Sneak Peek at New Drukhari Codex

Archon_91 wrote:

I'd also accept our units being able to attack out of a transport that is locked in combat, like each model currently embarked gets to attack any enemy unit within engagement range ... even if it's just half the attacks that would still be awesome

What about a rule wherein you can charge a vehicle into combat and the passengers can immediately disembark into the same combat?

Skulnbonz wrote:

Shadowfield should be a 2++ invul, not rerollable. If failed, it goes to a 3++. then a 4++ etc.

I would much rather it stays as 2++, but it can be re-rolled (would this really be that broken?) to mitigate rolling a 1 on the first dice you roll.

Then add a new strategem to regenerate a failed Shadowfield after the current attack sequence/phase ends. This gives opponents the chance to punish us if they make it through with their current attacks, but allows the Archon to actually go toe to toe with other characters and have decent chance of sticking it out for multiple rounds of combat. Opponents can still counter by drowning him under weight of dice from large units.

Slay the warlord just isn’t as important in 9th as 8th and we can take several Archons. I don’t think we need to worry so much about the Shadowfield.

A really nasty splinter pistol upgrade in the wargear would be nice though.

My assumption with the above is that the shadowfield is protecting some offensive output that is worth keeping around. Also, with going back to mixed detachments again, having multiple Archons isn't something I would necessarily want to do. One beatstick Archon leading the raid would be my preference, especially if Archons turn out to not be very customisable.

Dark Elf Dave wrote:

Slay the warlord just isn’t as important in 9th as 8th and we can take several Archons. I don’t think we need to worry so much about the Shadowfield.

Even if it's not strategically vital, improved Shadowfield rules would greatly improve my enjoyment of the game.

Charging my HQ into combat only to immediately lose his Shadowfield remains one of the least fun experiences in 40k.

Orks are laughing at how unreliable the Shadowfield is.

Dark Elf Dave wrote:

A really nasty splinter pistol upgrade in the wargear would be nice though.

I think Soul Seeker could fulfil this role with a little buff. Maybe an extra shot? (And if Poison Tongue still grants rerolls, maybe don't ban them from working with the faction's own artefact?)

Or were you thinking along different lines?

Well you have parasites kiss which is actually kinda cool regaining lost wounds. But it would be nice to have a few more on that list. We surely don’t have to have everything be poison.

In general the artefacts of cruelty need to be a lot better. I still like the deny the witch one. That’s pretty decent for a second archon.

Dark Elf Dave wrote:

In general the artefacts of cruelty need to be a lot better. I still like the deny the witch one. That’s pretty decent for a second archon.

I think it's a given that our relic selection will be improved compared to what we have currently - look at our range versus the Ynnari and (Psychic Awakening) Harlequin relics. We'll almost certainly be getting brought on par with them at the very least.

Dark Elf Dave wrote:

Well you have parasites kiss which is actually kinda cool regaining lost wounds. But it would be nice to have a few more on that list. We surely don’t have to have everything be poison.

In general the artefacts of cruelty need to be a lot better. I still like the deny the witch one. That’s pretty decent for a second archon.

Yeah, the helm of spite is amazing. I'd love to see this or something like it (perhaps a stratagem) be a standard piece of wargear on a haemonculus

Dark Elf Dave wrote:

Well you have parasites kiss which is actually kinda cool regaining lost wounds.

See, this brings me back to the Shadowfield issue.

I love the idea behind Parasite's Kiss, as well as stuff like the Soul Thirst Warlord trait. I think the idea of DE characters rejuvenating themselves by stealing life or feeding on pain is wonderfully thematic.

What I hate is that if an Archon takes wounds at all, it's generally because he's lost his Shadowfield, in which case healing tends to be academic (as he's now defenceless).

Dark Elf Dave wrote:

But it would be nice to have a few more on that list. We surely don’t have to have everything be poison.

Oh, I certainly don't disagree there.

Maybe an improved Blast Pistol could be among the options? Hopefully with a better range.

Otherwise, there's always stuff like the Dark Gate, Shattershard, Orbs of Despair etc.

