Kill Team Campaing: 247th Mordian Iron Guard V.S Necrons

----- Excerpt from the journal of Lieutenant Louis Gatsby, 247th Mordian Iron Guard, Special Task Unit -----

Though the Blood Angels had made off with our prize, our forces ended up being none the worse for wear after our encounter with the Emperor's Finest. As we pushed deeper into the hive, our forwards scouting parties began to report rumours of a stash of weapons belonging to a gang, deep in the underhive. These exciting reports also spoke of a greater danger than just gangers, however. Mysterious disappearances of civilians and gangers alike were filtering in, the few witnesses reporting horrific automatons who's weapons disintegrated their victims instantly. Though the danger was great, I ordered my team down into the underhive to secure this potentially helpful weapons cache. 

When we reached the cache, we were faced with more than a dozen gleaming metal warriors. Taking cover as best we could, we engaged. Though at first our weapons seemed ineffective, gradually we began to wear down the creatures. The timely arrival of the gangers aided us greatly, as they rushed to defend their treasures, blasting at both us and the metal warriors, but rarely causing much more than a light injury to our forces. The battle quickly became a confusing whirlwind of gunfire, while the lead robot charged into squad charlie, and later myself, who had taken the weapons bunker. I would most certainly have died had the creature not knocked me to the ground with a swipe of his staff. This action gave my warriors just enough of an opening for the monster to be vaporized by Squad Alpha's Meltagun. 

In the end, we managed to secure the cache for ourselves, though 3 of my men were killed in action. Fortunately, we have reinforcements aboard the ship to replace those men we lost. 

----- Entry ends -----

Kill Team Campaign: 247th Mordians V.S Blood Angels

As we made planet fall and began our journey into the dilapitated hives of Sabadis Prime, we were accosted by a handful of what we thought were to be allies. A handful of Blood Angels - The Emperor's Angels of Death barred our way, telling us of an ancient weapon somewhere in the ruins up ahead. The Blood Angels had claimed it for their own, despite our mission directives from High Command clearly giving us jurisdiction over the device. With the stubborn Astartes refusing to hand over what was rightfull ours, there could be only one course of action...

This was my first battle in a new Kill Team Campaign being run at dice bag games. It was a 200 point Kill Team battle using the Heralds of Ruin fan rules. We played the Doomsday Device mission. 

247th Mordian Iron Guard

Leader: Luitenant Louis Gatsby - Force Commander with Macharian Cross, Carapace Armour, and Refractor Field - 51

Core: Squad Alpha - Guardsmen Squad with Vox-caster, and Meltagun - 45

Squad Bravo - Guarsman Squad with Vox-caster, and Grenade Launcher - 40

Squad Charlie - Guardsman Squad with Grenade Launcher - 35

Sergeant Harker - Sergeant - 6

Special: Field Medic Thompson - Medic with Carapace Armour - 23

Blood Angels

Leader: Veteran Sergeant, with Special Ammo - 29

Core: Tactical Marine with Flamer - 19

Tactical Marine - 14

Tactical Marine - 14

Tactical Marine - 14

Tactical Marine - 14

Tactical Marine - 14

Special: Sanguinary Guard - 33

Sanguinary Guard with Death Mask - 34

Sanguinary Guard with Death Mask - 34

This was my first Kill Team game using these fan rules, and I have to say, it was a lot of fun. I managed to steal the initiative and turn 1 I mostly moved up to try and find the doomsday device. The objective I secured ended up not being the one we needed. My shooting managed to do exactly nothing. 

On Jordan's turn, he discovered 3 objectives, none of which was the right one. His shooting managed to remove a guardsman, and knocked down a few other guardsmen. 

My next turn revealed that the Doomsday Device was the furthest objective from where my forces were, in a position really quite unobtainable by me. It was at this point that my strategy shifted to "kill as many marines as possible and force him to start rolling to run away. Unfortunately, this turn, I managed to drop exactly zero marines. 

With the doomsday device revealed, one of the Sanguinary guard peeled off to go claim it. The others shuffled up as the tactical marines advanced. Shooting was largely ineffective this turn for the marines, most shots missing and the rest being absorbed by cover, or healed by the medic. 

The rest of the battle went a little better for me, and I managed to remove 2 tactical marines and the Veteran Sergeant. On turn 5, the other 2 Sanguinary Guards made combat, one taking out almost a whole squad of guardsmen, the other only taking out a couple. On turn 6, Gatsby charged a Sangunary guard, not only surviving the marine's attacks, but nearly dispatching him in return. 

While I may have lost the battle, I'm glad to say that it was a very fun and close game, and at the end, none of the guardsmen were actually killed, while both the Tactical Marines, including the one manning the Flamer were killed. 

Kill Team Campaign

----- Excerpt from the journal of Lieutenant Louis Gatsby, 247th Mordian Iron Guard, Special Task Unit -----

After weeks of travel, our forces have finally reached the newly emerged world of Sabadis Prime. This world has been surrounded by volatile warp storms for Emperor-knows how long. What is important are our orders. My team and I have been instructed by high command to scout out the planet below and determine the levels of corruption within any remaining populous, recover any archeotech, and pave the way for our main forces to re-colonize this world. 

We know not what dangers we may face upon the planet's surface, our instruments have been acting erratically due to warp resonance surrounding the planet, but we will not falter in our duty. This world will be brought to the Emperor's glorious light, else it will be destroyed. 

----- Entry ends -----

Product Review: Tannenberg Fusiliers

Hey everyone! So I'm going to do something that I haven't done before. A product review. Basically I want to talk about the new models I got from Victoria Miniatures, the Tannenberg Fusiliers. I went pretty balls deep into it, as I started out ordering 4 sets and got 40 guardsmen. I'm not sure if it was a mistake or just a bulk order thing, but I also got a pair of kneeling legs in with the bundle, bringing my total up to 42, with enough extra torsos and heads to make some extra guys if I get more leg bits. 

Now first up, let's talk about what you get. In this particular set, you get enough bits to build 10 guardsmen, including a sergeant. You get enough lasgun arms for a full squad to have them if you want, but you also get 2 swords and 2 pistols, as well as the Vic Mins version of a meltagun. You also get a bunch of pouches to put on them, as well as a whole bunch bayonettes that you could attach to the lasguns. Personally, I wouldn't put the bayonettes on, as I think that they would just break off, but it might be ok. My only complaints about the kit is that you only get the one special weapon option, when really it would be nice to get one of each thing you can have in a squad (the models are very clearly meant as counts as Mordians), or at the very least have an option when you order them to have whichever special weapon you want. While meltaguns are great, I would have liked to have gotten some grenade launchers and plasma guns in there as well. The other vital piece that is missing is a vox caster. This one makes a little more sense as they don't make a radio bit or anything, but it's definitely something that I would throw into the kit. My next beef is regarding the sergeant and meltagun arms. Neither of them have the epaulets that the rest of my guardsmen have. Now these bits are generic ones meant to go with any of the guardsmen they make, but it does make for a bit of greenstuff work, which I suck at. The last complaint I have is that the arms don't always got very well into the torsos, meaning that I had to fill a lot of gaps with greenstuff, which I did simply by just putting a blob in between torso and arm and then just trimming away the excess, but that meant that I had to have the arms on for painting, which has made getting into recesses with different colours much more of a challenge. 

Now as for the actual quality of these guys. The models are all resin, as are most 3rd party models in my experience, but there were almost zero flaws. There were a couple of tiny bubbles, but I've had more major problems with GW plastics. The resin is also a lot more durable than most other products I've seen, with much less bend, and no warping that I've seen. The detail is also fantastic. The faces are amongst the most detailed I've ever seen, and there are little imperial symbols here and there to keep the models looking interesting. I also really like the look of the lasguns over the GW ones. 

Overall, I think that Victoria Miniatures is doing a great job, and they fill a niche that nobody else is really doing right now (that is, alternate Imperial Guard Regiments). I'm hoping that they will continue to expand their range to include command squads and the like, but as it is, I would heartily recommend them to anyone looking to add some cool models to their armies. 

The 247th Mordian Iron Guard

Hey everyone! After a long absence, I'm back, with an exciting announcement. I have taken the first steps towards starting an Imperial Guard army. However, I have decided that I don't want just any guard army, as I find the Cadians a little boring. Instead, I have gotten myself some Tannenberg Fusiliers from Victoria Miniatures to be my Mordian Iron Guard force! This army is going to be very fluff-centric, using units, weapons, and even tactics used by the Mordian Iron Guard during battle. So far the army is small. Only 40 guardsmen, but I will be looking to expand it as much as possible over the coming months. Anyways, in the mean time, I'd like to outline the background behind this burgeoning army.

