Eldar army Profile
Craftworld Eldar Physiologically the Eldar as a race are elegant, tall figures compared to a human. While similar in appearance, being fully humanoid is where the resemblance ends, for an Eldar‘s face is slim and pointed and his muscles from the cheeks down to his stretched toes are sleek. His skin is smooth and without blotch or blemish. His eyes are keen, narrow, and his nose is sharply defined. His limbs are lean and picked thin clean. All Eldar possess inhuman reflexes and senses far beyond the average human. Their DNA is far more complex as is the depth of their language and mind. Though most of their organs can be found similar to that of humans, they operate ten times more efficiently. An Eldar will live centuries, even millennia. Even the oldest of the Eldar live tens of thousands of years. He can attune his mind and bend psychic energies that flicker in his body. This is the source of the Eldar technology and the secrets of their workings. The complex psychotropic energy has given way to beginnings and inventions far different from the Human race. Aside from physical appearance, even their very movement is beautiful. A wave of the arm, their walk, and most especially their martial practices are a thing of inhuman nature—graceful yet purposeful, swift yet efficient. An Eldar‘s very heartbeat is normally much faster than a human’s and his mind thinks faster and more efficiently. They even sleep more efficiently and give less time to contemplation or problem solving. He is nurtured on foods and diet that suites them in all perfect balance. And this is the way the Eldar on the Craftworlds live. For the pitch and tone of their lives exists in multiple spectrums. He rarely thinks singularly of the present, instead expounding more on possibility and depth. As all things an Eldar experiences is multiplied. Concepts are not simply understood but axiomatic; art is not simply perceived but savored.
Brief history Several thousands of years before humans looked to the stars, the Eldar spanned a mighty empire that stretched across the galaxy. Unlike the fractured, void-filled Imperium of Humanity, the Eldar were masters of the stars. They were explorers and seekers of truths and mysteries. In the ancient times, the Eldar looked at all others as nothing but petty, squabbling animals. Nothing could harm them and nothing dared. The very stars themselves could be shaped, shifted, or destroyed without care or thought for any race that might be affected. It was their right. Even in the Warp, with its powerful and unnatural energies, there was nothing to fear. Passed Eldar souls could sift through and reincarnate once again. They were above it all. To experience pleasure, the Eldar could theoretically live forever in some cases. Their technology far surpassed anything as seen at the time or even now. Bodies could be rebuilt, souls re-fused to the physical, changed or altered at will. They could, and would, indulge in any practice. Labor became completely unnecessary. Connection, news and supplies for desire were made possible through Webway Portals that once connected nearly every part of the galaxy. Travelling from world to world with these were immense, living ships made of Wraithbone. So it seemed that all was in harmony and the Eldar as a race would simply last forever. The Eldar only saw fit to pursue feelings as the individual wished. But some would find satisfaction in manipulation, to see how far they could harm others mentally. Some would resort to physical torment, on themselves and fellow Eldar. Witchcraft producing surging energies was explored to create and destroy in trying to outdo other Eldar. Different cults were founded that followed various ideologies of pleasure. And such was their nature that they warred with one another. As the Eldar fell into anarchy, some came to realize the horror of what their race had become. They fled the far reaches of the galaxy away from the Eldar empire. These later became known as the Exodites, the ones who partook in the exodus. Some remained in their secret lairs within the Webway, practicing dark and evil things with enslavement
of lesser races and other Eldar. These were consumed into the Dark Eldar. But there were a few who repented of their ways and fled on the Wraithbone ships. It was these who became the Craftworld Eldar.
Perhaps the Eldar might have been able to eventually reorganize and return from their state of degeneration were it not the rise of the thing they birthed. For the sentient beings in the physical realm are very much connected to the Warp, feeding it powers and giving rise to the daemonic that reside within. Since the Warp is twisted and perverse, not obeying the natural laws of the physical universe. The Eldar‘s psyche with pride and lusting thirst for desire pooled into the Warp to create those ideals into a living thing, the powerful entity known as Slannesh. The newborn Chaos god unleashed a psychic scream that cracked reality and brought the Eldar empire to its knees. The shockwave burst through at the point known as the Eye of Terror, spilling unnaturally large amounts of Chaos energies into the galaxy. Such is the immense power the Eldar psyche is capable of. It has created the horrid gates and breaks in reality that ravages and molests the galaxy bringing doom to thousands of worlds and the slaughter of trillions. They who once held the key to the galaxy, also held the key to its destruction.
The Warhost The organized military of the Eldar is a preciously guided affair as the Eldar are so few in number. The duty to martial intervention in the world to prevent Craftworld destruction usually lies on the shoulders of the Aspect Warriors. They are supported by Guardian citizenconscripts that pilot most military vehicles and man support weapons. In desperate times, Guardians are grouped together in squads of Guardian Defenders or more close combat-trained Storm Guardians. Such is the bleak numbers of the Eldar that every loss in battle is felt. There is a great mourning as the Eldar waystones that they wear about their person are filled with their soul to become spirit stones. Such spirit stones, in order to prevent being snatched by the demon Slannesh within the Warp, are placed within the Infinity Circuits of the Craftworld to act as the life blood and nervous system of the Craftworld itself.
It is this same concept of technology that drives Eldar war vehicles and in even more sorrowful times of desperate actions, the Eldar will awaken their eternally dead brethren, capturing their souls from the free-spirited Infinity Circuit and into the towering Wraithbone construct warriors. Indeed, so few are their number the Eldar regretfully bring their own dead, risking their souls on the fields of battle to fight!
Path of the Warrior Attached to this however lies a danger, for every basic feeling becomes like a drug. It consumes the Eldar in fiery passion, bringing him into a deadlock. Going too far makes it easily impossible to return. And yet, it was in their past that the ancient Eldar thought they were invincible. Such periods of existence in any one spectrum can last for months, years, and for a few, the entirety of a lifetime. So it is that the Eldar must force themselves and encourage each other to diverge to different Paths to avoid a fate of self-made doom. Those Eldar who tread the Path of the Warrior seek to fulfill their wild anger and rage by planting it into a ‘war mask’. This allows the Eldar to detach their minds, memories, and willful shedding of blood in a trained exercise. It helps to contain their violent intentions to the enemies of the Eldar in times of war rather than on each other.
A fine point must be made to the nature of the Eldar Priests of Khaine, Exarches and what drives them to their personal experiences and awesome capabilities. While the Human race has feelings such as affection, hate, or sorrow, the Eldar have an unexplainable extra dimension on top of the increased intensity of these. For they as psychic beings possess this sense that appears to heighten and enhance the feelings Humans know. It is not enough to be in sorrowful mourning or battle rage, but to extend and explore every possible outcome, thought, and meaning, dwelling on them till something else shifts and causes them to exchange the mood for another.
While wearing their war mask at the given appropriate time, the Eldar are fascinated with death and destruction, openly fanning the flame of their hateful passions. They can kill without care or sense, men, women, and children without thought except to please and excite their nature. With the strong rituals that prepare them for battle as they put on their armor, the helmet is last; placing it on the face literally puts on their war mask demeanor. This technique was developed by the first Phoenix Lord, Asurmen, and has been carried down to other, more specific perspectives of war. As examples: specifically uncontrolled, wild fervor can be tamed by the Howling Banshee, or the desire for exerting vengeful, demoralizing slow death by the Swooping Hawk. Without these aspects and this way of life, the Craftworld Eldar would degenerate into raw destructive moods and commit ceaseless bloodshed on each other for nothing more than pleasure. Several Eldar have learned how to curb these violent natures capable of surfacing in a battle without a war mask, taking care to limit their personal bloodshed and not enjoy it. Others have learned the rituals from a previous warrior path experience and can don their war mask without issue, and more importantly, “take them off”. Such individuals can kill as Guardians or Rangers.
Exarches But there are a rare select few, almost guaranteed every generation or so, who inevitably put on their war mask, and cannot take it off. Their warlike spirits are eternal, their minds purpose-bound to destroy, kill, and fight. Nothing but finding an opponent to at least spar with can curb their appeal. Their hateful spirits are usually rejected by the Infinity Circuit, (which allows the Eldar to mind-link with their Craftworld for communication and navigation). They even begin to passively and unknowingly approach individuals with violent intent, using the skills they learned from the path they have chosen. They are forbidden and banished from Eldar society, and the Exarches themselves know it and care not. While Eldar bodies are not eternal, Exarches in the firmest sense are. Their spirits are encased within specialized armor, housing the experiences, lives, and even mistakes that got them killed. They can relive and explore every memory with perfect synchronization. Whenever their body grows old, tired, broken in battle or can no longer keep up the rituals, they will leave the body behind, their shrine will fold shut, and their students given to other Exarches. Then the armor waits patiently, for what is an age to one eternal? A new body is as inevitable as changing seasons, a troubled warrior spirit who will put on the armor and the Exarch will live again. The original, first Exarch’s personality usually rules in name and spirit, but will intermingle and hold taste from the others, including the most recent. The minds, possibly a dozen, speak, argue, confirm, and communicate with the latest body. An Exarch with seven unwanted expended lives in battle will have seven memories of failures, and will dwell on how to best avoid such a fate again. They focus whole-heartedly on two things: personal perfection of their art of war, and training other Eldar students so that they do not become more Exarches. They are wise beyond thousands and thousands of years, and they do not even sleep! Such is their war spirit that they can only rest their body, and think only on these duties. It means that despite their eternal experiences, they are so single-mindedly focused they are not capable leaders beyond the squad they own and train. Exarches will only associate with their own students and also on occasion, other Exarches and the Autarchs (who are a form of past student, and rarely confided in). But for one with so many other voices, personalities, and perfect memories, who needs the solemn embrace of a lover, or the advice from a friend? For they only desire to mercilessly shed blood and destroy with their single, favored weapon set.
Common Eldar Equipment Weapons All Eldar weapons, be they for close combat or ranged warfare, have the same general attributes: elegant lightweight efficiency. They are constructed of Wraithbone, a psychically sensitive material that is grown, organic in its own way. Wraithbone elements form the core of all Eldar wargear; it is highly durable, flexible, and is crafted by skilled Bonesingers using psychic talent to shift, shape, and form Wraithbone into weapons, vehicles, and armor. The nature of it is that it readily receives Eldar psyche, telepathically linking them to it. In this manner, Eldar armor melds and twists with the body it encases, weapons are fired by mere thought, and combat weapons charged and harden at the willing bid of the user. Fused with spirit stones containing dead Eldar, their psyche can even be guided, creating a form of computing core accessible only by psychically tuned Eldar. But should any sort of psychic disruption occur (such as during the War of Seven Woes, when Demonic enemies were able to corrupt the psych-link between warriors and their weapons and armor), triggers and easily-accessed buttons can be utilized instead in the event the emergency calls for the need. The downfall to such an advantage, any race is capable of utilizing most Eldar weaponry, though the repair and construction to an alien race would be impossible.
Shuriken Weapons The most common of all Eldar weapons is of the shuriken type. Crafted in sizes from pistol form up to a support cannon, the principle behind the weapons are the same. A solid core of plasti-crystal material is shaved off by means of high-energy pulses sifting through the weapon from back to front. This produces a monomolecular edged shuriken (i.e. so sharp the edges are microscopically thin) that is then propelled at high singing speeds towards the enemy.
The result from the small arms versions is that limbs are severed, eye slits are shattered, small cords in armor are cut into, and even armored walls are penetrated from a hailstorm of hundreds of shurikens. Unlike clumsy projectile weapons using bullets like Orks or Humans, attacks are not single-clipped tumbling shots, but entire dust clouds of spinning razors. It is no wonder the weapon is named tuelean, in human tongue ‘storm of blades’. So it is that victims of shuriken fire are tattered, sloppy pieces of ribbon gore no longer holding together. Each spinning disc is shaped uniquely to the weapon by the skill of the Bonesinger, launched at up to 1,500 rounds per minute. Reloading and shooting is as easy as thinking, the realization for the need transmitted to the weapon which automatically ejects the empty ammunition core casing. Even a completely untrained, noncombatant Eldar ranger has reacted as swiftly as drawing the weapon and hitting his targets in a sudden burst of combat, killing his foes before he realized what was happening.
Shuriken Catapults are rather short-ranged weapons, utilized mostly by Guardians standing by a vital objective or area of ambush, collectively unleashing tens of thousands of shurikens upon an enemy at the rough range of a machine gun, though albeit with more precise guidance and control. They are also commonly used on Eldar Jetbikes and vehicles, duel-linked as a pair underneath the nose. Shuriken Pistols are slightly shorter in effective range, used for more pinpoint, close attack. Favorable as a sidearm for either last resort or moving into the assault for a point-blank encounter, it is no less deadly than the catapult, only disadvantaged in the much fewer shurikens capable of being produced from the smaller ammunition core. Shuriken Cannons are much larger versions of the weapon, with over double the range of the Catapult and greater ammunition core, while producing larger shurikens. They are found as common vehicular secondary weapons, on some Jetbikes, and mobile weapon platforms carried by Guardian Defenders. It is for all intents and purposes, an anti-personnel weapon of great efficiency. Though lacking in the range human-built comparable heavy machineguns might be capable of (such as the Heavy Bolter), it is notably far stronger, mowing infantry with greater efficiency. It also finds targeting scopes, ammunition belts, and loose cables and wires in enemy vehicles with greater ease thanks to the controlled rate of fire capable of disabling light vehicles.
Explosives Plasma grenades: The Eldar’s preferred grenade over the crude ‘frag’ grenades for infantry use. Though the explosive radius is not much greater, the blast is far stronger, capable of disabling almost any common vehicle and outright destroying the weakest ones when put into place in the right weak point. Used more often for assaults, the blast disorients and terrifies enemies, sending them leaping for cover when on the attack or defense. Melta Bombs: A circular hand-held device (rather than a hefty, headsized weighty thing used by the Imperium), this is the dedicated antitank grenade easily clipped to the waist.
Eldar Melta Bombs utilize a searing beam of heat to blast holes straight through vehicles, melting through the bodies of monstrous enemies, or as a means of creating entries into fortifications and buildings. Haywire Grenades: A highly sophisticated grenade more commonly found among Autarchs and Swooping Hawks, they utilize a focused and powerful electromagnetic pulse (EMP) to fry electronics, wiring, and disrupt any systems keeping the vehicle running.
Starshot Missile: A dedicated anti-tank missile similar in power to the krak missiles found in use of the Imperium or the Tau Seeker Missiles. Swarmstar Missile: A weapon that releases a series of smaller missiles to saturate an area of armor piercing hell. The multiple blasts are often enough to send squads diving for cover from the shaking number of explosions.
Lasers Eldar laser weapons use psychically grown crystals to refine their already intense bursts to their optimum potency. Most laser weapons of lighter caliber are geared for extremely intense rates of fire while heavier versions often fine-tip the laser to beam straight through virtually any armor.
Missile Launchers Eldar missile launchers are well-balanced weapon systems featuring a rotating pod often loaded with more than one missile type. Such missiles are thin and easily portable, rarely requiring a reload or external holding compartment for the duration of a battle. All are longranged weapons to beyond a mile, guided by sophisticated targeting matrixes of the shooter for better accuracy. Plasma Missile: Working on the same principles of the plasma grenades, this produces a small, shocking blast of plasma energy, ripping apart all but the best armored foes or the lucky ones in a sturdy tank. Flakk Missile: Quite simply an anti-aircraft seeker missile, losing the blast of the plasma missile for strong direct, penetrative power. Since the Eldar warhost is used to holding air power, this option is not very common, though useful against other, small flying targets.
Lasblaster: A common weapon found among Eldar pirate raiders and the Swooping Hawks, it is a precision weapon that, like all laser weapons, has no recoil. This allows a greater rate of fire above even that of Shuriken weapons and the focusing crystals allow it to exceed the strength of common Lasgun firing settings found in Imperial use. Scatter Laser: A common heavy form of the Lasblaster, the Scatter Laser is capable of even heavier rates of fire. Expending the beam’s penetrative power (unlike the Bright Lance) for blinding, forceful shots, the lasers emitted allow other weapons to follow suit, using the constant shimmering as a targeting laser. Each shot is still capable of easily searing a human being and disabling light vehicles. Bright Lance: The infamously most powerful Eldar anti-tank weapon, this is not unlike the Imperial’s mighty Lascannons. However, trading extreme artillery range for a conservative sniper’s distance, the Bright Lance uses the power of light itself to eat through the most durable, physical armor. The result is a tight, arm-sized beam mocking of the thickness of material used on the most durable vehicles or bunkers. Only energy shields or mystical powers capable of reflecting such a potent laser weapon are going to protect anyone against this shot.
Pulse Laser: A heavy-hitting laser cannon utilized only on the most formidable vehicles such as heavy aircraft and the Falcon anti-grav tank. The pinnacle laser weapon, with a good rate of semiautomatic fire combined with incredible range well beyond a mile, only the heaviest tanks and mightiest fortifications can withstand its power.
Monofilament Weapons A sickly, twisted weapon system that covers an area with entangling razor wire that constricts and severs as it gently coats over the targets. Using monofilament wire to weave a light mesh, it is almost impossible to escape and even tanks have no guarantee coming out unscathed. As the netting floats over lightly armored foes, they often fit and struggle, churning their own bodies into chucky, bloody pulps, convulsing themselves into stringy meat in mere seconds. Death Spinner: The short-ranged weapon used by Warp Spiders and those Autarchs that might prefer it. This is the lightest of the monofilament weapons, a hand-held rifle version and also the weakest. Squads of Warp Spiders often work together to create large area-effect attacks targeting mobs of weak infantry. Shadow Weaver: An extremely long-ranged artillery version that creates a slightly stronger-bound, constricting weave of monofilament wire over two miles’ distance. Those trying to hide behind from such terrifying death out of sight will find no mercy as the death rains from above. Doomweaver: One of the most powerful versions of monofilament weaponry, the Doomweaver can shoot in accordance to a Shadow Weaver, covering a wide area to coat a whole squad of enemies. Or alternatively at close range it can unleash an indiscriminate explosion of wiring, flaying and cutting enemies from the face to the back while netting them together in the attack. The fitful struggles of one target help pin that of a nearby comrade while slicing limbs, heads, and weak points in armor.
Harlequin’s Kiss: A rather dickish close combat weapon that penetrates a finger-sized hole in the target—before unleashing a tight, unraveling coil of monofilament wire inside the opponent acting like a high-powered food processor. The result is that any thick durable armor is a husk for entrails, blood, and organs spun into pasty soup.
Distortion Weapons One of the most powerful and unique weapons systems of the Eldar can be found in their D-weapons, or distortion weapons. These utilize the utmost complicated forms of targeting and are extremely dangerous to use for most wielders to the point of near impossibility without going mad or upsetting life systems. Fairly short-ranged, they open a small, temporary rift into the Immaterial Warp. Targets not disappearing whole by means of violent teleportation are ripped and shredded by conflicting forces. Even small, glancing blows by a monster’s head might see chunks of its brains suddenly gone, felling the whole beast. Or a tank with stored explosives might find the area unstable, causing it to explode. And such destruction is very common. Wraithcannon: A heavy hand-held weapon utilized by the Wraithguard, it is impossible for mortals to use. The dangers from the fickle energies however, are of no concern or irritant to the Wraithguard that use them. One Wraithguard is more than a match for any sizable tank rumbling proudly towards it—a whole squad or “wraith wall” formation will weather all but the strongest anti-tank weapons and in turn destroy almost everything and anything. Only its short range to barely submachine gun distance keeps the weapon in check. D-cannon: At the range of a rifle, this artillery weapon protects the users by special energy fields that would otherwise twist their sanity. Sitting on an anti-grav platform or mounted on a specialized vehicle, the D-cannon erupts a whole area into a warped, churning hell. Heavy Wraithcannon: An elongated heavy sniper version of the Wraithcannon (Distortion weapon), this focusing on a small, fist-sized point on a particular target at great range.
Starcannons A plasma weapon of frightening proportions, this weapon proves the power of Eldar technology above the lesser races. While the Imperium would vamp up the power to risk a meltdown (and death on the user), the Eldar have complicated means to keep their comparable cannon from suffering the same. It actually maintains the destructive force of the plasma core in psychic-based energy allowing it to remain cool to the touch and fire semi-rapidly. At a sniper’s distance, it is the bane of light tanks and heavy infantry.
Close Combat Weapons Power Weapons: A common technology found in the arsenal of most of the prevalent races in the galaxy. While powered down, the weapon becomes an ordinary weapon of its own type, be it a mace, maul, halberd, or the most common being in the form of a sword (and nearly all Eldar power weapons are swords). Once turned on, the weapon’s area of contact (such as the blade on a sword) is surrounded in an energy field that more than triples destructive power. For a sword, the weapon will ignore nearly all forms of physical armor except in the most concentrated, thickest conditions (such as adamantium or the thick armor of a tank). There are some variants of power weapons, the most exotic and fine crafted, that are so powerful that not even the most durable and thickest of known armor is going to stop the blade’s passing. Other times such as in the case of the Scorpion’s Claw, the added amount of strength creates a vice-pincer grip that will allow the user to simply snap apart what cannot be crushed. Scorpion Chainsword: A weapon that utilizes a chained blade that whirls to life at the mind-linked beckoning of the user. It’s size and monomolecular edge greatly increases damage capability over that of a blade in equal length, lopping off even an Ork Nob’s arm at the elbow with a single, graceful slash. It is also able to chop straight into the thickest of its skull and burrow deep into the brain without effort.
Laser Lance: Primarily a weapon utilized by the Shining Spear Aspect Warriors, it is both a combat and short-ranged weapon. It emits a high-intensity blast equal to a starcannon’s power, capable of beaming a hole straight through even a Space Marine. The searing energy will continue to do harm with a follow-up impact with the weapon into a selected enemy. Witchblades: Witchblades are arcane, graceful weapons used by Eldar psykers. They are held in power through spirit stones, giving the weapon a sense of mind and an actual willed purpose to spill blood. When violent action is wished or required by the psychic user, the Eldar wielding it will find the blade snapped into their hands. They do not even need to draw the weapon from the sheath as it will draw itself and appear in their hand, ready to be grasped, literally forming a union between blade and user. In function, the weapon utilizes the willpower of the user, channeling their psychic potential into the wound inflicted, amplifying their strength. In the right circumstances and focus, the amount of durability or life force will be for naught, as even tanks and hulking monsters many times the size of an Eldar will be vulnerable to wounding. Through practice, the rune blades can harness and store psychic energy of the user created from their raw willpower, and unleash it in an otherworldly, fiery blast. The blade can also be coated with this energy much like a power weapon, shredding across metal with molten cracks wherever it touches. Singing Spear: Another psychic weapon identical to that of the Witchblade, this instead can be thrown and telekinetically linked back to the user. Working like a javelin, the user can throw it; retrieve it as it sings back to their hand. Ghost Weapon: A weapon that contains a vengeful, angered Eldar spirit guides the user’s attacks into the weak points and flows around the weapon of the enemy. Coming in various forms from an axe, glaive, or a sword, Ghost weapons almost completely ignore physical armor, hacking and cleaving and destroying the essence of the target.
armor Mesh Armor: The armor used by all Guardian forces is a weaving of tens of thousands of individual pieces of thermoplas, more akin to scaly skin in texture rather than a bulky set of fitted plates as seen in other armies of the galaxy. When struck by blunt force by bullet or combat weapon, it hardens in the area of impact to prevent damage, and the material absorbs and disperses the heat to most common, light laser or heat-based weapons. While not exceptionally heavy or superdurable, it wholly encloses the wearer and does not restrict the user in any way. This allows the Eldar to bend, twist, and flip in combat, using his physique to a sleek advantage. Aspect Armor: Aspect armor used by most Eldar warriors is similar in design to an exoskeleton. It is formed of thin, reactive plates of psychosensetive Wraithbone, detecting the movements of the wearer and rearranging to fit the body like a glove. Heavy Aspect Armor: This uses extra layers of plating that somewhat restricts the user’s overall mobility (but not the speed), and while still seemingly lightweight the extra plating is heavier. But each warrior is trained to move with it and keep their keen sense of physical ability. It will ward off or absorb all but the most powerful or concentrated blows from anti-personnel weaponry. It is considered one of the best forms of armor known in the galaxy. Rune Armor: Rune Armor incorporates a Wraithbone breastplate that by itself provides very light physical protection. But its power comes from giving off an encompassing psychic energy of will and might around the wearer that creates an unbreakable force field. This field of psychic energy protects from psychic harm and even mental attacks. It essentially activates when danger is perceived; a boulder that should have surely crushed the wearer simply lands next to them for no explained or foreseeable reason; blades that should slice through their head miss or are deflected by mystical energies. Bullets seem to just wiz and zip by them as if the attacker is a poor shot.
