Thousand Sons at Adepticon 2025: Have higher expectations!

Recently, we got a new Thousand Sons reveal at Adepticon 2025, and, well... it wasn’t what I was hoping for. Maybe there’s more to come, but I doubt it. While the new robots are cool—and I’m not knocking them per se—they highlight a recurring issue I’ve had with the last two Thousand Sons codexes. They feel less about the actual Thousand Sons and more like generic Chaos units painted blue or repurposed Tzeentch models that Games Workshop already produces.

For context, the only other units that have been announced for the Thousand Sons so far have been Tzeentch Deamons and I don't think we're getting new sculpts. If this is all we're getting, then my prediction earlier in the year was bang on.

So, in this blog, I want to walk you through what we have, what we could have, and ultimately find like-minded individuals who expect more for our blue and gold boys.

Addressing Common Counterarguments

Whenever I raise these concerns, some hobbyists push back with arguments like: “That’s not lore-accurate! They never had those before! Thousand Sons are meant to be one single unit option!”

To these people, I’d like to offer a bit of history. Back in the late '80s, the first Thousand Sons model was released. It was simply called Tzeentch Chaos Renegade with Bolter. This model became both an inspiration and a limitation, as for years, the entire range was based on it. Instead of expanding on the legion’s lore, stories retroactively explained this model and we ended up in a position in which the model inspired the lore, rather then the other way round. While this was fine to begin with, after 30 years, this has been a severe hinderance for the Legion.

In the Chaos Space Marine Codex (1999, Written by Jervis Johnson), we even saw conversions of Thousand Sons wielding bolt pistols, chainswords, and plasma guns. Clearly, there was a time when different wargear options were considered, but eventually, we got railroaded into the original model’s loadout.

It wasn’t until the 2018 Thousand Sons codex that we finally saw some variety, with Rubric Marines gaining Soulreaper Cannons and Warpflamers. If this kind of change was possible then, why should we accept the idea that further evolution isn’t possible now?

Slow and Purposeful? The Rubric Marines Debate

A frequent argument against Thousand Sons having additional unit types is that Rubric Marines are mindless, slow automatons. However, the Ahriman Omnibus describes them as fully capable warriors once awakened, retaining their combat skills and speed. Similarly, Space Marine 2 portrays them as swift and deadly, moving with the same grace and precision as any other Astartes.

If Games Workshop has declared that everything is canon now, then that includes how the Thousand Sons dart across the battlefield in Space Marine 2.

A Quick Disclaimer

I haven’t played since 6th Edition. Finding time for gaming in the evenings and keeping up with constant rule changes has been too much for me. So, my perspective comes from a thematic, narrative, and collecting standpoint rather than a competitive one.

What We Have

Sorcerers

We currently have a few flavours of Sorcerers, including Infernal Masters. I’d love to see more specialisation, reflecting the unique psychic disciplines of the legion before the Heresy—telepaths, clairvoyants, biomancers, and the Pyre, who focused on raw destruction.

Rubric Marines

The only troop choice for a pure Thousand Sons force. They do their job, and we at least have the option for full flamer squads. I wouldn’t push for major changes here—maybe a Kill Team boxset down the line.

Occult Terminators

They’re fine, but Space Marine 2 shows them as agile, deadly warriors. Why not give us a close-combat variant to reflect this?

What We Could Have (Lore-Friendly Expansions)

Heavy Weapon Squads

If Rubric Marines can wield Soulreaper cannons, there’s no reason they couldn’t use heavy bolters, lascannons, or missile launchers. This would provide much-needed anti-tank firepower and reinforce the army’s Slow and Purposeful identity. Pre-Heresy, these weapons were part of the legion’s arsenal, so why wouldn’t they still be available? By all accounts, time proceeds slower in the warp, so they should definitely still have lots of this wargear in their arsenal.

I've heard a counter argument that states that the Thousand Sons didn't make use of Devastator units pre-heresy, as they had psychic powers to rival these heavy weapons. While true, there's a section in A Thousand Sons, the Horus Heresy novel in which Ahriman is shocked to see his brothers use their powers so openly and in front of the Space Wolves when fighting Eldar Titans. That suggests that they did not use their psychic powers as frequently as some might believe and then would need heavy weapons like any other legion.

Dreadnoughts

What happened to the legion’s Dreadnoughts when the Rubric of Ahriman was cast? Wouldn’t the Marines inside be bound to their armour just like their power armoured brethren? A Rubric Dreadnought would be far more lore-friendly than the Helbrute. Plus, a Sorcerer Dreadnought would be an incredible addition, similar to the Librarian Dreadnoughts of the Space Marines.

