Count Adhemar's (Yet Another) Dark Eldar Homebrew Codex

After reading several discussions on various ways to fix our feeble codex I decided to give it a whirl myself. Credit especially must go to the various participants in a recent discussion in which HERO mentioned several of the ideas that have been incorporated into this version. Comments very welcome.

NOTE: FINAL VERSION, INCORPORATING ANY CHANGES DISCUSSED IN THIS THREAD CAN BE FOUND HERE

SPECIAL RULES
COMBAT DRUGS
Though they drastically shorten the life expectancy of the user, chemical stimulants are widely used to heighten combat performance
After determining Warlord Traits, but before deployment, roll a D6 and look up the result on the Combat Drugs table. All friendly models that have the Combat Drugs special rule receive the characteristic bonus listed on the table for the duration of the battle.
Combat Drugs Table
D6 Bonus
1 Adrenalight (+1 Attack)
2 Grave Lotus (+1 Strength)
3 Painbringer (+1 Toughness)
4 Serpentin (+1 Weapon Skill)
5 Hypex (+1 Initiative)
6 Roll twice on this table (re-rolling duplicates or other rolls of 6) and apply both results

POWER FROM PAIN
As Dark Eldar feed on the souls of their foes, they become imbued with supernatural might, eventually turning into killing machines
Keep a count of the total number of unsaved wounds inflicted by either player’s army throughout the course of the battle, excluding those that are negated by means other than saving throws (such as Feel No Pain, Reanimation Protocols etc). At the start of each player turn consult the table below to determine the effect of Power from Pain. All models with the Power from Pain special rule receive the benefit or special rule shown below. All effects from Power from Pain are cumulative.
Power from Pain Table
Unsaved Wounds Bonus
1-4 Crusader
5-9 Feel No Pain
10-15 Furious Charge
16-22 Fearless
23-30 Preferred Enemy (all)
31-39 Rage
40+ Eternal Warrior

AERIAL ASSAULT
The crew of Dark Eldar vehicles are considered insane even by Dark Eldar standards but they are also the most amazingly skilled pilots and gunners, capable of targeting their foes with incredible accuracy at speeds that other races cannot even comprehend
For the purposes of determining how many weapons a vehicle may fire at full BS, a vehicle with this special rule that moves at Cruising Speed counts as moving at Combat Speed. If moving Flat Out it counts as moving at Cruising Speed. Models may embark/disembark from the vehicle if it has moved 12” or less in the movement phase but the vehicle may not then move flat out that turn

SOUL HARVEST
Dark Eldar seek to close with their enemies so that they may revel in the fear and pain that is inflicted
A unit composed entirely of models with the Soul Harvest special rule may assault in the same turn in which it has Run

NIGHT TERRORS
The Dark Eldar strike from the cover of darkness whenever possible
When your Primary Detachment is drawn from Codex Dark Eldar (or the Haemonculus Covens supplement), if the Night Fighting rule is determined to be in effect on turn one you may choose to have the effects remain in play for the entire battle

WARLORD TRAITS
The leaders of the Dark Eldar are great warriors – ancient, cruel and cunning beyond mortal measure
When generating their Warlord Traits, a Dark Eldar Warlord may either roll on one of the Warlord Traits tables in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules, or roll on the table below.
WARLORD TRAITS TABLE
D6 Warlord Trait
1. Ancient Evil
So long has this Warlord lived, steeped in horror and cruelty, that he is now shrouded in a malefic aura capable of paralyzing his foes with fear
All enemy units within 12" of the Warlord suffer a -2 Leadership penalty
2. Pain is so close to Pleasure
The Warlord has become inured to pain and is able to withstand almost any physical injury with a malevolent smile on his ancient face
The Warlord can re-roll failed Feel No Pain rolls
3. Soulshadows
The souls of the Warlord’s many victims form an almost tangible barrier around him, obscuring him from view
The Warlord has the Shrouded special rule
4. Rule Through Fear
The Warlord rules his forces with a will of iron and they are far more afraid of failing him than they are of death at the hands of the enemy
All models in your Warlord’s detachment can use his Leadership value in place of their own
5. Master of the Webway
The Warlord has a deep knowledge of the ancient Webway that spans the galaxy and can navigate it with a skill matched only by the followers of the Laughing God
Up to D3 units in the Warlord's detachment count as having a Webway Portal
6. Towering Arrogance
The Warlord is possessed of the absolute belief that he is universally preeminent. He has nothing but scorn for the foe, no matter how horrifying their aspect. Such is the power of this conviction that the Warlord and his followers will stand their ground with a derisive sneer
The Warlord and his unit fire Overwatch at their full Ballistic Skill

WARGEAR LIST
Melee Weapons
A model may replace its Melee weapon with one of the following:
Power sword…10 pts           points drop
Agoniser…15 pts           points drop
Venom blade …5 pts           add Lethal Dose

Special Weapons
A model may replace its ranged weapon with one of the following:
Shredder…5 pts           profile changed to Template, Assault 1, Monofilament
Blaster…10 pts           points drop, profile changed to Assault 2
Blast Pistol ...10 pts          points drop, range changed to 12”

Heavy Weapons
A model may replace its ranged weapon with one of the following:
Haywire blaster 1…10 pts
Heat lance 1…10 pts
Splinter cannon…10 pts points drop
Dark lance…20 pts profile changed to Rapid FireAssault 2

Arcane Wargear
A model may take one of each of the following:
Haywire grenades…5 pts
Soul-trap…10 pts
Phantasm grenade launcher…15 pts add Pinning. Change last sentence of Soulfright rule to “Wounds cannot be allocated to models with the Fearless special rule (any excess Wounds are lost). Models with the And They Shall Know No Fear special rule gain a +2 bonus on their Leadership test
Clone field 2…20 pts changed to negate first D3+1 unsaved wounds each turn unless caused by Blast or Template Weapons
Webway portal …35 pts
Shadow field 2…25 pts points drop, add “Roll a D6 at the start of each of your turns after the Shadowfield shorts out. If the bearer did not suffer any unsaved wounds in the previous turn, on a roll of 4+ the shield starts working again as normal”
Hellion Skyboard 3...10 pts
Reaver Jetbike 3...15 pts

Weapons of Torture
A model may replace their melee weapon with one of the following:
Mindphase gauntlet…5 pts
Flesh gauntlet…10 pts
Ichor Injector...20 pts
Scissorhand…10 pts
Electrocorrosive whip …15 pts points drop, profile changed to AP-, Melee, Haywire, Poisoned (5+)
Venom blade …5 pts add Lethal Dose
Agoniser…15 pts points drop

Tools of Torment
A model may replace their ranged and/or Melee weapon with one of the following:
Stinger pistol…5 pts
Hexrifle …15 pts points increase, remove Arcane Payload, replace with Instant Death
Liquifier gun…10 pts points drop, profile changed to S4
Ossefactor...15 pts

