Build your own codex

So, to the surprise of no-one, I am going to write my own codex.

I'd like to hear people's thoughts on some ideas I'm toying with. Going to throw down some starter questions.

1) Splinter Racks:
Should they be twin linked, or flat rerolls. If the latter, no obsessions will give transport based rerolls to avoid redundancy.

2) Splinter Cannons:
Cheaper, more shots, or better shots? What philosophy do you prefer?

3) Shardcarbines:
I want more of these. Thinking of having them as a 2 point upgrade for Warriors and Trueborn. Thoughts? Too cheap? Too good?

4-elf minimum units, archon with wings, succubus on bike, and the transport problem is fixed!

more differentiation between raider and venom squads

glad to see you are doing thus again. always fun.

Toying with the idea of changing Flayed Skull obsession to basically "Vehicles and embarked troops get battle focus, and can advance and shoot all the guns with no penalties. And they treat Heavy weapons as Assault while embarked!"

Given that Splinter Racks are probably going to give rerolls (and allow any model without a splinter rifle to be treated as having a splinter rifle while embarked, making them useful for cult and coven forces), and I'm upping venoms to 18" speed base and raiders to 16", the +3" speed rule seems redundant as does the reroll while embarked.

Black Heart obsession is basically going to be "Roll a dice whenever you target a Black Heart unit with a stratagem. On a 4+ gain a CP after the stratagem is resolved" with the warlord trait giving +/-1 to all meta rolls and rolloffs, and the ability to draw an extra objective card in maelstrom of war games.

Cult of Strife obsession is going to be +1 attack and always strikes first, with a cult specific stratagem which allows them to override other forms of always strikes first.

Red Grief obsession is going to need a complete overhaul, but I am thinking +3" charge range and the ability to fire pistols and rapid fire weapons at -1 while advancing.


Power from Pain is going away completely. It is being replaced with:

Night Vision: Dark Eldar are considered 6" closer for the purpose of rules or traits that give penalties to hit outside a certain distance (so a faction that gives -1 to hit outside of 12" becomes outside of 18", for instance)

Fleet of Foot: Dark Eldar (outside of Covens) can reroll advance and charge, and can charge after advancing.

Feel No Pain: (Coven only) 5+++ save.

Soulfeast: If an enemy model was killed this turn, roll a dice. on a 6+, gain a CP. +1 if model lost was in melee with a DE unit. +1 if model lost was Infantry. +1 for every 10 models lost this turn. +1 if model lost was within 6" of a DE character. Max of 2+, only one roll per turn.

I like most of this, but, I am going to put my foot down and say that removing power from pain as it's been a complete staple of the army getting stronger, and right now it's very weak compared to what it was, it should stay because of fluff and the fact we need it.

CP gaining seems a bit abusable, what about drones? I'd rather get a buff to defense stats for the damage I caused, ensuring I stay in the midst of battle and sow carnage and shrug off mortal wounds like our fluff says.

Everything else seems fine.

Korazell wrote:

I like most of this, but, I am going to put my foot down and say that removing power from pain as it's been a complete staple of the army getting stronger, and right now it's very weak compared to what it was, it should stay because of fluff and the fact we need it.

CP gaining seems a bit abusable, what about drones?  I'd rather get a buff to defense stats for the damage I caused, ensuring I stay in the midst of battle and sow carnage and shrug off mortal wounds like our fluff says.

Everything else seems fine.

This is a reasonable position.

I mainly wanted to get away from the name "Power from Pain" because of the implications of the term since 7th edition, with the turn by turn ramp up.

I mean, we could make it a stratagem. have it cost 1 CP to give a DE unit 6+++ (or +1 to their +++ save if they already have one, max 4+++) as a permanent buff that stacks with itself. Soulfeast would power it fairly effectively.

I just would like to know what other changes you're making that strip an army-wide rule of a 6++ on paper thin troops is. I know that sounds accusatory and angry, but, I'm positive and curious but raising brow a tiny bit.

I just want to say that I believe the power from pain was a good idea. Letting tokens be gained per unit for murdering things was not only fluffy and neat but it was effective. It could be a per turn thing, but, I mean, we wanna inflict pain. I think our current table is pretty garbage besides the +1 to hit in melee, I'm sure we can do better.

Korazell wrote:

I just would like to know what other changes you're making that strip an army-wide rule of a 6++ on paper thin troops is.  I know that sounds accusatory and angry, but, I'm positive and curious but raising brow a tiny bit.

I just want to say that I believe the power from pain was a good idea. Letting tokens be gained per unit for murdering things was not only fluffy and neat but it was effective.  It could be a per turn thing, but, I mean, we wanna inflict pain. I think our current table is pretty garbage besides the +1 to hit in melee, I'm sure we can do better.

At its most fundamental? Speed, Offensive capacity, esoteric defence.

I'm a long time wych player, you're going to have to tell me my dodge skill applies to over-watch before I'll put my eyebrow down if I'm not getting any save at all with the relative -1 rend that's about....I do like the sound of those things, though, so , I'll watch and wait.

Korazell wrote:

I'm a long time wych player, you're going to have to tell me my dodge skill applies to over-watch before I'll put my eyebrow down if I'm not getting any save at all with the relative -1 rend that's about....I do like the sound of those things, though, so , I'll watch and wait.

With cults, going to radically change how drugs work.

They're a one use wonder that gives the squad +1 to hit, to wound, attack twice, and 4++ dodge vs overwatch or pistols within 1" for that turn. Each squad can pop them once per game free, and you can pop them again on a unit that has used them already with a stratagem.

Lelith just gets all of the above stock. ALL THE TIME.

Also, Arclite glaive? No hit penalty, +2 damage on a to wound roll of 6+