Asuryani Review - Part Four; HQs

Time to get to the meat of things: Units. The Asuryani have 20 HQ entries, which gives them a lot of choice and flexibility. The downside is fitting them all in. They all have specific uses that are great for your army, but without filling multiple detachments you'll struggle to get access to them all.

Farseers

There are 3 options for Farseers. These give you your access to the Runes of Fate and that makes them a key part of of any Asuryani force. They can manifest 2 powers and attempt to deny 2 powers a turn. Their offence outside of this is low, they really want to be supporting other units. Witchblades and Singing Spears always wound on a 2+, but they only have 2 attacks. Keep them out of combat unless absolutely necessary.

They all have an invulnerable save, the ability to re-roll dice in one Psychic test a turn and a 5+ save against mortal wounds. Interestingly, this becomes a 2+ if the source of mortal wounds is Perils of the Warp. Between that and the re-roll, Perils aren't to be as feared for a Farseer.

Eldrad Ulthran

Obviously, he can only go in an Ulthwe army and so will only have their Attribute. Combine this with his extra Toughness and Wound over the regular Farseer, and having a 3+ invule rather than a 4+ and he will be much more survivable. He can also manifest 1 additional power and when he passes a Psychic test, he gets +1 to the next one. At only 50 points more as well. The only reason not to take him is if you are playing a different Craftworld.

He has long been a signature character of the Eldar. As in the story he is slowly turning to crystal, he is often given more Toughness. Long gone are the days of 2nd Edition where this also made him less capable in combat.

Farseer

This is the stock version, and a great Psyker. I can't imagine fielding an army without one. Runes of Fate are well worth the points investment, and with this editions ability to pick your powers at the start of the game they are even more fantastic. If you aren't a fan of the Psychic prowess, it makes me wonder why you want to play Asuryani.

In 2nd Edition, you could only field one Farseer, but they were the top level Psyker for the army in those rules. Warlocks were simply Farseers in training. In 3rd Edition they were cheap, but you had to pay points for each power you wanted. At least you could choose the powers. After this, they haven't changed much.

Farseer Skyrunner

Same as a regular Farseer, but on a Jetbike. Good for the extra mobility, great for your Saim-Hann army. Ride the Wind is a great rule on them, making their Advance move an extra 6" rather than a die roll. Perfect for making sure they are in right position at the right time, which is both flavourful for the Eldar and key to making the army synergies work.

This option was missing in 3rd Edition, possibly due to lack of model. It soon returned though, and was a staple HQ choice in 7th Edtion during the infamous "Scat-Bike Spam" era.

Warlocks

Support Psykers, they give you access to Runes of Battle and the potent buffs/debuffs found therein. With only 2 Wounds, they aren't something you want exposed to the enemy. They would be a cheap source of Smite, if they weren't restricted in the way they use it. Great for adding more Psychic protection to the army, though Perils of the Warp can easily prove deadly. Like the Farseer, their powers feel too good to ignore, for both you during army construction and your opponent on the battlefield.


Warlock

The obvious option. Grab some of these, possibly through a Supreme Command Detachment and then sprinkle across the army during deployment. Be careful though, as they are fragile. Enemy snipers could be their bane.

In 2nd Edition, they were your other Psykers, being available in 3 levels. Then they became unit leaders, so their powers only really supported that one unit. This meant that even when you could take a unit of 1 Warlock, you didn't really want to. They shine in this edition though.

Warlock Skyrunner

The same things I said for the Farseer Skyrunner are true here. Keeps your Saim-Hann command team thematic, and has great repositioning ability to get the powers where you want. Be careful not to over-extend them, as the extra Toughness and Wound the Jetbike gives them doesn't really help their survivability.

Again, they were strangely missing from 3rd Edition. And the subsequent "unit champion" option meant you could only really run them with other Jetbikes.

Warlock Conclave

Is your army thematically Ulthwe? Or did you just want a large group of Psykers? Here is the unit for you. The larger the unit, the more powers it can manifest and the better it's Smite is. At 35 points a model, with 2 wounds each, this seems like a really expensive unit for what it does. The same Psychic output can be found from 2-3 single Warlocks, and they can spread out further for greater coverage. I wouldn't recommend this., unless you miss the old days.

Those old days were the Seer Council that came in with 3rd Edition. Thematic for Ulthwe and powerful at the time. A unit that could give itself all of the buffs and hunt down opposing units for close combat. Was still expensive for that purpose though.

Warlock Skyrunner Conclave

The same as above, but faster. And therefore twice the points. Definitely a unit I wouldn't recommend. It's unfortunate because they are flavourful, but a few solo Warlock Skyrunners get the same job done at a much cheaper rate.

Great to accompany your Farseer Skyrunner in other editions. The mounted conclave hasn't really been much use outside of that, as Ulthwe Seer Councils are traditionally on foot (the Farseer is reportedly "far too old and proud to go racing round the skies!")

Spiritseer

There is only one option for Spiritseer. Essentially a Warlock with more wounds and the Spirit Mark ability to give re-roll hit rolls of 1 for nearby Spirit Host units. There are only 10 points more expensive too. While you can take them as more survivable Warlocks, they really shine when buffing your Spirit Host units.

The Craftworld supplement in 3rd Edition brought these in for the Iyanden Craftworld as enhanced Warlocks. They then became their own unit and spread to other Craftworlds.

Autarchs

The quintessential Warlord. Path of Command is better if this model is your Warlord, and thematically they tend to lead armies with Farseers as advisers. They buff the units around them, are decent in melee and when they are the Warlord regain you spent Command Points. They have lost a lot of their equipment options since the Index, but the 4 options for them are still quite flexible.

Prince Yriel

The Autarch for Iyanden. The Spear of Twilight is a decent weapon and the Cursed rule, which re-rolls 6s to save in the Fight phase, shouldn't be too much of a problem. He may not be worth the additional points of a regular Autarch, and has to take the Enduring Resolve Warlord Trait, which lets him deny 1 Psychic Power a turn. Not great, which is a shame for such a legendary character.

While he has long been in the lore as the exile that returned to save Iyanden from the Tyranids, it wasn't until 4th Edition that he got a model and stats. He has long been worse than the nameless Autarch due to the equipment options they had. 8th Edition has him at his best, though still not great unless you are taking him for flavour.