Founded in 748.M41 to respond to the ever increasing threat of Chaos, the Mordian 247th is primarily an infantry regiment that makes use of armoured support. The Mordian Iron Guard have always been known for their unwavering discipline and courage, and the 247th is certainly no exception to this rule. While many other guard regiments might turn and flee in the face of overwhelming resistance, the 247th will hold position indefinitely, unless orders from command dictate that they make a retreat. While many of the more prudent guard regiments, such as the Catachans or Tanith First and Only find this way of waging war to be foolish at best, the Mordians' faith in their commanders and the Emperor is strong enough for them to weather both the firepower of the enemy, and the jeers of their fellows. In truth, many of these claims stem from jealousy, as the Mordian 247th is renowned throughout the galaxy as one of the most effective and deadly guard regiments around. 

Currently, the regiment is led by Colonel Benedict Lockridge. A grizzled commander who has seen hundreds of different warzones, and survived them all.  While most Mordian commanders hold the Navy in contempt, Col. Lockridge greatly values the support that they can provide his forces on the ground, and as such, often goes into battle with Lieutenant-Commander Jedrik Baros, an Officer of the Fleet. 

The Mordian 247th Iron Guard specialize in urban warfare, and as such, the make use primarily of foot soldiers, who are less impeded by blocked avenues, collapsed buildings, and narrow alleyways. The Chimera APCs that they do use are generally reserved for their officers and veteran squads, allowing them to redeploy quickly, and offer a wider range of command. While most guard regiments make ample use of the ubiquitous Leman Russ Battle Tank, the 247th prefer the shorter range, but much more destructive Leman Russ Demolisher, the devastating Leman Russ Punisher, and the cover-destroying Leman Russ Eradicator. 

As an infantry regiment, the 247th prefers to rely on mid-sized platoons to do much of the army's heavy lifting. These platoons usually feature at least one Vox operator, a Commissar, and often a Primaris Psyker. Though most infantrymen have an innate distrust of psykers, the 247th trains extensively with them in their squads, and the presence of an ever-watchful Commissar makes them more accepting of them than most other regiments. Indeed the presence of a Primaris Psyker has often proven valuable to the men of the 247th, allowing them insight into future events, as well as protecting them from the cursed machinations of enemy witches. Along with their specialist additions, each platoon boasts several special and heavy weapons. Amongst common guardsmen, the Grenade Launcher and Meltagun are favoured special weapons, allowing a good amount of versatility or tank-busting power to a squad. Flamers are less common, but see use amongst the platoons on occasion, particularly amongst the Platoon Command Squads.  Plasma Guns are all but unheard of in regular infantry squads, their rarity and unpredictability limiting them almost exclusively to Veteran squads. For heavy weapons, the Lascannon issue favourite amongst the Mordians, the sheer power of the weapon allowing them to decimate vehicles, monstrous creatures, and heavy infantry with ease. Autocannons are also a common sight, as they can be used decimate infantry and medium tanks alike. Missile Launchers, Heavy Bolters, and Mortars are much rarer, but still see use where appropriate. 

Warhammer 40k Campaign Battle Report Part 3: Big Guns Never Tire

With the outpost firmly secured, Lord Ankhotep has begun moving in his heavy guns, directing them to take strategic points in the dense jungle. Meanwhile, Scout Commander Lzick has begun leading the Imperial heavy support to intercept and take up their own firing positions.

In part 3 of our narrative campaign, we are playing out the first major clash of heavy weapons between the Black Legion and the Children of Tarr. This mission was very simple. Big Guns Never Tire, only all Heavy Support Choices gain the Objective Secured special rule, and we were allowed to take 4 Heavy Support choices, but only 2 Fast Attack choices. There were 4 objectives and we used the Hammer and Anvil deployment type. There will also be night fighting for the first 4 turns of the game, as the two forces clash in the middle of the night.

The Armies

Black Legion

HQ: 
- Lord Ankhotep - Sorcerer with 3 Mastery Levels, Spell Familiar, Mark of Tzeentch, Terminator Armour, Sigil of Corruption, Gift of Mutation (+1 Weapon Skill), Veterans of the Long War, Combi-Melta, and Force Staff - 212

Elites:
- 4 Terminators with Mark of Tzeentch, 4x Combi-Melta, 2x Power Maul, 2x Chainfist, Veterans of
  the Long War, and Gift of Mutation (Melee Weapons have Fleshbane) in Land Raider with Dozer
  Blade and Combi-Melta - 426

Troops:
- 26 Cultists with Autoguns, Mark of Tzeentch, 2x Heavy Stubbers, Shotgun on Champion - 179

- 9 Thousand Sons with Meltabombs, Gift of Mutation (Crusader) in Rhino with Dozer Blade, Havoc
  Launcher, and Warpflame Gargoyles - 314

Heavy Support:
- Predator with Lascannon Turret, Lascannon Sponsons, and Warpflame Gargoyles - 145

- Predator with Lascannon Turret, Lascannon Sponsons, and Warpflame Gargoyles - 145

- Vindicator with Siege Shield, Combi-bolter, Warpflame Gargoyles - 140

- 2 Obliterators with Veterans of the Long War, and Mark of Tzeentch - 162

Total: 1752

With Asarune the Perverse out of the picture (he was slain in the last battle), Lord Ankhotep has taken sole command of the rear elements of the army. As his nature dictates, he has spent considerable time scouting the area, and studying reports on the nature of his enemy. Using his gathered recon, he has formulated a battle plan centered around a hard core of himself and his Terminator Retinue, as well as a unit of Thousand Sons. Knowing that the enemy artillery will likely be stronger than his own, Ankhotep has decided upon a night attack, hoping to use the cover of darkness to allow his troops to move up, and carve the enemy apart up close.

The Black Legion

Children of Tarr

HQ:
- Field Commander Lzick - Company Command Squad with 4 Veterans with Camo Cloaks, Carapace Armour, 2x Plasma Guns, Vox Caster, and Medi-Pack with Lzick with Power Sword, Carapace Armour, Bolt Pistol, Meltabombs, and Camo Cloak - 162

- Primaris Psyker with 2 Mastery Levels - 75

- Primaris Psyker with 2 Mastery Levels - 75

Elites:
- Militarum Tempestus Platoon
    - Militarum Tempestus Command Squad with Vox-caster and Volley Gun - 100
    - 5 Militarum Tempestus Scions with Vox-caster and Volley Gun - 85                      - 270
    - 5 Militarum Tempestus Scions with Vox-caster and Volley Gun - 85

Troops:
- 10 Veterans with Forward Sentries, Grenadiers, 3x Meltagun, Vox-caster - 120

- 10 Veterans with Forward Sentries, Grenadiers, 3x Meltagun, Vox-caster - 120

Fast Attack:
- Hellhound with Camo-netting, Multi-melta, and Dozer Blade - 155

- Vendetta - 170

Heavy Support:
- Basilisk with Camo-netting - 140

- Leman Russ Vanquisher with Camo-netting, Dozer Blade, and Hull-mounted Lascannon - 165

- Leman Russ Executioner with Camo-netting, and Plasma Cannon Sponsons - 200

Fortification:
- Aegis Defense Line - 50

Total: 1702

Having recuperated from the grievous injuries he suffered in his first encounter with the Black Legion, Lzick is back, ably guiding his armoured support through the dense jungles of Badru. With him he brings some of his veteran scouts, and a small platoon of Tempestus Scions, to lend their aid against the growing threat of Chaos. Unfortunately, some miscommunication has caused the Imperial forces to be deployed a little under-equipped for this mission, but Commander Lzick remains confident that they can get the job done.

Children of Tarr

The Game

Brennan won the roll for first turn and decided to go first. He set up his Aegis about halfway up his deployment zone, and put the 2 units of Scions on my left flank, with the Executioner, Tempestus Command Squad, and Company Command Squad holding the center. The Basilisk and Vanquisher went on the right flank, behind a hill with an objective on it. Both units of Veterans deployed up right near the edge of his deployment zone, more or less in the middle, with the Hellhound taking up the left flank, close to his deployment edge.

Deployment, just after Hellhound moved

Responding to his deployment, I put the Vindicator and one Predator on the left, whilst the other Predator went on the right flank. I then infiltrated my Thousand Sons on the left, along with the Terminators towards the middle, and the Cultist up front on the right to screen the Predator from incoming fire. The Obliterators went into Deep Strike reserve, hopefully to come on and blow up a vehicle or gun down some guardsmen.

Black Legion Deployment

Turn 1

The Children of Tarr begin their attack by advancing the Veterans and Hellhound to try and stall the Chaos advance before it can gain too much momentum. In the Psychic phase, one of the Primaris Psykers casts Fire Shield on the Hellhound, to help give it some cover from the many Lascannons right next to it.

