There is no single useful number until you define what "faction" means. In current 11th-edition Warhammer 40,000, Aeldari and Drukhari appear as two separate army entries. In the wider setting, this guide distinguishes six major Aeldari groupings: Asuryani, Drukhari, Harlequins, Ynnari, Anhrathe Corsairs and Exodites. These are not six independent armies, and several of them overlap.
The confusion comes from one word doing several jobs. Aeldari is the name of the species, but it is also the name used for one current army entry. Older books use Eldar, Craftworld Eldar and Dark Eldar, while current rules use terms such as Asuryani, Drukhari, Harlequins and Anhrathe.
| What are you counting? | Useful answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Separate current army entries | 2 | Aeldari and Drukhari. |
| Major Aeldari groupings covered in this guide | 6 | Asuryani, Drukhari, Harlequins, Ynnari, Anhrathe and Exodites. |
| Named Craftworlds, Kabals, Cults, Covens, Masques, Corsair fleets and Exodite clans | No fixed total | New names appear across codexes, fiction and campaign material. |
The second row is a practical way to organise the setting, not an official rulebook total.
Why Are the Aeldari Divided?
The ancient Aeldari civilisation collapsed in the catastrophe known as the Fall, which gave birth to Slaanesh and destroyed most of their empire. Different survivors had already left or avoided the heart of that society in different ways, and the Craftworlders, Drukhari, Exodites and Harlequins developed separate paths from there.
Two of the six do not fit that pattern. The Ynnari appeared far later, so they are not another branch that escaped during the Fall. The Corsairs are not a single people descended from one evacuation either.
Are Eldar and Aeldari the Same Thing?
Yes, in general use. Eldar is the older English name, while Aeldari is the current official umbrella term for the species. Eldar still turns up in older books, in searches and in historic product names, but Aeldari is the term this guide uses.
| Older or common term | Current meaning |
|---|---|
| Eldar | Aeldari, the species-wide name. |
| Dark Eldar | Drukhari. |
| Craftworld Eldar | Asuryani, the Craftworld Aeldari. |
| Eldar Corsairs | Corsairs, often identified by the Anhrathe keyword or name. |
| Space Elves | Informal fan nickname, not an official faction name. |
Anhrathe has not replaced the word Corsairs. Both are current, and you will see them used together.
What Is the Difference Between Aeldari and Asuryani?
Aeldari does two jobs. In the background it is the species. In the rules it is also the name of an army entry, and it appears as a keyword on datasheets. Asuryani is narrower: it means the Aeldari of the Craftworlds.
A Craftworld unit can carry Aeldari as a general keyword and Asuryani as its faction keyword. A Drukhari unit can still be Aeldari by species while using Drukhari as its faction keyword. Those lines are related, but they do not make the two army entries interchangeable.
How Do the Current Rules Organise the Aeldari Groups?
The current rules do not give every Aeldari society its own independent army entry.
Aeldari
The Aeldari entry holds mainly Asuryani units, and it uses detachments to bring other groups forward. Current examples include Devoted of Ynnead, Corsair Coterie and Eldritch Raiders, alongside options built around Harlequins, Aspect Warriors, Guardians, seers, wraith constructs and Windriders. Detachment lists change with updates, so treat any name as current rather than permanent.
Drukhari
Drukhari are a separate army entry, but their current rules can still admit limited Harlequin and Anhrathe contingents through an army rule called Corsairs and Travelling Players. That is an allied-unit rule, not proof that all of the groups are one interchangeable army. How much you may bring depends on battle size, and those units carry extra restrictions.
What Are the Main Aeldari Groups?
Asuryani
The Asuryani live aboard the Craftworlds, the vast vessels that survived the Fall. They follow the Paths, a discipline for containing emotions and skills that would otherwise consume them. Their forces bring together Guardians, seers, Aspect Warriors and wraith constructs, and they make up most of what the Aeldari army entry represents. Asuryani is not a third army entry sitting beside Aeldari.
