Warhammer 40k: The Drukhari Raid Realspace In Today’s Faction Focus
The hosts of Commoragh are here to luxuriate in the cruelty of their new 11th edition detachments.
Everyone’s favorite murderous space elves are here! Well, not mine, I’m a Craftworlds guy but, anyway, these elves are also pretty cool, and I’m glad they’re featured in today’s Faction Focus and video overview
Exhibition of Slaughter
We kick things off with a detachment that’s all about buffing the gladiatorial wych cults. No mere rabble of soldiers, wych cults are killers who raise their calling to that of an art.
Exacting Cruelty grants an army-wide bonus of LETHAL HITS on melee attacks against all non-monsters and vehicles. While this still leaves them mismatched against your opponent’s biggest threats it still has some solid utility. With the sheer volume of attacks that Wyches can produce means you’re potentially inflicting a lot of auto-wounds against even Terminators or other big, tough infantry.
Who doesn’t like a nice periapt? Not the Succubi of Commoragh, that’s for sure. This fancy jewelry makes its wearer and their attahched unit immune to snap shooting, and therefore, Overwatch. This is a mean little enhancement that helps ensure your evil space elves can survive the charge and get into a knife fight, just like they want.
As mentioned above, the detachment bonus doesn’t work on monsters of vehicles. Until it does. Spend 1 CP and grant a unit LETHAL HITS without restriction so they can tear up that Malcador or Screamer-Killer with all the glee they can muster.
Kabalite Agonysts
We’ve seen that most armies get a detachment that focuses on their core troops like the Flyblown Host of Plague Marines. The Drukhari are no different. This detachment buffs the Kabalite Warriors that make up the bulk of Commoragh’s raiders.
As a counterpart to the Wych Cults above, this detachment grants SUSTAINED HITS against non-monsters/vehicles. This is going to let your battleline infantry unleash a staggering volume of fire. These units already hit pretty hard so maximising their firepower is going to go a long way to clearing objectives or firing lanes.
A nice little bonus for your Archons, this enhancement grants a bonus +1 LD and OC. Given the seeming focus on objectives and taking special actions in this edition’s missions it seems like this could be a game-winner in the right situation.
It comes as no surprise that the Drukharii are getting their own version of a stratagem letting them shoot without losing their hidden status. We’ve seen this in a couple of places before, notably the Expert Fieldcraft rule from the T’au Advanced Acquisition Cadre. A little more directed here as a stratagem, nonetheless, it means your long-range support units like Scourges can fire from relatively safety.
Tools of Torment
The controlled mutations and fleshy experiments of the haemonculous covens are beneficiares of today’s final previewed detachment.
Big guy Cronos and Talos units are already tough but they also draw a lot of fire. This passive debuff against high Strength attacks is going to go a long way to keeping your Engines of Pain on the table long enough to wreak all the delightful havoc you want.
This enhancement further toughens your Cronos and Talos units giving you the opportunity to improve their Invulnerable Save from 6+ to 5+. Drukhari players have to treasure their handful of tough units and this should really help maximise their lifespans on the tabletop.
With so much emphasis on battle-shock in this edition it should come as no shock (get it?) that the Drukhari have some tricks to capitalize upon the terror they sow. For 1 CP you can grant a unit of Cronos or Talos DEVASTATING WOUNDS against a battle-shocked unit. Nasty stuff!
We’ve been promised that tomorrow’s Faction Focus will examine the sorcerers of the Thousand Sons. Only a handful of armies remain to be explored as we inch ever closer to the launch of 11th edition!
Drukhari but still no Craftworlds? James Workshop is tormenting me, personally.