Shooting is rather uneventful, the dense jungle and night concealing the Black Legion remarkably well. The Basilisk fires it's cannon at the left Predator, but scatters badly. The Hellhound's Multi-melta shoots through the trees at the Vindicator, but it is unharmed. The Vanquisher fires on the Land Raider, but misses with both its cannon and its Lascannon. Likewise, The Executioner shoots all its shots into the Rhino, but mostly misses, though it manages to get a single glancing hit through. Finally, the Vets fire at the cultists but only 1 is killed. The Veterans who ventured into a forest discovers it to be a Brainleaf jungle the hard way, turning on one of his squad mates and killing him.

As is typical of a Chaos force, the Black legion advances, with the Vindicator, Land Raider and Rhino all moving at cruising speed through the dense jungle, suffering no ill fate. The Cultists begin to rush forward towards the nearest Veteran unit, ready to bring their guns to bear.

The psychic and shooting phases are once again uneventful, with a Doombolt failing to damage the Hellhound, and a Tzeentch's Firestorm being denied by the Primaris Psyker in the Veteran squad. The Predator on the right flank fires on the Basilisk, but is unable to get through its cover, and the other predator has similar results when firing at the Hellhound. The Land Raider moves flat out, and the Cultist shooting only kills a single Veteran.

End of Turn 1

Turn 2

Once again, the Veterans move around, with one squad heading towards the Cultists, and the  other moving back a bit from the Land Raider, fully expecting their trio of Meltaguns to explode the ancient vehicle. The Hellhound moves into the jungle to try and get a better shot at the Vindicator.

In the Psychic phase, the Primaris Psykers cast Telekinetic Dome on the Command Squad, and Fire Shield on the Veterans approaching the Cultists. Shooting is poor again this turn, with the Company Commander failing to give any orders to the Veterans, who end up doing no damage to the Land Raider, two of their weapons missing, and the third shot being blocked by the dense jungle. Thankfully, the Vanquisher locks on and shakes the behemoth, and the Terminators and Ankhotep inside. The Basislisk locks on and shakes the Predator as well. The Hellhound fires at the Vindicator again, but the night stops the shot. Finally, the Veterans, aided by the Hotshot Volleygun of the nearest Scions unit manages to kill a few more Cultists.

Badly shaken up, Ankhotep doesn't call in his Obliterators from reserve, and just orders his Land Raider to pivot, bringing its guns to bear against the Veterans. The Rhino and Vindicators advance at combat speed, with the shaken Predator moving at cruising speed to get into a better firing position. Once again, the Cultists advance.

Psychic powers once again all fail to do any damage, and shooting is little better, the dense cover and camouflage of the Imperial Guard proving proof against all shooting that comes their way. In the assault phase, the Cultists charge the Veterans losing a few to dangerous terrain, but slaying a few Vets in return. The Champion challenges the Veteran Sargent and the combat is a draw. The Cultists lose combat, but hold.

End of Turn 2

Turn 3

With the Chaos threat closer than ever, Commander Lzick finally begins to issue orders, though his reserves still fail to arrive. Basically no movement is made, with only the Hellhound moving to hunt the Vindicator. Once again Telekinetic Dome is cast, but that's it.

In the shooting phase, Lzick orders the Veterans to fire between the trees at the Land Raider, and orders the nearest squad of Scions to set their Lasguns to full auto. The Veterans all hit the Land Raider with their Melta Weapons, and the tank explodes, showering them in debris. The Terminators are unscathed. Finally presented with the target it has been anxiously awaiting, the Executioner fires its Plasma Cannons at the Ankhotep, but thanks to Tzentch's blessing, only two of the might Chaos Terminators are brought down. The rest of the army unleashes it's firepower into the retinue as well, but to no avail. Finally, the Hellhound shoots into the Vindicator, this time shaking it, and the Basilisk does the same to the other Predator. In assault, the Veteran Sargent kills the Cultist champion, but a couple of Veterans fall, but they hold.

Caught in the open and facing down the guns of the enemy, Lord Ankhotep orders his Obliterators to Teleport into the fight, and they land directly behind Lzick's squad. Ankhotep himself leads his retinue forwards to destroy the Veterans, While the Rhino moves and unloads the Thousand Sons who move to deal with the Tempestus Scions. Lastly, the Vindicator rushes forward, as well as the shaken Predator.

Once again, psychic powers are completely unhelpful, with one being denied, and all the witchfires just missing. The Obliterators unleash their Heavy Flamers into Lzick's squad, and the Scions as well, annihilating everyone save Lzick himself and a single Scion, who's steely resolve keeps him in the fight. Bolter fire from the Thousand Sons kills a few of the Veterans, aided by the Rhino's Havoc Launcher. The unshaken Predator manages to shake the Hellhound. In the assault, Lord Ankhotep leads his bodyguard into the Veterans, who are cut down, with only the Primaris Psyker escaping. The Cultists continue to whittle away at the other Veteran squad, leaving only one Veteran and the Sargent. left alive.

End of Turn 3

Turn 4

Finally, the Vendetta comes into the fight, flying straight towards the Predator in the open, followed by the Hellhound. Lzick moves towards his last remaining Veteran squad to deal some justice to the traitor scum. The cowardly Psyker runs for it.

The Scions finally have a real target and fire everything into the Thousand Sons, downing 3 of the animated suits. The Hellhound shines its searchlight onto the Predator, and the Vendetta blasts it to wreckage easily. The Basilisk shoots at the other Predator and blows off it's turret, leaving it with just the sponsons. The Executioner attempts to finish what it started and shoots at Ankhotep's unit again, only killing 1 Terminator. The Vanquisher focuses its shots on the new threat, but Tzeentch's protection holds true, and the Obliterators are left unscathed. Lzick makes a long charge into the Cultists, and rallied by their leader, the Veterans manage to kill a handful of Cultists, losing only the last Veteran, leaving Lzick and the Sargent triumphant, but looking down the stubby barrel of the Vindicator.

With the enemy Warlord in the open, Ankhotep splits off from the Terminator Champion and heads off towards Lzick. The Terminator moves to deal with the Executioner, while the last Predator drives back to claim the objective by the large hill. The Obliterators move towards the Basilisk, hoping to destroy it, and the Thousand Sons advance towards the Scions.

Aided by the targeting relay, the Predator manages to strike a penetrating hit against the Vendetta, but it doesn't have much effect. The Rhino shoots everything at the Veteran Sargent, along with the Vindicator and the fleeing Cultists, finally managing to bring him down. The Obliterators fire their twin-linked Meltaguns into the Basilisk, exploding it. Once again, the Thousand sons do very little damage to the scions, killing another one. Ankhotep fails his assault against Lzick, and the Terminator champion's attacks do nothing the the Executioner.

End of Turn 4

Turn 5

With things teetering on the brink, Lzick takes it upon himself to destroy the Vindicator. The Executioner turns to face the Obliterators, and the Vanquisher moves away from them. The lone Scion panics and rushes over the defense line, intent on killing Ankhotep.

The Vendetta targets the Predator, but is unable to pierce the thick armour plating of the battle tank. The Executioner shoots into the Obliterators, but doesn't manage to hurt them. The Vanquisher tries and manages to down one. The Scions all fire into the Sons killing one, and the Hellhound incinerates the fleeing Cultists. The lone Scion's desperate gambit fails, as Ankhotep remains unscathed. Finally, Commander Lzick charges into the Vindicator, but misses with his Meltabomb.

Ankhotep moves towards the Scion Command Squad, while the Thousand Sons continue their advance. The Vindicator moves back to blast Lzick to dust, and the Obliterator climbs the hill towards the Objective. Lastly, the Terminator moves towards the Executioner, intent on finishing the job. Psychic powers prove slightly more useful, as the last Scion is struck down by Ankhotep. The sons kill another Scion, and the Rhino's Havoc Launcher killed a comple of Scions from the Platoon Command Squad. Lzick's desperate charge ends in disaster, as the Vindicator unleashes the fury of its weapon, which detonates a little prematurely, glancing the tank, but burying the Scout Commander in a pile of shrapneled trees. The Obliterator attempts to destroy the Vanquisher with its Multi-melta, but fails, and the Predator fails to hit the Vendetta. Once again, Ankhotep fails his assault on the Scion command, but the Thousand Sons and Terminator both destroy their targets. With the battlefield lost, the remaining imperial units pull out and head back to base.

End of Turn 5

Post-game Thoughts

This was a much better battle than in this campaign, though it really started as a slap fight, with First Blood not even being scored until Turn 3. While I made a few errors, as did Brennan, I think there was one definitive turning point in the game. When Brennan forgot his Orders turn 2. Had he remembered to use the ignores cover order and blown up my Land Raider, the Terminators probably would have all died. As it was, things were looking in his favour anyways, but my Terminators made a ton of 4++ saves and armour saves, and just wouldn't die.

