STARTING A DRUKHARI ARMY IN 11TH EDITION: YOUR FIRST THREE BOXES
The Drukhari are the raiders of the 41st millennium — fast, cruel, paper-thin, and as exhilarating a start in 11th edition as ever. Everything in the army moves at speed, hits like a razor, and dies if you look at it sternly, which makes them one of the most exhilarating factions to actually play. They're also a painter's delight: dark armour panels, jagged blades, and skimmers that beg for glowing edge highlights. Rather than a long shopping list, here's the whole start of a Drukhari collection in three boxes.
Box one: the starter bundle
As with nearly every faction, the current Combat Patrol-style set is the correct first purchase — you'll typically get an Archon or similar leader, a squad of Kabalite Warriors, and a Raider to carry them. That trio is the beating heart of the army, and buying it together costs meaningfully less than piecing it out.
Box two: Wyches and a second transport
Kabalites shoot; Wyches fight. Adding a unit of these arena gladiators — ideally with another Raider to deliver them — gives your force its second dimension and teaches you the faction's real skill: arriving exactly where you meant to, exactly when it hurts most. Two transports full of troops is already a recognisable Drukhari army.
Box three: a Ravager
The Ravager gunboat is the classic Drukhari heavy hitter and a strong shout for your early centrepiece — same elegant hull as the Raider, bristling with dark lances, and quick to paint once you've done its little sibling. If you'd rather go grander later, the range has flyers and monsters waiting, but the Ravager earns its slot first.
What not to buy yet
Resist the mercenary and cult units — Incubi, beasts, and the stranger corners of Commorragh — until the core three boxes are built. They're wonderful, but they're seasoning on an army that doesn't exist yet. The same goes for duplicate characters.
Count the spoils
Drukhari armies grow fast because the boxes are moreish, so track them as they arrive and grade each one by what's genuinely true — still on sprue, assembled, or painted. An accurate tally is worth more motivation than any half-remembered pile. When you want the full unit list and background, see the Drukhari faction page under Data.