Sneak Peek at New Drukhari Codex

GreyArea wrote:

Oaka wrote:

"Beginning on March 20th, you can pre-order the codex containing rules for these fast targets for your new Heavy Intercessors, which are available now in the Kill Team Pariah Nexus boxed set <LINK>"

I'm definitely being a pedantic frak here but I also thought the first lore article was the laziest, half-assed thing I've ever seen on WC   XD

Reading that article, I was mostly thinking how much I miss the art from the 5th edition book. I really don't like the current style.

As an example:

Spoiler:

vs.

Spoiler:

(I know the top one was originally just in black and white but I could only find the coloured version.)

To me, the top one looks far creepier. I like the fact that (especially in the original) a lot of details are hinted at rather than shown. Given the dark background, it gives a feeling of murkiness that fits their theme and indeed the theme of Dark Eldar in general.

The second one just seems very static and less interesting. And while it's still not especially detailed, the fact that there's no background doesn't convey murkiness but rather the feeling that the artist just couldn't be arsed adding them.


I know it seems minor but I do think this sort of thing is important for setting an appropriate tone and feel.

But what do you guys think?

sadly the first picture does not show
as for the second, imo i find it ok, not jawdropping nor ugly, but ok.
but i think (i may be wrong here) that the picture is just a ripoff of a larger picture, thus why the no background.....but i may be wrong, but when i first saw the picture i had the feeling i've seen it elsewhere...

Feels good to finally have a release date.

Putting the possible quality of the release to one side, I think we are lucky we are getting our codex this early into 9th ed, with Covid and Brexit if we weren't already top of the GW codex release hit list I think we would have been relegated to the bottom.

GW probs had to do a big 9th ed release re-plan with the delays Covid and Brexit have caused and so I imagine their priorities have changed. Past what they had already announced in 2020 for 2021 releases (Death Guard, Dark Angels, and Drukhari) they now fewer release "slots" they are now probably prioritising big selling armies to try and ensure they are hitting their 2021 commercial targets for stakeholders. I think it's fair to assume the next releases will be the most popular armies CSM, Craftworld Eldar, and....Orks? non-Astartes Imperium?

P.S. After seeing how amazing the new fast, hard-hitting Dark Angels Raven-wing are surelyyyyyyyyy GW would have taken a similar design philosophy with us and given us amazing units! Enter new Archon HQ vehicle-character raiding barges full of incubi and VPs for alpha striking enemy units. We will probs be the best Xeno's codex for 9th ed and hate how popular our army now is....    /s

P.S+
We know we will be getting much-needed Codex secondaries, so far 9th Ed codexes have 3 options with one being really good and all kinda thematic. What's people expectations?

How about....
Pray they don't take you alive 1 VP each time a Drukhari unit destroys a unit in combat, +1 VP if its a character, +1 VP if its the warlord. [Cult focus]

Darklight Raiders  Score 2 VP for each enemy vehicle destroyed within the first 2 battle rounds with Darklight weapons. Score 2 VP if a transport/unit mounted within a transport destroyed an enemy unit in the shooting phase. [Kabal Focus]

Magnum Opus (The great work) At the start of the game, choose one Coven unit and the highest point cost unit in the opponent's army. If that coven unit destroyed that unit in your opponent's army and your coven unit is alive at the end of the game. Score 15 VP. [Coven focus]

Kalmah wrote:

Gelmir wrote:

"Fall to Your Death – 1/10
Simple, but effective. You could be plucked from the ground by a pack of roving Hellions and dropped from a terminal height while they laugh at your total lack of skyboard. Why? Because they can."

I'm hoping this hints towards new rules for the Hellions. In 5th edition they had a rule allowing you to snatch characters with the stunclaw. Maybe this is a hint towards more than just lore.

indeed, if what you say happens to be true, then suddenly this article becomes FAR more interesting!!!

Preview starts on Monday, preorder is on Saturday, which means normally 5 preview articles and there are 5 deaths in the list.
Hellions, Kabals, Wych Cults, Mandrakes, Pain engines? The second or third could also be for some crusade things.
I am not sure they would actually plan this, could also be a coincidence.

Preview starts on Monday, preorder is on Saturday, which means normally 5 preview articles and there are 5 deaths in the list.
Hellions, Kabals, Wych Cults, Mandrakes, Pain engines? The second or third could also be for some crusade things.
I am not sure they would actually plan this, could also be a coincidence.[/quote]


For sure fans of conspiration theories would find a lot of stuff to comments with this kind of hints.....THIS CAN'T BE A COINCIDENCE!!! lol
pretty sure it's just a coincidence but i gotta say i'd love it if it werent...