Autarch

The standard Autarch has lost a lot of it's upgrade options since the Index, a point that bears repeating if you have older models. Instead, it now has a Star Glaive, which is a Power Fist analogue. A weird choice, hopefully a new model can come with the parts and datasheet to restore it's old options. Still, a great choice for Warlord, though it is my second choice when building a more competitive army.

4th Edition introduced these guys. Their old ability of reserve manipulation has been removed, as it isn't needed in 8th.

Autarch with Swooping Hawk Wings

When you still have a model (and in fact are the default model available), you get to keep your equipment. The ability to start in Deep Strike Reserve, leave the Battlefield and redeploy, take a Fusion Pistol and dole out a mortal wound in combat. This is my choice as Warlord, because you can start off-table to avoid the enemy Alpha Strike and then come in Turn 1 and be exactly where you need Path of Command the most. Skyleap lets you redeploy or reach units that have extended far away from your main force.

An amalgamation of some of the options introduced in 4th Edition. I think the Autarch really shines in 8th Edition though. The Warp Spider Jump Generator option is missing, but still in the Index, so an FAQ would make that choice still valid.

Autarch Skyrunner

The Saim-Hann option. Can swap it's Power Sword for either a Fusion Gun or a Laser Lance. I recommend either the gun for Vehicle/Monster hunting. The Lance is good for flavour though. This model is great for bringing Path of Command to an all Jetbike army.

While his contemporaries arrived with 4th Edition, technically this model can be seen as the Saim-Hann Wild Rider Chieftain from the 3rd Edition Craftworld Supplement.


Illic Nightspear

While not an Autarch, it seems fitting to talk about him here. He is the anti-Autarch. Not great for leading an army (and keywords means he will only show up with Alaitoc), he is fantastic for sniping enemy command and support characters. 3 Damage on Voidbringer, and an additional mortal wound on a 6 to wound. At 80 points, he is also really cheap for this role.

Introduced in 6th Edition, is utility has waxed and waned. He is really good in this edition, as there are plenty of good targets for Voidbringer.

Phoenix Lords 

The originators of the Aspect Warriors, and the Paths of the Asuryani themselves. They each have unique special rules, equipment and an ability that buffs nearby warriors of their Aspect. While they cannot benefit from your Craftworld Attribute, their presence in a Detachment doesn't remove it's ability. They have been around a long time, both in the lore and in the game, with ancient models to match.

Asurmen

The first, and for the longest time the best. He still is. A decent amount of shooting from his twin Avenger Shuriken Catapults, which Overwatch of 5s rather than 6s. The Sword of Asur is a great melee weapon, which does d3 additional mortal wounds on a 6+ to wound. This is rounded off by a solid invulnerable save and a buff that confers a 5+ invul save to nearby Aspect Warriors, 4+ if they are Dire Avengers.

Different editions have treated characters differently. And somehow Asurmen has always managed to be the best of the Phoenix Lords. Personal note - I won the Arena of Champions event with Asurmen in 3rd Edtion, defeating Asdrubel Vect in the final round.

Baharroth

He has a good assortment of weapons, and can easily get to wherever you want on the Battlefield. he also has 2 buffs. One increases the Leadership of nearby Aspect Warriors by 1, 2 if they are Swooping Hawks. The other lets nearby Hawks re-roll 1s to hit.

As will be a common trend, the Phoenix Lords haven't changed much over the years. They have simply adapted what they do to each rule set.

Fuegan

As always, the bane of Vehicles and Monsters. A Firepike and Melta bombs to counter their high Toughness and Wounds and the ability to re-roll 1s to wound against them. He and nearby Fire Dragons can re-roll hit rolls of a 1 for ranged attacks. He also gains +2 Strength and Attacks for the rest of the game after losing his first wound in the Fight Phase and has a 5+ feel no pain to ensure he stays a massive threat. All you need to do is get him to the targets, which is his one weakness.

In the lore, during the Rhana Dhandra, the final battle against Slaanesh, he will be the last to fall.

Jain Zar

Did you want a combat monster? Look no further. She is fast, can't be Overwatched, can Advance and Charge in the same turn. She gives opposing units -1 to hit her in the Fight Phase and can make an enemy weapon unusable for a turn. Put her with a group of Howling Banshees and they will always strike first in combat. Your opponent will learn to fear her presence.

She has long been a fearsome melee opponent.

Karandras

I think he is worse than Jain Zar. But only slightly, and that's a testament to how good she is. He does come with a Strength 8 Power Fist that doesn't subtract from his hit roll and the ability to do up to 4 mortal wounds at the start of the Fight Phase. Nearby Striking Scorpions get to make additional attacks if they roll any 6s to hit in melee. He really shines  for Master of Stealth though, allowing him to arrive "late" to the battlefield and in perfect position to hunt any characters that aren't suitably bubble wrapped.

Tactical Advice - Leave him in Reserve until the start of the Third turn. Your opponent will be forced to keep units positioned so that he can't arrive, charge and kill their character. He can easily slay any Warlord short of a Primarch. If they don't give you an opening by the third turn, he can easily kill a squad of infantry so take down any remaining back-row threats instead.

Maugan Ra

The Grim Reaper. He has a longer ranged, more shot Shuriken Cannon with an optional fire mode that you probably will never use. He can also fire this twice in the Shooting Phase, always hitting on 2s and re-rolling 1s. He confers that re-roll to nearby Dark Reapers too. When fighting Chaos units, he can re-roll 1s to wound.

Strangely, he is the only Phoenix Lord with drastically different Wargear to his Aspect. This hasn't always been true, but in 8th Edition the Dark Reaper Exarch can't take a Shuriken Cannon.


And finally, I've saved the greatest til last...

Avatar of Khaine

Every Craftworld has one, and it's his stirring that leads them to larger wars. And in 8th Edition he has stats to match. While not on par with a Primarch, he is hard to kill for an Asuryani, made more so by the Avatar Resurgent Stratagem. Both in Shooting and Melee he does d6 damage per hit, rolling 2 dice and discarding the lowest. He has 8 wounds, and okay armour/invulnerable save and a 5+ feel no pain. But what makes him a true centrepiece is nearby Asuryani do not take Morale tests and re-roll Charge rolls. He will make a mess of anything you send him to fight, and survive a few turns doing so. He isn't unkillable though, so don't throw him at the bulk of your opponent's force. Having less than 10 wounds lets him hide at the centre of your army until it's time to release him. The one downside to him is if you make him the Warlord, he gets whichever Trait matches your Craftworld. Some are better for him than others.

