Sneak Peek at New Drukhari Codex

The Master upgrades do cost points - 15 for Archon and Succubus, 20 for Haemonculus. They look pretty worth it to me.

Trueborn, Bloodbrides and Haemoxytes also cost points per model.

So is it correct that a Raider with its wargear has 6 attacks at S6 -1ap?

That’s pretty cool for a transport.

strength 7 I believe. Aren't bladevanes +1 str?

Burnage wrote:

The Master upgrades do cost points - 15 for Archon and Succubus, 20 for Haemonculus. They look pretty worth it to me.

Trueborn, Bloodbrides and Haemoxytes also cost points per model.

Screenshot or it didn't happen

Can't believe the love our boats seem to be getting here.

Venom spam CC army, here we come! XD

Any word on Grotesques, Mandrakes, our flyers yet?

Also, any actual photos of Obsessions, Relics, Strats, WL traits???

So I am thinking of army builds given this limited information and so far a black heart raider heavy army is screaming at me.

Draz
Archon with writ

5 man warriors blaster
5 man incubi
Raider with dark lance and trophies (and snares if you can do both if not a mix)

Repeat the above (not characters obviously) 3 times then switch incubi for mandrakes

Being blackheart all the raiders can advance and charge turn 1, this is pretty big as you can hit their lines first turn with a wave of raiders. Any raiders that don't advance will shoot the DL which is now rerollable to hit, very consistant. Each warrior unit will also reroll hitting with it's blasters which is mental.

Turn 2 the incubi and draz roll in and the trophies nuke the enemy leadership meaning the tormentor helms have high potential for forcing them to all fight last.
Obviously it needs to be fleshed out but the bones are there. really promising start as this is a totally different style kabal list then the current gun line for black heart.

Coven is also looking baller now with much improved liquifiers, finally they are strength 4 again and with set -2 and 12 inch range to boot. A raider can get two 5 mans for 4 total lol. That is going to melt things on the driveby, even after advancing.

I have to be honest, I'm really struggling to wrap my head around the general changes to DE.

They seem to want us to take on a more melee-oriented role, given that even stuff like Kabalites received an extra attack and the only thing a Master Archon gets is fight twice 1/battle.

Okay. I can accept that.

But if they want us to do melee, why did they make so many of our weapons Heavy, so that we're penalised for moving towards the enemy? Why did the Archon's only good melee weapon get nerfed to oblivion? Why is the Succubus' Glaive still garbage?

It just seems a bizarre and contradictory combination of changes and nerfs.

https://ibb.co/album/XSp9MV

Soulless Samurai wrote:

I have to be honest, I'm really struggling to wrap my head around the general changes to DE.

They seem to want us to take on a more melee-oriented role, given that even stuff like Kabalites received an extra attack and the only thing a Master Archon gets is fight twice 1/battle.

Okay. I can accept that.

But if they want us to do melee, why did they make so many of our weapons Heavy, so that we're penalised for moving towards the enemy? Why did the Archon's only good melee weapon get nerfed to oblivion? Why is the Succubus' Glaive still garbage?

                                                                                                                                                                     It just seems a bizarre and contradictory combination of changes and nerfs.

The rules team can only work with the models they got. I think the distinction between "cheap HQ" and "master HQ" is a practical solution to our shortage in HQ models. I'd be more upset about the lack of strategic options on the Archon.

Other than that, I'm hoping that there are some stratagems that mitigate some of the other issues you mentioned. You would think we should get used to bizarre decisions.

I wonder what the drugs chart looks like.

I've seen most of the leaks now. There are a lot of good changes in here. Still waiting to see the rest of the obsessions and the majority of the strats. We all know strats make a huge difference.

Apparently, there are at least a couple kabal warlord traits that give +1S (Flayed Skull gives +1S to the archon, Obsidian Rose gives +1S to all of the archon's weapons, according to a poster on the Aeldari FB group who claims to have the book), so it's a roundabout way of getting the 'old' huskblade.

I might actually start using my old "formation" of 2 talos and a cronos with a haemy standing behind them, now that the cronos weapons have gone to str5 instead of their old str 3 and if the spirit probe hasn't changed that'll be a huge help in "killing a model heals 1 wound on an allied model with 6" and with master haemy healing D3 wounds ... the talos will be very very very hard to remove

The Strange Dark One wrote:

The rules team can only work with the models they got. I think the distinction between "cheap HQ" and "master HQ" is a practical solution to our shortage in HQ models. I'd be more upset about the lack of strategic options on the Archon.

