Wraithguard - Blending Old and New

Shortly after the fourth edition codex came out I revamped my lowly Ulthwe wraithguard unit to bring them back to prominence with their then new rules. Part of this included putting them on larger, terminator-sized, bases. I was particularly happy because, at the time, it made them much more stable.

5th edition came and went, but in 6th new wraithguard models finally came out and the bases fit. At that time I was fitting out new plastics for close combat and swapping half my classic squad for d-scythes. I then received another box of 5 as a gift and figured I'd fill the basic cannon unit back to full. This revealed a problem, the old unit looked weird mixed into the new unit.

The height was similar, and swapping out gun barrels was an obvious step, but they just looked out of place, and the problem was the shoulders. The classic wraithguard don't have pauldrons and it means they lose that exaggerated triangle torso shape that Jes replicates throughout the army. To rectify this I've added the hip plates from the plastic models as pauldrons to the metal, and overall I'm very happy with how it blends the old unit with the new one.

The Cast Conundrum

Historically one of the traits of an Eldar army is the emphasis on synergy. At the time of the Harlequin release the prevailing theory was that a redone Eldar book would compliment the Harlequin book.  In some ways this was very wrong.

With the ability to reflect upon the compatibility of the two new books we can see that the big loser is the Cast of Players. At the time of release it was a way of nearly guaranteeing a substantial run roll for Eldar and Dark Eldar, considering two dice with rerolls give exceptional odds for a quality roll (nearly 80% chance you'll get a 5 or 6).  Unmatched Agility makes the bonus to Eldar all but moot.

This tells me The Cast was likely a throw-a-way formation to carry over players that already had a unit painted and ready for play. The real bonus comes from larger formations, but to play this means you're probably using Harlequins as a whole force, or using them as a section of an apocalypse force in a mega battle. They operate on their own in the theatre of war, and have one of the better special rules a formation gives, specifically Rising Crescendo. 

All things considered the Harlequins are a tremendously effective boost for Dark Eldar, making some some of their units just that much more effective at crossing the table reliably.

That said I would not be surprised if The Cast became a formation that saw common use in tournaments that allow two or three formations, partially because of the troll aspects o the Harlequin Warlord traits and partially because in the hands of a good player they can bring an assault element that most opponents aren't ready for.

Valedor, while less than a year old, now feels heavily outmoded by Harlequins and Craftworld Eldar. More strikingly it stands out as a missed opportunity to have an umbrella formation that includes the three branches of the Eldar faction. Now, more than before, the Dark Eldar book feels like a false start, with only a single, very restictive detachment included. It also currently appears to be the end of supplements, considering no book released since is a supplement, instead what would previously have been a supplement is released as a stand alone book. I'm curious to see what happens going forward, and how it inspires me to adapt my Ulthwe war host.

Skyweavers

When the Harlequin codex came out I nabbed a number of new kits, including 2 boxes of sky weavers. Tonight I finally got around to putting one box together.  It was only one because it was incredibly difficult. They are definitely not a beginner kit. I'll need a lot of free time and patience to get around to a second unit.

I had been planning to get a third box and run them in 3's, but after building some it will probably be a while before I talk myself in to that.

That said the cannon is designed to be easily swapped out, which I appreciate, and even before paint the models look great.

Considering how many projects I have going at the moment, I don't expect to get through them all before the end of 2015, but I keep picking up more stuff anyway.

I'm not 100% certain how this unit will actually play on the table, but I look forward to trying them out.

7th edition Eldar Codex: First game impressions

Yesterday I played a 2000 pt game, my first using the new book.

I had a guardian host, seer council, wraith knight and hemlock.

As far as the Craftworld Warhost goes Matchless Agility is amazing, even more so when paired with something like The Quickening, because a 9" run guaranteed allows you to re-position in ways your opponents will have a hard time predicting. That said, a lot of players will dislike the tax of guardian units it takes to unlock the ability for normal games.  This formation is truly designed for apocalypse games, most likely ones that are well into the 5000 pt + range, at which time it will actually simplify things like Battle Focus because you don't need to spend time rolling for each unit each turn... they just move.  

