Wych Cult lore is all about the best gladiatorial warriors in the entire galaxy who value speed and grace above all else.
With Halloween upon us, why not focus on the literal Wyches of the 40k Universe? And who knows, they could very well be the next Xenos army getting a book. With the multiple teasers and such, we can always dream. If you love the Commorragh then you would no doubt revel in the Wyches spectacles. Let’s all get out our flashiest outfits and learn about some Wyches.
Their Place in The Dark City
Commorragh is a rough place, to say the least. The amount of backstabbing that goes on would almost make a Chaos Daemon blush. Well, not a Slaanesh one, but maybe the others. The Wyches still take part in the backstabbing (obviously) but are one of the few forces that hold the whole crazy thing together. The Dark Eldar (or Drukhari, but we know the real name…) have a distinct need for suffering to keep their souls young. The Wyches give it to the entire population (well the rich ones) every night in mystifying displays of martial skill.
The balance in Commorragh is a very delicate thing, but somehow it almost always stays working (almost is the emphasis here) perfectly. The Wyches are held in high esteem because of their ability to keep the needs of the dark kin in check. If it weren’t for their feats in the arena, the city would most certainly fall apart. This means the ruling Archons pay the Wyches good money to keep the population satiated. The Wyches are only second to the Kabals that hire them. But still, the Kabals need them to keep order, so we’ll just say they’re better!
Organization
The Wych Cults, or Hektarii, were not always a thing. They were evolved, along with Commorragh, over the ages to constantly fill the need for violence. Each cult is made up of a thousand Wyches, each a master of gladiatorial combat. They feed the city with their amazing acts of skill and are broken up into a few main sub-sects. There are the Reavers, Hellions, and the regular Wyches themselves. While there are so many sub-sects and crazies coming up with new ways of killing, those are the most recognized.
Oddly similar to Orks, the need for speed eventually grasps a large portion of the population. So when regular gladiator fights aren’t enough, they graduate to Jetbikes and hoverboards. Once they hit those depraved heights of glory, nothing seems to excite them other than the fastest and most brutal aerial battles.
Each cult has a command structure and even the crazed Hellions have a leader, the great Baron Sathonyx! Each cult profits greatly from selling their services to the highest bidding Archon. So while they may undertake raids and coups by themselves, it’s often driven by a rich high-paying Archon. No matter how much you pay, you can never fully trust them though. Who knows, maybe the Archon in the spire over paid them to kill you, you just never know.
Entering Real-Space
When they raid the infinite species of the Grimdark future they generally do so with one goal in mind, capture as many slaves as they can. While they will help a Kabal on a big mission, they really still only want to capture prisoners. If a Wych cult comes to your planet, whatever you do, do not let them take you alive! Your life in the arenas will be short and vicious if you prove worthy, if not, you will toil away as a slave until you meet a gruesome end.
The only thing they think about other than capturing prisoners is outdoing each other in displays of martial skill. While taking a kill beautifully in the arena is all-important, doing so against the strongest enemy is a feather in their cap. When a cult does attack a planet it is fast and hard. They don’t stick around to admire the carnage, well maybe for a little, but soon they slink back into the Webway to show off their treasure and get back to the arena.
The life of a Wych is not easy, but it’s something they love wholeheartedly. I mean, they helped spawn Slaanesh, so what else would you expect?
Learn More About Wych Cult Lore & Dark Eldar Here!
About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