On the other hand, I basically couldn't do anything with my shooting, as Brennan had a 2+ cover save on most of his stuff for 4 turns thanks to a defense line plus camo and night fighting. He had a couple of turns of making basically every save that came his way too.

Another thing that hurt me badly was the Psychic Phase. My powers were pretty much all the oes I didn't want (duds like Hallucination, and Mental Fortitude), and all of my powers that I managed to cast I either missed or failed to wound/pen. It was pretty brutal, but that's just the risk you take bringing Psykers I guess.

I'm really having a lot of fun with these narrative games, and really most of them have been closer than they seemed. A streak of bad luck for me, or better luck for Brennan really could have swung this battle in his favour, and he was actually ahead in points until turn 4 or 5.

As always, thanks for reading.

Elves in SPAAACE!!!: Codex Eldar Craftworlds Review Part 3

Hello again, faithful readers. This is part 3 of my codex review of Eldar Craftworlds. In this section, I'll be going over the Fast Attack, Heavy Support, and Lord of War options for the codex. This is going to be a fairly long one, but I really don't want to break it up, otherwise it'll be really short, so this is how its going to be.

Wave Serpent

The Wave Serpent is the primary transport of the craftworlds, though its capacity to deal death has earned it a fell reputation among the enemies of the Eldar. Atop its turret it mounts a twin array of heavy weaponry that blasts priority targets, forcing the enemy to lie low as the grav-tank swoops down for its passengers to deploy. But it is the thrumming tsunami of energies that precedes it that gives the tank its durability - and its deadliest offensive weapon. Not only can this serpent shield disperse the most violent of onslaughts, it can also be discharged against the foe, rippling forward at great speed to slam them in the ground in a mass of broken bones and shattered armour.

Ah the infamous Wave Serpent. Well, I think even the most pessimistic person will agree that they have been nerfed into balance now. Firstly, and I think this is the most important change, the Scatter Laser lost the Laser Lock special rule, so they no longer are twin-linked all around if you take one (lets be honest, with 4 twin-linked shots at bs 4 you were getting laser lock). In addition, the Serpent Shield was nerfed pretty heavily. First, it has gone down to strength 6, and its range has been reduced to 24" instead of 60". Also, it is now heavy 2d6, which is better than the d6+1, but it can only be shot one time, and if you do, it takes away the shield for the rest of the game. Still, its a fantastic transport, and I really think that it is worth the points, with out being better armed than any battle tank in the game. The best part about the nerf is that I no longer feel dirty taking more than 2 of them, so I think that's a good sign. Kudos to Games Workshop on this one for nerfing a unit without making it worthless.

Swooping Hawks

Soaring on the hot thermals of war, the Swooping Hawks appear almost angelic from a distance. Those who fall under their attention soon realise the truth - though these airborne Aspect Warriors are heralds of victory to their fellows, they carry the message of death to the foe. Long-barrelled lasblasters flicker, cutting down lightly armoured opponents, as compact grenade packs sow disaster through the enemy's ranks. Wherever a rival for aerial supremacy presents itself, the Swooping Hawks dart in, clamping haywire grenades to the fuselage of the aircraft in mid-flight. In their wake they leave nothing but a lightening-scorched hunk of metal that plummets into the carnage below.

Swooping Hawks are a weird choice, and while they got nothing but buffs, I'm still not overly impressed. First of all, their grenade packs are the same, and they were pretty good before, so that's a nice thing. They also kept Skyleap, but now it's granted by their wings, which means an Autarch with Swooping Hawk Wings also gets Skyleap. The wings also make them jump infantry, but instead of moving 12", they get to move 18". Finally, they gained the Intercept special rule, which sounds really awesome, but I don't think will actually come up ever. If a unit of Hawks moves over a flyer of flying monstrous creature, they make a Strength 4 AP4 attack with the haywire special rule that always hits on a 4+. Flyers are always hit on their side armour. This is pretty good, but its way better against flyers, and they'll likely be able to position themselves in such a way that you can't get over them. Additionally, if you're moving around, you're not using your skyleap, which may be better. Lastly, the Exarch gained the Herald of Victory rule, which allows them to Deep Strike without scattering. Kind of a nerf, as they used to do it without the Exarch. Oh well. I'm not into them, mostly because they seem to be trying to do too much at once. They have anti-infantry guns and their grenade packs, but then they also have Haywire grenades and their flyer killing abilities. Makes them a little confused in my opinion. If the grenade pack had Haywire they'd be a lot better in my opinion. Still, not a bad choice.

Warp Spiders

At first, a Warp Spider ambush is little more than a shiver in the air. Reality thins like a parting weave, revealing the armoured forms of Aspect Warriors. Even before their outlines have hardened from the haze, the Warp Spiders open fire with exotic death spinners that hurl out great clouds of monofilament wire. Wherever the wire ensnares a target, it writhes and tightens, constricting all the more as its victim struggles - and in the process slices finger, limb and head from his lacerated body. But the Warp Spiders are rarely there to witness his death - with a crackle of energy, they brave the tides of the Warp once more, as impossible to catch as the breeze.

Wow. If Warp Spiders were good before, they are amazing now. First of all, their Warp Jump Generators got even better, as you only lose a model on double 1s now, instead of any doubles. Next, the monofilament rule has gotten better... I think. Their weapons are still strength 6, but now they wound based on initiative instead of toughness. This is about the same against marines and stuff, but better against most monstrous creatures (other than Daemon Princes and Greater Daemons). Most importantly though, they gained the Flickerjump rule, which makes it so if they get shot, they can immediately move 2d6" in any direction, moving over any terrain in the way. If the move takes them out of range, then the shooting attack is lost. This is awesome, especially against short ranged shooting attacks, or if there's line of sight blocking terrain. These guys got a buff for free where they didn't really need one, and they're probably the most trolly unit in the game.

Shining Spears

Like the Dragon Knights of the Exodite worlds, the Shining Spears live to joust. They do so at breakneck pace, jetbikes their steeds, and their weapons laser lances that can burn a hole through a man's torso. Such is the mastery they have over their jetbikes that the rider and the steed can be considered one and the same. Through dense forest and urban decay the Shining Spears fly, silver-white blurs that jink faster than the eye can see. The quarry barely has time to register the attack as the lightening-swift Aspect Warriors bear down upon them, laser lances glimmering in the gloom and then discharging intense blasts of energy that lay low man and monster alike.

Shining Spears are genrally considered one of the weaker choices in the codex, and I am inclined to agree. That being said, they did get some decent buffs. Firstly, they all gain a 4+ cover save so long as they moved, and if you jink it increases to a 3+, as they have Skilled Rider. Pretty sweet. In addition, the Exarch gains a new rule that allows him to re-roll failed To Wound rolls against Monstrous Creatures, and Armour Pen rolls that are not Penetrating hits. Their main problem is that they're quite expensive, and they're a melee unit that only gets one base attack, and really relies on killing their opponent on the charge. If you get one bad round of rolls at the wrong time, you'll see a significant amount of points evaporate pretty quickly. Also, for whatever reason, they don't have Hit and Run, which is sort of weird, considering they're supposed to be a fast, hard-hitting unit that comes in and speeds away. Still, they're not terrible, and they certainly can be used if you want to.

Crimson Hunter

Leaving a blood-hued blur in their wake, the Crimson Hunters are the assassins of the sky. Perhaps the most unusual of the Aspects of Khaine, they embody the role of the remorseless hunter, who takes wing only to bring destruction to his chosen foes. Armed with pulse lasers and bright lances capable of reducing a man to a pillar of flame in a pinpoint, stabbing beam, the Crimson Hunters can surgically remove the leaders of an enemy army in a single pass. Yet their true genius is displayed in air-to-air combat. They train every waking hour to excel in ariborne duels, their fabled reflexes giving them the edge even against the gladiatorial pilots of the Dark Eldar.

The Crimson Hunter hasn't really changed, but it has gotten cheaper. They also gained Skyhunter, which allows them to re-roll armour pens against against flyers. If you upgrade to be an exarch, you also get to make Precision Shots on a 5+, which is very strange for an air-superiority fighter. I'm really not sure why they bothered with that, but it's a free upgrade, so whatever. Overall, I'm not hugely impressed by them as they have no defensive capabilities whatsoever. If your enemy brings a single skyfire/interceptor thing (like a defence line) you're going to be hurting bad, as you're only AV 10, and if you jink you'll probably miss all your shots, so that sucks too. I really wish they had some sort of dodge rule like shrouded or access to Holo-fields, but alas, they do not. There is a formation for them which I will go over later, and it makes them much better though, so I think you will still see them, but only as part of the formation.

