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| Unfortunately, this is what Harlequins used to look like. |
Enigmas of the Black Library
These are the "relics" of this book. You may take only one of each of these in an army, and some of them are restricted to certain units (i.e Shadowseer only).
The Storied Sword
An exquisite and perfectly weighted weapon, the Storied Sword has a starmetal blade and a tooled wraithbone grip. Inscribed upon the sword in minute script is the entire tale of the Fall of the Eldar, as narrated by the Shadowseers. As the wielder of this weapon fights, they find their mind filling with visions of that terrible time, impossible psychic snapshots of the greatest tragedy ever to befall their race. Driven to a Killing fury by the horrors they have seen, the wielder fights all the harder, determined to prevent any such terrible events from transpiring ever again.
The Storied Sword is... ok. I think. It's usable by Troupe Masters only, and is a Master-Crafted Power Sword that gives S+1. It would be great, but for 25 points, you're probably better off with a Harlequin's Kiss or Caress for like, a fifth of the points. Still, it does mean that a Troupe Master with it will be getting 5 Strength 5 attacks on the charge, and getting to re-roll a failed to hit roll, which isn't shabby. Still, I wouldn't bother, unless you had a bunch of points to spare.
Crescendo
This masterwork shuriken pistol was first bestowed upon a Troupe Master of the Veiled Path. Supposedly, it was given as a gift by a wanderer of the webway, who members of that masque claim was none other than the Laughing God himself. While many doubt the word of the Veiled Path in this, there can be no denying that Crescendo is a beautifully crafted and uniquely potent firearm. When the pistol's trigger is pulled, micro-distortion engines engage within its housing. The effect is to step Crescendo's wielder slightly ahead of time, accelerating the weapon and wielder alike and allowing an impossible volley of firepower to be unleashed. Thus Crescendo lives up to its name, filling the air with a rising howl as it scythes down waves of the foe.
I think that we'll be seeing Crescendo a lot. It's usable by both Troupe Masters and Shadowseers, and really is just a fancy Shuriken Pistol that shoots the same amount of times as the Attacks of the model. So 3. Remember that Shuriken Pistols have the Bladestorm rule, so 3 shots at BS 5 could be pretty excellent. The main thing that makes this so good is that it's only 5 points. Which is super cheap.
The Mask of Secrets
Many Eldar believe the Mask of Secrets to be no more than a dark fable, and perhaps it would be better if this were so. Yet it is very real, kept within a shadowed vault deep within the Black Library. All who look upon this mask see distorted reflections of their own faults and failings, the slightest doubt or regret twisted into a horrific swarm of phantasms that scream and wail as they claw at the psyche of the victim. Those who wear the Mask of Secrets fear nothing while the mask remains upon their face, yet it is said that in the long run, they must pay a terrible price for this temporary boon.
Here is the big winner, in my opinion. It can only be taken by a Shadowseer, but it grants the Fearless rule, and all enemy models within 12" suffer -2 to their leadership. That may not seem like much, but think about a Shadowseer with the Mask within 12" of a unit who just took a casualty from a Death Jester. Yep, that's a cumulative bonus of -4! Even Ld 10 units will be failing their test more often then not. It also opens up some interesting psychic power combinations, but I'll get into those in part 3. The price of this item? A mere 15 points. If you have a Shadowseer, take the Mask of Secrets. Just do it. Now! Go!
Cegorach's Rose
Representing the barbed gift given in jest by the Laughing God to the crone Morai-Heg, Cegorach's Rose contains thorned monofilaments of shadowsilk. Existing in the penumbra between realspace and the labyrinth dimension, these shadowsilk strands bypass the thickest armour as though it did not exist. Once within the body of the victim, the rose's threads uncoil, a blossom of molecule-thin blades unfurling at the end of each. Thus, the foe is slain instantly as a thicket of bloody, bladed roses bursts forth within their chest.
This item is basically a Harlequin's Kiss on steroids. It has all the same rules as a kiss, as well as Master-crafted, and Shred, meaning that you get to re-roll one to hit roll a round, as well as all failed to wound rolls when using it. So basically, you're going to hit and wound with your Kiss of Death attack pretty much every time, and it also gives you slightly better odds of causing an Instant Death wound. Still, it's triple the points of a regular Harlequin's Kiss, and while I don't think it's great on a Troupe Master, it might be nice for a Solitaire, if you have some points to burn. Not worthless, but not really a go-to either.