In my game I used the defender host so I learned that preferred enemy on the Vypers and war walkers came in massively handy, converting some abysmal rolls to deadly fusillades (two times I rolled 4 1's in my shooting and converted 3 of the 4 to hits).  In addition the free heavy weapon (they should have made it free per 10 guardians in the unit to encourage larger squads) will probably often be missile launchers, not only because it's the most expensive weapon, but because the anti-air missiles are included, which gives the Eldar a lot of casual access to anti air.  

The seer council is bonkers. I used a full squad with Eldrad and they pretty much had their way with the board.  Runes of fate is a very powerful tree now. That said, fortune being random is still a major detriment for regular use of the foot squad, because without it or invisibility the unit would have crumbled. Also sanctuary was massive. Without the sanctuary/fortune combo I would have lost 8 out of 10 warlocks in 2 turns, so they are very fragile, even if they were the cost of a Titan.  For competitive players I don't expect you'll see the conclave outside of small jetbike squads and even then it will have a lower mastery level and provide fewer warp charge.  Fortune + Protect will still be powerful, but far less likely to occur than previously given you're not getting a roll per warlock on runes of battle anymore.

The Wraithknight wasn't particularly impressive. Neither were any of the D weapons. Much ado about nothing. The only real difference between the old gun and the new was when I 6'd out a chaos lord so that he didn't get a 4++ that in the prior book he would have received against an instant death hit. The Hemlock's best effect was attained through psychic shriek rather than the scythes, and I think once players get used to the altered rules they'll find they're going crazy over fairly expensive  units that are very good at specific jobs.  The only time we'll probably see them be truly outrageous is in apocalypse where a unit of 10 can be paired up with an Archon and deep strike without scatter and quite likely wipe out any titan in the game in a single volley.  I doubt there's an appropriate counter outside of Interceptor Tau, but you are unlikely to see that in anything outside of Apocalypse, and it probably won't be the only insane unit on the field.

I think the Eldar will be maligned for extreme lists like mine (at max strength it's 24 warp charge prior to the bonuses) in competitive play, but there will be a large number of players that ultimately will build flexible lists that incorporate a single formation to support a CAD.

In the long run I think opponents will adjust, but it will take time. Until then there will be much complaining and gnashing of teeth. Death Star builds in particular seem to be hard countered by Space elves, so expect many more complaints from players that depend on those lists than from MSU style lists.  In my game my opponent made some early miscues, had a moment of bad luck with a failed charge (needed 5 or higher and rolled a 3 and a 1), yet because we were playing maelstrom at the point he surrendered in turn 4 the score was 5-3 in my favor.  It was still close, despite most of his army being gunned down.  If you're facing this codex do NOT try to take it on in waves.  You will be eaten alive.

One thing is clear, the tournament scene is going to have a lot of soul searching in how it wants to handle 40k as a whole.  In general the playstyle of the Eternal War missions versus the Maelstrom missions is totally different, and it's clear the designers are not setting balance based on Eternal War missions.  If those are the foundation of your game good luck.  Some armies have ridiculous bonuses in that play style.  Maelstrom actually evens things out quite a bit making the game a mixture of army design, skill, luck, and adaptability over the course of an entire game.  

I look forward to testing more builds and seeing what other combos this book has up its sleeve.

On Harlequins

Now that I have a few games under my belt with the new dex I wanted to take a little time and discuss my experience. Firstly, this is going to be a positive review, so I figured I'd warn people about that up front. That said I do acknowledge that Harlequins will not fit in with everyone's play style and those people will simply find them too expensive and noncompetitive.

I have experience primarily with two formations, the Cast of Players and The Heroes Path.  These two formations work well together, but also hold up independently if used correctly.  While the anti infantry shooting is particularly destructive now the most fun aspect of using them is that having them in my force has restored assault to my games.  I don't just mean a little, I mean I'm disrupting opponents and dictating phases of the game by using them to pressure opposing spearheads or vulnerable forces.

