Harlequin’s finally get a Faction Focus today. Come see the official story on what is ahead for the keepers of the webway in the new 8th Edition 40k.
Frankie from LVO and the SoCal Open was more than happy to give a breakdown about how the Harlequins will play in the upcoming update. Let’s take a look at a couple key points from his article on Warhammer Community.
Hello everyone, Frankie here, back to talk to you about everyone’s favourite backflipping ninja jesters.
The Harlequin armies in the new Warhammer 40,000 are true close combat masters and will be bouncing around the field with their flip belts, which allow them to ignore terrain and other models when moving. The other half of their incredible mobility comes in Rising Crescendo, which allows them to advance and charge, or charge even after falling back. This makes them extremely mobile when combined with their Move characteristic of 8”.
The Eldar have always been a fast moving army, but the Harlequins are taking it up a notch. Being able to use their flip belts to ignore terrain and other models is going to help you get them into that perfect position to attack, and still have a good defensive point on the table.
Harlequin Troupes individually are the equal of other faction’s heroes in melee, but their real power comes in the synergy they have with their characters, such as the Shadowseer. This model has 5 Wounds and packs a punch, with his Miststave granting +2 Strength, -1 AP, and D3 Damage. But the real reason you take this beast is for his ability Shield from Harm, which makes your opponent subtract 1 from the wound rolls for any attacks made against friendly Harlequin infantry units. This makes those Toughness 3 models vastly more resilient and means even a Lascannon needs a 3+ to wound a basic Troupe member. Combine that with the fact your entire army has invulnerable saves thanks to their holo-suits, and you’ll find these warrior-dancers can prove surprisingly resilient.
Holo-suits are going to play a big role in the survivability of the Harlequins, giving the entire army invulnerable saves. Compound that with the Shadowseer who’s ability forces your opponent to take a -1 to wound on any attacks made against friendly Harlequin Infantry units and your unit just became that much tougher to take down.
Next up we have my personal favourite Harlequin hero, the Solitaire. This character is a blender made manifest. He moves 12” normally and has 8 Attacks. He can either swing with his Harlequin’s Caress which does 1 wound at Strength 5, AP -2, or his Harlequin’s Kiss which does D3 Damage at Strength 4, AP -1. He also has a 3+ invulnerable save, which is extremely good and pretty rare to find on such a fast-moving unit. However, the truly juicy ability he has that sets him apart from the rest is Blitz. The Blitz ability allows you to move an extra 2D6” and gain 2 Attacks once per game. With the fact your army can advance and charge, that’s a potential 30” move! Combined with the ability to leap and flip through enemy ranks, he can easily charge past screening units and mince vulnerable backfield support characters. If your opponent isn’t careful, the Solitaire will leave a trail of destruction in his wake.
The Solitaire almost seems like a must have for any Harlequin army. With a 12″ move, the Blitz ability which let’s you move and extra 2D6″ and gain 2 attacks once per game, 8 attacks normally, and a 3+ invulnerable save, this makes for one hell of a Hero to have in your army. A possible, one time use, 30″ move whenever you need it will come in very useful to get across the board in a hurry if the situation arises.
Lastly let’s talk about what I feel is one of the, if not the, best transports in the game. The Starweaver moves 16”, has Toughness 5, 6 Wounds, a 4+ invulnerable save and the ever-useful Fly keyword. Fly on an open topped transport equates to greatness and is the envy of the lesser races’ transports which crawl along the ground and get bogged down. The thing that keeps this vehicle alive though is the Mirage Launchers, which make your opponent subtract 1 from any hit rolls made against this model in the shooting phase. These vehicles put your deadly Harlequins where you want them on the table and are surprisingly resilient.
The new Harlequins are coming out looking really good from what Frankie just told us. The Solitaire, Shadowseer, flip belts, and holo-suits are making this a very well round army.
What are your thoughts? Are you a Harlequins fan? Did this just give the hype train for your faction a little kick in the pants for you?
P.S. If you haven’t singed up for the SoCal Open Gaming Convention yet, perhaps you should?
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