Brainstorming Strategems

If you like theorizing future codex stuff, this thread is for wishlisting stratagems!

I assume we will get a variant of:

Webway (1/3cp)
Cloudstrike (1cp)
Relics (1/3cp)
Tears of the Hammy (2cp) Heal d3 to a covens unit

I'd love to see:

Grenades! (?cp) All wyches can throw their greneades instead of shooting (taken from Deah Guard)
High Velocity Assault (2cp) Disembark after moving
Black Out (2cp) For the first game round, all enemies targeting friendly Drukhari models are at a -1 to hit
Stimulant Injectors (1cp) +2 to units next charge
Back to the Shadows (2cp) Replace a friendly mandrake unit from the board back into reserve

Any cool fluffy ones you guys can think of?

RedRegicide wrote:

High Velocity Assault (2cp) Disembark after moving

I'd want that as a standard ability, not a 2CP(!!) stratagem.

1CP I could live with that, but 2CP is too much. Should honestly be the equivalent of a Chapter Tactics/Hive fleet Adaptation.

Chippen wrote:

1CP I could live with that, but 2CP is too much. Should honestly be the equivalent of a Chapter Tactics/Hive fleet Adaptation.

THIS. THIS. THIS. This would be perfect as a trait.

I would love something like:

Psychic Nullification 2CP Used during enemy psykers' phase; either neutralizes the phase entirely, or (for 1CP) creates a -4 to all psychic generation tests for enemy psykers that round.

WWP Reinforcement 3CP: Deepstrike a new unit anywhere on ther map, 9'' from ennemy... You have to pay the points for the new unit. You can choose the loadout of the unit.

Suicide bombers 3CP: at the beguining of a fight phase, target a coven unit. When a model die, roll a D6. On a 4+, it inflict a mortal wound to every model 2'' around it, including members of his own unit. (those killed coven models also explode)

- "Make it rain" (2cp, kabal only) : target kabal friendly unit can fire twice with its splinter weaponry. Give us this, and Splinter racks please. That would be all
- "A planned execution" (3cp) : friendly target unit can fire at characters for this turn even if they are not the closest enemy unit.
- "Sabotage intervention" (2 cp) : pay this stratagem when you deep strike a scourge unit. Select one tank within 18" of the scourge unit. It cannot attack, move or shoot until the beginning of your next turn.
- "The corpse thiefs" (1cp, coven only) : beginning of your turn, select one of your coven units. At the end of your turn, roll 1d6 for every infantry model killed by this unit (roll 3d6 for monsters). On a roll of 6, you gain a CP.

1CP (or 2) Horrospex grenades: use when a unit is hit with a Phantasm Grenade Launcher, instead of receiving a -1 leadership that units leadership becomes 7, that unit is filled with horror and may not benefit from any leadership benefits or auto pass their leadership test this turn.
2CP Schemes within Schemes: use after deployment but before the first turn, any time a Command point is used (by you or an opponent, including before the game starts) roll a D6, on a 5+ immediately generate a CP (this may increase beyond your starting CP value)
3CP Drug addicts: units with <combat drugs> special rule may chose a second combat drug from the chart (units may not duplicate their current drug, for example a succubus with the hypex drug may not choose it again).
3CP Ancient gateways: Before deployment set 3 tokens (outside of your opponents deployment zone), these are "ancient" webway gates that have lain dormant on the battlefield for millennia, during any game turn if you have units within 9" of a gate, instead of moving normally you may remove the unit from the board and redeploy them within 9" of another ancient gate, units may end up closer than 9" of an enemy unit with this movement. Units may not move after but can otherwise shoot and charge normally.

That's all I've got for now ... And that last one was more for fun than anything that could actually make it in the game

I think all of those are sick ideas! Some might be better relics or need to be nerfed tho

High velocity could be chapter tactic

Psychic nullification would need to be against a target power or maybe give us the ability to deny for a turn with a +1 b/c if it ruined that phase for a whole turn then you cripple tzeentch type armies

Webway reinforcement is cool, possibly make it 2CP?

The suicide bombs sound like nurgle. There rule is auto explode and standard mortal wounds right? Probably more sellable than on a per model basis, chain reaction sounds cool tho

Planned execution would be cool, Altho might need a stipulation to protect a warlord

Make it rain, planned sabotage and corpse thief all sound cool, might need to increase cost of corpsethief if our coven models get buffed (hopefully)

Schemes within schemes sounds like a solid relic idea

The old gates could be like the Genestealer infection token for mandrakes?

Fear stratagem would be cool, maybe less powerful and make it more spammable

And the drug one would probably be select 3 units or something, but that’s still
Be cool, even for just 2CP or like 1/3 cp

1CP Feel the pain - Select a drukari unit that have the PfP rules. Until the next turn, give it the next bonus on the PfP chart.

