Darkstrider portrait

Xenos · T'au Empire

Darkstrider

Sub-Commander

Overall hero rating 4.89 / 10

Score updated: Nov 3, 2026

Overall Hero Rating

How scoring works
4.89 / 10 Rank 73

Useful with the right Tau teammates, but fragile defences and narrow partnerships demand caution.

Guild Raid 7.0 / 10

A valuable battlesuit-team buffer, with a top-team role against Ghaz and additional use against Hive Tyrant and Winged Prime.

Guild War 6.0 / 10

Defenses featuring Darkstrider hold in 32.7% of Meds Up battles across equally weighted battlefields, providing the stronger supported role.

Horde 3.5 / 10

Markerlights and ranged support improve Tau damage, but fragility and limited personal clearing leave him dependent on a specialised team.

Popularity 3.05 / 10

Planner records show 1,943 players at Gold I or higher, 765 at Diamond I or higher and 156 at Adamantine II or higher. Five equally weighted milestones determine this investment-based Popularity score.

Hero Stats

Game 1.43.130
Health
10,914
Armor
2,474
Damage
3,638

Movement

3hexes

Melee

Physical
Hits
3
Range
1
Pierce
1%

Ranged

Pulse
Hits
4
Range
2
Pierce
20%

Traits

Infiltrate

This unit does not trigger Overwatch

Ranged Specialist

Deals extra damage with ranged attacks if this unit did not start its turn adjacent to an enemy.

Suppressive Fire

An enemy hit by this unit’s ranged attack becomes Suppressed.

Abilities

active ability

Fighting Retreat

Adjacent enemies gain a Markerlight. They also have 1 fewer hits, to a minimum of one, and deal -1044 Damage for one round. Until the end of this turn, Darkstrider and adjacent allied units with the Ranged Specialist trait gain the effect of the trait even if they started their turn adjacent to an enemy unit. Using Fighting Retreat does not end Darkstrider's turn if he is adjacent to an enemy, and he can move again if already moved in this turn.

passive ability

Structural Analyser

Units hit by ranged attacks from Darkstrider receive a Markerlight for one round. Friendly units adjacent to Darkstrider deal +1306 Damage with ranged attacks against targets with a Markerlight. Friendly T'au Empire units within 2 hexes of Darkstrider are also affected.

Supporting Evidence