Codex: Drukhari is coming – and with it, some exciting new ways to build your army. I can tell you Frankie is PUMPED for his favorite army to be getting their dex update!
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The Drukhari don’t do anything the normal way – we imagine they got bored of conventional warfare several thousand years ago. Additionally, while the forces of say, the T’au Empire or the Imperium, may represent a highly coherent and loyal fighting force working towards a single ideal, a realspace raid usually consists of a pack of nobles from Commorragh taking a brief break from stabbing each other in the back to have some fun.
As such, constructing a Drukhari army is a little different from before. If you want to do a mixed force, it’s easier than ever, and you’ll be able to utilise Drukhari Stratagems (which are incredibly devious and will be covered in more detail in the coming days). If you’d rather commit yourself entirely to one element of the Dark Kin’s forces, however, you’ll find some interesting new options available to you.
The forces of the Drukhari are broadly divided into three categories – Kabals, Wych Cults, and Haemonculus Covens (not to mention free agents like the Incubi or Scourges). Each of these groups has its own set of Warlord Traits, faction rules and artefacts, and a Drukhari army is often made up of a collection of smaller Detachments from each faction – you’ll even be rewarded with more Command Points for doing so.
Similarly, having one Warlord is pretty cool, but why not take three? After all, no self-respecting Hellion would willingly take orders from an Archon.
On the tabletop, your Drukhari army will be able to take advantage of a dizzying level of diversity, harnessing various smaller factions and Stratagems and working around a collection of powerful leaders rather than just one. Your anti-armour needs, for example, could be covered by a trio of Ravagers from a Kabal, while a deadly horde of Wracks from a Haemonculus Coven hold your frontline. You’ll be able to do something few armies can – maintain a staggering variety while still benefiting from powerful special rules.
We’ll be diving into each of the Drukhari Obsessions – those being your faction bonuses – throughout the week, starting with the militant Kabals. If you’re looking to get ahead of the curve and pick up a new Warlord (or two…or three) for your army, you can pick up a Haemonculus, a Succubus and an Archon right now.
And remember, Frontline Gaming sells gaming products at a discount, every day in their webcart!
So um… Any comment on the 3 detachment limitation and raiding force?
Yeah I came here to ask about that, lol! I think Drukhari should get an exception. Something like “3 drukhari patrol detachments can count for 1 of the 3 maximum detachments allowed in matched play”. The big stipulation being all 3 of those patrols must be entirely drukhari, so no ynnari shenanigans.
I think you’re expected to run just three detachments in a 2k game. That gets you 7 CP, which is roughly standard issue for armies that don’t specifically spam it.
Same question as above. Only reason why I came over here haha. @Reece any indication if ITC will make an exception for DE on the 3 detachment rule if the detachments are patrol detachments? Something like “every 3 patrol detachments in a DE force only count as one detachment” or something like that? Otherwise that’d suck if the awesome fluffy rule was completely invalidated for matched play haha
Homestly I would almost consider being able to take the 6 patrol detachments as a counts as 1 detachment. It is about the same as taking a brigand
You don’t have to take 3 patrols, could take 3 battalions or even two and a patrol (not exactly tricky with small fairly cheap and hopefully worth taking anyway units) and still net more CP than this gives you for 3 patrols. I don’t think that’s meant for standard matched play, more for smaller/larger games and narrative/open play.
I’m sure the point of the patrol detachments is to ensure that you get the additional bonus rules (what ever they may be) for pure kabal, cult or coven detachments without having to take larger more spammy detachments (spearhead, vanguard or outrider) or with out having to take two hq and three troops to get at the flavorful units for kablite, cult or coven detachments
The point of multiple patrols is so you can take advantage of all the different faction rules for the kabals, covens, and cults. With a battalion, all in it must stick to the same faction rules, but with 3 patrols you can have 3 different faction rules. Like 1 is a wych cult patrol, another a haemunculus coven patrol, and another is a kabal patrol. It’s not only a decent advantage, but it’s also super fluffy. Dark eldar raids are not one United army, instead they are a Hodge podge of different factions all tagging along for the loot- barely trusting each other. Most attempts to overthrow a leader or eliminate another happen during these raids and not in commoragh. So multiple patrols seems like the best and most fluffy way of playing drukhari.
The only real question is if Hellions maybe won’t be terrible after 20 years or so. Which is one of those questions that only GW is capable of making me ask, the loveable scamps.
They were great in 5th
Mainly because of Baron Sathonyx and pain token shenanigans though
Excited to see the boogieman in the room be addressed.
I think we know what we gonna ask them tomorrow on twitch xD
Hey everyone, I’m sitting in an airport in China at present so gonna have to wait for Signals for a day and hang tight on this until more information comes out/the book drops and we play with it before jumping to any conclusions as to what it means, etc.
Just understand that for now, at least, it seems like the Drukhari are being designed with taking multiple patrol detachments in mind. This is going to be part of the core of their army. I am not saying you will be just ruling a blanket 3 detachments rule on drukhari, but just keep in mind how important it seems to the design of the army, and the kabal rules released today seem to further support that.
You know the detachment limit is in the actual main rulebook right? It’s not like an ITC thing.
Certainly they could change it for their events, but that’s the case with everything.
the 3 limit detachment is a suggestion for organise event, not a rules by itself. It was so broadly accepted that everybody see it has a rule. Kabalite Trueborn are out of the game, RIP. Now Kabal don’t have acces to fast unit slot and elite unit slot (unless they stipulate that incubi and mandrake compensate but you don’t get the benefit of a faction trait). So having those patrol specials rules really helps that army, playing without it is possible but not having acces to it is enough for me to wonder if i would take that army to a tournament if they limit detachment to 3
You could still take battalions, I don’t see the issue honestly, even if the multiple patrols were allowed I’d still be looking at multiple battalions for more cp.
Ytook the issue is you can take battalions, but doing 3 patrols grants you more CP, and each detachment can have it’s own faction and obsession. From how things are written, it’s not looking ideal to have one detachment contain a mix of covens, kabals, and cults. You would need to dedicate an entire detachment to one faction rather than sharing, making battalions much more restrictive for drukhari players than other armies
But 2 battalions gives you 6 CP as opposed to 4 for three patrols. A battalion requires 1 more HQ and 2 more troops but those look like they’re going to be not to pricey and worth taking. 2 battalions and a patrol or something else like the slot specific detachments let’s you mix sub-factions gives you 2-3 more CP and only requires a few more units.
Oh I definitely understand that. My point is the ITC can lead in testing it before the next chapter approved.
The new Kabal rules look…sick! And being able to take different detachments with different special rules to optimize certain unit types is just, to borrow a favorite phrase of Reece, “ridiculously good.”
“Here is my min-sized Black Heart patrol detachment with my Archon Warlord with Labrynthine Cunning so I can get CP back.
“Over here is my fleet of Poison-Tongue Venoms with Warriors and a Blaster led by a second Archon. Everything over here re-rolls 1’s to Wound, except Blasters, but its cool cause they’re S8 -4AP and DSIX(6!) damage now.”
And finally over here is is my Flayed Skull detachment with Raiders and Warriors with Blasters and Dark Lances. All the poison re-rolls 1’s to hit and 6’s lead to 2 hits. And you don’t get cover from anything that shoots at you. Enjoy!”
And blasters got a points drop! I’m gonna faint with excitement.