Wraithbone: A unique, interesting material that is crafted, borne and grown of psychic willpower, shaped and crafted with by Bonesingers. In different forms it makes up the construction of almost all solid material used by Eldar, from armor, to weapons, tanks to warships. Indeed, an entire Craftworld is entirely made up of Wraithbone! Naturally already acting like psychic conduits, the armor provides its own nervous system for craft and Wraithbone constructs like Wraithguard and Wraithlords. This means there are no internal weak structures or hollow points to exploit. With barely 15mm thickness on a grav-tank like a Falcon, it can retain the full durability of an Imperial tank. On a Wraithguard warrior, the whole thickness of the body is solid Wraithbone, and it is not hard to imagine why Wraithlords are so monstrously durable.
Reconnaissance To many enemy commanders that would be aware, it would be shock and despair to know that the Eldar employ one of the best-known forms of reconnaissance: prophecy. The Eldar Farseers in the grand scheme of strategy and victory utilize divination of the most probable—and often planned—events to come. Using small handfuls of runes, they cast them into the air, allowing them to float and orbit the caster until their meanings formalize a coherent bonding. This is most often used to stem the Craftworlds away from total destruction, determining the best course of action to avoid the fate. The skill and wisdom of the Farseer is dependent upon interpreting the meanings brought to them, and Eldrad Ulthran has not been wrong on his most dire of discoveries. On a battlefield application, Farseers can predict enemy plans, troop movements, and ambushes before they happen. A nightmare for the greatest tactical geniuses and best-laid plans, Eldar can perceive the intentions of enemy formations, and uncover layers of plots, traps, and plans. Or at least the actions taken to best achieve victory or avoid defeat. Indeed, Eldar Farseers may advise shooting at empty ruins just before the enemy teleports into place, blow up bridges hours before they would be used for advantageous positions, or altering the landscape to prevent usage of natural resources to reinforcements not due for several days. The flexibility and application of this precognition is, as one can see, quite enormous. So while even the most novice of Eldar on the Path of Command as an Autarch may only have hundreds of years of experience with multiple warrior aspects and study of victory, with an esteemed Eldar psychic Farseer, he will be able to plan the perfect counter-attacks. However and ironically, absurd, abrupt, unplanned, and random events can trick this system (notably Orks) as most improbable events are overlooked. Such as it is that most of the races the Eldar have encountered over tens of thousands of years have grown to be—rather predictable.
Rangers Despite the advantages of foresight, the Eldar are quite aware their power of precognition is not perfect, and not steeped in as much detail any commander might prefer. Therefore scouts are sent into the field to assess, even test, the strength of the enemy. Once the Eldar have known figures and positions of the enemy, they can better summon the runes to predict their destruction and avoid their plans to victory. To this end the Eldar naturally have the watchful eyes of the Rangers. These make up Eldar outcasts who have turned away from the Path, willingly exiling themselves from Craftworld society. Such rogue elements explore the galaxy to taste the pleasures denied to them by the Craftworlds, and their adventures often lead to uncovering common enemies. They feel it is their duty (with the added benefit of daring motion) to help protect Eldar interests by informing the Craftworld of the events and whereabouts of enemy forces. It is true that not all Outcasts will feel the desire to endanger themselves, but the prospect of dabbling in violence and dangerous adventure is quite appealing, and so they would become Rangers. Bands of Rangers are strung from multiple Craftworlds and walks of life, composed of any number of outcasts who willingly take up the
cloak and the rifle to engage in dangerous scouting or adventure. Uniquely, groups of Rangers seek out the suggestions of the most gifted and experienced of their number, and do not take orders from anyone. Even new and inexperienced members can have a word in suggesting alternate plans, voted upon by the group or they can move on their own or in pairs. Survivability is the only rule where working together produces the greatest chance of success. Weapon Type: Laser / Poisonous Dart Armor Type: Psych-organic mesh Mobility: 5 Training: 4 Max Range: 1,000+ meters Preferred Range: 800+ meters Classification: Scouts/Snipers LOADOUT Shuriken Pistol, Short Sword Ranger Long Rifles: A complex laser weapon that propels a small, poisonous dart at extreme speeds, holding enough poisons to kill a human with a non-lethal strike within seconds, numbing whole limbs where death is not immediately the case. The range on these weapons is so great it often exceeds a kilometer’s range even for the newexperienced marksmen. DEFENSE: Mesh Armor Chameleoline Cloak: The cloaks worn by Eldar Rangers paint the wearers in shimmering imitations of their surroundings that by standing still they can become virtually invisible with only a slight amount of cover. From the distance of their rifles, they are completely invisible to the naked eye. This is as they prefer in stark contrast to more noble Aspect Warriors, hiding in the shadows and picking off targets where they are difficult, or impossible, to be struck back.
Windrider Jetbike Squads Weapon Type: Shuriken Armor Type: Psych-organic mesh Mobility: 9 Training: 4 Max Range: 500+ meters Preferred Range: 500~ meters Classification: Light Cavalry Scouts Combatants: 3-10 per squad LOADOUT Dual-Shuriken Catapults, occasionally a Shuriken Cannon DEFENSE Mesh Armor, Wraithbone Craftworld Jetbike riders are prized for their speed, years of intense riding skills, and daring feats of maneuverability. They are found in the skies harassing enemy troops below or intercepting flying attackers in aerial battles. Most commonly they are used in scouting ahead of a main force, ensuring that the information picked up by the Rangers and the foresights of the Farseers are as true as predicted. Circling the enemy from a great distance like a pack of wolves, the favored tactic is to strike hard at battle formations from the rear or extreme flanks, using their anti-gravitic technology and gut-wrenching skill to burst from between buildings, trees, or lying close to hills. They dive at the enemy, engaging troops unawares from behind before escaping as quickly as they came to swing around and attack again. Despite their extreme speeds, Eldar jetbike pilots are famed at using their twin shuriken catapults with deadly precision, searing and tearing targets apart with the shuriken blades emitted from their weapons.
The Wild Rider kindreds of Saim-Han are the most daring and vicious, grouped together by blood relatives. Considered almost barbaric compared to other Craftworlds, the Saim-Han riders will go to battle in jetbikes by the thousands, traveling alongside swept-wing Falcons and Wave Serpents carrying the bulk of Aspect Warriors with the bursting cannons from aircraft and Fire Prisms.
infantry
Guardians
Weapon Type: Shuriken Armor Type: Psych-organic mesh Mobility: 5 Training: 5 Max Range: 300~ meters Preferred Range: 300~ meters / Away from thick combat Classification: Conscripted Warriors Combatants: 10-20 per squad As the Eldar are a dying race, it often becomes necessary that a host of the Craftworld be summoned for war. Every Eldar is trained in martial combat so they can assist the warhost in supporting roles when the aspect warriors are using more specialized skills elsewhere in battle. To that end, the Guardian Defenders are similar to a militia or conscript force. But compared to Humans of the Imperium, Guardians have heightened senses, slim, toned bodies, and keen eyes for marksmanship. In most cases, they are sent to hold key objectives and locations, tearing apart any who dare come near, hence the name Defender. This frees up other Eldar infantry to focus upon routing and destroying the enemy. Guardians in their midst, perhaps with previous warrior shrine experience, can be entrusted to utilize rarer special weapons or operate heavy weapons mounted on small anti-grav skiffs. Together, they can perform a variety of forms of destruction, their light armour giving them ease of movement and agility. But most often they use shuriken catapults to lay down a devastating rainstorm of searing blades to ward off the enemy from their objective. They are in practice told to avoid the thickest combat whenever possible as their weapons and equipment is usually inadequate for heavy engagements. In rare cases Guardians are grouped together in Storm Guardian units, drawing swords and pistols and devastating enemies in dedicated combat. They leave behind the heavy weapon platforms for one or two special weapons to amplify their devastating attacks, and some will carry power weapons to increase their damage on more durable foes.
LOADOUT: Plasma Grenades, Shuriken Catapults Plasma Grenades, Swords and Shuriken Pistols (Storm Guardians) 1 Weapon Platform Anti-grav Skiff with: Shuriken Cannon, Scatter Laser, Missile Launcher, Star Cannon, or Bright Lance. [Occasional] 1-2 Special Weapons either: Flamer, Fusion Gun [Storm Guardians] Occasionally, some Storm Guardians will have Power Swords DEFENSE: Eldar Mesh Armor
Dire avengers The most flexible of all Aspect Warriors and by a long way the most common, Dire Avengers form the heart of almost all Craftworld military forces and it is rare to find a warhost without them. Of all the Aspect Warriors, the Dire Avengers are the oldest and most common. Indeed, it is rare to find a warhost without them and many Eldar commanders think They are known to multiple skills in battle; bold and strong on the attack, and equally prevalent on the defense. Dire Avengers form the standard for other Aspect Warriors to follow, conducting battle with the greatest grace and awe. They are armed with Avenger Shuriken Catapults that grant greater range and extra targeting matrixes that assure better accuracy. A weapon excellent for offense or defense, laying down a hailstorm before receiving or making an attack to swiftly deal a blow against dazed survivors. While most attacks with the Avenger Shuriken Catapult is conducted in short bursts of highly accurate attacks, there is a technique called Bladestorm in which the Dire Avengers drown their enemies in ranging storm cloud of shurikens. While the weapon shoots about 1,500 rpm, this technique allows the squad to completely drain their entire magazine in four seconds.
Weapon Type: Shuriken Armor Type: Psych-organic mesh Mobility: 5 Training: 5 Max Range: 450~ meters Preferred Range: 350~ meters Classification: Primary Infantry Combatants: 5-10 per squad
LOADOUT Avenger Shuriken Catapults: These weapons are the mainstay utility of death among the Dire Avengers. Don’t let the similar sleek look to Shuriken Catapults fool you, for these are capable of higher rates of fire, and with shoulder-mounted targeting systems (again linked to the user’s mind) allows for greater accuracy and range. While most attacks with the Avenger Shuriken Catapult is conducted in short bursts of highly accurate attacks, there is a technique called Bladestorm With this attack, the Dire Avengers drown their enemies in ranging storm cloud of shurikens. While the weapon shoots about 1,500 rpm, this technique allows the squad to completely drain their entire magazine in four seconds! In addition, a selective fire allows these Catapults to drain the entire magazine in four seconds! This is a technique of destruction employed by some Dire Avenger Exarches called “Bladestorm” to overwhelm certain enemies of either overlapping durability or heavy weight of numbers. Plasma Grenades. Using plasma grenades, Dire Avengers retain their flexibility as they can hamper tanks, finish off monsters that withstand their Shuriken weaponry, or force a stubborn opponent from cover. DEFENSE Aspect Armor, Heavy Aspect Armor (Exarch).
ADDITIONAL FACTORS Exarches of Dire Avengers usually seem to focus on dueling and enclosed combat, though they have the ability to apply their skills on a broader plain. Some will train their squads to focus on united firepower to waste enemy troops; others employ rapid counter-attack tactics, overreacting to an enemy charge to meet them in a noble confrontation face-to-face. Exarches can be seen carrying any variable number of specialized weapons, from pistol-power sword combos, dual-wielding a wrist-mounted version of the Avenger Catapult, Diresword, or Shimmershield.
Diresword: A weapon that contains the spirit of an angered soul that, upon damaging the target, is capable of attacking the mind of the target, thereby separating the life force from the body. Shimmershield: A sleeve-mounted shield generator that projects a light, protective energy shield around the user and his followers.
howling Banshees Howling Banshees, graceful as they may be, actually fight with wild ambition and flailing attacks. For them, there is a screaming dread within that is most often experienced by females. Weapon Type: Energy / Shuriken Armor Type: Psych-organic mesh Mobility: 5 Training: 5 Max Range: 200~ meters Preferred Range: 0 meters Classification: Shock Troops Combatants: 5-10 per squad LOADOUT: Power Weapon, Shuriken Pistol Banshee Mask: A helmet that amplifies the battle cry of the Eldar warrior into a focused energy, terrorizing the foe with psycho-sonic screams. For most, it induces temporary paralysis to those enemies around them, but it only lasts long enough for the Banshees to fulfill their first strikes. The Howling Banshee is a terrifying foe to face. She foregoes attacking enemies at range for close combat, utilizing her skills in speed and acrobatic war dance. She is equipped with an elegant power sword that will slip through all the most durable heavy-plated armor, severing limbs and heads with ease. In a combat, they specialize as forward-going shock troops, seeking out heavy infantry and slaughtering them to prevent their durability from slowing the warhost. If this wasn‘t enough, she harnesses the dreaded Banshee Mask, which releases psycho-sonic amplified screams. The shrieking horror is like a mind-piercing, high-pitched wail that cannot physically blocked out. It is a horrifying, sudden distraction that takes almost all foes in the known universe by surprise. In this distraction, the Banshee uses her graceful and swift movements to easily slice off limbs and heads with her wicked power blade.
DEFENSE Aspect Armor, Heavy Aspect Armor (Exarch). ADDITIONAL FACTORS Most Exarches of Howling Banshees specifically train their warriors in extreme agility in reaching the foe quickly and avoiding their defensive firepower for they are lightly armored, bold warriors. It can be envisioned as high-energy free running, obstacles in their path meaning little for their speed. Additionally, some Exarches carry a more potent scream, inducing horrific paralysis as she charges. Exarches can also be armed with exotic weapons like the human-sized shuriken Triskele, a throwing weapon slicing through multiple foes as it sings past, or the power-enhanced double-bladed Executioner. Both use the same energy-field technology common to all power weapons.
Striking Scorpions
Striking Scorpions are the warriors who idolize stalking the prey, keeping watch for the moment to strike. They wear heavier armor plating than some of the other aspects, which makes mobility more strenuous. They train relentlessly to stick close to the shadows, stalking in near total silence even to a keen Eldar ear. But their attacks come from rage that must be unleashed— potent, ferocious, relentless, and blinding. When they hit, you can be sure that their Biting Blade chainswords and stinging flash from their Mandiblasters will be the poisonous the enemy may never see coming. Unlike the Howling Banshees, the Striking Scorpions are a little more flexible, focusing on either very small groups of enemies to take an entire enemy army by surprise, or churning large mobs of weak, slower foes in whipped blood. They can do this thanks to their heavy armor and the spinning, circular patterns they employ with their chainswords. Able to take the brunt of many attacks, Striking Scorpions will strike suddenly, unleash a terrifying number of attacks, and then in turn be capable of taking anything short of very heavy anti-personnel weaponry. LOADOUT: Chainsword, Shuriken Pistol, Plasma Grenades Mandiblasters: Mounted on the side of their helmets the Striking Scorpions have long, thumb-sized tubes appearing as a pair of mandibles. These are in fact one of their primary weapon systems, spraying forth a psychic electrical charge linked to highly conductive metallic beads chained together on monofilament wire. Activated by thought at the sight of a foe roughly a meter out, they will send a shock to the foe, shorting out technological systems while frying their bodies. It is potent enough to temporarily disable a fully armored Space Marine. Such is the skill of the Striking Scorpion that they can take a split second to target an enemy before using their lighting force of multiple, whirling strikes to hit multiple foes. Like the Banshee Masks their sisters wear however, they are only useful in the initial attack. DEFENSE: Heavy Aspect Armor
Weapon Type: Combat/Shuriken Armor Type: Psych-organic mesh Mobility: 5 Training: 5 Max Range: 450~ meters Preferred Range: 0~ meters Classification: Infiltrators, Shock Troops Combatants: 5-10 per squad
ADDITIONAL FACTORS In addition to stealth and infiltration, Exarches tend to prefer specialization against hard targets. It is not very common in Aspect Shrines (somewhat notable example in the Dire Avenger example), but here it is a strong emphasis. While most Striking Scorpions are ill-equipped to fight a hulking, sixteen-foot monster like a Tyranid Carnifex, or a champion veteran of the Space Marines, the thousand-year experienced Exarches are. They use their experiences to wield the Scorpion’s Bite, a power-field gauntlet that can crack open a Tau Battlesuit like a can opener. Chainsabres, a pair of gauntlets with additional strength-enhanced thrusting potential, before churning the insides of the target. The Biting Blade is a larger, two-handed chainsword of that will churn toughened, physical armor to whipped butter before slicing into flesh and bone.
Dark reapers steady pace; shooting their weapons with the strength-enhanced armor they don for battle, aiming their cannons this way and that, hitting enemies almost as soon as they see them. Weapon Type: Missile Armor Type: Psych-organic mesh Mobility: 4 Training: 5 Max Range: 1,000+ meters Preferred Range: 1,000+ meters Classification: Anti-personnel Artillery Combatants: 3-10 per squad
Of all the aspect warriors, none are as repulsive or menacing as the Dark Reapers. Wearing dreadful skull masks, they go into battle determined to bring death from afar. They target large and heavy armoured troops to bring down their pride. It is a foolish commander to believe that his men can be safe from these warriors by simply adding armour plates. Not for grace or speed, the Dark Reapers wear plated aspect armour, giving them the ability to withstand the blows from heavier weapons. In this way, they are excellent counters to enemy heavy weapon teams. Dark Reapers are notorious marksmen, spending a great deal of time in their shrines hitting targets at great distances and through treacherous and thick terrain. This is made possible by the link in their psyche to any weapon in their armory. Wherever they point their weapon, their mind follows, like an invisible laser shooting across the battlefield. This mind-link allows the Dark Reapers the added ability to walk at a
LOADOUT Reaper Missile Launcher: A handheld version of the Eldar Missile Launcher, chambering Swarmstar Missiles intended to hammer heavy infantry and monsters alike. The multiple blasts are also capable of pinning and thinning massed infantry; it is not a particularly effective weapon against armored vehicles though. DEFENSE: Heavy Aspect Armor ADDITIONAL FACTORS All Exarches focus exclusively on the long-ranged shot. They can be equipped and dedicated to have a keen eye in the dark, possessing a type of night vision while directing their own squad to targets. They can also be capable of reacting instantly to movement in cover while finding weak points in them, such as an arm-sized hole in a wall where he can direct one of his missiles. He can also be trained to shoot very rapidly, chambering and hitting a target in rapid succession. The Exarch is also occasionally seen armed with weapons for alternative specialties: he can teach his squad anti-tank tactics with Starshot Missiles or he himself carry a Shuriken Cannon to mow down infantry.
Fire Dragons For raw, complete, total annihilating destruction, the Fire Dragons are the most powerful and plentiful infantry Aspect Warrior type for the job. Fire Dragons won’t even leave charred remains or ash in their wake as they bathe the battlefield in flashes of pulsing light from their fusion guns. Such fearsome weaponry blasts the enemy with the heat of the sun, incinerating all in their path. They are also armed with discshaped melta bombs for creating powerful explosions that melt down heavily armored targets like fortifications and tanks. Only the mystically protected or hardest energy shielding can withstand the goal of the Fire Dragons: complete annihilation. Thus, primary targets of the Fire Dragons are the most protected of the enemy, creating gaps for the rest of the warhost to exploit. They are also the primary Aspect in use of attacking fortifications, focusing their fusion weaponry on a single point so as to completely melt holes for the Eldar forces to move into and attack. Tanks can be instantly remolded on contact with the fusion gun blasts as plastic to an inferno, and hardened infantry are warped to smoking vapor. Since the Fire Dragons are always up against the most durable (and potentially dangerous) foes to a warhost, they must train relentlessly to curb their fears and harden their minds against the inhospitable and horrifying. Thus each trains relentlessly with hazardous rituals and trials allowing them to examine their targets, be they monsters or vehicles, pinpoint a weak spot, and shoot without hesitancy in a split second. They know how best to collapse any structure, and learn the schematics of all vehicles of their potential foes. When timing is crucial, the Fire Dragons in smaller unit sizes will mount in Falcon grav-tanks, deploying at the precise moment in an ambush or assault to hit the enemy hard when least expected.
= LOADOUT = Melta bombs Fusion Guns: The ritualistic weapons of the Fire Dragons are Fusion Guns; mass-produced weapons that are of a more graceful kind though still comparable to their Imperial Meltagun counterparts. The weapon utilizes a highly pressurized, exotic gas used in force to create a submolecular thermal blast that super heats the molecules of the target. Objects touched by the searing beam vibrate so rapidly they heat up into nothingness. Human-sized targets even in heavy armor will nearly evaporate on the spot. Space Marines are melted apart, tanks reshape into molten slag at points of contact, towering monsters find instant holes through their bodies and energy shields buckle and fight to remain active. At ranges beyond a common rifle’s distant, the intense stream of heat dissipates to little use, making it a short-ranged weapon but in less than a few hundred meters it is very devastating. While Fusion weapons do not retain the same rate of fire, range, or blast capable of hand-held plasma weapons, they are far more potent and capable of near semi-automatic fire.
= DEFENSE = Aspect Armor, Heavy Aspect Armor (Exarch). Face it, no other unit in the tournament will be this badass. Weapon Type: Fusion Armor Type: Psych-organic mesh Mobility: 5 Training: 5 Max Range: Assault Rifle Preferred Range: Assault Rifle Classification: Anti-personnel Troops, Tank Hunter Specialists Combatants: 5-10 per squad
ADDITIONAL FACTORS Exarches of the Fire Dragons are ruthlessly efficient and can focus on doubling up on the squad’s destructive capability or take measures to ensure the squad is not hindered in their mission. Some develop personally enhanced strength to forcefully jam their melta bombs in weak points on a tank (or monstrosity!). They can instill greater resilience in mind about their particular enemies. Or like Dark Reapers, they can focus exclusively on the perfect shot (or double shot). They can sometimes be found armed with a heavy flamer call the Dragon’s Breath designed to casually help clear weaker foes from a specific target, such as garrison-duty troops from protecting a defense position or tank, or the Firepike, a medium-ranged version of the fusion gun.
Elites
Pathfinders While some Rangers eventually wear out their exhilarating and rebellious lifestyle and return to the Craftworld, others become permanent drifters among the stars. When they reach the point of no return, they become Pathfinders. Pathfinders have double the skills of a Ranger, living much of their lives off of pure wit and skill. They have mastered the art of infiltration to the highest degree possible any Eldar could obtain. They have traveled from one side of the galaxy to the other, and speak many languages. Sometimes Craftworlds will ask their help on missions of recovery of spirit stones, stranded Eldar, or to bend the future with their skills in infiltration. They have accumulated gear and skills over centuries. They are highly cunning, and are best known for evasively and daringly tampering with enemy militaries. They can fool an enemy encampment into thinking the Eldar warhost is attacking early, sabotage communications, kidnap individuals, or assassinate whole squads while they sleep. Covering their already excellent camouflaged Chameoline Cloaks with natural blends of their surroundings, they become almost invisible and impossible to hit. Their sharpshooting skills exceed that of regular Rangers, and having spied on enemy vehicles and armor up close, they know exactly where to aim their rifles to disable or silently kill them. These individuals have such a wealth of knowledge and experience they have traveled the path for centuries. Weapon Type: Laser / Poisonous Dart Armor Type: Psych-organic mesh Mobility: 5 Training: 7 Max Range: 1,000+ meters Preferred Range: 800+ meters Classification: Saboteurs/Scouts/Snipers
LOADOUT: Short Sword, Shuriken Pistol, Ranger Long Rifle DEFENSE: Eldar Mesh Armor, Chameleon Cloak. = ADDITIONAL FACTORS = Being so independent, Pathfinders have additional skills that allow them to scavenge and live off their natural surroundings. They can recognize and study all manner of wild and plant life, and use these to their advantages. They are almost akin to dedicated “Exarches” of the chosen Path of the Outcast. Though rare compared to Rangers, they can group together in order to coordinate other Rangers to sabotage the enemy. This usually includes the pinning of whole platoons of infantry with their marksmanship, delaying reinforcements with use of explosives or confusing traps, and even led them to be dumped far off intended course. In the most extreme cases, a unit called into battle or sent as reinforcements will fall under sudden and total attack, find their munitions and supplies missing, or their vehicles disabled. In the event the patrols of the enemy can be avoided well enough, they can even capture individuals or assassinate whole squads of the enemy before they can influence a future battle.
Warlocks While the Eldar use their psychic abilities for many purposes, Warlocks are those on the Seer Path who use theirs for war. They typically focus or specialize on a single type of power and utilize it to enhance the destructive power already available in an Eldar warhost. Viewed more as a warrior path, the helmets of Warlocks are locked away in the warrior shrines. In times of war, the Warlocks accept their helmets as any other warrior aspect would accept their weapons in a warrior‘s ritual. They can also often serve a Farseer as part of a Seer Council. In this role, they are capable of combining their powers and helping the Farseer focus, extending his sphere of influence. Whether it be predicting enemy movements, citing their doom, or entering a mental war with a distant figure, Warlocks can be counted on to keep the Farseer safe physically and psychically. A single Warlock is a potent foe, capable of harnessing his subtle psychic energies in a witchblade which can be released in a target, melting the insides. Some of these come in the form of a spear, which can be thrown and psychically brought back by thought. Warlocks usually accompany various units within the warhost, either on foot or jetbike, directing the flow of battle and typically leading squads of Guardians. They use their powers in order to help boost the fighting effectiveness of their kin, or weaken that of the enemy.