1CP You call that a poison? - If you have a haemonculus, after a unit suffer casuatie from a poison attack, that unit is only wounded on a 6+ from the next poison attacks.

CP+1 Not So Fast, Kaiba! - When your opponent use a stratagem, you can't cancel it by paying his CP cost +1

Disembarking should definitely not be a chapter tactic, just a standard ability.
It is too central to a DE force. If it were a chapter tactic why would you take any other chapter tactic, unless it was as equally hobling to the army that you "had" to take it (a terrible scenario)? Chapter tactics are designed to complement and direct an army, not destroy any other version of the army that isn't that chapter.

Look at the other chapters and you will notice they are benefits that allow you to build an army with a slight shift towards that style of play, but if you choose a different chapter you can still run mostly the same army with mostly the same play, but with some other benefit instead.

Eg. -1 to hit at range, generally says fight at range but you still can without.
Reroll when out numbering. Great for big squads but if you don't have it you can still run big squads

Edit: loving some of these underhanded stratagems. So fluffy, having schemes and counter schemes. Blocking stratagems. Ooh nasty!

Not so fast Kaiba!

Idk if they’d ever make it standard tbh. I agree it would be the most popular tactic but I think there could be others that work for alternate styles

Reaver based army could have one for bikes
Could be one kabalite shooty army
Maybe one for monster heavy lists

Harlequins having the movement spell seems to help them, but would we expect this rule to be for open topped or just a drukhari army rule? Cause if they had both they’d be nuts

As a start, I think we could turn our former Grotesquerie and Corpsethief Claw formations into strategems.

Anyway, I really want to have something that makes the Void Mine more powerful:
- Void Mine Sabotage (1 CP):
The Void Mine will deal mortal wounds on a 2+.
However, the Voidraven also takes D3 mortal wounds.
(This happens when the second stage of the Void Mine is omitted)

Idk if it’s fluffy to utilize a sabotaged bomb, but the stratgam sounds solid. Plane stratagems def need to happen, possibly a strafe rum ability that gives them re rolls if they team up

Not So Fast (1CP): Can be used when your opponent uses a stratagem. Roll off with them, if you win, their stratagem fails, but they still spend the CP for it.

Cluster Mines (2CP): Nominate a single point on the board to drop a void mine. Resolve all void mines dropped here first. Every unit with a model within 6" of this point takes a mortal wound. For each additional Mine dropped here, add 3" to the range and a single mortal wound to the unit, up to a max of 12" and 3 mortal wounds.

What's yours is Mine (2CP): If your warlord kills an enemy warlord, roll a die. On a 4+ you equalize the CP you and your opponent have. Add Your CP to theirs, then divide evenly, with any excess going to you.

Slaves are better than Corpses (1CP): Use in the fight phase. A unit of Wyches or Bloodbrides may automatically pass their No Retreat test

FlyBy (1CP): A unit of Reavers or Hellions may make a single attack with a close combat weapon over an enemy unit they fly over. That unit may not strike back, and do not count as being locked in Close Combat. The Unit of Reavers or Hellions must end their move more than 1" away from any enemy models. May not be Combined with Snatch and Grab

Snatch and Grab (2CP): A unit of hellions may, on a 2+, Fly over an enemy character and move him with the unit. That character must end his move more that 1" away from the unit. May not be combine with FlyBy

Go Play my Pets (3CP): A unit of <Coven> within 6" of a Homunculi may activate this at the start of the turn. When activated, the Homuncli and <Coven> unit may Elect to either Move twice, Shoot Twice, or Fight Twice in this phase, but must stay within 6" of each other.

Spite(1CP): Mark an enemy unit that has killed on of yours in the fight phase. Any shooting or Close Combat attacks (Pick one when you use this Stratagem) against that unit in your next phase may re-roll hits.

Faitherun those are all sick!

We also need a beast one!

Like release the hounds: one drukhari beast unit may move, advance and charge this turn

Some great ideas. I would be very upset if we don't get some sort of Webway Portal Strategem for deploying in Reserves.