Drukhari
The Drukhari are Aeldari who live mainly in Commorragh, and they form a separate army entry with their own rules. Their society is organised largely around Kabals, Wych Cults and Haemonculus Covens, with specialists, mercenaries and other independent groups alongside them. Dark Eldar is the older name and still the common one.
Harlequins
The Harlequins serve Cegorach and act as warriors, storytellers and keepers of Aeldari tradition, drawing members from different Aeldari backgrounds. They have no independent army entry in the current organisation. They can be used within Aeldari, and within Drukhari under the current restrictions, and several current detachments support armies built around them.
Ynnari
The Ynnari follow Ynnead and gather adherents from several Aeldari societies, which makes them a religious and political movement rather than a culture of their own. They are not an independent army entry. Their lists are organised through specific Ynnari units, keywords and a detachment, currently named Devoted of Ynnead, and not simply by units sharing the Aeldari keyword. Not every Drukhari unit can be dropped into any Aeldari list.
Corsairs or Anhrathe
Corsairs are Aeldari who live as voidfarers, raiders, explorers and outcasts, and they can come from Craftworlds, Commorragh or elsewhere. Corsairs remains a current and understandable term, while Anhrathe is the name and keyword attached to many Corsair units. They are not an independent army entry, though current rules include units and detachments built around them, and certain Anhrathe units can also join a Drukhari army.
Where Do the Exodites Fit?
The Exodites left the old Aeldari civilisation before the Fall and settled maiden worlds, keeping a close relationship with their world spirits and ecosystems. They received new official miniatures in 2026, and four datasheets are now published: Dragon Knights, Leystalker, Stonesinger and Clanblade. They carry Exodite as a unit keyword and Asuryani as their faction keyword, they have current points values, and they do not have a detachment of their own.
Are Craftworlds Separate Aeldari Factions?
Not in the sense of separate current army entries. Each Craftworld is a society and a fighting force with its own identity, but Craftworlds sit inside the Asuryani. Its own colour scheme, characters and background do not turn it into a separate army entry.
The current rules do not publish a closed total of how many Craftworlds exist. Alaitoc, Biel-Tan, Iyanden, Saim-Hann and Ulthwé are widely recognised examples rather than a complete list, and many more appear in fiction and campaign material.
Are Aspect Warriors Separate Factions?
No. Aspect Shrines are specialist warrior traditions within Asuryani society, not independent army factions. There are many of them, each representing a specific approach to war, and the current range includes numerous examples. Games Workshop has said outright that nobody knows how many Aspect Shrines exist, so there is no closed figure to count factions with.
The Phoenix Lords are the legendary founders or progenitors of Aspect traditions. When one falls, a worthy successor can take up the armour and mantle, continuing an identity that has endured across millennia.
Do You Need Dedicated Aeldari Dice?
No. Any clear D6 pool works for Warhammer 40,000, and themed dice do not change the probabilities. A different colour mainly helps keep two players' pools apart, and an army-flavoured symbol is an aesthetic choice. Legibility and contrast matter more than the theme, and whatever symbol you use should always stand for the same value across the pool. In organised play, the event pack and the organiser take priority.
Our Aeldari dice and Drukhari dice ranges use 16mm resin D6s with engraved, hand-painted markings, and the wider xenos dice range covers the rest of the table. Matching the dice to an army is a perfectly reasonable aesthetic choice, but it is not a gameplay requirement. TheTopDice products are unofficial accessories and are not affiliated with, endorsed by or licensed by Games Workshop.
Army construction and unit availability change over time, so check the official Warhammer 40,000 downloads page for the latest Aeldari and Drukhari Faction Packs.
The Short Version
In current Warhammer 40,000, Aeldari and Drukhari are two separate army entries. For understanding the wider species, it is useful to distinguish six major groupings: Asuryani, Drukhari, Harlequins, Ynnari, Anhrathe Corsairs and Exodites. That is not an official total of six independent factions, because the groups overlap and named Craftworlds, Kabals, Cults, Covens, Masques, fleets and clans have no fixed count.