Weapon Type: Psychic Ability Armor Type: Psychic Warding Mobility: 5 Training: 5 Max Range: 700+ meters Preferred Range: 700+ meters Classification: Tactical Support Warrior Combatants: 3-10 per squad; 1 per Guardian unit LOADOUT: Witchblade or Singing Spear, Shuriken Pistol = SPECIAL = The primary purpose of the Warlocks on a battlefield is to tactically aid the Eldar using their most potent weapons: their minds. Each discipline of power they learn is typically adapted from a single power with a variable application. These applications are typically seen in an offensive and defensive, augmentation or hex. Conceal/Reveal: Focusing their psychic energies towards illusion and detection, the Warlock wraps a psychic mist that clouds the minds of the enemy. It can also control the very shadows around him, rearranging the view of his area or uplifting the hiding places of a targeted enemy from a short distance. Embolden/Horrify: Calling upon the splendor of battle, the caster can fill his friends with the visions of victorious heroes of old in their great victories, inspiring them to near fearlessness. Alternatively, he can sap the courage from his selected nearby enemies. Destructor/Renewal: With this power the Warlock is capable of manifesting a portion of his psychic energy in raw energy for body manipulation. It can be used to instantly heal a single companion, or be unleashed a terrific, electrifying blast at the enemy, engulfing half a dozen of their number undoing the bond of their bodies.
Protect/Jinx: The Warlock is able to twist and bind fate of those nearby to increase survivability or potential, physical danger. The effect is roughly analogous to increased durability for a short time. Against enemies, their armor is reduced in overall effectiveness. Those completely unarmored will not have much effect. Quicken/Restrain: Briefly controlling time around him, the Warlock can quicken the step and pace of himself and his squad, or reduce it for his enemies so they appear in moderate slow motion. As many other powers for the extreme top limits, for those that are already moving at a blur (i.e. on a speeding jetbike or a hulking, slow-moving machine), the effect is probably not very noticeable. Empower/Enervate: A power that physically increases the overall strength of himself and allies. When comrades strike, their physical strength is beyond normal, unnaturally hammering and breaking in armor. Alternatively he can weaken the physical capabilities of nearby enemies, reducing a man to all the strength of a child or a super soldier to mere mortal status. However the percentage of increase/decrease matters less if the creature in question is of such immense strength the decrease wouldn’t take as great an effect. (Reducing the strength of a monster’s punch by 15% might only upgrade your status from paste to crumpled mess!)
Enhance/Drain: Summoning power from the Eldar god of war Khaine, the psyker empowers his fellow warriors with lightning speed and skill, or strip it away from the Warlock’s enemies. The reflexes and combative skills, if not already formidable enough, drastically increase, turning mere Eldar warriors into squads of Exarches in comparable skill. Redirecting the energy against his foes, the enemy can lose their combat skills and reflexes, striking clumsily and off balance and never at their peak ability. However if the foe is already akin to those traits, the effects probably won’t be noticeable, the same for extremely heroic combat skills beyond most comprehension.
Augment: An uncommon power that is seen within Eldar Farseer councils, chosen Warlocks become psychic beacons to channel power to improve the range of effects. Thus so, a Farseer can commit a Mind War against an enemy beyond normal range or grant Fortune to an ally nearly a kilometer’s distance.
DEFENSE: Rune Armor
Farseers Weapon Type: Psychic Ability Armor Type: Psychic Warding Mobility: 4 Training: 8+ Max Range: 1+ Kilometer Preferred Range: 500+ meters Classification: Combatants: Several dozen total Farseers are extremely powerful psykers, whose greatest power lies in the prediction—and manipulation—of the future. They can walk through a hailstorm of gunfire and explosions and not even tatter their elegant robes. They can point their finger at an empty location and tell their fellow warriors to shoot. They obey without hesitation as enemies appear right in the line of fire the next moment. They can telekinetically thrash a tank in place like a toy, and fry the brain of an individual just by looking at him. Farseers hold the fate of entire worlds and alien empires in their fingers. They can direct an Eldar force to destroy a part of a fleet with little tactical significance, only for the debris to end up hundreds of light years somewhere else that happens to hamper the direction of an Ork Waaagh! They can direct the Eldar warhost to cause carnage, the breath from individuals causing a typhoon that wipes out an enemy stronghold preparing to attack an Exodite world. It is no thanks to Farseers that the Eldar appear random and spontaneous in their attack. But the Farseers do not see or speak in the here and now. Their minds are constantly flooded with thoughts of the future. They can also foresee what each step and stride, even turn of the head can avoid getting hit. They can even react to weapons of the speed of light, blocking laser attacks with their weapons. In a cruel set of fate, they may even totally abandon a squad of the warhost if it would save countless Eldar lives or even the entire Craftworld. The lesser of two evils is always in the balancing, delicate hands of a Farseer. But these ancient Eldar can grow so old and so accustomed to their psychic nature that they begin to disregard that which is physical or in the present. This often requires them to be accompanied by a host of Warlocks that assist the Farseer.
They can help protect him physically and mentally as he does his work without worry. Their bodies begin to harden into crystal as they physically pass away, and the oldest of Farseers can hardly move without telekinetically moving their limbs. A Farseer constantly using psychic powers directed from Warp energies makes him a high target for daemonic predators that linger in the Warp. For this reason, they wear Ghosthelms to help protect them from the Ruinous Powers. And having used psychic powers for such a long time, it is a rare thing for their powers to be thwarted or stopped by any anti-psyker device or power.
Thirianna chanted the words, matching the pitch and cadence of the farseer. She dimly recognized them from her childhood, though they seemed in a different order. As she spoke each syllable, she felt herself relaxing, in body and thought. She could no longer feel the nod e between her fingers. She continued chanting, repeating the words, feeling them entering her subconscious, triggering reaction s in her thoughts that she could not feel but sensed in other ways. Her body dissolved away, as the crystals had melted in the reblend er. Her limbs, her torso, her fingers, her face, all had gone, leaving Thirianna as a floating core of thought. “Open your eyes, child.” Thirianna did so, though she had no eyes to open. She found herself in a realm of light and movement. She could see the flicker of other eldar around her, like candles in twil ight. A tracery of white, the infinity circuit, linked every other light together, stretching on without horizon into the impossible distance. Energy flowed along the maze, back and forth, surging and ebbing, binding everything together with its movement, linking the eldar with one another. And beyond. Beyond was something even more spectacular, defying rationalization. Beyond were the constantly shattering panes of existence; the overlapping planes of destiny; the interwoven threads of fate. The present surrounded Thirianna, but just out of reach was th e future, and in the darkness behind was the past. Every life, every thought, every movement, every motive, every emotion, weaving together in a dazzling tapestry of cause and effect. It branched out, splitting and dividing like cells, spawning entire new universes and possibilities with every passing moment. This was the skein, and it was beautiful. And too much. Too much to see, to comprehend, to understand. Thirianna passed out. — Path of the Seer, pages 58-59
LOADOUT: Witchblade or Singing Spear, Shuriken Pistol
= SPECIAL: THE SKEIN = Farseers can be trained to utilize a variety of powers at the moment of time they are most required. The application of Eldar psychic powers is immense, and to completely and totally classify all of them would be impossible. All Farseers have extensively trained to view the world through the skein. The skein is likened to viewing the events and the world on a third-person view, separating their minds and conscious thought and delve into the Immaterium in a way that allows them to see all potential futures as linked to those things around them. With this, they can pick details in a chaos of events, see the likeness of others’ existences, and their fates. Each motion through which all linked decisions and creatures creates threads. These threads form the possibilities and the hardest to see are those that are least possible, with the greatest flaring in great obviousness as it links to other threads. With skill, a Farseer can see events as they would actually occur, with greater clarity as they approach. When a figure or person dies, their thread in the skein ends abruptly, and there is no more influence or possibility from their death as they no longer inhabit the skein. A Farseer can even delve into the past threads and examine, from every angle of every involved person’s point-of-view (in totality from emotion to thought process) the same events of the past, and where the threads end (with death). Unlike a Jedi Knight which can only act upon an extension of instinctive motion, even a new Farseer on the Path can see, from a fourth-dimensional perspective the intention of an enemy throwing his ax, the act, and the most likelihood of the swirling path the ax will take. They can then decide from viewing that future what to do about the incoming danger, and react as they wish. In this manner, Farseers can even dodge laser attacks moving at the speed of light. Thus so, the most planned, intentional, skilled attack is the brightest future in the skein, and thus the easiest to predict and avoid.
As such, the Eldar Farseers work together to weave a mesh of plans, counters, and directed battle down to specific individuals to find the course to victory. After that, battle isn’t a matter of victory or defeat, but laughably, to prevent as many Eldar deaths as possible and to quicken victory itself. Most of a Farseer’s ability on a battlefield is geared towards the pleasantry of increasing the rate of Eldar success. It is also through the skein that the Farseers can pit their very minds, through sheer willpower, against that of their opponents. They can cut into their memories and learn about their past, their whole being. Indeed, an entire chapter of Space Marines and what they do to prepare for war can be divined by their closeness of their presence in the future and in battle. Through the skein a Farseer can learn the capabilities of his opponents, how they trained, how they came to be, why a certain leader is successful and capable of leading the opposition. They know the essence of their mindset, what their goals are and figure their innermost desires. With this knowledge a Farseer can attack the mind of his chosen targets, tempting them, distracting them, tugging at their fears locked away underneath layers of protection. They can make them secondguess their intentions that the Farseers, being able to see the futures unfold, would know cause the leaders’ victory. By making them subtly second-guess these ideas, they increase the chance of those victorious decisions to never come to pass. They can invade the will of the enemy’s very existing mind, forcing them to make decisions against their normal will, even shooting friendly forces. Farseers can also channel their willpower as they can meld and mold the unreal skein into reality, utilizing their willpower to fend off Daemons that are unseen and not physical, or channeling their powers into destructive forms. That is not all. Through the skein, the Farseers can communicate with other Eldar, around a battlefield, and potentially a whole world if they are strong enough. They can touch upon their very existence and implant images of suggestion so that, completely bypassing all forms
of communication, they can will the Eldar around them to what needs to be done, hours, minutes, even seconds before it needs to happen. So while application is wide indeed, and Farseers can move from one potential to another, there are a set of named specifics to these powers, identified and categorized below. Take careful note, these are probably not all-inclusive, nor necessarily as restrictive as their actions may sound.
CONJURATION In a tactical sense, Farseers can focus their powers to emit attacks through their weapons or fingers, channeling their willpower of their spirits from the skein into forms of raw destructive energies in a physical attack. Eldritch Storm: At the range of about an assault rifle, this can harm the caster if redirected or used too close. It can blow full-sized tanks about, possibly capable of wrecking it (though not common), and good at blowing opponents off course or into objects. Usually just upsets the center of gravity in objects, but can do much harm to unarmored foes and heavy objects, accompanied by several bolts of psychic lightning. Executioner: The Farseer can summon an astral doppelganger and unleash it upon his foe. It will strike and attack as if holding a witchblade, each attack dissipating the energy, commonly holding for three attacks.
Other forms of physical attacks are possible. Runes etched into the word-shape of different creatures and powers can be cast at enemies. For example, a rune of the flaming serpent cast towards the Orks and telekinetically floating over them a flaming serpent emerged from the sky, coiling around a group of Orks during a battle.
TELEPATHY Mental Fortitude: The Farseer raises his personal outlook on safety and will to fight by significant amounts to the point nothing fazes him, and he will transmit this power to those Eldar around him. Hallucination: This actually alters the foe’s perception of reality around them, destroying their senses and is not actually an attack on their mind. There are three main uses, each of which is equally random. One is when the user thinks there is something crawling around in his skin or armor, or that there is something stopping them from moving without extreme discomfort. It sends them into a panic as they attempt to stop or figure the cause. Second is when the target(s) in question lose all sense of urgency and enter some state of euphoria, described often as staring endlessly into space, allowing anything and everything to strike and move them. Third has the target(s) attack himself or each other in belief that something is working against them, maybe their hand is trying to choke themselves or allies just start turning on each other. The end-effect is a direct attack of the target upon himself with his currently-used combat weapon or power. Dominate: allows the Farseer to reach into his foe’s mind and trammel the target’s very soul and crush his willpower. Within a range of a few hundred meters, he can use this and requires no sight to them, and it will reduce the target’s willpower by several points, causing them to rethink each step and major action, doubting themselves at every moment. If they break down, they will stop moving and attacking, reacting only to a direct, physical confrontation. Terrify: A more intense form of Dominate, the psyker ceaselessly attacks his target with images of his worst nightmares and imagined fears. When successful, it will lower the target’s audacity and normal levels of bravery to make them fearful of their surroundings and especially to the user himself. Worse, if the target has a special resistance or power that makes them immune to such nonsense, if the psyker has the will to do it; with Terrify he will remove that advantage.
Puppet Master: Allows the psyker to momentarily take control of a specific target. To those within a couple hundred meters, he can cause the target to momentarily attack his own comrades!
A shockwave of psychic power burst from Thirianna and she stumbled forwards as something crashed into her back. Her rune armor crackled with energy as she spun around to face her attacker. She had been too occupied by warning the others to foresee the blast of the ork’s pistol into her back. Kelamith’s sword parted its head from its neck with one sweep, blood spattering across the Farseer’s gem-encrusted helm. Kelamith said nothing as he turned away, directing the tip of his staff towards more orks lumbering through a doorway to his left. Psychic lightning crackled. The closest ork exploded into a mist of vaporizing blood and bone dust. The one behind it was engulfed in flames as its padded jacket caught fire, fat bubbling away, muscle charring. A third juddered uncontrollably, finger tightening on the trigger of its gun, sending a hail of rounds into the back of another green-skinned brute. — Path of the Seer, pages 97-98 Mind War: A power that pits the endless, crushing willpower of the Farseer against that of his foe. Any mere mortal would have his brain explode. Those with a stronger will might suffer permanent brain damage to render their use in battle ineffective. Though apparently, multiple or very complex brains help in defense. This power can be caste against any enemy almost within sight of the caster, at least a sniper’s distance. But at a shorter distance of roughly a hundred meters, a Farseer can focus his power into a Psychic Shriek, a significantly powerful and potent version of Mind War. By focusing a short-ranged blast of psychic shrieks that overwhelms and melts the minds of those in front of him, capable of overrunning and dissolving eighteen minds at once!
The strength of mind or character of the target in question seems to do very little with the effectiveness of this literal mind-blowing attack.
DIVINATION
Scrier’s Gaze gives the user a full, bird’s-eye-view of the battlefield around him, allowing the psyker to foresee and get a good look into his surroundings without even moving. Precognition is extreme foresight, seemingly enhancing the psyker’s ability to attack altogether while avoiding the attacks of others at the same time. In a battle scenario, it doubles the chances of Eldar inclined by him of hitting a foe at range, close combat, and ability to avoid taking damage. It is used constantly and almost subconsciously as the Farseers leave behind the dimmest amount of their essence to keep their bodies moving while exploring possible futures with their mind, and can determine pathways through a maze of hallways in a building they had never been in, within heartbeats. Sub-powers of this in a more focused ideal include Guide and Fortune, powers that help direct the firepower of group of Eldar with the Farseer, or prevent them from taking the brunt of attack respectively. Doom: Using his ability to foresee the future, the Farseer can focus his psychic energies to the immediate future. Doom allows him to determine actions that best direct him to an event that destroys his foe. This is best explained by using psychic influences on the surrounding environment or even illusions, to alter the butterfly effect to best bring about their demise when they are attacked. Foreboding: A quick psychic power, the Farseer uses his foresight to become hyper-sensitive to an oncoming charge, and thus allows himself and those around him to draw ranged weapons to bear on them as they move in before reacting. It turns a quick-draw into an accurately-timed and well-placed shot at a short distance rather than throw off his aim.
Perfect Timing: The psyker realizes the exact timing of when a foe will be moving from around a piece of cover, literally placing a shot in their pathway the moment they move. The effect essentially removes the effectiveness of cover and difficult hiding places. Death Mission: Sensing the approach of destiny, the Farseer imbues himself with whatever fortune the future holds, preparing his own mind for death even as he brings this fate to his foes. Knowing and understanding his approaching doom, the Farseer more than doubles his skill set, invoking an unstable rampage and becomes completely fearless, essentially turning himself from a battle mage into the supreme manifestation of warrior. His death becomes pretty likely when he commits to this power, though as anything else scried in the skein, is not guaranteed. DEFENSE: Rune Armor (see Warlock)
autarchs There is a branch of the Path of the Warrior that is discovered and tread by few. Travelling it brings the individual to briefly take part in learning from the most astute of the warrior shrines upon the Craftworld. Instead of learning the traits from the Exarch at the exclusion of all else, when training is complete they are given a variety of wargear to choose from. In this secret ritualistic meeting, if they fancy any, the follower will select one and move to the next. When several or most of the Shrines have been learned from, the warrior becomes endowed with the knowledge of how all different specialties in warfare function. Autarchs follow the Path of Command, using their many and varied talents in multiple warrior shrines. Most of them have tasted most, if not all, of the most common aspect warriors. But none have stayed long enough to be engulfed by the single-minded method of destruction capable in each. Instead, they understand each element as a conductor would an instrument in an orchestra. Autarchs are the head of a warhost, generals with few equals. With centuries of combat experience, they rarely see chaos on a battlefield. With keen, experienced eyes they separate the different elements in their warhost and the organization (or lack thereof) mustered amongst the enemy. Then with uncanny precision, they carve a bloody wound into it with the commanding wave of an arm. This means he has swept down upon his foes on the wings of a Swooping Hawk, smashed into enemy lines on a Jetbike, and stalked the prey as a Striking Scorpion. He has taken long hours studying battles and tactics of the past, learning and trading information with others in the Path of Command, and practicing daily in his martial skills.
Weapon Type: Variable Armor Type: Psych-organic mesh Mobility: 5+ Training: 9 Max Range: Variable Preferred Range: Any! Classification: Military Leader Combatants: ~10-20 total
= LOADOUT = Haywire Grenades, Plasma Grenades, Shuriken Pistol. The rest of the equipment load of the Autarch varies by personal taste, previous experience, and general outlook on what they would consider to be the most useful to them. While they have not been seen with Exarch-specific tools and weaponry, they are adorned in a variety of standard equipment used by different warrior shrines. For example, an Autarch might be found with a Banshee Mask helmet, Jetbike from the Shining Spears, a Reaper Missile Launcher, and a Scorpion Chainsword.
= DEFENSE = Heavy Aspect Armor Forceshield: Similar in design to the Dire Avenger Exarch’s Shimmershield, it is also a lightweight sleeve-mounted piece. However it projects a powerful energy field around the user only, even occasionally protecting him from anti-tank weaponry.
Wraithguard / Wraithblades Weapon Type: Distortion Armor Type: Wraithbone Mobility: 5 Training: 6+ Max Range: Assault Rifle Preferred Range: Assault Rifle Classification: Heavy Infantry Combatants: Squad of 5-10 It is with faint heart and great regret that the Eldar force their dead transfixed in paradise out from the Infinity Circuit and into a Wraithbone constructed body to fight. But as the Eldar are few and the battles many, it becomes a necessity least they all become extinct. So it is that the Wraithguard harbor the spirits of Eldar to control bodies of Wraithbone. Already dead, they willingly protect the living and keep them from their same fate. They are fearless spirits absent of feelings or grief, completely unyielding, and unable to be broken. The Wraithguard constructs are tall, imposing figures, exceptionally strong and impervious to pain, shrugging off even dedicated small arms fire. Though these warriors are slower than their kin, they can take a great amount of punishment. They are walking, psychic machines, fearless, and tireless; they don’t even need to breathe! However they are still spirits, lacking the usual physical flesh and bone. This means they view their surroundings very differently from other mortals with a true connection to the world. They require the guidance of Spiritseers or other psykers who are able to act as a communication hub and give them a sense of direction.
Their limiting state is more than made up by allowing them to wield weapons that would make ordinary mortals mad. The Wraithcannon opens a fist-sized hole in real space, targets have pieces of their existence, organs, armour, and weapons are churned and disorganized as if a miniature black hole were briefly created. Very few, if any, armour or shielding can protect a tank or individual from such destructive power. Alternatively, Ghostblade weapons contain sentient spirits that help guide the user around opposing blades and into weak points, flickering with powerful energy. LOADOUT: Wraithcannon or D-scythes or Ghost Swords or Ghost Ax and Forceshield ADDITIONAL FACTORS: Wraithsight Wraithguard and Wraithblades require the assistance of an Eldar psyker in their presence somewhere on the battlefield to function well. The best connection comes from Spiritseers that specialize in giving them direction. Without either a psyker, Spiritseer, or Wraithknight, communication and understanding of the surroundings becomes a confusing blur, and their battlefield effectiveness wanes.
Wraithlord Like their Wraithguard counterparts, Wraithlords are Wraithbone constructed bodies that house the soul of an Eldar. However for Wraithlords, the specific Eldar is that of a warrior spirit, usually a mighty warrior of the past. Standing nearly a dozen meters tall, Wraithlords are some of the most revered and experienced figures in the Eldar warhost. Their massive and dense Wraithbone bodies are capable of wading through small arms fire like it were dust. Only the mightiest of anti-tank weapons can even make a Wraithlord buckle. Such is their strength that a Wraithlord construct is capable of punching down the wall of a fortress or peeling off the armour of a tank. But they do not simply go to battle unarmed. Upon their shoulders or in their hands is at least one of the fiendish heavy weapons in the Eldar‘s advanced arsenal, aimed and used as if they were mere rifles. Their arms are always fitted with smaller weapons such as Shuriken Catapults or Flamers to kill smaller targets stupid enough to close the distance and keep them at bay. With the body of an experienced warrior, Wraithlords can almost move and fight as if they had their old bodies. Using battlefield experience of hundreds, even thousands of years old, it seems as if they are more than willing to escape the Infinity Circuit just to destroy enemies of the Eldar. In combat, their Wraithbone constructs are capable of all the grace and speed of their former bodies, seen leaping, slicing, and even dodging enemy gunfire as they kneel and twist before resuming the destruction on their foes. But even if they were hit, it would take monstrous amounts of damage to bring them down. In their Wraithbone bodies they can completely ignore all forms of small arms fire and heavy anti-personnel weapons are like pinpricks to them. = LOADOUT = Wraithlords are armed with a variety of heavy weaponry based upon their past experience as warriors. Their wrists are equipped with Flamers or Shuriken Cannons. Their shoulders or hands can carry a Shuriken Cannon, Bright Lance, Scatter Laser, Starcannon, and/or Eldar Missile Launcher. Additionally, they can be equipped with a massive scimitar-like blade called a Ghostglaive which increases the Wraithlord’s strength even more significantly while cleaving through any physical armor in existence. = ADDITIONAL FACTORS = Wraithsight: See Wraithguard
Weapon Type: Various Armor Type: Wraithbone Mobility: 6 Training: 9 Max Range: 1+ Kilometers Preferred Range: Any! Classification: Heavy Infantry
harlequins Harlequins are the most mysterious faction of Eldar. They appear in rare occasions on Craftworlds and sometimes the dark city of Commorragh itself. They are masters of illusion, laughing at fate, and know all the secrets of the Webway passages. They wear no spirit stones for they know that in the event of their death, their souls are captured by the Eldar Laughing God. They travel in small bands numbering at most several dozen, each headed and led by a figure known as the Great Harlequin, the greatest and strongest of their number. A Harlequin band only ever has one Great Harlequin so when one becomes sufficiently skillful enough, he or she will leave and formalize a new band. New members are taken from other Eldar groups, from the Craftworlds, stray places in the Webway, Exodite kin, and even Dark Eldar. They are picked by Solitaries, individuals who roam the galaxy separate from other Harlequins. To a Solitaire, they have been specially touched by the Laughing God himself, though their soul is already owed to Slannesh. Despite their rarity and small numbers, a full complement of Harlequins can rival and destroy an entire enemy army. They are the most feared and capable individuals of all Eldar. Every single one is equipped with a mask that can project the facial image of anything they will it to depending on those around them or the masque performance they are due to a group of Eldar. In battle, the enemies will look upon the Harlequins and see the projections of their innermost fears—that is once the Harlequins have inevitably closed the distance. Their flamboyant costumes and bright colors are ever shifting thanks to their small holo-fields in their suits. Their shape and image is pixilated around their surroundings, and when they move, their figure appears to explode in a multi-spectrum of colors only for the wearer to suddenly appear somewhere else. This is aided by their anti-grav generated flip-belts. This allows them to dance more than walk, with their feet barely grazing the ground as they move. They can perform all manner of short-flight flips and spins, able to bound and leap several meters in the air tripling all the grace and agility any Eldar is capable of. Each member of a troupe must have performed the Ritual, a trial rite of passage to become a Harlequin.
