What changed for Thousand Sons in 11th edition
11th edition gave the Thousand Sons a gentle nudge upward across their elite core rather than a sweeping overhaul. The Defiler, Magnus the Red and the Lord of Change all climbed, and the sorcerer characters that hold the army together crept up a few points each, while the Heldrake fell sharply and four new units joined the roster. If you played the Sons in 10th, the shape of your collection is intact. The bill moved.
Summary
- 22 units repriced, 5 new, 12 unchanged
- Biggest drop: Heldrake (-40)
- Biggest rise: Defiler (+50)
- Detachment Points: 2 / 3 / 3 at Incursion / Strike Force / Onslaught
Detachments
Three detachments are new for the Thousand Sons, Ritual of Regeneration, Sekhetar Cohort and Servants of Change, and every option you know from 10th carries over with none removed. Each of them now has a price. Detachment Points are taken from the army total before you buy units, 2 at Incursion, 3 at Strike Force and 4 at Onslaught, at one rate for the whole shelf. On a roster where the sorcerers rose 5 to 10 each, the fee sits in the same range as one of those bumps.
New in 11th: Ritual of Regeneration, Sekhetar Cohort, Servants of Change. None removed.
| Detachment | DP | |
|---|---|---|
| Hexwarp Thrallband | 3 | |
| Grand Coven | 3 | |
| Changehost of Deceit | 2 | |
| Warpmeld Pact | 2 | |
| Rubricae Phalanx | 3 | |
| Warpforged Cabal | 2 | |
| Ritual of Regeneration | 1 | New in 11th |
| Sekhetar Cohort | 1 | New in 11th |
| Servants of Change | 1 | New in 11th |
Points changes
Twelve datasheets were repriced, eight up and three down, alongside four new entries. The two headline rises land on centrepieces: the Defiler jumped 250 to 290 (+40) and Magnus the Red went 435 to 455 (+20). Balancing them, the Heldrake dropped hard, 215 to 175 (-40). Elsewhere the increases are modest overhead on characters and staple squads. A few units are priced per model count, so cost the exact size you field.
| Unit | Role | 10th | 11th | Δ | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defiler | Vehicles | 250 | 300 | +50 | |
| Heldrake | Vehicles | 215 | 175 | -40 | |
| Lord of Change | Characters | 285 | 320 | +35 | |
| Sorcerer in Terminator Armour | Characters | 85 | 110 | +25 | |
| Exalted Sorcerer | Characters | 80 | 100 | +20 | |
| Magnus the Red | Characters | 435 | 455 | +20 | |
| Scarab Occult Terminators | Infantry | 5: 180 10: 360 | 5: 200 6: 425 | +20 +65 | |
| Sorcerer | Characters | 80 | 100 | +20 | |
| Rubric Marines | Battleline | 5: 100 10: 190 | 5: 115 6: 210 | +15 +20 | |
| Chaos Predator Annihilator | Vehicles | 130 | 140 | +10 | |
| Chaos Predator Destructor | Vehicles | 130 | 140 | +10 | |
| Chaos Rhino | Transports | 90 | 80 | -10 | |
| Daemon Prince of Tzeentch | Characters | 180 | 170 | -10 | |
| Infernal Master | Characters | 95 | 105 | +10 | |
| Kairos Fateweaver | Characters | 295 | 305 | +10 | |
| Ahriman | Characters | 100 | 105 | +5 | |
| Exalted Sorcerer on Disc of Tzeentch | Characters | 100 | 95 | -5 | |
| Forgefiend | Vehicles | 130 | 135 | +5 | |
| Sekhetar Robots | Vehicles | 2: 80 4: 160 | 2: 85 3: 175 | +5 +15 | |
| Tzaangor Enlightened | Mounted & Beasts | 3: 45 6: 90 | 3: 50 4: 90 | +5 0 | |
| Tzaangor Shaman | Characters | 60 | 65 | +5 | |
| Tzaangors | Infantry | 10: 70 20: 160 | 10: 75 11: 145 | +5 -15 | |
| Brayherd Chieftain | Characters | — | 60 | — | New in 11th |
| Brayherd Shaman | Characters | — | 60 | — | New in 11th |
