​I did a little bit of potential brainstorming on the “lore of magic” of 40k factions.

I want to point out that I’m not a fan of the “winds of magic” mechanic, as it enables some mages to spelldump where others cannot, or spellcasters run out of magic, and then become utterly useless.

Furthermore, I want to avoid adding damaging spells, as nothing makes me more angry than having a mage able to carry the entire battle by playing “arcane vortex/wind/bombardment arcade simulator” and punishing people who want to play in formations.

Thus, all my spells effectively buff or debuff friendly or enemy units. Not a group, just one. This way groups of enemies are not punished for staying together, and spells have to be used more tactically on specific units. 

Some key takeaways are that “spells” or “lores of magic” in my concept thus are only single target, non-damaging, abilities that do not require “winds of magic” that come in sets of 4 abilities, shared by a hero and lord unit (an Eldar Farseer general and Eldar Warlock agent share the same 4 abilities). 

These abilities also have significantly greater range, meaning your caster can support units all the way on the other flank, so if you notice a unit that NEEDS to be killed or saved, you can use your supporting mage almost anywhere on the battlefield to help in that critical moment. Mages thus aren’t one-man-armies, they complement the army by giving them situationally critical buffs or debuff abilities.

Note that some abilities sound weaker or stronger than others, but they vary in cooldowns and durations. 

Astra militarum:

Astra militarum focusses on making their units hold the line and delay the enemy for a longer time. They focus on breaking the enemy from range with artillery. These are all themed around the commissar.

-Commissar’s supervision: Increase a friendly unit’s morale

-Leading by example: Increase a friendly unit’s melee defence

-Supply order: Restore a friendly unit’s ammunition

-Summary executions: Provide unbreakable to a friendly unit

Greenskins:

Greenskins are a melee focussed faction that wants to close the gap as fast as possible between the two armies and obliterate the enemy by overrunning them. Their abilities focus on breaking the enemy no matter their defenses.

-Shattering thoughts: Reduce an enemy unit’s armour

-More dakka: Increase a friendly unit’s ranged damage

-Red is faster: Increase a friendly unit’s speed

-No one has seen purple: Give a friendly unit unspottable

Eldar:

Eldar focus primarily on attacking until their barriers are broken, and then quickly retreating, attacking again when their barriers have been restored. Their ability set focusses on time manipulation and complementing their skirmishing playstyle.

-Slow time: Slow an enemy unit

-Restore Wraithbone: Restore a friendly unit’s barrier

-Battle trance: Increase a friendly unit’s movement speed

-Freeze time: Freeze a unit, making them immune, can target this on friendly or enemy

Drukhari:

Drukhari focus primarily on flanking, surprise attacking and breaking the enemy morale to run down their helpless victims. Their units come with stalk and want to crush the enemy in one strike.

-Screams of torment: Reduce the morale of an enemy unit

-Thoughts of doubt: Reduce an enemy unit’s melee attack

-Slide between sunbeams: Give a friendly unit unspottable

-Encore of slaughter: Increase a unit’s melee attack

Necrons:

Necrons don’t have magic, instead their scarabs do all the work that essentially looks like magic to all the other young races. They are slow with great armour and regeneration, they seek to outlast the enemy. They seek to win by attrition.

-Nanobot repair: Regenerate unit’s HP

-Shield of scarabs: Increase a unit’s armour

-Robot swarm: Slow an enemy unit

-Reconstruction: Superheal a unit that also revives its models

Tau: 

Tau don’t really use “spells” instead their abilities revolve around drones. Their strategy revolves around obliterating the enemy from range before they get in close.

-Spotter drone: Increase a unit’s range

-Overcharge drone: Increase a unit’s ranged damage

-Supply drone: Restore a unit’s ammunition

-Shield drone: Provide physical damage resistance to a friendly unit