The Great Asuryani Review

Twelve blog entries and 15,220 words later and my Codex Craftworlds review is done. Here are links to the individual parts:-


 Part One; Esoterica

Part Two; Warlord Traits and Relics

Part Three; Psychic Powers, Tactical Objectives and Stratagems

Part Four: HQs

Part Five; Troops

Part Six; Elites

Part Seven; Fast Attack

Part Eight; Heavy Support

Part Nine; Dedicated Transports

Part Ten; Fliers

Part Eleven; Lords of War

Part Twelve;  Summary and Thoughts Going Forward

Like what you read? Disagree with something I've said? Feel free to comment, I'd love to get feedback and dialogue going on the Blog.

Asuryani Review - Part Twelve; Summary and Thoughts Going Forward

It's been a long journey, but I've finally reviewed every unit in the Codex. Now it's time to wrap things up with the Summary and Final Thoughts.

My previous entries may make it obvious, but I really like the codex. The Index was fine but felt somehow a little lacklustre. This tome returns the Asuryani to the glory that attracted me to them in the first place. I can see a use for most of the units in the book, which is fitting. The Path of the Eldar means that most units are tuned towards a specific purpose. If you can't work out the purpose, the unit can't find a place in your list, let alone on the battlefield.

Other sites have done the math, and apparently, units have dropped by an average of 20% in points from the Index. It seems to be a trend that the Indexes were over-pointed, possibly as an attempt to play it safe upon 8th Editions release. So the armies that already have Codexes have seen reductions and I assume the rest of the Codexes will do the same thing. The Aeldari need it, as classically they are an Elite heavy army and lack the cheaper fodder units of Imperial Guard or Tyranids.

Also gone are the days of 7th Edition, where Windrider spam supported by Wraithknights was the order of the day. Both units are reduced in effectiveness. The Windriders get some of theirs back in the Codex, especially if you play Saim-Hann. The Wraithknight on the other hand still seems points inefficient compared to similar options in other forces like the Imperial Knight. I'll have to get some games in with one to know for sure.

Highlights

Path of Command incentivises Autarchs in a way the Index didn't. Command Points are hard to come by for the Asuryani, compared to many other armies. The cheapest Brigade comes in at 996 points (For reference, Guard and Marines come in at 624 and 1008 points respectively). So any source of extra Command Points is good. Combined with the re-rolls to hits, and the Autarch as Warlord feels like a must-have.

The Avatar of Khaine feels worth the 250 points now. He makes a fantastic centrepiece for an Aspect Warrior assault and will tear Monsters, Vehicles and similar Characters apart on his own. He can't measure up to a Primarch, but they are at least double his points. I'm currently painting up my Forge World Avatar to put my words to the test.

Swooping Hawks have gone from Rapid Fire 2 to Assault 4. This gives them much more room to deploy from Reserve as a shooting unit, and not get close enough to be assaulted in return. I see people make this mistake with units like Inceptors. Just because you can deploy 10" away, doesn't mean that every unit should.

Shining Spears feel capable of their Monster hunting rule now. They may be just the ticket for dealing with the renewed Tyranid menace.

Wraith-units getting a Toughness increase. Toughness 5 Wraithguard wasn't too bad, but the Wraithlord being a 7 was terrible. Now they are back to the stats they should have.

The Craftworld Attributes give flavour to the Craftworlds and hint at guidelines for building the armies in ways that make sense. I was surprised to see that they were all good.

Finally, the Runes of Battle and Fate are fantastic. They make Warlocks and Farseers seem like auto-includes, much like the Autarch. The Supreme Command Detachment is your friend.

Lowlights

So many great HQ options. Your slots may be taxed making sure you get what you want in the army, let alone your points. It would have been nice to see Warlocks and maybe Spiritseers moved to Elites.

Warlock Conclaves are good for Ulthwe Seer Councils, but not much else. You have to take a lot of Warlocks in the unit to gain any benefits over a lone Warlock while losing the hard to targetability of a Character.

Autarchs lost options, but fear not. The FAQ allows you to take options from the Index. While I'm sure this will also be printed in Chapter Approved, it's a shame it took 2 weeks for this to be communicated to players. There will also be people with older models who may not be aware of this rule.

