Hey guys its Cavalier, commission painter for Frontline Gaming and co-host of Splintermind the Dark Eldar Podcast, checking in with an exciting update for all my Craftworld Bro’s with a spotlight on Asuryani points adjustments in Chapter Approved 2018!
Real quick, all those rumors about Craftworld Traits being changed (Alaitoc) were bunk. The only changes made to ANY army were in the points department. Yet this alone did give many Asuryani players room for pause. Even as a playtester, I myself was not sure how the Asuryani were gonna be handled in Chapter Approved. They’ve been a lightening rod faction since 6th edition (after a 4 year wait for their codex) and very much felt like they had been put into the dog-house during the Index days after savagely marauding through 6th and 7th edition as the top dogs. Their codex brought them immediately back into prominence however as more codices came and went, many of the utility units felt like they just did not have a place.
You were paying premium points for units that did not perform like premium units to justify a regular spot in the rotation. My classic example is I want a 10 man unit of Striking Scorpions in my army as a late game, line breaker + objective clearing unit. Or perhaps as a scalpel to go in and root out something out of LOS like a pesky Mortar squad that is high priority enough to allocate offensive resources, but too well protected to risk sending in something super valuable that can get around terrain impediments. Those things come up a lot, yet despite a great suite of rules perfectly suited for the job, at 152pts fully loaded we’re not far off from Crimson Hunter Exarch points totals here.
There were many similar examples throughout the Codex of classic Eldar units that while not wildly expensive simply never made the cut, especially in any kind of remotely competitive environment, especially considering how easily Eldar fold when you actually land a blow on them.
GW has clearly seen this and thus sweeping points reductions were made across the codex. There are too many to get into all of them (plus you should just go buy the damn book!) but I’ll highlight the ones that really got my attention.
Yet there were too very important points increases that must be commented upon first. One of which I expected, the other was somewhat surprising but not unwarranted. Anyway lets look at them.
Points Increases of Note
Shining Spears– Up 6
Twin-Catapults- Down 2
Wave Serpent- Up 13pts
Everyone knew Shining Spears were going to go up in points, it was really just a question of by how much. Yet the devil was in the details… 6 points was significant increase, yet it was softened by the points break on twin shuriken catapults, reducing it to a 4 point increase. What I like about this is that Shining Spears remain a very points efficient unit that remains near the top of all the Aspect Warriors which is very nice. Since 3rd edition Shining Spears have been terrible, finally they’ve risen to prominence and feel like they are here to stay.
The Wave Serpent likewise went up a very significant 13 points. This is a very reasonable points increase, especially considering how the triple shuriken cannon variant is still very affordable and provides healthy anti-infantry on this incredibley durable transport. I’ve had to adjust my lists a bit due to this points, increase but it certainly wont deter me from using this excellent vehicle.
Points Decreases of Note
I think these points decreases will hardly come to dismay of any non-Eldar players and will be whole heartedly embraced by those players of the pointy-eared variety. Most of these units have been languishing throughout the edition and in some cases for decades.
Skimmers-
Falcon- Down 15
Nightspinner– Down 25
Vypers- Down 10
My Thoughts: These are all highly welcomed changes. Vypers are extremely cheap and when played as Saim-Hann are decent highly mobile, heavy weapon platforms. Also worth noting is that they are decent harassing units that can go in bare bones at extremely fast making turn 1 charges and tying up vehicles or hordes. At their price point its not a horrible option. In a streamlined list they can find a niche. The Falcon and Nightspinner still do not make the cut in my opinion. While the Falcon still has access to the great Pulse Laser (a critical weapon for Asuryani players) you are better off investing those points in a Crimson Hunter despite the substantially higher points cost. The Falcon just doesnt have the special rules, stratagems or combo potential that Wave Serpents, Fire Prisms, Crimson Hunters et all have, nor do they have points efficiency or utility of say a Warp Hunter or Hornet. The same can be said of the Nightspinner.