2nd Edition he was truly a God of War. Powerful stats and Wailing Doom, combined with immunity to Plasma, Melta, Flamer, Gas, Poison, Virus and Blinding attacks. It took a similar level character or a lot of Lascannons to take him down. Strangely, in 3rd Edition he dropped to an 80 point Monstrous Creature. He lost his ranged attack, his save was awful. The only reason to take him was his cheapness. 4th Edition restored some of his status and 7th weirdly chose to make him a Lord of War rather than a HQ, without improving him and putting him into direct army role competition with the Wraithknight. He's had his ups and downs but is finally a force to be reckoned with again.

This brings us to the end of Part Four. Part Five will be the review of the Troops units, the backbone of any force.

Asuryani Review - Part Three; Psychic Powers, Tactical Objectives, Stratagems

On to the third part, and we haven't even reviewed a Unit yet.

Psychic Powers

Generic

Smite - The power every Psyker gets. The only differences are lone Warlocks halve the range and only cause 1 mortal wound, unless in a Conclave. Then they cause 1 if the unit is 3 or less models, the normal amount if 4-6 models, and at 7+ they always cause d6 mortal wounds. It's the standard power for use when you really want to wound something, or no other powers are useful/in range.

Runes of Battle

These are available to Warlocks, Spiritseers and the Hemlock Wraithfighter. All the buffs target a friendly Infantry or Biker unit and all the debuffs target an enemy unit, both at 18" range. Choose a power for a Psyker and they get access to both versions, although the Wraithfighter only gets access to the debuff.

Conceal - Your opponent gets -1 to hit for shooting attacks targeting you unit, until your next Psychic Phase. Always useful to slow down your opponent's shooting on a key unit. Really works well for the theoretical Alaitoc Gunline as well.
Reveal - Removes the cover bonus for an enemy unit. Marines in cover have a 2+ armour save, so this is always useful, especially for the Wraithfighter, who can go looking for units to Reveal. It also turns off bonuses like Camoleoline Cloaks.

Embolden - +2 Leadership. Marginal. You have to expect it to need it's Leadership value, which isn't guaranteed. Unnecessary for Iyanden.
Horrify - -1 Leadership for an enemy unit. This however is really good, as you can target a unit you are about to cause lots of casualties to. It can also stack with other abilities that affect/care about Leadership like Mindshock Pods and Mind War for some devastating effects.

Empower - +1 to wound rolls in the Fight Phase until your next Psychic Phase. Good for your close combat units, also means Wraithblades with Ghost Axes will wound all but the toughest units on 2s.
Enervate - An enemy unit gets -1 to wound in the Fight Phase, until your next Psychic Phase. Suddenly their elite combat unit isn't killing anything. Can also make a Wraithlord nigh-unkillable in combat.

Enhance - +1 to hit for an Infantry/Biker unit in the Fight Phase. This can make your Scorpions/Banshees hit on 2s, or negate the -1 for Ghost Axes. A solid choice to accompany melee units.
Drain - As expected, the inverse for an opposing unit. Again, makes their combat unit worse, or makes a normal unit unable to do much in melee.

Protect - +1 to saving throws for the target until your next Psychic Phase. This covers both armour and invulnerable saves.  Really good for that unit you want to keep alive, and frustrating for the opponent.
Jinx - Despite on the surface looking like the opposite of Protect, it works out even better. Opposing Terminators get a 3+ armour save while under this powers effect, making it easier to reduce it with AP to a point where it is useless. They then want to rely on their invul save, only to find that's been reduced too. Similar effects on units with Storm Shields. No matter how many saves a unit has, they will all be reduced.

Quicken - The targeted unit can move again, as if it was the Movement Phase. This means they can even Advance. Jetbikes zipping from one side of the field to the other, as long as a Warlock is near the mid-point of their journey. Combat units are also more likely to successfully Charge if this is used on them.
Restrain - The targeted unit gets it's Move characteristic halved. Think on that. Removing movement options from the opponent can stop Charges, inhibit the ability to reach objectives, or narrow their window for escape. Very versatile if you can time this correctly.

Runes of Fate

These don't have a common theme, other than they are powerful and only available to Farseers.

Will of Asuryan - Did I say they are powerful? This one is actually subtly powerful, but situational. Units within 6" auto pass Morale, and you get +1 to Deny tests. You won't often need this buff, but the times you do and have it in place, it will be amazing. The rest of the time, you'll be casting Smite instead.

Guide - Re-roll ranged weapons. This applies to both Shooting and Overwatch. This is an obvious power, with obvious targets. It also has a range of 24", meaning the Farseer doesn't have to stay near the unit. Good for casting on War Walkers that have outflanked, or Hawks that have come in via deep strike and therefore aren't nearby.

Doom - This has long been my favourite power. Re-rolling failed Wound rolls against the targeted unit until your next Psychic Phase. All of them. It doesn't matter if you are shooting or fighting, your turn or the opponents. This can help reduce the hardiest of opposing units to dust, especially if combined with Jinx.

Fortune - A 5+ "Feel No Pain", that doesn't combo with any similar ability. It's good for keeping a unit alive, and doesn't have the Infantry/Biker restriction of the Runes of Battle powers. Let's your Wraithknight survive all the big guns it's going to attract.

Executioner - An alternative/additional Smite. D3 mortal wounds, and if that slays a model, d3 more. If it didn't say closest enemy unit, it would be great for killing off Astra Militarum weapons teams. Still, a Farseer Skyrunner may be able to get into the perfect positions to cast this and Smite on the correct target.

Mind War - Choose an enemy Character within 18". Roll off and add Leadership. If you win, they suffer the difference in mortal wounds. Combo this with Mindshock pods and Horrify for -3 to their Leadership, and your Farseer's 9 should see many support characters fall.

Tactical Objectives

I'm not going to analyse all 36 tactical objectives, just the 6 that are unique to the Asuryani. As a side note, they all have lovely Eldar artwork.

Combined Strike - Destroy units, with it scaling in points for the more phases of the turn you destroy them in. Rewards a balanced build with the ability to kill units with Psychic Powers, shooting and melee. Also potentially easier to score in the late game when enemy units are smaller and easier to kill, especially with Smite.

Strands of Fate - Control a randomly generated objective. Increase or decrease it's number if your Warlord is a Psyker. A simple on, though having some control over the outcome is nice, I'd still rather have an Autarch Warlord for the regaining of Command Points, than worry about drawing this card at a bad time.