But that's my point - they gave the Master Archon a purely melee role, yet his core melee weapon was actually nerfed, and the piss-poor Agoniser remained unchanged.

If they wanted him to be a melee leader, why are his melee weapons still so crap?

If they wanted him to be a backfield/strategic leader, why didn't they give Master Archons a strategic ability instead of a melee one?

Dark Elf Dave wrote:

I wonder what the drugs chart looks like.

unchanged, according to the community team

So, here's something weird...

The Torment Grenade Launcher says, 'Every time this weapon hits a unit, roll 1D6. If the result is higher than the unit's Ld attribute, they suffer 1 mortal wound.'

Unless you can reduce their Ld drastically somehow, I don't see how that can work?

From facebook. Dude is legit, he posted a picture with himself and the book.

Due to character limits and mess in the comments, I compiled all the info collected into this post.
Before you ask more, read the whole thing - the answer might have already been provided. I will post no photos nor points due to trade agreements, so do not ask about them.
Straight from the top: I have just returned to 9th edition and have not played DE, so I can't gauge if models are better or is the book is going to be competetive. It looks nice and fun, that's for sure. There is a Succubus and Haemy equivalent to the Master Archon. Haemy gains an ability to return to life like Saint Celestine, a nasty once-per-battle relic (D3 mortals on 2+, the unit loses Aura abilities and can't benefit from Auras till your next turn) and his Warlord Trait lets him ressurect Wracks, Super-Succubus consolidates at 6' and does not have to finish closer to an enemy models (which is crazy ass balls) brutal Artifact Weapon (+2 S, -4 AP, D2, wounds 6+ ignore invulnerable saves) and a Warlord Trait that allows her to switch out her normal Attacks for 3+number of enemy models 2' around her.
All leaders gained an aura - Archon now buffs Kabal Core and Incubi, giving rerolls of 1s to hit, succubus gives rerolls of 1s to wound for Core Wych Cult, Haemy buffs Core Covens with +1 Toughness and now can geal Grots and coven Monsters.
Bloodbraids return - as Trueborn, one unit, they have WS 2+, bonus Ld and upgraded Blade Artists (6+ to wound gain -1 AP, bloodbraids gain -3 AP), wracks also get one unit like this Haemoxytes - +1 Inv save, bigger Ld and once per phase, they ignore damage from a first failed saving throw.
Lelith has Blade Artists (like all wyches), rerolls hits and wounds against Characters, gets a succubus buff Aura (so basically now named and non-named Characters have an interchangable buff aura, which is awesome), has 4+ inv with -1 to hit when she is hit in CC, sghe consolidates +3' and does not have to consolidate to the nearest enemy and she has No Escape, so enemy units can't escape unless they pass a Ld test.
Drazhar gains Blade Artists (6s to wound gain -1 AP, so he has AP-4 on 6s), he can fight twice EACH FIGHT PHASE. He gets -1 Damage to a minimum of 1 (both shooting and melee), has 4+ inv, has tormentors and allows incubi to reroll 1s to wound.
Urien deals 1 mortal on 6+ to each enemy in Engagment Range at the start of Fight, he ressurects once per battle like Celestine, halves the damage he takes (to a minimum of one), buffs toughness like a normal Haemy, but also buffs Strength and Ld by 1 for covens, so he makes stuff really punchy.
HO BOY, Blade Artists are an unviersal army rule now! Incubi, Mandrakes, basically anything Drukhari has it now. WIth luck, even Kabalites can now punch much tougher stuff.
Incubi also have tormentors like Drazhar, so no escape from them with a failed Ld test. If klaivex is alive, 6s to wound deal +1 Damage, Wracks still have nots of weapon options on the Acothyst, Wyches seem to be better - Blade Dancers give them a much needed punch and their No Escape rule gives enemies -1 to Ld roll for each Shardnet and Impaler in the unit. Kabalites seem unchanged mostly, but Phantasm launchers now cause Mortal Wounds on hits - if you hit, roll a 2d6 and it deals a mortal wound if you rolled over their Ld. Mandrakes are hit on -1 and once per battle, you can relocate them and set them up in the next turn 9' away form the enemy. Grots have basic T5 now and the whole unit can have Liquifiers.