Core Units
Wind Riders- Down 2
Scatter Laser- Down 3
Storm Guardians- Down 1
Flamers Down- 2
Fusion Gun- Down 2
Striking Scorpions- Down 3
My Thoughts- I think Wind Riders are the big winners here. Going down 5pts a pop is a big points break on a unit that I think is already undervalued. I’m very excited to see how this is going to combo with the Specialist Detachment teased in Vigilus. In an age of 40k where the screening horde is king, I think Wind Riders especially taken in large units with just a bit of psychic support can really do work. At their current price point they are doing it at reasonable points too. Having played my Drukhari in almost every game since their codex dropped, I find myself missing my Venoms whenever I play pure Asuryani. Wind Riders will now answer that call.
Striking Scorpions got a nice reduction too. I actually want to give mine a whirl again in a pure Alaitoc army where all the resources are going into a single faction. In such a build I think they can shine.
Storm Guardians while still underwhelming on the surface do seem a little tempting. With Fusion Guns they can operate a bit like Warriors with Blasters (albeit without the great open-topped transport option) while big squads with Flamers can serve as an aggressive counter-attacking screen against other screen type units. I do see a potential combo with perhaps the Avatar of Khaine who also got a big points reduction. Its certainly a stretch, but it could be interesting in certain builds.
Wraith Constructs
Wraithguard Weaponry:
D-Scythe- Down 2
Wraithcannon- Down 2
Wraithlord- Down 18
Flamers- Down 2
Wraithknight– Down 87
Scatter Shield- Up 10
Suncannon- Down 58
Star Cannon- Down 2
My Thoughts: This makes a big, big difference for Eldar players. I think Wraithguard have been a bit of a sleeper unit all edition long. In the early goings my D-Scythe Wraithguard were invaluable, especially in the index days. I did get away from them after the Drukhari dex dropped, but I’ve been giving them some serious play lately and I’m shocked at how good they are. The Wraithcannon versions are can be deadlyand need less help then their D-Scythe brothers who need a transport or psychic support (quicken) to make their biggest impact. I think big units of Webway Striking Wraithguard with Cannons are very solid, while 5 man units of the Scythes in Serpents are likewise very solid as well.
The Wraithlord got a significant points drop as well. Sadly I still dont think this enough to get him on the table. His degrading stats, drop in accuracy on the move really hamper him. Perhaps as a lone counter-attacking unit hidden out of LOS meant to intercept incoming melee units is an option, but in army of specialists there tend to be other units that do the job better and more easily than the Wraithlord where points-allocation is critical to building a cohesive list.
The Wraithknight finally got the points reduction he so desperately needed. While the most hard hitting Wraithcannon version didnt get a break, the more durable sword and board build became very intriguing. As did the Suncannon version. Its worth noting that Starcannons also went down by 2 points which gives him a significant bump in ranged offense in either build. I think the Wraithhost detachment in Vigilus will make the Wraithknight even more intriguing when the full scope of that Detachment is revealed.
Special Characters
Avatar of Khaine- Down 30
Eldrad- Down 15
Fuegan- Down 10
Jain Zar- Down 25
Karandras- Down 25
Prince Y’riel- Down 30
My Thoughts: These are all very much welcomed changes. With the exeption of perhaps Y’riel and Eldrad all these legendary heroes of the Asuryani have been languishing for ages. The points drops to Karandras really have me chomping at the bit to try our Mr. Abuse Puppy’s awesome combinations in his excellent articlel which you can read here.
The Avatar also becomes somewhat interesting as well. The Eldar have a combination of doughty vehicles, good screening units (again thinking Storm Guardians) and many high priority targets that can distract your opponent from the Avatar. When he connects he can be an absolute menace. Definitely a challenging play even with the points reduction but tempting nonethless.
The double-steal to my mind is Y’riel and Eldrad. I thought both were excellent for their points. Y’riel is now a no-brainer if you are playing Iyanden (which I think is very good in this edition). He can tangle with anything in combat, kicks out that great re-roll 1’s aura (perfect for Wraithblades + the Pystronome of Iyanden) and is cheap as a barebones Archon.
Forgeworld Arsenal
Hornet- Down 25
Hornet Pulse Laser down 5
Warp Hunter- Down 110!!!
Twin-Catapults- Down 3
Skatatch Wraithknight– Down 100
Deathshroud- Down 40
My Thoughts: This to me is the game changing bit for Eldar players. These are options you cannot replicate through the Codex. The Skathatch Wraithknight is a deepstriking Wraithknight that can have the scattershield option and one of the excellent shooting options as well like the Inferno Lance which is a D6 melta gun with 36″ range. Even though it is very expensive it can be a game winning unit, especially with a little psychic support like Guide and Fortune.