The Hidden Path - If your opponent isn't within 12" of a randomly generated objective, gain a point. Can be hit or miss. Not that difficult to achieve unless it happens to be the one your opponent's whole army is parked on.

Khaine's Wrath - Charge. Gain more points if more units charge. Some armies won't want to see this card. Others will get the d3 points every time.

Master of Runes - Cast Psychic Powers (except Smite). 3 or more powers gives you d3 points. As if you needed encouragement to have multiple Psykers in the army.

Legacy of Sorrow - Kill an enemy Character. Assassinate, but only worth 1 point, not matter how many you kill. Between snipers, Mind War and positioning, this shouldn't be too hard to score the turn you draw it.

Stratagems

With the correct selection of units and precision timing, the Asuryani Stratagems bring a lot of synergy to the army and frustration to your opponent. There are even Craftworld specific ones.

1 Command Point

Command Re-roll - The generic one. Well timed re-rolls for dice you can't re-roll with other abilities. There are more Stratagems now vying for your points, but this one is never to be forgotten.

Vaul's Might - 2 Support Weapons within 6" of each other can re-roll 1s to wound for the Shooting Phase. Especially good on D-Cannons, as they will often be wounding on 2s.

Fire and Fade - Shoot and then move 7"? I thought old school Battle Focus was gone. This can be used on any unit, and as it is post-shot it doesn't matter if they fired Heavy Weapons. Great for keeping Alaitoc units out of 12" range, and probably amazing on a Wraithknight.

Seer Council - If a Farseer is near a Warlock, they can both get +1 to Psychic tests. It's a shame you can only use this once per phase, but at least Farseers can cast multiple powers. Especially good with Eldrad who gets +1 for each Psychic test after he succeeds in one.

Starhawk Missile - Flakk missiles! I'm not sure if the mortal wounds replace the weapons normal damage, or are in addition to. And remember, while most aircraft give you -1 to hit (which this compensates for), there are more units that Fly which don't. Feel free to use this to shoot down Assault Marines and T'au Battlesuits.

Overloaded Energy Field Projectors - For the low cost of 1 Command Point a turn, a Wave Serpent can fire it's Serpent Shield every turn. Great for pouring on the mortal wounds. Can work out quite expensive though, assuming the Wave Serpent doesn't get destroyed. Better saved for a surprise, when your opponent has forgotten this exists.

Supreme Disdain - 6s generate extra attacks in combat. Great for a large unit of Storm Guardians. Or the aforementioned Wraithknight, buffed by the Psytronome of Iyanden and using it's Titanic Feet to push it up to an average of 28 attacks that turn.

Linked Fire - Fire Prism linked fire. Lets all your Fire Prisms target the same thing, as long as one of them has range and line of sight. They all get re-rolls on hits and wounds. Great for killing Knights and Daemon Primarchs if you have multiple Fire Prisms. Especially now they can fire twice.

Unparallelled Mastery - Lets a Farseer cast 1 more Psychic power. That will usually be Smite, but every little helps. Especially good if you drew the Master of Runes Tactical Objective this turn.

Concordance of Power - This requires a Warlock Conclave, but it doubles the range of a Runes of Battle power. Stops your opponent from thinking they are safe. Get targets up to 36" away, again great if your opponent isn't expecting it.

The Great Enemy - Re-roll failed wounds in combat against a Slaanesh unit. Combos with Ancient Doom, and will come into play just as often I guess.

Matchless Agility - Why roll for your Advance, when you can just make it a 6? Perfect for Banshees, as pictured on the card, as  the can Advance and still charge.

Celestial Shield - Give a Guardian unit a 4+ Invul save for the Shooting Phase. Solid, especially the turn you need them to hold an objective. Combos well with other defensive buffs.

Cloudstrike - Put a Vehicle that can Fly in Deep Strike reserve, including any passengers. Great for keeping Fire Prisms safe from Alpha Strike, or delivering a Wave Serpent full of Wraithguard/Wraithblades exactly where they are needed.

Warriors of the Raging Winds Saim-Hann - Lets your Bikers Advance, Charge and re-roll 1s to hit in the Fight Phase. Especially good for Shining Spears.

Pathfinders Alaitoc - When your opponent targets a unit of Rangers for shooting, they need 6s to hit this turn. Keeps a unit of rangers alive, but they should already have minuses to hit from passive abilities and a decent armour save.

Discipline of the Black Guardians Ulthwe - Used at the start of the Shooting or Fight phase. A unit of Guardians gets +1 to hit for the phase. Better with larger units, it even effects their Support Platforms.

Guided Wraithsight Iyanden - Double the range of a Spiritseer's Spirit Mark and turn it into re-roll failed hits rather than re-roll 1s. Really good for the army that should have both Spiritseers and Wraith Construct units. And only 1 Command Point.

2 Command Points

Insane Bravery - Auto pass a morale test. Everyone gets this one. Some Craftworlds won't need to use this at all.

Counter-Offensive - Interrupt the flow of combat. Stops you being slaughtered by a full army charge. Always useful, worth the 2 points. An incentive to not blow all your points to early.

Tears of Isha - Heal a Wraith Construct d3 wounds. Keeps a Wraithguard unit closer to full strength, stops a Wraithlord from dying and forces an opponent to kill an Iyanden Wraithknight to reduce it's effectiveness.

Phantasm - Before the first turn begins, redeploy up to 3 Asuryani units. Great for setting up the refused flank, or to remove units from the opponents line of sight. Even lets you take units from the Battlefield and put them into alternate deployment modes, if the unit allows.

Runes of Witnessing - Turns a Farseer into a Space Marine Lieutenant. Great when combined with Guide on a unit like Dark Reapers.

Lightning-Fast Reactions - Insta-cast Conceal on a unit. Even effects melee. Another one that can catch out an unaware opponent.

Feigned Retreat - If a unit falls back, 2 points lets it shoot and charge normally. Really good for getting out of a bad combat, or leap frogging through bubble wrap.

Forewarned - Lets you attack a unit that came in as Reinforcements, but only if it did so in line of sight of one of your units that is within 6" of a Farseer. Not bad, but the extra restriction is annoying.

Court of the Young King Biel-Tan - An Aspect Warrior unit gains +2 Charge and re-roll 1s to hit in the Fight Phase. If it's within 6" of the Avatar, it gains +3 instead (And the Avatar give a re-roll to the Charge) and can re-roll all misses in the fight phase. Banshees will almost always reach the combat you want them too with this ability. Having the Avatar nearby is just gravy.