Starmist Raiment
At first glance, there is little to distinguish the Starmist Raiment from a typical holo-suit, save that it is woven through with gossamer-thin strands of what looks like liquid silver. Yet when the wearer moves, they are engulfed in a shimmering cloud of refracted starlight that blinds and confuses the foe. This effect is magnified when the wearer moves quickly, the blurred glow swelling to become a blazing corona almost impossible to see through. So does the wearer mimic Aelos, the heavenly star flung by Cegorach himself, that smote Vaul's treacherous assistant Ghaevyll and blinded him for his deceits.
I'm not hugely fond of the Starmist Raiment. If the bearer of the item runs, then it gives them a 3+ invuln until the start of their next shooting phase, which seems great, but I'm not sure what you would bother taking this on. If you run, you can't assault, so it's not great there, and you wouldn't want it on a Death Jester, because then he would never get to shoot. The only time I could see it being good, is on a Troupe Master using one of the formations that allows a unit to run and assault in the same turn, but even then, it's still pricy, and I'm not sure it's worth it.
The Laughing God's Eye
A pendant of rune-carved wraithbone, this potent artefact is said to draw the watchful eye of Cegorach himself. Psychic powers flicker and die in the pendant's presence, for the Laughing God will no suffer his children to be beset by the tendrils of the Warp. This aura of abnegation extends not only to the pendant's wearer, but billows like a concealing cloak to shield nearby allies. So does Cegorach watch over his followers, guarding them from the predations of She Who Thirsts.
At first, I wasn't sure about this item, but I think that I'm liking the idea of it more and more. For 20 points you get a 12" bubble of Adamantium Will, meaning that if you bring a whole bunch of psykers as well, you'll be able to pretty reliably deny the witch when it comes to any witchfires, or maledictions. It won't always come up, but it could definately come in handy.
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| This is more recent. Thankfully. |
Phantasmancy
Shadowseers are the masters of illusion and misdirection. Such is their power and intellect, they can reach into the minds of mortals and twist their perceptions at a whim. This may involve shrouding the presence of the Harlequins from the victims' mind, or trapping the foe in purgatorial thought-mazes of their own worst fears. Whatever the precise nature of the manipulation, it will invariable be subtle, sinister, and dangerously cruel.
Veil of Tears..........Warp Charge 1
Sketching a gesture in the air, the Shadowseer snatches the image of the Harlequins from the minds of their foes, and plucks it out, hiding them from sight.
I really like this power, so I'm glad that it is the Primaris Power of this discipline. Veil of tears is a blessing that makes it so that any unit wishing to target the psyker's unit with a shooting attack must roll 2d6x2. If the Harlequins are outside that many inches, then the unit cannot fire that turn. This means that outside 24", your Harelquins can't be targeted at all, and a shooting attack outside of 4" has the potential to fail. When you're guys are T3 with only a 5++, this sort of protection can be invaluable.
Dance of Shadows.......... Warp Charge 1
The Shadowseer uses his powers of illusion to exaggerate the play of light and shadow around his allies. The effect swiftly intesnifies, shrouding the unit in a whirling vortex of gloom, shot through with blinding pulses of light.
Again, this is a great defensive power. A blessing that can be cast on a friendly unit within 18" and grants them Stealth and Shrouded. This is even better combined with powers like Veil of Tears or Invisibility, as it means that if your unit is in any kind of cover (other than a crater), you're getting a 2+ cover save against any shooting that does manage to target you. Just beware Ignores Cover, or Flamer, weapons.
Peal of Discord.......... Warp Charge 1
Drawing in a slow breath of Warp energy, the Shadowseer throws back his head and sings out a perfect note, interwoven with a horrific banshee scream. Soaring and plunging, the wave of sound rolls outward, a crashing discordia that shatters bones, bursts brains and leaves the few survivors bleeding and befuddled.