Is what you say is the case and every death points out to a new change, i will bet for:

- Hellions with a "Eviscerating Fly-By" style rule as base.
- Archons with more special rules instead of the re-roll aura.
- Wytches gladiatorial weapon getting new rules and maybe the 4++ against shotting on melee.
- Mandrakes having a Strat to ignore the minimal distance for deployment.
- Talos getting a mostly new Statline or weapons changed.

Alrighty, aluminum foil cap time, if we go with the idea that this was a bit of hidden messages to future reveals then I would like to take a look at the second picture ... the archon seems to be sucking the soul out of his attacker through his fingers, no soul stone, ... so possible soul powers there? And there is also a complete lack of ranged weaponry every kabalite is dual weilding knives, so a possible cc build for them? (This one is stretching it)

Picture 3 is the cults ... almost as a set up for an assassin unit just based on the one crouched in the background as a lookout and not in the arena (a hopeful stretch here) but they also specifically mention the clawed fiend ... new model at some point and new rules for the beast?

Mandrakes are said to attack from the shadows as several of us have said  that we might get to deep strike them into combat.

Cronos and talos might be recieving new rules ... especially the cronos

If these are suggestions of rules...which I think is a great observation then..

Fall to Your Death – 1/10
Hellions falling back from combat = mortal wounds on the enemy unit.

Become Collateral Damage in Internecine Gang War – 3/10*
Kabals can fire into enemy units that are in engagement range of *other* friendly Kabal units. With the risk of hitting your own guys of course!

A Glorious Death in the Arena – 6/10
Codex Secondary objective - Wych Cult - +1 VP if a wych unit was destroyed in combat
+3 VP if Lelith kills target enemy character - Datasheet ability

Killed by Your Own Shadow – 8/10
Mandrakes can deep strike with 9" of an enemy unit that is within cover* maybe just straight within 9" as others have said

‘Processed’ by a Pain Engine – 10/10
LD modifiers to a unit that suffers losses from Talos units in combat

(Dis)Honourable Mention: Become Living Furniture – 0/10
Stratagems/ Secondaries around captured slaves...


My two cents

Kurtix wrote:

Is what you say is the case and every death points out to a new change, i will bet for:

- Hellions with a "Eviscerating Fly-By" style rule as base.
- Archons with more special rules instead of the re-roll aura.
- Wytches gladiatorial weapon getting new rules and maybe the 4++ against shotting on melee.
- Mandrakes having a Strat to ignore the minimal distance for deployment.
- Talos getting a mostly new Statline or weapons changed.

We will see it on the 15th. But if the pattern of other codex releases is followed, one preview is about crusade.

Archon_91 wrote:

the archon seems to be sucking the soul out of his attacker through his fingers, no soul stone, ... so possible soul powers there? And there is also a complete lack of ranged weaponry every kabalite is dual weilding knives, so a possible cc build for them? (This one is stretching it)

Old picture I am not sure about the backstory anymore. Was it Vect fending of some assassins? And no weapon policy would make a lot of sense at a his court, so the assassins were only able to smuggle some daggers in.

Archon_91 wrote:

Picture 3 is the cults ... almost as a set up for an assassin unit just based on the one crouched in the background as a lookout and not in the arena (a hopeful stretch here) but they also specifically mention the clawed fiend ... new model at some point and new rules for the beast?

Again old picture, from the Wych Cult Killteam. Shows their leader and their three specialists. The one crouching is the scout, the one in the front is the one that hides his face behind a helmet after a too hasty and incomplete resurrection, the third specialist had hydra gauntlets and the leader an agoniser. Why can I remember such crap?

Kalmah wrote:

pretty sure it's just a coincidence but i gotta say i'd love it if it werent...

I think so too, but even with the smalll chance, I thought some would like the idea.

But before the speculations go too far, just as a reminder, even though it may already be too late:
The preview article "Terminators secure objectives with new Deathwing rules for Dark Angels" was about a detachment ability and stratagems that Terminators could use, not the actual unit, the same with "Field an all-bike army with new rules and stratagems for the Ravenwing". Of course, they have more they can show for a codex than a supplement, but it could also be mostly articles about stratagems.

