Codex Drukhari Review Part 1: Army Special Rules

Reecius

7 years ago

Hey everyone, Reecius here with the first part of our Codex: Drukhari review! Be sure to check the Tactics Corner for more great reviews and articles.

The Drukhari (aka: Dark Eldar) are a cruel, violent race of pirates, raiders and sadists that plague the other species of the galaxy with their endless attacks. Let’s check out their dex and see what they have to offer.

Rating System

I rarely ever see units as “broken” or “garbage” which is the typical binary judgement in internet hyperbole. Even the worst unit can win you the game if it is in the right place at the right time. Units are all simply more or less efficient based on the current situation of any given game. So with that in mind, here is the shiny new rating system:

Competitive: This is a codex entry (unit, stratagem, item, etc.) that has a place in essentially any competitive list built with this faction regardless of unit choices or is the source of a significant force multiplication effect for other units.
Efficient: This is a codex entry that can stand on its own merit in a matched play list but works best when combo’d up with other units or in specific situations to become very powerful but may not always be seen.
Situational: This is a codex entry that may not pass as competitive on its own merits but can be made effective in a creative list, as a meta-buster, or in a specific combo or scenario where it ratchets up in power to potentially very high strength but otherwise will not be seen very often.

Special Rules

The Drukhari were gifted with some very flavorful and effective special rules.

Poison Weapons: Weapons with this rule always wound on a 4+ unless targeting a Vehicle, in which case they wound on a 6+.
- If you find yourself facing loads of high toughness, non vehicle units in your meta then this is great. if not? Then you’d rather just have strength 4. On it’s own it is cool but not amazing but thanks to the plethora of buffs readily available to the Drukhari player, it gets quite good if you want it to be. Efficient.
Power from Pain: Units with this ability gain a cumulative bonus every turn.
1. Inured to Suffering: 6+ save vs. wounds suffered.
2. Eager to Flay: re-rolls to advances and charges.
3. Flensing Fury: +1 to hit in the fight phase.
4. Emboldened by Bloodshed: Automatically pass morale tests.
5. Mantle of Agony: Subtract 1 from the leadership of enemy units within 6″ of any units with this bonus.
  - All of these are awesome and only benefit your units. Increases in durability, speed, damage, morale and enemy debuffs. What’s not to love? Great ability. Competitive.
Combat Drugs: Units with this special rule can either roll a random Combat Drug for the game, or pick one. If you pick though, you cannot pick the same one again until you’ve chosen all of them at least once.
1. Adrenalight: +1 attack.
2. Grave Lotus: +1 strength.
3. Hypex: +2″ movement.
4. Painbringer: +1 toughness.
5. Serpentin: +1 weapon skill.
6. Splintermind: +2 leadership.
  1. Again, all awesome! These are fantastic bonuses and we’ve enjoyed using them a great deal. With all of the various other buffs available to you via Obsessions, Stratagems, Warlord Traits, etc. you can get a lot of power out of your realtively fragile Drukhari units. Competitive.
Vanguard of the Dark City: Your standard “Objective Secured” rule for troops in Drukhari detachments so long as your army is Battle-forged.
- ObSec is awesome, and requires no explanation at this point beyond the obvious: if you can take an objective away from your opponent, you tend to win the game. Competitive.
Court of the Archon and Drukhari Beasts: in Matched Play games, these rules kick in and limit the number of Court of the Archon models you may take to 4 per Detachment with an Archon, and Drukhari Beast units to detachments with one or more Beastmasters, and no more then 3 units of them.

Raiding Force: If you have 3 Drukhari Patrol detachments you gain +4 Command Points, if you have 6 you gain +8 Command Points.
- This rule caused quite the hubbub on the internet. It’s not possible to take 6 detachments in a standard 2,000pt game but that is not the point with this rule, it’s a flavorful, cool thing to used in a themed army. Just take Battalions if you want lots of CP. Drukhari units are cheap and it is quite easy to grab 2+ Battalions and still have 3 detachments, 1 of each flavor of Drukhari. That aside, this is a fun if not amazing rule and will be great for narrative play or larger games. Situational.
Drukhari Obsessions: In a Drukhari detachment wherein all units are the same Kabal, Wych Cult or Haemonculous Coven, they gain an Obsession.
- This is a fairly significant departure from the normal pattern established in other Codexes. Basically, Drukhari are 3 different sub-factions under the Drukhari umbrella. Some units can have more than one of these sub faction keywords such as the Razorwing Jetfighter which is both Kabal and Wych Cult, or the Raider which is all three, so you have a fair bit of flexibility but, less than most other factions. It is done for thematic purposes and allows the Drukhari player to access a LOT more potential special rules, but on less units per detachment. A bit of a mixed blessing and how each player reacts to it will come down to preference. Personally, I like sticking to theme so a Drukhari army with 3 detachments, 1 of each flavor really speaks to me, but may not to other players. What do you think? On their own, the bonuses are very strong, but dicing up the army’s access to them up is not.
Blades for Hire: Drukhari Beasts, Incubi, Mandrakes and Scourges can be taken in any Drukhari detachment without causing them to lose their Obsession, but also do not benefit from said Obsessions.
- Again, a mixed blessing. Not getting some of the very awesome Obsession bonuses is annoying but being able to take them in any sub-faction is also awesome. This one will also rate based on individual preference.