Said ritual is said to free the Harlequin of the Great Enemy Slannesh, and in so doing, gives them over to a sensation of nearly complete fearlessness.
While most Harlequins work close together in a battlefield tactical sense, most are individually capable, working in very loose battle form, dotted throughout the battlefield while hitting their foes from various angles and combining their attacks only to finalize the destruction of a targeted enemy. DEATH JESTERS Specialists of the Harlequins exist, all of whom speak in riddles and confusing tongue. Among them are the heavy weapon specialists, known as the Death Jesters. Wearing all manner of skulls and wearing suits of skeletal design, they are noted as being quite morbid in nature, talking casually of death and ill. They will even decorate themselves with the bones of their former predecessors! In battle they are highly esteemed marksmen and carry a single cannon of one design or another. The most common is that of the Shrieker Cannon, a lightweight version of a Shuriken Cannon. Instead of simply slicing into targets with heavy shurikens, it fires a single shot. This carries virulent toxins that infect a targets’ nervous system. The result causes the victim in the areas of contact to rupture and explode on contact, showering comrades with the blood and bones of their now dead or wounded friend. Alternatively, they can carry Missile Launchers or Bright Lances for heavier supportive roles.
SHADOWSEERS Shadowseers are psykers of the Harlequins, specializing in shaping confusing and haunting imagery in the minds of the foe. Upon their mask is usually the mirrored image of the one who is speaking to them, in a macabre and dying fashion. With their powers, they can project phantoms, twist the emotions of their enemies, and even remove the presence of the Harlequins around them altogether! With Misdirection, they can enter the enemy’s mind, baffling him with psychic messages and confounding their thought process. Veil of Tears is the most common power, and among those who could normally see the Harlequins, their minds simply do not register them. In battle, it makes the Harlequins impossible to even be seen altogether at any great distance, and confusing up close. MIMES The Master Mime and his Mimes take part in all matters of espionage, infiltration, and politics, specializing mostly in assassination. They go ahead of the Troupes and announce their coming arrival by mere presence. Nobody is quite sure how they manage to arrive undetected or predicted for that matter. And they use these same skills for their militaristic duties, laying Harlequin “calling cards” in impossible places such as a general’s personal quarters as a warning they are not immune to assassination. They only talk to each other with a language of hand gestures, and speak very little, if at all, in everyday life.
SOLITARIES Rare individuals specially touched by the Laughing God, Cegorach, and in a sense they have absolutely no soul. Any and all attacks on their mind will never work, and they are completely incapable of variations of emotion. The Solitaire is a mysterious figure. They live separate from the other Harlequins and each other. But despite being lone figures on the battlefield, they are terrifying to behold, if you see them at all. Even the Mind War attack of Eldar Farseers has no effect on a Solitaire.
galaxy. Different smaller groups of Harlequins are in turn led by Troupe Masters. These individuals, alongside Shadowseers, are known to be equipped with a variety of specialized other wargear. EQUIPMENT OF HARLEQUINS Bio-explosive Ammo: Shurikens of some Shuriken Pistols can be coated in toxins that cause the targets of enemies to have their blood vessels overload and eventually explode. If killed by the fusillade of fire from these, the durability and armor that previously protected the user then becomes explosive shrapnel to those nearby! D-field: The Domino Field (or D-field), a far more potent and powerful version of the Harlequins usual Holo-suits. In addition to breaking up the outline of the Harlequin, shattering the wearer’s image in blinding, clouding shards multi-spectral light. It is so powerful that even face-to-face in a close combat the Harlequin wearing it will be even harder to hit than usual. Solitaires are believed to be those Harlequins that are absent of a soul. Nothing strikes fear into their hearts as if they had none at all. Probing their mind for fears or trying to disillusion them is all but impossible. They have tolerance to all kinds of pain and flinch not at any adversary. They attack in a blurring, spinning fury of death, capable of cutting down entire mobs of enemy infantry or blindly strike down a Tyranid monstrosity before they even have a chance to realize that they are bleeding to death. The enemy has only to be relieved that these lone figures are rare sights on the battlefield, but those who are struck down are the lucky ones. For those that survive the relentless attacks from a Solitaire can be haunted by their worst fears through most of the battle, and on the weak-minded, perhaps for eternity of dread.
GREAT HARLEQUINS / TROUPE MASTERS As mentioned earlier, the best and most capable of the Harlequins leads the whole band. They play the part of the Laughing God in the ritual plays that remind the Eldar race of their origins and place in the
Dread Mask: A mask that contains a psychic pickup that detects the worst fears of chosen opponents by he who wears it. It will then take that fear and amplifies them ten-fold, sending then fleeing in terror as the Harlequins bring about this horrid terror. In the worst case, whole squads of enemies can be seen fleeing the battlefield away from the one wearing it. Rictus Mask: This mask feeds on the enemy’s fears and projects an aura of impending doom and sheer mortality. The result in the worst case conditions causes enemies to curl up in the fetal position, dreaded to a stilled motionless. Jetbike: Some Harlequins group together and ride Jetbikes, expounding on their already incredible feats of skill and reaction to that of Jetbike riding. Though while riding them they do not benefit from their flip-belts, their jetbikes are still encased in miniature holofields. Some among their number can be found armed with Shuriken Cannons as Windriders of Eldar warhosts, or occasionally a fusion gun for anti-armor support.
Phase Field: Using the Eldar’s most advanced warp technology, a phase field allows the wearer to briefly travel in the Warp, shifting between real space, phasing in and out of reality. Similar to bulky Warp Jump Generators, the Harlequins need no added built protection as their souls are already secured. This also means they do not have the same danger of being plucked away from existence and can initiate the field as often as they wish.
HARLEQUIN EXPLOSIVES Hallucinogen Grenades: Often carried on the back-mounted launcher by Shadowseers, other Harlequins can also use them. The hallucinogens disorients enemies into a state of paranoia and delirium, causing them to cower in fear, stare into open space, or rant and rave at imaginary creatures only they can see. They are used primarily against enemy infantry just before the Harlequins press in for an attack. However, Tyranids seem to be pretty resistant (though not immune) to the stuff, and those who are encased in heavy armor, are animated machines, or are demonic in nature are immune to their effects. Hallucinogen Grenades: Often carried on the back-mounted launcher by Shadowseers, other Harlequins can also use them. The hallucinogens disorients enemies into a state of paranoia and delirium, causing them to cower in fear, stare into open space, or rant and rave at imaginary creatures only they can see. They are used primarily against enemy infantry just before the Harlequins press in for an attack. However, Tyranids seem to be pretty resistant (though not immune) to the stuff, and those who are encased in heavy armor, are animated machines, or are demonic in nature are immune to their effects. Tanglefoot Grenades: When a Tanglefoot Grenade detonates, it distorts gravity around it, causing nearby enemies to tumble, fall over, and stagger about. It is utilized just before the Harlequins attack a foe, and if they need to flee combat for any reason, the enemy finds they cannot pursue them as they are busy trying to find footing with upset gravity. But if (more than likely) the enemy feels the need to flee, they
are tumbling, crawling, and losing the ability to move any great distance while the Harlequins use their flip-belts to cut them down.
WEAPONS Neuro-disruptor: This uses intricate psycho-crystalline circuitry to emit a wave of particles that disrupts the brain’s neural pathways, turning a target into a drooling imbecile or killing them outright. It projects this wave in a broad weave, covering whole groups of enemies at a time, attacking their inner circuitry. Its effectiveness will wane if the target has sufficient interfering shielding but it is capable of harassing even a tank’s crewmembers. Powerblades: These work like common power weapons, fitted to the forearms of the user, allowing them to use their hands freely. Riverblades: Worn on the wrist or as a glove, Riverblades operate like miniature power fists that do not restrict the user’s mobility or grace of battle. The result when combined with the acrobatic and reactive skills of a Harlequin (such as a Great Harlequin or Troupe Master), they can chop off an enemy’s head with a single swipe or punch straight through their targets, ripping out a vital organ (such as a monster’s brain or a machine matrix’s computer) and kill their targets instantly. Fusion Pistol: Handed out to individuals and seen in use around Eldar culture in general, Fusion Pistols are not unlike the Fusion Guns seen in the hands of the Fire Dragons. They emit the same powered wave with similar intensity but it does not have the capability of range, and is only really useful in close-up attack. But in range, it will still slag an enemy vehicle or be capable of melting holes in any structure. Venom: When the Harlequins need to make a rapid entrance through very small portals in the Webway, they will utilize Venom transports. Trading the Craftworld Vyper’s turret weapon mount for space and a thin blade-shaped handle, up to seven Harlequins will cling to the edges in the back. It can be equipped with a holo-field, and sports a pair of Shuriken Catapults, but like any Jetbike can also harness a fusion gun or Shuriken Cannon for support.
Light Cavalry
Shining Spears To strike hard and fast with agility and lightning speed; to commit destruction with the right timing. These are the qualities depicting spear of Kaela Mensha Khaine of Eldar lore, and they are what Shining Spears live for. Upon their speeding hypersonic-capable Jetbikes, they can weave between trees and alleys with suicidal reaction time while taking turns. They must dart across a battlefield without an ounce of hesitation and they must be precise and patient when they do attack. The riders of this Aspect will take years to hone in their skills, each knowing the full limits of their steed. They can be seen corkscrewing spins and shooting into vertical climbs impossible for a Human to handle or track. Shining Spears are not always found leading the charge of the speeding masters of the Eldar warhost. Instead, they can circle the enemy waiting for a mistake or pressure to open a wound in the enemy battle lines. Then these master riders exploit the opening as quickly as possible, going after heavy infantry, monsters, or tanks alike, bending a defense line to bursting point and following through with relentless attacks. Once they finish one drive-by attack, they will almost immediately try to disengage, circling back as they smash again into their foes until there is nothing left but charred bone. = ADDITIONAL FACTORS = Exarches of the Shining Spears focus almost exclusively on personal combat skills. Some are experienced at taking down monstrous-sized foes or excel in knowing when and where to hit the enemy without being caught in a counter attack. They can sometimes be known to have extra-powerful Laser Lances as personal weapons called Star Lances. These carry an extra punch both in range and combat, to the point they ignore most any physical armor not holding superb amounts of thickness. He can take a power weapon to hit multiple, weaker foes at once as he skims over their heads. They can also sometimes be found armed with a Shuriken Cannon instead of the usual twin Shuriken Catapults on their Jetbikes.
LOADOUT: Laser Lance DEFENSE: Heavy Aspect Armor Weapon Type: Distortion Armor Type: Wraithbone Mobility: 9 Training: 5 Max Range: Machinegun Preferred Range: In your face Classification: Anti-gravitic Cavalry Combatants: Squad of 3-10
Swooping hawks Swooping Hawks are masters of the sky, gently staying aloft on their wings, before smashing down at the foe only to lift up once again. They seek strong targets that endanger (or have destroyed a part of) the warhost. With unending fury, they attack the thickest parts of an enemy army, harassing them with fly-by bombardments from grenades mounted on their legs, shooting them with quick precision before leaping back to orbit the battlefield out of reach. This is made possible from their wargear constructed from fine cellular materials to be made extremely lightweight and small gravitic lifters that aid their vibrating feather plates. The vibrations occur at such a blurring intensity that they appear as hummingbirds. Over the course of the battle they bide their time only to land when the enemy is beaten, terrified, and low in strength or numbers. By that time, the Swooping Hawks can hit the enemy in close range attack and combat, their fury built up over the course of the battle, and their rage knows no bounds. With this attack pattern, to kill a full complement of Swooping Hawks one either has to be extremely lucky or under the command of a witting foe. Their extra mobility also allows them to snatch vehicular targets of opportunity, even skimming flyers, and destroy them with well-placed Haywire Grenades at any angle. Weapon Type: Laser Armor Type: Psych-organic mesh Mobility: 7 Training: 5 Max Range: Assault Rifle Preferred Range: Assault Rifle Classification: Flying Skirmishers Combatants: Squad of 5-10 LOADOUT: Haywire Grenades, Lasblaster, Plasma Grenades
DEFENSE: Aspect Armor, Heavy Aspect Armor (Exarch) = ADDITIONAL FACTORS = Similar to Dire Avengers, the Exarches of the Swooping Hawks can sometimes carry combat weapons, found equipped with a power weapon. But most often they are dedicated to medium-ranged combat, sometimes sporting exceptional night vision, or capable of incredible feats of sniping even from the air. Some know that their warriors are not meant to stick in a grueling combat and will train their warriors the precise moment and opportune moment to suddenly break away from a combat, taking to the skies before the enemy can mount an effective counter-attack. More common weapons are the Hawk’s Talon, combining rare power without the loss of range or high rate of fire by a Lasblaster. Another is the Sunrifle, trading raw strength for sheer armor piercing; the light emitted such that it can blind unshielded foes.
Warp Spiders Weapon Type: Laser Armor Type: Psych-organic mesh Mobility: 8 Training: 5 Max Range: Assault Rifle Preferred Range: Assault Rifle Classification: Flying Skirmishers Combatants: Squad of 5-10 None abuse the time lapses in the Warp so much as the Warp Spiders. These aspect warriors harness warp generators that allow them to momentarily bypass moving through time and space to react to enemy movements. In this way, they are masters at preventing any aggressive motion the enemy attempts. The Warp Spiders take their name and affinity after the arachnids that can be seen in the Dome of the Crystal Seers, but unseen in the Infinity Circuit. When a foreign entity of psychic proportions enters, these gather in swarms to the location and destroy the invader. For a Warp Spider aspect warrior, battle is of little difference. They are counter-attack specialists in the extreme, filling gasps in the Eldar battle lines, appearing almost instantly where they needed. This is no thanks to their Warp Jump Generators. While lesser races have to take very high risk travelling through the Warp, such risks are almost all but naught to the Warp Spiders. Their heavy and specialized armour protects them in a field of reality as they move through the dangerous perils. Warp entities and daemons may try to attack them, but resistance only needs to be for a few seconds. Despite this, on rare occasions it is possible for a Warp Spider to move into a portal created by his armour and not return. Such is the danger that Warp Spider Exarches never live long enough to invoke or become a Phoenix Lord, despite the age of their shrines. Warp Spiders target an array of enemies with their Death Spinners, from disabling light vehicles, slowly whittling down heavy infantry, or churning death for massed weaker infantry. Except for heavy vehicles, they will meet the foe, pushing them back or preventing them from performing a successful flanking maneuver. They keep the warhost fighting smoothly and perfectly, rounding up the enemy like cattle and preventing their escape.
= ADDITIONAL FACTORS = Due to the large number of targets the Warp Spiders must go after, the Exarches are capable of taking on a variety of targets. Including is a dual-pair of Death Spinners, very commonly seen also with a pair of Power Blades, allowing the Exarches to jab, block, and slice enemies while independently shooting others. Another weapon seen is the Spinneret Rifle, a stronger, more direct monofilament rifle, capable of ripping and shredding the most durable infantry armor.
LOADOUT: Death Spinner Warp Jump Generator: The dangers of using this fiendish teleportation device risks the Eldar’s very soul to potential danger in the Warp, where they must resist the great demonic enemies for a brief period of time. However, the generator allows Warp Spiders to move several hundred meters in nearly an instant, allowing no spare warning of their coming attack. DEFENSE: Heavy Aspect Armor
Shadow Spectres Weapon Type: Prism Laser Armor Type: Psych-organic mesh Mobility: 7 Training: 5 Max Range: 1+ Kilometer Preferred Range: Rifle Classification: Tank Hunters Combatants: Squad of 5-10 An extremely rare shrine founded by Phoenix Lord Irillyth, early in his training under Asurmen he received a vision about the destruction of his home Craftworld, Mymeara. Since that time he had been seeking it out to forewarn them of their potential destruction and also prepare them to prevent it. During his search he founded a few shrines on the largest of Craftworlds but they have remained ghostly forgotten places. As a Phoenix Lord, Irillyth is eternal as any other, his armor housing the spirit stones of all those who have donned it, and in the cave of his last battle he remained patiently waiting to be reawakened. During the incursion on Betalis III, he found a new body, and accompanied by the only known group of the Shadow Spectre Aspect Warriors from Mymeara emerged once again. Shadow Spectres emulate death and have forsworn that if they were to die in battle they would be reanimated in the body of Wraith construct to continue fighting. They are elegant, drifting seemingly in and out of existence, the ribbon-like robes working in conjunction with their armor to conceal their presence before they are ready for their final shot. Working to get close to the enemy they glide upon jet packs, trading sheer speed for extreme maneuverability. With their unusual prism laser weapons, they often work in concert to hit a single hard target with their weapons. They can also independently to create explosive results on weaker targets or focus the beams to take out heavy infantry. At range, they are the most
flexible Warrior Aspect. They briefly blink into view on the moment they attack before fading out once again, to remain part of the horrors for the enemy’s morale. = LOADOUT = Prism Rifle: This is a handheld version of the weapon found on Fire Prisms. On their own they can produce a diffused weak blast at the range of any assault rifle, or focus the concentration into a single, hard-hitting laser capable of goring any in heavy armor. But the weapon excels at combining the strength of multiple rifles, linking up to increase range and strength of either the blast or the focusing beam. A full complement can wipe out a mob of enemies in heavy armor or focused: heavy vehicles on even their strongest point. DEFENSE: Aspect Armor; Heavy Aspect Armor (Exarch)
= ADDITIONAL FACTORS = Unlike most Exarches of different Warrior Aspects, the Exarches of Shadow Spectres gear their weapons and skills towards assisting the overall core nature of the squad they lead. Skills include knowing when and how to blink out of sight to jump out of a combat to focusing on the perfect shot at which his charges can emit their beams through his own Prism Rifle. Indeed as is most the case, the experience and capabilities of the Exarch means that the Shadow Spectres can rely on his unerring accuracy and skill to direct the concentration of multiple beams to their exact intended target. Their weapons can include the Haywire Launcher, which while it does not link up with the other Prism Rifles, is exception at placing a haywire grenade-like projectile on point, perhaps after the Prism Rifles exploit or create a weakspot. They can also be found equipped with the Prism Blaster, which shoots a continuous, rapid beam that will eat through most any physical armor types, which can then be amplified by his squad’s Prism Rifles
War Walkers Guardians form the majority of pilots of vehicular craft in the Eldar warhost, and the War Walker is no exception. Working to scout ahead of the warhost, the War Walker negotiates dangerous terrain ahead of infantry and brings firepower to bear at the right moment. War Walkers facing their choice targets excel at pure, unseen destruction. War Walkers are light and very flexible unlike the clumsy and heavy walkers used by the Imperium. Shimmering with their surroundings, they make their way towards the enemy and flush them out. Typically they are sent ahead to destroy massed groups of infantry or transports to soften up the enemy for the infantry. When the enemy finally realizes a squadron of these walkers, they are often already taking fire. Like many other forms of Eldar technology, the pilot forms a mind-link with his vehicle, moving his vehicle as it were his own body. And with a smaller, lighter form of the energy field, the pilot can focus on his task, knowing that he is not as exposed as it might seem. The design of War Walkers and training the pilots endure allow them to carefully direct their shooting rather than throwing a heavy salvo of ammunition at the enemy. It’s lack of armor makes it unsuitable for forward assaults in the thick of battle and thus rely on flaking attacks. Weapon Type: Variable Armor Type: Wraithbone Mobility: 6 Training: 5 Max Range: 1+ Kilometer Preferred Range: Variable Classification: Bi-pedal Scout Walker, Infantry Support Combatants: Squadron of 1-3 = LOADOUT = War Walkers are fitted with a variety of weapons to compliment the warhost or the pilot’s personal skill. They can be equipped with one or pair of any two of the following: Shuriken Cannon, Bright Lance, Scatter Laser, Starcannon, Missile Launcher with Swarmstar and Plasma Missiles = DEFENSE = Energy Field: While the Wraithbone is thin, just able to accommodate the pilot and weapons, War Walkers utilize a power field to protect the otherwise open-exposed pilot. It is a fairly weak shield but capable of withstanding blows from small arms fire and glancing blows from heavy weapons.
vypers The Vyper was originally created by the Saim-Hann Craftworld after their military doctrine promoting high speed attack and mobility. The warriors needed a weapon support platform that could keep up with the hypersonic Jetbikes. The vehicle known as the Vyper is terrifyingly fast and agile; skimming above the battlefield often with a turret-mounted weapon on its back. Often flying in squadrons, they swarm towards their intended targets and destroy them with sweeping passes. Stripped down of the armour most Eldar prefer to have when taking speed, it can burst ahead of Falcons and Fire Prisms to hit high priority targets and disappear. Since its first with Saim-Hann, it has been prevalent under several Craftworlds with different roles and weapon configurations. The most commonly employed method is to keep the Vyper away from the enemy, using speed to rapidly redeploy out of harm‘s way. The pilot and gunner are almost always bonded, often blood relatives, so that in mind link they can better coordinate their efforts as they make their circling, high-speed passes, withering down the enemy and weeding them out of cover. Weapon Type: Variable Armor Type: Wraithbone Speed: Probably Hypersonic Training: 5 Max Range: 1+ Kilometer Preferred Range: Variable Classification: High-speed support platform Combatants: Squadron of 1-3 = LOADOUT = Vypers are traditionally armed with a pair of Shuriken Catapults under the nose, or a Shuriken Cannon, which is controlled by the pilot and capable of a little motion. The primary weapon system however is a single heavy weapon controlled by a gunner. This weapon varies from a Shuriken Cannon, Bright Lance, Scatter Laser, Starcannon, or a Missile Launcher with Swarmstar and Plasma Missiles.
armor and artillery And the Engines of Vaul Will smite them, And bring fire upon them, And in agony They will depart this realm, Their souls screaming Into the black void That awaits their pitiful race. And with their banishment There will be peace in this place, And we will be one step further Along the road we must tread - Farseer Ulthos of Aliatoc, Before the cleansing of Kyrayk’s Moon
Falcons Weapon Type: Laser/Shuriken/Variable Armor Type: Wraithbone Max Speed: 528 mph Max Range: 1+ Kilometer Preferred Range: 1+ Kilometer Classification: Main Battle Tank Not for a boxy, thick chunk of metal or a large bulbous front do the Eldar stoop down for tank design as other races. Instead, they utilize the same, sleek-winged chassis for most of their ground support vehicles. With smooth, forwardsweeping wings, the Falcon streaks across the battlefield adorned in gems and the gleaming appearance of the bird of prey for its namesake. Shooting down from high atmosphere, the air-sealed vehicle is capable of (and pilots often specialize in) darting from cloud cover to punish the enemies of the Eldar wherever needed. Using its heavy and long-ranged Pulse Laser (an adaptive weapon for hitting virtually any target type), a second heavy weapon system and small arms support with the chin-mounted weapon, it will unleash doom on whole formations of enemies. And if that does not work completely, the troops inside (sometimes equipped against similar targets of the Falcon) will finish the job. Alternatively it can be used as rapid relief for a squad dwindling in effectiveness, picking them and redeploying them to better or safer positions. Despite appearances, thanks to Wraithbone’s natural durability, the Falcon is a heavy tank when it comes to taking damage, even without additional defensive systems, as well armored as any armored vehicle in the Imperial Guard or Space Marine vehicle. = LOADOUT = Pulse Laser and twin Shuriken Catapults or Shuriken Cannon. The second weapon system varies from a Shuriken Cannon, Bright Lance, Scatter Laser, Starcannon, or a Missile Launcher with Swarmstar and Plasma Missiles. = ADDITIONAL FACTORS = The Falcon is capable of transporting a group of 6 warriors (though not Wraithguard/Wraithblades, who are much too large).
Fire Prisms Weapon Type: Laser/Shuriken Armor Type: Wraithbone Max Speed: 528 mph Max Range: 2+ Kilometers Preferred Range: 2+ Kilometers Classification: Support Tank Sacrificing a secondary weapon system and passenger compartment of the Falcon, the Fire Prism’s entire turret mounting and energy core is dedicated to producing some of the most powerful bursts of laser energy in the Eldar arsenal. The weapon is called the Prism Cannon, and is designed to create an overabundance of firepower necessary for any task at hand. Focusing the crystal to emit a delayed, flashing explosion it is capable of striking down mobs of infantry, acting as fast-moving, diving artillery unit from the skies. Alternatively, it can concentrate the beam tightly to create a small explosion designed to annihilate a pocket of heavy infantry, disgorge a towering monstrosity, hit a structure in a weak point, or most often the case, tear open an enemy tank using the control of light itself. The thinnest, heaviest concentration of the Prism Cannon’s beam, potentially with the aid of other Prism Cannons linking up, can fell even a mighty Monolith in one shot. = LOADOUT = Prism Cannon and twin Shuriken Catapults or Shuriken Cannon. = ADDITIONAL FACTORS = The Prism Cannons of other Fire Prisms are capable of linking up their concentrations. So long as one Fire Prism can draw a direct line-of-sight to another, it can shoot its’ focusing beam at its friend, which then collects the strength of the laser and joins it in concert with its own. The result is that provided there are enough Fire Prisms, a single Fire Prism can concentrate a beam to near infinite proportions, blasting a whole city block, spearing straight through a heavy energy shield before disabling a titan, or blasting apart a whole squadron of heavy tanks with ease.