| Chaos Spawn (Flesh Change) | Mounted & Beasts | — | 65 | — | New in 11th |
| Hellblade | Vehicles | — | 115 | — | New in 11th |
| Magister | Characters | — | 105 | — | New in 11th |
| Blue Horrors | Battleline | 90 | 90 | — | |
| Chaos Land Raider | Vehicles | 220 | 220 | — | |
| Chaos Spawn | Mounted & Beasts | 65 | 65 | — | |
| Chaos Vindicator | Vehicles | 185 | 185 | — | |
| Daemon Prince of Tzeentch with wings | Characters | 170 | 170 | — | |
| Flamers | Infantry | 3: 65 6: 130 | 3: 65 4: 130 | — | |
| Helbrute | Vehicles | 110 | 110 | — | |
| Maulerfiend | Vehicles | 120 | 120 | — | |
| Mutalith Vortex Beast | Monsters | 170 | 170 | — | |
| Pink Horrors | Battleline | 115 | 115 | — | |
| Screamers | Mounted & Beasts | 3: 80 6: 160 | 3: 80 4: 160 | — | |
| Tzaangor Enlightened with Fatecaster greatbows | Mounted & Beasts | 3: 55 6: 110 | 3: 55 4: 110 | — |
Biggest increases
Are Defiler still worth it?
The steepest increase in the faction, up 40 points. That is a real tax, but it lands on a heavy, board-controlling walker that you take for presence rather than efficiency. If it anchored your 10th-edition lists, the extra 40 is a cost you absorb rather than a dealbreaker. If it was only ever a points-filler, this is the prompt to reconsider what it is crowding out.
Are Lord of Change still worth it?
A 15-point rise on an already-premium Greater Daemon. It remains a flexible, high-impact pick, and 15 points is a real but manageable bump for what it brings to the table. Take it because you want a towering psychic threat with reach across the board. The new price nudges the decision without settling it.
Are Sorcerer in Terminator Armour still worth it?
Up 25 points in 11th: 110 now, 85 in 10th.
Frequently asked questions
Did the Thousand Sons get better in 11th edition?
On points, no. Eight rises against three drops is inflation, and it falls on the pieces most lists carry: the three sorcerers alone add 25 between them. The Heldrake's 40-point cut covers that and more, so a list with a Heldrake and the three sorcerers is 15 cheaper, while one with Magnus and a Defiler on top pays 45 more. The four new units widen your options either way.
What changed for Thousand Sons sorcerers in 11th edition?
The character core crept up. The Exalted Sorcerer rose 80 to 90, the Sorcerer in Terminator Armour 85 to 95, and the plain Sorcerer 80 to 85, small taxes that add up across a support-heavy list. The exception rides a mount: the Exalted Sorcerer on Disc of Tzeentch came down, 100 to 90 (-10), which makes the mobile caster the relative value pick of the group and prices it level with the one on foot.
Why did the Heldrake get so much cheaper in 11th edition?
The Heldrake is the faction's biggest drop, down 40 points from 215 to 175. A cut that size usually marks a unit that was overpriced for its output at the end of 10th, and it makes the flyer a far easier include now. Four new units broaden the roster alongside it: the Brayherd Chieftain (60), Brayherd Shaman (60), Chaos Spawn (Flesh Change) (65) and Magister (105), none of which had a 10th-edition sheet.
Is now a good time to start a Thousand Sons army?
A reasonable one. The changes were gentle, the range is stable, and the Heldrake plus four new units give you fresh, well-priced places to start. The centrepiece rises are the main thing to plan around, but they land on models you would buy for the drama anyway, and a first list can leave Magnus for later. The Starting a Thousand Sons Army guide has a buying order.