Archon Timatron (Timothy Kaye) brings us some thoughts on the Haemonculus Coven!
So, we’ve all seen the awesome formations and the cool detachment available in the new Covens supplement, but have we all considered how the alternate Power From Pain table can be used to buff the basic units from the main Codex?
The Haemonculus is the only HQ choice available to the Covens supplement, apart from Urien Rakarth, so, what exactly can he bring to Warriors and Wyches for my fellow Archons and Succubi? Well, he always boosts any unit he joins one turn further up the Power From Pain table, so gives a Turn 1 FNP 6+ to the Troops he joins, for starters. It’s when we consider that, having been chosen from the Covens Supplement, he himself uses the alternate table from that book, that the real hotness starts to emerge.
The first benefit the Haemie gets is Fearless. As he gets the Master Of Pain benefit regardless of which table he is using, he will have the Fearless special rule from the very start of the game. Now, here’s the kicker: Fearless confers to the unit he joins. By the way, did I mention that we can take 2-6 Haemies from the Covens Supplement? Are you starting to feel that tingle? As the turns go on it just gets better and better. Turn 2 all the Wyches, let’s say, in his unit have FNP and by Turn 3 they also have Furious Charge, while the Haemie himself now has Fearless, Fear and It Will Not Die. By Turn 4 the Haemie is also a Zealot, conferring those toasty-warm re-rolls to his entire unit.
But wait, I hear you say, a Haemonculus is not Fleet and therefore will slow down whichever unit he’s been joined to, surely? Not at all. You see, the Covens Supplement has us nicely covered there too; Syndriq’s Sump. This nifty, and suitably gross, add-on allows the bearer to pick one special rule per turn. You can get Poisoned (4+) attacks, It Will Not Die, Rampage or, yes, you guessed it, Fleet! So, the ring of fire is complete. You have a unit with a steadily increasing survivability, that will never run away, that get’s more powerful in combat as the turns progress. All due to the addition of a character from the Covens Supplement. Let’s not forget also, a Haemie can take loads of upgrades to tailor his role, including a Webway Portal for no-scatter deep-strike shenanigans if you’re so inclined.
So, for all those who have been wondering how to make some of the more fragile units from the main Dark Eldar Codex more survivable, here’s your answer. It could be useful to so many units in the army, although Wyches are the most obvious beneficiaries here, of course. The strangest thing to consider, to me anyway, is this: what other possible purpose could a Haemie’s ability to gain Fleet have been intended to be put to? After all, no Coven units have Fleet, and it doesn’t confer to other units. Seems that G.W. put a 10 point upgrade in there that only has any effect if you slide him across to a Kabal or Cult unit, leading me to conclude that this was intended. After all, Haemies were often used to buff other units in this way in the previous Codex, and making them Fearless certainly fits the fluff, as Haemonculi hold the key to Dark Eldar’s regeneration processes.
All in all, I’m loving this update to the true kin and wondering what other combos might come to light after further study. Please, come and comment on my Archon Timatron Facebook page and Youtube channel and let me know if you find any. Just pray I don’t take you alive!
Youtube Channel:https://www.facebook.
On a similar note. Eldar guardian defenders would be amazing if it wasn’t for their crap leadership. Haemonculous offer an effective means to give them fearless, and a webway portal for that matter.
At first blush it seems an OK tactic. But with some HQ investment on the Craftworld side you can crank up the output of this unit.
Consider Karanderas, who confers a beefy hth line, stealth, Ambush of blades (re roll 1s to wound), and monster hunter (re roll all wounds against monsters).
Guide wouldn’t be hard to get on them either.
Won’t lie, this article got me moist. Great catch.
Lol!
Thanks Dash! That was obviously my intention!
Yes deF10, there are many cool combo’s, I was just approaching this from a pure DE perspective in order to keep the article’s focus.
Except the Haemie will cause Eldar units tol lose Battle-Focus of course.
True, but it makes Footdar completely viable so maybe a fair trade off. Instead of having one gimp MC providing a fearless bubble, you can stash a 2+ Look out Sir in every blob. Also allows you to not waste a HQ slot on an avatar and use Farseers/Autarchs.
I want to like the Avatar, I do, but he’s just so bad next to our other HQ’s. Not being able to hide in a unit, being slow, and not being all that tough just make him unfieldable. With this dirty deed, there’s now literally no reason to field him.
Sadly I tend to agree. He’s a shadow of his former self.
Actually it get’s even better than this. I feel honestly bad for sharing this but… here we go.
How would you like to have a unit that is Feel No Pain, Furious Charge, 3+ Armour save, Fearless, and has AP2 weapons for 20 points a model?
The Archon Raiding Party Formation w/ a Coven Detachment requires that you take a squad of Incubi.
It makes Helions well worth it.
You can also upgrade the Kabalite warriors to True Born and still meet the requirement of taking 6. Everyone has to have a transport. Oh no. There’s still points left over though to take a Ally Detachment of Eldar or something else for Anti AA.
Sorry Holli, that Kabalite thing is erroneous. Once you make them Trueborn, they’re no longer Warriors. I think you’re reading something wrong.
And, Points left over? What size games are you talking about? Because @1650 it’s a tight-squeeze.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfS2_fzpoqU
How does upgrading them to trueborn not make them kabalite warriors? They’re still listed in that entry. I realize GW could have phrased it better but I don’t think they would’ve included trueborn in the warrior entry if they weren’t meant to be considered such.
Er, because they are Kabalite Trueborn, not Kabalite Warriors. They have their own stat-line, wargear option etc. Honestly, there is no way.
Er, because they are listed on page 78 of the new DE codex titled Kabalite Warriors. Yes, they have their own stat line and weapons options but their dataslate/data card is labeled Kabalite Warriors. Similarly, bloodbrides and syrens are still wyches, just elite wyches; Kabalite trueborn are Kabalite warriors are just elite warriors. Would you deny that Nightfiends, with their own statlines and weapon options, are Mandrakes? Or, that tactical space marine sergeants, with their own stat lines and weapon options, are not tactical space marines?
Argument I’m sure is based on the wording saying that Warriors are “upgraded” to trueborn. Drawing parallels between “upgrading” to a sabarite.
Usually I’d call BS on this sort of thing, and say rules lawyering. Honestly though, I’ve got no idea what RAI would be. First blush I tend to say both are different units. But the first time I read the “upgrade” thing in the codex it made me scratch my head. Not sure if this is unique to DE or if it’s been in other codicies (don’t buy the ones I don’t use), but it was the first time I’d seen that particular setup in a codex.
It’s not Erroneous it’s a squad upgrade.
A squad upgrade? No, it changes the unit’s name; it becomes a different unit.
literally, the upgrade option says “May upgrade all Kabalite Warriors to Kabalite Trueborn, changing the unit’s Battlefield Role to Elites…”
Same unit, different Battlefield Role.
Also, it’s reasonable that between the Kabalites in the Raiding Party some of them may be of the Trueborn type. Why would be Hellions mandatory but trueborn not able to join the Archon’s raid?
Just my interpretation, but it seems clear to me…
I know this was a long time ago, but I just wanted to say that I agree that you are right.