Night Spinners Weapon Type: Monofilament Armor Type: Wraithbone Max Speed: 528 mph Max Range: 1+ Kilometer Preferred Range: 1+ Kilometer Classification: Mobile Anti-personnel Artillery Utilizing yet again the same chassis of the Falcon, the Night Spinner is a slightly rarer vehicle to be seen on the battlefield, but has its particular role defined. It gives up the direct and supreme heavy firepower of the Falcon and the Fire Prism for an elegant, grizzly weapon system. The Night Spinner appears and works like a nightmarish arachnid, a fast-moving artillery piece that launches a netting of heavy monofilament wire in a high arc. These are nicknamed the unbreakable Chains of Vaul for their nature. Those caught underneath the wide-spreading netting finds themselves being chopped, sliced, and entangled as gravity does the work for the silent weapon system. One moment, infantry are sitting there, trying to hide in their defensive positions, the next they are twisting and mangling themselves in death throes till they are naught but stains on the ground. No artillery shell whistling or darkening of the sky for warning. = LOADOUT = Doomweaver and twin Shuriken Catapults or Shuriken Cannon. = ADDITIONAL FACTORS = At close range, the Night Spinner is capable of defending itself (or launch a creative surprise attack) by throwing its mess of entangling death webbing directly in front of it, bathing enemies in a streaking, interweaving mesh anywhere the cannons may face. It is in my opinion, one of the most dickish, horrifying weapon systems in the Eldar arsenal. Only heavy armor plating all over the defender or energy shielding will stop it.
Warp hunters Weapon Type: Distortion Armor Type: Wraithbone Max Speed: ~180 mph Max Range: 1 Kilometer Preferred Range: 1 Kilometer Classification: High-speed Assault Craft A final and rarer known Falconchassis vehicle, the Warp Hunter is usually only seen on occasional sightings (though on Betalis III, whole squadrons of them were found in combat, most likely to their heavy use by Corsair war bands and possibly that of Craftworld Mymeara). The Warp Hunter mounts a heavy version of the usual Wraithcannon found in the hands of Wraithguard troops, and is even larger than the “DCannon” mounted on artillery support batteries used by Guardians with much-improved range and width of destruction. As a whole, the vehicle is used for rapid strikes. Unlike other Falcon-equivalent vehicles the heavy mounting of the D-Flail is fixed and requires the vehicle’s agility as an antigrav platform to aim and strike targets. Due to the necessary extra protection for containment fields and carefully complex targeting matrixes, the Warp Hunter foregoes the usual crew compliment the Falcon is capable of. Unlike other Distortion weapons, the D-flail creates a goblet of spherical hole impressed in reality, equaling the destruction of three D-cannon support batteries. The lucky ones will be tossed in the explosion left by the waking void. The unfortunate targets on site have their existence churned and twisted and dooming them to the Warp, swallowed whole and given to demonic torment of some Warp entity. Even the soul is completely vanished from this existence and doomed in the next. LOADOUT: D-Flail and twin Shuriken Catapults or Shuriken Cannon. =ADDITIONAL FACTORS = Ǣther Rift: At close range, the Warp Hunter is capable of unleashing an “æther rift”. Instead of focusing a precise sphere of destruction on an enemy, the vehicle blasts a massive, uncontrolled explosion of it directly in front of the vehicle in similar defensive fashion to the Night Spinner.
Support Battery Guardian Defenders operate short-ranged Shuriken Catapults and an occasional heavy weapon skiff, set up to defend specific positions or remain in the area of an objective. But with this role in play, it sometimes becomes necessary or advantageous that they mount a form of artillery battery to weed out particularly hard targets or enemies in cover. The ideal thing is to prevent the Guardians from needlessly exposing themselves which to some might be viewed as cowardice. While most races would use artillery to weaken a foe at a great distance or cover a wide area to support infantry, the Eldar use the ‘Vaul’s Wrath’ Support Batteries for complete area denial. This benefits the Guardian Defender’s missions while severely punishing those that dare to move within range. So exotic are these weapon systems that their nature and exact workings remain unknown. Often staying hidden behind a large obstruction or Eldar vehicle, these platforms are grouped together to produce a powerful symphony of death. All of the weapons, regardless of form, are exceedingly complex in use and direction. Though they are mounted on anti-grav skiffs, they are so complex and large that they must remain stationary to fire. = LOADOUT = 1-3 of one of the following: D-Cannons, Vibro Cannons, Shadow Weavers.
Weapon Type: Various Armor Type: Wraithbone Max Range: Rifle Preferred Range: Rifle Classification: Artillery Combatants: 2 crew per gun
Vibro Cannon: The Eldar do employ a select few sonic weapons, and the Vibro Cannon is one example. Mounted on the same large anti-grav skiff platform as other Eldar heavy weapons, they project rising sonic waves that, as soon as they hit the resonant frequency of the target, do immeasurable harm. Medium-grade vehicles will have their internals violently shaken apart while infantry feel the effects of rupturing earthquakes in their bodies, resulting in spasms of coughing pulverized innards with restructured bones and organs inside their in-tact armor. A trio of Vibro Cannons can rupture nearly any vehicle or durable infantry, or collapse defensive structures and walls nearly a kilometer’s distance. In this way, even long-ranged sniper fire is no guarantee to dislodge Guardians from their posts! Breadth of destruction is simple: anything along the path of the indiscriminate weapon is potentially shaken apart.
Lynx Weapon Type: Monofilament Armor Type: Wraithbone Max Speed: ~150 mph Max Range: 1+ Kilometer Preferred Range: 1+ Kilometer Classification: Super-heavy Tank An utterly rare super heavy vehicle classified as an Engine of Vaul, the Lynx is usually equipped with a single Pulsar, an oversized and powerful laser weapon. In rare cases it can be seen sporting a Sonic Lance. It is an uncommon vehicle of an older design and not seen except in more desperate situations. Mounting only a single weapon, it is not as powerful as the Scorpion or Cobra super heavy tanks of similar design. But for a vehicle of its immense size, it more than makes up for in raw speed and maneuverability. A frightening heavy vehicle to encounter, it can fly through the air in brief flares like an aircraft, before placing itself on a slight-hidden point of advantage, weaving through narrow canyons. It is designed to hit the foe from an expected quarter with overbearing firepower. = LOADOUT = Shuriken Cannon or Scatter Laser for anti-infantry point defense, or Starcannon or Bright Lance. Pulsar: Almost purely an anti-vehicle weapon, a single Pulsar emits a powerful, explosive beam of energy on target over 2 kilometers distance in a semi-rapid burst. It is the highest point of Eldar laser technology, perfecting the widespread destruction of a blast, the distant beaming power to bubble away any due physical material, while also emitting explosions on contact. Its only weakness is that it is a forward hull-mounted weapon and the vehicle must face it’s intended target. Sonic Lance: A weapon that trades the pinpoint range of the above-mentioned Vibro Cannon for a searing, forward-mounted blast of earth-quaking sonic waves. Though barely extending the range of any submachinegun, all in the spreading concussion is capable of instantly rupturing any infantry and potentially churning the internals of any vehicle to uselessness and given time could internally rupture any superstructure vehicle. With enough time, it is capable of destroying virtually anything. It is ideal for destroying soft supply lines and waves of infantry. DEFENSE: The Lynx, like other Eldar super-heavy vehicles, is equipped with a Titan Holo-field, which helps to render it almost completely invisible and throw off distorting images on targeting systems.
Scorpion / Cobra
Behind the shield of the Space Marines’ vehicles, human tanks advanced again, hundreds of soldiers following behind. From left and right explosions and other sounds of war echoed across the dome. The Emperor’s warriors pressed forwards on a broad front, starshells hanging in the air to illuminate their path, the roar of great guns booming out above the splintering crash of falling trees and the crackle of flames. Beside Morlaniath, the Cobra lifted effortlessly from the flattened grass, arcs of energy coruscating along its distortion cannon, throwing dancing shadows across the clearing. The lead Space Marine tanks were almost three-quarters of the way along the valley. Lascannon blasts stabbed from them into the darkness, setting fire to trees, gouging furrows in the ground as the enemy sought the elusive eldar. With a thrum that set the ground shaking, the Cobra opened fire. The air itself screamed as the distortion cannon tore at its fabric, a rent appearing in the air above the closest Space Marine vehicle. The gap widened into a whirling hole framed with purple and green lightning, its depths a swirl of colors and reeling stars. Even at this distance, Morlaniath felt a slight nausea tremble through his body and a burning in his spirit stones. The warp rift tugged at his spirit, immaterial fingers prying into parts of his mind locked away behind barriers learnt as a child. Tempting whispers and distant laughter echoed in the Exarch’s thoughts. The Space Marine tank was dragged to a stop by the implosive energies of the warp hole, its tracks grinding vainly through the soil, smoke belching from its exhausts as the driver gunned the engine in an effort to maintain traction. With a drawn-out creak, the vehicle lifted from the ground, tipping backwards, stretching and contorting as the breach into warp space opened wider. Rivets sprang free and disappeared into the ravening hole, followed quickly by the tangled remains of the gun sponsons. An armoured figure was drawn out of the top hatch and spun crazily into the maw of the warp a moment before the tank slammed upwards and was sucked into the spiraling vortex. With a crack like thunder the vortex closed, sending out a Shockwave that sent a nearby Space Marine transport slamming into a tree with a shower of wood splinters and leaves. — Path of the Warrior, page 182
Weapon Type: Laser Armor Type: Wraithbone Max Speed: ~175 mph Max Range: 2+ Kilometers Preferred Range: 2+ Kilometers Classification: Super-heavy Tank The monsters of Eldar anti-grav tank technology. Sharing the same chassis, the main separation of both vehicle classifications is primary armament and how they might be used. The Scorpion is the largest of skimming Eldar war vehicles, and is the largest anti-grav vehicle on record for the Imperium of Man. It is primarily a tank hunter in role and function, equipped with a pair of Pulsars not unlike that seen on the Lynx. Fearsome, turret-mounted weapons, it is many times the strength of a Bright Lance, the strength of the beam so forcefully strong it will slice an Imperial Leman Russ clean in half or destroy a building in a single shot, not just beaming through their armor, but hitting with explosive energy. This fearsome firepower is made worse by the advanced targeting systems and link to the pilot and gunner (and yes, only 2 are required compared to the usual 4-6 in Imperial compared vehicles, as the mind-link is all that’s necessary). Accelerating at speeds above 37 mph, it is capable of darting between buildings or through a clearing, and having already picked its primary target, fire on the move before disappearing again, with only moments in the opening to shoot. This allows a Scorpion (or paired squadron) to pick apart a more ponderous heavy vehicle or a whole tank battalion while keeping itself from being easily tracked and destroyed. If that weren’t enough, the Scorpion is also protected by a Titan Holofield. Crews of Imperial tanks report that there is never guarantee of where a shot may land. Even if a shot were to squarely be on target, it could never hit the exact spot the skilled gunner intended. Indeed, even all the sensors and targeters available to the Imperium in prime condition cannot hope to always align the necessary information to make a shot. Secondary armaments for the twin-Pulsar Scorpion is often a chin-mounted Bright Lance for added anti-vehicular attack, though it can be mounted with other armaments for additional support.
Weapon Type: Distortion Armor Type: Wraithbone Max Speed: ~175 kph Max Range: 1+ Kilometer Preferred Range: 1+ Kilometer Classification: Super-heavy Tank The Cobra is a different variant of the Scorpion, trading supremely long range and bursts of fire for one of the largest-known mountings of the Distortion Cannon. It is perhaps slightly more ponderous and has a slower rate of fire, but still relies on speed and Holo-field technology to keep it from taking damage. The weapon is capable of sucking out a whole tank and the explosive disaster from the implosion in reality itself will cause secondary aftereffects of damage, the pull strong enough to stop a Space Marine tracked vehicle. It can be best imagined as a black-hole cannon. In totality, no known energy shielding, repair protocol animation, barrier, or thickness of armor stops this Distortion Cannon. If it hits, it simply bypasses all known defenses and creates a gaping hole the size of a tank on target. The only potential escape is not getting hit. As such, the Cobra hunts the most durable, strongest foes that the Eldar might come to meet.
= LOADOUT = Scorpion: Turret-mounted Twin-Pulsars Cobra: Turret-mounted Distortion Cannon Also Shuriken Cannon or Scatter Laser for anti-infantry point defense, or Starcannon or Bright Lance. DEFENSE: Both the Scorpion and Cobra, like other Eldar superheavy vehicles, are equipped with Titan Holo-fields, which helps to render it almost completely invisible and throw off distorting images on targeting systems.
Wraithknight Standing just more than twice the height of a Wraithlord, the Wraithknight is a fairly rare sight on a battlefield, often accompanying a Ghost Warrior army in firm, major support. They are built on the psychic link between a dead Eldar twin and his still living twin housed within a spirit stone. Together, they pilot the Wraithknight and can act as a communication hub between the living and the dead as the twins can “speak” to one another. This bridges understanding and direction to the other Wraithbone constructs around them. In function a Wraithknight is capable of dexterous motion, able to leap, bound, and run through a ruined city while shooting weapons on shoulders and arms. A Wraithknight can be equipped with a variety of weapons (again as per the ability of the half-living steersman and possible twin) giving a commander some versatile options in regards to their placement. Quite thankfully for the enemy, Wraithknights are incredibly rare, seen only in the desperation a full Ghost Warrior army can bring about. = LOADOUT = Two of any Shuriken Cannons, Scatter Lasers, or Starcannons. 2 Heavy Wraithcannons or Ghostglaive/Suncannon and Scattshield.
Weapon Type: Various Armor Type: Wraithbone Max Speed: Unknown Max Range: 2+ Kilometers Preferred Range: Various Classification: Massive Battle Walker
Suncannon: Take the plasma-based Starcannon, capable of burning a hole through the armor of a Space Marine in which his arm would fit. Amplify the range to a missile launcher’s distance, and give it the same blast-explosive potency of the Imperium’s Plasma Cannon counterpart. Now make it a rapid-fire weapon. This is the Suncannon. It will eliminate anything except heavy vehicles in the thickest armor. DEFENSE: Scattershield – An unusual, sleeve-mounted shield generator, it converts the energy of incoming attacks into scattered rays of multicolored light which can blind those under its wake.
Titans
Weapon Type: Laser or Sonic Armor Type: Wraithbone Max Speed: Unknown (can jump a sniper rifle’s distance) Max Range: 2+ Kilometers Preferred Range: 2+ Kilometers Classification: Scout Titan
= LOADOUT = Two Pulsars or two Sonic Lances Shoulder-mounted Revenant Missile Launcher Pulsars: Fearsome, arm-mounted weapons, it is many times the strength of a Bright Lance, the strength of the beam so forcefully strong it will slice an Imperial Leman Russ clean in half or destroy a building in a single shot, not just beaming through their armor, but hitting with explosive energy. Sonic Lances: Weapons that trades the pinpoint range of the above-mentioned Vibro Cannon for a searing, forwardmounted blast of earth-quaking sonic waves. Though barely extending the range of any submachinegun, all in the spreading concussion is capable of instantly rupturing any infantry and potentially churning the internals of any vehicle to uselessness and given time could internally rupture any superstructure vehicle. With enough time, it is capable of destroying virtually anything. It is ideal for destroying soft supply lines and waves of infantry. DEFENSE: Titan Holo-field, emitted by the spine-fins on its back.
Eldar Titans employ the full prospect of the Eldar’s greatest grace in technology. They are tall, slim, powerful, and equipped with bedazzling weapons and defenses. The Revenant Titan is the smallest known, possessing a single spine of wing-like fins along its back. These house the massive Titan holo-field that allows it to shimmer under confusing distorting images to scanners and visual aids while remaining nearly invisible to the naked eye. Extra-equipped with jump jets and gravitic motors, a Revenant Titan is capable of bounding and hurdling through the air with nearly the gait and flexible precision of Eldar acrobatics though it probably cannot do flips, it can leap across mountain valleys and scale sheer cliff walls impossible to Titans of other races. These jump jets are primarily used in scouting attack roles for larger Phantom Titans. The Revenants have almost no dedicated energy shielding for defense compared to the layers of void shields used by other forces. Though their Wraithbone construction makes them durable for their relatively thin physique, they are not tasked with holding a battle line against the enemy. Instead, they rely on cunning mockery of sight and targeting systems, using holo-fields to encase them in a shimmering existence. Understanding some weak points in the holo-fields and the application of flooding a battlefield with firepower caused severe damage to Eldar titans fighting in the Incursion of Betalis III among the Imperial’s Titan Legion, but not a single Eldar titan was destroyed. As if these weren’t bad enough, Revenant Titans are often fielded in pairs! Working together with a close blood relative or kin, the steersmen pilot their machines in hitand-run attacks against the most monstrous of enemy foes (i.e. other Titans or similar superstructures of destruction) where other engines of destruction would need to amass in too dangerous numbers or negotiate other targets of importance. Equally it can also act in a support role as extra heavy firepower for Guardian Defenders. The Revenant’s primary weapon systems are a pair of Pulsar super heavy lasers in similar design to the twin pair seen on Scorpion or Sonic Lances of the Lynx, except mounted on both arms and able to fire separately. Upon its shoulders are a set of short-ranged missile pods for close quarter battle to smaller targets, hammering light or heavy infantry but nigh worthless against most tanks (which ought to be destroyed by its wrist-mounted cannons!).
The primary weapon systems are the two weapons mounted to the wrists of the Phantom, the largest atmospheric variants of the Eldar’s most destructive weapons. It can carry a massive combat weapon such as a sword, allowing it to slice and dice other enemy titans up close, using its superior speed and gait of stable grace (or destroy a building without any shooting). More commonly are Phantom Pulsars, laser weapons of the same design, but double in armor piercing and rate of fire, stripping and slicing up an enemy titan without shielding at several kilometers’ distant or with a pair of the weapons, using the explosive potential of the laser to destroy half a dozen squads in one fusillade.
The Phantom Titan is the largest known titan seen among the Eldar forces, though rather small compared to the largest among the Orks and Imperium. Standing over 25 meters tall, it is still a terrifying and monstrous enemy to combat. Projected from its dual fins on its back, the titan-sized holo-field encases it in the same manner as other large Eldar vehicles, nearly invisible to the naked eye, even up close, and it is bristling with weaponry. On its shoulders are anti-aircraft missile launchers, anti-tank weapons in their own right, shredding all lightweight aircraft with ease, or an even stronger variant, capable of destroying a squadron of enemy vehicles on the ground of light or medium grade, or overwhelming a heavy tank. Aided by long-dead spirits with eons of experience, it will mark out the potential weak points and strike against them. Set just underneath these are heavy plasma Starcannons with long-range, rapid firing capacity, or the anti-tank Pulse Laser normally found on Falcons. These weapons must be at least a couple meters away from the enemy, for it cannot target anything around its legs (which it would prefer to simply step on in that case). But these are just point-defense weapons.
If any enemy firepower is capable of stunning or temporarily hurting the pilot’s abilities, the Wraithbone core’s onboard spirit matrixes will guide and steer the Phantom on course, to make sure it continues the fight as necessary. Phantom Titans are utilized only in fairly dire circumstances when the Eldar are forced to stand and fight. Instead of allowing themselves to be hit when and where the enemy wishes in the manner of head-on force preferred by more brutish foes, the Eldar simply send Phantom Titans. In a pitched battle on wide open plains, the Phantoms excel, needing no protection of cover thanks to holofields, and it is massive and armored with enough Wraithbone as to withstand bulky firepower many times in a battle (though they are not fool-hardy to make last stands or keep fighting in a useless scenario). Weapon Type: Laser or Distortion Armor Type: Wraithbone Mobility: 8 (can jump a sniper rifle’s distance) Max Range: 5+ Kilometers Preferred Range: Variable Classification: Heavy Titan = LOADOUT = Two of the following: Phantom Pulsar or one and a large combat weapon; plus Shoulder-mounted Phantom Missile Launchers, and Phantom Starcannon or Pulse Laser.
And yes, of course, the two primary wrist-mounted weapons may be the largest known battlefield use of Distortion Cannons. A Cobra super heavy tank is capable of sucking up and banishing the existence of a single tank or squad, or leaving that big of a hole in the existence of any structure or large enemy vehicle/monster that comes into its path. Double the size of the warp rift blast and increase the range to a few kilometers. Give a Phantom Titan two, one for each arm, and send it to a pitched battle, where troops might only spot it a few meters away (or possibly see a small portion of the ground it would be flattening), and targeting systems are confounded to its precise location and will miss by dozens of meters, attacks crashing randomly and harmlessly around it. Two Phantom D-Cannons.
aircraft
Nightwing interceptor Type of Aircraft: Anti-grav jet fighter Weapon Type: Shuriken, Laser Armor Type: Wraithbone Max Speed: Mach 3 (swept wing) / Mach 1.8 (extended wing) Classification: Interceptor Combatants: 1 pilot Nightwing Interceptors form the usual role of intercepting enemy aircraft, primarily those harassing or bombing enemy troops but also enemy fighters. This role is possible thanks to their wing design, able to arrow through the air swept wing before engaging the enemy as they extend the wings for extra lift and maneuverability. Their other usual role is to protect Eldar from attacking aircraft and guide larger Phoenixes and Vampires. They have powerful anti-gravitic thrusters that allow them to perform aerial acrobatics that should rightly be considered quite impossible. As if this edge were not enough, they also sport small holo-fields that make target locks difficult to impossible, throwing out distorting images. Even resorting to simple gun sights, their exact location is fickle and hard to tell to the naked eye. Once this defense is managed to be bypassed, they also possess energy fields that repel enemy fire from weak points which must be overloaded with force of attack to destroy the nimble aircraft. Nightwing pilots are skilled Eldar crewmembers who have driven Jetbikes, Vypers, and/or Falcons. Though they are almost always young compared to Eldar standards who have not yet travelled on the Path of the Warrior. Despite their inexperience, they still possess all the physiological advantages an Eldar can provide over the experienced pilots of other races. During the Lammas Campaign, in four days an Imperial fighter wing of Thunderbolts took 75% casualties in four days in eight sorties (missions), with only 1 unconfirmed possible Eldar loss. It has been pointed out in the report that such losses can be expected and are normal when fighting against Eldar Nightwings. = LOADOUT = Two Long-barreled Shuriken Cannons and two Bright Lances Shoulder-mounted Revenant Missile Launcher DEFENSE: Holo-field, Energy Field
Crimson hunters Type of Aircraft: Anti-grav jet fighter Weapon Type: Shuriken, Laser Armor Type: Wraithbone Max Speed: Unknown, probably Mach 2 Classification: Air Superiority Fighter Combatants: 1 pilot Unlike most Eldar craft which are piloted by Eldar Guardians, Crimson Hunters are piloted by Aspect Warrior pilots. Few in number, their Exarches are not the eternal usual body armor as other Aspects for death of the Exarch almost always ends in the complete destruction of his craft ensures his bodysuit and even spirit stone are lost. They are nevertheless locked in the same eternal struggle, having donned their war mask and are unable to take it off. It is said that the Exarches of the few Crimson Hunter shrines are the most gifted pilots in the galaxy. It must be true, as the Exarches are capable of picking out and sniping individuals on the ground! Crimson Hunter craft practice in shrine atriums that would take days to walk, floating in circling patterns around the Craftworld allowing the pilots to practice in aerial combat against their master exarch and each other, honing and perfecting their skills as Nightwing pilots couldn’t. Daring to pass close to other objects in maneuvers to throw each other off, they can pass into tunnels with only inches from the wings of their craft. Thrilling, but understandably very dangerous. Thus so, like the Shining Spears that are always constantly boarded upon their Jetbikes in the shrine at all times, so too are the Crimson Hunters, learning to feel the very edges and depth of limit to their craft. Flying upon Nightshade Interceptors (the name of the chosen aircraft), the Aspect follows the likeness of Khaine’s bloody blades. The war god fashioned his dripping blood into a pair of blades which he threw at a serpent that was so massive it eclipsed the sun whenever it poised to strike. The daggers penetrated the serpent’s eye sockets, and it is from these blades that the Crimson Hunters take from Khaine, focusing on his ability to leave a more powerful foe reeling and ready for the slaughter. = LOADOUT = Two Bright Lances and Pulse Laser
Phoenix Type of Aircraft: Anti-grav jet bomber Weapon Type: Various Armor Type: Wraithbone Max Speed: Unknown, probably Mach 2 Classification: Attack Craft Combatants: (2), Pilot and Gunner When the Eldar warhost enters battle, it is not uncommon for the head of it to send in a Phoenix for close air support. The agile vehicle swings and darts around anti-aircraft fire like a dance. Despite being a heavy bomber craft, utilizing his heightened reflexes and senses, the pilot can evade enemy aircraft and incoming missiles while the co-pilot gunner punishes ground forces for standing in the way of the Eldar warhost. The nose-mounted Shuriken Cannons might not be good against hard ground targets, but its primary purpose is to hit other aircraft when Nightwings and Crimson Hunters are not able to support it. The Phoenix clears the trenches and strafe enemy infantry. The reduction in numbers helps the rest of the warhost to cut down the rest of the enemy with swift ease. Sweeping out of the skies directly from Webway portals, it is also extremely silent. The first sign that the enemy has of an incoming Phoenix attack is when the guns begin going off. And once the attack is on, it is difficult to pin a lock or hit it from the holo-fields masking its exact presence. Unlike other high altitude support vehicles, the Phoenix does not use bombs or dropped ordinance. Instead, it’s preferred among the Eldar to use weapons that are direct and steady, making it an attack craft. The size and = LOADOUT = Twin Shuriken Cannons, Pulse Laser, two Missile Launchers (with Starswarm Missiles) DEFENSE: Thick Wraithbone core, Holo-field
hemlock Wraithfighters This is not a weapon of war. It is a weapon of terror. It is so horrifying a thing to be seen on the battlefield that the Eldar argue over its very existence and use. Only in dire circumstances (though against any foe) is it ever unleashed, often working in conjunction with or just before Wraithbone construct warriors are released upon the foe. Its controls and inner systems operate like a Craftworld’s Infinity Circuit, thrumming with the spirits of dead Eldar that keep it aloft and aid the pilot with whispers. The only ones able to be sane enough to use it are Spiritseers, for they alone can communicate with the dead and come back to their bodies. Though on rare occasion, just as they delve into the Infinity Circuit they too can be lured out of body into the systems of the aircraft—dangerous since they’re needed to keep it aloft! When used, At first, it will utilize its Mindshock Prod to amplify the psychic intensity of the Spiritseer pilot. Using empathetic powers, it will instill a heightened fear within the enemy below as it passes, and even large mobs of Orks are immune. The waves of negative emotion cause the air itself to shudder and the targets gibber and wail in panic. It is described best as a cold projection of the dead itself. The psyker is also capable of projecting the telepathic power Terrify (as re-described below).
