The Warhammer Community team put The Maelstrom’s custom character rules to the test

As a Deathwing Champion, my character would wield a Halberd of Caliban, so I grabbed one from the old Deathwing Command Squad that I had in my bits box. I used the head from that, but the haft was taken from a Grey Knight Terminator to allow it to be held one-handed in a sweeping gesture.

In terms of the rules, I had to choose the Terminator Armour Specialism to give him the appropriate profile, and I opted for the Tactical Precision ability to help boost his unit as he leads them into the fray. His halberd fits perfectly as a Great weapon of the Unforgiven. There were lots of ranged weapons I could have given him, but the classic Deathwing Champion model didn’t have a gun and I preferred the model to be pointing out his next target. He’ll just have to rely on his battle brethren to take care of the shooty side of things until I can convert a Watcher in the Dark to carry a plasma talon for him (yep, plasma talons are a gun option for Dark Angels characters!).

All that remained was to give him a name from one of the old Codex: Dark Angels name generators and invent a fancy title, and I had Zerachiel, Champion of the Deathwing, the Heir of Corswain.***

More and more custom characters are cropping up in Warhammer Community Towers every day, from Genestealer Cults psykers on dirt bikes and Khornate Jakhal champions to flying Drukhari Haemonculi and Librarian Dreadnoughts from the vaults of Baal. We’re looking forward to seeing what you come up with, so make sure to pre-order The Maelstrom: Lair of the Tyrant on Saturday and let your creativity flow!

* Yes, I could have just built a Scout Sentinel and left the roof out entirely, but I pictured him as more of a ‘front line brawler’ kind of guy.

** He thinks his epithet is regal, but really it’s his Crypteks mocking him for being stuck on his ‘throne’.

*** Before anyone starts thinking this is new official Warhammer lore – it’s just my army’s lore. These rules are for creating your own characters to lead your own forces, after all! Give your own champions whatever names you’d like.