What was once a retinue only unit is now a proper elite unit, the Incubi. They were pretty sweet last codex, and still are in the new codex.
Before After
What was once a retinue only unit is now a proper elite unit, the Incubi. They were pretty sweet last codex, and still are in the new codex.
These guys will run you double 11’s in cost, and seems like it might actually be worth it. They come standard with the Dark Eldar usual; Power Through Pain, Night Vision, and Fleet (which is great since they missed that before, curse you last codex and no fleet with armor 3+). They have a descent stat line with WS 5, BS 4, strength and toughness 3 (they are Eldar so this is how it should be), 1 wound, Initiative 5, 2 attacks, Leadership 8 and a 3+ save. So they look like Eldar elite warriors.
They come armed with a Klaive, which is a two handed power weapon that gives them +1 strength. This helps mitigate the typical strength 3 Eldar come with. Well that is it. They have nothing else but their 3+ armor and a big sword weapon. Would grenades help? DAMN IT YES! However, this is where I wonder why an assault dedicated unit like these guys comes with no plasma grenades or ability to buy them.
They did lose their Tormentor Helms, which functioned as a splinter pistol and gave an extra close combat attack like mandiblasters. Sure they mention them in the exposition, but then they seem to have just made a wardrobe change and decided it clashed with their new sword-ish weapons.
They can also take a unit upgrade, the Klaviex. He gives comes with the usual +1 attack and +1 leadership. He will also cost almost as much as two more Incubi. So, is he worth it? Well ha can buy a Bloodstone, which is a strength 3 AP 3 flamer. This is the squad’s only option for a ranged attack. HOORAY BS 4……and only 1 flamer to be taken in the squad! Still, AP 3 worries marine, to bad strength 3 does not.
He can grab Demi Klavies. These do sound fun. They are two swords that can combine to add +2 to the Klaviex’s strength, or be used to grant him +2 attacks and are power weapons. This is a reason to possibly take him in the squad, but it also jumps this one wound toughness 3 guy up over the cost of three standard Incubi. If you follow my ramblings, you know how much I love expensive single wound models…….little secret…….I don’t.
He can also purchase abilities, not unlike Eldar Exarchs. He can get Onslaught and Murderous Assault.
Onslaught gives the Klaviex and squad a nifty little ability. If they roll a 6 to wound they get a free immediate attack. Now this attack cannot generate extra attacks, but it is another chance to land a power weapon hit on something.
Murderous Assault gives the Klaivex the Preferred Enemy rule against a single Independent Character chosen by the Dark Eldar player. So yeah, he can do this too.
They also get the standard Raider and Venom for transport options.
The extra bump in leadership can help as can the extra attack, but dumping extra points in Klaviex gear, just cuts into extra Incubi you could have in the squad, or on other fun toys in the army.
I see the best use for this unit as a meat shield for an Archon, especially an Archon with a Phantasm Grenade Launcher. Now they can strike at initiative when running through cover. It also makes them a huge target, since nobody wants that many power weapons hitting anything, well except Dreadnoughts. They won’t care about it……..
As per the rest of this army, this squad will only get better if they get a Pain Token, or even two. Furious Charge on this squad would be great, giving them strength 5 power weapons on the charge. Just hope they live long enough to let that happen.
So a unit of 8 Incubi with an attached Archon in a Raider or out of a portal is my ideal for this unit. The Archon’s leadership and any gear can help take the place of the Klaivex and his abilities.
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| Drazhar slices and dices! You can even cut a tomato with ease after he shears through power armor! |
Now there is also an Incubi HQ, Drazhar. He was once just an incubi upgrade, now he is his own HQ. I think this was a bad choice, much like Kheradruakh, not being an upgrade for Mandrakes or just another elite choice.
So Drazhar is about the cost of a Landraider and has a Phoenix Lord stat line, what is that? Well it is WS 7, BS 7, S 4, T 4, 3 wounds, initiative 7, 4 attacks, leadership 10 and a 2+ save. So he is supposed to be the lost Striking Scorpion Exarch. Then again only one small sentence mentions it, so G.W. missed the chance to do some cool background or confirm it. They choose to keep things cryptic for some reason.
Ok back on track, Drazhar comes armed with Demi Klaives and 3+ suit of armor. Well he is an incubi guy so what else should he have? He also has the Onslaught and Murderous Assault powers as well. The Demi Klaives are a nice touch and make him a beast in close combat; strength 6 with 4 attacks or strength 4 with 6 attacks. These are both nice options.
He has the Dark Eldar standard of Power Through Pain, Night Vision, Fleet, and also has Independent Character, Fearless and Eternal Warrior. The Eternal Warrior rule will help with the lack of an invulnerable save. I think since he is Incubi he can only join them or run by himself. Sure he will make an Incubi squad better, but he is still a big point sink for an army.
He also has a few special abilities, Master of Blades, Darting Strike, and Riposte. I covered Master of Blades as that it confers the Klaivex powers to him and squad.
Darting Strike lets Drazhar, at the beginning of combat, move anywhere in said combat. There must be room for him, he must remain in base-to-base contact and must stay in coherence if within a unit. This might get him out of some power weapon/ fist range and help with survivability.
Riposte is weird and opens a question. If Drazhar makes an armor save roll of 6, he may then make a single immediate attack. This attack must be directed at the unit that hit him. It is also worked out in that initiative step and is at his base strength of 4. I can see the interweb assuming since he has a power weapon it is a strength 4 power weapon attack. I read it as just a plain strength 4 attack. It will be up to others to fully answer that question, if at all. So if he gets a roll of 6 to save he gets to hit someone in the face for it. I guess kind of neat, but not really. I find it as useful as Gabriel Seth’s dirty fighting rule. If it happens cool, but don’t put faith in it.
So is Drazhar worth it? As a HQ I don’t think so. He is so expensive and brings little help to the army. A 10 man squad of Incubi or Drazhar? I’ll take the Incubi squad. While he can boost the crap out of an Incubi unit, he is just so expensive and only helps that unit. There are other Dark Eldar HQ that do so much more for the army and cost so much less.
If they pulled his stats or abilities back a bit and made him an upgrade like Tellion, Sikrot, etc, I could see more use for him. I don’t think, outside of fun or love of the model (if they make a new one) that the Master of Blades will see much table time.
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