Vyper Squadron

Arrow-swift and highly manoeuverable, the Vypers of the craftworld warhosts boast a speed that belies their destructive potential. It is the way of the Eldar to favour sheer swiftness over any amount of armour plating, and so the Vypers make maximum use of their adroitness to pick the battles in which they fight. A well-drilled Vyper squadron moves as one, capable of performing hit-and-run attacks on the vulnerable side or rear of a gun-tank, or of evading enemy interceptors sent to bring them down. Notoriously reticent to get too close, Vypers work best at range, harrying the outriders of the foe before boosting past to pour yet more firepower into them from a new vantage point.

I think I really like Vypers. For 150 points you can get a 3 man sqaud packing 6 Shuriken Cannons, which is really quite cheap. In addition, they're pretty quick, and while they down have much armour to speak of, they're still generally more durable than a unit of jetbikes. You can also upgrade their weapons for pretty cheap. For only 15 points you can take an Eldar Missile Launcher, which comes stock with Flakk missiles (called Starhawk missiles because Eldar are fancy-pants), making them a decent and cheap anti-air unit. I would love to use these guys, but I don't have any yet. I think a couple of 3 man missile squadrons would be awesome anti-air, and Missile Launchers are good against basically any target. I think these guys are very overlooked, partly because they don't pack quite the same punch as War Walkers, but I think their mobility more than makes up for it.

Hemlock Wraithfighter

The etheral scream of the Hemlock Wraithfighter drives a spike of terror into the mind, and even its flitting shadow can bring a brave man to his knees. The energies that pour from this eldritch craft are born of a psychic union between the living and the dead. Each Hemlock is piloted by a Spiritseer, a powerful psyker capable of assailing the minds of those below him with morbid visions. Stranger by far is his co-pilot, for the Wraithfighter is crewed by a dead Eldar soul who controls weapons that would drive a mortal insane. As the Wraithfighter passes over the foe, its D-scythes flare bright - a silent second later, the craft's victims slump, their souls severed from their bodies.

This is a unit that has caught my eye in the new codex. It was sort of crappy last edition, but I think it's quite good now, though it is very expensive for an AV 10 flyer. The first thing about it is it is a Psychic Pilot level 2, with access to everything a Spirit Seer can take, which is already pretty cool. I think that the only one I'd bother with is Telepathy, since the Hemlock doesn't benefit from the other disciplines that much, and Telepathy is just so damn good. Secondly, it has something called a Mindshock Pod, which causes units within 12" to subtract 2 from their Ld when taking morale, pinning or fear tests, which is ok, I guess. I would have rather this been just a straight -2 Ld, so that you could synergise with Telepathy a bit better, but it's not bad. Lastly, it comes equiped with 2 Heavy D-Scythes which is just an 18" small blast version of a regular D-scythe, meaning it can dish out some pretty awesome (though with the -1 to the D table, not overwhelming) firepower. I think the thing that makes them so great is a combination of their weapons and mastery levels. If you can get Shrouded, (or take Conceal/Reveal) then you can rip around with a constant 5+ cover save, meaning you don't necessarily have to jink, so you can fire your D-scythes every turn. In addition, Psychic Shriek is one of the best offensive powers out there, so between the two, you can really do a lot of damage. I think we'll actually be seeing this flyer this edition.

Dark Reapers

The grim, skull-like mask of the Dark Reaper surveys the landscape, every foe, mortal or machine, rendered only as prey. His is the power to slaughter from afar, for his ritual weaponry is a missile launcher of devastating potency. Chambered pods line a narrow spindle, the weapon lightweight enough to track even a speeding jetbike or jetfighter. Salvoes of missiles rip across the field into enemy infantry whilst perfectly placed shots hurtle skyward to tear open the aircraft of the foe. None can escape, for the Dark Reapers can bring the most agile of foes low. Even the fearless warriors of the Adeptus Astartes find their armour little use against the salvoes of these Aspect Warriors.

Dark Reapers are the first heavy support unit of the codex and are in my opinion one of the best units an Eldar player has access to. They are pretty pricey, especially considering they're still toughness 3, but they have a host of rules and wargear that make them awesome. First, they have their Reaper Launchers which come stock with Starswarm Missiles, (48" S 5 Ap 3 Heavy 2). This is good on its own, but you also have the option to take Starshot Missiles as well, which give you Krak missiles at 48" range. I would do this every single time, as it really gives you the ability to deal with anything from infantry to medium and even (if you're lucky) heavy tanks. Next, they also have a rule now called Inescapable Accuracy which allows them to be twin-linked against anything that Zoomed, Swooped, Turbo-boosted, or moved Flat out in the previous turn, so they can engage flyers and FMCs with decent reliability, especially if you take the Starshot missiles, as Flyers tend to not stand up to strength 8 shooting very well. They also all have Reaper Rangefinders which allows them to ignore all jink saves, making them amazing against bikes, FMCs and Flyers, especially considering you're AP3. Finally, the Exarch gets Fast Shot, so can fire one extra shot than normal, giving him a great damage output. This unit is one of my favorites because there truly isn't much of anything that won't be worried about them being on the table, and if you think they're good now, just wait until next week when I talk about the formations...

Vaul's Wrath Support Battery

In support of the Eldars' front line assault come the artillery batteries known as Vaul's Wrath. Shadow weavers spin monofilament webs that glitter in the gloaming, turning the battlefield into a scene from some demented abattoir. Nearby, vibro cannons charge up, their gut-wrenching subsonic pulses rising slowly to an unbearable shriek as their sonic energies combine to literally shake their targets apart. Distortion cannons are strangest of all, for they open temporary rifts to the Empyrean within their targets, and in doing so banish them to the Warp. The wrath of Vaul is not to be underestimated, for the ingenuity of the Eldar knows no bounds, nor a shred of mercy.

I'm not a huge fan of the Vaul's Wrath Batterys, but just like everything in the Eldar codex, they definitely aren't bad. They're quite cheap for either the Vibro Cannon or Shadow Weaver, though the D-cannon is quite a bit more expensive, and on a toughness 7 platform, they're fairly durable too. The Shadow Weaver is the base option, and is decent for 30 points. You get a 48" range S6 Ap6 barrage small blast with the mono-filament rule, which is pretty good for thinning out hordes of infantry, especially in groups of 3. For the same points, you can also take Vibro Cannons, which are 48" S7 Ap4 Heavy 1, but for each shot that hits from the unit, you add 1 to the strength, and subtract 1 from the Ap, for a potential S9 Ap2. Not bad for clearing out vehicles, Heavy infantry or MCs, but it wouldn't be my go-to choice, which is a shame, because I think they're awesome fluff-wise. Last is the D-cannon, which you may have eguessed is a S D weapon. this one is a 25 point upgrade from the other two, and has a very short range of 24" that makes me less keen on it, personally, but having a 3-shot small blast multiple barrage at strength D is pretty scary. There is one other new option for these guys that I think is excellent. You can now take a Warlock as part of the squad, and as the Primaris power of Runes of Battle is Conceal/Reveal (Shrouded for the psyker or remove it from another unit), you can park them behind some good cover and hang out with a 2+ cover save all game. My main beef with the unit is just that there are other things in the army that can give you a similar or better damage output while also being more mobile, so I just don't think they're that great.

Falcons

The curved silhouette of the Eldar Falcon is a familiar and much-dreaded sight to the enemies of the craftworlds. A mainstay of the Armouries of Vaul, the Falcon strikes in a perfect balance between adaptable utility and raw firepower. Its pilot sends the craft gliding smoothly across the battlefield, and sometimes high above it, for it is a favoured tactic amongst Falcon crews to gather in the thunderheads and dive down upon their prey like their mythical namesake. Advanced targeters allow a Falcon's gunner to pick the perfect weapon for the task, laying tanks low with pinpoint shots from its pulse laser and scattering infantry with rapid-firing energy weapons and volleys of shuriken.

The Falcon is back guys! Thanks to the much-needed nerf to the Wave Serpent, and the Wraithknight being moved to the Lord of War slot, there is once again reason and space in an army list to take Falcon Grav-tanks again. The Falcon is sort of a multi-purpose toolkit for the Eldar and boasts a transport capacity of 6 models, a Pulse Laser (48" S8 Ap2 Heavy 2), a Shuriken Catapult (which you can, and should, exchange for a Shuriken Cannon) and one other heavy weapon of your choice. Personally, I like either a Brightlance, Shuriken Cannon or Scatter Laser, but there isn't really a bad option. You also have access to all the regular stuff from the Vehicle Equipment list, and I'm a fan of Holo-fields as they now are a 5++, so you won't have to jink as often, allowing you to bring the power of your guns to bear every turn. Lastly, they can now be brought in squadrons of up to 3. Weird right? I wouldn't bother unless you were taking a unit of 3, because they gained a rule called Cloudstrike. If you have a 3-tank squadron, they gain the Deep Strike special rule, and the first Falcon placed on the table does not scatter, with the other two just needing to be depoloyed within 4" of it. My god. Take a squadron of 3, load them up with Fire Dragons and Dire Avengers, take some Bright Lances, and drop in turn 2 and reduce half the enemy army to slag immediately. I really like the Falcon, even without the Cloudstrike rule, so I thin that its worth taking to any battle.