I'm not a huge fan of this power for one main reason. Its a nova. With only 9" of range, it probably won't come up a lot, but if it does, it's ok... against the right unit. S4, Assault 2d6, and Concussive, means that it's going to be decent against squishy targets like Cultists, Daemons, and Guardsmen, but not great against anything with a decent save. Not one I forsee being cast very often.
Shards of Light.......... Warp Charge 1
The Shadowseer reaches out and plucks blades of light from thin air. Though nothing but illusion, this trick is so realistic that it fools the senses utterly, the blades inflicting horrific psychosomatic wounds as the whistle through the air to blind and impale.
Another relatively meh power, but one that I think could be lots of fun. It's a 24" witchfire with S3 AP - Assault 3d6, and Blind. Not great, but the potential to blind can be excellent, particularly against armies like Tau or Necrons, as they have abysmal Initiative and are very shooty, which means that being blinded will really hurt them, even more so than the power itself. A weird power that is both offensive and defensive at the same time. Good if you have a dice left after casting Veil, and other stuff.
Fog of Dreams.......... Warp Charge 2
Soft and Subtle, the Shadowseer sends his consciousness forth like a creeping mist. Moment by moment, his thoughts seep into those of the foe, veiling their sight and baffling their senses. Soon enough they see only a whirling bank of lambent silver mist. The sounds of battle echo weirdly through this icy murk, and shadows prowl beyond the edge of sight. The enemy are left deaf, blind, and all but helpless as the Shadowseer's comrades descend upon them.
I really like this power, as it's very similar to Invisibility. A 24" malediction that makes it so that the target unit can only fire Snap Shots and hits in close combat on 6's. Another great defensive spell to keep your Harlies safe. I'd be hoping for this one every time.
Laugh of Sorrows.......... Warp Charge 2
The Shadowseer sends barbed strands of pure malice whipping out to plunge into the minds of the enemy. With his victims snared, the Shadowseer begins to twitch and jerk his fingers, each gesture drawing forth unnatural mirth within the victims' psyches. Within moments, the unwilling puppets are howling and shrieking with laughter, convulsing so hard that bones snap and organs burst. AS the horrified hilarity reaches a crescendo, the Shadowseer tears out his psychic barbs, plunging the survivors into such heart stopping misery that many die there and then.
This is a real odd-ball power that I think could be very effective. A witchfire with 24" range, it basically makes a unit take 2 Ld tests. The first, if it's failed causes the unit to take as many wounds as the test was failed by, with no armour or cover saves. The second does the same thing if it's passed. This means that it is excellent against even high Ld units, as they're likely to take some wounds from the second test at the least. Not a bad power.
Mirror of Minds.......... Warp Charge 2
The Shadowseer singles out a foe and appears to them as an apparition lodged in their subconscious. Reality falls away before the helpless victim, replaced by a warped mirrormaze of the Shadowseer's making. Though only seconds pass in the real world, within the victim's mind they must strive against the Shadowseer's will for days, months, even years in their efforts to excape. Many never do. Their souls erode until nothing remains but a ghost, wandering mad and alone within the prison of their own mind.
This is an ok power, but it's fairly situational. It's a 24" focused witchfire that makes the model roll off against the Shadowseer in a Ld contest. Every time the target gets less than or equal to the Shadowseer's total, they take a wound with no armour or cover saves allowed. Unfortunately, with the way focused witchfires work, there's a good chance that you wont get the guy you're after and will end up just killing random mooks with it. Even if you do get a scary HQ, they usually have a high enough Ld that it'll be just a straight roll-off, unless you have the Mask of Secrets or some other Ld-reducing effect in there. Not one I would hope for.
Warlord Traits
The Warlord traits in this book are a little strange. you have 3 seperate tables to choose from, but the first 3 traits from each table are all identicle, so what I'll do is outline those first, then go into the others. A Death Jester or Shadowseer rolls a d3 on any of the 3 tables (Light, Twilight, or Dark) and gets the result, meaning it makes no difference which you pick, as they're all the same. A Troupe Master on the other hand, gets to roll a full d6 on any of the tables, giving you a bit better of a list. So here we go.
Any Table
Luck of the Laughing God
To be possessed of supernatural fortune is a sure sign of Cegorach's favour.
