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Hi all, I'm looking to start expanding my Drukhari now that my AdMech and DA are mostly completed for now, and as I only own +- 490 pts right now I wrote a list to start playing with them at 1000 pts in my LGS, playing GW + CA missions only. I'd like an effective list as I'm tired of playing "friendly lists" just to get stomped by my opponent's idea of a friendly list.

At this point level I'd like to stay on playing Kabals only, I'm looking at a Battalion for having 8 CP to play with and not paying too much on HQ tax. I thought about including a Cursed Blade Wych Patrol of Succubus (in the Venom) + 20 Wyches deepstriking but it looks unreliable and far too fragile, I won't be at ease playing this way. So I reworked the list a bit to include Scourges and add Blasters to my Kabalites. So here's the list:

Battalion (Kabal of the Flayed Skull) +5 CP:
- Archon, Blast pistol + Djinn Blade - Warlord: Soul Thirst
- Archon, Blast pistol + Agoniser
- Venom, Splinter cannon + Twin splinter rifles

- 3x10 Kabalites, PGL, 2 Blasters
- 3x10 Raiders, Splinter racks, Shock prow

- 5 Scourges, 4 Haywire blasters
- 5 Scourges, 4 Splinter cannons

The idea is to have a very mobile force packed with a good amount of anti-vehicle/monster with the 6 blasters, 2 blast pistols, 3 Dark lances and 4 Haywire blasters. I know splinter weapons are not the best anti-infantry but I feel it should suffice. I'll ignore cover with the Raiders, and what is too tough for the splinter rifles won't resist the blasters or the Archons, and won't be in good numbers if they're resilient. Every flying thing has a 5++ except the Scourges but they'll have a 3+/6++ in cover. So the general tactic is to fly fast, sting hard and then control the board. Do you guys think this list could hold its own ?

Thanks in advance !

 Aaranis wrote:
... I'd like an effective list as I'm tired of playing "friendly lists" just to get stomped by my opponent's idea of a friendly list.

There is no formula or concrete distinction between "Friendly" vs "Competitive" list building. Just build a stomping hard list and don't apologize when you table somebody. Instead, help them with their list and tactics, and if you can tell you're gonna crush them, ask to play a tutorial game where you both point out what would be the better play, before each move or target selection.

 Aaranis wrote:
At this point level I'd like to stay on playing Kabals only, I'm looking at a Battalion for having 8 CP to play with and not paying too much on HQ tax. I thought about including a Cursed Blade Wych Patrol of Succubus (in the Venom) + 20 Wyches deepstriking but it looks unreliable and far too fragile, I won't be at ease playing this way.

You're correct, Deep Striking a big batch of wyches is too situational, and a savvy opponent will control the board, minimizing their opportunities. I field 3 units of 9, in raiders. 5 girls in a venom won't get much done, except shardnet-hold a unit or two of enemy infantry, which can a tactical nicety, but I think wyches should be able to eat enemy units, not just hold them down briefly.

 Aaranis wrote:
Battalion (Kabal of the Flayed Skull) +5 CP:
- Archon, Blast pistol + Djinn Blade - Warlord: Soul Thirst
- Archon, Blast pistol + Agoniser

Black Heart is superior to Flayed Skull, IMHO. Drukhari are already so fast & mobile, I don't think the movement buff is necessary, especially when your army is just shooty. If you had wyches or wracks or grotesques to get into h2h then the speed would help. Black Heart brings 6+ FNP to vehicles and Vect's Agents is arguably the best strategem in the game.

I do see that Flayed Skull will help with reroll while your boys are in boats. Do your opponents field a lot of flying? Custodes? Wave Serpents? If heavily flying and mobile, then maybe stick with Flayed SKull, but, Vecting can be key so often ...


Huskblades on the archons - An agoniser gets you 4+ to wound on most models in 40k, but it's the huskblade's damage that is a better bet. Archons will most likely face enemy characters (if you're doing it right) and the 2 wound average amount per smack with the huskblade is better. The huskblade's +1S will still be wounding on the same 4+ vs T4 models, but the gain is with so many T3 models in the game. Why hamper effort with agonizing poison? And if the archon is facing a T5 model in h2h, you're probably in a lot of trouble.

 Aaranis wrote:
- Venom, Splinter cannon + Twin splinter rifles
- 3x10 Kabalites, PGL, 2 Blasters
- 3x10 Raiders, Splinter racks, Shock prow

Where do your archons deploy? The venom? If yes, then I'd reconfigure:
Venom - x5 kabs
Raider - x9 kabs, archon
Raider - x9 kabs, archon

Screaming Jets is a good strategem at the low points game level that you're playing. Having room for an archon with the troops is a sound tactic, because they'l have reroll support once on the ground.

 Aaranis wrote:
- 5 Scourges, 4 Haywire blasters
- 5 Scourges, 4 Splinter cannons

I would make the case to have haywire-Bs on both unit of scourges -
Against a vehicle, they'll generate 8 shots with the Haywire-Bs, hitting with 6. They'll deal, on average, 3 to 5 mortal wounds and maybe one due to -1 armor save. If both units of scourges Deep Strike in, they'll crank that up to 10+ wounds on a vehicle, which two of the dark lances will finish off. Even at 1k point games, I think you ought to be able to drop 2 enemy tanks.