The Falcon is still outshined by the Wave Serpent. I'm not sure what can be done to fix this without either making the Dedicated Transport too expensive or the Falcon far too cheap. One measure I would have considered would be making the Cloudstrike Stratagem only apply to the Falcon, much like it's squadron benefit in 7th. This would allow players to use it like a better Drop Pod.

The Wraithknight may be too expensive to use now. This may be an error on my part, analysing it in a vacuum. It could be that with the in-Codex synergies that it just requires the correct support army. Time will tell.

Stratagems. This isn't an issue with the Codex, but the Edition itself. People used to complain in 7th that units in Formations that were then in Detachments had to learn many special rules for each unit, and know when it applied. Stratagems replace this. With 27 new ones to learn, and remember, especially for ones that trigger due to certain events or can only be used at certain times. Obviously, players who can learn them well will gain an advantage. Knowing what tricks an opponent could pull with them could prove to be impossible, especially if you are at a Tournament and face a wide variety of armies.

Strategy Tips

So, you wanna play the Asuryani? 

Firstly, choose a Craftworld. This can be based on anything you like. Maybe you like the Attribute or one of the named Characters? Maybe you like the background or the colour scheme? Whatever attracts you to the Craftworld is what makes it right for you. It may even be that you wish to come up with your own Craftworld so you can use your own colours and fluff.

Then look at the Attribute for the Craftworld, or if it's your own choose one you like. Between this and the fluff, that should give you an idea of which units to prioritize putting into your army. Add the "essential" command elements of Autarch, Farseer and Warlock. Then with the remaining points for your build, take the units you like. It's pointing then at the correct targets on the battlefield that comes through play experience.

Alaitoc

The Attribute is good for any unit, whether it's protecting melee units as they close the gap or shooting units that keep the opponent at a distance. Rangers get an additional -1 to hit and are a key part of the Alaitoc background, so take them in the Troop slots. This gives you deployment options and a built-in way of dealing with opposing Characters. You want to look at units that can, therefore, deal with Vehicles and units of troops. Mobility to stay at 12"+ Range may be key.

Biel-Tan

The Attribute gives Aspect Warriors a Leadership buff, while also giving a re-roll to Shuriken weapons. This makes Dire Avengers better at shooting than Swooping Hawks. Don't forget that Howling Banshees and Striking Scorpions have Shuriken Pistols! Add the Avatar to the "command essentials", and take your favourite Aspects. Consider adding the Phoenix Lord of your choice.

Saim-Hann

The Attribute wants you to be charging into melee while shooting from Bikers. So look at the close combat units for the core of your force, and use Windriders and Vypers for you fire support. Obviously, make the "command essentials" Windriders too so they can keep pace.

Ulthwe

A one in six chance to ignore lost wounds is universally strong. Much like Alaitoc, this Craftworld asks you to look to the background for unit choices. Add more Farseers and Warlocks, potentially making a Warlock Conclave. Take large units of Guardians because of the Black Guardians Stratagem. Take Eldrad, because it's Eldrad.

Iyanden

The Attribute stops Morale killing off units too often, so don't worry about it. Their fluff says "the dead outnumber the living". While this may seem like an invitation to take an all-Wraith army, those units are expensive. At the least though, I would take a unit of Wraithguard/Wraithblades and a Wraithlord, equipped to suit whatever role you want. My current army mixes Wraithcannon-wielding Wraithguard for killing the harder targets, while the Wraithlord runs around with two Shuriken Cannons.

That's the starting points I would look at for the 5 major Craftworlds.

Example Synergy

Here are some Synergy ideas that will help you in your games. Some will be more competitive than others.

Swooping Hawks using Children of Baharroth can come into play, use their Grenade Packs and deal Mortal Wounds to an opposing unit. Have a Warlock cast Quicken on them to move again and cause more. Finally, after they shoot, use Fire and Fade to move them 7" and drop the grenades a third time that turn.

Mind War deals Mortal Wounds to a Character via a Leadership roll-off. Move a Wraithfighter near to the target first to have it's Mindshock Pod reduce the Leadership by 2. Then have a Warlock cast Horrify for an additional -1 to increase the damage.