Archon_91 wrote:

Alrighty, aluminum foil cap time, if we go with the idea that this was a bit of hidden messages to future reveals then I would like to take a look at the second picture ... the archon seems to be sucking the soul out of his attacker through his fingers, no soul stone, ... so possible soul powers there? And there is also a complete lack of ranged weaponry every kabalite is dual weilding knives, so a possible cc build for them? (This one is stretching it)

I'll be honest, I'm highly sceptical that these pictures and artworks mean anything, save that GW is tunnelling a new subbasement into the barrel they've been scraping for DE content.

However, I'd like to be wrong on this as I'd very much like for Archons to be able to suck other character's souls out in some manner.

Why, when combined with their other exciting abilities, that would give them one exciting ability.

Just ordered Drahzar and 5 Incubi. Hoping to make some slight changes to Drahzar...as in I will only use his head lol

One thing we do know, Drahzar and Incubi are going to kill what they fight.

Dark Elf Dave wrote:

Just ordered Drahzar and 5 Incubi. Hoping to make some slight changes to Drahzar...as in I will only use his head lol

Out of interest, will you be using the body from a regular Incubus or did you have something else in mind?

harlokin wrote:

Cerve wrote:

I'm...more in the Dark Elf Dave, if I must admit it. In a fluff wise we lost the faster Archon in 5ed when the bg was silghtly reworked. For how we are now, an Archon will never ride a bike nor a skyboard just because his artistocracy. Bikes and Skyboard are trash toys for underground people, while an Archon is the creme-de-la-crem of the highest levels of Commorragh. It's like watching a politician going on skateboard, it simply doesn't work.
Succubus just don't ride them for the same reasons Wyches don't do that. Because it is not in their etiquette. They're just gladiators, nothing less nothing more.
Haemonculus.....really?
The only way to get a Reaver lord/Hellion lord should be in the way of new HQs choices which.....it is doable, but sounds kinda weird (in a bg perspection). It should be a special character, it works better (Sathonyx?).

So about the Transports capacity, it is true that Venoms should carry 6 guys, just because I remember they were an HQ's carry in their description (5 ed). But I would argue that Incubi should be 4-10 more than 5-10 for that role.
Anyway.....really, it is not something to complain so much about, IF you like our background. Because Kabals and Wyches are never meant to be the "bodyguards" of our lords. Succubus are independent, they don't really care about wyches, it's more like wyches admires (envy?) Succubus, but there's no description of any Succubus leading his army of wyches (nontheless Reavers or Hellions). In fact, imho his bubble area doesn't fit the bg at all...Succubus should have been more like little-Soilitaires-alike.
Archons are the rulers, full of pride and egoism. Kabals? No way. In books, in Codexes, their bodyguards are alwaya 1) Court, 2) Incubi, 3) sometimes Trueborns...but never Kabals, they're just militia.
So Trueborns are off, Courts already fit the role being 1x choice (in fact Court seems writed for filling empy seats on HQ's Transports) and Incubi, as I said, are the real """mistake here""" cause they should be 4-10 in my opinion just for this role.
But I can't really complain about "I can't pick 9 Wyches because I'm missing 2 weapons stuff", it's just out of background for me.

So this limit, in my opinion, it's not a mistake but more like a solid design choice. Which works a lot for me. What I REALLY would like to see it's some.kind of rule that extend the HQ's bubbles out from.their transports. Because in this way, YES, it would really fitting the Drukhari Theme of raiding force.
That, or some Catacomb-like datasheet that promote any Raider/Venom as the personal boat of the lord, denying him to disembark but actually buff the entire transport making it a new unit.



Abou the salt, I agree with the last post, but I must admit that sometimes a lot of whine against our Codexes is just silly and it shows no care about our DESIGN. There's a lot of passive role playing in this forum, with a lot of full of pride discussions, egoism, incapacity of get the design behind choices, any bg rework ect.
We're all about egoism, pride and trash talking. Like Archons simply do :p

Nonsense.

Vraesque Malidrach was previously a Reaver, and he still wears the helmet; how many politicians do you see going about in motorcyle helmets? Yes, your 'point' was ridiculous. Even if bikes and Skyboard were "trash toys" unworthy of an Archon, Venoms and Raiders are in the same category. They are cheap and disposable transports.

Wyches don't ride jetbikes? Reavers ARE Wyches.

We lost HQs on bikes because of "no models no rules", not because GW has some deep commitment to our fluff.

This made me laugh so hard I almost fell off my chair.

Did you seriously just use Vrasque as an example from the back ground? As if that guy was even remotely legitimate? Notice how they basically dropped him from all the back ground when 8th hit, yeah that's because whoever created that guy made a huge mistake.