Reavers look to be mostly unchanged, hellions can now charge after a fall back, scourges are also mostly the same. Talosi and Cronosi have Power from Pain and Blade Artists too, they now can Explode. Cronos buffs characters and Core units with rerolls of 1s to wound. If he kills a model in melee, he can heal Core models or return lost models to the unit, if it's a 1 wound squad. Ravagers have Night Shields, so does Raider, bigger transport capacity confirmed, Spilnter Racks now makes unit inside treat shoots from Rapid Fire as if they were in half range (holy crap), Venom has a Flickerfield, which is a Night Shield but also reduces Hits by -1. The fliers also have Night Shields.
No Vect XD, here are point changes (only up and down, no numbers, trade agreements):
Archon - few points cheaper,
Reavers are cheaper,
Venoms cheaper,
not much has changed here it seems, but lot of stuff is buffed, so basically no upping prices despite units and models gaining new abilities.
Obsessions:
Black Heart - treat PfP as one higher, if you have an Archon, Mercenaries benefit from it too, +1 Ld, reroll 1 failed hit in shooting/fighting
War Trait: Roll a 6s when op uses a Stratagem. On a 6 you gain a Command Point.
Relic - reroll 1s to wound for Core units around the bearer, if the unit is a Realspace Raider (mixed Detachment) it also benefits Mercenaries.
Agents of Vect - use it once per battle after a Stratagem of your opp - raise it's cost by 1 till the end of battle. Does not work on Command Reroll.
Flayed Skull - Flyers and units in transports ignore Light Cover, Vehicles move +2'
War tr: +1 S and Attacks for the warlord.
Relic - 4+ Inv for the bearer
Stratagem - select a unit from the kabal, shoot at units with fly at +1, +2 if it's an Aircraft.
Obsidian Rose - +6 to range of Heavy, Assult, Rapid Fire weapons (no relics), re-roll one failed wound when shooting/fighting (Triple Dark Lance Ravagers are moist now)
War Trait - +1 S for bearer's Weapons (S5 Power Sword, S9 Blast Pistol on the Archon lol)
Relic - 3+ armor, reduce enemy hits in melee by -1
Stratagem - you can use it when any models run with an attrition test - they can shoot once more before being removed (or hit if they are in engagement)
Custom Obsessions (pick 2, all-consuming count as 2):
Dark Mirth - enemies 12' within models with this are dealt a mortal on 5+ if they move, advance, fall back or charge.
Deadly Deceivers (all-cons) - units can shoot after a fall back, but with -1 to hit.
Disdain for Lesser Beings - +1 to Combat Attrition test by this models
Merciless Razorkin - 6s to hit with splinter weapons are counted as 2 hits
Torturous Efficency - 6s to wound in shooting are treated with additional -1 AP
Mobile Raiders - +2 movement for Fly models
Soul Bound - Ignore Mortal Wounds on 5+
Toxin Crafters (all-con) - Re-roll 1s for poison weapons. 6s to hit cause poison weapons to be 2+ to wound.
Twisted Hunters - +1 Attacks against characters
Webway Raiders - Reduce CP cost for Webway Portal by 1 if it's used on that unit.
Wyches:
Cult of Strife - if the unit is in Engage at the begging of the fight phase, they can fight first
If a unit charges a unit with no models from your army in engage, add +1 to charge
War trait - 6s to hit score 3 hits instead of 1
Relic - Roll d6 at the start of each battle round. Gain combat drugs associated with that roll. It is cumulative!
Stratagem - once per battle round, you may use this strat. One unit can either shoot or fight again this phase.
Cursed Blade - +1 S for all models with this obsession, saving throw of 6 is a mortal wound for the attacker after he finished all his attacks.
War trait - saving throw of 4+, instead of 6.
Relic - if the bearer is killed by a melee attack, on 2+ the attacker take D3+3 Mortal Wounds.
Stratagem - use on a charged unit of wyches. They can fire Overwatch beofre the charge roll is made. Up to five models with plasma grendes can make attacks with them and they are treated as Poison 2+.
Red Grief - re-roll charges, +2 advance rolls
War trait - ignore wound rolls of 1-3 in melee
Relic - replace archite glaive, +2 S, ap -3, D 3
Strat - use it after a unit finished it attacks but before consolidation. They can embark a transport that is within 6' of them, even if they disembarked this turn. Holy crap.
Custom Cults:
Acrobatic Display - you can consolidate horizontaly over other models and terrain. (can't finish on another model)
Art of Pain - +1 PfP if within engagement