Type of Aircraft: Bomber Weapon Type: Various Armor Type: Wraithbone Max Speed: Unknown, probably Mach 2 Classification: Bomber Combatants: 1 pilot = LOADOUT = Mindshock Prod, Two Heavy D-scythes
But what brings the highest of special attention to this aircraft are the Heavy D-scythes. Emitted by the vengeful spirits within the Hemlock Wraithfighter, this weapon emits no blast or beam. The only note of its use is a high wailing scream and the targets below appearing as puppets with their strings cut, tumbling to the ground for no scientific reason. Their souls (or animated processes if it is a machine) are separated from their bodies. Heavy tanks and psychic monsters are all equally vulnerable. Only sometimes with enough heavy amounts of shielding (like an underground bunker maybe) and quickness of movement (it is not an accurately ideal weapon for aerial combat) will shield and stop someone from having their very inner essence totally removed, no regeneration allowed. It was intended when used by Iyanden to even completely sever Tyranid Hive Mind creatures from emitting control to the swarm around them. = SPECIAL = Terrify: (See Farseer, page 35).
vampires Type of Aircraft: Anti-grav dropship / Heavy Attack Craft Weapon Type: Various Armor Type: Wraithbone Max Speed: Mach 2.6 Combatants: (2), Pilot and Navigator = LOADOUT = RAIDER: - 2 Wing-mounted Pulse Lasers (or) Missile Launchers (with Starswarm Missiles), (or) a single center-lined Pulsar (see Lynx). - Nose-mounted Scatter Laser
HUNTER: - Twin Wing-mounted Pulsars (see Lynx) - Twin Missile Launchers (with Starswarm Missiles) - Nose-mounted Scatter Laser A flying super heavy vehicle, and the largest atmospheric jet aircraft as seen among the Eldar, the Vampire comes in two variants. The Raider is primarily used by Eldar corsair pirates and favored for use when Webway portals are not accessible or a more immediate attack is needed with supporting firepower. It has a transport capacity for 30 Eldar, though heavier-armed versions can carry 20. The second more primarily seen among the Eldar forces in general is the Vampire Hunter, a heavy attack craft designed to hammer ground targets. Forgoing any troop transport capacity, the Vampire Hunter instead serves as an anchor platform for heavy weaponry, making it a supersonic flying nightmare, combining the Phoenix’s ability to dodge and hit enemy aircraft in dogfighting, with the punishing firepower of a Scorpion or Titan. However for its size and dedicated role for hitting heavy ground targets, the Vampires are given Nightwing Interceptors for supporting air cover to break off and engage squadrons of enemy interceptors or fighters that may threaten the Vampire as it sweeps in for a punishing salvo. A semi-rare vehicle, the Vampire Hunters are only seen in large-scale Eldar battlefield operations, specialized at hitting hard targets from a high angle, used when the other ground-based vehicles (such as a Lynx or Scorpion/Cobra) are occupied, having other pressing targets, or the target in question (an enemy super titan or defensive structure) is just too big to handle otherwise. DEFENSE: Titan Holo-field
SUPPORT Wave Serpents Weapon Type: Various Armor Type: Wraithbone Max Speed: 528 mph Max Range: 1+ Kilometer Preferred Range: Any Classification: Main APC Combatants: (1), Pilot While the use of heavy vehicles and Guardians (even for piloting duties) is kept to a bare minimum, the Wave Serpent is the strongest of exceptions. Utilized to carry any Eldar squad to their targets while offering 360-degree protection and support, the Wave Serpent is more like an excuse to add additional tank-like firepower than an actual APC. As its primary purpose is to carry Eldar to the field in numbers, they are one of the few vehicles equipped with an actual energy shield over a distorting holo-field. Capable of bullying through the most inhospitable anti-tank fire from the front or side, it will muscle its way to a position if stealth is not an option, and fire upon the enemy while unloading its payload. It can be equipped with a variety of twin-set heavy weapons, allowing it to double-up on the destruction of the targets from those inside, or to alternatively hit a different target type. Overall, it is considered one of the best troop carriers in the galaxy. = LOADOUT = - Turret-mounted Twin Shuriken Cannons, Scatter Lasers, Bright Lances, Missile Launchers, (or) Starcannons. - Nose-mounted Twin-Shuriken Catapults (or) Shuriken Cannon DEFENSE: Serpent Energy Shield – This device is strong enough to repel Earthshaker bombardments (which can flatten a building). Overloading the shields with a barrage of lighter attacks will only then be absorbed or bounce off the thick layer of Wraithbone armor forming the hull. Against those up against the vehicle (within the shield’s projection range) or able to attack from the rear (where passengers must dismount, can shoot from, and the engines must be capable of moving the vehicle), an attacker may bypass the shielding. A pilot can opt to forgo using the shield by temporarily draining the energy into a searing beam of energy. While not excellent at hitting armored foes, the blast can clear the way by severely wounding any monstrosity or infantry, the blinding energy causing others to duck for cover as the Eldar warriors inside dismount.
Wraithseers Wraithlord + D-weapon + Farseer = Wraithseer Perhaps the most dangerous and capable of any heavy infantry unit to encounter among the Eldar forces, the Wraithseer is a specialized Wraithlord construct that houses the soul of an esteemed and powerful Farseer or potently powerful Spiritseer. Such individuals have usually become fully crystallized and did not die so much as simply phase out of physical existence and merged with the Craftworld itself. They are extremely potent, powerful beings, possessing all the gait and wonder of any Eldar warrior. Yet this is combined with not only their wondrous psychic potential, but also a shoulder-mounted Distortion Cannon, energy shield, and massive Wraithspear. Such is their diving power that they can figure out the exact pieces of an enemy formation beyond the physical sight, aiding any commander who can hear them by seeing reports written about the battle in the future with extreme clarity. In addition, they still possess many of their old psychic abilities. Their only and perhaps greatest limitation is that they are still Wraithbone construct warriors. While their ability as psykers allows them to direct other Wraithbone warriors around them and helps to keep their Wraithsight in check, they are ultimately unable to communicate on any wider plain without the guidance of a living Spiritseer. Secondly, their Wraithbone body constructs are preciously few in number, and Spiritseers have seemed to have all but lost the knowledge on how to build and construct more. Weapon Type: Psychic, Distortion Armor Type: Wraithbone Mobility: 6 Training: 9 Max Range: 1+ Kilometers Preferred Range: Any! Classification: Psychic Support Combatants: Rare
= LOADOUT = - Shoulder-mounted D-Cannon (or, rarely) Bright Lance, Scatter Laser, Missile Launcher, Starcannon - Wraithspear: See Ghost Weapons, page 11 = SPECIAL: See Farseer DEFENSE: Energy Shield
Spiritseers Weapon Type: Psychic Ability Armor Type: Psychic Warding Mobility: 5 Training: 6+ Max Range: Assault Rifle Preferred Range: Any Classification: Combatants: Several dozen total Wraithguard, Wraithlords, Wraithfighters, and the use and most of the merging of any and all spirit stones (as well as most of their retrieval) is a burden set upon the Spiritseers. Without their powers of necromancy over the Eldar, the race would not survive. Spiritseers are those following the Witch Path who are called to commune with the dead. For most Eldar, it can be a fiery passion of desired obsession to linger too long within the Infinity Circuit, and the feeling can only be sated and performed by highly trained Spiritseers. Once exceedingly rare, Spiritseers and their abilities are growing ever more common, and at a seemingly frightening pace. While any Eldar seer can animate a Wraithbone warrior construct, or in close proximity guide a selection of spirits, a single Spiritseer can act as a communication hub to an entire army of ghost warriors. On the battlefield, Spiritseers serve only to guide the living dead of the Eldar in battle, while also acting in psychic support to the warhost. Departed souls can only formalize thoughts and feelings as reality; Spiritseers with their unique abilities can perceive both the mortal and immortal realms through the skein and provide a sense of clarity. LOADOUT: Shuriken Pistol Witchstaff: The usual weapon of Spiritseers (though they can also wield Witchblades), these will set the very soul on fire, even if they do not inflict any mortal or physical wounds.
= SPECIAL = Spiritseers are psykers, though not usually quite as powerful as Farseers. They can know potentially any Warlock power (See page 2930) and forms of Telepathic powers (see Farseer, page 35) DEFENSE: Rune Armor
Bonesingers Weapon Type: None Armor Type: Psychic Warding Mobility: 5 Training: 6+ Classification: Engineers / Technicians Combatants: Relatively few Almost all weapons, munitions, armor, scanners—even the runes used by Farseers—are all crafted of Wraithbone. And within each Wraithbone-built technology is a core acting as a psychic conduit for Eldar energies guided and held in place by the dead spirits contained in spirit stones. Without Bonesingers, these otherworldly technologies would not be possible. Without Bonesingers, there would be no Craftworlds, no Wraithbone, no connection with the dead, no Wraithbone construct warriors, no weapons, and no Eldar. In the presence of a human, their songs are quite horrifying and nightmarish, probably thanks to the psychic nature of their performance. The origins to Wraithbone are not known, but it is known that around each Wraithbone core is the Wraithbone material that can grow naturally. Much like any living thing, it can be cut off and killed; the destruction of a Wraithbone core to a Craftworld will essentially kill the whole system. Bonesingers use talents in ‘psychomorphism’ to accelerate the growth of psychotropic crystals that form around Wraithbone. These shapes, bent and twisted to the will of the Bonesinger, then make up fibrous bulkheads, supporting walls, floors, and conduits based on what is needed in the example of a structure or ship. Individual systems can either be created out of the shape (either damaged or being constructed) or sung into being elsewhere and installed subsequently. LOADOUT: Shuriken Pistol
DEFENSE: Rune Armor
Defenses Firestorms Weapon Type: Laser / Shuriken Armor Type: Wraithbone Max Speed: 528 mph Max Range: 2.5+ Kilometers Preferred Range: 2.5+ Kilometer Classification: Anti-aircraft Mobile Platform
In the rare instance in which the Eldar cannot achieve air superiority, they will employ the helped use of Firestorms. This is useful in cases such as the Baran War in which only vehicles of Falcon size or smaller could fit through the Wraithgates available. Working in concert to create a web of area denial to aircraft, Firestorms operate on the same familiar Falcon chassis. While a Scatter Laser is already of very formidable rates of fire, the Firestorm Scatter Lasers are triple-linked, shooting at the speed of light with continued, un-breaking sustained fire while over doubling the range. Like the Falcon, it still retains its 6-man transport capacity, able to temporarily deploy Aspect Warriors to the battlefield before returning to its main role as an anti-aircraft platform. For close point defense, it typically carries a pair of Shuriken Catapults but can also use a Shuriken Cannon against potential, harder foes. = LOADOUT = - Firestorm Scatter Lasers - Twin-Shuriken Catapults or Shuriken Cannon for anti-infantry point defense.
Soulshriek Barricade: Only the utmost fearless and hardy of troops would dare pass through this negative barrier. Set around an obstacle or structure, Spirit Stones that house the souls of passed Eldar that are too tainted by madness to be of any use (i.e. they cannot be placed in a weapon or vehicle to guide the user, even the Infinity Circuit rejects them). The air around the obstacle echoes with psychic screams that set nearby souls on edge. Those who try will often struggle and at worst will become momentarily paralyzed with fear. Wraithcoil: Crude races might utilize a form of razor wire or technological laser beam projected from posts to slow down an enemy or entangle them on their advance. The Eldar utilize a series of almost impossibly fine Wraithbone thread that contains a rudimentary sentience. Upon contact with a living creature it will constrict on contact, winding tighter and tighter until the victim has ceased its struggles. Wraithbone constructs are not affected as the rudimentary sentience and the ghost warriors can probably detect each other’s presence. Vehicles (not bikes) seem to be strong enough to pass through unhindered and uncoiled. Likely it will remain dormant having not detected movement from anything considered sentient or “alive”. Distortion Mines: Eldar do not rely on improvised explosives to deny strategic locations to the enemy. Instead, they employ sensor-triggered distortion mines that not only prove lethal to the ones who triggered them, but also severely damage the structural integrity of a building they might’ve been placed in or around. Instead of limbs, body parts, or foes being hit by an anti-personnel explosion (which some forms of heavy infantry can ignore), why not just suck those things right into the Warp?
Wraithgate: Wraithgates are very common Eldar-used structures or pathways that lead from the Webway. They can be large enough to fit an entire Craftworld (though albeit very rare) to those that can only allow the passing of one individual at a time. The most commonly used allow for the passing of a few vehicles at a time, which will exit at full speed and begin attacking almost immediately after entering the area in real space. And their use is complex and difficult at best, meaning other races attempting to use them will most likely find themselves lost in the Webway, if they can even get it to activate in the first place. Mobile, dormant forms exist that can be deployed on the battlefield, enough for an Avatar to emerge through. They can be hidden within structures or other key battlefield locations and put into place by Rangers or Pathfinders. The Eldar can also use Wraithgates to lure enemy forces into an area using a small special force. Once the enemy moves in for the attack, the Eldar forces can slip away into the Wraithgate, leaving them unable to be pursued while the Eldar commence their trap. Destabilization Node: These shining black crystals are harmless in themselves, but they amplify the eldritch energies of all distortion weapons unleashed upon nearby targets. Though not helpful to a great range (barely a pistol’s shot), the opening in the Warp rift becomes more potent. If placed into a structure (say a fine-looking building or bunker the enemy thinks is a great place for cover or forward base of operations), the potency of the distortion weapons magnifies as usual, causing greater deals of damage to the point of imminent collapse. Holo-emitters: Eldar vanguard units can be deployed with advanced holo-emitters, allowing them to fade into the shadows of ruins and play havoc with enemy scanners and detection devices. The result is that a unit might be in one place only to fade out of existence totally (or they were never there in the first place?), or project themselves as a completely different unit altogether. The chaotic result then becomes of conflicting reports as units seem to dance around the enemy, teleporting and re-teleporting between each other’s existence. Holo-bastion: The Eldar can deploy a whole holographic duplicate of one of their fortifications (or structure they’ve set up to act like one). Sensorarrays make it impossible to detect at long range—the illusion will only fade from their eyes (probably at the Eldar’s discretion) when they close the distance to investigate. Even Eldar forces or occupied persons within this structure will also be projected as illusions.
== The Craftworlds == = Ulthwé = The Eldar are altogether known for possessing an excess of skilled psykers. But the Craftworld known for having some of the most powerful and numbered psykers is Ulthwé. While those on the Warrior Path are relatively few compared to other Craftworlds, Ulthwé is not a force to be reckoned with. Always attacking in small numbers, the Aspect Warriors and Guardians enjoy a healthy amount of support from their leaders and an abnormal supply of Warlock psykerwarriors. The leadership of Ulthwé is led primarily by a council of seers, made up of Warlocks that attend to a select few Farseers. The Seer Council constantly seeks out the strands of fate that interweave Ulthwé, attempting to steer away from future destruction as other Craftworlds have. Indeed it is because of this that Ulthwé is the most pronounced Eldar group that interacts with Mankind. The head of the council is Eldrad Ulthran. Try as he might, he constantly attempts to warn other Craftworlds, even other races of their fate if he sees it fit to do. He looks beyond the simple fate of Ulthwé and directly at the fate of the entire galaxy. The actions he suggests to the Council is never forsaken or forgotten. Having led the Eldar to countless victories (and even in defeats creating the path needed to secure their future), the warhosts of Ulthwé go where the Farseers point without hesitation. The seers direct the strikes of the warhost to inflict far greater damage than would be normal. They can also avoid taking a punishing amount of damage from the enemy, multiplying their effectiveness. The supply of willing members of the Seer Path is never lacking, and it is rumored by the other Eldar that this comes from a bit of taint from Chaos. Having resided over the Eye of Terror for so long, their extreme sense of psychic potential is compromised. For while flares of psychic intuition is not a feeling per se, it is a form of indulgence that Ulthwé readily accepts, but possibly at a damning price. Because there is so much time and caution spent while on the Path of the Seer, the Ulthwé Craftworld has few in the way of aspect warriors.
But since the races of the galaxy are mostly made up of stubborn and ignorant souls, someone must be sent to fix the strands of fate by war. So most of the military force of Ulthwé is made up of Guardians. When the Craftworld needs, it divides the Guardians into small and highly effective strike teams, often led by battle-psykers like Warlocks and Spiritseers that do the secret wars aspect warriors are expected to do. The extreme number of battle-hardened Guardians often leads to an unnaturally high number of Black Guardians. These veterans merge their skills learned from their unceasing fights with the psychic potential of their leaders to form a devastating force.
= Biel-tan = The Eldar of Biel-Tan believe in a reborn future for their race. Their goal is to see the Eldar empire rise once again, and it will be done by the blood on their swords. So it is that Biel-Tan is the most warlike and genocidal of the Craftworlds. The Path of the Warrior is the most pressing on Biel-Tan, as war is the only way possible for the Eldar to forge the vision of a new empire. And for them, the future will start with the Exodites. Biel-Tan is therefore strong protectors of the “pure” survivors of the Fall, quickly and bolding attacking anything and everything that would dare come close to an Exodite world. Not the Tyranids, not the Imperium, not the Tau or Orks can touch an Exodite colony without Biel-Tan being filled with the wrath of Khaine. Biel-Tan will gladly use more tolerable races (i.e. those that can negotiate) as a hammer to defend or crush an invader. Once the two forces have beaten on each other, the warriors of Biel-Tan swiftly takes out the blooded and weak victor. The Craftworld is most responsible for the distrust that the Imperium holds for the Eldar even when an alliance is made with another Craftworld. The Avatar of Khaine that sits in the center of Biel-Tan is constantly waked. Each time a bloody sacrifice made as his likeness takes over the essence of an Exarch and joins the military council called the court of the young king. As the Craftworld has the largest number of Exarches and warrior shrines, this is never a problem. In battle, the Craftworld strikes hard and fast, often utilizing as much martial force as possible. Swooping Hawks and Warp Spiders harry the enemy at short distances, making way for the ground attack groups. Dark Reapers and Dire Avengers give support at range for Howling Banshees and Striking Scorpions to move in close and wipe out scores of the enemy. And the Shining Spears make sure nothing escapes. The assembled warhost of Biel-Tan is often called the Swordwind, as they are a swift blade that cuts through the enemy in record time. And nothing is more satisfying to the Swordwind as eliminating a colony of the lesser races on a world in which the Exodites live. For it is seen as an invasion that stands up against the inevitable rise of the Eldar empire.
If Biel-Tan had the strength and the blessing of the Seer Council, they would descend upon Holy Terra itself and kill the god-corpse called the Emperor that binds the Imperium together. Some of the most intolerable enemies of Biel-Tan are the ever-expanding Orks. Even more warlike Orks spread like a consuming, cancerous disease as they reproduce by spores. When they invade an Exodite world, it takes centuries to purge the infestation.
= SAIM-HaNn = While every Craftworld is different, it is Saim-Hann (pronounced “Sam-Hine”) that is culturally closest to the Exodites and furthest from the others. They are fiercely loyal and also fiercely warlike. They hold a very competitive nature and exceed at high-speed kills. When the Fall was first evident and the Exodites began their journey to leave the empire, Saim-Hann was one of the first few Craftworlds that escape with them. Unlike more unified Craftworlds, Saim-Hann is divided up into different kindred clans led by families. These clans reside on the Craftworld in a rough unity and the shrines dedicated to the warriors are divided between them. Even the seers exist separated from each other. The strife that erupts between the Saim-Hann Eldar and other races is often a thing for honour or testing to lead the clan to greater glory. Competition exists in many forms, but most are bloodless. The most popular are those of high speed and daring maneuverability, testing the strength of will and skill. Atop blood red jetbikes and the clan emblem, the riders engage in jousting and races. And the most famous and skilled of all Saim-Hann residents are Jetbike and Vyper riders. When going to battle, most of the clan is racing across the battlefield, proud and mighty and almost always in a spearhead strike. The seers of the clan direct them in the most thrilling attack patterns, and the rest gladly follow. As most Craftworlds have Autarchs to lead the warhosts and the Princes over them, Saim-Hann instead has chieftains. Theses chiefs direct the clan in all ways, in how they should do battle, compete, and deal with the other clans. They go to battle surrounded by their loyal kinsmen. Saim-Hann is the originators of the Vyper. A stronger, larger modified version of the jetbike, it was built to give the wave of jetbikes going into battle a supportive heavy platform that could keep up. With these, the clans could strike swift and hard at their opponents who blindly attempt to stop the swirling darts killing off the army. But when the ill-need arises, the whole of the Craftworld can unite, for the fate of the Craftworld is the fate of them all. Competition and rivalry are all in good nature as iron sharpens iron. The Eldar of Saim-Hann know that as they improve on each other’s skills in the kill, they can develop better warriors. But the best fighting clan Saim-Hann can produce are that of the Wild Riders. Often joined by the insane Nuadhu ‘Fireheart’, they are best known as their name implies, wild, frenzied attacks. For them, battle is as much a sport to show off as it is an honour to attend.
= IYANDEN =
had never gotten any foothold in the Eastern Fringe. Further investigation would have shown they had an unlikely ally drifting in that region of the galaxy. The Iyanden Craftworld spearheaded many efforts to utterly destroy all Chaos taint around them, and later, the Tyranid Hive Fleets. But after one of their major encounters with a monstrous Chaos traitor pirate fleet, Iyanden was struck a devastating blow; Yriel’s foolhardy arrogance allowed the slimmest, smallest attack against the Craftworld itself. As they made repairs and Yriel banished himself, the Craftworld tried to continue without him. Eldrad had shown up with Bonesingers to help, warning Iyanden of the Tyranids coming to destroy their Craftworld. They, in their arrogance, ignored him. Just a year’s time after Eldrad’s warning, the Farseers of Iyanden realized that the Tyranids were coming, and had enveloped and surrounded the Craftworld. The High Admiral that took Yriel’s place took what fleet there was on the outer rim of the Craftworld as it turned westward. Performing a series of hit-and-run attacks, he was able to harass Hive Fleet Kraken’s vanguard, but they were but pinpricks. Eventually, he destroyed a whole freakin’ star, detonating and setting nuclear fire to a whole entire system, destroying tens of thousands of Tyranid vessels.