3 Command Points

The Avatar Resurgent - If the Avatar is slain in the Fight Phase, 3 points lets you restore him to d6 wounds. Frustrating for your opponent, but limited. If they shoot the Avatar to death, you can't use this.

Variable Command Points

Treasures of the Craftworld - It looks like every faction will get some variant of this. For 1 points, you get an extra Relic. For 3 points you get an extra two. Not sure how often you will want this. Probably never the 3 point version, but I can see wanting 2 Relics occasionally.

Webway Strike - For 1 point, you can set up one Infantry/Biker unit in Deep Strike. For 3 points, you can set up two. This is worth the 3 points, as it lets you Deep Strike two units that you otherwise wouldn't be able to. Great for getting them to the units they need to kill.

That's Part Three done. Part Four will be the first unit reviews - The HQs.

Asuryani Review - Part Two; Warlord Traits and Relics

Now we move on to the Warlord Traits and Relics

Warlord Traits

There are 6 Warlord Traits, plus one for each of the signature Craftworlds. Phoenix Lords can never have a Warlord Trait, but they each have an ability unique to them and their Aspect that is roughly on par. They get that ability even if they aren't the Warlord, so it evens out.

Ambush Of Blades - 6s to hit with 6" of the Warlord get an additional AP. Good for all weapons, better with Shuriken that then gets a better AP with a 6 to wound. Give this to an Autarch, park him near Dark Reapers and you've got a very deadly unit.

An Eye On Distant Events - Enemy units cannot Overwatch your Warlord. Great for a fast moving Warlord, on a Jetbike or with Hawk Wings. Charge in first to protect squads like Striking Scorpions from Overwatch, especially for units with lots of Flamers. This one is let down slightly by the fragility of Aeldari Characters, or if the other unit then fails it's charge. It's a great one for the Avatar though.

Falcon's Swiftness - +2 Movement. Again, great for the faster Warlords. Not sure how much it's needed with all the speed Eldar already have though. I can't see this being chosen often.

Fate's Messenger - An extra Wound and a 6+ roll to stop wounds being lost. Doesn't stack with Ulthwe or Fortune, but does stack with Molten Body, so another good one for the Avatar.

Mark Of The Incomparable Hunter - Gives your Warlord the Sniper rule. Most of the weapons available to characters aren't great with this, and the characters with suitable weapons aren't allowed the trait, being a Phoenix Lord or having the Alaitoc keyword and already having the rule. This one reads as terrible.

Seer Of The Shifting Vector  - The Warlord gets a once per Battle Round re-roll. Useful, but only affects the Warlord's rolls. Not useless, but there are much better ones.

Puritanical Leader Alaitoc -  Auto pass Morale tests with 6" of the Warlord. A good one, for an army that wants to sit at range and punish the opponent, while minimising the effect return firepower has. While the range isn't on par with Astra Militarum, maybe there is an Alaitoc Gunline build to be found.

Natural Leader Biel-Tan - At the beginning of the Shooting Phase, your Warlord basically casts Guide on a unit with 3". Amazing for any of your shooting units like Fire Dragons, without risking failing or Perils of the Warp. If you don't want another Trait for your Biel-Tan Warlord, this frees up a power slot on a Farseer.

Wild Rider Chieftain Saim-Hann - If your Warlord piles-in or Heroic Intervenes, it may move towards the nearest Enemy Character, rather than the nearest unit. If it then fights that target that phase, it gets +1 Attack. Allows you to build a fast moving Autarch that hunts down opposing support character and tries to assassinate them in combat

Fate Reader  Ulthwe - Start of the turn, roll a d6. On 6, gain a Command Point. It says gain, not regain. This doesn't give points back, it adds them. That's insane. Make your Warlord an Autarch to have a chance of regaining as you spend, and as long as the dice are with you you wont easily run out of Command Points. Combine this with the Craftworld Stratagems and smart play will see you to victory every time.

Enduring Resolve Iyanden - The Warlord can deny one Psychic Power per enemy Psychic Phase, or one additional if they are already a Psyker. How do I feel about my Craftworld's Trait?
I'd rather have the Ulthwe one. Don't get me wrong, it's a solid one. Just requires your opponent having Psykers, being within 24" and then you rolling higher than them. Gives the Warlord a Psychic defence I guess. Unless I'm expecting a heavily Psychic-focused meta, I'll probably choose one of the more generic ones. Not bad, just a little situational for my tastes.

Remnants of Glory

These are the Asuryani Relics. Only a few replace weapons, the rest have restrictions as to which model can carry them. Some are Craftworld specific, with Biel-Tan getting 2 while the rest get 1.

Kurnous' Bow - Simply a better Shuriken Pistol, might be worth taking with the Sniper Warlord Trait. Might be. Still requires being within 12" of the target though, and one does 2 damage. So not great for sniping. Given that it's 0 points, it's a good choice if you aren't taking one of the others, or are willing to use a Stratagem for extra Relics.

The Phoenix Gem - When you die, you explode, and if any one suffers wounds from this you come back with 1 wound. Once per game. Shame the Avatar can't take Relics. A nice bit of insurance for a character who wants to be up close.

Shard of Anaris - A better Power Sword, with extra damage and re-roll wounds. Great for an Autarch who already has a Power Sword and maybe the Saim-Hann Warlord Trait.

Faolchu's Wing - Gives the model the Fly keyword and 12" movement. The only character that doesn't already have the option of either Hawk Wings or a Jetbike is the Spiritseer. I guess it also saves you points on those options. Let's Spiritseers keep up with Wraithblades who would otherwise move out of Spirit Mark range due to charges and pile-ins though.

Firesabre - Replaces a Power Sword with slightly better stats and the chance of doing Mortal Wounds. It's okay, but I think I would rather have the Shard of Anaris instead.

Blazing Star of Vaul - A Shuriken Pistol or Catapult gets 2 extra shots. Solid second choice if you are taking extra Relics and have already given someone else Kurnous' Bow.

Shimmerplume of Achillrial - Can only be given to an Autarch. Your opponent gets -1 to hit them, for all attacks. This give -2 if they are Alaitoc, over 12" away and being shot at. A solid choice to keep an Autarch alive. It's a fitting Relic for my signature Autarch; J'Me Iyannar.