Berserk Fugue (all-con) - if charged, charging or heroic inter, 6s to hit are treated as 2 hits. Ignore Mortals on 5+.
Precise Killers - Blade Artists work on 5+
Slashing Impact - each time a model finish a charge, you can select a non-vehicle unit within Engage, on a 6 it gets a Mortal.
Stimulant Innovators - once per battle, roll a D3 - all models with Combat Drugs gain additional Drugs from the roll till the end of turn.
Test of Skill - +1 to wound against monsters and vehicles
Trophy Takers - if a Morale roll is caused by a melee attack from this model, opp rolls two 6s and discards the lower one.
Agile Hunters (all-con) - +1 to hit against Fly units
+1 to movement, if the model has Hypex.
Covens:
Prophets of Flesh: All characters, monsters and Grots regenerate 1 wound at the start of your Command
Units with this obs ignore rolls of 1-3 to wound unless attack is S8 or higher.
War trait: Chose one - +1 T and W or +1 Move and Attacks
Relic - enemies cannot fire overwatch, at the start of the Fight, chose one unit 3' from this model. It fights after all of your units.
Stratagem - Pick a coven infantry unit 6' from a haemy, it rerolls to hit. costs 2 for grots
Dark Creed - -1 Ld and -1 Combat Attrition rolls 6' from models. +1 Attack if attacking a unit with a lower Ld.
War Trait - pick a unit 9' from your warlord at the end of your movement. Roll a 3d6, if you rolled higher that it's Ld, it can't preform Actions and loses Obj sec
Relic - replaces stinger pistol. Pistol 3, S2 AP -3 D 1, 2+ poison, ignores invuls
Stratagem - when shooting, ignore Look out, Sir! 3 CP for Talos
Coven of Twelve - melee attacks gain additional -1 AP (lol, -2 AP basic with Blade Artists), models can perform actions in can still shoot
Warlord Trait - -1 Damage to a minimum of one
Relic - replaces haemy tools, AP -2, D3 damage, Poison 2+, always deals 3 D to characters
Strat - select a non-vehicle, non-monster character after consolidation with a haemy. 2-5 it takes D3 Mortals, D3+3 on 6.
Custom obsessions:
Artists of Flesh (all-con) - reduce damage (expect vehicles) received by 1 (to a min. of 1)
Dark Harvest - if a unit finishes a charge, pick a non-vehicle in engage, on 4+, it takes a mortal.
Dark Technomancers (all-con) - when you shoot, you can choose to enhance any or all ranged weapons. They deal +1 D and wound on +1 and can't be re-rolled. Rolls to wound of 1 deal 1 mortal, D3 to Monsters and Vehicles.
Experimental Creations - +1 S.
Hungry for Felsh - re-roll charges.
Master of Mutagens - hit rolls of 6 with posion weapons against non-vehicle, non-titan units automatically wound.
Master Torturer - reduce cost of Torturer's Craft by 1.
Obsessive Collectors - if an enemy unit is destroyed in melee, the model can regenerate d3 wounds or d3 models in case of Wracks.
Enhanced Sensory Organs - Ignore Light and Heavy Cover.
Splinterblades - melee hits of 6 are counted as 2.
Custom traits:
Kabal
Hatred Eternal - you can re-roll hit roll and wound roll whenever you attack. (it's worded weirdly, but I think it applies once per hit and once per wound)
Soul Thirst - +1 attack, once per turn regain 1 wound if an enemy model is destroyed 6' around the lord.
Ancient Evil - at the start of the Fight phase, pick one enemy unit in engage. It fights after all your models.
Wych
Quicksilver fighter - +2 attacks
Stimm Addict - roll two more dice for los drogos, ignore 6s and effects already active. Warlord benefits from all rolled drugs.
Precision Blows - this is crazy good, hit rolls of 6 deal MORTAL WOUNDS equal to weapon damage and the attack sequence ends.
Covens
Master Regenerist - Regain 3 wounds instead of D3 with Fleshcraft.
Master nemesine - +1 wound rolls on attacks.
Master Artisan - +1 T and +1 W
Relics:
Parasite's Kiss - Pistol 3 S2 AP -2 D 2, Poison 2+, if a model is destroyed by an attack, regain 1 lost wound
Helm of Spite - in psychic phase, bearer can deny the witch. If he succeeds, the caster is hit with Perils.
Nightmare Doll - haemy only, FNP 4+
Djinn Blade - +1 S, AP -3 D 3, +2 Attacks when fighting with this weapon. At the end of the Fight phase, roll a 6 -on 1, take a mortal
Animus Vitae - 6' range, one per battle. If it hits, the unit takes D3 mortals. If 11+ models, D3+3. All your models have +1 PFP till the end of turn.
Triptych Whip - Ap -3, D 2, Poison 2+, +3 attacks
I will edit and add stuff according to any more questions.
NO PICS, NO POINTS, so please don't ask about those.