Wych Cult Weapons
A model may replace their close combat weapon and splinter pistol with one of the following:
Two hydra gauntlets…10 pts Replace Shred with Haywire
Two razorflails…10 pts Change to reroll all failed hit and wound rolls
Shardnet & impaler…10 pts Change to 5e effect

Dark Eldar Vehicle Equipment
A model may take one of each of the following:
Chain-snares…5 pts
Enhanced aethersails 4…5 pts
Grisly trophies…10 pts add “In addition, Enemy units within 6" of one or more vehicles equipped with Grisly Trophies suffer a -1penalty to their Leadership value”
Shock prow 4…10 pts
Night shields … 15 pts A vehicle with Night Shields has the Stealth special rule at range 12-24”, Shrouded at range 24-36” and cannot be targeted at ranges greater than 36”
Torment grenade launchers …15 pts Add Pinning. Change last sentence of Soulfright rule to “Wounds cannot be allocated to models with the Fearless special rule (any excess Wounds are lost). Models with the And They Shall Know No Fear special rule gain a +2 bonus on their Leadership test
Splinter racks 5…15 pts
Flickerfield ...15 pts

Artefacts of Cruelty
Only one of each Artefact of Cruelty may be taken per army. A model may take any of the following:
The Soul-trap…10 pts
The Parasite’s Kiss 6…5 pts
The Armour of Misery…15 pts
The Animus Vitae…20 pts Change effect to “If an unsaved Wound is inflicted with the Animus Vitae, it counts as inflicting 5 unsaved wounds for the purposes of the Power from Pain special rule. This benefit applies for the remainder of the battle and is cumulative with the Architect of Agony and/or Master of Pain special rules”
The Archangel of Pain…25 pts Change last sentence to “Wounds cannot be allocated to models with the Fearless special rule (any excess Wounds are lost). Models with the And They Shall Know No Fear special rule gain a +2 bonus on their Leadership test
The Helm of Spite…25 pts
The Djin Blade 6…20 pts Profile changes to AP2, Sentient Blade

1 Scourges and Kabalite Trueborn only
2 A model may not have both a clone field and a shadow field
3 Archon and Succubus only
4 Raiders and Ravagers only
5 Raiders only
6 Replaces a model’s ranged or Melee weapon

UNITS

Add Soul Harvest to Special Rules for all units

Archon
Increased to 85 pts
Change Kabalite Armour to Ghostplate Armour
Labyrinthine Cunning: If the Archon is your Warlord the Dark Eldar player can re-roll the dice when they attempt to Seize the Initiative, determine if the Night Fighting rules are in effect, and when they make Reserve Rolls.
Huskblade increased to 30 points but with AP2, Fleshbane and Lethal Dose (in place of ID)
Blaster and Blast Pistol 10 points each
Add "May take Combat Drugs... 5 pts"

Court of the Archon
Change Retainers rule to: You may include one Court of the Archon for each Archon in your army. The Court does not take up a slot on the Force Organisation chart. Each member of the Court benefits from the Archon’s Warlord Trait as if it was the Warlord even if the Archon is not joined to the Court
Add Disciple of Shaimesh to Special Rules (Lhamean)
Disciple of Shaimesh - A unit containing one or more models with this special rule gains the Lethal Dose special rule on all weapons in the unit with the Poisoned special rule
Increase Lhameans points to 15 pts/model

Succubus
Decreased to 70 points
Add Storm of Blades, Gladiator and Hit & Run to Special Rules
Storm of Blades: When fighting in an assault, a model with this special rule wounds automatically on a To Wound roll of 6, regardless of the target’s Toughness, and that wound is resolved at AP2
Gladiator: On the first turn of an assault a model with this special rule makes 1 bonus Attack for each point that its Initiative is higher than its opponent’s Initiative characteristic. If fighting against models with different Initiative values, use the majority Initiative for enemy models engaged in that combat
Change Dodge to: A model with this special rule has a 4+ invulnerable save against all Wounds inflicted in the Assault phase
Change first option to: May replace close combat weapon or splinter pistol with an archite glaive...15pts
Change Blast Pistol as above

Lelith Hesperax
Change Warlord Trait to Pain is so close to Pleasure
Add Storm of Blades, Gladiator (see Succubus) and Hit & Run to Special Rules
Change Quicksilver Dodge to: Lelith Hesperax has a 4+ invulnerable save. This is increased to
a 3+ invulnerable save against all Wounds inflicted in the Assault phase

Haemonculus
Reduce points to 50. Change Master of Pain to: A unit containing one or more models with this special rule receives a +1 bonus to their Feel No Pain (e.g. Feel No Pain would become Feel No Pain (4+). This is cumulative with any other modifiers to Feel No Pain, but cannot improve their Feel No Pain beyond 3+

Urien Rakarth
Change Warlord Trait to: Master Haemonculi: All Haemonculi, Wracks, Grotesques and Pain Engines in Urien’s detachment gain +1S and +1T for the entire battle, even if Urien is slain during the battle

Drazhar
Reduce points to 160. Add Tormentor Helm to Wargear (see Incubi)
Add Sublime Defence: When fighting in a challenge, at the start of each Fight sub-phase Drazhar may choose to reduce the number of attacks he makes by any number (to a minimum of 1). His opponent loses the same number of attacks (to a minimum of 1). This lasts until the end of the assault phase

Kabalite Warriors
Add Splinter Pistol to Wargear
Change Special and Heavy Weapon options for Kabalite Warriors to:
For every five models in the unit, one Kabalite Warrior may take an item from the Special Weapons or Heavy Weapons list.

Kabalite Trueborn
Any unit of Kabalite Trueborn may replace their Kabalite Armour with Ghostplate Armour...2 pts/model
Any Kabalite Trueborn may take items from the Melee Weapons list
Any Kabalite Trueborn may replace their Splinter Rifle with a Shardcarbine ...2 pts

Wyches and Bloodbrides
Unit cost to 60. Increase to 12 pts/model
Increase Weapon Skill for Wych, Hekatrix, Bloodbride and Syren to 5
Change Dodge to: A model with this special rule has a 4+ invulnerable save against all Wounds
inflicted in the Assault phase
Add Storm of Blades and Gladiator (see Succubus) to Special Rules
Change Blast Pistol to 10 points, 12” range
For every three models in the unit, one Wych or Bloodbride may take an item from the Wych Cult Weapons list

Incubi
Add Tormentor Helm to Wargear
Tormentor Helm: A model equipped with a Tormentor Helm may fire it in the Shooting Phase with the following profile:
Range 12”, S --, AP --, Type Assault 1, Terrorfex
Terrorfex: Any unit hit by one or more Tormentor Helms must take a Pinning test. The unit suffers a penalty on the test of -1 per hit from weapons with this special rule
Demiklaives drop to 5 points

Mandrakes
Add Daemon to special rules
Shadowmeld: Once per game, at the start of any friendly Movement phase, a Nightfiend can remove himself and his unit from the table, even if they are locked in combat. They then immediately arrive anywhere on the board using the rules for Deep Strike

Wracks
Change Strength to 4
Add: For every five models in the unit, one Wrack can replace a Wrack tool with a Power Maul…15 pts/model

Altered Physique – A unit containing one or more models with this special rule determines what special rules they benefit from as the result of the Power from Pain special rule as though 5 more unsaved wounds had been inflicted. This is cumulative with the Agonising and/or Architect of Agony special rules

Grotesques
No change!

