The Raider is the Drukhari’s main troop transport: a fast, paper-thin anti-grav skiff that trades durability for terrifying speed. It’s the clearest expression of how the Dark Eldar fight, hitting hard and vanishing before the enemy can answer.
What the Raider actually is
It’s an open-topped anti-grav transport built around compact turbo engines and aethersails, which catch the energies bleeding from the Webway portals the Drukhari use to enter realspace. That combination lets it skim the battlefield at speeds matching Craftworld Eldar skimmers.
The hull looks more like a pleasure craft from the old Eldar Empire than a war machine. Sweeping fairings shelter a curved deck punched through with tessellating cut-outs to cut weight. It’s elegant, and it’s fragile.
Why it matters on the tabletop and in lore
Light armour means Raiders die fast to almost any infantry fire, more than dedicated anti-tank weapons. That vulnerability is the point: the Drukhari don’t want a firefight, they want to arrive, unload, and leave before retaliation lands.
A Raider usually carries around ten warriors who deploy quickly to add numbers to an assault. Its bulwarks give passengers just enough cover without blocking their own line of sight, so a full Raider turns into a mobile firing platform rolling straight into the thickest fighting.
Weapons and upgrades
The standard armament is a Dark Lance or Disintegrator Cannon. Beyond that, Raiders are heavily customised, and the kit list is long and nasty.
Common additions include the Horrorfex, Night Shield, Scaling Nets, Bladevanes, Slave Snares, Screaming Jets, Scythes, Splinter Racks, Shock Prow, Torment Grenade Launcher, Torture Amp and Trophy Racks. Sickle-blade electroshock rams and gun racks also show up often.
- Every Raider carries a repulsor keelblade, steered by a skilled pilot.
- Aethersails are a shared feature across all Raiders.
- Individual craft get decorated with their Kabal, Wych Cult or Haemonculus Coven insignia, plus trophies taken from victims.
After the raid
When the fighting’s done, survivors are often chained or impaled to the Raider and dragged back to Commorragh. Dead Drukhari get piled on too, in a bloody heap. It says a lot that they show their own kind the same contempt they show everyone else.
Key facts
- The Raider is the primary transport of the Drukhari (Dark Eldar).
- It uses anti-grav tech, compact turbo engines and aethersails to move at extreme speed.
- It’s very lightly armoured and vulnerable even to ordinary infantry fire.
- Standard weapons are a Dark Lance or Disintegrator Cannon, with many optional upgrades.
- It typically carries about ten warriors into battle.
FAQ
Is the Drukhari Raider the same as a Land Raider?
No. They share a name and nothing else. The Land Raider is a heavily armoured Space Marine tank, while the Drukhari Raider is a fast, lightly armoured anti-grav transport.
How many models can a Raider carry?
Around ten warriors, which is why it’s the Drukhari’s standard troop transport.
Why are Raiders so fragile?
They’re built for speed, not survival. The Drukhari doctrine is to strike and withdraw, so armour is sacrificed for manoeuvrability.