He's supposed to be an Archon, who was previously a reaver pilot..... Let that sink in folks. Thats like somebody fleshing out Tigerius fluff by saying he was a techmarine thunderfire canon gunner who became chief librarian lol.

I hear a ton of Vect trashing on these forums, but nothing in regard to the idiot that is Vrasque, a dude who somehow went from being a cult reaver to an Archon. A guy who desides to use the billhook off a raider deck as his weapon of office LOL! A guy that claims to never want to sully himself by touching the ground, yet decided to only take his jetbike helmet but trade the jetbike for a tactical rock.... made of the... ground....

Sorry mate, Archons are seedy Mob boss/ sleaze bag politicians with no business ever setting foot on a jetbike or skyboard and don't even get me started on the idiocy of winged characters lol.

The transport thing is such a funny complaint. Clearly folks need to read a feew other factions books lol. Necrons have a transport that can literally only transport the minimum warrior squad size and no other infantry EXCEPT characters lol. Yup, can't put immortals in a ghost ark but your free to put 10 skorpehk lords lol. GSC also have a max 10 model transport BTW. Jesus, marines can't even let one primaris dude into 90% of their transports lol.

10 bucks says even if GW somehow gave raiders 11 seats, folks on here would eventually bitch about not being able to take a full three squads to max on specials lol

Anyone think they may fiddle with the special/heavy/wych weapon distributions per squad? Am I making up that you used to be able to get a special or a heavy per 5? Weren’t five warriors with a dark lance a thing at one point?

Ripper.McGuirl wrote:

Anyone think they may fiddle with the special/heavy/wych weapon distributions per squad? Am I making up that you used to be able to get a special or a heavy per 5? Weren’t five warriors with a dark lance a thing at one point?

For me personally I plan on taking just the one special weapon for Wyches. Sure there will be times when you want a few more damage 2 weapons but I have a feeling Wyches are going to get a ton to f attacks and so the -1ap on hek blades might just be more than enough.

Red Corsair wrote:

Did you seriously just use Vrasque as an example from the back ground? As if that guy was even remotely legitimate? Notice how they basically dropped him from all the back ground when 8th hit, yeah that's because whoever created that guy made a huge mistake.

He's supposed to be an Archon, who was previously a reaver pilot..... Let that sink in folks. Thats like somebody fleshing out Tigerius fluff by saying he was a techmarine thunderfire canon gunner who became chief librarian lol.

I hear a ton of Vect trashing on these forums, but nothing in regard to the idiot that is Vrasque, a dude who somehow went from being a cult reaver to an Archon. A guy who desides to use the billhook off a raider deck as his weapon of office LOL! A guy that claims to never want to sully himself by touching the ground, yet decided to only take his jetbike helmet but trade the jetbike for a tactical rock.... made of the... ground....

Sorry mate, Archons are seedy Mob boss/ sleaze bag politicians with no business ever setting foot on a jetbike or skyboard and don't even get me started on the idiocy of  winged characters lol.

I mean, Vect used to be a *slave*, so what's your point? The Kabal system is designed to be upwardly mobile, at least in theory.

Also, archons have to have a certain amount of physical skill as well as being crafty, otherwise, they aren't archons for very long. They don't tend to be fat mob bosses who rely solely upon the loyalty of their subordinates to get their hands dirty for them and to keep them alive.

Thirdly, and most importantly, archons do whatever the hell they want. Some are more decadent and flashy than others. If an archon wants a jetbike, I don't think anyone is going to tell them that they're not supposed to do that sort of thing (at least, not to their face).

Soulless Samurai wrote:

Dark Elf Dave wrote:

Just ordered Drahzar and 5 Incubi. Hoping to make some slight changes to Drahzar...as in I will only use his head lol

Out of interest, will you be using the body from a regular Incubus or did you have something else in mind?

Yes I’m going to have to use a standard Incubi body. I will use the Drahzar head and pony tail and I will use the Drahzar blades but I’m going to have to shorten them because they are a ridiculous length. I’m going to remove the mid handle because I just hate that design. I will try and use the same base so that it’s recognisable as Drahzar.

Never had to shorten blades before so it could be a disaster! My biggest bug bear about the Drahzar model is his pose and the blades and they way they are being held...oh and the necklace and the way it’s positioned.

Red Corsair wrote:

This made me laugh so hard I almost fell off my chair.

