Warhammer 40k - Drukhari Codex Review

Hi all

We have been fortunate enough the have been sent a review copy of the new Drukhari Codex. 

As always, I will have a look at the rules, and pick out some bits that really stand out to me.

Warlord Traits

There are 3 ways you can build your army. A Kabal, Wych Cult or a Haemonculus Coven. Each of these come with their own Warlord Traits. 

For the Kabal Warlord Traits, I really like Ancient Evil. With this trait, at the start of the Fight phase, you can select one enemy unit within Engagement Range of the warlord. That unit is not eligible to fight this phase until after all eligible units from your army has done so. This would be really good way of ensuring you Warlord always fights first. 

With the Wych Cult Warlord Traits, I would possibly pick Quicksilver Fighter. This simply adds 2 to the Attacks characteristic of the Warlord. I feel this one would be good in most circumstance.

Next up is the Haemonculus Coven Warlord Traits. I believe Master Artisan would be a good bet. This adds 1 to the Toughness and Wounds characteristics. This would make a huge difference to the survivability of your warlord. 

Relics 

On to the relics, and I really like the Nightmare Doll. This can only be equipped on an Heamonculus and it means that each time the bearer would lose a wound, roll a D6. On a 4+ that would is not lost. This adds even more survivability to the warlord. 

Abilities

Here is the new table for Power From Pain. 

I think it’s pretty good, and there are some abilities which treats the battle round as one more than it actually is when working out what buff your units have. 

Here are the Combat Drugs. 

These are always exciting to see what one you roll. All of which are really good. 

Stratagems

The last thing I wanted to bring up is the Stratagems. As always, there a tons to choose from, and I will pick a couple that really stand out to me.

First up is Hyperstimm Backlash. This doubles the effect of Combat Drugs for one of your units for one turn. This means you could have a squad of Wyches now at +2 strength. Or +2 to their weapon skill. Both pretty deadly I think you’ll agree. 

Another one that stands out for me is Potent Metallotoxins. This means that poison weapons will also effect vehicles. I think this would be great for a whole squad of Kabalite Warriors opening up on a tank with 4+ poison splinter rifles. 

That concludes my review of this codex. If you have any questions, or would like me to go into more detail in any section, then please feel free to comment down below. 

Take care :-)

Ghroll Kurz

The Edge of Silence review

Hi all

Today I wanted to have a quick look at the lore in The Edge of Silence which comes with the new Indomitus boxset.

Firstly, we are told about an area of space known as The Pariah Nexus.  this area has been steadily getting more treacherous to travel through. This is as a result of a relentless expansion of the Necrons. This expansion is being led by none other than Szarekh, last of the Silent Kings. With the uneasy allegiance of an ancient conclave of Crypteks known as the Technomandrites, Szarekh is attempting to propagate a star-spanning weapon of such potency that it could end the threat of Chaos altogether. This in-turn would also kill every non-Necron life form.  

It then goes onto detailing a planet called Vertigus II. This planet was extremely valuable to the imperium due to the reserves of promethium, as well as of rarer materials. As a readily of this, the planet was heavily guarded by Astra Militarum alongside macroclades of Skitarii. All of this however did not stand a chance when Szarekhan Dynasty launched their attack. Scores of Guardsmen fell in bloodless pieces, efficiently carved apart by fractal-edged  blades which blackened and withered the flesh. 

Vertigus quickly fell to the Necrons. Even before its remaining human defenders were overwhelmed, the Crypteks of the Szarekham had begun work on the dynasty’s true purpose. Before the Great Sleep, they were recognised as the greatest artisans of blackstone in the Necron Empire. On Vertigus, conclaves of Crypteks channelled vibrant streams of energy into the surface of the mining communes. From deep underground rose semi-liquid spears of blackstone, rippling upwards. More pillars appeared from thin air, phasing into being in shafts of sickly light as they were beaned from the Necron ships. 

Vertigus was the final link in the Silent King’s design. It was the last nodal system in the zone of stable space so large, and so maddening in its complex geometrics, as to defy human comprehension. It’s systems would be stilled and the Szarekhan’s stellar ascension would be unstoppable. 

The next section is all about the Pariah Crusade. The Ultramarines comprised of the leading elements of Battle Group Kallides’ task forces. As decreed by Groupmaster Marran, the battle group’s primary deployment was to the Nephilim Sector, though the violent warp storms hindered its progress many times. Conflicting accounts of an identifiable attackers were interspersed with tales of a spreading entropy, which the Imperium was classifying as the Pariah Nexus. Among the battle group’s objectives was the valuable mining world of Vertigus II. The planet had been silent for the past three tithe cycles. The need for its mineral resources was all the more desperate after uprisings and psychic calamities claimed other minding worlds in the sagmentum.

Task Force III was created to discover the cause of Vertigus’ silence. Despite repeated vox-hails, they did not receive a response. Though the task force’s ships scanned the system, no sign of any craft, Imperial or otherwise, was detected.  The Ultramarines and allies made landfall at multiple points across Vertigus’ primary landmass. There was no trace of the planet’s inhabitants, however there were obvious signs of fighting - las burns and craters from high explosive shells. Suddenly, solid contact signals sprang up in every quadrant. From pools of shimmering air like heat haze there lurched skeletal forms of metal, actinic beams of energy spearing from their heavy rifles, while out of mine shafts clambered talon-limbed aberrations that span towards the Space Marines. Ultramarines squads reacted instantly, reforming and firing into the advancing Necrons. They closed with the xenos attackers, determined to drive them from the world. The battle for Vertigus had reignited. 

As a lover of the narrative side of the hobby, I really like all of this lore. And of course there it lots of really cool artwork to go along with it. 

Take care :-)

Ghroll