Fire Prisms

The Fire Prism is graceful and swift, though it sacrifices none of its killing power for manoeuverability. As it darts across the battlefield, its prism cannon fires a tight beam of blinding light that punches through the hulls of its armoured prey. At the touch of a rune the pilot re-calibrates his two-stage laser array, and the cannon disperses its beam, blasting enemy infantry to scorched ruin. Sophisticated tracking arrays allow this technological wonder to channel its firepower into another prism cannon. When a squadron of Fire Prisms focus their destructive power into a single shot, the all-powerful beam of laser energy that sears out can cripple even the behemoths of the Imperium.

While  the Fire Prism isn't the most popular choice on the internet, I think that they still have a good place in an Eldar army. They have nothing other than a Shuriken Catapult, which can be upgraded to a Cannon, and a Prism Cannon. It's this Prism Cannon that I think is great. You get 3 firing modes. The first is a 60" S 5 Ap 3 Large Blast, the second, a 60" S 7 Ap 2 Small Blast, and the last is a 60" S 9 Ap 1 Lance. This allows a Fire Prism to deal with any threat on the table fairly well, though I think it is best suited for the role of tank-buster, with the lance shot. In addition, if you take it in a squadron (up to 3 tanks) They can link their Prism Cannons to add 1 to the strength and subtract 1 to the Ap, for a total of +2/-2. This is ok, but I think for the most part, I'd just rather have more shots. The thing that seems to turn people off is that it's still only 1 shot, but if you take a Farseer with Guide and Prescience, you can be twin-linking 2 of these bad boys a turn, for some pretty good reliablity. Also, with a strength 9 Lance, there isn't a vehicle in the game that isn't at least a bit nervous of a Fire Prism, as you're glancing everything on a 3, and penning on a 4+. Thats pretty good odds, especially when you're blowing them up a 1/3 times you get a pen. I think they're one of the under-rated units of the codex.

Night Spinners

When the Night Spinners prowl, the doom brought upon the enemy is silent, subtle and horrific. Humming into view on a cushion of anti-gravitic energies, these skimmers use their doomweavers to send tangled clouds of monofilament wire high into the air. The wires drift down, as light as gossamer - yet where they touch the enemy they leave only visceral remains behind. Each strand is so robust it is virtually unbreakable, yet so thin it can cut through every substance known to realspace without slowing. Those caught beneath a monofilament cloud are sliced to ribbons, whilst those directly in the doomweaver's sights are reduced to little more than bleeding red sludge.

Just like the Fire Prism, the Night Spinner is a really overlooked unit. I wrote an article about them awhile ago, and since the Night Spinner hasn't changed a lot in the new book, I think most of what I said still applies. The main thing that has changed, is that they are now weaker against vehicles, as monofilament no longer is a +1 S against I 3 or worse, but it's still a potent vehicle. Just like the Fire Prism, a squadron can join their shots to add a shot to the firing model's total and add an extra strength to it. So a unit of 3 would get to fire 3 shots at Strength 9, which is really scary for most armies, as you're looking at 3 Large Blasts that are pinning and Barrage, AND sort of rending. They also can still fire their Doomweaver like a flamer, which is nice, and the Monofilament Shroud rule does not specify that you can't use it to fire 3 flamer shots in the same way, so that can be really handy to get rid of a unit that comes too close. Again, I'm a fan, as Barrage is awesome, and Doomweavers are awesome, so this makes Night Spinners awesome.

War Walkers

Those that think they have escaped the main Eldar assault are often hunted down by cannon-armed War Walker squadrons. Enemy convoys are torn apart by hyper-focussed lasers before they realise they are under attack, platoons melt away under a hurricane of shuriken cannon fire, and the fighter planes of the foe are brought screaming down to earth like balls of fire hurled from the firmament, Even those enemies that are able to retaliate often find their shots deflected by the squadron's shimmering force fields, while any quick enough to get embroiled in close assault learn that the kicking, stamping legs of the War Walkers are deadly weapons in their own right.

War Walkers are an old favorite of many an Eldar player, so I think I should be honest when I say I have never actually used them before. From what I can tell though, they're like slower, more heavily armed Vypers. Basically, you're an AV 10 walker with 2 heavy weapons, a 5++, and scout, which is pretty nice. You can be taken in squadrons of 3, and your base points cost with Shuriken Cannons or Scatter Lasers is 60 points, so you're not too expensive. I think the way I'd run them is throw on a pair of weapons (pick what you want a squadron to kill, and outfit them accordingly) and then outflank them to come on the board and blast units and vehicles from the side. I think they are especially good for anti armour, because regardless of what you give them, you can probably destroy a vehicle by shooting its side, or even rear armour after outflanking. A good investment for any army.

Wraithlord

Wraithlords are graceful yet mighty monarchs of the dead, each towering war-shell inhabited by the soul of a hero from ages past. Those who once trained in the arts of the long-ranged kill bear long-barrelled cannons that sow death even as streams of shuriken shoot from weapons mounted upon their wrists. Those who prefer to feel the splash of blood on their wraithbone bodies cleave whole ranks of the foe with curving ghostglaives or smash through rockcrete bunkers to seize the prey beneath. Only the true lords of the Eldar race have the strength of will to animate a Wraithlord; they are valued indeed, for the fusion of vengeful spirit and supernatural toughness is all but unstoppable.

Wraithlords are one of the only units not to change at all from last edition. This can be seen as either a good or bad thing, as they were generally considered lackluster then, and I think that opinion will remain the same. I think that they're pretty good, personally, as you can kit them out with as much firepower as a War Walker plus have some strong assault ability too, but they are quite expensive. Still, even just sitting them in cover with your Dark Reapers or grav-tanks with a couple of heavy weapons firing down range is pretty good, as they're toughness 8 with a 3+. If you use them in this way, you can also use them as a counter charge unit, to help scar away things that might want to assault your more vulnerable units. I think used properly (i.e, not just walking them up the middle) they can be a pretty decent unit.

Wraithknight

Though all of a craftworld's immortal ghost warriors are giants, the Wraithknights are true colossi. Crewed by both a living pilot and an Eldar soul, the construct moves with a speed and precision that belies its size. though they loom over even the Wraithlords the accompany to war, these machines are still dextrous enough to run through the ruin of a shattered Imperial city or leap across the fang-lined chasms of the crone worlds. It is their duty not only to bring destruction to those who would oppose their craftworld, but to preserve its continued existence, for, of all the Eldar's creations, it is the Wraithknight that is trusted above all others to collect the waystones that keep their race safe from the gluttonous appetite of Slaanesh. In battle, Wraithknights typically use heavy wraithcannons to hurl their foes into the hell-realm of the Warp, though others may sow molten carnage amongst the enemy's ranks with a long-barrelled suncannon or charge into the heart of combat, prismatic shields flaring and sentient ghostglaives scything down soldiers and lords alike.

Ah the Wraithknight. The unit responsible for untold rage-quits and Eldar players everywhere getting their nightly bath of the tears of other gamers. Well, I'm proud to report that rather than toning it down, or adjusting its points to be reasonable, Games Workshop have seen fit to buff them up even further! Most important of the changes, is they are now Gargantuan Creatures, which brings to them a slew of special rules like Feel no Pain, and allows them to fire as many guns as they can carry, all at different targets. While their points did go up, they are still only 235 points with the most expensive loadout. Secondly, their Heavy Wraithcannons are now, you guessed it, strength D, and with 36" of range, people are crying foul all over the place. Personally, I don't think that's all that bad, as you can get strength D elsewhere easily in the codex, and with only 2 shots, you're not that likely to be getting the fabled 6 more than once or twice a game anyways. The second option was my favorite in the last edition, and is still fairly good, but losing the Scatter Laser's Laser Lock rule hurt it. The Suncannon and Scattershield is still a pretty good choice, especailly if you want to decimate infantry. you get 3 strength 6 ap 2 small blasts from the gun, and now you can fire all your weapons, so you can take a couple of other weapons to shoot as well. I really like this one as you get a 5++, which is very important for keeping your knight alive. Lastly we have the Ghostglaive and Scatteshield. This is my new favorite, as it is just devastating. The Wraithknight got a special rule when using the Ghostglaive that makes it strength D, which in my opinion, it should have had from the beginning, as it was +1 strength on a strength 10 model. When you combine 4 (5 on the charge) strength D attacks at initiative 5 with stomp attacks, it makes the melee Wraithknight loadout a beast, able to wipe out entire units of infantry in a turn or two. In one game that I played, a single Wraithknight killed a Daemon Prince, 3 units of blood letters and a unit of plague bearers by itself and still had 2 wounds remaining. It's seriously insane. So yes. The Wraithknight is definitely broken, though by no means unkillable, so if you're an Eldar player and you don't have one of these, get one, use it, and watch the tears flow.