Did you seriously just use Vrasque as an example from the back ground? As if that guy was even remotely legitimate? Notice how they basically dropped him from all the back ground when 8th hit, yeah that's because whoever created that guy made a huge mistake.

A cutthroat biker who builds an empire based on intrigue and illegal activities. Yep, that never happened anywhere before.

Your original upbringing means absolutely nothing in Commorragh. Heck, Vect even started out as a slave. Sorry, your argument doesn't work. Neither does your comparison to Space Marines.

And I'm not sure if we have the same codex, but his background is still there. In fact, GW prefers to depict a kitbash of Vraesque Malidrach in the rules section instead of showing the original Archon model. Now let THAT sink in.

Red Corsair wrote:

He's supposed to be an Archon, who was previously a reaver pilot..... Let that sink in folks. Thats like somebody fleshing out Tigerius fluff by saying he was a techmarine thunderfire canon gunner who became chief librarian lol.

If you kill a superior Space Marine (aka Battle Brother) to further your career, you probably get shot at the spot. In Commorragh, it is expected and assassins are seen as an every-day nuisance that sort out the weak. Sorry, these factions can't be compared the same way, the social dynamics don't work even remotely similar.

Red Corsair wrote:

I hear a ton of Vect trashing on these forums, but nothing in regard to the idiot that is Vrasque, a dude who somehow went from being a cult reaver to an Archon. A guy who desides to use the billhook off a raider deck as his weapon of office LOL! A guy that claims to never want to sully himself by touching the ground, yet decided to only take his jetbike helmet but trade the jetbike for a tactical rock.... made of the... ground....

Nobody's trashing Vect, he's an important part of the lore but there are natural problems in giving him proper rules for the tabletop (from a fluff and game perspective).

Archons are egocentric and often mad. Their wide range of character comes across very well in the Path of the Dark Eldar novels, I can really recommend them.

And the lore in the codex entry from the Kabal of the Flayed Skull describes it all quite well.

Red Corsair wrote:

Sorry mate, Archons are seedy Mob boss/ sleaze bag politicians with no business ever setting foot on a jetbike or skyboard and don't even get me started on the idiocy of  winged characters lol.

Yeah, because in real life there aren't any criminal organizations whose leaders started out riding bikes, or still ride them. Right?

Oh no, please do elaborate on the apparent idiocy.

Red Corsair wrote:

The transport thing is such a funny complaint. Clearly folks need to read a feew other factions books lol. Necrons have a transport that can literally only transport the minimum warrior squad size and no other infantry EXCEPT characters lol. Yup, can't put immortals in a ghost ark but your free to put 10 skorpehk lords lol. GSC also have a max 10 model transport BTW. Jesus, marines can't even let one primaris dude into 90% of their transports lol.

Both factions in your examples don't rely on speed for survival and have high toughness and good saves all across the board. If we bring characters by foot, they don't only take longer to get into the action, they tie-up other units so they are protected from being gunned down from Bolter fire.

GSC also has the Cult ambush rule to get their characters into position. And what you forget to mention is that Craftworld Elder have several high mobility options. Or Primaris Biker.

Red Corsair wrote:

10 bucks says even if GW somehow gave raiders 11 seats, folks on here would eventually bitch about not being able to take a full three squads to max on specials lol

Probably some people, yes. But not the majority like now.

Vraesque received more fleshing out in the 8th Codex than he did in the 5th or 7th ones, which seems like a very strange definition of "being dropped" to me.

If GW wanted to they could fix the transports by giving them a rule that allowed "one single HQ character to ride without taking up a slot".
The Interdimensional fancy chair upgrade. 10pts.

Giving warriors an extra attack and better save is exactly what is wrong with NuHammer.
It makes them stronger and probably will help you win games, but it shoehorns them in to a role they are traditionally not supposed to be in. Why is that bad? It forces some people to play in a way they do not want to play. Then they quit when they realize GW is no longer making the game they invested tons of time and money to play.
New players, or people not invested in the lore won't mind the changes.
GW is recruiting enough new players to not notice or care about the old fans leaving.

The changes make sense when the missions are "whomever stands in the magic circle longest will win the day".
But for me, the statement that: "If your warriors are in close combat, something has gone horribly wrong" is still true. It is just that the thing that has gone horribly wrong is the 40K core rules.

Still looking forward to seeing the new dex though.

Red Corsair wrote:

This made me laugh so hard I almost fell off my chair.

Did you seriously just use Vrasque as an example from the back ground? As if that guy was even remotely legitimate? Notice how they basically dropped him from all the back ground when 8th hit, yeah that's because whoever created that guy made a huge mistake.  

