The Chaos Lieutenant returns!

Later this week, once I've had time to give it a proper read through, I'll probably do a deep dive on the new Chaos Space Marines codex. For now, though, I want to focus in one thing, one little thing, that pleases me enormously about this latest iteration of the Heretic Astartes:

The Exalted Champion or, as we knew them in the third edition, the Chaos Lieutenant has returned.

I'm an old-fashioned sort who was brought up on Eighties cartoons and a truth I hold to be self-evident is that every great villain needs his scheming, treacherous minion-in-chief. Every Megatron needs his Starscream and so, in the old days, the Chaos Lord had his Chaos Lieutenant. I remember fondly a White Dwarf article where Matt Hudson (I think) started collecting an Iron Warriors army and went to great lengths writing a backstory for his Chaos Lord and Lieutenant including the reasons why the one was constantly plotting against the other.

Sadly, the idea didn't last. The character class disappeared in the fourth edition and was never heard of again until we got the Aspiring Champion model (but not rules) in sixth. Now, the character class is back in full force with rules and stats and a model and everything.

Its also, frankly, a good way to give people a cheap second HQ choice now two are compulsory for the bog standard force organisation chart. He's a solidly average character, in fact he's pretty much an Aspiring Champion from the bog standard Chais Space Marine squad with +1 WS and four wounds. His main benefit is a 6” AOE that allows your units to re-roll failed wound roles in the Fight phase (plus the Champion can re-roll failed hit rolls against other characters).

Its not spectacular and but its nothing to sniff at. To be honest, the main fun of having the character is getting to write a Starscream-esque character in your background which is a benefit in and of itself.