The Drukhari live on a knife edge, and it shows on the table. Their souls bleed toward Slaanesh unless they gorge on agony.
Consequently, battlefield excess becomes literal fuel for their raids. The new codex doubles down on that fantasy with smart mechanics. Moreover, it turns every kill into momentum you can actually plan around.
Power From Pain, Rewired for Carnage
Power From Pain still feeds on cruelty, but now it feels personal. You gain Pain tokens at the start of each Command phase. Additionally, you gain tokens when enemies are destroyed or fail Battle-shock. Then you spend tokens to Empower a unit when its datasheet allows. While Empowered, that unit’s unique Pain ability switches on for the phase. Moreover, Leaders and Bodyguards in an Attached unit also light up for free.
Every unit has its own twist, from chaff to queen. Kabalite Warriors become Sadistic Raiders when Empowered. They re-roll wound rolls of 1, or all wounds against targets on objectives.
Meanwhile, Lelith Hesperax turns her squad into a buzzsaw. While Empowered, their melee gains extra Strength and Armour Penetration. Consequently, tokens never feel generic, since each squad converts them differently.
Detachments and How Each One Plays
Realspace Raiders returns and still rewards mixing Kabal, Wych, and Coven. However, the codex dials up the payout for true combined arms. Spectacle of Spite focuses on Wyches with army-wide Combat Drugs. Consequently, your gladiators pick thematic buffs that fit mission plans. Covenite Coterie leans into durability and sustained pressure. Therefore, your monsters and Wracks simply outlast counterpunches.
Skysplinter Assault embodies classic fast-raid cruelty. When a Drukhari unit disembarks, its ranged weapons ignore cover for the turn. Additionally, its melee weapons gain Lance for harder first impacts. This overlaps beautifully with Anti-Infantry profiles, since cover often saves bodies. Moreover, the detachment supercharges Raider launches into murder-turns. Enhancements and Stratagems push this further by buffing units after the jump. They also toss help to the transports themselves for extra bite and staying power.
Kabalite Cartel Contracts and Archon Shenanigans
Kabalite Cartels hunt for pay and prestige, so you pick a Contract. At the start of the first round, tag an enemy that fits the chosen brief. If you kill that Contract unit, you bank three Pain tokens. Trophy Hunters targets a Character and grants Precision against it. Sow Fear and Terror picks Infantry or Mounted, rewarding you with Sustained Hits 1. Show of Strength singles out a Monster or Vehicle and grants Lethal Hits. Consequently, your alpha plan and token economy both spin off one decision.
Enhancements make Archons nastier and harder to pin down. You get tricks to redeploy pieces during deployment and regain wounds. Moreover, Stratagems layer into Contracts to keep pressure precise. They help concentrate fire so your chosen mark actually dies. Therefore, even brash plays feel calculated once the blade goes in.
Summary
This Drukhari book makes pain into a currency with real choices. Tokens arrive steadily, then transform squads in bespoke ways. Moreover, detachments map neatly to archetypes from board control to blitz. Skysplinter Assault turns every disembark into a lethal curtain call. Meanwhile, Kabalite Contracts juice both theme and tempo with bounty play.
If you love speed, spite, and razor-clean timing, this sings. Plan your token spends, chain the disembarks, and cash the Contract. Additionally, the Realspace Raiders Battleforce brings a new Archon to lead the party. Codex and battleforce hit pre-order this weekend, so sharpen your blades. Commorragh is hungry, and your raid list is about to feast.
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