Dropped from the fluff.....apart from the main fluff section for the Kabal of The Flayed Skull in the 8th ed codex? How about the kitbashed model of Vrasque on page 96?

Best you sit more carefully, and pay more attention.

Dark Elf Dave wrote:

Soulless Samurai wrote:

Dark Elf Dave wrote:

Just ordered Drahzar and 5 Incubi. Hoping to make some slight changes to Drahzar...as in I will only use his head lol

Out of interest, will you be using the body from a regular Incubus or did you have something else in mind?

Yes I’m going to have to use a standard Incubi body. I will use the Drahzar head and pony tail and I will use the Drahzar blades but I’m going to have to shorten them because they are a ridiculous length. I’m going to remove the mid handle because I just hate that design. I will try and use the same base so that it’s recognisable as Drahzar.

Never had to shorten blades before so it could be a disaster! My biggest bug bear about the Drahzar model is his pose and the blades and they way they are being held...oh and the necklace and the way it’s positioned.

If you wouldn't mind posting up the result, it would be really interesting. There seems to be dearth of coversions of the new Drazhar online. I was pondering using one of the leftover blades from the Incubi kit to give Drazhar two backward grip weapons...maybe evoking the old model more.

harlokin wrote:

Dark Elf Dave wrote:

Soulless Samurai wrote:

Dark Elf Dave wrote:

Just ordered Drahzar and 5 Incubi. Hoping to make some slight changes to Drahzar...as in I will only use his head lol

Out of interest, will you be using the body from a regular Incubus or did you have something else in mind?

Yes I’m going to have to use a standard Incubi body. I will use the Drahzar head and pony tail and I will use the Drahzar blades but I’m going to have to shorten them because they are a ridiculous length. I’m going to remove the mid handle because I just hate that design. I will try and use the same base so that it’s recognisable as Drahzar.

Never had to shorten blades before so it could be a disaster! My biggest bug bear about the Drahzar model is his pose and the blades and they way they are being held...oh and the necklace and the way it’s positioned.

If you wouldn't mind posting up the result, it would be really interesting. There seems to be dearth of coversions of the new Drazhar online. I was pondering using one of the leftover blades from the Incubi kit to give Drazhar two backward grip weapons...maybe evoking the old model more.

You have my word, that if the final result is of a standard I can share...then I will do lol

Scrz wrote:

If GW wanted to they could fix the transports by giving them a rule that allowed "one single HQ character to ride without taking up a slot".
The Interdimensional fancy chair upgrade. 10pts.

Giving warriors an extra attack and better save is exactly what is wrong with NuHammer.
It makes them stronger and probably will help you win games, but it shoehorns them in to a role they are traditionally not supposed to be in. Why is that bad? It forces some people to play in a way they do not want to play. Then they quit when they realize GW is no longer making the game they invested tons of time and money to play.
New players, or people not invested in the lore won't mind the changes.
GW is recruiting enough new players to not notice or care about the old fans leaving.

The changes make sense when the missions are "whomever stands in the magic circle longest will win the day".
But for me, the statement that: "If your warriors are in close combat, something has gone horribly wrong" is still true. It is just that the thing that has gone horribly wrong is the 40K core rules.

Still looking forward to seeing the new dex though.

The problem is first turn syndrome. When the game is about nothing more than killing your opponents models, then frankly first turn had a disgusting % of first turn winners. So they have to mix it up.

Either they introduced an activation sequence which mitigates first turn but would turn the game on its head, or they add these additional rules of how to win games. It’s worth adding that our Dark Eldar are doing quite well with these new methods of winning games.

Like I have said in the past. This is not a space pirate game. We have to expect DE to fit the mechanics of 40k rather than see 40k fit the theme of DE.

Personally for me choosing an army has always been around which models you like most. Then you get into the lore to reaffirm how much you like this particular faction. Each army should have a way to play different styles and DE do have those options. We can be shooty, tanky or up close and personal. Other armies also have similar options even if it means they are not quite as competitive as they could be.

Why is it that every time someone asks for more mobility options for HQ's, someone else replies that winged Archons are stupid. Who ever asked for a winged Archon?
A Scourge HQ would be nice though, but what we mean when we talk about "mobility options" can just mean an 11th spot in a Raider, or aura's working from open-topped, so the current capacity isn't a problem anymore. Basically any alternative to an Archon or Succubus being unable to use their buffs on Kabalites or Wyches.