Beastmasters
Beastmasters replace close combat weapon with Agoniser. Points increase to 15 per Beastmaster.
Razorwings gain +2WS, +2W, +1A
Clawed Fiend gains Rampage
Change first option to: A Beastmasters unit consists of 1 Beastmaster and up to 19 of the following models, chosen in any combination

Raider
Add Aerial Assault to Special Rules
Increase Transport Capacity to 12

Venom
Add Aerial Assault to Special Rules
Increase Transport Capacity to 6
Add option to replace either/both Splinter Cannons with Disintegrator Cannons...5 pts/weapon

Reavers
Add Plasma Grenades to wargear. Increase Reaver Jetbikes armour save to 4+
Change Grav-talon from Concussive to Graviton

Hellions
+1A for Hellions and Helliarch
Remove close combat weapon
Hellglaive gains Rending
Stun Claw reverts to 5e rules (see Armoury)
Add Move Through Cover and Skyswarm to special rules
Skyswarm
Hellions take to the skies in vast numbers, flocking around their target and bringing it down in a whirl of deadly blades
A unit composed entirely of models with this special rule may declare charges against zooming flyers and swooping flying monstrous creatures. Charge distances are measured to the base of the model in the same way as charges against non-flying units. Combat is fought as normal but neither the Hellions nor the flyer/FMC can be locked in combat against each other. Unless killed/wrecked in melee or, in the case of FMCs, destroyed by Sweeping Advance, both the Hellions and the enemy flyer/FMC remain where they are and are free to simply move away in future turns

Razorwing Jetfighter
Change Unit Composition to 1-3 Razorwing Jetfighters
Add Vector Dancer to special rules
Add Targeting Matrix to special rules: Whilst this squadron includes three Razorwing Jetfighters all missiles fired by any member of the squadron gain the twin-linked special rule
Change Shatterfield Missiles to S8, AP-, Assault 1, Armourbane, one use only
Remove Night Shields option and replace with: May take items from the Dark Eldar Vehicle Equipment list

Scourges
Change unit type to Jet Pack Infantry

Talos & Cronos
Merge the two unit entries and rename to Pain Engines
Change unit Composition to 1-3 Pain Engines
Add Power from Pain to special rules for both Talos and Cronos
Add Independent Targeting to special rules for Cronos
Independent Targeting – A model with this special rule may fire each of its weapons at a different target if desired and is not required to shoot at the same target as other models in its unit
Change Options to: A Pain Engines unit consists of between 1 to 3 of the following models, chosen in any combination:
Talos ...120 pts/model
Cronos ...100 pts/model
Other options for Talos and Cronos remain the same except that the Cronos may take both a Spirit Vortex and a Spirit Probe (at the appropriate points cost)

Ravager
Change Unit Composition to 1-3 Ravagers
Add Aerial Assault to Special Rules
Add Killshot: Whilst this unit includes three Ravagers, all Ravagers in the unit have the Monster Hunter and Tank Hunters special rules

Voidraven Bomber
Change Unit Composition to 1-3 Voidraven Bombers
Increase points to 200
Add Rearm and Refuel: Whilst this unit includes three Voidraven Bombers, when vehicles from this squadron re-enter the table from ongoing reserve they do so with any damage repaired and with all missiles and bombs replaced
Add Vector Dancer to Special Rules
Add Stealth Warfare Suite to special rules:
Stealth Warfare Suite: The Voidraven Bomber has the Shrouded special rule
Add 4 Necrotoxin Missiles to Wargear
Void Mine changes to Strength D and loses Lance rule
Void Lances change to Strength D and loses Lance rule
Change Options to:
May replace Necrotoxin Missiles with:
- Four shatterfield missiles…free
- Two shatterfield missiles and two implosion missiles…20 pts
- Four implosion missiles…40 pts
Change Shatterfield Missiles to S8, AP-, Assault 1, Armourbane, one use only
Remove Night Shields option and replace with: May take items from the Dark Eldar Vehicle Equipment list

Lord of War
Asdrubael Vect, Supreme Overlord of Commorragh
300 Points
PROFILE: WS 8, BS 8, S 3, T 3, W 4, I 8, A 5, LD 10, Sv 4+
UNIT TYPE: Infantry (Character)
UNIT COMPOSITION: 1 Unique
WARGEAR: Shadow Field, ghostplate armour, splinter pistol, plasma grenades, haywire grenades
Obsidian Orbs: Range 12”, S D, AP2, Assault 1, Blast, Soul-tech, Distort Scythe
Soul-tech: For each unsaved wound caused by a weapon with this special rule, Vect heals a wound he has suffered earlier in the battle
Distort Scythe: When rolling on the Destroyer Weapon Attack table for a weapon that has this special rule, subtract 1 from the result of the D6 roll (to a minimum of 1). Furthermore, a weapon with this special rule is assumed to have a Strength of 4 for the purposes of determining if a hit has the Instant Death special rule.
Sceptre of the Dark City: This counts as a Flesh Gauntlet with Poisoned (3+)
SPECIAL RULES: Fleet, Independent Character, Night Vision, Power from Pain, Fearless, Labyrinthine Cunning
Supreme Overlord: If Vect is included in your army he must be the Warlord. He may select (no dice roll required) any Warlord Trait from the 40k Rulebook or any current WH40K codex
Master Tactician: Vect seizes the initiative on a roll of 4+
Ancient Nemesis: Vect has Preferred Enemy (all)
Cunning Plans: Once per game Vect can reveal one of his cunning plans. At the start of either player’s turn he may select any one non-fortification unit (friend or foe) and immediately place it into ongoing reserve, even if it is locked in combat, fleeing, inside a vehicle or building etc. The unit can return on the owning player’s next turn in the normal way but if off the table at the end of the game it counts as destroyed and awards Vect’s army an additional Victory Point on top of any that would normally be awarded in the mission being played.
At the start of the game, after both armies have deployed but before any Infiltrate deployment or Scout redeployment, Vect may choose to move any one objective up to 12". The objectives final position may not be within 6" of a table edge or 12" of another objective, nor may it be inside a building or fortification. This ability may not be used in The Relic mission.

At the start of each of his turns, after generating Tactical Objectives, Vect may choose 2 Maelstrom objective markers. The locations of those objectives are immediately switched with each other. The objectives remain in their new location for the rest of the game (unless Vect chooses to move them again).

