Serpent's Brood: The New Aeldari Harlequin Transport Detachment (11th Edition)
How to play Serpent's Brood in 11th edition — the 2-DP mechanized Harlequin detachment with army-wide Sustained Hits and scoring Troupes.
SprueSentry strategy commentary for 11th edition, not official rules. Games Workshop updates points and rules regularly — always confirm against the current official rules and your latest dataslate before a game.
Serpent's Brood is a new Aeldari Harlequin transport detachment: a 2-Detachment-Point package built around Starweavers, Skyweavers and Voidweavers, with Troupes that finally score. It reflects Warhammer 40,000 11th edition (Aeldari Faction Pack v1.0, June 2026), and its rules are confirmed from the official pack.
This is SprueSentry strategy commentary, not official rules. Points live in the Warhammer 40,000 app, so confirm there before a game. Note it does not carry the ACROBATIC tag, so it pairs freely.
What the detachment rule does
Two parts. Boons of the Brood: weapons on your Harlequins Mounted and Vehicle models gain Sustained Hits 1, and any Harlequins unit that disembarks from a Transport also gains Sustained Hits 1 until end of turn. Travelling Players: Troupes become Battleline with Objective Control 2, and you can take up to three each of Troupe Master, Shadowseer and Death Jester. It's a transport-heavy detachment that rewards mounted firepower and delivered assaults — and fixes the classic Harlequin scoring weakness.
Stratagems and when to use them
- Fangs of the Brood (Fight) — a Troupe's Dance of Death gains three abilities instead of one. A huge melee spike on your committed unit.
- Venomous Wrath (Shooting) — a Harlequins Vehicle shoots then makes a 6" move. Shoot-and-scoot for Voidweavers.
- Striking Stride (Charge) — a unit can charge in a turn it Advanced.
- Weavers' Coils (end of Fight) — a Mounted unit repositions or Falls Back 6".
- Weaving Stride (reactive) — an Infantry unit makes a 6" reactive move.
- Skyward Lunge — pull a Vehicle or Mounted unit into Strategic Reserves to redeploy.
Enhancements worth taking
- Weavers' Wail (Troupe Master) — +3 Strength and +1 Attack in melee; a serious character beatstick.
- Shedskin Raiment (Shadowseer) — after deployment, redeploy up to three Harlequins units (into Reserves if you like).
- Key of Ghosts — the bearer's unit gains Scouts 6" for an aggressive first turn.
- Fanged Leer (Death Jester) — the bearer's shrieker cannon picks two abilities instead of one.
Key units
- Starweaver — the core delivery transport; disembarking Troupes trigger Sustained Hits 1 and arrive in position.
- Voidweaver — primary firepower, with army-wide Sustained Hits 1 and Venomous Wrath shoot-and-move.
- Skyweaver — fast mounted damage that loves Sustained Hits 1 and Weavers' Coils.
- Troupe — Battleline OC 2 scoring bodies, ferried in and spiked by Fangs of the Brood.
- Troupe Master / Shadowseer / Death Jester — up to three each; carry Weavers' Wail, Shedskin Raiment and Fanged Leer.
When to pick Serpent's Brood
Take it for a fast, mechanized Harlequin army leaning on Starweavers, Skyweavers and Voidweavers. The army-wide Sustained Hits 1 rewards a transport-heavy build, while Troupes becoming Battleline OC 2 fixes Harlequins' scoring weakness. Choose it over the older Ghosts of the Webway when you want durable board control plus a big melee spike from Fangs of the Brood. At 2 DP it leaves 1 DP for a support (and, unlike the Harlequin ACROBATIC detachments, it has no tag restriction).
Sample gameplan: build around 2-3 Starweavers carrying Troupes (with a Troupe Master and Weavers' Wail), backed by Voidweavers and Skyweavers. Use Key of Ghosts or Shedskin Raiment for an aggressive first turn. Early, use Voidweaver firepower with Venomous Wrath to shoot then relocate; push Starweavers up and disembark Troupes (gaining Sustained Hits 1) onto objectives their OC 2 lets them hold. In the Fight phase, spike a combat with Fangs of the Brood, and keep mounted units mobile with Weavers' Coils, Skyward Lunge and Weaving Stride.
Common questions
How many Detachment Points is Serpent's Brood?
2 DP, leaving 1 DP at a 2,000-point game for a support detachment. Unlike the Harlequin ACROBATIC detachments, it has no tag restriction, so it pairs freely.
What is the Serpent's Brood detachment rule?
Boons of the Brood gives Harlequins Mounted and Vehicle weapons Sustained Hits 1 (and any unit that disembarks gains it that turn); Travelling Players makes Troupes Battleline with OC 2 and lets you take up to three each of Troupe Master, Shadowseer and Death Jester.
What units are best in Serpent's Brood?
The transports and skimmers — Starweavers, Voidweavers and Skyweavers — plus Troupes (now Battleline OC 2) delivered into combat, and up to three each of the Harlequin characters to carry the enhancements.
Serpent's Brood or Ghosts of the Webway?
Serpent's Brood is the newer, transport-heavy Harlequin detachment with army-wide Sustained Hits, scoring Troupes and a big Fangs of the Brood melee spike; Ghosts of the Webway is the mobile, evasive mono-Harlequin hit-and-run detachment. Pick Serpent's Brood for durable board control.
Written by SprueSentry with SprueSentry editorial (hand-authored, research-grounded), grounded in the cited sources — original commentary, not Games Workshop rules text.