I was trying to think whether the old characters had any interesting ranged weapons, but aside from Vect's Orbs it was all pretty basic stuff.

Maybe something with a similar profile to a Baleblast?

Dark Elf Dave wrote:

In general the artefacts of cruelty need to be a lot better. I still like the deny the witch one. That’s pretty decent for a second archon.

I definitely agree with you there. I think there's a real problem in that many of the current ones feel like they're just giving HQs basic functionality, rather than being flavourful selections or ones to help you really specialise. e.g. The Obsidian Veil is a basic 4++, needed only because our base save is so unreliable. The Blood Glaive is literally just a Power Fist, needed because the basic Glaive has an abysmal profile.

And a lot of others are just meh.

Helm of Spite is indeed nice, though.

I'd like to see the return of some artefacts from previous editions. Anyone remember Sindriq's Sump?

GreyArea wrote:

Yeah, the helm of spite is amazing. I'd love to see this or something like it (perhaps a stratagem) be a standard piece of wargear on a haemonculus

I think this is part of the frustration with our current artefacts - many of them just feel like they should be standard gear, not necessarily free but also not one-per-model, one-per-army artefacts.

Soulless Samurai wrote:

GreyArea wrote:

Yeah, the helm of spite is amazing. I'd love to see this or something like it (perhaps a stratagem) be a standard piece of wargear on a haemonculus

I think this is part of the frustration with our current artefacts - many of them just feel like they should be standard gear, not necessarily free but also not one-per-model, one-per-army artefacts.

100%

Unless we are talking about special characters then no they won’t be getting wargear as standard will they. That’s the whole point of choosing a basic HQ and then adding your own flavour. The trouble is the restrictions are kinda cruel.

What I want is to take an Archon on with a few special bits like a decent blade and a helm of spite and a good pistol...then I’d be happy with that.

We are not the only ones that have to play this way mind. Most Space marine captains have been running around with a bolt pistol for years.

Today Drazhar and a incomplete weapons profil   :

5 attacks not 7 based purely on that datasheet. S6 and D3 is good. Nice Gravis/DG killer there.

So Drazahar has 5 attacks (does not look like demiklaives have multiple use actions.. ) not sure if he attacks twice.
HJe is str 6 ap-3, damage 3.

If demiklaives still give +2 attacks at -1 str and ap that would be 7 str 5 ap-2 attacks.
Possibly 14 if he can attack twice.
if that is the case, I can see why he went up 30 points or so.

On reddit they said this compact datasheet don’t include secondary profiles weapons.

These in-box datasheets don't show alternative weapon profiles and we know from the Incubi reveal that demi-klaives do indeed still give +2 attacks.

This is a very solid boost for Draz.

Ok, this has pretty much confirmed in my mind a theory I had. Does anyone else think that these are not leaks, but GW approved teasers? If this was some 16 year old back room GW stock guy cracking open new stock in excitement and sharing it, I would have expected kabalites, wyches, then probably raiders or venoms, not Drazhar. But if you are GW approving what is "leaked" then this way, you keep the anticipation going. If all the "useful" sheets come out first, people can make a judgement call and decide to not preorder or buy the codex - echoing some people here, essentially skipping 9th ed Drukhari. But keep us wondering about those big questions, never let the "leaks" show what we REALLY want to see, or let them leave us with more questions than answers (whats the new poison rule? Is the extra attack missing from wych weapons? How does 6++ work in close combat? Can we disembark after move, then charge?) and pretty much all of us will buy the codex, just to see for ourselves if its any good.

No one was asking what Drazhar was going to look like. He was always going to be binary - auto-take or never-take, and most people have a serviceable Drazhar model already. But even if they think they have made a good job of it, are they going to take the gamble that we think they have, this close to release?

Doesn't really make a difference where they come from, we get what we get when we get it.

We knew from the Kabalite article that new datasheets would start popping up from the reboxing, and the box sheets have never included special rules, so I don't think there is anything particularly "engineered" on GW's part with regards to the current drip feed of information and lack of special rules info.