At the start of each of his turns Vect may choose up to D6+1 units. These may be friendly, enemy or a mixture of both. He can then either grant them the Objective Secured special rule (friendly units) or remove the Objective Secured special rule (enemy units). The effects last until the start of Vect's next turn.

When a Mysterious Objective is identified (by either players army), roll twice on the Mysterious Objectives table. Vect may choose which result to apply.

Nothing Left To Chance: Vect may re-roll a single D6 of your choice once per turn – declare before you make the re-roll. If this is used to re-roll a single dice from 2d6, 3d6 etc the other dice in that batch cannot be re-rolled

The Dais of Destruction: +150 points. Treat as a Ravager with 3 Dark Lances, 4 Hull Points, AV13 on all sides and a transport capacity of 10. May take items from the Dark Eldar Vehicle Equipment list (counting as a Raider and/or Ravager). Vect must begin the game embarked on the Dais if it is included in the army but may disembark as normal during the game.[/b][/b]

ARMOURY OF THE DARK CITY
NB – Only listing profile changes here. Point changes are in wargear list
Melee Weapons
Archite Glaive - both profiles gain Shred
Demiklaive - dual blades gain Shred
Electrocorrosive Whip – Change to AP-, Melee, Haywire, Poisoned (5+)
Hellglaive – Add Rending
Huskblade – Change to AP2, remove Instant Death, add Fleshbane and Lethal Dose
Hydra Gauntlet – Change to Melee, Haywire, Specialist Weapon
Mindphase Gauntlet – Change Concussive to Blind
Razorflail – Change Blade Whip to re-roll all failed To Hit and To Wound rolls in close combat
Shaimeshi Blade – Add Rending
Shardnet and Impaler – Change second sentence of Ritual Pair to: Every enemy model in base contact with the wielder fights with one less Attack (to a minimum of 1)
Stunclaw – Change Snatched to: When performing a Hit & Run, a Helliarch may nominate an Independent Character in the same combat and roll a D6. On a 2+ the nominated model is moved with the Hellions. When their Hit & Run move is finished, leave as many of the Hellions unit in base contact with the snatched model as possible. The Hellion unit is considered to be locked in combat with the snatched model. This combat will be resolved in the next player turn
Venom Blade – Add Lethal Dose

Ranged Weapons
Blast Pistol – Change Range to 12”
Blaster – Change to Assault 2
Dark Lance – Change to Rapid FireAssault 2
Hexrifle - Remove Arcane Payload, replace with Instant Death
Liquifier Gun – Change to S4
Phantasm Grenade Launcher - Add Pinning. Change last sentence of Soulfright rule to “Wounds cannot be allocated to models with the Fearless special rule (any excess Wounds are lost). Models with the And They Shall Know No Fear special rule gain a +2 bonus on their Leadership test”
Shatterfield Missile - Change to S8, AP-, Assault 1, Armourbane, one use only
Shredder – Change to Template, Assault 1, Monofilament
Spirit Syphon - Add Soul-tech and Soulfright
Spirit Vortex - Add Soul-tech and Soulfright
Void Lance – Change to S D, remove Lance
Void Mine – Change to S D, remove Lance

Armour
No changes

Arcane Wargear
Clone Field – Change to: A Clone Field negates the first D3+1 unsaved wounds suffered by the user in each turn. Has no effect on wounds caused by Blast or Template Weapons
Crucible of Malediction – Change to: Once per game, a model with a crucible of malediction can unleash its contents instead of making a shooting attack in the Shooting phase. If he does so, all models with the Psyker, Brotherhood of Psykers/Sorcerers or Psychic Pilot special rules (friend or foe) within 3D6" of the bearer immediately suffer Perils of the Warp
Hellion Skyboard - Models on Hellion skyboards have the Jump Infantry unit type. Hellion skyboards also confer a 5+ Armour Save, the Jink special rule and are armed with splinter pods. Models on Hellion Skyboards roll an extra d6" each time they move, including their normal move in the Movement Phase, Run moves, Thrust moves, Charge distance and Falling Back. In all cases they move using the Skyborne rules
Reaver Jetbike – Change conferred armour save to 4+
Shadow Field – A shadow field confers a 2+ invulnerable save. The shadow field shorts out and the save is lost at the end of any phase in which the model suffers one or more unsaved Wounds. Roll a D6 at the start of each of your turns after the Shadowfield shorts out. If the bearer did not suffer any unsaved wounds in the previous turn, on a roll of 4+ the shield starts working again as normal
Spirit Probe - change last sentence to: This is cumulative with any other modifiers to Feel No Pain, but cannot improve their Feel No Pain beyond 3+.

Vehicle Equipment
Night Shields – A vehicle with Night Shields has the Stealth special rule at range 12-24”, Shrouded at range 24-36” and cannot be targeted at ranges greater than 36”
Torment Grenade Launchers - Add Pinning. Change last sentence of Soulfright rule to “Wounds cannot be allocated to models with the Fearless special rule (any excess Wounds are lost). Models with the And They Shall Know No Fear special rule gain a +2 bonus on their Leadership test”
Flickerfield - Add "This save may also be taken by any models embarked on the vehicle when resolving any wounds inflicted under the No Escape special rule"

Artefacts of Cruelty
The Animus Vitae – Change effect to: If an unsaved Wound is inflicted with the Animus Vitae, it counts as inflicting 5 unsaved wounds for the purposes of the Power from Pain special rule. This benefit applies for the remainder of the battle and is cumulative with the Architect of Agony and/or Master of Pain special rules
The Archangel of Pain – Change last sentence to: Wounds cannot be allocated to models with the Fearless special rule (any excess Wounds are lost). Models with the And They Shall Know No Fear special rule gain a +2 bonus on their Leadership test
The Djin Blade – Change to AP2
Add The Serpent's Bite - This pair of deadly weapons count as two poisoned weapons (2+). Any To Wound rolls of 5+ made with these weapons ignore armour saves...10 pts

Realspace Raiders Detachment
Add Lord of War FOC slot
Change Hunt from the Shadows to: The Night Fighting rules are automatically in effect on Turn one. During any turn in which the Night Fighting rules are in effect, all units from this Detachment have a bonus of +1 to their cover saves

DESIGN NOTES
Special Rules
I’ve got rid of +1Ld on Combat Drugs and added a roll twice option

Power from Pain is now similar to Epidemius’ Tally of Pestilence and requires a certain amount of record keeping but hopefully not too burdensome. I’m open to discussion on the total number of unsaved wounds to trigger the effects. I’ve gone for 5-wound brackets but this might be too few (or even too many). My intent is that a fully powered up DE army should be a truly fearsome foe but they need to have done a fair bit of hard work in order to get to that point.

Aerial Assault gives our vehicles a huge boost in speed and manoeuvrability. A Ravager can move 12” and fire all weapons at full BS or move flat out and fire 2 at full BS and snap fire the rest. Combined with the change to Dark Lances this should make them suitably fearsome tank hunters.

