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The Aeldari Exodites are finally getting miniatures. Talked about in the lore for decades but never modelled, the dragon-riding Exodites arrived at the Big Summer Preview 2026 — first through Kill Team: Exodite, and now as a set of units fully usable in Warhammer 40,000 alongside the rest of the Aeldari. This guide covers who they are, the new models, how they play, and how to start a cavalry wing of your own.
New to the pointy-eared xenos in general? Start with our Eldar army guide, then come back here for the Exodites specifically.
Who are the Exodites?
The Exodites are the Aeldari who saw the Fall coming. Before their civilisation collapsed into decadence and birthed Slaanesh, these clans rejected the path to ruin and fled to remote “maiden worlds” on the fringes of the old empire. There they built a hard, pastoral society — riding great reptilian drakes and dragons, working the land, and guarding their worlds’ spirit-stones with a warrior’s simplicity that their Craftworld cousins often view as primitive.
If you want the deeper background, we’ve got a dedicated What Are Exodites? lore page, and you can see how they fit against the wider Craftworlds and the Eldar gods.
The reveal: Kill Team first, then 40k
The Exodites debut in the Kill Team: Exodite box, which includes three mounted Dragon Master operatives and two drakolithe beasts, plus 10 Beast Snagga Boyz and five Squighog Boyz as non-player operatives for the box’s 20 Joint Ops missions. The Dragon Master kit can also be built as Dragon Knights for Warhammer 40,000.
Crucially, Games Workshop confirmed the Exodites are not a standalone army — they slot into the existing Aeldari faction in 40k. Their datasheets, rules, and points are being added to the Warhammer 40,000 app and the downloads page, with standalone miniature releases following the Kill Team box.
How Exodites play in Warhammer 40k
At the heart of an Exodite force is a hard-hitting cavalry wing built around speed, precision, and elite characters.
Dragon Knights
Dragon Knights are the core unit — drakesteed-riding clan warriors who charge in wielding laser lances with a flat 3 damage, making them a genuine terror for elite infantry like Terminators, Crisis Battlesuits, and rival cavalry. Their Agile Reach rule extends their engagement range to 3″, letting them strike and weave in ways ordinary cavalry can’t. They ride on large oval bases, so plan your movement lanes carefully.
The three Dragon Masters
The Exodite characters each bring a different flavour of support:
- Clanblade — a front-line leader who grants attached units Sustained Hits 1 and the Cornered Prey ability, punishing enemies who try to slip away.
- Stonesinger — a support caster whose Elemental Ensnarement slows enemy advances, controlling the pace of the battle.
- Leystalker — a Lone Operative sniper with a long-range rifle that degrades enemy resolve from afar.
The overall playstyle is fast, surgical, and character-driven: pick a target, deliver a devastating pinpoint charge, and use the Dragon Masters to control tempo. It’s a very different feel from a shooting-heavy Craftworld list.
How to start an Exodite force
Because Exodites fold into the Aeldari, the smartest entry point is the Kill Team: Exodite box for the Dragon Masters, then add Dragon Knights as they release, running them within an Aeldari army. If you already own Eldar, you can simply bolt the Exodite cavalry into your existing collection for a fast melee threat your Guardians and Aspect Warriors lack.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the Exodites a full 40k army?
No. They’re a set of units within the broader Aeldari faction, fully usable in Warhammer 40,000 rather than a standalone codex army.
What do Dragon Knights do?
They’re drakesteed cavalry armed with flat-3-damage laser lances and the Agile Reach rule (3″ engagement range), making them elite-killing shock troops.
Where do I get the Exodite rules?
Their datasheets and points are being added to the Warhammer 40,000 app and the official downloads page, following the Kill Team: Exodite release.
Have the Exodites ever been in the game before?
They’ve existed in Aeldari lore for decades but were never given a proper miniature range until the Big Summer Preview 2026.
What is a maiden world?
A maiden world is a planet the ancient Aeldari terraformed and seeded with life before the Fall, ready for future colonisation. When the Fall came, the Exodites fled to these worlds and settled them. Many maiden worlds now sit in or near the Imperium, which is why humans sometimes colonise one without knowing who already claims it.
Do Exodites have an infinity circuit like the Craftworlds?
Not exactly. Instead of an infinity circuit, each Exodite world has a world spirit: the souls of the dead pass from their spirit stones into a psychic network running through the planet itself. This protects them from Slaanesh in the same way, and the world spirit can even stir to defend its people.
How do Craftworld Aeldari see the Exodites?
Most Craftworlders see the Exodites as rustic and primitive, while many Exodites think the Craftworlds kept too much of the decadence that caused the Fall. Despite the friction, they’re the same species, and the Craftworlds will defend Exodite worlds when a threat is big enough. Dragon Knights fighting alongside Aspect Warriors reflects that uneasy alliance.