Hey everyone, Reecius here with more Drukhari coverage! Check the Tactics Corner for more great reviews and articles.
In Part 1 of this series, we covered army wide special rules. In Part 2 we covered the generic Drukhari Stratagems. This time, we’re digging into the generic Drukhari relics, or Artefacts of Creulty as they’re called. As with many other sections of this book, Drukhari are seriously spoiled for choice with excellent options. You’ll frequently be using their Prizes from the Dark City stratagem to unlock extra relics. Next up we will take a look at Kabal specific Obsessions, relics, Warlord Traits and stratagems!
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.
- The Parasite’s Kiss: Replaces a model’s Splinter Pistol. 12″, Pistol 2, Poison with +2 to wound vs. non-Vehicle targets (so typically wounds on a 2+), AP-2, 2 damage, for each enemy model killed with this weapon the bearer regains 1 lost wound.
- This is a solid weapon. You may not opt for it every time but you can make a very fun and effective Archon with it and the Soul Thirst Kabal Warlord Trait to create an Archon that constantly regenerates wounds in shooting and melee! Very fun. While perhaps not the absolute best relic available, it is a very good choice for certain builds and is quite reliable as it has 2 shots, solid AP and will be wounding on a 2+ in almost every case. Competitive.
- The Djin Blade: Replaces an Archon’s Huskblade: Strength +1, AP-3, D3 damage, bearers gets +2 attacks, at the end of each Fight phase roll a D6, on a 1 the bearer suffers a Mortal Wound.
- Again, a great weapon that may not always be taken but when it is, will be solid. I would recommend pairing this again with the Soul Thirst Warlord Trait to regenerate wounds as you fight on a beat-stick Archon. Competitive.
- The Helm of Spite: Allows the bearer to Deny the Witch and if you do so the enemy Psyker suffers Perils in the Warp.
- This is a GREAT relic but one you will not need in every game. A solid choice to be used with the Prizes of the Dark City strat to pick it when you need it. Situational.
- The Nightmare Doll: Gives a Haemonculus a 4+ Inured to Suffering roll (normally a 6+).
- This is obviously awesome for a Haemonculus. Particularly when combined with the Connoisseurs of Pain Obsession for a 4++ followed by the 4+ FnP style save and potentially the Master Regenesist Warlord Trait (allows the Haemonculus to regain D3 los wounds each turn) for a really beefy Haemonculus. Competitive.
- The Animus Vitae: 6″, Grenade 1, one use only, if it hits it does D3 Mortal Wounds. If it kills anything then for the rest of the game friendly units within 6″ of the bearer count their Power form Pain as being 1 turn higher than it is.
- Not bad. Not amazing, but not bad at all. Due to the short range you may not be chucking this until turn 2 but if it is on an Archon you are highly likely to hit and kill at least 1, 1 wound model and get the bonus. So, it is good, but I don’t see it being taken over the other choices very frequently. Efficient.
- The Triptych Whip: Replaces a Succubus’ Agoniser. Melee, Poison, AP-2, 1 damage, +3 attacks.
- A solid weapon for a Succubus that wants to wade into large mobs of enemies and smack them around. As you can easily get a Succubus with this weapon up to 8+ attacks, potentially with the 3 hits for every 6+ to hit rolled due to the Blood Dancer Warlord Trait (which goes to a 5+ when Flensing Fury Kicks in), you can get a really choppy character. Wounding on a 4+ blunts that a bit but if you find yourself facing high toughness models then this is a very good choice. Competitive.
And there you are! Which is your favorite Artefact of Cruelty? Next up: Kabals!
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Nice! What are you thinking about running?
Helm of Spite is totally boss IMO. Drukhari really have no psychic defense and while Smite-spam is being addressed, psykers aren’t going anywhere from the competitive meta any time soon. That thing could come in SO clutch, almost game-winning against lists that rely on key powers like Doom. That plus Agents of Vect can potentially stop a lot of the top current lists right in their tracks (Tide of Traitors cultist bombs? Hah!).
Be honest, Animus Vitae sucks. You can say it, it’s OK, hahaha.
I don’t know that being able to do d3 mortal wounds can ever be that bad.
True but you only get 1 DtW out of it so while it is very good, possibly game winning as you noted, it is a gamble. If your opponent has a bunch of psykers this is only going to mitigate them, not stop them.
Yeah, but we have few tricks to stop them( like blasting them of the table with tantalus).
The lack of mitigation part was painful. Additional layer to protect us from for example warptime shenanigans.
The Tantalus is crazy good, lol, no doubt about it. Frankie tears me up with his frequently, lol.
Do you think the Tantalus is still worth taking with it being 400 points compared to 3 dissy ravagers with the codex?
With the point decreases for it’s competition the Tantalus seems like something you bring for a gimmick.
Tantalus becomes god node when you make it a Haemonculous vehicle as you can use the strat to gank characters wit it.
Ah, I don’t think the Tantalus has the Hamonculus Coven keyword. I don’t have my book in front of me, but pretty damn sure it does not. And, even if it did, it most assuredly should not be able to use the strat, lol, that is silly. I mean yes, you are right, that would be cray, but that is certainly not good for the game, hahaha.
The Helm is real good, yeah. Causing Perils won’t stop a Farseer (since they have a 2+ to ignore wounds from Perils), but it will absolutely crush warlocks and a lot of other casters, especially since you can save your Deny to use on the guy who is most vulnerable to it or rolled lowest.
I think Reece is being _really_ generous with some of these rankings, both here and on some of the other articles. Animus is a long way from “efficient”, though honestly most of the other relics are all at least decent enough that I’d consider them.
Well, since they cleared up that “soooo good” is anything “better than nothing” it makes sense from that perspective.
I agree about the Helm of Spite being great. It’s exactly what I wanted to help control enemy psykers. When I’ve played against similar abilities with my Thousand Sons I found that it made me cast less spells that would have otherwise been consequence free. Without the threat of it, there’s no reason not to throw out every smite and buff you have, but with the risk of getting a single low cast somewhere and having it reflect back it’s much harder to justify the spells.
Ok for starters excuse my french but WTF!??? guys…I am quite grateful to have this type of awesome ‘review’ of the Dark Eldar codex but in the immortal words of Jeezy in the “Im going in” song
“Hooooold up wait one MFing minute”
What happened to Tau and Necrons review?????? I play those factions too!! I’ve been waiting weeks for your breakdown with the fancy rating system and everything to give perspective. I can’t be the only one that noticed they got “skipped”. I checked out Incontrol’s video review and lets be real…that’s not a real review. We all know it, lets not pretend. I will absolutely look forward to his review on Nids or something that he actually plays and can give good insight on. But I for one politely request a proper Tau and Necron review.
Xenos have been marginalized and placed on the outskirts of 40k for far too long my brothers! It is time Xenos too get their due. Now I understand this is a free service for the 40k Community, hell I’d even go as far as to say you do this for the Greater Good, of the 40k community. But we all deserve to have our codices heard, and properly scrutinized. It seems like Dark Eldar paid 3cp and blocked other xenos from getting a properly done review.
So I kindly ask you to awaken those reviews from their crypts and rise to bring the imperium to heel once again. I consider these reviews indispensable to my 40K 8th edition lifestyle.
hahaha, nice post.
However, the only reason those Dexes haven’t got the full review treatment (and trust me, we love those armies, too!) is because we were gone most of March.
We will get caught up though, count on it! Just a LOT of work to try and stay current and play catch-up.