Avatar of Khaine

The molten demigod of war blazes from legend into reality, his almighty bellow of bloodlust fuelling an unferno in the hearts of all those Eldar who hear it. The living Avatar is an ancient war deity incarnate, rivaled in power only by the incalculable energies of the mightiest Daemons of the immaterium. His eyes glow like embers, and as he moves, his body of burning iron crackles and spits fire, while tendrils of smoke and cinders wreath him like a dark cloak. His mere prescence insites the Eldar around him into a black and merciless rage, the fires of the Bloody-Handed God's battle lust crackling within them. he marches through the flame and fury that the foe sends in his direction without breaking stride, laughing cruelly as the Wailing Doom tastes hot flesh and rich, spurting lifeblood. None can truly stop the Avatar, for even should he somehow be slain, his mortal form returns to his iron throne at the heart of the craftworld. There the towering statue awaits the call to a new war, and another chance to spill lakes of gore in Khaine's name.

The Avatar is the second Lord of War for the Eldar, and one that I don't think will be appearing in any competetive form. That's not to say that he's bad, but compared to the Wraithknight's insanity, he's kind of a chump. He's not too expensive, less than most of the Phoenix Lords in fact, and comes with a bunch of rules that really help a melee-oriented Eldar force. Firstly, his Khaine Awakened rule gives all Eldar units within 12" Fearless, Furious Charge, and Rage. this is absolutely fantastic for any of the melee units that we have, particularily Banshees and Scorpions. Second, he is immune to all flamers, melta, Pyromancy powers (as if it needed to be worse) and weapons with the soulblaze special rule, which is hilarious if you play against a Chaos player who gets the boon that makes his weapons gain the Soul Blaze rule. Not huge, but the resistance to melta will definately come in handy. Finally we have the Wailing Doom, which can be used as both a melee and shooting weapon. If you shoot it, it's a meltagun, and in melee it's +2 strength Ap 1 and armour bane, meaning you'll be Strength 8 (9 on the charge) in melee, which is pretty great. I think the thing that kills him for me is that he still only moves 6", so by Eldar standards, he's incredibly slow, especially for a melee unit. Also, while toughness 6 is respectable, it isn't going to keep him alive for long, especially if they turn some anti-tank guns on him, so he's not really the toughest MC out there, and he probably won't last long. That said, if you're running a Footdar army, he's sort of a must, and he's a big buff for any melee army as well. Good for fun games.

And with that we have made it through an analysis of every unit in the Eldar codex. Next week I'll be going over the formations, warlord traits, psychic powers, relics, and detatchment. It's gonna be cool.

Elves in SPAAACE!!!: Codex Eldar Craftworlds Review Part 2

Welcome back everyone! Its time for part 2 of my review of the new Codex: Eldar Craftworlds. This part will go over the Troops and Elites sections of the codex.

Guardian Defenders

As extinction overshadows the Eldar, it is tragic that those who might propagate their race are forced to take up arms. Guardians are citizen warriors driven by the simple desire to survive and feulled by the fury of a regal people denied their birthright. In the glorious panoply of their world-ships, the Guardians fan out in support of the craftworld's specialist troops, heavy weapons platforms smoothly traversing the corpse-dotted wastes in their wake. Foes that come too close do not live long to regret it, for though Guardians are not as skilled as their Aspect Warrior brethren, the colume of flesh-ripping shuriken they lay down can surpass even that of the Dire Avengers.

First up are the Guardians. These are a pretty good, cheap troop unit, which while they're fragile they can really put out a ton of firepower. They each carry a shuriken catapult (12" S 4 Ap 5 and any to wound roll of 6 is ap 2) and plasma grenades, and come with the standard Eldar Special Rules, Ancient doom (Hatred v.s Slaanesh, and -1 ld on fear tests against Slaanesh), Battle Focus (can shoot and run in the same turn) and Fleet. For every 10 models in the unit, they can take a heavy weapon platform, which is a heavy weapon fired by a guardian as if it were an assault weapon. They can also have a Warlock leader if you want a bit of psychic support, and with the Runes of Battle primaris power being Conceal, it's a pretty good option for getting your Guardians into range. Personally, I'm not a huge fan, as their weapons only being 12" is just too short of range to make an effective shooting unit, but some people really like them, so I guess its just preference. By no means a bad unit.

Storm Guardians

There are citizens in each craftworld that feel the flame of war kindle in their breast. Should necessity dictate it, these warriors-to-be are gathered into tight groups and sent to fight in support of the Aspect Warriors. Although they lack the protection afforded by Aspect armour, they fight with all the skill and grace of their kind, their elegant chainswords and blades sweeping into the foe, chopping through limbs and joints before their adversaries can retaliate. Where the enemy's warriors hide behind armoured hulls or hunker down in cover, this citizen militia will bring fusion guns and flamers to the fore, burning the foe into the open where the killing can begin in earnest.

Storm Guardians are an interesting choice, and while at first I thought they were sort of crap, I'm starting to think that maybe they're not so bad. Really, they're just a melee/special weapon unit that is sort of like a unit of Guardsmen with a better stat line. The unit starts at 8 models, which is sort of weird, but you can add up to 12 more, for a total of 20 models, which is kinda neat, as you can sort of drown people in numbers. You can also equip 2 models in the unit with either a Flamer or Fusion Gun, and also equip 2 models with Power Weapons. I like the idea of taking a couple of Fusion Guns and Power Axes and just seeing where that takes me. All this being said, these guys won't be winning many fights for you, so only throw them up against weedier units, or in support of your Aspect Warriors like Striking Scorpions or Howling Banshees.

Windriders

In battle, the jetbike riders of the Eldar operate as forward scouts and fast-response troops, speeding across the battlefield in a brightly coloured blur before unleashing tight fusillades of shuriken. At the last moment before he hurtles into the enemy line, the Windrider fires, shredding his awed foes with the paired shuriken catapults that allow the jetbike its impressive rate of fire. With a twist of the handlebars, the pilot veers away to safety, turning his steed for another pass. It is considered a singular hnour for a Guardian to ride to war within the Windrider hosts, sun glinting from his jetbike cowling and air swirling in his wake.

Not only are Windriders (formerly known as Guardian Jetbikes) the best troop unit in this codex, I think I can make a strong argument that they're the best troop unit in the entire game. 51 points buys you a unit of 3 Eldar Jetbikes which move 12", can turbo-boost 36" and get an assault move of 2d6". That's a possible 60" of movement in a single turn. They also can each take a Scatter Laser or Shuriken Cannon, which turns your 3 man unit of incredibly fast moving troops into a crazy weapon platform too. I've been loving a unit of 3 with Scatter Lasers for a small unit footprint. You can move out from behind line of sight blocking terrain, fire, then jump back in with your assault move. In addition, if you take them as part of a Combined Arms Detatchment then they'll be objective secured as well. 10/10. Would use.

Rangers

Those that walk the winding Path of the Outcast are amongst the most cunning of all Eldar. By travelling the winding capillaries of the webway, loose groups of Rangers appear unbidden, emerging from strange portals that the enemy could pass close by and never notice. Clad in chameleoline cloaks that mimic their surroundings to such a degree that their wearers are rendered almost invisible,  Rangers form an elite corps of snipers that typically shun the front line, choosing instead to alter the course of battle from afar. Picking the choicest targets from amongst the opposition's ranks, these expert marksmen can hit an enemy commander in the eye socket from extreme range.

Well, as much as I like Rangers, I'm sorry to report that they still are pretty lackluster. They come with all the rules that you would expect from a sniper, Move Through Cover, Infiltrate, and Shrouded, and of course the Ranger long rifle. The long rifle, as far as I can tell is just a regular sniper rifle, despite what the fluff may tell you. I was really hoping that they would bring back the rending on to hit rolls as well as to wound rolls that they used to have, even if it came with a points increase. As it is, they're ok objective campers, but I just find that they don't really deal any damage to speak of.

Dire Avengers

Those marked for death by these Aspect Warriors are not killed cleanly, though their demise is always spectacular, for the shuriken catapult is never more deadly than in the hands of the Dire Avengers. These warriors consider the hurling of the bladed disc the truest of Khaine's red arts; at war, they unleash them in great slicing hurricanes, delivering death by a thousand cuts in the time it takes a man to scream. Despite the grisly manner in which they visit destruction upon the foe, the Dire Avengers are considered the epitome of the noble warrior - an indication of just how pitiless the craftworlds can be when their anger is roused.

