Drukhari warlords want everything, and they want it now. Their new Crusade rules lean into pure ambition.
Moreover, you will claim districts, betray rivals, and squeeze Commorragh for power. However, every grab paints a bigger target on your back. Consequently, glory comes fast, and consequences come faster.
Seizing Commorragh, One District at a Time
You crown one Character as your Ascendant Lord, the face of your rise. Moreover, every battle can unlock a territory for their growing empire. You roll to pick Table A or B, then roll D66 for a unique district. Additionally, duplicates reroll, and rival-held picks trigger a Hostile Takeover immediately. Consequently, your order of battle fills with named holdings that define your campaign.
The territory roster is huge and split by themes. Table A features Weapon Forges, Toxin Distilleries, Arenas, Scourge Spires, Incubi Shrines, and Docks. Meanwhile, Table B covers Sprawl Slums, Flesh Markets, Shadow Districts, Noble Spires, Gang Territory, and Raidcraft Workshops. Furthermore, capturing any three from a category unlocks a bespoke district power. Therefore, set your sights on synergies, not just raw count.
District Powers That Change How You Play
Incubi Shrine rewards swagger and coin with elite bodyguards. Your Ascendant Lord can attach to an Incubi unit, even when they normally cannot. Moreover, an Archon leading Incubi gains Feel No Pain 5+, which keeps your keystone alive. Additionally, if those bodyguards survive, you can re-roll Leadership tests from Assassination Attempts after the battle. Consequently, your lord becomes harder to knife in the alleys.
Gang Territory feeds your takeover engine. Each Hostile Takeover attempt gets a flat bonus to the crucial D6. Moreover, any successful claim from that attempt increases your Crusade Supply Limit by fifty points. Therefore, the low streets bankroll your expansion while you climb the spires. It is dirty work, and it absolutely pays.
Rivals, Traits, and Back-Alley Mayhem
You begin with three Rival Lords who grow alongside you. Moreover, each rival rolls a personality that twists the campaign’s pressure. A Ruthless Machinator has Power that counts higher than their district tally. Meanwhile, a Devious Opportunist doubles down when your lord goes Out of Action. Consequently, one bad injury check can spawn two Rival Activities at once.
Between games, rivals act in the shadows. Under New Management gives a rival another district on the spot, with takeovers if contested. Additionally, an Assassination Attempt forces a Leadership test on your Ascendant Lord. You gain one experience if you live, and you take a Battle Scar if you fail. Therefore, even downtime is lethal, and survival still leaves marks.
Vect’s Final Word on Upstarts
Master all twelve district categories and Commorragh notices. Moreover, Asdrubael Vect notices, which is far worse. You roll a die and consult the Price of Success. However, every result removes your Ascendant Lord from your order of battle. The names differ, from Suffer No Rivals to Agent of Vect to Into Shadow. Consequently, triumph invites extinction, recruitment, or flight into the undercity.
Summary
The new Drukhari Crusade rules turn territory into story, and story into knives. Moreover, Ascendant Lords claim unique districts, unlock themed powers, and fight off rivals between rounds. Incubi bodyguards, gang leverage, and hostile takeovers all push your tempo forward. However, Vect’s ceiling is real, and the Dark City eventually collects. Codex Drukhari arrives alongside Lady Malys, so sharpen your plans and your blades. Consequently, if you want the Dark City, be ready to pay in blood and reputation.
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