Codex Drukhari Preview: The Kabals

I agree about ignoring cover, it's a solid buff plus it's not even the only benefit for the flayed skull, just one among 3.

Yeah Black Heart seems like the worst kabal. I think the warlord trait is actually fine, yeah it's not as good as others but it's also better than many regain cp traits/artifacts. The main issue is pfp benefits melee units most, and besides the court models we don't really have any kabal cc units.

Maybe our trueborn can really do melee again with a melee weapon option as well (or were trueborn gutted from the codex?)

I think for (non mounted) kabalites it works out not that bad.
Reasonable chance to get into melee (at least my kabalites quite often end up in melee to stop shooting or just finish a unit of)
And maybe the imune to morale and enemy penalty to morale will actually play a part in the game now?

Although I do agree the other options seem better.

The Strange Dark One wrote:

the Labyrinthine Cunning is really just a worse version of the Ultramarines Tactic that works on a 5+.

Cunning works when you or your opponent spends a command point. So if your opponent brought a lot of command points (like IG) you get more chances at rolling. You can, situational, get more points back.

Imateria wrote:

Mppqlmd wrote:

Skulnbonz wrote:

Is it me, or is the Flayed Skull the far and away best one on the list?
Think about it..
Not only do your vehicles get to move farther, not only do your dark lances, disintegrators and splinter cannons IGNORE cover, Not only do your venom's splinter cannons get to reroll all 1's But your troops inside also benefit.
Splinter cannons, splinter rifles reroll 1's, and everything else, blasters, eyebursts, thrown grenades, you name it ignore cover.

Then, to top it all off, I do NOT see where this hate for the "masters of the sky" strategem is coming from.
So across the table you see a unit of 9 shining spears in cover. Your tantalus, or your troops, or your ravager or whatever hits on 2'S! They get no cover, And if they are using a splinter cannon or rifle, they reroll 1's.
Yeah, that sucks for 1 command point.

Remember- targeting units that can fly does not mean just flyers.. it means waveserpents, skimmers, jumppack marines, monoliths, tau battlesuits (I think), jetbikes, etc etc.

I am looking forward to the cults and covens.

Deepstrike a Raider with Kabs inside next to them.

Master of the sky on them.

Even without counting the 2 "Hit on 2+, wound on 2+" blasters, you have 16 shots hitting on rerollable 2+, where every 5 or 6 to hit counts as 2 hits. You end up with something like 21 hits ?
And it ignores cover, because why the hell not (good counter to some Tyrannid comps).

And we have no idea what the Archons can do. Maybe they can buff it even more.

Will work well on Poisoned Tongue Kabs as well, their Tesla Poison now explodes on a 5+.

Why would they explode on a 5+? 6+ to hit explodes and poisoned tongue get to re-roll ones in wounding.

I´, fine with the Huskblade being S:U when the damage output is significant like the old instant death or just a flat out 5 or 6 damage.

I love the ignore cover thing. Great against death guard too

Trueborn getting a cc option isn't going to happen given we don't have the option in our kabalite kits. Plus kabalites in cc just really doesn't work, +2 to hit for them is nice in cc but we have such better assault units. Moral immunity starting turn 3 is nice but still not good enough to justify over the other traits. Only reason I'd probably go black heart is fluff reasons.

Fair points regarding Ignores Cover, by the way, guys.

Kabal of the Flayed Skull is looking pretty good. I just hope its not let down by the units themselves.


One thing occurs to me, though - it's weird that you can't use Masters of the Shadowed Sky on a unit of Scourges. Seems like it would be their sort of thing, really.

Just got back from gaming night. So stoked about these rules! Pretty much everything has been said in these 8th pages but yeah, so so pleasantly surprised and excited about these. More than I dared to dream of.

Yeah it definetly is there thing, a deep striking in a blasting a flier out of the sky wouldn't be bad at all. Still at least it's not a bad stratagem for our kabalite units.

The warlord trait is one of the best cp generation wl trait. It works on every cp spent, friend or foe. Not just per stratagem used.
From the top of my head:
5+ wl trait from imp is per own stratagem.
Ulthwe is 6+ per player turn.
Tau is 6+ per stratagem.
There are more non wl traits like:
Autarch 6+ only own cp spent.
Imp 5+ enemy stratagem used.

So stop complaining about it being bad in comparison. It's one of the most efficient cp regeneration one.

Lord Asvaldir wrote:

Yeah Black Heart seems like the worst kabal. I think the warlord trait is actually fine, yeah it's not as good as others but it's also better than many regain cp traits/artifacts. The main issue is pfp benefits melee units most, and besides the court models we don't really have any kabal cc units.

They have not shown their stratagem yet so they may have more to offer.

Everybody is talking bout how flayed skull is better than poisoned tongue but nobody mentions that the tongue´s obsession could help the archons with huskblades.