The Hornet likewise becomes a very intriguing option. I’ve found with playtesting this unit to a be very high performing unit with points reduction to Hornet Pulse Lasers (Heavy 3 Str 6 AP -3 Dmg 3). While not outright the tank slayer it was, with its rare (for Eldar) 48″ range,fantastic rate and quality it is now a serious threat to monsters, tanks and any variety of infantry perhaps suited to finishing off or softening up targets. With the 48″ range it can stay safe from harm and with Alaitoc Craftworld trait can be maddening to uproot especially when high priority targets like Crimson Hunters and Dark Reapers are in play.
But damn. DAMN the Warp Hunter. The Warp Hunter has dropped massively in points and is now a serious contender to be in any list. The excellent “artillery” mode that doesnt require LOS means you do not need to play an Alaitoc detachment to save them. I actually think Iyanden Warp Hunters are very good. They can stay out of LOS for as long as possible and even on the last few wounds, with star engines can zip out and flame you with automatic hits. Speaking of flames… the “rift” firing mode is essentially a flamer, doing d6 Str 10, Ap-4 Damage D6…. at 12″ range! This makes this vehicle a perfect fit with the Cloudstrike stratagem if you want to go all out. Before it was ludicrous proposition when the tank was nearly 300pts! Now its a whole new ballgame. The Warp Hunter can be an invaluable tool for Eldar players, as it goes perfectly in line with the “keep away” game of hitting, without being hit or it can be used as a blitzkrieg tool spearheading an assault.
Missed Opportunties
Its not all rainbows and Gryinxes though. There are some notable missed opportunities. A few units remain far, far too expensive.
Wraithblades– In particular the Axe and Shield variant are far too expensive. Costing more than a unit of auto-hitting D-Scythes is a major, major deterrent from putting these guys in a list. Its unfortunate too, because the tools Wraithblades (axe and shield) bring can really change the way an Eldar player constructs an army. With a big tough assault unit, you could see potential assault based Eldar armies come into prominence as Banshees and Scorpions could lean on their big undead brothers as they charge into battle.
Corsair Sky Reavers- Loaded with Lasblasters, these guys are 41pts more expensive than Swooping Hawks, yet lack the ability to deepstrike, have zero access to stratagems, and take away command benefits from any detachment they are a part of. As a guy with an entire Corsair army this is so hard to get over. Luckily changes to the Warp Hunter and the Hornet still enable me to get that old Corsair vibe, but I’d love to use my proper Corsair models again, without being punished on the tabletop for doing so.
Lynx- Its only chucking out 2d3 Str 7 Ap-3 D3 Damage shots in in Saturation mode, compared to the Fire Prisms 2d3 Str 9 Ap-4 D3 damage shots in Focused Mode. Comparing Salvo Mode of the Lynx at Heavy 2 Str 12 AP-4 D6 Damage to the Fire Prisms Heavy 2 Strength 9 Ap-5 D6 Damage also highlights the almost identical stat lines of the Lynx’ principal weapon and that of the Fire Prism, while the Lynx costs well beyond double the points. Even with the 4 extra wounds and Lumbering Flyer rule which is highly situational, the Lynx has no prayer of competing for a place in even the most casual list when options the like the Fire Prism, Crimson Hunter Exarch, the Hemlock and others.
Conclusion
This was a very nice surprise for Eldar players. Shining Spears and Wave Serpents got a little more expensive and deservedly so, but still remain affordable tools to put front and center in your army. Likewise languishing units that have suffered for decades in some cases are very much usable, although they do remain niche. Perhaps more importantly is Forge World finally made some hugely important steps to fixing the debacle that is the Eldar Corsair problem and what seemed the painful “dog house” treatment (but what was probably mere caution) the rest of the FW Eldar line received after their reign of terror in 6th and 7th.
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You probably already know (and it’s probably not kosher to show here), but the Vigilus detachments and full CA point changes got leaked yesterday if you know where to look. Wraith Host looks very fun. Good read!
