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New Eldar Craftworlds, Ynnari, & Harlequins Faction Rules

eldar-craft-worlds-new-rules-traits-codex-aeldariDon’t miss all the new Eldar 40k Craftworlds, Ynnari, and Harlequins faction-wide rules for their updated 9th Edition Warhammer 40k codex.

With the Eldar Codex in hobbyists’ hands and rules previews aplenty from Games Workshop, we can get a better picture of what all the new rules are looking like for the Aeldari.

New 40k Craftworlds, Ynnari, & Harlequins Faction Rules

These unique faction rules are collected from all the following reviews on YouTube, and Warhammer Community alike, so be sure to watch your favorite presenters talk about their take on the book at the links below!

Here’s the most up-to-date review of the new Eldar rules. Click on the gallery above to see all the new 9th Edition rules from the Eldar codex!

Codex: Aeldari Retail Price: $55

Click here to get yours for less from these retailers: | Amazon | Dicehead Games | Gold Goblin Games |

Codex Aeldari

Inside this 200-page hardback book, you’ll find:
– In-depth background on the Aeldari, from their rise and fall to the many factions that split off from their original civilization, as well as information on multiple craftworlds such as Biel-Tan, Saim-Hann, Iyanden, and Ulthwé
– Majestic artwork depicting many aspects this once-great and still awe-inspiring civilization, from fearsome Aspect Warriors to roguish Corsairs
– All the rules you need to play an Aeldari army, be they craftworlders, Ynarri, Harlequins, Corsairs, or a mix, including 57 datasheets, from the war-forged Avatar of Khaine to the rank and file Guardian Defenders
– All the rules you need to lead Asuryani, Harlequin, and Ynarri forces in Crusade and narrative games, including Agendas, Battle Traits, Requisitions, Crusade Relics, and unique campaign structures for each faction of Aeldari
– An ‘Eavy Metal miniatures showcase full of lovingly painted Aeldari miniatures

Eldar Army Wide Rules

For the army-wide rules and keywords, the first page has Battle Focus, giving a situational shoot after advancing, only allowing Assault and Pistol weapons to be shot. Be sure to read the restriction for area terrain in the blacked-out box!

The second ability is Favoured of Khaine we know on the Avatar of Khaine, which gives a 4+ invuln, cap of 3 wounds loss per phase, and prevents using a relic or warlord trait.

The final big army-wide rule is Strands of Fate, working very similarly to Tzeentch fate dice in AoS. Essentially you roll dice at the start of each battle round, get to keep an amount of them based on the battle size, and then based on the dice result you get to manipulate a roll later.

When you chose to use fate die for the one determined by your strands of fate die at the start of the round, you get to replace the roll with an auto unmodified 6. If it uses more than one die, you get an auto 6 and you must then roll the remaining die.

All-in-all this is an extremely powerful ability!

Codex Supplement Craftworld Altansar

These rules were spotted on Reddit and have pretty much everything inside, minus some lore. The poster did say there are about 8 pages of lore, so if you love the Craftworld White Dwarf 473 might be worth the pickup!

Altansar RulesWhile this doesn’t help their shooting, getting an extra AP in basically the first round of every combat is pretty nice. Then, your units will be harder to run off the battlefield, which just makes sense as they are grim survivors!

Altansar Rules 3Master of Rune Warding can be really strong as your Warlord will get two Deny the Witch tests and gets to reroll all tests. So if you’re up against a psychic heavy army, this is a great way to go. However, A Beacon of Light in the Darkness is super strong. It will let a unit shoot and still perform actions, which is always the problem with actions.

Not only that, but then you can also Advance or Fall Back and still do actions. Just gives you a lot of flexibility for getting your objectives. Then Weaver of the Blade Storm gives one core unit the ability to skip rolling for wounds. If you have a ton of shots coming through, this could be really strong.

Eldar 9th Edition Craftworld 40k Codex Rules

Here are all the new Craftsworlds rules from the Eldar Codex for Ulthwe, Biel-Tan, Saim-Hann, Iyanden, Alatioc, and creating custom ones as well that look great!

Ulthwe Craftworld Rules:

 

Ulthwe craftworld has always been strong with their use of Psychic powers, and these new rules definitely reflect that. Plus eligible models will now get a 6+ invulnerable and a 5+ feel no pain save which is pretty stellar- but on low toughness, models may not be as effective.

Iyanden Craftworld Rules

 

We have already seen great new rules abilities for Wraith models, which probably explains why the Iyanden Craftworlds rule is a little underwhelming at first glance. However considering for the most part thier armies may be mostly high toughness with saves like the Ulthwe have already, the AP abilities for Iyanden above start to become more beneficial at the macro play level.