Soul Harvest is basically the old version of Fleet and will be extremely useful when combined with Crusader and Aerial Assault (move 12”, disembark 6”, Run re-rollable 2D6 (pick the highest) and Assault 2D6 with Fleet). Still less than Wulfen though, and we don’t get Thunder Hammers that strike from beyond the grave!

Night Terrors because our leaders should not be morons who always attack in the middle of the day or 2 minutes before dawn

Warlord Traits
Re-worked most of the table, generally using abilities that are already in use from other codexes

Wargear List
Points drop for Power Sword and Agoniser

Venom Blade gains Lethal Dose and is added to Melee Weapons list to improve access

Blast Pistol added to Special Weapons list to improve access

Profile changes for all Special Weapons

Dark Lance changed to Rapid Fire Assault 2 (there are now no infantry weapons with the Heavy type in the codex)

Clone Field now negates d3+1 unsaved wounds per turn but does not work against blast or template weapons

Points drop for Shadowfield and chance to start working again after overloading

Skyboard and Jetbike options for Archons and Succubi only

Hydra Gauntlets change to an AT melee weapon with the addition of Haywire rule. Justified in fluff by just adding a few words on the end of their description: Hydra gauntlets are made from a flexible weave of semi-sentient, extraplanar crystal. Smooth and glassy when inert, a hydra gauntlet can be compelled by a strong-willed wearer to sprout and regrow an impossible profusion of lethal crystalline blades that generate a massive electromagnetic charge. This prevents suitably equipped Wyches being completely unable to deal with Walkers in combat but prevents them just waltzing through whole parking lots.

Grisly Trophies now also apply a -1LD penalty to enemy units within 6” to help any Freakshows

Shaimeshi Blade gets Rending to distinguish it from Venom Blades
Soulfright and Archangel of Pain now work on ATSKNF models but they get +2Ld against it. PGL and TGL can be useful offensively in a Freakshow list and I’ve added Ld penalties to a Warlord trait and vehicle upgrade to help out this type of list and hopefully make it less dependent on allies

I’ve deliberately avoided giving the PGL and TGL any assault and defensive grenade ability but I have added Pinning which can have the same effect and can be used to support other units if needed. Incubi now also have their own solution to the problem. Basically Beastmasters, Mandrakes and Coven units do not have access to assault grenades (or equivalent) but you have the option of supporting them with use of PGL and TGL equipped units if you so wish. Bit more tactical than just adding assault grenades to every unit profile.

Djin Blade gets AP2 cos if you’re going to risk killing yourself, you bloody well want to take someone with you! Also gets points drop.

Units
HQ
All Archons gain Labyrinthine Cunning and Ghostplate Armour. Few changes to Wargear options

Court of the Archon changed to only be taken with an Archon but the Court also benefits from the Archon’s Warlord Trait, even if he is not with the unit

Succubus/Lelith gained pseudo-Rending and Hit & Run, plus they get their invulnerable in the entire assault phase. They also gain Gladiator which gives them extra attacks for higher Initiative

Haemonculus get a points drop but otherwise essentially unchanged. Master of Pain amended to function with new PfP mechanics

Urien significantly boosts all Coven units but only if taken as your Warlord, to represent him bringing his own, uniquely enhanced, monstrosities with him. A Covens army with him as Warlord would be quite fearsome!

Drazhar is cheaper and much more effective in challenges

Troops
Kabalite Warriors gain more choice on how to equip special and heavy weapons. They gain a splinter pistol so they are a bit better in close combat and can shoot before assaulting if they wish
Trueborn gain Ghostplate and melee weapon options
Wyches and Bloodbrides gain the Gladiator and Storm of Blades rules but not Hit & Run (they need a Succubus or Lelith for that). +1WS for everyone. Rationalised options for Wych Weapons. Improved Dodge
Elites
Incubi get their hat guns back and gain the potential to pin their enemies, preventing overwatch and eliminating the Initiative penalty for charging into terrain. Doesn’t work on Fearless models though but you can’t have everything!

Mandrakes are daemons (5++ save)

Wracks go to S4, which may be enough to let them reroll To Wound when combined with Furious Charge from PfP

Grotesques are the only unit in the codex that is unchanged as I think they’re perfectly fine as is

Beastmasters get increased unit sizes but must contain at least one Beastmaster. Razorwing Flocks go back to their 5e statline but retain the swarms rule. Clawed Fiends gain Rampage to make them a bit more deadly in small numbers

Dedicated Transports
Raiders and Venoms gain Aerial Assault and increased transport capacity.
Venoms gain option to take Dissies in place of Splinter Cannons! 2+ save units now have much more to fear and they can also damage light vehicles

Fast Attack
Reavers get an improved armour save to match Corsairs (still inferior to Craftworld)

Hellions get more attacks, AP4 and a point reduction. Stunclaw goes back to 5e version

Razorwings get Vector Dancer and their Shatterfield missiles change to AT weapons, to enable them to hunt other flyers and armour. Can take Fickerfields and/or Night Shields to protect themselves

Scourges change to Jet Pack, slowing them slightly but giving them Relentless and allowing them to make full use of all weapons available to them, plus they can JSJ!

Heavy Support
Talos and Cronos can be taken in mixed units now and both gain PfP. Cronos can take both upgrades if desired

Ravagers gain Aerial Assault

Voidravens get a points increase (yes, I know!!) but have 4 missiles included in the cost and gain Vector Dancer. More importantly, their ‘Void’ weaponry goes to Strength D! Can take Flickerfields and/or Night Shields to protect themselves

Lord of War
Vect is back baby! He has the same stats as his 5e version but has gained several special rules and his Orbs are now rocking the Dirty D! The intent is that, whilst he’s decent in combat, he isn’t going to contend with the likes of Draigo or Abaddon. He is however supremely cunning and has several abilities to enhance his own army and/or hurt his opponents.

The Dais of Destruction is improved and the rules are clarified. Was tempted to upgrade the Dark Lances to Void Lances but thought that might be too much. We’ll see!

COMMORRITE RAID
The Commorrite Raid is a special type of Detachment that can be included in any Battleforged army. Unlike the Detachments shown in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules, it has a Force Organisation Chart whose slots are a combination of specific Formations and Army List Entries instead of Battlefield Roles. However, it still has compulsory and optional elements, as well as Restrictions and Command Benefits, just like any other Detachment.
Although units cannot normally belong to more than one Detachment, units from a Formation that is part of a Commorrite Raid are an exception. They count as part of both their Formation and the Detachment, and have all associated Command Benefits and special rules. If your Warlord is part of a Formation or an Army List Entry that makes up part of a Commorrite Raid, that entire Commorrite Raid is your Primary Detachment.
RESTRICTIONS:
This Detachment must include between one and three Core choices. For each Core choice you must include between one and ten Auxiliary choices, in any combination, and you may also include up to three Command choices, in any combination. Only the datasheets listed here may be included in this Detachment.
COMMAND BENEFITS:
Webway Assault: At the end of the Dark Eldar players first turn place three blast markers (2 small and 1 large) or suitable terrain pieces anywhere on the battlefield to represent Webway Portals. Portals may not be placed within 2" of an enemy model or another portal. From then on, any of your units arriving from reserve may move onto the board from the portal marker's edge instead of entering as normal (it does not matter whether these units were intending to Deep Strike, Outflank, simply move on from their own table edge, and so on). The portal counts as impassable terrain and cannot be destroyed. Vehicles may only enter via the large blast marker.