Didnt realize there was a leak! But yes I’ve known for a good long while. Yes the Wraithost is very fun! Points Drops plus Wraithhost make for some very interesting stuff. I’m highly interested in double starcannon, sword + board with Protect cast upon it. The Wraithcannon variant in a Wraithhost is also very, very impressive. With Protect cast on him, Tears of Isha and a Bonesinger dude can last a good long while. It’d be interesting to see how both of those would do working together in an extended series of games
Runes of Battle are infantry and bikes only, right? Hence the Wraith Host power being able to give ‘lords and ‘knights cover, specifically. 2+/4++ is gonna be huge for them though, especially with the point drops. And I do like the interactivity of the Spiritseer stratagem.
Yes in play testing I found that power to be incredibly effective. I’m not sure how much has been revealed, but the Wraithhost detachment is very strong. Coupled with the points changes, the Wraithknights can stand-up to their Imperial counter-parts. The double Wraithcannon version is still a bit iffy, but I got mine to work with the Wraithost.
I think sword+board, or suncannon both with starcannons might be the way to go. If you really want to get the wraithcannon version to work, double Wraithknight might be the way to go. Not sure how effective that’d be, but it’d give you the staying power to get all your strats and psychic powers going even if you go second. You can rock Tears of Isha and use your Bonesinger to heal up 1 or both WK’s.
Its something I’m definitley going to give a go, when I get a second Wraithknight.
Sword + Board version seems… pretty lackluster compared to a Gallant. It’s significantly less resilient (since it can’t get a 4++ without jumping through hoops) and you don’t actually want to use the sword all that often. It does get the 5++ in combat, but I don’t feel like that’s enough to justify it over the many other Eldar units that are a lot better in a fight.
@Abuse Puppy- I think sword and board is pretty decent. The Gallant is better, but the Wraithknight can definitely add a lot to an Eldar army. Gigantic fire magnet, and its durability is pretty strong too with a little resource investment. 5+ FnP from Fortune, Tears of Isha and a Bonesinger and Iyanden trait which I’ve found to be really good with particular builds. if you wanna go all out are pretty nice. I like it as an interceptor type unit that flies out mid-field to take pressure off a gunline, or other units. Its stat-line is a nice change-up too from what opponent typically feel they need to deal with Eldar
Great breakdown! Can you do this for all the armies????
I have heard that their are no changes to the Drukhari?? Is this true? If so, I guess Drukhari players are happy that the Talos and Ravagers were left alone but I was really hoping for a big points reduction for the Hellions!!
Apparently the codex was too late to get adjusted in CA according to Reece.
Yes. I know it was 8 moths ago.
Books go to the printers long, long before we ever see any sign of them.
Hey RVD. Reece would know far better than I would, but in my OPINION this might not be the case. Harlequins did get a points drop to their pistols and IMO thats all they really needed. I think the Drukhari have been out long enough for CA but I could be wrong. However this could be a simple case of Asuryani fusion pistols went down, so it was an easy inclusion for Harlies.
I think with the other armies all being raised up a few notches, their core + utility units getting such a huge points drop (and their weapon points prices) that the really potent tools in the Drukhari dex make a lot more sense. That being said I still think dissintigrators should go up in points because when taken in numbers they are far superior to the Dark Lance.
I think Harlies needed a lot more than a price drop on the pistols- they do well against Knights because of the abundance of Haywire, but aside from that they struggle quite a lot to perform at all.
Harlequins have been fantastic for me. They’ve got the volume of attacks in melee, shooting from transports (and bikes) to deal with hordes. They’ve got high attacks, high damage in melee and from their pistols and superb anti-tank. Plus they’ve got Invulns everywhere, -1 to hit on bikes and transports, a strat to get even lower and great psychic powers. They may be too risky to play in a pure build at the top tables (going undefeated) but I think they are excellent
*shrug* They very rarely show up at top tables except as “I brought these bikes to kill Knights” and their faction win percentage has been poor (though not quite abysmal) for some time now. They had some points in their favor, but I think the faction as a whole struggled a lot.
AP this is just not true. Yes vehicles are the reason you are seeing haywire blasters but Harly bikes are very efficient in many way that other options for a forward projecting unit are not. Cant really speak to anything else as I have not played them.
