The Exodites are Aeldari who saw the Fall coming and got out early, trading their doomed empire for life on isolated maiden worlds. They ride dragons, farm worlds, and shoot anyone who turns up uninvited. For decades they were lore only, but now they’ve got miniatures and 40k rules.
Who the exodites are
Long before Slaanesh was born, some Aeldari looked at their civilisation’s growing excess and decided they wanted no part of it. They left through the Webway and settled on the maiden worlds, planets seeded for Aeldari colonisation in ages past.
The choice came at a cost. Exodites gave up the psychic power and technology that made their kin so dangerous, because those were the things feeding the coming disaster. In exchange they got hard work, simple lives, and a fighting chance to survive the Fall.
Maiden worlds and the world spirit
Every Exodite world has a world spirit, a collective psychic presence tied to the planet itself. Stonesingers, the Exodites’ psykers, can reach into it to heal their comrades or rupture enemy armour, flesh, and bone.
That connection is why Exodites defend their homes with such ferocity. A maiden world isn’t just real estate to them. It’s a living thing they’re bonded to, and losing it means losing part of themselves.
Dragon knights and the beasts they ride
Exodite cavalry ride drakesteeds, scaled mounts bred for speed and toughness. Dragon Knights carry laser lances, weapons that hit hard enough to threaten Terminators, Crisis Battlesuits, and rival cavalry.
The Dragon Masters kill team splits into three independent characters. The Clanblade leads from a redmaw drakesteed with powered swords and axes. The Stonesinger rides a venomcrest and works as a support psyker. The Leystalker snipes from a darkscale, picking off enemy characters from long range.
Smaller beasts called Drakolithes run alongside them, chasing down stragglers and sniffing out enemies trying to hide.
- Clanblade: close-quarters leader, directs the hunt, kills the deadliest prey
- Stonesinger: psyker support, heals allies and shatters armour
- Leystalker: lone operative sniper with a long-ranged rifle
- Drakolithes: fast predators that flush out hidden or fleeing enemies
How they play on the tabletop
Exodites hit fast and hit hard. Their speed and Agile Reach let them weave in and out of combat, and they measure engagement range at 3 inches instead of the usual distance, which helps with their large oval bases in tight spaces.
The Kill Team: Exodite box set pits three Dragon Masters against invading Beast Snagga Orks, with 20 Joint Ops missions forming a branching campaign. Dragon Knights built from the same kit got full Warhammer 40,000 rules added to the app and downloads page.
| Unit | Role | Mount |
|---|---|---|
| Clanblade | Leader, melee | Redmaw drakestead |
| Stonesinger | Support psyker | Venomcrest drakestead |
| Leystalker | Lone operative sniper | Darkscale drakestead |
| Dragon Knights | Cavalry, laser lances | Drakesteeds |
| Drakolithes | Fast attack predators | None (ground beasts) |
Where they fit in Aeldari lore
Exodites sit alongside Craftworlders and Drukhari as one of the main branches of the Aeldari race, but they’re the ones who walked away from everything. They don’t have the Craftworlds’ infrastructure or the Webway’s safety net.
That makes them vulnerable. Maiden worlds get invaded constantly, by Orks, Imperials, and anyone else who wants the real estate. Exodites fight to keep what’s theirs, and they’ve been doing it without much help for a very long time.
Key facts
- Exodites are Aeldari who fled through the Webway before the Fall and settled on maiden worlds.
- They ride drakesteeds into battle and wield laser lances powerful enough to threaten Terminators.
- Their psykers are called Stonesingers and draw power from their planet’s world spirit.
- The Kill Team: Exodite box set gave them their first miniatures and a 40k rules release.
- Dragon Masters operate as three independent characters: Clanblade, Stonesinger, and Leystalker.
FAQ
What are the Exodites in Warhammer 40k?
They’re Aeldari who left their civilisation before the Fall and settled on maiden worlds. They live simpler lives without the psychic excess that created Slaanesh, and they defend their homes with dragon cavalry and world spirit magic.
Do Exodites have Warhammer 40k models?
Yes. The Kill Team: Exodite box set introduced the first Exodite miniatures, with Dragon Masters and Drakolithes. The Dragon Knights variant got full 40k rules added to the Warhammer 40,000 app.
What’s the difference between Exodites and Craftworlders?
Craftworlders stayed on their ships and built the Path system to control their psychic nature. Exodites rejected both, choosing hard physical labour on planets and a much closer bond to the natural world instead.