The Spirit Stone of Anath'lan Biel-Tan - Allows the Psyker to re-roll failed Psychic Tests, but if they fail the re-roll they can cast no more powers that phase. Farseers already have Runes to do this without the penalty, so this is great for Warlocks and Spiritseers who can only cast one power a turn anyway.

The Burnished Blade of Eliarna Biel-Tan - Replaces a Power Sword. Does 2 damage, and gets +1 Strength and Damage against Orks. Flavourful, but not great unless expecting an Ork-heavy meta.

Shiftshroud of Alanssair Alaitoc - Gives your Infantry Character a -1 to be hit from Shooting attacks, which stacks with the Alaitoc ability. The model also gains infiltrate, setting up wherever you want at the end of the first Movement Phase. Great for avoiding having the character die to Alpha Strike and to keep them alive once they arrive.

The Novalance of Saim-Hann Saim-Hann - Replaces a Laser Lance, so only goes on an Autarch Skyrunner. Makes the Melee attacks stronger, and do more damage on a 6 to wound. Good for hunting down enemy monsters/vehicles/characters with your Windrider Chief.

Ghosthelm of Alishazier Ulthwe - The wearer gets +1 to their Psychic test when casting Smite. Meh. I suppose the Ulthwe had to have something sub par.

Psytronome of Iyanden Iyanden - Once per battle, you can use this to give all Iyanden Wraith Constructs within 6" double attacks characteristic, at the price of d3 mortal wounds each at the end of the Fight Phase. Well worth the cost on everything except the Hemlock Wraithfighter. But best case scenario, picture a Wraithknight, whose 4 attacks become 8. and then makes 24 attacks with it's Titanic Feet. Just picture that, and remember that an Iyanden Wraithknight wont suffer a reduction of WS until it has 6 or less Wounds remaining. The character carrying this is going to be a priority target for the opponent I feel.

That's it for Part Two. Part Three will be the Psychic Powers, Tactical Objectives and Stratagems

Asuryani Review - Part One; Esoterica

Time to kick off my long planned Craftworld Eldar review.

I'll be revealing my thoughts on the units and abilities in the Craftworlds Codex, while also offering a look at how those units have been portrayed on the table top in previous editions and discussing any changes since the Xenos Index. I'm hoping that this ends up being pretty comprehensive and that 9th edition isn't too close :)

Part One - Esoterica

Warhosts of the Asuryani 

This section of the Codex details how the <Craftworld> keyword works. It's identical in nature to <Regiment> and <Chapter> and other such army building tools. It also opens up access to certain Strategems, Relics, Warlord traits and the Craftworld Attributes, as I'll detail later.

This hasn't changed from the Index.

It's something that hasn't mattered since the Craftworld supplement in 3rd Edition, and normally just suggests how the army should be built rather than giving incentives for it. 3rd is the only other edition that has directly given benefits for building the army to a specific Craftworld's flavour.

Ancient Doom

Re-rolls in combat against Slaanesh units, but a debuff to Moral tests if such units are within 3". It may not come up often, at least until either Emperor's Children or Slaanesh Daemons get their model ranges re-done/added to.

This also hasn't changed from the Index version.

Still, the rule has existed for flavour since 6th Edition. The only change here is how the rules work for Morale. Shame there has been little reason to play a full Great Enemy army since before then.

Battle Focus

To keep the Aeldari's speed and mobility, they are able to shoot their non-Heavy weapons as if they haven't moved. Even if they advance. It mostly allows you to close with the enemy quickly without suffering the -1 to shoot Assault weapons while you Advance, it also allows you to shoot Pistol weapons while Advancing. Makes some units better than they first appear. Also encourages Shuriken Cannons on vehicles and weapons platforms for maximum mobility.

While this is the same rule as in the Index, the way it has been phrased has changed to be clearer.

In 2nd Edition, we had a higher Movement stat than other armies to show how fast and agile the Eldar are. 3rd Edition saw all infantry moving 6", so we were given Fleet, an option to move an extra d6 instead of shooting,  to compensate. 4th Edition onwards followed suit, while making Fleet a universal special rule. It's with 6th Edition that this became the dreaded Run then Shoot/Shoot then Run ability. Of course, the eagle-eyed will spot a way of bringing this back.

The Path of Command

Re-rolling 1s to hit for <Craftworld> units within 6" of the Autarch. Also, if the Autarch is the Warlord, every time you spend a Command Point for Strategems, you get it back on a roll of a 6. This is really good now that the Aeldari have a wide variety of powerfully synergistic Strategems. The only reason to not make the Autarch the Warlord is if you haven't taken an Autarch.

The Index only had the re-roll ability, so this is purely improved.

4th Edition brought us the Autarch, as a way of making your own Aspect Leader/Wildrider Chieftain. It's ability was about reserve manipulation which is irrelevant in 8th Edition.

The Ynnari Question/Heroes of Legend

It's stated that if your Detachment contains any units with the Ynnari keyword, you lose access to Path of War and Craftworld Attributes. The Phoenix Lords however do not stop you having these rules, though they themselves don't benefit from the Craftworld Attribute.

The Path of War

This is the Objective Secured rule. It only applies to Troops units in the army, but is still potent. Guardians can be taken in units of 20, and their Shuriken Weapons are good at thinning down similar opposing units.

This was added to all armies post Index, after Codex Space Marines contained a similar rule.

Interestingly; in 7th Edition, if you took the Craftworld Warhost super-detachment you didn't get access to this. Didn't stop people building their army that way though.

Craftworld Attributes

If all the units in your Detachment share the same <Craftworld> keyword, then they get an ability. Much the same way that Chapter Tactics work. In reverse order of preference:-

Saim-Hann: Wild Host

Re-rolling charges is okay, but most units in the Asuryani aren't looking for combat. The second half removes the -1 to hit for Bikers moving and firing Heavy Weapons. This not only brings back the packs of Jetbikes with Scatter Lasers but makes Vypers much better. They become truly mobile weapons platforms, especially when you can activate their Blade Wind ability. I rate this lowest because it has a low amount of units it benefits. It is really good for the Bike armies though, as you would expect from Saim-Hann. Lowest here isn't bad. Just the lowest of the five.

 In 3rd Edition, the Craftword supplement had an alternative Force Org chart that made Fast Attack compulsory choices and lowered the amount of Elites, Heavy Support and Troops you were allowed. It also added the Wildride Chief  to lead them. Their final benefit was the ability to re-roll Difficult Terrain tests for Skimmers. 4th Edition onwards saw the Jetbikes moved to Troops to make the "All Jetbike" army easier. 8th's variety of Detachments has removed the need for this.