Wow thanks B. Raven! Really appreciate the kind words. Worked hard on this article so glad you liked it. Sadly my familiarity with the other armies is in no way comparable to my knowledge of the Eldar family of dexes. But I will be exploring more of the features in Chapter Approved and continue to explore the changes to Eldar with some unit tactica.
Yes there are ZERO changes to Drukhari. Harlequins likewise only received a points drop on their fusion pistols.
I would have LOVED a points drop for Hellions but I do think they are still a pretty good unit. But a points drop would certainly make them a mainstay in a lot of Wych detachments, or even in some Ynnari builds.
I fully expected Dissies and Talos to go up, but it didnt happen. However that being said, with points drop to all the other armies it makes Drukhari fairly even in that respect. GW has clearly tried to push some armies tools to be truly deadly. Shining Spears are an example, so are the Crimson Hunter Exarchs and Hemlocks. They are just straight-up nasty despite GW having multiple chances to nerf them.
Thanks for the quick analysis. One question/clarification: You have “Warlock Conclave- Down 20” listed, but the conclave was increased by 15 points in the Spring FAQ and looks the same in any of the posted leaks. Is that a mistake or are the craftworlds leaks pages all wrong?
Hey bud yeah I messed that up. I edited that bit out. Sorry about the confusion. Fake news!
Thanks for the summary! On my first read through the thing that stood out to me was the wind riders with catapults. 180 points for 10, which is 20 T4 wounds with a 4+ save and fly, and putting out the same number of shots as a 20 man guardian unit that will cull some orks. Shining Spears remain viable which is great. It is sad that hellions and incubi didn’t get a little drop.
Hell yeah buddy. Right there with you. I still like Saim-Hann scatter bikes for range, fire and fade myself. They are amazing horde killers and I think you can do signficant damage to anything with them especially if you throw jinx and doom into the mix.
But yeah the shuriken bikes are good too and all of them become very interesting with the new specialist detachment
Thanks for the breakdown! This totally exceeded my expectations – I really didn’t think GW was paying this much attention, especially to a faction that has been perceived as quite strong. Hardcore Aeldari players knew there were a lot of have-nots in the book, but it seemed this was hard for folks outside of our circles to see or hear.
If I may ask, would you mind clarifying the price for a warlock conclave? “down 20” makes it sound like they would cost 25 each (from 45 in big faq 1), which is crazy cheap – but then watching Striking Scorpions breakdown he did not mention such a drop. I was hoping the conclave would get some love, but didn’t dare to dream it would go down 20.
Always enjoy your article, and seeing your work, btw. Keep it coming!
Thanks Purple Prose, really, really glad you enjoyed the article man. I was right there with you, I always fear the worst when it comes to Eldar simply because they are so hated. But I think the army is right where it should be. Ynnari is the only thing that sorts of upsets the balance because pure CW, including Alaitoc is fine IMO.
As for the Warlock Conclave I actually messed that up. Just spent 10 minutes trying to figure out where I got that number, but it was just a mistake. They actually went up 15 which I’ll edit into the article. Thats probably to get them in line with standalone Warlocks. Kinda sucks because you are giving up a ton making them into non-characters… and a super cheap council would be super sick. Oh well, sorry about that fake news lol
Anyway thanks brother I appreciate the kind words. I’ll definitley keep going forward with exploring the chapter approved changes and what it does for the faction. There is really a lot left to say
Is anyone else shocked that warp spiders didn’t get a price cut? They’re not seen anywhere at all in the meta from what I can tell. Their guns are just weak, they hit only a little harder than guardians and lack board presence despite their mobility…
Warlock conclaves were already bad and they had points added?
And I 100% agree, Harlequins are considerably behind the curve and needed help. Troupes should be cheaper and the Voidweaver, well there’s just no reason to ever take it. Shadowseers also cost too much given their casting difficulty IMO.
The neurodisruptor is pathetic and there’s no reason to ever take it. How did that get missed?
Also @Reece, CA 2017 moved the death jester from 60 to 45 points. This CA shows nothing for it though. Is this an oversight or did it revert back to 60 (god I hope not).
