Previews keep showing how army identity will matter. However, this pair feels useful for list builders.
Drukhari players get a fuller look at Commorragh’s cruel pillars. Meanwhile, Space Marine fans get a different Eradicator profile. Together, these updates show how rules can reshape collections.
Drukhari Gain Distinct Cult, Kabal, and Coven Playstyles
The Drukhari preview digs into the split between Wych Cults, Kabals, and Haemonculus Covens. That matters, because the new detachment structure lets each branch lean into its own horrible specialty.
Exhibition of Slaughter gives friendly Wych Cult melee attacks Lethal Hits against non-Monster and non-Vehicle targets. Therefore, Wyches can bypass their modest Strength and punch above their weight into elite infantry. That is the rule these glass-knife gladiators need. They still cannot simply bounce off tanks and monsters, though, which keeps the faction honest. However, Planned Strikes fixes that gap for 1CP. It gives a Wych Cult unit full Lethal Hits in the Fight phase.
The Periapt of Torments enhancement also helps a Succubus and Wyches avoid snap shooting before a charge.
Anyone who has watched fragile melee units evaporate in Overwatch knows why that matters.
Kabalite Agonysts then shifts the focus to poisoned firepower and shadow games.
Contracted Harvest gives friendly Blades for Hire and Kabal ranged attacks Sustained Hits 1. However, that bonus only works against non-Monster and non-Vehicle targets. As a result, Kabalite Warriors and shardcarbine Scourges can flood infantry with venomous shots.
Additionally, Towering Arrogance gives an Archon’s unit plus one Leadership and Objective Control, helping Incubi matter more on objectives.
Shadows’ Reach may be the nastiest trick, since a Kabal or Blades for Hire unit can shoot and remain hidden. In practice, dark lance Scourges love that rule.
Finally, Tools of Torment gives Cronos and Talos units Darkest Artifice, imposing minus one to wound against stronger attacks.
Add Elixir of the Corpse Courts for a 5+ invulnerable save, and those pain engines become real anchors.
Meanwhile, Salting the Wound gives their attacks Devastating Wounds against battle-shocked targets, which is wonderfully cruel. Overall, the preview captures Drukhari as fast, fragile, precise, and vicious. More importantly, it lets mixed realspace raids feel coherent, instead of forcing one narrow style.
Heavy Bolter Eradicators Turn Melta Veterans Into Horde Mulchers
The new Eradicators with Heavy Bolters are a clever twist on a familiar Space Marine unit. Instead of hunting tanks with melta weapons, these Gravis-armoured bruisers pivot into anti-horde fire support. Importantly, they are a separate unit rather than a simple wargear swap.
Therefore, Marine players can field them beside classic Eradicators and cover two different battlefield jobs.
Their defining rule is Overlapping Detonations. In the Shooting phase, they can select one visible non-Monster and non-Vehicle enemy unit. Their heavy bolters then gain Blast 1 against that target. Against five infantry, three models reach 12 shots before Sustained Hits 1 enters the math. Against 20 Boyz, they jump to 21 shots, which is funny in the best bolter-discipline way. However, they do not replace Heavy Intercessors. Those still win the objective game through larger squads and staying power.
Instead, Heavy Bolter Eradicators are easier to hide, easier to transport, and nastier into chaff. Additionally, they can ride inside a Repulsor Executioner, creating a neat mobile firebase package. The unit first appears in Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon, and it feels built for that box’s Ork-infested warzone.
Summary: Focused Rules Make Familiar Armies Feel Fresh
Overall, both previews are doing the same useful thing. They take familiar models and sharpen their battlefield jobs. Drukhari detachments now reward Cult speed, Kabal firepower, and Coven durability. Meanwhile, Heavy Bolter Eradicators give Marines a compact answer to massed infantry. That is good game design, because it encourages choices without erasing old favorites.