Alaitoc: Fieldcraft

This will probably be a contentious choice for fourth best, but hear me out. Being harder to it at range is excellent, especially on Rangers whom have an obvious synergy with it. However, the armies weapons want to be closer than this rule finds comfortable, especially if the opposing force is looking for close combat. This would be amazing on a gunline-style army. Still, with careful positioning and use of mobility you may stay outside of 12" longer than armies like the Raven Guard who share this rule.

In 3rd Edition, they came up with an enhanced version of Rangers called Pathfinders for Alaitoc. Over time these have essentially merged with the Rangers leaving one distinct unit.

Biel-Tan: Swordwind

Aspect Warriors get increased Leadership. Not bad, but again only effects certain units. The real gem of this attribute is re-rolling 1s to hit while firing Shuriken Weapons. That's catapults, cannons and pistols. That's a lot of the armies guns. Add that to Battle Focus wanting your bigger guns to be Assault Weapons, and you've got a close range, fast moving, very shooty force. The units that can't be equipped with those weapons, like Dark Reapers, can hang out with an Autarach to get the same benefit.

In 3rd Edition, Biel-Tan Aspect Warriors became troops while the Guardian units became Elites. Post this, it was felt that having the Dire Avengers as Troops was enough if you wanted an all-Aspect Warrior army.

Ulthwe: Foresight of the Damned

Many would put this as the best Attribute. There are two reasons I won't. The first will be discussed when I talk about the best Attribute. The other is it seems boring. It's generically powerful, as it increases the resilience of all your units. But it doesn't lend itself to any direction in army building. Granted, too much direction and you get the Saim-Hann trait, but none means this will probably be the default Asuryani army for a long while. At least it can't stack with similar abilities. Otherwise you'd have all the Vehicles taking Spirit Stones for the double save.

3rd Edition gave Ulthwe Black Guardians increased WS/BS and brought in the Warlock Conclave. Later editions made those the default for Craftworld Eldar, rather than the Ulthwe exception.

Iyanden: Stoic Endurance

The best Attribute. Why?

Because it's my Craftworld!

Well, that and it is also excellent. Units only lose one model to Morale, not matter how much you lose the test by, and models with a damage chart double their remaining wounds before checking their variable stats. Obviously the second ability is good for Wraithlords and Wraithknight, which the Craftworld are famed for. But all vehicles except the War Walker and Vyper benefit from this. Your opponent has to almost destroy them before their stats drop to near-uselessness. The Morale rule is great for Wraithguard, as losing a few wont then wipe out the rest on a bad role. But that also applies to Aspect Warriors in small squads, and allows you to take large squads of Guardians without fear that heavy casualties will continue their toll in the Morale Phase.

3rd Edition created the Spiritseer to help lead the Wraith-units, as they had a rule that inhibited them if a friendly Psyker wasn't nearby. The Craftworld supplement also moved Wraithguard and Wraithlord to Troops. 4th kept Wraithguard as Troops as long as you took a Spiritseer in the army. Subsequent editions ended that nonsense, but kept the Spiritseer around.

That's it for Part One. Part Two will be the Warlord Traits and Relics.

November - The Big Craftworld Review

Codex Craftworlds has released for 8th Edition. So, I'm going to start November by writing a MASSIVE review. I have been playing Iyanden since 2nd Edition, and still have all the Codexes. I'm going to break the review down into parts for ease of reading. Firstly I'm going to look at the Faction-wide rules. Then, a Unit by a Unit review split up by Battlefield Role. Then a focus on Iyanden itself, with an idea of the army I'm going to be trying going forward.

Why use all the Codexes? With each unit, I'll look at what it does in the Codex, compare any changes made from the Index and then talk about its historical roles and efficiency. I'll also be ending with a talk about the units that are missing, some of which have been missing for several editions.

It's going to be a big undertaking and probably take all month. I'll also be playing games with the army throughout the month. I'm excited though, and can't wait to get started

The Rest of September

September ended up being quite busy, with little time for events.

Konor

Played some more Konor campaign games before the end, helping the Imperial cause as best I could. Most of the players in Antics were siding with Chaos though, so it ended up being an uphill struggle. Globally though, Imperials won.

This did get me a set of the Planet specific Strategems to use, and I'll grab a copy of the missions at some point to play some narrative games.

FFG Nationals

The rest of my time was spent preparing for FFG Nationals. I had volunteered to work the event, which meant being in Liverpool for the Wednesday and returning on the Monday. Much to my surprise, I was asked if I was able to Marshall the Star Wars LCG, Marshall being the FFG term for Head Judge.

It was a long 6 days. Working it meant helping with set up and take down. I Marshalled the LCG and also helped Judge X-Wing. However, it was good. I had fun, the Dark Star lads that went did well across all the games they played and I will totally do it again. My next one will be demoing games for Esdevium at Kidtropolis and the MCM Expo during the October half-term.

Going Forward

Doing events with Esdevium will eat some of my time, but not too much. I'm taking further steps for improvement in my various projects, both event running and game playing.

To further my own events, I've created a Facebook page. This will make sharing them to the various groups on Facebook much easier. Give the page a like here:

https://www.facebook.com/baronadjutanttournaments/

Every like helps make the events reach a wider audience, and therefore gets more people playing the games.

Other than that, I'll be working on the games I'll be demoing end of the month, the usual games at Antics/Dark Star and starting playing in a Mage campaign with some friends. All good times ahead gaming-wise.

The Ynnari Problem

I'm saying it:-

The Ynnari are a problem!

The issues I had with the army in 7th Edition have not changed in 8th. In fact, while attempts have been made in the Index to weaken them. The issue is being able to take extra actions. Not only in your own turn but in your opponents turn. I've played several games with the army now, and feel confident in this assessment.

Strength From Death

In a nutshell - When a unit dies, a Ynnari unit with this rule within 7" can immediately take an extra action. Each unit death can only trigger one Ynnari unit. Each Ynnari unit can only use this ability once per turn. The extra actions are

• Move or Fall Back, as if it was the movement phase, you can even Advance if you wish
• Attempt to cast a Psychic Power, as if it was the psychic phase
• Make a Shooting attack, as if it was the shooting phase, even if it Advanced or Fell Back
• Charge, as though it was the charge phase, even if it Advanced or Fell Back. The opponent can Overwatch as normal.
• Fight, as if it was the fight phase

You can choose freely from these options as long as the unit is able to actually perform the action. Obviously, you can't manifest a Psychic Power if you aren't a Psyker, you can't Charge if there is nothing in range, etc. Essentially though, you can do what ever option is tactically best for the unit Soulbursting, and it doesn't matter what phase of the game you trigger in.