Perhaps once the largest and greatest of the Craftworlds, Iyanden is known for its unusual number and willingness to field mass of hulking Wraithbone constructed warriors. Lumbering into battle unopposed like a wall of impenetrable tanks, the ghost warriors ensure the destruction of the enemy while preserving the few living survivors of the Craftworlds most recent, costly wars. There was a time when Iyanden was one of the most influential and powerful Craftworlds, holding the largest, flourishing population of Eldar. For a brief time, the High Lords of Terra wondered why Chaos
But even the destruction of a whole star did not slow down the Kraken, did not even consume the majority of the Tyranids, and several were able to endure the explosion. In the absence of their greatest military hero Yriel, the Great Devourer of Hive Fleet Kraken descended on Iyanden. Pouring wave upon wave of Tyranids and desecrating Iyanden, the Craftworld mustered all capable of fighting. Since then, Iyanden has been reduced to a shadow of its former glory, bitterly struggling to regain what was lost, and utilizing all manner of horrifying terror weapons such as the Hemlock Wraithfighter and continued overuse of Wraithbone constructs that have refused to sleep in the Infinity Circuit.
= ALAITOC = Ironically, while Alaitoc is most rigid and unyielding to the paths to avoid another disastrous fate such as the Fall, they are the most lacking; for it is their strong dedication to the paths that drives off the young and energetic. For this reason, Alaitoc features the strongest number of allies; the ‘starstriders’, Rangers and followers of the Wandering Path. The highest count of corsairs and rangers that come from Alaitoc cannot fully be accounted for as there are so many and they spread across the galaxy so wide. It is about this Craftworld that the Imperium is most familiar with as they have captured many of their stray flock. These Outcasts experience an almost harsh return to friends and family that do not take their choice of path lightly. It is a thing detested, but by their nature these wanderers among the stars are very valuable. Being highly isolated in the furthest regions of the galaxy—attempting to stay as far away from all other civilization—Alaitoc knows little of current events. The enemies of Alaitoc are many, and the Imperium constantly chases them down as the captured betray some light of information, intentional or not, as to the Craftworld’s whereabouts. It has even suffered a major attack by the Imperium itself when the Dark Eldar betrayed its location after receiving their own double-dealing from one such wanderer. It is therefore very important as the Seers try and figure the path Alaitoc can take to avoid a fate of destruction, the Rangers that return bring information of impending, physical doom. And these messengers are always welcome back into the fold when they realize their young and impulsive desire to chance their own destiny was an act of immature foolishness. Either when they have finally fulfilled their impulse and long to come back to Alaitoc or can no longer stand their lifestyle. They are grafted back into the path and leave their old life behind. It is possible that these returning members then wish to prevent the same fate and the cycle begins again as they impose Alaitoc’s strict
code for loyalty on the path. But Alaitoc, in all of its beautiful luster, art, and domes that contain all manner of terrain and worlds of their own, do not always contain all those who leave. Many outcasts grow into their life all the way into dooming themselves as Pathfinders. Even when knowing that their soul is often at the mercy of the galaxy, relying on the bonding friendship of other Rangers and Pathfinders to take their spirit stone to Alaitoc’s infinity circuit. But this is nothing short of a luxury, as the wild and impulsive lives of these starstriders is dangerous, no matter how cautious and elusive they may be. But it is this nature of them that allows them to scout ahead of the enemy so well and disrupt enemy battle plans. So it is that Alaitoc’s warriors, though few in number and concentrated in will, can cut through a confused enemy. The Rangers and Pathfinders of Alaitoc like eyes of a hawk constantly watch the galaxy and know all, finding ways into enemy camps and confusing the enemy. It is mostly for sport and old times’ sake, as the Pathfinders that undertake these duties will get a very thankless return on their efforts.
== heroes == avatar of Khaine When the Eldar are stirred to war, the energies and collective feelings of destruction are pooled through the psyche of the living Craftworld. A shift occurs in all daily activity and every Exarch can feel it. It is in these times the heart of the Craftworld stirs. Up to that time is a heavy, unnatural iron statue of Khaine within the Chambers of the Bloody Handed God waiting in slumber. But with war looming, the statue bellows with smoke as the psychic receptors in the chamber boil to life with the battle lust. The Eldar strength of will towards war pools into the statue itself, giving it the semblance of life. In a ritual, an Eldar Aspect Warrior or Exarch body is selected to be the Young King, stripped, painted in blood, and guided to the throne room. When the doors open, light as bright as a star shines through. His presence detected, the doors shut behind him on their own accord. The volcanic furnaces within the room bellow with noise. What of the Young King is really unknown, except that he is lost forever. What walks forth from the room is the statue of Khaine, moving with solid purpose and breathing smoke. His fingers drip with the blood of molten magma in one, the other holding the Wailing Doom encased in fire. The apex of Eldar war fever is reached, and the Avatar is released upon the battlefield. Standing three times the size of an Eldar, the Avatar pulses with energy of war and titanic might. The encased psychic energies of bloodlust feeds the battle-hardened determination to the Eldar warriors around him, encouraging them onward and into daring feats. Nothing matters to an Eldar warrior stirred up in this fashion except the complete destruction of his foes to reach the goals of the Craftworld. The Avatar himself is a horrific thing indeed, with the master skills of the war god himself. In personal combat, he is one of the most skilled and hardest to defeat, and every wound releases molten lava upon the foe.
That’s how I like my Space Marines—well done, crispy fried.
This embodiment of walking hell on earth can release flames to bring whole mobs of unarmored foes to ash. He can also unleash a molten, vaporizing energy from his Wailing Doom with the energy of a dying star. He can punch a tank and grab the screaming crewmembers, crushing their whole body in an easy snap. A few sweeps of his weapon can kill or incapacitate a trio of Tyranid Carnifexes. The essence of the Avatar is immortal; should the body be slain, the fragment of the Eldar’s very war god will return to its statue essence in the center of the Craftworld, waiting again to be reborn. And to the horror of many armies, the Avatar is unleashed multiple times for war, not just as a desperate last-act of terrible consequence and risk, unlike a Wraithbone construct like a Wraithlord. But alas, I must be honest. Since the Avatar of Khaine is not any true hero, only the once-apparition of a living god sustained by the sacrifice of an Eldar warrior, he has become the punching bag upon which other, alien heroes are built. You could say he is the punching bag for the “Hero of the Week” in Warhammer 40,000. A crude, yet sad and accurate detail the well define the limits of an Avatar. A good example: against Marenus Calgar, Chapter Master of the Ultramarines, the Avatar was able to slay multiple Space Marines, but against the worn and tired mortal, protected by his Terminator Armor, shielding, and ancient gauntlets, he just barely was able to withstand not just the Avatar in combat, but his molten lava of blood was able to cool around his power fists. Weapon Type: Molten, Flaming Close Combat Sword/Spear Armor Type: Ethereal runes Mobility: 7 Training: 10 (this is the living embodiment of the god of war) Max Range: Pistol Preferred Range: Beneath his foot Classification: Inspirational, Tactical Hero Combatants: 5, One per Craftworld
= LOADOUT = Wailing Doom: In the form of a spear or sword, it is a massive and destructive weapon, not only encased in ethereal energies, but burning hot, summoned into existence in a battle ritual with true origins and construction being unknown.
DEFENSE: The Avatar is a monster, and is considered in many ways a demonic entity; the soul-housed spirit barely contained in a physical embodiment to be used on the battlefield. Only the most dedicated anti-tank destructive weapons touch him. = ADDITIONAL FACTORS = As the Avatar bleeds lava and breaths smoke, he is completely immune to all manner of attacks that utilize forms of heat as a primary attack (including psychic fireballs, flamers, and fusion weapons).
Prince Dick of iyanden In Eldar folklore, Eldanesh was the greatest mortal Eldar hero of time, was once friends to the mighty Ulthanash, both warriors who fought side by side in many battles. However, deeds of Ulthanash brought much woe upon the race of the Eldar and he and Eldanesh became split in bitter rivalry. Though the two heroes fought as brothers until the end, Craftworlds who can trace their lineage to one or the other often breed mistrust. Yriel however is an out-casted half-blood; his mother hails from the noblest of lineages but his father is untraceable, very likely from Ulthanash, meaning he would have blood from both lineages, and possibly even from the Dark Eldar. Whatever the case, were he born of Ulthanash and Eldanesh, it would explain his monstrous pride. This does not excuse the dickery of his actions. The Prince of Dicks started his career when he took command of Iyanden’s fleet battling Hive Fleet Naga. He discovered that the loss of the larger bioships controlling the smaller ones would sow discord in the Tyranids. But it wasn’t until he sent boarding parties, including hundreds of ghost warriors (in a war that didn’t concern nor threaten Iyanden) to be sacrificed to do so. And yes, this was before Iyanden’s disastrous fall. He would find Kallorax’s shipyards and installations, his slave pens and would attack sending waves of sleek Vampire Raiders carrying Wraithguard and Wraithblades, killing everything and destroying all. Yes, even the slaves. Slowly but surely, Kallorax’s supplies thinned. While attacking an orbital station that Kallorax was in personal command, Yriel found it difficult to dislodge the defenders with Aspect Warriors. So to protect his own losses, he sent in waves after wave of ghost warriors, including Wraithlords, to destroy the station.
But it did not stop there: after countless successes over the course of 120 years, the Eldar encountered the Space Marine pirate Argan Kallorax. Hailing from the Raven Guard Chapter, Kallorax turned to Chaos and amassed a fleet larger than the whole of Iyanden’s own, harrying and destroying the Imperium in the Eastern Fringe while remaining out of their reach for justice. Iyanden had no need to interfere except to fulfill glorious intervention and arrogant pride. Yriel voiced out the most support for the action of course. And what, oh dick of dicks, would the prince do to find Kallorax? Trailing behind common trade fleets and vessels, Yriel would monitor their passing until an attack was underway. And no, he did not intervene as soon as he found the enemy’s signature. He waited until the pirates were wholly engaged with their prey; fully intent and ready to seize victory before the Dick’s fleet would bother begin any sort of attack. While the traders acted unknowingly as bait, in the seldom times they survived they looked to the Eldar as their saviors. Sometimes he would just have his ships monitor the area for distress calls, and cared nothing for the victims. To him, better by far it was that the dull-witted humans could make themselves useful by their deaths than live on to pollute the galaxy. Kallorax’ sorcerers were unable to divine the location of the Craftworld, despite his hot anger wanting so desperately to strike back at the foes hunting him down. Slaying all of his sorcerers for their failure (for the Farseers on Iyanden were able to draw a webbing cloud of distortion about the reality of the Craftworld, preventing the divination of its location), he turned to demons. After sacrificing an ungodly amount of lives, he finally drew the attention of a Slaaneshi Demon whose own monstrous pride was able to detect that of Iyanden’s, even through their psychic shielding.
Offering spirit stones (a petty and unusual request by Kallorax’s standards, who didn’t know what they were for), he set about to attack the Craftworld. It was in this attack that Yriel met his downfall; for so confident was he at winning he drew every single aircraft and vessel away from Iyanden to battle Kallorax’s fleet. This meant there was no rearguard, no Craftworld outward defenses, and no reserves. In the final attack, the duel between the Flame of Asuryan and Riot Hunger the flagships of the two fleets, Yriel attacked using his finest warriors, Wraithblades and even multiple Wraithknights. The latter were much too large to fit in Vampire Raiders (which can only hold 30 Eldar, and fewer Wraithblades), and strapping large jump jets, they flew through the void of space directly onto the Riot Hunger’s hull. Just before he could destroy the Riot Hunger, Yriel heard that three Chaos cruisers had breached the fighting and were headed towards the Craftworld. Knowing that there were no back-up vessels to intercept from the Craftworld itself (every single possible ship, even every fighter was in the battle), Yriel sent the Flame of Asuryan itself. Abandoning his attack and laughably destroying the first and disabling the second, the third he figured would be so easily overcome. Three dozen torpedo launches later, and Yriel realized each was a cyclonic warhead fit for planetary Exterminatus—they were designed to slaughter a whole world. If there was at least one squadron of fighters to move to attack the torpedoes, the event wouldn’t have mattered, but Iyanden was naked. Fate paled as the Craftworld’s batteries hit all but one of the torpedoes, which vaporized a chunk of Iyanden. Tens of thousands of Eldar died in the moment, and their Spirit Stones were destroyed in the same instance, dooming their souls beyond to Slaanesh. And the Prince Dick thought he was going to be hailed as a hero when he returned to the Craftworld. Yriel willingly chose self-exile, becoming an outcast and pirate prince of great success rather than answer to the Seer Council and its trial for him. And perhaps not surprisingly, a sizeable number of the fleet left
to follow him. During his life away from the Craftworld, Yriel founded the Eldritch Raiders and became one of the most successful and terrifying pirates to do combat with. It was during the peril Iyanden faced under the attack from Hive Fleet Kraken, and that they were barely able to send a telepathic message to him through the Shadow in the Warp. Despite living as a pirate, and having utterly defeated another pirate fleet and merging it with his own, not a single one of his number refused to follow him to Craftworld Iyanden’s call. When Yriel’s Eldritch Raiders arrived, the Craftworld was completely surrounded and the defenses all but stripped. Yriel was not only angry with the less competent commander failing to protect Iyanden, but also with himself for not having been here for the attack. Wasting no time, the pirate force hammered the Hive Fleet in space. With Yriel’s unprecedented skill, while still being monstrously outnumbered, the whole fleet around the Craftworld, indeed to the furthest reaches of their scanners, was destroyed. Not a single Tyranid hive ship existed. Secure in knowing that the Craftworld would not be receiving any more assault waves, he and the Raiders descended below. Knowing the best chance for the Craftworld’s survival lay in the slaying of the Tyranid leader-beast, Yriel willingly cursed himself by taking up the Spear of Twilight, once a weapon of his mighty ancestor, Ulthanash. With it, he was able to kill the before untouched Tyrant with a single attack, and the threat to Iyanden’s existence was temporarily relieved. Since then, Yriel had been somewhat humbled, though the fires of his personage still burned. After the ordeal, Yriel was restored to his position as a Price of Iyanden, commander over the warhost and Iyanden’s (much deteriorated) fleet.
Weapon Type: Power Weapon Armor Type: Wraithbone Mobility: 5 Training: 9 Max Range: Pistol Preferred Range: Close Combat Classification: Tactical Leader = LOADOUT = Plasma Grenades. Spear of Twilight: It is said that this accursed spear contains the baleful energies of a dying sun. Ever since he begun wielded it, he has never slept nor eaten, and to abandon the weapon is to surely kill him. It is a power weapon of sorts that has similar strength and capability to that of a Witchblade or Singing Spear, except it can pierce a Space Marine like a can opener. It was potent enough that in a single stab, it killed the whole Hive Tyrant leading the attack on Iyanden, striking right through its mouth and out the thick skull on the back of the head. Eye of Wrath: A small, monomolecular device mounted over Yriel’s left eye that can unleash a blast of tempest lightning against those under his gaze. It is a highly indiscriminate weapon (and a dickish one when used in combat with any allies), and only able to be unleashed approximately once per battle. But this single blast is capable of purging all manner of heavy infantry and bringing harm to any monster not protected with the strongest or most durable materials. DEFENSE: Forceshield (see Autarchs)
iyanna arienal In Yriel’s absence, Iyanna’s gift with the dead became a dire need when Hive Fleet Kraken struck Craftworld Iyanden. As the Tyranids conducted their relentless attacks, sending wave upon wave against the Craftworld, the spirit stones began to grow in frightful numbers. It was Iyanna who made it possible to turn the numerous spirit stones into a host of Wraithbone warriors to stand off against the Tyranids, holding back the scuttling waves and dueling with the monstrosities for the living to regroup. She was ever standing (and once deemed dead) with the Seers, leading the battle as best she could. It was her idea to send the Avatar of Khaine to make strides and duel with the Tyrant that was giving cohesion to the swarm. But as Tyranids have no sense of honor (or dishonor for that matter) accepted the challenge by sending a team of no less than a dozen Carnifexes his way. It was to her surprise that the prodigal son—Prince Yriel—returned. So as Iyanna led the warriors of the dead, Prince Yriel led the living warriors and together they crushed the Tyranid invaders into final destruction. After the dreaded battle, the two characters shifted into two completely different political perspectives. Yriel believed that the Craftworld should continue its conquest against Chaos, destroying it wherever it could be found and opposed. Iyanna held the notion that Iyanden and Eldar could rise again in totality. She determined with the prediction of Ynnead, a future Eldar god yet to be born, the Eldar could direct this entity’s existence. Under the new Farseer head of council, Taec Silvereye, he was able to spare what warriors Iyanden could to Yriel to continue his conquest while splitting resources for Iyanna’s efforts. Neither liked having only partial control, but it kept them going. When Rekkfist’s Waaagh! threatened the Iyanden Craftworld, it was the only force able to bring both parties together in unity of purpose.
Weapon Type: Witchblade Armor Type: Wraithbone Mobility: 5 Training: 9 Max Range: Assault Rifle Preferred Range: Any Classification: Tactical Leader
In the Battle for Antellas, a planet in the path of Iyanden’s movement, Yriel destroyed the orbiting forces so Iyanna could unleash a war of terror upon the Orks. Backed largely by a force of Wraithbone constructs (which had no need to speak or raise noise) and silent warriors such as Warp Spiders, Striking Scorpions, Rangers, and Crimson Hunters, she began killing Ork patrols and assassinating Warbosses. All Orks loved to fight, but knowing this, no Ork on the planet had seen an Eldar and lived to speak of it. Playing on their senses, the Orks believed they were being harassed by the supernatural. Yriel had largely destroyed the Ork fleet in space around the planet when at a super-random of mere slightest chances occurred—an entire Ork space hulk had dumped out of the Warp nearly right on top of Iyanden itself.
Luckily learning from his mistakes, Yriel left a full half of his fleet back on Iyanden, but it was little screen for such a vast conglomerate of warships and asteroids fused together. Iyanna was left to do battle alone. Assembling the might of her full army, the Orks charged in. Using no less than eighty Wraithfighters which before were sowing terror in their enemies, she completely decimated the whole of the charging Orks and their vehicles. Using a series of tellyportas, Ork reinforcements arrived and Iyanna knew she would be doomed if Yriel did not come to aid with his fleet. With unexpected help from the Dark Eldar pouring in through the Webway, Iyanden held off the Ork invasion. Yriel was able to blast key areas around the hulk which eventually spun uselessly into space. When he arrived on the Craftworld itself, not an Ork lived. The combined Eldar and Dark Eldar force raced back to Antellas to find that Iyanna had broken up the Ork attack and kept it from merging together. In a reckless move, Yriel had issued a challenge at Rekkfist himself but he would’ve been dead due to a Stompa stepping on him were it not for Iyanna. With foresight of the event, she ordered two Wraithknights to ensure the admiral’s safety, and together they destroyed the Stompa with their Heavy Wraithcannons. Exploiting the fortune of the chaos sown in the Orks, the Eldar forces swept through the planet and were totally victorious. The Dark Eldar took hundreds of caged Orks with them as “payment for services rendered”. After many years of respite, Kraken threatened Iyanden again, this time disgorged out of a warp storm made to swallow the Tyranids. It was in the path of the new hive fleet, Leviathan, and the two could not be allowed to merge. With Biel-Tan, the Dark Eldar, and Iyanden combined, they were able to set a doomsday device that would destroy the planet where the Tyranids would combine. But most of the Farseers, including Tace Silvereye, were lost in the battle. Iyanna Arienal is now the foremost influential authority on Iyanden.
< Iyanna turned Goth, probably no thanks to her chilling, frequent necromancy = LOADOUT = Shuriken Pistol. Spear of Teuthlas: An ancient spear dating back to the founding of Iyanden. It was used by Adrallanar of the House of Teuthlas, who was a mentor to many, including Spiritseer Iyanna. His spear was an heirloom of his house. He and his house perished under Kraken and is now carried by Iyanna or an emissary as a sign of her will. It is a more potent, powerful Singing Spear that can be thrown beyond the range of even a Shuriken Catapult. == DEFENSE == Armor of Vaul: Instead of Rune Armor, Iyanna wears the Armor of Vaul. A strange and truly ancient artifact, it uses the wearer’s mental powers to throw up a screen of impenetrable psychic energy. Essentially, it turns her strength of willpower into a defense against all attack.
Nuadu Fireheart – Chief of the Wildriders Come brothers, follow me, we hunt across the skies! Come, chosen of Khaine, and see how our prey, the gangly humans flee! There is no place for them to hide under the pale face of Lileath the moon, nor under the sun, the face of Asuryan. Feel the rush of the wind against your skin and hear her keening cry in your ears. Listen to her call well, for are we not the Wild Riders, the children of the storm? Enjoy the hunt brothers, let sword swing and blood spill. Feel the beat of your heart in your chest and know that you yet live. Fear not the death brothers, for she is old and slow, and will never catch the Windrider host. It is our enemies who are afraid, for each kiss of our weapons brings the sweet oblivion that they crave by opposing us. Follow me brothers, battle awaits! – Nuadhu Fireheart Weapon Type: Power Weapon Armor Type: Wraithbone Mobility: 8 Training: 9 Max Range: Preferred Range: Dead and behind him Classification: Tactical Leader = LOADOUT = Shuriken Cannon. Alean: A modified, stripped down version of a Vyper that serves as a mobile platform from which Nuadu recklessly fights from. It is likely he is likened to a Dark Eldar hover-boarding Hellion on something that is beyond Mach-capable. He wields a power weapon in the form of a large spear
= ADDITIONAL FACTORS = Those insane enough to follow Nuadu into battle would be those among his Kinsmen. As chief over his family feudal kindred, he can be surrounded by his ruling elite as a form of honor guard, going into battle on Jetbikes and Vypers.
illic Nightspear Following the Path of the Outcast for many thousands of years, Illic Nightspear is an avid and skilled Necron fighter. Having once been captured by the deranged Necron warlord Nemesor Zahndrekh for many long weeks (or longer). He escaped only with the help of White Scar Space Marine Kor’sarro Khan, both the only survivors of the attempt. He knows many secrets of the hidden Webway, guiding Craftworlds to attack with whole armies from an unexpected quarter. He prefers fighting alone, appearing on the battlefield from nowhere at his choosing. His field craft is beyond incredible, and with his knowledge can make even an unlearned Eldar warrior almost invisible to the naked eye anywhere but up close. Aside from assisting his home Craftworld of Alaitoc and their allies with guidance, scouting, and Webway attack, his best battlefield use is as a sniper assassin. From Chaos Champions to Necron Overlords, hundreds of enemy commanders have met their demise by his skilled sniping skills. Weapon Type: Distortion Armor Type: Wraithbone Mobility: 5 Training: 7 Max Range: 2+ Kilometers Preferred Range: 2+ Kilometers Classification: Tactical Leader = LOADOUT = Voidbringer: A special distortion Eldar sniper rifle, when coupled with Illic’s supremacy of accuracy can instantly desecrate all manner of enemies, from commanders to vehicles. Tearing a small hole in the Warp as any distortion weapon, he can do so with extreme precision, banishing weak points, heads, or whole figures into the Warp. = ADDITIONAL FACTORS = Illic Nightspear is usually accompanied by a band of Eldar Pathfinders who would follow him anywhere. They have learned to train with him in the arts of marksmanship, the secrets of the Webway, and field craft. He also has very particular skilled knowledge about fighting Necrons, and probably where to strike best to prevent their reanimation.
Phoenix Lords
== army Faction leader == = Eldrad Ulthran = Eldrad is the most powerful among us. He is the sun which eclipses the light of our stars. He is Ulthwé and the fate of our kind rests in his hands. His eyes are the keenest, no detail goes unnoticed. Four thousand runes can he cast, guiding our path through torment and war, death and salvation. He is the pathfinder, the seeker, the true guide. Even your race has trembled before his might, though you may not have known it. It was he who guided us to the Ork known as Ghazghkull, and commanded us to steer his path to your world of Armageddon. Ten thousand Eldar lives would have been lost if he had not done so. What sacrifice is a million humans for such a cause? He knows your affairs better than you do yourself. He warned that weakling seer you call Emperor of the treachery of Horus and the strife which would engulf us, just as it engulfed the rest of the galaxy. But your arrogance deafened you to his words. Your stupidity almost destroyed the galaxy, yet you never knew how close the forces of light were to our ultimate defeat. He saw the Great Devourer and warned our kin on Iyanden even before they had neared our galaxy. To him all futures are laid out, just as your crude implements of torture are laid out on the cold metal of that shelf. You say we are random and capricious, we say you are vulgar and idiotic. Some of you call us enemies. All races are our enemy in time. Some of you call us allies. You are not allies, any more than a butcher’s knife is his ally. You are tools, nothing more. To be used and expended to protect our race, that is your fate. Your kind think you are so magnificent, yet even now, at the nadir of our power, we can manipulate you, turn you to our ends, as easily as you might pull a trigger and fire a gun. Our time will come again, Eldrad has promised us. Once more you upstart mon-keigh shall kneel before our power! This time we will not be so lenient! We will exterminate you, every world, every vessel, every one of you! Eldrad has seen the stars stained red with your blood and it pleases him! You think us weak, but we will be your doom, children of Earth.