The Warlord re-rolls all to hit and saving throw rolls of 1. Not bad, but not amazing either. Best for a Death Jester as it essentially gives his shooting Twin-Linked.
Fractal Storm
In battle, the Warlord performs rapid movements that maximise the effect of his holo-suit to better evade his enemy's blows.
This just increases the Warlord's invuln to a 4+. Shitty if you took the Starmist Raiment, but otherwise its ok. Pretty meh.
A Foot in the Future
The Warlord and his followers flow like starlight across the field of battle, time itself seeming to part before their otherworldly grace.
This is a great trait, in my opinion. It allows the Warlord and his unit to add an inch to their movement any time they move. Movement, Consolidation, Running, Charging, Sweeping Advance, anything. Very good trait.
Light Table
The Hero's Call
The Warlord personifies the heroes of myth and his call to arms is swift and undeniable.
This is another fantastic trait. It allows you to add 4 to any Sieze the Initiative roll. This means that you sieze on a 2+, so if you win the roll to deploy first or second, you'll want to deploy second every time.
Webway Walker
This Warlord has travelled the hidden corners of the webway and knows secret paths by which he may surprise his enemy.
This is a pretty great trait as well. It allows you to select d3 units in your Warlord's detachment and give them either Deep Strike, Scout, or Infiltrate. Pretty useful.
A Trick of the Light
The Warlord fools his foes, wrong-footing them before battle has even begun.
Another good trait. This one allows you to remove d3 units with the Harlequins Faction from the table after everything is deployed, and after scout moves are made. Then you can either redeploy them using the normal deployment rules, or place them in reserve. Especially good for some of the larger formations, or the Harlequin detachment.
Twilight Table
Narrator of Wars
The Warlord has orchestrated the battle to an ancient script, and the fighting will only end when all actors have played their part.
This one can be good, and potentially game winning. If the mission uses random game length (which they pretty much all do), you may add or subrtact 2 from the roll made to see if the game continues. Great whether you need it to end or to go on another turn.
The Steps of Mortal Transition
The Warlord has mastered the art of the Steps of Mortal Transition - an exquisite and deadly piece that ends with the decapitation of his foe.
This one is potentially very useful as well, particularly if your Warlord is carrying a Harlequin's Kiss. It makes any to wound roll of 6 in close combat instant death, or 5+ for a Kiss of Death attack.
Dance of Infinite Mirrors
The Warlord is a master illusionist, leaving his foes chasing phantoms as he and his Troupe reappear on the other side of the battlefield.
This one is potentially very useful for the end game. Once a game, your Warlord and his unit can move up to 24", ignoring all models and terrain, but cannot land on top of a model or impassable terrain, and cannot charge the turn that it does it. Still, it could be good for grabbing an objective in the last turn.
Dark Table
Dance of Nightmares Made Flesh
The Warlord knows the secret Terrors of his audience.
An enemy unit in base contact with your Warlord's unit must roll an additional dice when making fear tests or morale tests. Potentially useful, but not great.
Twisted Encore
The Warlord leads his Troupe in one final performance before the battle's end.
This one is really cool. At the end of the game, your Warlord and his unit can basically get another turn. If they're in a transport, the vehicle can't move but they can disembark and act normally, and if you are in combat, you can only fight that extra round of combat. Nice if you need to charge a nearby unit off an objective, or needed just one more round of combat to kill an enemy Warlord or something.
The Final Joke
This Warlord clashes blades with a laugh in his throat, knowing that should he fall in battle, his foe will have sealed their own fate.
This one is kinda dumb unless you're fighting the enemy Warlord in a Challenge with yours, which if they know you have this trait, will basically never happen. If your Warlord is killed while fighting in a challenge, you roll off. If you win or draw, the opponent's character also dies. Whatever.
