The Exodite Dragon Masters kill team is more than just a band of incredible new miniatures – it also introduces an entirely new approach to Kill Team gameplay that feels like no other faction.
With only three major operatives and two drakolithe beasts in play, the Exodites are the most elite kill team in the game, and function as a lethal and fast assault force that rewards careful movement and planning with explosive damage. Their reptilian mounts are powerful creatures, but must be controlled with finesse using a wildly different movement system.
First, the three Dragon Masters don’t set up in the killzone when the game begins. Instead, their drakolithes scout the terrain until it’s time for their masters to activate, and only then do you deploy your mounted operatives as they begin their activations. This places the initiative firmly in your hands, as you can see where the opponent’s forces lie before deciding where to commit your limited numbers.
DRACONIC CAVALRY TACTICS
When setting up an EXODITE DRAGON MASTER kill team before the battle, the first third of your kill team must be friendly DRAKOLITHE operatives set up as normal. Each friendly EXODITE DRAGON MASTER MOUNTED operative thereafter must be set up in reserve: place it to one side instead of in the killzone.
In the first Firefight phase, each friendly EXODITE DRAGON MASTER MOUNTED operative set up in reserve is activated as normal. When it is, set it up in a location it can be placed on the killzone floor with its base touching your killzone edge (it’s no longer in reserve). The operative is treated as performing the Turn action (spend the AP accordingly), then continue its activation as normal.
Once in the killzone, your mounted operatives activate twice in each Turning Point, splitting their 4AP between activations as needed – though you can’t spend more than 3AP in one go. This flexibility will be needed to keep them safe, as their towering size compared to other operatives means they can’t benefit from light cover or smaller pieces of terrain at all.
DRACONIC CAVALRY TACTICS (CONT.)
Each friendly EXODITE DRAGON MASTER MOUNTED operative is activated twice per turning point (it’s only expended after the second activation). You cannot spend more than 3AP for it per activation, or more than its APL stat per turning point.
Each friendly EXODITE DRAGON MASTER MOUNTED operative cannot be in cover from or obscured by Light terrain, terrain parts less than 2" tall or terrain that's not wholly intervening. Whenever a friendly EXODITE DRAGON MASTER MOUNTED operative would perform the Fight action, the distance requirements of its control range can be changed to 1" horizontally and 4" vertically until the end of that action.
That’s not to say they’re completely vulnerable however, as raw speed is their best friend, and who needs a solid wall when you can just outpace the enemy’s aim? Each operative is marked with Speed 3-, Speed 4+, or Speed 7+ depending on how far it moved in its activation, with Speed 4+ allowing them to retain one defence die as an automatic success while Speed 7+ lets them keep one as a critical success instead.
In short, keep moving.
MERCURIAL SPEED
An EXODITE DRAGON MASTER MOUNTED operative has SPEED 3- if either of the following are true:
It ends the Sprint action and it either moved backwards or less than 4" forwards.
It ends its activation without performing the Sprint action.
An EXODITE DRAGON MASTER MOUNTED operative has SPEED 4+ if it ends the Sprint action and moved 4" or more during that action, or SPEED 7+ instead if it moved 7" or more during that action.
Whenever an operative is shooting a friendly EXODITE DRAGON MASTER operative, if that friendly operative has SPEED 4+, you can retain one of your defence dice as a normal success without rolling it; if it has SPEED 7+, you can retain one as a critical success instead.
EXODITE DRAGON MASTER DRAKOLITHE operatives' SPEED changes as described on their datacard.
The simple act of moving isn’t quite so simple either, as drakesteeds lack the fine motor control of elite operatives, and it takes a lot of skill to weave them through dense terrain at speed. Rather than using Reposition, Dash, Charge, and Fall Back actions, they manoeuvre through a series of Sprints and Turns, planning ahead to make sure they don’t get stuck against a solid wall while the enemy closes in. Even better, the Sprint action costs 0AP, meaning the exodites are ALWAYS moving!
SPRINT (0AP)
Move the active operative to a location it can be placed. This must be directly forwards or backwards in one or more straight-line increments, and increments are always rounded up to the nearest inch. It cannot move more than 9" forwards or 3" backwards per activation, and it cannot move more than 12" per turning point.
Before or after one of the increments, you can pivot the active operative up to 45°. This doesn’t use any of its movement allowance, and it can then continue its movement with any remaining move distance.
SPRINT (CONT.) (0AP)
The active operative cannot climb or end the move on Vantage terrain higher than 2" from the killzone floor. It can move through operatives and it treats terrain parts less than 2" tall as Accessible terrain. Whenever it moves through an equipment terrain feature, remove that terrain feature from the battle.
An operative cannot perform this action while counteracting. For the purposes of your opponent's rules, mission rules and killzone rules, this action is treated as the Reposition action, or the Charge action if the active operative ends the action within control range of an enemy operative.
TURN (1AP)
Pivot the active operative up to 45°. This doesn’t use any of its movement allowance.
An operative cannot perform this action while counteracting. For the purposes of your opponent's rules, mission rules and killzone rules, this action is treated as the Dash action, or the Charge action if the active operative ends the action within control range of an enemy operative.
You can turn once in a move for free, and can turn outside of a move as an action – be sure to pick your targets carefully to ensure AP economy. On the plus side, there are no restrictions for starting or ending in an operative’s control range, so you can Sprint into and out of close combat as the wyrd takes you.
… And that’s just how they move! We’ll be back later this week to talk all about how the Exodite Dragon Masters actually fight when they get in position, and the wide array of upgrades you can customise each operative with. It’s going to be a blast!