Don't discount their shooting.  The Death Jester rule combined with the Mask of Secrets is an enormously mean combo.  The Cast of Players benefits from that combo immensely because it rewards aggressive play.  A unit that is most likely out of charge range can take a casualty from the jester and suddenly launch itself forward all but guaranteeing that your unit will suddenly make the charge.  It means the cast can slingshot across the board far quicker than your opponent expects and this can quickly collapse their line or stall their entire army as they attempt to fend off this new, dire threat.  A supporting Heroes Path jester has the freedom to support the cast with a second chance to break a unit, or fire at a separate threat and stand a good chance at breaking them.

Don't be afraid to add in the occasional fusion pistol or neuro disruptor.  The dependable ap2 can be a shock for opponents, especially when a couple bladestorm rolls go your way.

Psychic Support from a farseer has been integral for me.  Fortune can make even the 5++ a real headache for your opponent.  At other times Guide, Prescience, and Doom have all made drastic differences for the unit as well.  I haven't had much luck with the Harlequin powers themselves, but that's more due to my lackluster dice rolling than anything else.

I still like the Harlequin's caress, but the real money, for me, has been the Kiss.  having a cluster of them is like insurance.  When I first saw the rules I was pretty skeptical about the Kiss, but in play it really won me over.

Warlord trait: I pretty much always give the trait to a Troupe Master now because in general I don't really like the standard Eldar traits at all.  When playing a mixed Harlequin/Craftworld list a farseer becomes far more survivable since he's not worth a point for warlord.

The Solitaire: He gets his own little section because he's such a unique unit.  He's so vulnerable, but so effective... if the dice hold up.  I have had situations where his blitz move had a great roll but duffed his attacks, and the opposite.  I recommend, when you do use the blitz move, that you make certain you've got a unit near enough that you can get in to charge range even with an abysmal roll (an insurance target).  I've become less of a fan of the Deep Strike technique for him, preferring to have him speeding across the board from cover to cover, but it really depends on the opponent and what is in his force.  For all the threat the model embodies, I think there is the danger to try to expect too much from him.  He will excel in most challenges, and if possible he's excellent pairing up with a charging squad of harlequins in order to slaughter or stonewall a combat character that would otherwise tromp through the squad.  Most characters that are forced to give and accept challenges will learn to fear the Solitaire.  

That wall of text is pretty much all for now, but I hope to get some more info up and available as I get some more games played with the new units.  My current preconceptions are that the Voidweaver's Prismatic Cannon will most often be something I swap out for a haywire cannon because I'm not a fan of the lance version, and I'm slightly worried that the Skyweaver bikes won't work like I'm imagining and I'll be slow to pick up their nuances.  I'm looking forward to more testing!

I am Solitaire!

After more than 15 years the solitaire is back in my army.

Fully painted and ready to slay.

Photographed in natural light:

One Year On - Unit Review: Fast Attack

Oddly there is a rumor of a new Harlequin codex or supplement coming soon, which will hopefully address some of the concerns I mentioned in my post on Elites. I look forward to it, despite my surety the Solitaire will have no rules in the book.

Crimson Hunter

I want this unit to come as a squadron because it would feel right as an aspect. I enjoy this unit.

Game Play - a solid unit, and I use them often. Vector dancer is an amazing rule, but it is a fragile unit.

In 7th: pretty much the same as in 6th, though Jink has improved. One is ok, but two are better. If you roll as poorly as I do you'll also upgrade one to an Exarch, and then probably fail to pen anyway.

Swooping Hawks

This unit received a huge boost in a point reduction and an additional shot per weapon and deep strike without scatter. Also the exarch received the ability to simply purchase a power sword without giving up a good gun.

Game Play - there isn't much not to love about this unit. In a pinch they can finish off a wounded vehicle with a Haywire thrown by an Exarch, and the squad can take down an Imperial knight in a single round of combat. What their guns lack in strength they make up in volume.