Turning my mind to the concept of unit specific Strategems, I think:

Archon - As with the Tantalus, allows Overlord use from his Transport OR recharge a failed Shadowfield.
Court - 1cp, Sacrifice, kill a Court model to heal Archon's wounds.
Haemonculus - 1cp, wound healing aura.
Succubus - 1cp, attack twice in Fight Phase.
Warriors/Trueborn - 1cp, Point Blank, fire Rapid Fire at unit within 1".
Wyches/Bloodbrides - 1cp, change your Combat Drug.
Incubi - 1cp, Overwatch with one melee attack each.
Mandrakes - 2cp, redeploy mid-game.
Wracks/Grotesques - 2cp, Ignore a Moral Wound (on a roll?).
Beastmaster/Beasts - 1cp, Charge after Advancing.
Raider/Venom - 1cp, disembark after moving.
Reavers - 1cp, Strafe, if not Charging, can take a Move action in the Charge phase.
Hellions - 2cp, Hit And Run, can Consolodate at end of Fight Phase AWAY from enemy models.
Razorwing/Voidraven - 2cp, Shock and Awe? Double wounds taken when enemy make Morale checks when with X" of Flyer using this.
Scourge - 1cp, Overwatch WHILST Charging.
Ravager - 2cp, Focus Fire? All guns as one shot of much higher S, AP, Dam, etc (a Titan killer shot).
Talos/Chronos - 1cp, Consume, after killing in Melee, use to upgrade an attribute, of heal wounds?

3 CP: advance power from pain table by 1 turn.

The thing is, when thinking about stratagems, that every ability shouldn't be a stratagem. For example, the Leman Russ and Fire Prism got rules that almost doubled their damage output, which is insanely better than stratagems doing the same thing :
- Fly by abilities should come in the reavers rules
- Kidnapping an enemy HQ should be tied to the Stunclaw item
- Void mines are an item, but "void mine overload" could be a stratagem.


Other ideas :

- "Rampaging charge" (beasts only, 3 CP) : if target beast unit is not engaged anymore at the end of the combat phase, they may replace their advance move by a new 2d6 charge. If they succeed it, they may immediatly be activated to attack.

- "Boarding planks" (2 CP) : chose one of your vehicle, that has a unit embarked in it, and that is within 3" of another enemy vehicle that has a unit embarked in it. Disembark all the units from both vehicles. Those units are now engaged in combat.

Mppqlmd wrote:

The thing is, when thinking about stratagems, that every ability shouldn't be a stratagem. For example, the Leman Russ and Fire Prism got rules that almost doubled their damage output, which is insanely better than stratagems doing the same thing :
- Fly by abilities should come in the reavers rules
- Kidnapping an enemy HQ should be tied to the Stunclaw item
- Void mines are an item, but "void mine overload" could be a stratagem.

Agreed. We should keep in mind that not all buffs should be in stratagem form. We should be seeing some standard buffs come our way either from retooling units, Kabal/Cult/Coven traits...or stratagems.

I love the idea of brainstorming stratagems, it may actually be fun to set up the exact same thread for proposed traits!

Set one up ^

And thanks for all the responses, makes homework more bearable

I wish GW had reached out to communities for codex help, even just getting us to make up strategem names would help them undertsand what we are looking for. Unique and fluffy!

RedRegicide wrote:

Set one up ^

And thanks for all the responses, makes homework more bearable

I wish GW had reached out to communities for codex help, even just getting us to make up strategem names would help them undertsand what we are looking for. Unique and fluffy!

Created!! And I agree. They win points for community outreach, pull from the most knowledgeable people around these armies...and hey! maybe even come away with some awesome ideas they hadn't thought of internally!

Inhuman reflexes (1 CP): Wych Cult units only. The designated unit attacks first in the fight phase, even if they were charged this turn. If the other unit has any ability other than this stratagem that would allow it to strike first normally, this ability overrides that and the cult unit strikes first. If two opposing units both use this stratagem then determine which of them strikes first as normal. Those two units both fight before any other units involved in the combat.

FuelDrop wrote:

Inhuman reflexes (1 CP): Wych Cult units only. The designated unit attacks first in the fight phase, even if they were charged this turn. If the other unit has any ability other than this stratagem that would allow it to strike first normally, this ability overrides that and the cult unit strikes first. If two opposing units both use this stratagem then determine which of them strikes first as normal. Those two units both fight before any other units involved in the combat.

I like that one. I think strategems should include more interupt abilities

Flying Armoury: Dark Eldar raiders contain caches of specialized weapons, to provide additional flexibility should something unexpected come up on a raid and special tools are called for.
2 CP. One unit embarked on a raider may exchange one melee or ranged weapon on their unit options with another such weapon. This does not allow them to exceed their normal allocation of special/heavy weapons.

For example: A squad of 10 Kabalite Warriors armed with a blaster and a splinter cannon find themselves engaging a Leman Russ battle tank. The Dark Eldar player may use Flying Armoury to exchange the Splinter Cannon with a Dark Lance, which the squad keeps for the remainder of the battle.

Sorry, buddy! (1CP) Select a friendly unit. That unit can shoot at an ennemy unit even if locked in CC. If you do, half the shots are allocated to the ennemy, half to your CC unit.