The Aeldari once ruled the galaxy, until a calamity of their own making shattered their empire. They now exist as a fractious shadow of their former glory, separated into squabbling factions and looking on at the younger races with contempt. The Asuryani drift haughtily through the void on their Craftworlds, the Drukhari raid from the dark city of Commorragh, while the Corsairs (Anhrathe) and the Harlequins (Rillietann) pursue their own mysterious agendas.
Despite their dwindling numbers, underestimating the Aeldari is the last mistake many warriors have made. Supremely skilled, swift beyond imagination, and armed with esoteric wargear from a more advanced age, their kill teams are not to be trifled with even if their goals are impossible to divine.
Each team has its own Faction Rule, specialised Equipment, and Ploys, representing the many approaches the Aeldari take to war. We’ve pulled upon the skeins of fate to conjure an overview of the Aeldari Kill Teams available at launch, and how they do battle.*
Aeldari who chafe at the strict existence enforced by Craftworld life can stray from their path and become Corsairs, joining rogue Drukhari and exiled Exodites in an alliance of mutual benefit. These rogues ply the stars for centuries at a time, banding together for a life of piracy. Drawn from disparate origins, they battle together with a diverse range of skills, specialists, and wargear.
These ruthless bandits easily outmanoeuvre their foes in battle with a free Dash, and carry the combined knowledge of centuries of combat doctrine. Regardless of their specialisation, all are skilled with Aeldari-made Rifles, which with ACCURATE 1 allows you to retain one attack dice without rolling.
Way Seekers and Soul Weavers turn the tide of battle with Psychic abilities, and Runes of Guidance allow them to reach out even further. Decades of piracy have forged every Corsair into Opportunistic Fighters who happily use underhanded tactics to slaughter their foes.
Soul Weavers can Soul Channel to enhance their allies’ prowess, and Soul Heal wounded operatives to keep them in the fight.
When the Asuryani need something sorted, they dispatch the Blades of Khaine – a combined kill team of Aspect Warriors from disparate shrines. Striking Scorpions, Howling Banshees, and Dire Avengers synergise with terrifying grace, bringing nothing but death at all engagement ranges.
Each Aspect Warrior can access five different Aspect Techniques which set them apart in battle. The Merciless Strikes of the Striking Scorpions confer SHOCK – the first Critical Success in an attack sequence forces your opponent to discard an unresolved Success.
Howling Banshees can tune their banshee masks to unleash the Scream-that-Steals, overwhelming their foes’ senses in combat. The stalwart Dire Avengers meanwhile lay down lacerating fields of fire with the Death of a Thousand Blades, granting TORRENT 2” which hits every foe within 2” of the primary target.
By wielding the Rune of Prophecy, an Aspect Warrior can manipulate fate to alter initiative order, while the Dance of Death allows two to switch places.
All three Aspect Shrines can contribute an Exarch to lead the Blades of Khaine. Such is their skill, that they can fight or shoot twice during an activation. The Striking Scorpions’ Mandiblasters make death all but certain.
When a realspace raid won’t cut it, the ruthless Drukhari who run the Kabals of Commorragh turn to their most elite retainers to get the job done – the Hand of the Archon. Experts in bladecraft and assassination, these are swift, surgical killers who revel in death.
Sadists through and through, the Drukhari extract Power from Pain, generating tokens from inflicting wounds on enemy operatives or slaughtering them outright. These can then be spent to activate invigorations such as Dark Animus and Vitalised Surge, which galvanise operatives in combat.
The Toxin Coating used by the Hand of the Archon confers LETHAL 5+, which turns those successes into critical successes, bringing low tough opponents. They Prey on the Wounded, further satiating their bloodlist.
Watching a Kabalite Crimson Duellist at work is enough to dumbfound the most stoic operatives at such a Brutal Display. As if engaging these master combatants wasn’t already a terrifying prospect, as they can Tangle adversaries with their razorflail.
Mandrakes are unsettling umbral creatures from the shadow realm of Aelindrach, echoes of fallen Aeldari which can warp their bodies and melt away into shadows. Only the most confident Archons can bend their will, paying them with intangible ephemera such as a treasured memory, or a true and secret name.
They attack with icy balefire, a technique known as Soulstrike which can bypass conventional armour as it suffocates their life force. As creatures of darkness, Mandrakes are barely perceptible and are considered Within Shadow under certain conditions. This makes these Umbral Entities even harder to wound, as they slip through tenebrous passages.
Their equipment has a macabre heritage, such as the Bone Darts carved from former victims’ remains. When opponents try to escape, they swiftly realise there is Nowhere to Hide as the Mandrakes fade in and out of the physical realm to pursue their prey.
Terrifying entities known as Nightfiends lead the Mandrakes into combat, uttering Harrowing Whispers which root enemies to the spot. The Oubliex they carry activates when the Nightfiend is filled with murderous intent, and can provide them with a chance to shrug off damage.
Next up, we’ll be getting all heretical as well take a look at kill teams of Chaos, and how they have changed to suit the new edition.
* The Void-dancer Troupe will also have free online rules for the new edition.
