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
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.
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