Fire Dragons can destroy a Vehicle with their Fusion Guns, then Soulburst to shoot the second one. Or that death can allow a unit of Banshees to move closer to the enemy to guarantee a successful charge in the charge phase.

Of course, it's dependant on getting that kill. Leave one model in the unit alive, and no Soulburst for you. But wait, in your opponents turn (or your fight phase) when one of your units die, you can trigger Soulburst and take any of the above actions. Lose a unit to shooting and retaliate with another unit. Or move the second unit out of range/line of sight. Enough triggers can allow you essentially an extra turn during your opponents turn, and if you are really lucky, an extra turn during your own. While it may be costing you units, you can sometimes take 3 effective turns to your opponents 1.

Changes Made

In an attempt to weaken the Ynnari between 7th and 8th, a few changes were made.

Firstly, it was restricted to Infantry and Biker units. In 7th, Wraithknights could Soulburst, which is as horrendous as it sounds. Now you are limited in what units can do it. Also, you cannot Soulburst from your own Transport dying while you are in it.

As Morale has changed, you cannot Soulburst if the last model in a unit is removed due to Morale. This is because the model is fleeing the Battlefield, not dying. It also makes the Morale phase one where Soulburst is unlikely to happen.

The FAQ changed the army composition to have the units in a Detachment to have to all have the Ynnari keyword. No more mixing them in with your Aeldari to take the best units with the best abilities. Some Harlequin units are better with Rising Crescendo for instance.

Razorwing Flocks got changed. Their points value and minimum squad size were both increased as they were a cheap source of sacrificial units to trigger Soulburst.

Finally, an update to the FAQ stated that not only did your Detachment have to all have the Ynnari keyword, but it has to be lead by one of the Ynnari characters.

Were these changes enough?

No.

The change in which units could Soulburst only affected the Wraithknight and the Wraithlord. Everything else that can't do it, couldn't in 7th. It's only those two that are hit. Activating a Wraithknight again is a scary prospect, so this change has been positive.

The Morale rule fits the flavor of both rules, so seems fine. It does remove a phase that Soulburst can happen in.

Those two changes are positive. How much of an effect they have seems minimal though.

Changing the keyword requirement is interesting. In theory, it stops you min-maxing your unit selection. In practise, Strength from Death is actually better than the other options. There are arguments to be made for Rising Crescendo, but timely Soulburst makes a difference. Power From Pain takes time to kick in and the "Feel No Pain" aspect seems counter to wanting your units to die. Battle Focus is.... Not good. I think the rule needs altering or the Asuryani need altering to take more advantage of it. But that's a topic for another day. The extra actions from Strength From Death easily outweigh them all.

Removing the cheapest way of triggering it doesn't change much. People using that tactic will just move to the next cheapest option. It's something being shown across all the factions, as large units of cheap models are being used to screen characters and hold objectives. The problem here is using minimum size units as fodder though. Forcing your opponent to kill the unit, either by throwing it into combat or screening a character they want to kill. This gives the Ynnari a bit more control of when and where Soulburst triggers.

Finally, and most recently, for your army to be Ynnari, it has to contain and be lead by either Yvraine, the Visarch or the Yncarne. I'm sure this change meant well. They even updated the Visarch to have an invulnerable save since he has a Forceshield modelled onto his wrist.

It's crap. I haven't used the Yncarne as it's a little expensive and the Visarch still looks the worst on paper. However, Yvraine is the cheapest, gets to cast 2 of the Ynnari exclusive powers a turn, gets +1 to cast and deny rolls. I've seen one player use her to give a squad of Dark Reapers the ability to re-roll 1s on hit rolls, then Soulburst to shoot in the Psychic Phase. This essentially used her and the 6 Reapers to act like an Autarch and 12 Reapers, every turn. For less than the cost of 12 Reapers! I'm sure there are more efficient uses for her.

How do I think this problem could be fixed? 

Firstly, if nothing else, Battle Focus needs looking at. Currently competitive Asuryani armies are entering tournaments as Ynnari because Strength From Death is clearly a better option and they lose nothing making the switch. Having to make your Warlord one of two powerful Psykers whom are decent in assault isn't a cost, it's a bonus. With this weeks announcement that the Craftworld Codex is coming in the next 5, it's possible that this step has already been taken. So in that regard, it's a case of wait and see. Hopefully it will either return the functionality of the rule to allowing a movement after shooting or the range of units that benefit from the rule will increase. There are too many non-Assault weapons in the Index list for many units to actually use Battle Focus.

Secondly, release an Ynnari Codex. This would allow you to print a conclusive list of units that are allowed the keyword, and then give them an appropriate points cost. A unit with the ability to trigger Soulburst is clearly more powerful than an equivalent unit that can't. You can also scale the point increase based on the units ability to destroy targeted units. A unit of Fire Dragons or Wraithguard is going to have an easier time killing a Vehicle or Monster and triggering it's own Soulburst that a unit of Dire Avengers. Especially as the range of their weapons means that most of the time they will be within 7" of a target anyway.

You can't make them too expensive however, as different units are designed to kill different targets with varying degrees of efficiency. It is clear though that the potential for a unit with D-Scythes to kill a small unit, then kill another in your turn plus killing a unit on Overwatch, then another unit in your opponent's turn is very powerful. Obviously that requires your opponent to have four units close enough to the Wraithguard, but some armies like World Eaters and Harlequins are assault-based and can't help it.

While there is an argument for the competitive meta settling on counter-units and counter-tactics (while hoping the Ynnari don't adapt), the army is not fun to play with or against in a casual setting. You can say "Just don't play the army in casual games" but with the focus on Narrative-esque play with campaigns like Konor, and the Gathering Storm leaving Iyanden firmly in the Ynnari camp, that's not a great solution in the long term. It never feels good when you stomp an opponent in a very lopsided game, shrug your shoulders at their discomfort and say "Sorry, but the army is actually flavourful".

The previous flavour of Aeldari armies, especially Asuryani, was powerful units but an inability to handle a battle of attrition. With the Ynnari, you get powerful units and a mechanic that punishes your opponent the longer an attrition battle goes on.