CORE CHOICES (1-3)
Kabal of the Dark City
• 1 Archon (or Vect)
• 3+ units of Kabalite Warriors
• 3+ units chosen from Incubi, Kabalite Trueborn, Scourges or Mandrakes (in any combination)
• 0-1 Ravager Squadron
• 0-1 Court of the Archon
Restrictions: None
Special Rules
Arterial Strike: All units in the formation must start the game in Reserve. They enter play in the Dark Eldar players second turn, arriving automatically with no dice roll required. To represent the element of surprise, in the Shooting phase of the turn they enter play, all units in this formation may re-roll failed To Hit rolls.

Wych Cult
• 1 Succubus (or Lelith)
• 3+ units of Wyches
• 3+ units chosen from Bloodbrides, Hellions, Reavers or Beastmasters (in any combination)
• 0-1 Voidraven Bomber Squadron or Razorwing Jetfighter Squadron
Restrictions: None
Special Rules
Overdose: All non-vehicle units from the formation gain the Combat Drugs special rule. A unit that already has Combat Drugs rolls an extra dice on the chart when determining which combat drugs are available, and applies two of the results generated instead of the usual one (reroll any duplicates)

Haemonculus Coven
• 1 Haemonculus (or Rakarth)
• 3+ units of Wracks
• 2+ units chosen from Grotesques or Pain Engines (in any combination)
Restrictions: None
Special Rules
Pain Amplifiers: All non-vehicle enemy units within 12" of a Pain Engine from this formation have their Toughness characteristic reduced by one. In addition, friendly units chosen from Codex: Dark Eldar (or Haemonculus Covens) that are within 12" of at least one model in this formation have their Feel No Pain special rule improved by one, for example, Feel No Pain would become Feel No Pain (4+). This is cumulative with any other modifiers to Feel No Pain, but cannot improve their Feel No Pain beyond 3+.

AUXILIARY CHOICES (1-10 per Core Choice)
• Kabalite Stormsurge
• Dark Olympiad
• Ravager Titan Hunters
• Terror Squadron
• Incubi Shrine
• The Shadows of Aelindrach
• Blades for Hire
• Void Raid  
You may also include any of the formations from the Haemonculus Covens supplement, each counting as a single Auxiliary Choice

COMMAND CHOICES (0-3 per Core Choice)
• Scions of the Dark Muses (1 Lelith Hesperax, Drazhar or Urien Rakarth)
• Unholy Triumvirate (1 Archon, 1 Succubus and 1 Haemonculus)
• Supreme Overlord’s Court (Asdrubael Vect, 1-3 Archons, 1-4 Courts of the Archon)

Kabalite Stormsurge
• 1 Archon
• 3 units of Kabalite Warriors or Kabalite Trueborn
Restrictions: All Infantry models in the formation must begin the game embarked in Raider or Venom transports
Special Rules
Stormsurge: All units in the formation are not deployed at the start of the battle. Instead, in the movement phase of their first turn the vehicle in which the Archon is embarked is placed anywhere on the table, and then all other units are placed within 12” of the Archon’s vehicle. All units must be placed on open ground and more than 1” away from any enemy models. Any models that cannot be deployed for any reason are removed as casualties.
Vehicle models in the formation have the Strafing Run special rule and are treated as Zooming Flyers until the beginning of their second turn, at which point they revert to their normal rules.
Terror Reigns:  Enemy units within 12” of a unit from this formation during the Kabalite Stormsurge players first turn must subtract 3 from the Leadership characteristic on their profile until the end of their next turn.

Dark Olympiad
• 1 Succubus (or Lelith)
• 2+ units of Wyches
• 0+ units of Bloodbrides
• 1+ units of Hellions
• 0+ units of Beastmasters
• 1+ units of Reavers
Restrictions: None
Special Rules:
Orgy of Scarlet: All models from this formation gain +1WS and the Rage special rule. If the model already has Rage they gain +1A

Ravager Titan Hunters
• 1-3 Ravager Squadrons
Restrictions: None
Special Rules:
Command Vehicle: Nominate one Ravager as the Command Vehicle of the formation.
Shadow Dancing: Any unit in the formation within 12" of the Command Vehicle (including the Command Vehicle itself) has the Shrouded special rule.
Shadow Ray: The Command Vehicle has a shadow ray built into the heavy weapon on its prow in addition to its other armaments. This is treated as being part of the heavy weapon on its prow in all respects, and is fired in addition to the heavy weapon when it fires.
Resolve the shadow ray's attack first, before any other shooting attacks are made by the formation.
If the ray hits a target, then for the rest of the turn, any subsequent hits inflicted on that target by any Ravager in the formation will ignore the effects of all Void Shields, Barrier Shields, Ion Shields, Ionic Flare Shields, Power Fields, Eldar Titan Holo-fields and Improved Holo-fields. The shadow ray has the following profile:
Range S AP Type
36” 1 - Assault 1

Sickle Squadron
• 1-3 Razorwing Jetfighter Squadrons
Restrictions: None
Special Rules:
Sicklewing Fields: In the Movement phase, the Sickle Squadron may attack with its sicklewing fields. Pick one non-vehicle enemy unit that was moved over by at least one model from the formation. Units that are locked in combat may not be selected. The target unit suffers D3 Strength 8 AP3 hits for each Razorwing from the formation that moved over it this turn. Furthermore, you may allocate a single Wound caused by this attack to any single model in the enemy unit for each Razorwing from the formation that moved over the unit this turn. The rest of the Wounds are distributed using Random Allocation.
Evasive Manoeuvres: All models in this Formation have a 4+ cover save. If a model in this
formation chooses to Jink, it can re-roll failed cover saves until the start of its next turn.

Terror Squadron
• 1-3 Razorwing Jetfighter Squadrons
Restrictions: None
Special Rules:
Terrorfex Fields: Once per game, in the Movement phase, the Terror Squadron may attack with its Terrorfex Fields. Any unit, friend or foe, that was moved over by at least one model from the formation suffers 1 automatic hit with the Soulfright special rule.
Evasive Manoeuvres: All models in this Formation have a 4+ cover save. If a model in this formation chooses to Jink, it can re-roll failed cover saves until the start of its next turn.