— Interrogation of captured Eldar Ranger Leman Russ tanks being tossed like toys by Eldrad’s Eldritch Storm
Height: ~6 feet Weight: Unknown Age: 10,000+ years Training: 10 Hero Bonus: Almost everything imaginable Preferred Range: Anywhere needed Role: Overall military guide The most powerful and well-known Farseer is by far Eldrad Ulthran, head of the Ulthwé seer council. In his lifetime over eons of experience, Farseer Ulthran has guided not just Ulthwé, but the entirety of the Eldar race—and the whole galaxy—away from certain destruction. He is incredibly ancient, if not the absolute oldest of any and all Eldar, being well over ten thousand years old. Regardless of his age, out of the mouth from this master comes nothing but wisdom, fortune, or doom. Either by predicting minor battlefield movements or occurrence centuries ahead from the time he sees it, he bends the fingers of fate to make things happen as he would see fit. It is said that Eldrad holds the galaxy’s future on a string. He was there when the Emperor of Mankind stretched his empire to the edges of the galaxy. And it was he who warned him of the Horus Heresy, giving the god of Man a chance to prevent the greatest catastrophe in Human history. Eldrad has also been able to predict the warp rift tearing open on Haran. He led the forces of Ulthwé, pointing to weaknesses and possibilities that always came to pass, rarely speaking in the present. Walking through warp storms, stopping the chants of the Chaos forces for power, he could direct it all like a symphony, only limited by the time-space continuum running in the present. The great Farseer has also foreseen the movements of the Tyranids and the Hrud, urging the remnants of his still proud Eldar brethren to step cautiously. Sometimes he is heeded, and those who listen are rewarded with avoiding fate worse than death. Those who ignore him are punished by destruction. But Eldrad will usually have his way, and
will do all in his power to change the paths of others. That is, if such actions would save the race of Eldar. Under his direction, the Eldar have become allies to nearly every other sentient race in some form or another. In the Tau, he saw a valuable future ally and stopped Hive Fleet Naga from erasing them from history. For humanity, Eldrad personally saw to it that the Horus Heresy be stopped with the aid where the Eldar could. Eldrad saw the coming of the rising Necrons and has worked tirelessly to abstain their complete awakening of their dynasties. Eldrad Ulthran is even the reason the Ork Warlord Ghazghkull Thraka is in power over the Orks in this very tournament, directing Eldar forces to attack specific targets in an Ork encampment to ensure Thraka became ultimately the most powerful Warboss. It was through this that Thraka directed attacks against the Imperium and forged the rivalry with Commissar Yarrick as opposed to another warlord who would have attack patterns that would endanger thousands of Eldar lives. Such is the power and influence a Farseer can have on the fate of the galaxy. And yet, few if any know that it is the Farseer who directs these occurrences. On the battlefield, Eldrad is so powerful a Farseer he can cast four thousand runes (compared to a handful by others), eclipsing and foreseeing nearly every potential possibility of the fates around him and about the Eldar.
friendly casualties. If there is a means to the preferred end, Eldrad will most likely see it. The limitation comes in that the feats in the skein change constantly as each bullet passes; each explosion and facial expression changes the warriors’ original intentions. And as always, the least-possible, most random occurrence is likely to avoid his gaze. And if he can foresee impossibility, it’s likely he won’t even urge others to try. But all of his strategic victory is only possible thanks to foretelling the exact and specific events and actions of individuals, even centuries before they happen. Tactics: 92/100 – See Strategy. While long-term strategic feats can be easily changed over time as other opportunities and decisions by others are made, a specific battlefield situation is actually capable of greater clarity. Figuring the things here and now and at hand is much easier than in the distant future. Farseers, Eldrad no different, constantly make slight adjustments to battle plans, even as they are on their way to the battlefield and as soon as they begin to deploy!
Adaptive Creativity: 77/100 – It is very hard to take Eldrad by surprise and make him change his pace of thought or overall plans (instead he changes based on his opponent’s future decisions), but it has happened, forcing him into lesser options.
Audacity: 68/100 – Eldrad could be considered pretty daring, trusting in the skein and the most likely probabilities to continue the press of an attack. As he sees success gaining probability in the threads of the future, he would as any Farseer encourage it, but as they wane, he must either find ways to bring it to greater clarity or call for a retreat before disastrous events occur. Eldar Farseers have been known to do this, calling forces back suddenly minutes before total tactical victory could be achieved.
Intuition: 92/100 – Duh.
Psychological Warfare: 61/100 – Most of Eldrad’s victories come from manipulation of the environment and killing the enemy’s willingness to fight (or their potential existence to beat him at a later time) rather than waste Eldar lives in a brutal struggle of attrition. But he still utilizes Force and battle as a means to that end.
Strategy: 89/100 – Eldrad is a near-perfect Farseer, as his direct divinations have never been wrong. He can foresee the feats of whole worlds and many individuals, and why their fates come to pass. With this, he can plot and plan the absolute best way to move Eldar forces towards total victory, and further, to have an outcome with the fewest
Intelligence: 78/100 – Living as long as he has and knowing as much as he does, Eldrad is going to have a very fine Intelligence factor. It takes extreme wisdom to divine the threads through the skein, judge what to do in those situations, and interpret the meanings of runes that are cast.
Experience: 90/100 – Having fought nearly every race in the galaxy for ten thousand years as they existed in his time, Eldrad has nearly seen it all, including the feats and people of importance of every influential race in the galaxy. As such, he does not need direct experience to know the extent of who they are and how they operate. Leadership: 79/100 – Eldrad is capable of uniting age-old foes and mend bitter rivalries or misunderstandings to fight against greater evils and common enemies. He is both a strategic and tactical genius as his experience on the battlefield runs deep, though actual military command often lies elsewhere, nobody in the Eldar society look away his judgment or suggestion, and for those others that do their doom often awaits them. Within his own Craftworld brethren, he is not even always successful, as Iyanden has shown, though the lessons of this past are probably now avoided as plain to see. Corruption: 40/100 – Eldrad is considered a dick in how he is perfectly willing to destroy whole civilizations to save a few thousand Eldar lives. But this would be the case for most Eldar. At his core, he is not actually evil or corrupt in any sense. Discipline: 88/100 – It takes a great amount of discipline to study the runes, known their secret meanings as they form together, and interpret the skein. All the while, resisting the temptation within the Dome of the Crystal Seers to become fully one with the Craftworld. == LOADOUT == Witchblade, Shuriken Pistol Staff of Ulthamar: The Staff of Ulthamar allows Eldrad to channel more psychic energies than normally possible by other Farseers, with it acting as a conduit. In combat, he focuses the energies at destroying those around him. Upon striking an opponent, it is easily capable of destroying a portion of the very physical essence of the target through raw psychic might. Such a weapon ignores physical armor of all kinds.
== DEFENSES == Armor of the Last Runes: In addition to the normal potency of circling Runes to protect Farseers, the scripts upon Eldrad’s breastplate are incredibly powerful wards against harm of any and all kinds. One schooled in deciphering Eldar runes would see they speak of enduring until the final dying of the light. This field of psychic energy even protects him from psychic harm and attacks on his mind (as if his mind isn’t powerful enough as it is!). It essentially activates when danger is perceived coming towards Eldrad. A boulder that should have surely crushed him simply lands next to him for no explained or foreseeable reason; blades that should slice through his head miss or are deflected by mystical energies. Bullets seem to just wiz and zip by him as if the attacker is a poor shot or impact against an unseen energy. If this were not enough, Eldrad is able to further reduce damage imposed on him by being able to walk and move in such a way that missing is inevitable, bending, twisting, or utilizing the butterfly effect to throw off his attacker’s aim; maybe a gust of wind or spat of dirt lands in their eye at the precise moment, or he happens to walk behind ample enough cover when the shot is fired. The more dedicated and stronger the attack is, the harder it misses as Eldrad predicts the most possible futures and scenarios, planning accurately for multiple failures. At best, only an unrelenting, heedless barrage of attacks can scratch him. When coupled with Precognition, it prevents roughly 89% of successful attacks from touching Eldrad. Another weakness is that psychic powers are specifically channeled through the will of the user, and can, with a stroke of luck and mindful will, be warded off. Should the ailing affects of a psychic power be targeted on a defender, they have a 1 in 6 chance of warding off the effect. By the same token however, Eldrad as a powerful psyker is able to ward off mentally and willpower-based attacks on his own at greater ease. This represents him channeling such willpower into a dominating force itself with the Warp.
army X-factors MORALE: 88/100 – For the most part, the Eldar have little to hope for in the future, and their very reason for fighting in any conflict is mere survival. This gives them over to a sense of desperation that, while they won’t attack in mindless droves, will show their intense bravery in any situation. With warriors in their battle masks, they desire death and destruction on their hands at any cost, and it matters not whose blood is shed, warrior, civilian, animalistic foe, so long as the ending of some form of life can be wrought. Farseers themselves know the full extent of the greatest possibilities and will only withdraw when the possibility of victory turns into absolute, great improbability. LOGISTICS: 80/100 – The Eldar’s Wraithbone is grown out of near nothingness, crafted and shaped by Bonesingers, with any damaged parts simply needing grafts or accelerated growth for repair. All of their equipment, weapons, and supplies are warped directly into the necessary location, making interference impossible. However the Eldar warriors need to eat great amounts of food to keep themselves fueled once they put on their war mask. And while Wraith constructs need absolutely nothing to sustain them, they still require some form of guidance. Many Eldar weapons utilize very small amounts of resources but they are not wholly infinite as power cores and munitions can eventually run dry. Also in death (as seen in Additional Factors) can serve, their souls recycled into potential use. DISCIPLINE: 88/100 – The Craftworld Eldar are an extremely cohesive, pinpoint, graceful force. With their war masks, they fear little and will only want to shed blood and cause destruction. Wraith constructs are entirely fearless, while Farseers have seen so many potential grim deaths of their own that they are tiresomely aware that death comes to all and exhibit a state of calm in nearly any battle. ESPIONAGE: 67/100 – The Eldar are quite certainly capable of grand feats of espionage. From the ability to attack from the skies, shield their existence through psychic mind rape, directly attacking
through Webway portals even at breakneck speeds, and even teleporting right on sight. However, most of the time such attacks aren’t deemed necessary or considered too dangerous to enact. Instead, subtler versions of it are employed through futuristic divination on a strategic scale. For example, specific individuals may be aimed at for battlefield assassination to prevent their future success against the Eldar. There is also the manipulation and destruction of neutral resources as seen fit to cause future problems and demoralization to the enemy. ARMY INTIMIDATION: 60/100 – The Eldar will usually seek to resolve things peacefully, without even interacting with other races if possible. They can pluck at the strings of fate through their Farseers guidance to influence and drive events as they need. But since their survival is almost wholly dependent upon war, the usual sad case is that the Eldar must destroy the lives of hundreds of thousands, even millions, to preserve a handful of Eldar. Once they go into battle, the Eldar will bring about an air of destruction, dread, and despair upon their foes, utilizing and playing on their very innermost fears as a weapon. REASON FOR BATTLE: The Eldar have a two-fold reason to do battle. One is to reclaim their old empire they once had in the galaxy, and to be given a second chance would be most glorifying. The second is to curb their eventual, some say imminent, demise. Their race is dying, and they are in desperate times just to hold on to their very existence. REINFORCEMENT RATE: Low – This is perhaps the absolute greatest weakness of the Eldar. They are skimming the edge of existence with barely even a billion (if that) in their total existence, though some might put the figures lower than a hundred million. With all five major Craftworlds working together in support of this expeditionary force, they will each have specialized powerful units. They could not afford to dedicate very many troops to battle.
== additional factors ==
Trio of Wraithlords spearhead the Eldar advance, each armed with a shoulder-mounted Starcannon and Shuriken Cannon, also each using a Bright Lance as a rifle; supported by a super-heavy Scorpion tank as War Walkers trail behind QUALITY vs QUANTITY: Quality – The Eldar in the strictest sense will send as many warriors as they can for each specific mission, to ensure success while minimizing their own casualties on the broader strategic scale. That said, they are highly given over to quality in every fine detail, from weapon to warrior. Guardian support and even ghost warriors are used only in dire circumstances when the whole of the Aspect Warriors are not enough to fulfill the needs of each campaign or battle.
= Specific advantages = SPIRIT STONES When Eldar warriors die, their spirit stones must be retrieved and brought back to the Infinity Circuit less they fall into the wrong hands, or worse, risk having their souls evaporate into the void for Slannesh to pick them up. These warriors however can in turn be secured into Wraithbone constructs such as Wraithguard and Wraithblades, or utilized in the circuitry of weapons and vehicles, guiding and assisting future users. In this way, the Eldar’s very death can be recycled and utilized in some form or another. ANCIENT EXPERIENCE Between the Exarches and the oldest, wisest Farseers, and the race as a whole, even a young Eldar is an ancient being compared to Humans, living a potential many thousands of years. And even in death, the most skilled and discerned leaders can be resurfaced from death by the Infinity Circuit. Their council and leadership can be drawn upon for guidance. The Exarches themselves are all highly skilled in their specialty, having killed many thousands of enemies in countless battles, matched in the galaxy only by the Imperium’s Space Marines, and not even they are usually so old. Each Exarch can draw their experiences all the way back to when they were taught by the Phoenix Lords who founded their shrines, and even relive their dozen or so deaths and improve upon those failures. On top of the Exarches are the Wraithbone constructs. Certain individuals, such as a Wrathseer housing the soul of a very powerful Farseer or a Wraithlord with that of an overly successful Autarch. These can be added to the war council to further guide and help aid the living, often lesserexperienced Eldar. TECHNOLOGY Eldar technology is psych-linked to the Eldar who use them. This allows for their extremely fast reflexes to be paired with weapons that obey on the instance of command. They don’t even need to speak commands. Fingers do not need as many buttons, dials, or controls as other races, and triggers are operated at thought-speed. Uniquely, this can only ever be accessed and utilized by the Eldar who can merge their psychic-specialized minds with the weapons and equipment in question, and only the crudest, ramshackle forms of construction and armor can be brought about by using damaged Wraithbone. And if you are a race with psykers, don’t try; the attempt has driven others insane or complete death. It also makes their communication and stored information incapable of being hacked. TELEPATHIC MINDS With a non-physical awareness of their existence, the Eldar have, from a very young age, learned to block the whispers and intentions of temptations from others. While it is not 100% full proof, it is the first, automated response of an Eldar to resist being converted to any force, up to and including Chaos. Such telepathic barriers were raised for the intention of forcing Eldar minds to remain contained and not attract the attention of demonic forces of the Warp. As this goes straight to their spirit forms, it will also convert to influencing their physical bodies and the medium of mind between the two.
= Specific Disadvantages = LOW NUMBERS This is the most glaring of the Eldar’s weaknesses. They all focus on very high quality troops, technology, and weapon sets, and live on a dire existence. These are desperate times for the Craftworld Eldar, and they would much rather sit tightening up and not be touched or affected by any other race or galactic influence. But such cannot be done in a time of endless, growing war. Most of the battles the Craftworld Eldar enact are either to attempt gaining their old empire but more often than not, to hold fast their very existence. They will probably have the lowest number of reinforcements in the tournament.
PITCHED BATTLE If the Eldar are forced into a pitched battle, where giving ground is against their needs or becomes impossible, the Eldar look to the Wraithbone constructs and Phantom Titans supported by Revenants. Aside from this, the Eldar are very much unwilling to stand up to an enemy bombardment, preferring to skillfully avoid the prospect, weaving around their enemies with guile tactics, using holo-fields and cunning use of cover, as well as the nature of exotic weapons to keep from marching in solid formation against the enemy.
OVERSPECIALIZATION The Eldar’s specific units and their vehicles are all armed in a very particular way. Each warrior and pilot has their own specific preference and equipment line-up. While the Tau Battlesuits and tanks actively refit individual units to specifically target and battle the enemies they face (for example, they can mount large numbers of fusion, plasma, and ionic weapons when fighting Space Marines en mass. Then they can return to base and all the same warriors and vehicles can exchange their weapons to field a mass of pulse, burst, and explosive weapons against a numerical front of Imperial Guard infantry), the Eldar do not carry the luxury nor desire. A squad of Dire Avengers cannot pick up Fusion Guns and follow a Fire Dragon Exarch because the enemy sports an unusual amount of heavy infantry
or tanks. By the same token, a Scorpion heavy tank equipped with dual Pulsars and a Scatter Laser would not exchange them for a Distortion Cannon and Bright Lance, becoming a Cobra. All Eldar vehicles and weapons are works of art, carefully crafted as fit by the Bonesingers, and the chosen role of each Aspect Warrior is particular to the individual warrior’s specific and preferred methodology of destruction. Even the equipment of an Autarch, though his options wide, chooses each piece of gear in a highly ritualized and rare occasion, carefully selecting each piece from each Aspect Shrine. Once chosen, there is no turning back. As such, an Eldar force is usually made up of varying degrees of different units and aspects of Khaine to cover all potential threats and ground. There is some room for a little flexibility based upon the specializations of each Craftworld.
GAINS Suffice to say, gains is not going to favor the Eldar in any sense of the intended concept. The Eldar have shown extreme distaste (to gagging, vomiting proportions) in eating human cooked food. And in the specific incident, it was food of [human] delicacy! They find it often low in quality and over-seasoned and will most likely not even touch anything but the purest, best quality food. So they’re not even going to be taking the gruel rations of their enemies, much less obtain any sort of biological gains. The Eldar are also not inept at using other forms of technology as pirate raiders have demonstrated, but they have little desire or need to. Their core technology is activated at thought-speed, and forms a familiar base of linking to their psychic mindset. Even if some weapons are found to be of similar or superior quality, the Eldar’s familiarity with their own Wraithbone cores and preference to guidance from spirit stones makes such advantages worthless. Perhaps the only technology they might be interested in would be a superior, safer form of teleportation (as every race in the galaxy currently teleports through the Warp).
= Past Opponents = Many might be instantly tempted to place the races in Warhammer 40,000 and their factions in a specific ascending and descending order of superiority. In some cases this would be true but as the Eldar show, it is a far more complicated game of rock-paper-scissors when whole factions are contained to hand-picked engagements. ORKS: Orks have been around for a very long time and even the Eldar have difficulties eradicating them entirely. Now that the Eldar are so fractured and skimming the edge of existence, they have to be very selective of whom they fight. Unfortunately, while Chaos would be their preferred focus, the nature of Orks won’t see it that way. In actual battle, the Eldar would do extremely well against the Orks, and unleashing everything they can to stop their destructive nature they do. But the confrontation and planning around Orks, the Eldar do run into serious problems. In directing their path against other races, like when Eldrad Ulthran mustered the Eldar to specifically raise Ghazghkull Thraka, the overall problem can be contained (or redirected). But in predicting their nature entirely on a tactical scale can be messy. The Orks thrive on random acts of barbarianism, being extremely unpredictable and collectively pooling their willpower into the great Waaagh! As such, they remain a hard and difficult opponent to completely overcome, but the Orks can rarely get any strong foothold against the Eldar’s tactical abilities, such as that from the genius of Autarchs and the reliance on extreme quality over quantity. From the Orks, the Eldar have learned to curb their pride and frustration, and understand very deeply what underestimating a foe can do in the long-term strategy.
IMPERIUM OF MAN: The Eldar seem to quite loathe fighting humans because they are ignorant and do not know what they do. While there isn’t a great deal of sympathy for them besides, the Eldar have and do work alongside them for greater purposes (normally as meat shields). It can be like a single adult trying to work with a mob of rebellious teenagers. Against the Imperium, on such a huge front, the Eldar have suffered a few losses, some of which the Eldar couldn’t afford and probably shouldn’t have been fighting with in the first place. Against the Imperium, the Eldar thoroughly know the nature of men, and will have a difficult time having any other outlook on humans in other factions. It would be up to the divining Farseers to look into skein about the humans they encounter to determine their action. And last-resort weapons are used with terrible regret against them. DARK ELDAR: The Craftworld Eldar have had interesting and bizarre relationships with their dark kin. On a one-to-one tactical level, they are the only ones capable of equally matching each other, and can fight in a battle for weeks without any noticeable end-victor. The nature of each Eldar faction means the can compete with the extreme skill and deceptive technology. In a duel of combat, both sides would be hard-pressed to overcome the other though Dark Eldar frequently fight each other as much as anyone else, giving them some edge. The age of experience and numerical supremacy is another winning factor for the Dark Kin of Commorragh. But the Craftworlds have psychic input, the Farseers for strategic guide, and for the most part, greater durability. In battles, they can seek to punish each other or complement each other, usually dependant on the Dark Eldar’s initiative. TYRANIDS: No thanks to Iyanden’s exploits and greatest losses to the Tyranids, they have some of the most excellent experience against the Tyranids. Other Craftworlds have also dealt with them and know their nature is so horrifying that the most extreme measures must be
taken to stop them. Against such a massive horde of enemies that eats nearly everything in their path, the Eldar know how to best tend to their resources for maximum effectiveness. All manner of doomsday and last resort weapons are unleashed as soon as possible on their number and great preparation can be made (such as the complete eradication of all life on planets in their path) to weaken them.
SPACE MARINES: The Eldar have had their fair share of fighting against the Space Marines. And everywhere the Space Marines appear in strength, the Eldar have had some failures and struggling sacrifices. Against typical Imperial forces, a single squad of five Striking Scorpions can kill dozens or more with coordination with other Aspect Warriors. Eldar of relatively little combat experience can kill a score themselves and dueling with them is beyond so very easy. But against the Space Marines, it takes monstrous effort and many predicted losses. The same force of Striking Scorpions it would take to bring down an up-and-coming Warboss and his fellow Nobz would barely hold out against a mere Sergeant and his battle brothers. That said, the Eldar do know and understand at times they can be bargained with, manipulated, and negotiated with. And it can also only take the overzealous nature of Space Marines, and letting them seize victory can the secret true mission be accomplished. TAU EMPIRE: Due to the youth of the race, Eldrad’s feeling of promise towards them, and their rare, non-evil nature, there is little experience between the Tau and Eldar. They are aware of each other’s presence, and they have done ill battle, against the wishes of both sides. Much like against the Dark Eldar, the Tau and Craftworld Eldar have their matches against each other. In most respects the Eldar have superior forces, soldiers, and widespread use of specialist weapons, but the Tau’s numerical strength, determination, and technology do allow them to keep up. Without extreme or disastrous war between these two races, it is hard to tell how any long-term action would be in effect.
NECRONS: This is one race that, in lore, the Eldar have had the most difficulty. Even predicting their nature and knowing their intent, the Necrons have been a sleeping dread that the Eldar have only recently needed to encounter. The Necrons do not have the farsight or psychic abilities of the Eldar, but from fighting the Old Ones (and once fighting each other thousands of years before Humans existed), the Necrons know the psychic weakness and have sought to exploit it. Once when the Eldar had their mighty empire stretch across the stars, they were able to defeat the Necrons. But today in their fractured state, the many phalanxes of the Necrons means they are extremely durable foes that are very hard to break for common Eldar weaponry like shurikens and lasers. This is made worse by the fact the Necrons have, in their own way, superior technology to the Eldar in purely technical terms, which is a very rare advantage.
FORCES OF CHAOS: The Eldar do well against the servants of Chaos in most regards. Eldrad Ulthran was able to predict the nature of Chaos Space Marines, and they know all too well how devastating Chaos can be. They have little qualm (annoyance mostly for having to spend lives on it) to battle and slaughter innocents to prevent their future taint. Though these battles might not prevent the inevitable, they do prevent the most likely. But once Chaos has gotten its foothold, and can tempt the weakened nature of any Eldar, whole Craftworlds can be consumed. Slaanesh, the Prince of Pleasure himself, has seen his creation through the manipulation of the wiles of lusting Eldar. If it were up to the Craftworlds, they would throw all of their available resources at just destroying Chaos and stopping their bleeding diseased nature from spilling anymore into the galaxy. But even the Farseers, as they had trouble totally depicting the full scale of Tyranids, have had a hard time grasping the full spread of Chaos. But the Eldar have successfully spent tiresome resources to prevent Chaos from gaining any strong foothold in the Eastern Fringe.
