But, finally, the Exodites have arrived, in the form of a new Kill Team release by Games Workshop, with Wh40k rules incoming.
But who are the Exodites, you may ask? When it comes to matters of 40k lore, I defer, as ever, to Gideon 40I-X2, the Tech-Priest hamster.
He provided the following summary, which was translated from the original binaric, in turn translated from a lot of metallic squeaking:
"So, yeah, bruv. There was this race of Space Elves called 'Eldar', until Games Workshop renamed them 'Aeldari', because of course they would. Anyway, these space elf tossers achieved utopia with technology and mysticism that would make The Culture shit itself.
"Thing is, they got caught up in debauchery, decadence, depravity and excessive Reddit posting, so some of the less fethed up ones said 'sod this. We're off'. And they fled to the Maiden Worlds, which were these idyllic planets created by the Eldar before they got caught up in happy slapping and shagging their horny lesbian step mothers.
"In the best traditions of popular BBC sitcom, 'The Good Life', these runaway Eldar did the full 'Tom and Barbara' and took up rustic living, rejecting a lot but not all of their hyper-technology/magic. Imagine Daryl Dixon via Elric and you're half way there.
"The twist was that there were loads of creatures on these worlds which could be used as steeds. And would you believe it? They looked A LOT like Dinosaurs. So, Dino-riding Space Elves combining eldritch technology with noble savage chic. What's not to love? Plenty, actually. Filthy fething xenos. Anyway, can I have a sudo apt update and some sunflower seeds now? Praise the Omnissiah. Squeak."
(As an aside, Exodites all sound like Clancy Brown. It's canon.)
So, what of the miniatures themselves? They're a mixed bag. The (A)Eldar(i) themselves are reasonable, a good mix of existing Eldar aesthetics, particularly GW's Ranger models. My only complaint is that they don't look feral enough, in the manner of Wood Elves, or whimsical enough. (I mean, they're Space Elves who ride Dinosaurs.) There is a faint sense of smooth, corporate inoffensiveness, an accusation that can be leveled at GW in general. But, they do look the part.
There is also some good visual storytelling at play. The Kill Team in particular is immediately understandable in terms of each Space Elf's speciality, their social rank, and, frankly, their personalities. The bold, self-assured Clanblade, half-hussar and half-general, who looks like he's riding to the rescue or leading a charge. The psychic Stonesinger whose shamanic undertones are, as said, a bit too subdued, but you can tell immediately that he is a menacing presence. And finally, the Leystalker screams (or rather, doesn't) 'cold, silent, efficient killer'.
My real issue are with the 'dragons' themselves. They are also well sculpted, and look easy to paint. My issue is that they look too much like dragons, and not like Dinosaurs, as they are supposed to, beyond having the most generic theropod shape imaginable.
Indeed, one has a faintly 'Skeksis' look, while the others all radiate 'ceramic dragon ornament you buy in a craft market that smells of incense' vibes. Less Jurassic Park, and more Dragon Riders of Pern.**
Now, this is a disappointment to say the least. I refer, in part, to John Blanche's amazing painting showing off weaponised Theropods, Ceratopsians, Sauropods and some Pterosaurs (who aren't Dinosaurs) added for good measure, all bristling with Exodite howders, in turn kitted out with cool-looking space guns.
We were promised red hot Dinosaur action, and instead we get faintly generic fantasy that seems almost embarrassed with its source material.
And then there are the 'weird little guys' of the range, in the form of Drakolithes, a shockingly bland pair of quadraped mini-dragons with no wings. They're meant to be hunting dog analogues, but seem to be there mainly to put painters and players to sleep. Dinosaurs, especially the small ones, are far more fun, far more exciting! Feathers! Claws! Fingers! Personality!
As is the case with most things (A)Eldar(i), Gee Dubs seems allergic to making money. Dinosaurs (and Pterosaurs) make serious bank, and are precisely the sort of thing that lure kids and their parents' wallets into the hobby.
Instead, we get pedestarian two-legged dragons and Space Elves who look more like glampers than woad-smeared space barbarians.
Now, these Dinos don't have to look exactly like the most up-to-date science dictates. They can be a little bit stylised, in part to fit in with the grimdark vibe, and in part to reflect the fact that they are either alien creatures that look like Dinosaurs care of convergent evolution, or Dinosaurs that have evolved just a bit in the last 66 million years, when, presumably, the first Aeldari chanced upon them on primitive Earth.
What we got instead is GW playing it safe again. I doubt we're going to get an Exodite army list or full range, either. Instead, the Exodites will be added as another option in the main (A)eldar(i) and Drukhari army lists. It just seems like a wasted opportunity, at least right now.
It's an achievement, of sorts, to take the concept of Dinosaur-riding space elves and make them rather inoffensive. All in all, it all smacks of a company that's increasingly afraid of its own shadow.
Raaaaargh.
* Their actual debut, in the form of lore, was in White Dwarf 126, which was published in May (dated June) 1990, fact fans!
** Nothing wrong with incense-smelling ceramic dragons, or indeed dragon-riders, of course, but this shit is seriously over-saturated now. Cersei Lannister, you CAAAAAAAH.
© Alexander Hay 2022-2026