In Hammer of Math we look at key issues in statistics and how they affect games of Warhammer 40k. This week we’re looking at various rules and effects from the new Codex: Drukhari.
Codex: Drukhari is finally set to release, filling out and finishing the roster of tenth edition Codexes. If you missed our review of the book’s matched play rules, you can find them here. In this article we’re going to look at a number of effects in the new book and the statistics behind them.
Wrack Durability
Let’s start with everyone’s favorite shambling, zombielike servants. Wracks have gone from having 1 wound with a 5+ Feel No Pain and a 6+ save/6+ invulnerable save in the Index to two wounds and a 5+/6++ save in the Codex. Mathematically speaking, having a 5+ Feel No Pain is equivalent to having 50% more wounds, so previously Wracks were essentially working with 1.5 wounds, and have now moved to 2. You’ll feel this most when going up against 1-damage weapons, where suddenly having two wounds is much better (and more reliable), and probably won’t feel it much against weapons which do 3+ damage. You may occasionally miss those moments against 2 damage weapons where you hit a 1/9 chance of blanking them, however.
Archon Melee Options
Archons have a wider array of weapon options now thanks to the new model kit set to release. Now in addition to a Huskblade, Archons can opt to take an Agoniser or a Master-crafted Power Weapon. Let’s look at these:
- The Agoniser has [ANTI-INFANTRY 3+], with 6 attacks, WS2+, S3, AP-2, 1 damage.
- The Huskblade now has [DEVASTATING WOUNDS], 4 attacks, WS2+ S3, AP-2, 3 damage.
- The Master-Crafted Power Weapon is 5 attacks at WS2+, S4 AP-2, 2 damage.
These have different stats and different preferred targets, so let’s look at how each stacks up into different targets. I’m going to be considering these in depowered mode, so without re-rolls to hit.
vs. Guardsmen
Here the Agoniser is the clear winner, killing 3 guardsmen on average per activation. Only wounding on a 3+ is what hurts you here, but you don’t fare any better on the Huskblade or Power Weapon.
vs. Space Marines
Here the Master-Crafted Power weapon gives you the best results, killing an average of 1.7 marines per activation before buffs. You’ll wound on 1/2 of your attacks but having 2 damage pushes this one up over the Agoniser. The Huskblade has the worst performance here, with Devastating Wounds kind of overshadowed by the fact that you only wound on a 5+.
vs. Terminators
Here’s where the Huskblade makes up its value, as having a 3-damage swing with the opportunity for Devastating wounds pushes this one over the other two, though on an average swing you’re still likely to only kill a single terminator.
Improving the Results
That’s not the best math ever, but you can improve things a bit – Incubi give your unit [DEVASTATING WOUNDS] against Infantry targets while Empowered, while Kabalite Warriors can re-roll wound rolls of 1 or all wound rolls against a target on an objective while Empowered. Both of these can combine with the Archon’s melee options to produce some very good results.
For the Agoniser, the combo here is Incubi, where the combination of [ANTI-INFANTRY 3+] and [DEVASTATING WOUNDS] against infantry units makes for some very nasty melee output. If you combine these two then it ensures that your 1-damage attacks essentially only deal mortal wounds. On average, this ensures you’ll kill around 1.7 marines and 1 terminator each time you launch a series of attacks with the Agoniser, and you’ll cleave through 1-wound targets with better saves than guardsmen, such as Sisters of Battle, Hearthkyn, or even Zoanthropes. It’s also funny when you attack a unit of Canoptek Wraiths sporting a Cryptek, as they pick up the INFANTRY keyword as a result, ensuring you’ll be able to bypass their invulnerable saves as well.
Of course, the big limiter here is that the Agoniser is 1 damage. If you want more raw power you have to go with the Huskblade, which offers 3 damage and comes with [DEVASTATING WOUNDS]. There you’re better off joining a unit of Kabalite Warriors, whose Empowered ability lets you re-roll wound rolls against targets on objectives. In those instances, if you empower your unit you’ll get re-rolls to hit and wound, and if you fish for devastating wounds then you’ll average 1.8 dead terminators, or 3.6 damage into a vehicle. Here your big limiter is the number of attacks you get – four just isn’t that many.
Lady Malys
In your Shooting phase or the Fight phase, Lady Malys can be empowered to give her unit either [SUSTAINED HITS 1] or [LETHAL HITS]. This is a relatively straightforward choice – you pick Lethal Hits when you are wounding the target on a 5+ and Sustained Hits otherwise.
Combat Drugs
The Spectacle of Spite Detachment gives you access to combat drugs for your army, with effects similar to what Creations of Bile get, but only lasting one round. With these you can either pick one or roll for two effects to become active. Your chances of rolling doubles here is 1 in 6, and you can only get an effect you’ve already used if you roll for it. Your options here are +1 Attack, +2″ Move, +1 WS, +1 T, +1 S, and +1 Ld and BS. Of these, +1 Attack is almost always the best option from a damage output standpoint, though there are times when +1 Strength on your melee attacks will provide similar value.
A unit of five Wyches with Hekatarii Blades will toss out 20 attacks total – four each – hitting on 3+, at S3 and AP-1. On average that will kill 2.2 marines and just about 1 terminator.
- At +1 Attack, that increases to 2.8 marines and 1.2 terminators.
- At +1 Strength, that increases to 3.3 marines and 1 terminator.
- At +1 Weapon Skill, that increases to 2.8 marines and 1.2 terminators.
+1 Strength doesn’t register against the T5 Terminators, but lets Wyches hit a big break point with S4 attacks. Though as we’ll see with Lelith, there are other, better ways to get that particular buff.
Lelith the Blender
Few units in Warhammer 40k can put out as many attacks as Lelith Hesperax, who starts with 8 but packs [SUSTAINED HITS 2] and, once per game, can increase her attacks count to 12. On her big “Go” turn, she’ll average 14 hits on 12 attacks – though you can spike this easily with a third 6 result, and get an extra attack from Combat Drugs – and with [ANTI-INFANTRY 2+] and AP-3 she’s liable to deal 9.7 damage to infantry targets with a 3+ save. That’s enough to mulch a unit of five Intercessors on her own, and she’ll likely take down two 3-wound terminator targets, or a whole 6-wound character with a 4+ invulnerable save.
Lelith’s only blocker remains that “1 damage” characteristic on her profile, but it’s not uncommon to hear about her popping off for 16+ hits in a single go around.
Her Wyches benefit as well, going to S4 and AP-2 on their Hekatarii Blades with an Empowered Lelith and likewise S5/AP-3 on their Gladatorial weapons. With only Hekatarii Blades, a unit of 10 Wyches and Lelith will drop 9 damage on a unit of standard Marines, giving you the punch to kill just about ten with them and Lelith, and you can easily push that over the Gladitorial weapons.
Hellions Raise Hell
One of the big standout datasheets of the new book is Hellions, and with good reason – These guys come with Hellglaives, weapons that do 3 attacks each at WS 3+, S4, AP-1, 2 damage with [LANCE, SUSTAINED HITS 1]. On top of that, when they’re Empowered, this unit gets +1 Attack and Strength on its melee weapons. The net effect is that, on the charge, they can wound marine and other T4 targets on a 2+ and punch up into T5 targets like Terminators with ease.
On average, a unit of 5 Empowered Hellions will kill 6.9 marines on the charge, and drop 3.7 Terminators. The big barrier here is the AP – only having AP-1 on their weapons is rough, but they punch up very well regardless.
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