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JJ typing, this has been a long time coming. For the first time since I've been playing 40k Eldar codex is released before Space Marines. This excites me to no end. This first impression will only cover Eldar. There will be no Imperium-bashing or complaining about the point cost of Space Marine toys compared to Eldar toys which have become weaker.
Fritz said it best "First mistake is thinking you are playing marines which get cheaper with each edition, while xeno go up and up in price." I could never come up with some so succently. This is something I've mentioned, whined, about in my past First Impressions. Not this post. This is all about Eldar.
Onto my first impression of the new Eldar codex.
Let's get the Eldar Dreadknight out of the way. GW, really do we need a model this big? Size doesn't equal quality. Look at the meltgun. Really GW you have to make a model 9" tall. Really? Come on
It has some new toys. Wraithlance and Suncannons.
Wraithcannon R 36 S 10 Ap 1 Assault 1, Distort.
Suncannon R 48 S 6 Ap 2 Heavy 3, Blast. Its a Starcannon, which I Love, but on steroids. The good kind to that get you pulled before baseball committees and won't allow you into Coopertown.
It has a weak forcefield. So it basically is a Grey Knight Dreadknight that joined the Eldar and they gave it a shiny new hood ornament.
Let's talk Distortion Weapons quickly. If you're weapon is S 10 why would a 6 automatically wound when the strength is that high? Or automatically penetrating armour with a 6 also. Seems like this rule should be Errata'd for the D-Sycthe weapons and Ghost weapons.
Really 9-F'ing'inches tall. Are your serious, GW?
Ok, onto my first impressions of this long awaited codex.
War Walkers are almost the same cost. Eldar 4th ed pg 66 30 pts a model with weapons from 5 to 30 pts. That would make a war walker anywhere from 40 to 90 pts. Now Eldar 6th ed pg 103 60 pts base with standard weapons making them 70 pts total. Adding missiles it costs 110 pts. Basically they cost the same while getting the forcefield 5++ back with some new special rules.
Next up, Eldrad. Finally psyker level 4. Guess he didn't "die" Eldar 4th ed pg 51. He's back with more power and becoming more crystal. Now GW is rewriting its own canon.
My Grey Knights just became better thanks to Runes of Warding being Deny the Witch and not forcing me to roll 3D6 for the power. Here comes Cleansing Flame, Shawn!
Not one Phoenix Lord can make an elite unit troop. Really, this is extremely upsetting. At least new HQ Spiritseer can make Wraithguard and blades troops.
Dark Reapers are once again beginning to be like their fluff. Now they have missiles to take out flyers. And they are back down to their original unit size of three models.
What army needs a 9" Jump Monstrous Creature. Oh, that's right the Eldar. Because when I think of class and style I think of the hulk in king kong's skirt leaping from building to building.
Absolutely love the name change of the Eldar Heavy Weapons Platforms. Vaul's Wrath Support Battery. Far more appropriate. Kudos!
Too bad Staff of Ulthamar and Spear of Twilight no longer ignore armour. Still marine killers.
Ghosthelm is f'ing awesome now. Since when did the Eldar start recruiting from the Imperial Guard. Why does the Eldar army need a 120" sniper rifle? Seriously this makes my eyes roll. They probably needed it like they needed a 9" model.
Something Shawn has gripped out for sometime is how the Dark Eldar basic troop has BS 4. Looks like they made that correction to all Guardians and their weapons i.e. tanks and war walkers. I like this a lot.
The first meta I, and most of us, have thought will come to be is the Wraithlist. Spiritseer with wraithguard and wraithblades as troops and wraithknight. If someone is willing to put down 345$ for three wraithknights (or purchase a well-painted one online hint, hint) then I say let them enjoy their 720 pts. The stat line is worth it. At present moment I wouldn't upgrade any three. Wraithsight, Eldar 4th pg 46, is gone. No more walking-shooting-kicking-ass-who's-all-out-of-bubble-gum wraithbone that can potentially be mind-locked. Now they are just looking for bubble gum. Well, not completely. They do shoot and hack people up while searching for aforementioned bubble gum. Of course they can't chew it. How do you think they get so many bulbs on their armour?
My first wraithlist would include one Wraithguard and one Wraithblades squad. Standard load out for guard. Blades get Ghostsword and Forceshield. Suijin and Bryan brought up a good point. Probably don't need Forceshield on every blade. Wouldn't end up running a wraithlist. Would just use my normal Eldar list. Definitely want 10 of each of the new wraiths.
These covers are awesome. GW, you nailed it again with the cover!
Is the codex over-powered? I don't think so. It is a easy win army? nope. Not even with three Eldar Dreadknights. They will be hard to take down. That model is mostly noise and little bark with not a lot of bite in my present opinion. That can easily change after facing Shawn's new Eldar list with one of those in it. We'll find out.
On a semi-related note. Fantasy Flight, who works with GW on a lot of things, has been shafted again with their shipment. This is the third time they have received almost nothing. Daemons, they received codex and few models. Nothing else. Tau, codex only. Didn't get the Tau shipment til the following Mon. Eldar nothing. Absolutely nothing. Instead of enjoying a 20% pre-order discount I had a 10% for having a adventure club card for another gaming store not 4 miles from Fantasy Flight. Dave did say he'll give those who pre-ordered a 25% discount for the inconvenience. He was leaving this evening as we were walking in. Asked him if I should call said store to see if they have my back-up pre-order. He quietly answered, yes. After confirming they have my two models and letting Dave know, he was even more pissed. Guess two VP's of Fantasy Flight are actually contacting GW to let them know that their 1600$ Eldar pre-order didn't show up. The store will be lucky to sell 800$ when it arrives tomorrow or Mon. I'll still get the plastic Farseer, Illic and cards. Hopefully FedEx gets themselves in order and delivers it tomorrow. That will be the only thing to drag me away from the murder table where I'll be starting a week long painting spree of the flyer and knight for sale. For the next week I'll only be sleeping, eating, working, drinking and painting. Yeah, I'll pick up Walter White's new adventures but won't start watching the king of cash til Mon 10th Jun. Man, that guy can make some wicked glass. Hopefully the assassin/right hand man comes back and works for Heisenberg. Love that guy and his fulminated mercury.
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| OK, GW. I guess size matters. Eldar Dreadknight had to be at least 9". You've got me there. |
slainte mhath