Weidekuh wrote:

The warlord trait is one of the best cp generation wl trait. It works on every cp spent, friend or foe. Not just per stratagem used.
From the top of my head:
5+ wl trait from imp is per own stratagem.
Ulthwe is 6+ per player turn.
Tau is 6+ per stratagem.
There are more non wl traits like:
Autarch 6+ only own cp spent.
Imp 5+ enemy stratagem used.

So stop complaining about it being bad in comparison. It's one of the most efficient cp regeneration one.

True also mechanicum is everytime a stragatem is used.

CptMetal wrote:

Everybody is talking bout how flayed skull is better than poisoned tongue but nobody mentions that the tongue´s obsession could help the archons with huskblades.

It would need to let you reroll all wounds to be viable for that.

Given that an Archon with a Huskblade will be wounding on 5s or 6s most of the time, rerolling 1s is negligible.

Quote :

Everybody is talking bout how flayed skull is better than poisoned tongue but nobody mentions that the tongue´s obsession could help the archons with huskblades.

True, but that's really more of a niche benefit. Even if Archons become close combat monsters, I'm still probably going to focus on what benefit a trait gives to 90% of the rest of my army. We get 3 Warlord Traits, so it's not like I can't smack Hatred Eternal on my Flayed Skulls for the same effect.

However, I do see the Poisoned Tongue being useful for low cost Archons, Agonizer and Power Sword loadouts in particular

I think people are too hung up about black heart and the obsession in the context of cc. What I like about black heart is being immune to morale turn 3. That is usually when most of my raiders gets popped, so that could be handy.

The Shredder wrote:

Mppqlmd wrote:

I'm really not excited about Black Heart. The Sniper relic alone would make me consider taking Poisoned Tongue. 2 sniper shots wounding on 2+, AP-1 (the only real problem) and D3 ? On a PISTOL weapon ? It's bloody awesome.

Is is even better than a Blaster, though?
- It's got 2 shots but only half the damage (points for reliability, I guess)
- Same range
- Much worse AP
- Same or better strength against Infantry and Monsters, but vastly worse against vehicles
- Is a sniper

I think I'd be more invested if GW hadn't locked it up from all the buffs regular poison weapons can get.  

Bad-baden-baden wrote:

Honestly I feel like the parasites kiss is... better? Ap-1 is the big downfall for me, but I guess against characters it doesn't really matter, since bloody everyone has a 3++/4++.

Parasite's Kiss might also benefit from not being locked into a specific Kabal.

That said, I think this weapon might be better than the Kiss simply due to the longer range, though I enjoy the Kiss' healing, so I'd probably favour it for that reason.

Can also shoot through solid walls, no LOS needed

a small note about WT, Archon does not have to be on the table to use this skills. you can recover cp during the deployment phase

Quote :

a small note about WT, Archon does not have to be on the table to use this skills. you can recover cp during the deployment phase

Nice catch! It also means he can use it in a transport

Dalamar wrote:

Can also shoot through solid walls, no LOS needed

Not sure how useful that will be but it's certainly amusing.

Hen Tai, the tentacle guy wrote:

I think people are too hung up about black heart and the obsession in the context of cc. What I like about black heart is being immune to morale turn 3. That is usually when most of my raiders gets popped, so that could be handy.

I absolutely agree from my experience in tournaments things can get ugly turn 1, 2, or 3 and I need my units to be able to sit on the objectives every turn to gain points especially if they have Objecitve secured special rule. Most melee happens in turn 3.

amishprn86 wrote:

FrankyMcShanky wrote:

I bet ESE is watching this thread from the shadows and cackling maliciously.  

Oh you know he is and must be torture.

Nah, I figured out a long time ago that I'm not all that bright.

As to reading the reactions to stuff that I knew people would love:



As I said previously, there are a few missed opportunities in the codex (there always are) that we'll discuss in the first of our review episodes, but most of it looks like the stuff they released today. When players see the Coven and Cult Obsessions the reaction should be similar. So much more that you guys will get this week that I can't wait to talk about.

And yes, I'm a 6'2" Squat.

One other minor bnus from labyrinth ine cunning: it works not while the warlord is on the battlefield, likr the IG trait, but while he's alive. Meaning you get your rerolls before he's even deployed, or in a transport.

Small thing but nice.

Command trait?
Wonder why they called it a command trait rather than a warlord trait?
yesterday, they were saying warlord trait, today, command trait.

Command trait was a subsection of warlord traits last edition... perhaps arcons will have command traits, coven strategic and wyches personal?
Or perhaps i am reading too much into it. Time will tell.

Loving this preview!

I just noticed
- Poisoned Tongue is Lady Malys’ Kabal
- Their Obsession is called “The Serpent’s Kiss”
- It makes poison better
- Duke Sliscus is the Serpent
- Better poison is the Duke’s schtick

Are Lady Malys and Duke Sliscus Commoragh’s newest power couple?
-

The Shredder wrote:

Dalamar wrote:

Can also shoot through solid walls, no LOS needed

Not sure how useful that will be but it's certainly amusing.

I play ITC where all level one ruins are LOS blocking. Indirect fire is so helpful. Or Guard Leaders hiding behind tanks. This can come up a lot. in the right circumstances.