As is, your army has 5 blast/lance level guns: 3 hit. 2 wound versus T5+ vehicles. They'll generate 7 wounds, with 1 unit of scourges generating 3 to 5, maybe 6 wounds, that does kill most things, but it's barely on average. Having both scourge units doing anti-Tank is a surer call. And, haywire-Bs are decent against infantry too; the (average) 8 HB shots, with the shardcarbine, 11 dice to hit, 8 ish connect and then 4 or 5 wound, depending on T3 or T4. At -1 AP for HBs.

I'm not a fan of the Scourges with splinter cannons, remember they won't get the Kabal Obsession benefits since they are mercenaries or w/e. I would move the splinter cannons to the Kabalites that will be on the Raiders or just remove them period. The splinter racks only work on splinter rifles and pistols anyway if I remember right.. Maybe replace the splinter cannons with haywire blasters or normal blasters?

I'm not sure if having 2 blast pistols is worth it, they are so expensive and short ranged. There is also a pretty good relic splinter pistol replacement if you wanted more firepower on the archons.

Other than those things the lists looks good to me.

Thank you both for the feedback, much appreciated !

You're right about the Scourges, in another thread, someone advised just adding more base Scourges instead of the Splinter cannons and it's true. But I think I'll go the anti-tank way and give them either Blasters or more Haywire. If facing no invulnerable saves I'll be happy to have Blasters, if only to deal with monstrous creatures and such.

Well I think Flayed Skull is really nice to maximise the damage output of the Kabalites, ignore cover is also really nice to have. But you have a point with Black Heart, it gives me the 6+++, and access to Labyrinth Cunning (or Mind, I don't remember) which is great to reduce the cost of Agents of Vect. It's a roll for each CP both players spend is it ? French version has a mistake in it.

I liked Flayed Skull for the additional power given to my Warlord too with the trait. I want my Archons to be able to deal with any characters on the charge and it seemed great for it. Also the reason they have a Blast Pistol, to shoot it point blank or into any valuable big target when disembarked. The relic pistols are nice, but there's much competition in the relic choices, the Djinn Blade is great to ensure the Lord's lethality.

As for the transport, yes I mean them to travel both in the Venom, if I have them riding in the Raiders I lose my second special weapon and the heavy weapon in the Kabalite squad. But you have a point for the rerolls when disembarked. I'll see about reworking on my list when I have the time, if I have the points I'm thinking about adding two Ur-Ghuls in the Venom as safety in case their Venom gets blasted.

Thanks again for the advice.

Aaranis, honest questions here for you - don't read offense into this, I just need more data from you.

-Are you trying to build an army from models you already have, which led to you proposing this list?

-Drukhari are a top army. There are a few pretty standard lists to be competitive. Why have you not chosen one of them as a baseline?

No offense taken, these are legitimate questions. As I said, I'm looking at expanding because I don't own much of them presently, I have 1 Archon, a Raider, a dozen Kabs, 10 Wyches, 2 Ur-Ghuls and 3 Reavers. Thing is, it's a quite expensive army, and I want to build it slowly so as to take my time painting them up neatly and such. I don't very much like netlisting and like to figure out lists of my own, with advice, with my personal touch. I love the theme of loads of Kabs riding in Raiders but haven't played them outside of Kill Team.

I know that basically I could run 12 Grots, 3 Ravagers with Living Muse Archon or spam Flyers but these idea are either too expensive in the case of Grots or not to my liking, as if I want to play a shooting castle I already have AdMech and DA for that, I wish to have a radically different playstyle. I sound picky but I'm not looking to go tournament hunting, just be able to hold my own and not feel too bad if I lose by thinking I went too soft.

Thing is, this codex is so good and everything so cheap that I struggle to write a list, given all the choices and possibilities available. I'm wary of nerfs and don't want to invest too much in a list that I'm not in love with if it's going to be useless next year.

Hope that helped, feel free to ask more questions

 Aaranis wrote:
Well I think Flayed Skull is really nice to maximise the damage output of the Kabalites, ignore cover is also really nice to have. But you have a point with Black Heart, it gives me the 6+++, and access to Labyrinth Cunning (or Mind, I don't remember) which is great to reduce the cost of Agents of Vect. It's a roll for each CP both players spend is it ? French version has a mistake in it.

Labrythine Cunning allows a roll when either player spends a CP, and in case you missed an FAQ, only 1 CP can be gained in the game turn, thus only possible to gain 6 in a 6 turn game. At 1k points, you ought to farm 3 to 4 points per game. At 2k games, I tend to get 5 to 6 points, between my opponent's spending and mine.

Drukhari are a pricey army, because of the transports. I bought the majority of it back in 5th edition, so I don't feel the elevated prices anymore. While I like to support GW, it is okay to use ebay, too.