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Hey guys, I'm just dicking around in work looking to build a mandrake army with Kheradruakh conversion serving as my archon I'm just wondering if there is any specific mandrake formations? I have the option of going unboiund but.....

Nope, literally no formations that include mandrakes I'm afraid (DE literally have one non-apocalypse formation outside Harmonculus covens). The best you could do is use them as wracks and run haemonculus covens.

 nudibranch wrote:
Nope, literally no formations that include mandrakes I'm afraid (DE literally have one non-apocalypse formation outside Harmonculus covens). The best you could do is use them as wracks and run haemonculus covens.

2, actually, but neither feature Mandrakes.

That's unfortunate, kheradruakhs stag do sounded like a fun if challenging army

Yeah that would be a cool idea

Basically the rule of thumb at the moment is if you think 'hey, it would be neat if GW gave the Dark Eldar X, does it exist?' the answer is usually no (or yes, but it costs 15pts more than Corsairs...).

I wonder if you could represent it in a different way though, and create something a little different with the fluff. What you want is as many infiltrators/deep strikers as possible.

How about this?

Dark Eldar CAD, 2x Wyches in Raiders (I know they're not good, but it's fluffy) modelled to be lesser Mandrakes.

Succubus modelled like Kheradruakh.

3 Squads of Mandrakes filling out Elites slots.

Allied Craftworld CAD with squads of Rangers as infiltrating snipery Mandrakes.

Difficult to get the HQs to work nicely, but it's an idea

Thanks man. :-D I hadn't considered the idea of a mandrake hierarchy

Yeah it's a shame we don't have any infiltrating ICs, although if you stick everyone in a Deep Striking Raider you could fluff that is them appearing from the shadows somewhere

Still, with enough modelling you could apply the rules to whatever you like

Personally, for my exodite army I'll be using Mandrake rules for a sort of Exodite Ranger type unit

Striking Scorpions have Infiltrate, Stealth, as well as Shroud until they shoot or assault. Str4 in CC and a str4 pistol. Overall they are pretty close to Mandrakes, but better in so many ways.

You could do a DE CAD with a Succubus as Kheradruakh and 2 units of Wyches as Lesser Mandrakes, just as Ynneadwraith suggests, with 3 units of actual Mandrakes as Elites
Then add an Aspect Host formation with 3 units of Scorpions as "Exalted Mandrakes" or whatever.

 Galef wrote:
Striking Scorpions have Infiltrate, Stealth, as well as Shroud until they shoot or assault. Str4 in CC and a str4 pistol. Overall they are pretty close to Mandrakes, but better in so many ways.

You could do a DE CAD with a Succubus as Kheradruakh and 2 units of Wyches as Lesser Mandrakes, just as Ynneadwraith suggests, with 3 units of actual Mandrakes as Elites
Then add an Aspect Host formation with 3 units of Scorpions as "Exalted Mandrakes" or whatever.

That's a neat idea forgot about Scorpions

Give an archon a webway portal and I can make him pop up anywhere like kheradruakh used too.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
And the 2++ to be his ability to disappear

Great idea!

Ok this needs to be done

Paint the wyches with grey skin to be mid transition....

 Spyro_Killer wrote:
Paint the wyches with grey skin to be mid transition....

Perfect dark grey skin with glowing green eyes (and glowing green mouth if it's open)

Gem paints will come in handy

I feel bad for it but this question made me chuckle

Wandering into homebrew rules territory:

Resurrect something running off the old Shadow Sect formation (Striking Scorpion Apoc formation, 4e-vintage): Keradruakh or some kind of generic 'Mandrake Commander' (will get back to you on a homemade profile, need to dig up a 5e DE book), 3-5 units of at least five Mandrakes. Units in this formation may only be targeted by Snap Shots until they declare a charge or make a shooting attack the first time in the game, after which they may be targeted normally. Each unit may redeploy once per game, if they're completely within area terrain at the start of the Movement phase remove them from the table and immediately replace them completely within area terrain anywhere else on the table such that no model in the unit is within 6" of any enemy models. This replaces their movement, and they may not charge after doing this, but they may shoot normally.

My group doesn't allow homebrewed rules

Yeah it's tricky with homebrew rules. TBH, I quite like the challenge of using existing rules creatively to make a cool fluffy army.

Here's a radical idea: use the Genestealer Cults codex.

They're mostly T3, some S4, nasty rending attacks, shooting is easily represented as different powers of Baleblasts (or more esoteric shadow-weaponry), and Cult Ambush/Return to the Shadows seems tailor made for a Mandrake strike force. A Broodlord as Kheradruakh would be epic too.

God damn that's awesome enough that I might have to do it myself!

It's actually what I was thinking but if you see how much of a financial blow it is to start a cult army ha

Yeah you'd need to have a way of cheaply producing lesser-mandrakes for your footsoldiers (leaving the proper Mandrake models for Purestrains).

HQ
Archon
Husk blade
Webway Portal
Shadow field

Troops
2x
10 wyches
Hekatrix with power sword
Net weapon whose name I can't remember

Elites
3x
10 mandrakes
Sergeant

Heavy support
2 Talos with haywire and ichor injector

2 Talos with haywire and ichor injector

 Spyro_Killer wrote:
It's actually what I was thinking but if you see how much of a financial blow it is to start a cult army ha

Just use your DEldar models. Warriors as Neophytes, Wyches as Acolytes, Mandrakes as Metamorphs or Genestealers, etc etc. Only problem is GSC armies generally have a clutch of HQ dudes, so you'll want more than one Kheradruakh as well as stuff to represent Maguses and a Primus.

 BBAP wrote:

 Spyro_Killer wrote:
It's actually what I was thinking but if you see how much of a financial blow it is to start a cult army ha

Just use your DEldar models. Warriors as Neophytes, Wyches as Acolytes, Mandrakes as Metamorphs or Genestealers, etc etc. Only problem is GSC armies generally have a clutch of HQ dudes, so you'll want more than one Kheradruakh as well as stuff to represent Maguses and a Primus.

It was more a reference to the points/model even with deldar unfortunately but the list posted gives the theme I want and some conversion opportunities without making the kid do without Santa

How about something Glade Guard based for your basic squads? They've got the whole 'clad in rags' thing than Mandrakes have got, and with a bit of paint and selective DEldar bits I tihnk you might have something.

Plus, the boxes they come in have more than 10 models in each I think...