Void Raid
• 1-3 Voidraven Bomber Squadrons
Restrictions: None
Special Rules:
Shock and Awe: At the start of the first player turn of the battle, even if the enemy has the first turn, all vehicles in this formation enter the table from the Dark Eldar player’s table edge, moving at Cruising Speed. Each vehicle performs a Bombing Run and then leaves Combat Airspace in the first shooting phase of the game (even though flyers are not normally permitted to leave the board on the same turn that they enter). After this is completed, the flyers then arrive from reserve in the usual way. The Bombing Run uses up the Voidraven’s Void Mine but this can be replaced if the squadron benefits from the Rearm and Refuel special rule.

Incubi Shrine
• 3 units of Incubi
• 0-1 Drazhar
Restrictions: Each unit must include a Klaivex
Special Rules: All models from this formation gain the Precision Strikes special rule. The Klaivex in each unit (and Drazhar, if included) gains the Dismembering Strike special rule.
Dismembering Strike: Each unsaved wound caused by the Klaivex or Drazhar in a challenge severs a limb from his opponent, reducing the opponent’s Attacks characteristic by 1 (to a minimum of 1) and destroying one of his melee weapons (determined randomly, grenades do not count). The destroyed weapon may not be used for the remainder of the battle.

The Shadows of Aelindrach
• 3 units of Mandrakes
Restrictions: None
Special Rules: All models from this formation may assault on their first turn even if they have Infiltrated. Furthermore, they gain the Rending special rule on their first turn.

Blades for Hire
3 units of Hellions, Reavers or Scourges (in any combination)
Restrictions: None
Special Rules: All ranged weapons fired by models in this formation count as twin-linked. In addition, all models in this formation gain the Hatred special rule

Just a few quick notes/suggestions:

How about dropping Splinter cannons back down to 10 pts? They have already been nerfed slightly due to being made salvo weapons, so they didn't need a point increase from the 5e codex.

The mandrake nightfiend could use a couple of upgrade options. As it stands, it's the only unit leader with zero options. I would suggest an option for either poison or rending (but not both).

The agonizer should be cheaper (maybe a 5 pt drop) for the beastmaster, as an agonizer is considerably less effective on the beastmaster than on other models, due to the BM's lack of a second CCW.

The tormentor helm is a good mechanic, but you could also streamline it by just counting incubi tormentors as having the same effects that howling banshees get (no initiative penalty when charging into cover, and unit being charged can't fire overwatch), and it would be in line with the 5e fluff on the incubi tormentors (which is more like a beam that radiates from the incubus, than the helm shooting splinters as in 3e).

Thanks for the comments. You're probably right on the Splinter Cannon. I'll edit that down to 10 points.

I'll take a look at the Nightfiend. I quite fancy some redeployment shenanigans as they melt into the shadows and reappear elsewhere so that might be a good option for him.

How about giving Beastmasters an Agoniser as standard equipment and upping them to 15 points?

I didn't really want to just give Incubi grenades or banshee masks as it seemed a bit of a cop out. I realised that a failed Pinning test had almost exactly the same effect but I wanted to make it a bit more reliable, hence the penalty for more than one hit.

Count Adhemar wrote:

Thanks for the comments. You're probably right on the Splinter Cannon. I'll edit that down to 10 points.

How about giving Beastmasters an Agoniser as standard equipment and upping them to 15 points?

Makes sense from a fluff perspective, for keeping the beasts in line. Also, it's what the model is modeled with by default anyway.


A few things that I didn't see covered (though I may have just overlooked it - there's a lot of material to sift through):

mindphase gauntlet - I think that blind would be far more useful than concussive here, and make it a more viable cheap weapon option.

reaver grav-talon - these could be a lot better (no one takes these, in either 5e or 7e). Offhand, I'm thinking that it should replace the 1 HoW attack on the model with 1d3 HoW attacks with rending and graviton. This would probably warrant a point increase.

Thanks again. I'll take another look at Mindphase and the Grav Talon.

I've only had a quick glance so far, but a few things stand out:

- With regard to the Shadowfield, perhaps have it only recharge at the end of a turn when the Archon took no wounds. I'm mostly thinking in terms of fluff here.

- Considering that all other melee weapons have dropped in price, 35pts seems really excessive for the Huskblade. I think keeping it at 25pts would be more reasonable. Otherwise, maybe swap it for the Djin Blade (making it an artefact) and give it some extra rules (Shred maybe).

- Personally, I'd prefer Venom Blades at 5pts with no lethal dose.

- Having the Blaster as Assault 2 and the Dark Lance Rapid Fire just seems odd to me. You've got a 10pt assault weapon and a 20pt rapid fire weapon - both with the same profile and optimum range. It just seems like the Blaster should be rapid fire as well, or else the Dark Lance should be Heavy 2.

I'll try and read through the other stuff later, but so far it's looking really good.

Good idea on the Shadowfield. Do you think 5+ is still okay to restart it or go to 4+ if it's only on turns with no wounds taken?

Huskblade I see what you mean but I do think an AP2 ID weapon is pretty powerful, even on a S3 user. Might drop to 30 points though.

I quite like the Lethal Dose but will have a think about it.

I didn't want the blaster to be rapid fire as that makes it 9" optimal range, which is a bit too close for comfort. I also wanted to avoid heavy weapons on infantry. I agree it's a bit odd having different profiles but they all seem to do what I want them to.

Thanks for all the comments.

Count Adhemar wrote:

Good idea on the Shadowfield. Do you think 5+ is still okay to restart it or go to 4+ if it's only on turns with no wounds taken.

I'd probably go to 4+. An Archon losing his shadowfield and surviving is an unlikely scenario to begin with.

Count Adhemar wrote:

Huskblade I see what you mean but I do think an AP2 ID weapon is pretty powerful, even on a S3 user. Might drop to 30 points though.

It's pretty powerful, but I don't think it's more powerful than a Power Fist. It's still only S3 and can't touch vehicles.

Count Adhemar wrote:

I quite like the Lethal Dose but will have a think about it.

Fair enough.

Count Adhemar wrote:

I didn't want the blaster to be rapid fire as that makes it 9" optimal range, which is a bit too close for comfort. I also wanted to avoid heavy weapons on infantry. I agree it's a bit odd having different profiles but they all seem to do what I want them to.

Okay, that's fine. Just thought I might as well mention it.

Very good homebrew that covers all basic needs and is not too fancy either. Many elements remind me of my own homebrew.

However, there is one thing I never understood, why are Heat Lances always restirced to Scourges only?
I'm ogling at Trueborn in particular, so we don't need CE in order to get a Venom/Raider full of Melta (even if its worse than actualy Fire Dragons)...

Quote :

5. Master of the Webway
The Warlord has a deep knowledge of the ancient Webway that spans the galaxy and can navigate it with a skill matched only by the followers of the Laughing God
The Warlord counts as having a Webway Portal

Problematic as you roll traits after you made your list. Too late for a refund of points and double WWP is useless.
How about rolling only 1D6 instead of 2D6 when you scatter while deepstriking on all units in the detachment?