Saim-Hann Craftworld Rules

 

Some of the more tricksy of the Eldar, Saim-Hann craftsworld rules will specialize in charges from the looks of it. How that will shake out overall remains to be seen, as the Eldar really never have been good at that phase of the game with the majority of their models.

However now that they have access to Harlequins, and Ynnari in the same book, that may change and Saim-Hann may see more of the tabletop in 9th Edition.

Biel-Tan Craftworld Rules

 

So for sure, the re-roll to hit is nice for the Biel-Tan craftworld rule, but the Battle Focus is yet to be seen were afraid. We have seen when Battle Focus is severely hampered in terrain, so the jury is still out on this one. However, the re-roll hit rolls trait on any Biel-Tan core can perhaps splash around a bit more than the standard re-roll 1’s rule.

Alaitoc Craftworld Rules

 

Alaitoc has always had strong fieldcraft rules for their craftworld the problem is they didn’t always line up well with the edition of Warhammer 40k. This time around though it may be different, it seems like their rules will benefit the stealthier units for sure. However, perhaps taking the bigger ones instead and benefiting from these stealth-style rules would be the icing on the cake ability-wise.

Eldar Custom Craftworld Rules

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On this first page, two great options are Expert Crafters giving every unit one wound re-roll per shooting/fight phase, and Children of Prophecy which makes the already great psykers of the faction even more consistent.

The second page also has some good options, but the ones that jump out right away to us are Masters of Concealment granting light cover if further than 12″ away, and Masterful Shots which denies opponents from getting the benefits of light cover.

Of course, there are plenty of interesting options and combinations, so it’ll be up to you to decide which set is best for your playstyle or goal.

New Army Wide Ynnari Faction Rules

 

Ynnari acts much like any other craftworld option, however, they also have some unique rules to splash in Drukhari and Harlequin units getting the best of both worlds.

The first thing to note is all of your units from other factions gain the Craftworlds Keyword. Next, you need an Asuryani unit for every Harlequins or Drukhari you take in the same role. So another big thing to keep in mind.

It seems like GW is also stopping you from mixing troops into different transports. To take Scourges or Incubi, you have to pay more for them as the army-wide rules can be super useful on them. Now, they will all be fighting first and if they are even one model below starting strength, they get +1 to hit.

Their stratagem for only 1 CP is always good on Aeldari as wounding is usually where they have issues!

This is a pretty easy way to look at how to build detachments for the Ynnari, and just make sure you understand you’re getting rid of all of your other keywords.

Eldar & Harlequins Detachment Abilities

The detachment abilities are pretty standard, granting them their faction abilities and Objective Secured. There is also a limit placed on them stating you can only have one Autarch per detachment, which seems to be a power balance and a flavor win.

The Harlequin’s Traveling Players rule is also here, which essentially gives you a Harlequin Patrol at no penalty in an Eldar or Drukhari list. A nice touch to keep the soup flavor of Eldar alive and well in 9th edition.

Speaking of Harlequins, let’s check out their detachment rules.

Harlequin Detachment Rules

Harlequins behave much like a sub-faction of Eldar, meaning they get their own set of “craftworld”-like options for their detachments. The first option is simply Light, which grants access to auto-fail hits, a bonus to heroic interventions, and a decent relic that boosts auras.

The next option is Dark which gives the force the ability to fight after dying before being removed if they didn’t fight yet, bonus AP in melee, extra mortal wound damage in melee for a warlord, and a bonus deny for enemy psychic powers. Additionally, the relic can remove Objective secured from nearby enemies, making it a potentially competitive option for sneaking out some points in around.

Finally, there’s Twilight, which gets bonus attacks after interventions or charges, bonus range to pile-ins and consolidations, a CP engine on your warlord, and a buffed melee weapon that gains bonus attacks for the models based on the round of the game.

Here’s the most up-to-date review of the new Eldar rules. Click on the gallery above to see all the new 9th Edition rules from the Eldar codex!

Do you like the new Eldar 40k Ulthwe, Biel-Tan, Saim-Hann, Iyanden, Alatioc, and Custom craftworld rules? 

Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group, or our new Discord server, and make sure you enter the latest monthly giveaway for FREE today! 

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About the Author: Andrew Schrank

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Andrew Schrank

Job Title: Miniatures & Warhammer Hobby Staff Writer

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About Andrew Schrank: Over the past 15 years, Andrew has played all the games, including tabletop and video games, and immersed himself in the associated lore. Andrew joined the Spikey Bits team in 2018 and covers the Warhammer hobby and tournament scene, along with the latest in tabletop miniatures, each week.

Aspiring diplomat, Lord of Fluff, and Master of Ice Hammer, He loves Star Wars, Chaos Undivided, and Gundam. During his free time, he hunts Platinum trophies on PS5 and reads international news. On weekends, Andrew plays commander and cEDH games, often with unique strategies that push the limits.

He believes each day presents a new opportunity to grow and be challenged.