New Serpent’s Brood Detachment Revamps Harlequins Mounted Play
On December 8, 2025 the Day 8 Grotmas entry unveiled the Serpent’s Brood, a Harlequins focused Aeldari Detachment that rewards mounted and vehicle centric tactics. The Detachment grants Sustained Hits to mounted and vehicle units, boosts infantry that disembark in the same turn, and relaxes several construction restrictions, giving players new options for lists and tactics.
The Serpent’s Brood is designed to push Harlequins into a faster, vehicle led playstyle. At its core the Detachment grants Sustained Hits to models while mounted and to vehicle units that carry Harlequins. It also provides a bonus to Sustained Hits for Harlequins that disembark in the turn they leave a transport, turning rapid deployment into a survivable assault option. These mechanics make Starweaver and Skyeaver transports more central to Harlequins tactics than usual, and change the timing of charges and counterattacks.
The Detachment removes some standard restrictions in matched play. Certain characters that were normally limited can be duplicated, and Harlequin Troupes are treated as Battleline units. That combination boosts army building flexibility and lets you build lists with multiple Death Jesters, more than one Shadowseer, or extra Troupe Masters while still meeting Battleline requirements. Expect list designs that lean into multiple character driven effects on the table at once.
Enhancements included with the Detachment provide scouting options and focused upgrades for three characters, namely Death Jester, Shadowseer and Troupe Master. These enhancements will alter the role each model plays in a vehicle centric list, and make character investments more attractive when those models are ferrying troupes or leading disembark assaults.
Several new Stratagems support unpredictable mobility and reactive play. Players can use options that allow movement after being shot, movement after fighting, and choices to place mounted or vehicle units in reserve late in the game. Those Stratagems create opportunities to bait fire, reposition after combat, and time arrivals to disrupt opponent plans. Combined with the disembark Sustained Hits bonus, the Detachment rewards high tempo and careful timing.
Practical value is immediate. Update your lists if you use Starweavers or Skyeavers, test disembark turns to maximize the Sustained Hits bonus, and consider using duplicated characters to stack niche effects. Try the new Stratagems in casual games to learn sequencing, then adapt tournament lists if the meta favors mobile Harlequin threats. More Detachments will follow in the Grotmas series and downloadable Detachment files are available for players to grab and playtest now.
