40K - New Aeldari Codex

 Well I did pick up the new Aeldari Codex Saturday... I've really only had the briefest of looks through it. 

(TL/DR: Eldar being reorganized, stay tuned for pictures later this week, maybe) 

There are things I like about it, so far.  

Others... well... 

I DO like that the Assuryani and Harlequins and Ynarri and Corsairs are all included in this book. And it looks like there is lots of cool new stuff for narrative Cursade Campaigns. 

There have been some changes to the troop types, however, that are going to throw a BIG OL' SPACE WRENCH into my traditional force composition!? 

A LOT of my troops have suddenly become "Elites" in the new codex. I now have a FEW TOO MANY Elites and not enough Headquarters... or... other stuff... Are least not to field proper core detachments (the ones that refund you the Command Cost of the detachment if your warlord is included in it)... 

Warlocks went from being Headquarters to Elites...

Dire Avengers went from being TROOPS to being Elites...? 

Wraithlords went from being HEAVY SUPPORT to being Elites!? 

Ugh... it's the 8th Edition Astra Militarum Codex all over again. (or was it 7th when the basic Troop element went from being an entire PLATOON to a single infantry squad and EVERYTHING ELSE in the platoon became separate Elite elements!?)  

So... for headquarters... you can now have Farseers.. Autarchs... the GIANT FREAKING AVATAR OF KHAINE... and Phoenix Lords.... In the fluff, these are all commanders of entire ARMIES!? 

If you want a small, up-to-platoon-sized Patrol Detachment, it's going to be a Farseer, Autarch or PHOENIX LORD leading it!?  

If you're wanting to field something between a platoon and company sized force (a "Battalion" detachment), you're going to need at least TWO of them.  

If you want a full-sized/reinforced Company sized force ("BRIGADE" Detachment) you will need at least three!? 

They really seem to want to turn the game into HIGH POWERED HEROES leading around a small host of... other things... and it'll probably come down to a throw-down between those heroes...? 

All we need is CHALLENGES to return. Remember those? Maybe it wasn't a thing in 40K, but I'm pretty sure it was a thing in Warhammer Fantasy where your general could issue a challenge to the opposing general, if they were within a certain distance and the whole battle would stop and the two would fight their own little duel and the winners army would gain a huge morale boost and the losers army would melt away... and if you didn't accept the challenge, pretty much the same thing happened anyway...? Was that Warhammer Fantasy? Am I thinking of something else...? 

I digress... 

Then there are the Dire Avengers. Aspect Warriors are the Professional Warriors of the Craftworlds, and Dire Avengers are the bog-standard, Shurican-Catapult-armed-shooty-bang-bang, foot soldier of the Aspect Warriors. These used to be TROOPS. They made up the core of the warfighting professionals. Well now they are ALSO ELITES...

Troops now have to be made up of Guardians (either Guardian Defenders or Storm Guardians), Rangers or Corsairs. Guardians have been, for the last few editions, just citizens of the craftworlds, that have taken up arms in dire times - usually to defend the craftworld itself!? Rangers are outcasts that technically don't even belong to a Craftworld anymore, wanderers, doing their own thing, but are sometimes called upon to show up on a battlefield if they happen to be in the area or have some specific knowledge and are leading the rest of the army to an objective... 

And then there are the Corsairs - Pirates, that are DEFINITELY NOT part of a craftworld (can can't even be used to fulfill the basic troops requirement, so it's really just Defenders and Rangers...) 

Finally Wraithlords... These three hard-hitting, muthafukkin' wriathbone constructs powered by souls of dead Eldar, pretty much WERE my Heavy Support (along with a single unit of three Dark Reapers) now they are Elites... and each has to be fielded as a separate until 

So... 

I went from having 4-6 units of elites (once all the minis I have are painted), depending on whether two options are fielded as two units of five or a single ten  (all being easily fit into a Battalion or Brigade Detachment). Now I will have 10-18 units when everything is painted (again, depending on whether units are fielded as multiple units of less than maximum size or a smaller number of units at their maximum size. EVEN IF they were fielded at MAXIMUM SIZE, I have TOO MANY for even a BRIGADE Detachement (the largest Core Detachment) and no longer have enough Heavy Support options to field a Brigade... 

I know... I know... WHO CARES!? I could just play Open War games with forces designed around scenarios and completely ignoring "battle-forged" force compositions... 

I do like the idea of being able to field a force that actually conforms to the current rules (but that also fits a narrative and "makes sense" fluff-wise) - just in case I actually played against... someone else outside of my home... or in a league... or if I went to a tournament again someday... 