Klaivex Charondyr wrote:

Quote :

5. Master of the Webway
The Warlord has a deep knowledge of the ancient Webway that spans the galaxy and can navigate it with a skill matched only by the followers of the Laughing God
The Warlord counts as having a Webway Portal

Problematic as you roll traits after you made your list. Too late for a refund of points and double WWP is useless.
How about rolling only 1D6 instead of 2D6 when you scatter while deepstriking on all units in the detachment?

Either that, or have it allow the player to pick any one unit in the army (including transport and/or attached characters) that is in reserve to deploy via deepstrike as if it had a webway portal.

No footnote 1! Kill it! Kill it with fire!

Especially with the blaster and shredder both becoming more attractive, there's no reason Kabalites shouldn't be able to take heat lances and haywire blasters.

Otherwise it looks excellent. My only other suggestion would be to change Soulfright to the old Terrorfex mechanic too. That way the tormentor helm just gets Soulfright, and the phantasm and torment launchers are used for pinning the enemy down.

Good work!

Looks good so far! One suggestion I would have is to give the cronos a bit of love. After the change from 5th to 7th it's suddenly a support unit that has no bite but can also no longer support anybody

Creeping Darkness wrote:

No footnote 1! Kill it! Kill it with fire!

Especially with the blaster and shredder both becoming more attractive, there's no reason Kabalites shouldn't be able to take heat lances and haywire blasters.

Otherwise it looks excellent. My only other suggestion would be to change Soulfright to the old Terrorfex mechanic too. That way the tormentor helm just gets Soulfright, and the phantasm and torment launchers are used for pinning the enemy down.

Good work!

I could see heat lances and haywire blasters being an upgrade option for trueborn (which should get a LOT of options), but I think that putting them with basic kabalite warriors is overkill.

@The Strange Dark One and Creeping Darkness - Good point. The restriction is in the codex because only Scourges (and Reavers) have models with Heat Lances so only Scourges and Reavers are allowed to have them just in case some nasty third party comes along and makes "Evil Space Elf with Thermal Lance" model to fill the gap that GW left in their range. I however am not limited in that way so I see no reason to apply such arbitrary restrictions. Just need to think whether to limit them and Haywire Blasters to Trueborn or allow anyone with access to special weapons to take them.

@Klaivex Charondyr and Krayd - good suggestions for the WWP warlord trait. I'm inclined to allow D3 units to count as having a WWP.

@Leninade - Will have a think about how to buff the poor old Cronos a bit.

like it as a whole

two things i would like to suggest,
1. the +1 init on combat drugs is really bad compared to the other choices so, maybe add +1ld also on that roll ?

2. fleshbane on the huskblade and rending ? for 35pts thats fair right

Count Adhemar wrote:

@The Strange Dark One and Creeping Darkness - Good point. The restriction is in the codex because only Scourges (and Reavers) have models with Heat Lances so only Scourges and Reavers are allowed to have them just in case some nasty third party comes along and makes "Evil Space Elf with Thermal Lance" model to fill the gap that GW left in their range. I however am not limited in that way so I see no reason to apply such arbitrary restrictions. Just need to think whether to limit them and Haywire Blasters to Trueborn or allow anyone with access to special weapons to take them.

@Klaivex Charondyr and Krayd - good suggestions for the WWP warlord trait. I'm inclined to allow D3 units to count as having a WWP.

@Leninade - Will have a think about how to buff the poor old Cronos a bit.

Amusingly, we're at the point where a nasty third party will come along to make a new codex...

Currently, between special and heavy Kabalites have 4 weapon upgrade options, 2 of which are different ways to package the same darklight thing, and another of which is a slightly fancier version of their basic gun. The fact that there are actually quite different options available, in the heat lance and haywire blaster, is to me a good argument to allow Kabalites to take them - it provides a way to introduce more diversity to our stock troopers.

For the Cronos, wounds it inflicts could count as double for the power from pain tally? Models within 6" count as being 5 wounds further down the track? Count wounds it inflicts separately and apply another buff chart over the top? Gain tokens for wounds it inflicts and spend them for some benefit for a unit, a la Daemonkin?

Creeping Darkness wrote:

Count Adhemar wrote:

@The Strange Dark One and Creeping Darkness - Good point. The restriction is in the codex because only Scourges (and Reavers) have models with Heat Lances so only Scourges and Reavers are allowed to have them just in case some nasty third party comes along and makes "Evil Space Elf with Thermal Lance" model to fill the gap that GW left in their range. I however am not limited in that way so I see no reason to apply such arbitrary restrictions. Just need to think whether to limit them and Haywire Blasters to Trueborn or allow anyone with access to special weapons to take them.

@Klaivex Charondyr and Krayd - good suggestions for the WWP warlord trait. I'm inclined to allow D3 units to count as having a WWP.

@Leninade - Will have a think about how to buff the poor old Cronos a bit.

Amusingly, we're at the point where a nasty third party will come along to make a new codex...

doriii wrote:

like it as a whole

two things i would like to suggest,
1. the +1 init on combat drugs is really bad compared to the other choices so, maybe add +1ld also on that roll ?

2. fleshbane on the huskblade and rending ? for 35pts thats fair right

Those were two points I forgot to mention too. I'd suggest another + 5 points on the pfp table. That would be really helpful in getting the Furious Charge must faster.

And I too think that a simple Fleshbane AP2 weapon at a lower price would make a very good and reliable Huskblade. This way the Huskblade wouldn't suffer from an Archons low strength and still be very killy. Maybe add Lethal Dose to it.

Personally, I'd really like a few (ranged) Fleshbane options that helps us against GC.


Also, regarding the Wracks, wouldn't it maybe make more sense to move the +1 strength to the weapon? I know it makes absolutely no difference whatsoever, but I think it is weird that Wracks are basically just "naked Space Marines". And I think their thoughness should really stand out, given their background.

As for the Wracks, wouldn't it make sense to let them have more weapon per squad available? Personally, I see them more like Covenite Trueborn.

And as for the Haemonculus, I think he should be able to get an Ossefactor too. I mean, why wouldn't he?


I think that Homebrew is extremely solid, just want to give some input.

Quick thought: Are there any skyfire options in your homebrew (aside from flyers)?

Perhaps include the option of choosing to have skyfire until the end of the turn in with aerial assault - maybe with a drawback, like having to be stationary to do so? Maybe making the ability to choose skyfire a vehicle upgrade?


After this is done, it might be a worthwhile idea to have a few hundred copies of this be printed up, and mailed to GW (preferably from different senders/addresses) in hard copy format, to see if they take notice. It couldn't hurt. Back in the mid-2000's, as I recall, people from druchii.net somehow got GW to listen to their update suggestions, and the dark elf army book was updated in White Dwarf, and the next printing modified to reflect the changes... I'm pretty sure that this happened without an edition change to WFB too. Since no one expects hard copy letters anymore, and GW seems very old-fashioned in some rather odd ways, a letter campaign might actually have an effect.