It looks like a lot of people here are too focused on how the codex changes will change our existing playstyle for the worse, instead of seeing how the new changes can introduce a new playstyle for the army.

Transport changes, as others have noted, are amazing.

Changes of DL's, HL's to Heavy are perplexing, but the damage increase makes these a net buff, and it's likely they'll only be ran on Ravagers, Raiders, and Trueborn. Black Heart makes these weapons extremely reliable in the shooting phase, as 1 attack can be rerolled every time a model attacks.

Trueborns, as mentioned above, are extremely deadly with 2x Blasters and 1x DL. They hit incredibly reliably and have a higher average damage output than old Blasterborn, though at a much higher price point.

Bloodbrides, if all else about Wyches is unchanged, are amazing in CC. A squad of 10 with knives and a power sword with +1 S will wipe a 5 man primaris squad on average dice through sheer weight of attacks and AP alone. I imagine they will be very strong in CC for a scoring unit.

Archons are baffling to me. As many have noted their weapons changes make no sense at all without some ability to boost their strength. One thing I'm worried about in this book is heavy competition among relic slots - not to boost units to insane heights but simply to make them viable.

Between vehicles getting bonus attacks on the charge, no penalty to shooting in CC at turn 3, Grisly Trophies, and Phantasm Grenade Launchers, I see the intended playstyle as slam your vehicles into CC and reap benefits for disembarking on the next turn and fighting in CC with your squads. Incubi seem perfect for this, as they always fight first if the opponent fails an old school Ld test - hopefully at -2 because of Grisly Trophies. I would love to see a strategem that lets embarked units shoot from their transports even if they're engaged, which would cement this playstyle as something very intentionally designed.

Kabal of the Poisoned Tongue appears to be the new Venom spam list, and I'm excited to try it out.

Coven units seem to have stronger CC options, but the Chronos will likely fall flat (it's not an Apothecary rezzing Terminators but is instead a targetable unit probably spending most of its time rezzing 1 W models). The Talos looks quite a bit more deadly. I've never been a big fan of Coven, but it looks like they've been buffed as well.

@HERO Cheers for that massive info dump.

Any chance you could ask the chap with the book what else Poison Tongue gets?

(I notice it didn't seem to be mentioned along with the other Kabals.)

Barking Agatha wrote:

So, here's something weird...

The Torment Grenade Launcher says, 'Every time this weapon hits a unit, roll 1D6. If the result is higher than the unit's Ld attribute, they suffer 1 mortal wound.'

Unless you can reduce their Ld drastically somehow, I don't see how that can work?

Hopefully, that's a typo (what would a GW codex be without the need for errata?), and they meant 2D6. Either that, or meant for the d6's to be cumulative (1 hit = 1d6, 2 hits=2d6, etc). My money is on it being meant to be 2d6.

EDIT: It's a typo. The armory entry for the PGL says 2d6.

Dark techno doing D3 damage for each 1 rolled is brutal.

Skulnbonz wrote:

Dark techno doing D3 damage for each 1 rolled is brutal.

yeah is this a joke lol? d3 for EACH 1 ?

You know, all these rules and strats and gotchas made me realise how much I miss the Initiative characterisitc

Perhaps I've missed it, but has anyone figured out the "insensible to pain" ability for covens ? (I've seen it on the leaked Spanish datasheets). Is it still a 5+ invulnerable save ?
Also, based on the same Spanish datasheets, it looks like the Haemonculus lost all weapon options, is it confirmed ?