Dire Avengers are the last of the troops in Codex Eldar Craftworlds, and one of the better ones. They haven't gone up in points at all, and have all the same stuff as before, with a few differences. First off, they lose Counter-attack, but gained a rule called Defence Tactics. If a unit consisting entirely of models with this rule is assaulted, they can either fire their Overwatch at BS 2, or they can gain Counter-attack and Stubborn. Most of the time, I would choose the improved Overwatch most of the time, especially against anything T 4 or better. In addition, the Exarch gains Battle Fortune for free which grants a 4++. Lastly, all Exarchs in this codex gain an additional wound now, but their armour save is not 3+ across the board. Still, I think that's a good trade off, as the worst armour save an Aspect Warrior has is still a respectable 4+. Dire Avengers are probably the best all-around Troop choice, aside from Windriders, and they're relatively cheap for all the stuff you get out of the unit.

Howling Banshees

To hear the cry of the Banshee is to die. The piercing, psychosonic scream that precedes the assault of these bone-armoured warriors renders those who hear it all but helpless. These mind-destroying shockwaves buy the Howling Banshees time enough to strike, each Aspect Warrior taking a head or slitting a throat with a sweep of her glittering power sword. In their Aspect Shrines, the Banshees practise their lightening assaults each and every day, refining their techniques and acrobatic skills. To them, there is no greater pleasure than turning the poignant fury and despair of the Eldar race into a weapon, another tool in the arsenal of the craftworlds with which to destroy their foes.

Howling Banshees are the first Elites choice in the codex, and I'm please to say that they are actually fairly viable now. That is thanks mostly to their Banshee Masks, which cause Fear, and make the Banshees immune to being Overwatched. They also have gained the Acrobatic rule, which allows them to add 3" to its maximum run or charge move, as well as counting them as having assault grenades. They also got 2 points cheaper, and the Exarch got  the War Shout rule, which forces models in combat with her to subtract 2 from their Ld. I think that these girls have gotten quite a bit better, but they still are one of the lesser units in the codex. While a unit of I 5 models with power swords is scary, they're still wounding a good half the units in the game on 5s, which is a little rough, especially considering they only 3 attacks each on the charge. The main thing that kills them for me though is the lack of assault transport in this codex. They really benefit from Dark Eldar or Harlequin allies, as they can get some access to open-topped transports. Even being one of the worse choices in this codex they are far from bad, and so I'd recommend trying them out.

Striking Scorpions

Sinister and unsettling even to their allies, the Aspect Warriors of the Striking Scorpions stalk their intended prey for hours, even days. Once they are in position they will wait with limitless patience for the foe to come within reach. In their minds they play the impending kill over and over, savoring a thousand different permutations. At a single word from their Exarch the Striking Scorpions suddenly burst from concealment. Chainswords whirring, mandiblasters spitting needles of white fire, the Aspect Warriors fall upon the prey. The emerald of the Striking Scorpions' armour is soon streaked red, the torn bodies of the foe falling in pieces to the ground in bloody sacrament to Khaine.

Striking Scorpions are the sneaky, heavy armoured counterpart to the Howling Banshees, and I think they're quite a bit better. Just like most things, they haven't changed a lot, just little bits and pieces. Firstly, Mandiblasters now auto-hit at initiative 10 and wound on a 4+, which is pretty decent. Secondly, They gained the Shadowstrike rule. If the unit infiltrates, it gets the Shrouded rule until it shoots (including overwatch) or fights in close combat. With Stealth, this means that in basically any cover they'll have a 2+ cover save at the beginning of the game, until you either shoot or fight. This rule will really help them get to combat. The Exarch also gets the Stalker rule, with grants him an extra attack in a challenge for each point of initiative higher he has than his opponent. As he is I 6, he'll almost always be getting at least 1 attack extra, so its a pretty great rule. If you equip him with a Scorpion's Claw, he'll have 6 attacks at S 6 I 6 plus his mandiblaster on the charge against an I 4 enemy. That's crazy. In my opinion, this is the go-to close combat unit in the codex (exluding HQ's and LoW)

Fire Dragons

Fire Dragon Aspect Warriors consider themselves destruction made manifest. Though short ranged, their fusion guns channel so much thermal energy into their targets that even the adamantium-plated rockcrete of a Sanctum-class bunker can be melted away like tallow. Destroying an enemy war machine is barely a challenge to these anti-armour specialists - those vehicles redoubtable enough to survive a volley of fusion gun fire are soon reduced to bubbling slag by discus-shaped melta bombs. Nowhere is safe from the white-hot rage of the Fire Dragon, for even the mightiest fortress affords scant protection.

Outside of Destroyer weapons, Fire Dragons are probably the most ridiculously reliable anti-armour in the game. While they aren't cheap, each one totes a Meltagun and meltabombs, plus they now get the Assured Destruction rule, which allows them to add 1 to their roll on the Vehicle Damage table. With Ap 1 weapons, this means that you're getting an explodes result on a 4+, or 3+ for an open-topped vehicle, meaning that destruction is pretty much as assured as possible. On top of that, the Exarch gained the Crack Shot rule, which allows him to re-roll one failed To Hit, To Wound or Armour Penetration result per turn. This makes him all but guaranteed to damage what he's shooting at. I've used these guys a couple of times, and I'm very happy with how they perform. They were pretty good before, and they're crazy good now. Definitely one of the overlooked winners of this codex.

Wraithguard

The ghost warriors known as Wraithguard move with the measured certainty of those who have known death, and now exist only to bring it to others. Those too slow to evade the approach of these long-limbed wraithbone constructs pay dearly for their complacency. These vengeful heroes of ages past bear long-barrelled wraithcannons and distortion scythes - weapons so fiendish no mortal could wield them - that tear temporary vortices in the fabric of reality. Those caught by their fell energies are sucked in, their bodies distorting like blood spiraling down a drain, to a hellish death in the otherworld of the Warp.

Alright everybody, here's the big deal of this codex. The thing that has so many people up in arms. The Wraithguard. They haven't changed in price at all since last edition, but have gained a pretty serious boost. All distort weapons are now Strength D. This means that for 160 points I can now take 5 T6 3+ save models with 12" strength D weapons. If you want, you can upgrade to the D-scythes for 10 points each, which turns their weapon into a flame template, but you subtract 1 from your result on the D table, meaning no 6s for you. So, how insane is this really? Well, I think people are making a bigger deal of it than it is. Firstly, your range is pretty short, meaning that you pretty much need either a Webway archon (allies), an infiltrate warlord trait, or a transport. Next, while T6 seems awesome at first, you have to remember that virtually every army out there has the means to pack S 6 or 7 guns with ap3 or better, meaning you still can't just toss them at things all willy-nilly. They will go down to plasma or melta guns pretty quickly, and will take 32-42 of your points with them. However, if you do get them in range... Well, lets just say that there is a good chance that whatever you shoot at will be deleted from the board. With the Wraithcannons you only need a single 6 to take out virtually any single thing in the game, whearas the D-scythes will waste most stuff through number of hits, even though you do no damage on a 1 or 2.  Are they powerful? Yes, absolutely, especially if you build a list around them. Are they as game breaking as everyone says? We'll see, but I'm thinking no. What makes them a real threat is that you have so much other stuff in the codex that is amazing, that even if they get focused down before they can do anything, you'll have an extremely powerful force still at your fingertips and basically unharmed. If they don't, then you can feed them your D (yes, a penis joke. I'm not above those.)

Wraithblades

There are those of the Eldar race whose rage runs hot beyond the point of death. Denied the battle they craved in life, their birthright ripped away from them by the deeds of lesser mortals, these spirits are fuelled by the fires of wrath. These immortal killers bear weapons reminiscent of the blooded warrior, axes and swords so large they can cut down men in droves. They close upon their adversaries at a loping run, wraithbone bodies all but glowing with the need to wreak violence. Finally they slam home, their ghostswords taking heads from necks as ghostaxes split victims from shoulder to groin. Truly, the Wraithblades are the undying avengers of the craftworld's lost people.

Wraithblades are a weird choice to me, and while they got better, they still are sort of a let down. They're a couple points cheaper than a Wraithguard, and are basically a close combat version of them. They can use either a pair of Ghostswords which gives +1 strength and an extra attack for 2 ccw, or a Ghostaxe and Forceshield, which gives +2 strength, a 4++, but makes you unwieldly. Personally, I prefer the axe, as the invuln save and higher strength will allow you to go toe-to-toe with basically anything else in the game and possibly win. Their main problem to me, is that a Wraithblade only gets a single attack, and while they have Rage now, it still means that it'll be fairly easy to simply tarpit them. I think their main strength will be to use them in tandem with other assault units to help them pack a punch where needed, and the other unit (I'd use scorpions) can come bail them out if they get tied up.

Anyways, that's all for Part 2 of this codex review. I aim to get Part 3 up sometime next week, which will talk about the the Fast Attack, Heavy Support and Lord of War units. It's going to be a big one, so stick around!