Lesser Sorcerers

While Rubric Marines can be resurrected, the same cannot be said for Sorcerers, and while we might theorise the most powerful sorcerers have some sort of extra life contingency, how do the Thousand Sons replenish the ranks of their leaders? Claiming they don’t is such a dead end narratively. We could see an introduction of lesser sorcerers, turned Librarians seeking greater power or as I'll get on to in a second, restored but limited Geneseed.

Vehicle Upgrade Sprues

Thousand Sons have access to Rhinos, Land Raiders, Predators, and Vindicators, but Games Workshop hasn’t even painted a generic blue one for promotional images beside their "converted" Rhino. Seriously, look at the above. Paint job is neat and I'd be proud of the conversion in my teenage years, but as an official Rhino in the codex...

We need proper upgrade sprues with intricate detailing to match the rest of the army. All of my tanks feature 3rd party upgrades to make them more detailed and in keeping with the rest of the army. If you make them Games Workshop, I will buy them. Or give up and let us use 3rd party conversion parts in tournaments and the like. So long as the base model is Warhammer, what difference does it make to you if we’ve spend extra money converting them with parts you do not produce? 

Even Space Marine 2 took inspiration from 3rd party kits to spruce up their Rhino. Here's one of my Rhinos with 3rd party doors, the second image is from Space Marine 2 and the last is the artwork they commissioned in the 2018 codex. Now look back at the picture above.

However, to give GW credit, they at least painted one tank several years ago. The same cannot be said for the other vehicles mentioned.

Living Thousand Sons

In one of the books about Yvraine, she revives a squad of Thousand Sons in front of Ahirman, only to cast them into the warp with Ahirman chasing after them. Ahirman survived, so it’s possible the Marines did to. This would give the Thousand Sons some Geneseed back, along with whatever is left in the necks of the Sorcerers. Considering Games Workshop has written in the fall of Cadia and as galaxy spanning warp rift, developing on the Thousands Sons lore wouldn’t be unthinkable for them. They’ve offered up bigger changes. While the flesh change would be the counter argument, we could easily assume that the Rubric worked with consequences, and healing them the way that Yvraine did, didn't undo the Rubric. Anything is possible. What is certain however, Ahriman would be hellbent on a second meeting with the Eldar witch! citation

What We Could Have (Pushing the Lore)

Assault Marines

This is the part most people disagree with, but it’s not much of a stretch in my opinion. I’ve hopefully so far proven that there’s enough depiction of Rubric Marines acting like Astartes when their Sorcerer is around. A unit of Pre-heresy Jump pack marines led by a Pyre Sorcerer, wielding Kholpeshes would be awesome and give us a heavy infantry close combat option. Again, what happened to the jump packs the legion did have. Leave them all on Prospero?

Bikers (Disks of Tzeentch)

Bikers might not fit thematically, but Disks of Tzeentch could fill that role. A fast-moving unit of Rubric Marines armed with Khopeshes or Sorcerers on Disks could be a great addition. Slow and purposeful doesn’t really come into it when the disk is doing all the work. 

Land Speeders

Thousand Sons had access to Land Speeders pre-Heresy, but this doesn’t seem to fit their modern aesthetic. Still, if Tzaangors can crew them, I’d be open to the idea.

Auxiliaries

Spire Guard

Pre-Heresy and during Battle of the Fang, Thousand Sons were supported by human Spire Guard. Why are we forced to use generic cultists instead of a proper unit representing this? Even at the most laziest level, call Chaos Cultists "Spire Guard" in the codex at least.

A Spire Guard upgrade sprue for Cadian models would be perfect. I’d prefer the militaristic look of the Cadians over the Generic Cultists any day of the week. Tzeentch is about planning and scheming, there’s no chance the mortal units would not be organised and equipped property. I myself mixed Genestealer Cultist models with Tempestus Scion parts for my unit. 

Tzaangors, Daemons, and Robots

But in the end, the majority of our units are Tzaangors, demons and robots looking at this next release. While I’m totally fine with them being included as they are auxiliaries that the Thousand Sons would call upon (and choice is always good for those players who want to use them), I still think the book should mainly be focused on the Thousand Sons. It’s named the Thousand Sons codex after all. 

Salt in the wound

Just to rub it in, Games Workshop announced a new Space Wolf release that the same time we got Robots. Just look at the new models, sculpts and possible units on offer to our enemies (they might not be new units, hard to keep up with the shear number of them). If you consider the difference, how many options do the Space Wolves have for close combat units, long ranged units, elites and so on all the while still being actual Space Wolves. While we have Sorcerers, Marines and Terminators...

Final Thoughts

Imagine if Games Workshop released a White Scars codex where the only actual White Scar units were a handful of bikers, a single squad of marines and a couple of characters—while the rest of the book was just generic Imperial Guard infantry units and Adeptus Mechanicus vehicles.

That’s what’s happening to Thousand Sons. Expect better, people!