Soulless Samurai wrote:

Maybe something with a similar profile to a Baleblast?

My Mandrake-converted archon would love that ^_^

Soulless Samurai wrote:

I'd like to see the return of some artefacts from previous editions. Anyone remember Sindriq's Sump?

Of course! Never leave home without 'im!
Though that touche on a problem with artefacts in general, that I think our 8ed book avoids: the obvious choice.
I really like all our current artifacts. They can all either boost a character's power on the battlefield, or adds an interesting ability, that helps them out in some way and adds something to their playstyle.
But:

Soulless Samurai wrote:

Dark Elf Dave wrote:

In general the artefacts of cruelty need to be a lot better. I still like the deny the witch one. That’s pretty decent for a second archon.

I definitely agree with you there. I think there's a real problem in that many of the current ones feel like they're just giving HQs basic functionality,
/.../
I think this is part of the frustration with our current artefacts - many of them just feel like they should be standard gear, not necessarily free but also not one-per-model, one-per-army artefacts.

I agree with this. Most of them is just what X should've been from the start. (Looking especially at the Djinn Blade, which has the ap that a Huskblade should've had, and of course the Blood Glaive. The minus to WS that the normal glaive has just makes me sigh).
But most of that seems, to me, like remnants from the index-times, where a lot of stuff just followed universal guidelines (all instant death-effects became damage 1d3, close combat weapons that added strength all got the -1WS debuff, etc.), things that could've then gotten cleaned up/adapted with each faction's codex. The codex fixed some index-headscratchers, but mostly just fixed stuff through adding obsessons, artefacts, stratagems and warlord traits, rather than addressing the foundation they rested on (which worked/was enough, at least for me ^^).

The impression I've gotten from the 9ed books is that they've now had the time to both learn from the 3, or so, years with the current rules-system and actually had the time to take deeper looks into the faction/s and figuring out what they need and what they can add for flavour.
Given, this is just a theory in my mind. But it gives me hope that the same realization that both of you, Dark Elf Dave and Soulless Samu', have made (and that I agree with) has become apparent to the rules team as well, and thus will be part of the new book.

Here's to hoping <3

albions-angel wrote:

Ok, this has pretty much confirmed in my mind a theory I had. Does anyone else think that these are not leaks, but GW approved teasers? If this was some 16 year old back room GW stock guy cracking open new stock in excitement and sharing it, I would have expected kabalites, wyches, then probably raiders or venoms, not Drazhar.

The one that posted it, said they were a customer. Seems the reboxed kits are already sold. And this way it makes sense that Drazhar is one of the first. Most people will hold back buying transports or troops as we don't know the possible combat patrol box content yet, and if Raiders or Venoms will fit your style better.

About his stats, look good. His Executioner's Demiklaives seem to be still Demiklaives with +1 Damage, so the only really new change is the +1 attack. Even though I still hope the dual blade mode will not have +1 Damage, but one attack more than a Demiklaive instead.

ursvamp wrote:

Soulless Samurai wrote:

Maybe something with a similar profile to a Baleblast?

My Mandrake-converted archon would love that ^_^

You too?

Draz and the incubi are looking juicy so far! Hyped

Look like they'll be able to cut through marines of all flavours like butter.
Really hope he keeps his fight twice ability!

Soulless Samurai wrote:

ursvamp wrote:

Soulless Samurai wrote:

Maybe something with a similar profile to a Baleblast?

My Mandrake-converted archon would love that ^_^

You too?

Of course
(They're* the best!)

((*Mandrakes, that is))

I agree that our relics feel like something that should be part of the characters already, not the 'bonus' that they should be. That said, if the relics weren't subsub faction locked it would have been an improvement; any Succubus should have been able to take a Blodglaive, for example.

ursvamp wrote:

Soulless Samurai wrote:

ursvamp wrote:

Soulless Samurai wrote:

Maybe something with a similar profile to a Baleblast?

My Mandrake-converted archon would love that ^_^

You too?

Of course
(They're* the best!)

((*Mandrakes, that is))

Kheradruakh the Decapitator has so much potential as a cool character and mini...