I'm not crying or making any sort of claim that GW is just doing it to fuck over the older players and making us buy more toys... I can even kind of understand why they made some of those changes. Some having to do with changing fluff as the narrative of the 41st millenium continues to develop... Some having to do with aesthetics and style of play... Its just annoying to have to try and make the shift... I'm NOT going to have to run out any buy ANYTHING new... I just won't be using some units as much as I might have... and other units I thought would only be used in scenarios, if it fit the narrative, are now going to be staples in the army (Guardians).

So given the current situation, what CAN I do... 

Here's what I have painted (or... very nearly painted!): 

• Farseer x1 - Headquarters
• Guardian Defenders x10 (one unit of 10 with weapons platform) - Troops
• Rangers x15 (2-3 units of 5-10) - Troops
• Warlock Conclave x2 (one conclave of two) - Elites
• Dire Avengers x20 (2-4 units of 5-10) - Elites
• Howling Banshees x10 (1-2 units of 5 or 10) - Elites
• Wraithguard x5 (one unit) - Elites
• Wraithlords x 3 (3 individual units) - Elites
• Warp Spiders x10 (1-2 units of 5-10) 
• Dark Reapers x4 (one unit - need one more to make COMPLETE unit of 5) - Heavy Support

This totals about 96 Power Level. With this what can I field...? A Patrol Detachment! (like the 25-Power Level Biel-Tymm Patrol Detachment I put together last September to potentially start a .. but with a bit of a different make up) 

A Patrol Detachment includes 

• 1-2 Headquarters
• 1-3 Troops
• 0-2 Elites
• 0-2 Fast Attack
• 0-2 Heavy Support
• 0-2 Flyers
• (up to one dedicated Transport for each Infantry unit taken) 

So, I can't even put together the same Patrol, as THREE of the units in that detachment are now Elites (Warlocks, Dire Avengers, Wraithlord) and a Patrol Detachment limits Elites to two... In addition to that, the Power Ratings of a few of the units have increased and it would now be a 27 Power Level force... 

The Farseer will now be my only Headquarters. 

Currently, Rangers will fill the Troops requirement - 1-3 units of 5 or 10 - They've increased from a Power Rating of 3 per five rangers to 4. I COULD include the Guardians... but I feel like a Combat Patrol, lead by a Farseer, should be made up of professional warriors, not cooks and poets and janitors pressed into service as "Guardians" 

A maximum of two Elites could be chosen from Dire Avengers or Howling Banshees or Wraith Guard or Wraithlords (though the Wraithlord has also increased in Power Rating)... 

Warp Spiders could be taken as a Fast Attack Option

Dark Reapers could be taken as Heavy Support... but the unit is now understrength so I probably won't be taking them at all for a while until I can source one more... 

A few options for 25 Power Level Combat Patrols:

• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Warlocks (2) - Elites - PR 3
• Warp Spiders (5) - PR5

or

• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Dire Avengers (10) - Elites - PR6
• Wraithguard (5) - Elites - PR10

or

• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Warlocks (2) - Elites - PR 3
• Wraithlord (1) - Elites - PR8
• Warp Spiders (5) - PR5

or

• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Wraithlord (1) - Elites - PR8
• Wraithlord (1) - Elites - PR8

or

• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Howling Banshees (10) - Elites - PR8
• Wraithlord (1) - Elites - PR8

(Technically, I can field THREE Warlocks for PR3, so I could paint up a third to include with the two indicated in two of the options above...) 

I like the first option, as it's basically the Ranger Element of Maesenir's Rangers Kill Team, with a Farseer, Warlocks and a handful of Warpsider. Narratively, it could be seen as Maesenir finding something needing to be dealt with and calling upon the Biel-Tymm Fleet for a little bit of back-up and Farseer Thymiltelyir shows up with his Warlock entourage and a rapid reaction team of Warp Spiders... Yeah. I think that might be the one I use... 

To field ANY larger force, I would now have to finish up the other Farseer that I have (and/or the model I'm hoping I can pass off an Autarch). With that, however, I could instantly field a Battalion Detachment, which increases the number of Elites I can field to six... which, could be MOST of the ones I currently have painted... but not all. Even fielded at their maximum sizes, I'd have EIGHT Elite units: Warlocks (2), 2x Dire Avengers (10), 1x Howling Banshees (10), 1x Wraith Guard (5), 3x Wraithlords (1) 

Incursion Level (Power Level 50) Battalions could look like:

• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Warlock (1) - Elites - PR 2
• Wraithguard (5) - Elites - PR10
• Wraithlord (1) - Elites - PR8
• Wraithlord (1) - Elites - PR8

or

• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Guardian Defenders (10 + Weapons Platform) - Troops - PR5
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Warlocks (2) - Elites - PR 3
• Dire Avengers (10) - Elites - PR6
• Dire Avengers (10) - Elites - PR6
• Howling Banshees (10) - Elites - PR8

STRIKE FORCE (Power Level 100) would require deciding which Elites to take, which to leave behind, and require a few more NOT-ELITE units to be finished up... but could look like... 

• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Guardian Defenders (10 + Weapons Platform) - Troops - PR5
• Rangers (10) - Troops - PR8 
• Rangers (10) - Troops - PR8 
• Rangers (10) - Troops - PR8
• Warlocks (5) - Elites - PR 5
• Howling Banshees (10) - Elites - PR8
• Wraithguard (5) - Elites - PR10
• Wraithlord (1) - Elites - PR8
• Wraithlord (1) - Elites - PR8
• Warp Spiders (10) - PR10
• Swooping Hawks (5) - PR4

(This would require painting 15 Rangers, 3 Warlocks, 5 Swooping Hawks) 

(Y'know, instead of just using the Dire Avengers and a third Wraithlord That i COULD have in the previous edition...) 

The Rangers above COULD also be fielded four units of five and one unit of ten

I COULD have fielded a Brigade Detachment in the past - once everything was painted (or even just a few more units were painted) but now I'm going to have a hard time making up that minimum three Heavy support requirements... I'd need second unit of Dark Reapers or another War Walker - if I'm wanting to keep it all METAL... 

Maybe I'll just stick to big battalions and be limited to six Elites - three of whom will be Wraithlords. 

What I WILL have when all the stuff I currently have squirrelled away is painted... 

• Farseer x2 - Headquarters
• Autarch x 1 - Headquarters
• Jain Zar (Phoenix Lord) - Headquarters
• Fuegan (Phoenix Lord) - Headquarters
• Baharroth (Phoenix Lord) - Headquarters
• Karandras (Phoenix Lord) - Headquarters
• Guardian Defenders x20 (two units of 10) - Troops
• Rangers x30 (3-6 units of 5-10) - Troops
• Warlocks x5 (one conclave of up to five) - Elites
• Dire Avengers x20 (2-4 units of 5-10) - Elites
• Howling Banshees x10 (1-2 units of 5 or 10) - Elites
• Striking Scorpions x 10 (1-2 units of 5 or 10) - Elites
• Fire Dragons x 5 (1 unit of five - unless I find three more) - Elites
• Wraithguard x5 (one unit) - Elites
• Wraithlords x 3 (3 individual units) - Elites
• Warp Spiders x20 (1-4 units of 5-10) - Fast Attack
• Swooping Hawks x5 (1 unit of five - unless I find one or two more I need to make 10) - Elites
• Dark Reapers x4 (one unit - need one more to make COMPLETE unit of 5) - Heavy Support
• War Walker x1 (on unit) - Heavy Support

All of this adds up to about 188 Power Level.. (which is about 3600 points...?) The LARGEST games are "Onslaught" which are played at 150 Power/3000 points. I think most tournaments are built around Strike Forces which are 100 Power/2000 Points? So I have LOADS to play around with... 

The ONLY thing I'm even considering trying to track down would be ONE metal Dark Reaper to finish up a unit of five.  

It doesn't even include the Wraith Knight (another 23 Power Rating) it is a plastic model... buuuuuut, I'd be okay using it (or tanks, if ever I got some) with this force. 

It also doesn't even include my Harlequins - which are included in this book. I haven't read far enough to determine if they have to be included in separate detachments... 

ALSO, I have a SECOND Aeldari force I'm kind of working on... in a large lot that Keiran and I bought off a local guy (for some metal stuff to finish up units) I ended up with a bunch of plastic stuff and a resin Eldrad Ulthran. So I thought I'd try to put together a separate Ulthwe Patrol Detachment, lead by the Big Elf himself! (If ever the Corsairs Ill be getting in the Kill Team box are used in 40K, they will probably show up in THIS detachement!) 

• Eldrad Ulthran - Headquarters - 8 PR
• Guardian Defenders (10 + weapons platform) - Troops - 5 PR 
• Guardian Defenders (10) - Troops - 4 PR 
• Corsair Voidscarred (10) - Elites - 8 PR

I also have an extra Warlock I could paint as Ulthwe I could add to this... If ever I got all these done and wanted SOME kind of additional options, I might pick up some of those sweet new Storm Guardians! 

Hopefully in the next week, I'll finish up the few final minis I need to finish up the Howling Banshees and Guardian Defenders - as well as the second Farseer, that I apparently now need - and post some pictures of these complete forces... 

Then I need to come up with some opponents - either my own guard, or maybe help Finnegan reorganize/finish up some of his T'au or Orks or Deathwatch... and THEN we can actually try these theoretical options out!? 

(I suppose I should read through the Harlequin options and finish rebasing those, too, at some point!)