Hey C-Stock, yeah Warp Spiders are pretty weak. A points drop would help, but their rules are in such a weird state right now, a rework is necessary IMO. I’d love to see GW nix their ridiculous short range, or turn their guns into flamers like they used to be in 2nd ed.
I think the changes to Warlocks were to bring them into line with the cost of normal Warlocks. But their are some unique and really advantageous things you can do with a Conclave.
I hear people echo your sentiments a lot on Harlies, but personally I just dont see it. I’ve actually found my Troupes to be the superior option to the bikes. I’ve played them a LOT since the dex dropped and cannot justify taking them out of my list.
I’m not being flippant, but do you play them? If so what problems are you running into with them? I said this above to Abuse PuppyThey’ve got the volume of attacks in melee, shooting from transports (and bikes) to deal with hordes. They’ve got high attacks, high damage in melee and from their pistols and superb anti-tank. Plus they’ve got Invulns everywhere, -1 to hit on bikes and transports, a strat to get even lower and great psychic powers with a sizable swath of mortal wound output. They may be too risky to play in a pure build at the top tables (going undefeated) but I think they are excellent.
Warp Spiders did get a price drop death spinners went from 8 to 6. As you usually take 6 in a 5 man unit 12 point savings.
Also the way they are doing points in CA is confusing, the living list method, meaning if the change is not on CA 2018 then it does not exist. This means I have to either go back to CA 2017 and compare the two entries for each faction to see what dropped off or just wipe all points I have now using only codex then update for 2018. They should have a minimum had a change list so I can just input the changes to points.
Warp Spiders did go down from 18 to 16, via a price decrease to the death spinner (which I suppose could also help your index autarch…)
Even so, I would agree that Warp Spiders don’t have much of a spot. In their case, I think it is not something that can be fixed by way of points. I would imagine that the unit will get reworked considerably if GW releases a new plastic sculpt for it, and otherwise will continue to languish.
One small mistakes on the hornet pulse laser. It is dmg2, not dmg 3.
I am really excited to bring back a few of my hornets for a little over 100pts each. Maybe with vector engines. And warp hunters seem solid as well. Do you think they are worth the 170something points?
Hey Colin whats up my man, thanks for stopping by brother. I ABSOLUTELY think Warp Hunters are worth it. I’ve been using 2 of them in playtest and found them to be absolutely brilliant. I’ve played them in non-Alaitoc builds too and found them to be fantastic. Army list of course plays a large part in getting them to work. You have to have them in lists where they are not the primary threat. Hide them out of LOS, present bigger threats (or just cloudstrike them and use flamer mode at 12″) and they will do serious work. I like a big unit of Dark Reapers front and center with the 2 Warp Hunters, a Wave Serpent with D-Scythe Wraithguard and lots of Guardians in Ynnari or Iyanden lists.
thanks for writing this article up love your painting, do you have a personal gallery on FB or instagram by any chance?
Hey bud I do! Sorry for not seeing this:
https://www.instagram.com/eldar_cavalier/
Thanks so much!
Some leaked pics showed a 5-point drop for the Shadow spectres’s prism rifle as well as prism blaster, but this isn’t mentioned here. Was it forgotten or were the leaks fake?
The spectres prism rifles did drop 5pts. Which makes me very happy. I love having a unit of spectres around
Wow, that really makes them worth while doesn’t it! I thought they might even be slightly bumped up in price. But hey, I’m not upset 😉
The exarch’s Prism Blaster did as well, I believe, but since that gun is kinda trash it’s fairly meaningless.
But the drop on Spectres is nice. They feel like they’re fairly close to being the “right” price now, although perhaps a tad too weak to use in a competitive list.
Nice to see them come down, but particularly in an Ork meta I don’t think we are going to be seeing them on the top tables.
Well, they actually are pretty good against Orks with two good anti-infantry firing modes on their guns (and the laser version does okay against light Ork vehicles as well.) But the reality is that Craftworlds still have much better options on several fronts, I think, so you probably won’t see much of them.
What are the much better options on several fronts that you are speaking about?
Sorry for the double post.
But am I wrong that Twin Shuriken catapults actually dropped 3 points from 5 to 2. So shining spears actually only went up 3?
Is there anything stopping you taking a craftworlds ynnari detachment as a wraithost detachment? Just needs the ynnari keyword right?