Formations
Cegorach's Revenge
This first formation is the largest, and probably the way you would want to play a straight Harlequin army, even more so than the Harlequin detatchment. It consists of 3 Troupes, 3 Death Jesters, 3 Shadowseers, 1 Solitaire, 2 units of Skyweavers, and 1 unit of Voidweavers. The bonuses for taking this formation are really pretty great. All models in the formation can re-roll invulns of 1, a Troupe Master Warlord can re-roll his Warlord trait on one of the Harlequin tables, and any unit with fleet may run and then charge in the same turn, after the first. These are some awesome rules, as it'll help get your Harlequins to combat, and keep them safe at the same time. Plus, you get to make the most of all the strengths of the units in the Codex. I like it, though I don't think I'll get to use it for a long while, since it'll take some time before I can get a sizable force of Harlequins.
The Serpent's Brood
The next formation is the best if you want a slightly smaller force, and you want to be mounted up in transports. It consists of 3 Troupes, 2 units of Skyweavers, 3 Starweavers (which must be dedicated transports for the Troupes) and 1 squadron of Voidweavers. For this you again get to have a Troupe Master Warlord get to re-roll his trait, but this time you get a really cool rule that allows you to consolidate or hit and run back into your Starweavers after a combat. This means that you can move, disembark, charge, wipe a unit, and then hopefull jump back into your transport to keep you safe. The only downside is you'll need your Starweaver to be really close to the unit you're fighting, as a consolidation move is only 6", so you need to be maximum 8" away from your transport, and then pray for a 6. On the plus side, it makes doing a Hit and Run in your turn a little more viable, as you can just jump back into your Starweaver to keep relatively safe.
Cast of Players
The Cast of Players is the formation I will probably use the most, at least for the time being. It consists of just 1 Troupe, 1 Death Jester, and 1 Shadowseer, and the DJ and Shadowseer have to stay in the Troupe unit. They don't get much for rules, just Crusader for them and any Eldar or Dark Eldar unit (friend or foe) within 6". Not amazing but not bad, and this is probably the best way to inject a single unit of Harlies into an existing Eldar or Dark Eldar (or both) army. Also, you can stick an Archon, or Farseer, or whatever into the unit for some very interesting synergies, so there's that as well.
Cegorach's Jest
This is another good one for if you want a small force of Harlequins for another army. It uses a Troupe, a unit of Skyweavers, and a squadron of Voidweavers, and gives the fleet units in the formation the ability to run and charge after turn 2. The downside is that a Troupe with no psychic support is very exposed, even in a transport, so I'd consider hooking them up with a Shadowfield Archon, or a Jetbike Farseer with (hopefully) Invisibility to keep 'em safe. Still, another good unit if you just want a taste of Harlequins in your army.
The Heroes' Path
This is sort of an odd one, but it's also one of only 2 formations to give you access to the Solitaire. All it is is a Death Jester, a Shadowseer, and a Solitaire, which all have to hang out alone. Luckily, they all get Shrouded, Stealth and Infiltrate, which could make them a real bugger to deal with. I like the idea of outflanking the Death Jester to get some shots on some small place holder units an cause some havoc in the backfield, and maybe use the Shadowseer with a Mask of Secrets and Telepathy to run around doing some leadership shenanigans, while the Solitaire runs around and punches people in the dick. Sort of a goofy formation, but it could be very annoying if used right.
Faolchu's Blade
This one is weird, but really good if you want to take some Zephyrglaive Skyweavers. It consists of 2 units of Skyweavers and a unit of Voidweavers and allows the formation to re-roll cover saves when they jink. That means that you'll have a re-rollable 4+ cover when you jink, which would make your Skyweavers way harder to deal with. It's not so great for the Voidweaver though, since they'll have to snap fire, and as a gunboat, that sucks. I feel like all the formations have to include Voidweavers because otherwise no one would take them, because none of the formations really give them any bonuses, but 4/6 need you to have at least 1. Whatever. Like I said, this one is good for melee Skyweavers, but I wouldn't bother if you want them for fire support.
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| They may have just learned fear, in the form of Coulrophobia |
So that concludes part 2 of this review. In part 3, I'll cover some list ideas and tactics, and go a little more deeply into some of the pro's and con's of taking Harlequins in an army. Depending on how my opinions change once I've had some more time to actually use this codex, there may be a part 4 in the future as well, with more list ideas and tactics and stuff tempered by real, tested experience. So make sure you tune in next week for (possibly) the final installment of this series.
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