 — a meaningful bump on a character who was already a near-auto-include. Khârn remains the definitive World Eaters hero, and 15 points doesn't change what he does or how central he is to the army's identity. It stings a little on the budget, but he's the kind of pick you build around rather than cut, so most lists will simply pay it.

Frequently asked questions

Did the World Eaters get better in 11th edition?

It's genuinely mixed. Several everyday units — the Heldrake, Bloodcrushers and both Chaos Predators — got cheaper, which helps you field more armour and bodies, but the Defiler and the marquee Khorne characters all went up, so the top end costs more. Add the new Detachment Points overhead and the net effect depends heavily on which units your list leans on. On balance the faction came out of the transition roughly level, with the value shifting toward mid-cost staples.

What got cheaper for World Eaters in 11th edition?

Five units led the drops: the Heldrake (200 to 175, a 25-point cut), Bloodcrushers (110 to 95 for three), the Chaos Predator Annihilator and Chaos Predator Destructor (both 145 to 135), and the Daemon Prince of Khorne with wings (180 to 170). That's a clear steer toward heavier armour and daemonic cavalry, all of which now slot into a list more easily than they did at the end of 10th.

How do Detachment Points work for World Eaters in 11th edition?

Detachment Points are a new 11th-edition layer: your chosen detachment now costs points out of your army total, scaling with game size — 2 at Incursion, 3 at Strike Force, and 4 at Onslaught. The World Eaters gained two new detachments this edition, but every detachment pays the same rate, so it stays a flat overhead you budget for before picking a single unit.

Why did Khârn and the Bloodthirster go up while three new characters arrived?

The rises on Khârn (+15) and the Bloodthirster (+15) reflect their status as army-defining picks that rarely left a list — a small correction on units that were arguably underpriced for their pull. Alongside that, the roster gained three fresh characters with no 10th-edition equivalent: the Bloodcult Champion at 60, the Butcherlord at 90 and the Eight-blessed Lord at 90. They give the faction cheaper-to-mid HQ options to spread points across, softening the sting of the increases at the top.

Is now a good time to start a World Eaters army?

It's a reasonable moment. The core armour and cavalry got cheaper, the range is stable with nothing removed, and the all-out melee playstyle is one of the most straightforward to learn in the game. The three new characters also give a fresh army more ways to build. If the Blood God has been calling, the 11th-edition points make a starter force easier to plan — see the Starting a World Eaters Army guide for a buying order.