It is an interesting time to be an Eldar player that is for sure. Come see a few ways that maybe we can fix the new book.
The new Eldar Codex book was a bittersweet affair, sure some of the most broken things about the army got fixed (Access to Malefic, Mantle of the Laughing God, Serpent Shield, etc), but in the process the Games Workshop design team may have broken far more.
Plus it seems the hobby got held hostage in the fallout as fluffy ‘Iyanden’ players are being demonize now, and only the most die hard players seem to be starting Eldar armies right now.
That’s just plain unfortunate as Eldar has some of the best looking models out there, tons of fluff, and lots of opportunity for some good old hobby fun.
I’m not going to beat to death a lot of the mechanics players seem to be taking issue with. Instead we’re going to try to make it right, from the bottom up.
The Eldar hobby needs our help, time for action!
‘BHB’ Eldar
5- Destroyer or Distort Scythe. Turns out both may be equally bad when you run the numbers on them. Simple fix seems to be is to just switch it back to being Strength 10 AP2 Instant Death on a ‘6’ and an auto penetrating hit on vehicles.
4- Over 9000 Wraithknight. The big guy just went Super Saiyan, no one can disagree. Pros: he gained Feel no Pain, and Stomp (plus all the other Gargantuan goodies). Cons: itty bitty points cost, and the new ‘D’. Conventional wisdom says he should be roughly the same cost as a Knight Titan, but keep the ‘D’ weapon in assault. 375 for the Ghostglaive /shield, 350 for the wraith cannons, and 390 for the suncannon all with normal secondary weapon upgrades costs.
3- Ninja Attack! – Turns out giving every jetbike the option to take a Shuriken Cannon may have been a bad idea. Heck allowing squads of just three jetbikes that can literally move faster than their flying vehicle counterparts probably isn’t smart either (hope they have bug shields).
While I realize that Games Workshop wants to sell a box set that is at least the minimum squad size, the Eldar jetbike currently may have far more pros than cons.
One of these things I think we may just have to deal with, but restricting heavy cannon options in the squad back to one per every three bikes may be an acceptable comprise for all. If a 51 point jetbike is the most OP thing left in this book, I feel like we can deal with that one thing.
2- I Wanna Go Fast – Whether they did it on purpose or not, Games Workshop left the Warp Spiders ‘Flickjump’ rule suspiciously ambiguous, while going out of their way to specify the distance moved and that it can’t be use the following turn. But Rules as Written (Raw) you can keep moving them if they are targeted again. Confused yet?
That can easily lead to some long shooting phases, and sticky situations that can be abused by unscrupulous players. I think the intent was a one use type thing per turn period, I mean otherwise it seems to set off a ‘China Syndrome’ of sorts that can leave to some players blowing their tops.
1- Jedi Mind Tricks – There is a HUGE debate going on right now whether the Eldar Runes of the Farseer can be used to re-roll the Deny the Witch tests for any spell cast in the game, or just if it targets the squad the Farseer is in. That debate seems to have spilled over into a whole new argument on how you even Deny the Witch in the first place, and how other similar things can affect DTW tests as well (like the Grey Knight’s Aegis).
Long story short, we need a FAQ for this one fast. It has very far reaching implications past just this release.
If you’re not first your last, problem is Eldar seem to be first, second, and third with their new book. If you like restrictions, then hopefully these adjustments can make the ’40k meta’ a safer place for all.
Best part is hobbyists can get their ‘Eldar Hobby on’ without having to look over their shoulder again.
It’s time to bring the hobby back to the game, not the other way around.
About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures. Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including the Adepticon Team Tournament and American Team Tournaments, and is on a first-name basis with almost every major company in the space.
He’s all gaming all the time. With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. He advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1908s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