Phoenix Lord - I have not used Baharroth, but I like his rules (the addition of the invul is notable) and he makes the unit even faster, capable of repositioning very quickly. blinding units on the deep strike allows them to affect multiple units in a single turn, as can clever positioning compared to where the grenade pack drops.

In 7th:  Scoring is an improvement on a solid unit.

Warp Spiders

This unit was awful in 3rd edition, and has seen steady improvement ever since. It is now, in my opinion, the best unit in the game. Fast, solid save, powerful short range shooting that threatens anything shy of AV 14. The only down spot is the models are over 20 years old and static.

Game Play - If wielded like a scalpel they are brutally efficient. They are flexible enough to target heavy or light infantry, monstrous creatures or light to mid armor vehicles. With deep strike or their insane move distance per turn they can get where you need them when you need them.

In 7th:  The ability to score objectives has boosted them from stars to super stars.

Hemlock

Possibly the most maligned unit in the book at its release I enjoyed its less than direct approach to warfare.

Game Play - be aggressive and keep it close to opponents you intend to force break tests on.

In 7th:  now it can cast psychic shriek and cast on the turn it arrives (and shoot swooping monstrous creatures). 7th has made it a nightmare to units like broadsides.

Shining Spears

Shining Spears received a 10ppm price reduction in this book making them a unit I strongly consider, but they retained the AP3 in close combat.  They also received skilled rider and outflank thrown on.

Gameplay - In 4th edition they were a unit I would aim at terminators, but now they're a unit only suited to taking on small units of heavy infantry as they've been reduced to AP 3.  Their actual damage output is very low on the charge because they cannot get a bonus attack, but their shooting is slightly improved with bladestorm.  They need support in the form of an attached Autarch (who now only gives 5 bonus attacks, as opposed to the 6 he could previously give with the scorpion helm.  An exarch is still required (for hit and run and a little oomf), but the overall cost of a unit has thankfully been reduced.  I ran a unit of 5 supported by an autarch, which made them expensive, but deadly.  I haven't run them in 7th, but with the reduced cost I might simply run 5 with no support character and see how it goes.  The ability to run 6 fully tricked out for under 200 pts is an excellent option as well, but they are one of the units that are not for amateur players.  You need to have a plan, and stick with it, and once you've had a good game with them expect they become a priority target for your opponents.

Vyper

Here have some BS4 and bladestorm.  Really that's the only change from the previous book, but if you liked to upgrade your turret weapon the upgrades got cheaper.

Gameplay - This really hasn't changed.  For me I run them in a squadron of 3, each with dual shuriken cannons.  The change to jink does hit their output, but if you focus more on intervening terrain to provide cover rather than jinking you'll get an idea of just how gross their firepower can be.  They hit more and are occasionally AP2, all in a tidy package for 180 pts.  They're flexible enough to take on light to medium vehicles and have a high enough volume of fire (That's 18 BS4 shots at str 6 ap 5 bladestorm) to scare light and heavy infantry alike.  Also, opponents often deprioritize them in favor of other targets, so in the early game you can use them aggressively and force your opponent not to ignore them.

OVERALL

Eldar may have the best Fast Attack section in the game.  Most players will take Warp Spiders in just about every list, and Swooping Hawks finally 

BUILDS

Warp Spiders: 8 with an Exarch with Spinneret rifle and Fast shot.  You can absorb a couple casualties and still be terrifying.

Swooping Hawks: 7 with an Exarch with sunrifle allows you the big blast when you drop, small arms fire that will shock your opponent, and their grenades make them a counter to the ever-present threat that is an imperial knight.

Crimson Hunter: Exarch.  That upgrade is worth it for the bump in BS.  The Marksmen upgrade is solid if you want to surprise your opponent and force some look out sir rolls.

Hemlock: it has no options, but should definitely be run.

Shining Spears: 6 with an Exarch with star lance, hit and run, and monster hunter.

Vypers: 3, each with dual shuriken cannons.