Vaul's Might is great when targeting D-Cannon Support Weapons, as they will be wounding many targets on 1s anyway, so the re-roll is great.

Has your opponent charged your Dark Reapers to stop them shooting for a turn? Use Feigned Retreat to have your survivors leave combat and still be able to shoot normally.

Against armies with artillery or a gunline, take 2 units of Howling Banshees and use Webway Strike to charge them from Reserve. The Banshee Masks mean the opposing units won't be able to Overwatch, and even if you don't do any/enough damage your opponent won't be able to fire as they Fall Back. If you are feeling really spicy, replace one of the units of Banshees with Jain Zar.

Final Thoughts

In case the massive review wasn't enough of a clue, I'm excited to play the Asuryani. I've already had one game versus Death Guard, with a rematch due this Friday. Plus promise of the third Qa'tan campaign early next year, so I'm looking at getting more painting done. They have even announced an errata to the Ynnari, making them less obviously more powerful. It's a great time for Iyanden of either flavour.

One Post a Week

When I started posting this year, I was aiming on creating one post a week. Once this started slipping due to other commitments, I adjusted the goal to be an average, rather than tying it fully to the calender.

This is my 52nd post this year. Given how sparsely I've posted in previous years, this is quite the achievement. Hopefully I can keep up the rate of at least 52 posts a year going forward :)

Asuryani Review - Part Eleven; Lords of War

There is now only one option left in this Battlefield Role, as the Avatar has returned to HQ where it belongs. The scourge of 7th Edition, the Wraithknight.

Wraithknight

First things first. This unit is now expensive. While the Codex has brought some points reductions, it will still set you back 452 points at cheapest. And at that level, it's not very effective. While that gives it an Invulnerable Save, and a close combat attack that does a flat 6 Damage at Strength 16, it only kits it out for melee. This makes it capable of taking out other Titanic units, but means it likely has to wade through the opposing army to do so.

It's better in one of it's two ballistic modes. The first and most expensive of these is the Suncannon and Scattershield. This keeps the Save and, if you also give it a pair of Starcannons, it has 4+2d6 S6 AP-3 shots. Great for annihilating the heaviest of infantry or light vehicles and monsters. That makes it 570 points though. Probably too expensive for the job.

The middle ground is the default. 502 points gives you no Invulnerable Save, but 4 shots at S16, AP-4 and Dd6 each. This will wreck opposing Vehicles, Monsters and Titanics at 36" Range. And with 24 Wounds itself, be really hard to put down. This still leaves room for shoulder mounted heavy weapons. Did I mention that an Iyanden one has to have 6 Wounds remaining to have a drop in it's stats, and 3 remaining to reach it's bottom level.

A peculiarity with it's close combat ability is comparing it's Titanic Wraithbone Fists to it's Titanic Feet. The Fists are 4 attacks at S8, AP-3, Dd6 but the Feet are 12 attacks at S8, AP-2, Dd3. It's usually better to stomp than punch. Same is true of the Imperial Knight. Combine this with the Psytronome of Iyanden for 24 Feet attacks!

The final chapter is next, Part Twelve; Summary and Thoughts Going Forward.

Asuryani Review - Part Ten; Fliers

Stormraven spam may have caused a change in the rules of 8th Edition, but the Aeldari truly rule the skies.

Crimson Hunter

The anti-flyer Aspect. It has the usual Airborne and Hard to Hit rules to give it protection. To help it hunt other Flyers, it re-rolls failed wounds against models with the Fly keyword. In 8th Edition, that also includes units like Jetbikes, Assault Marines and Bloat Drones. It's armed with 2 Bright Lances and a Pulse Laser, to bring opposing vehicles down.

Wings of Khaine is a great rule. Allowing the Hunter to turn 90° both before and after moving. This means it can strafe up and down your back line, while the long range on it's weapons punishes opposing Fliers and Vehicles. For 160 points, it's a great package. In an Iyanden army, it has to lose 8 Wounds before it loses any effectiveness too.

This unit appears to have replaced the Nightwing in the interceptor role.

Crimson Hunter Exarch

For an extra 15 points, you gain re-rolls of a 1 for shooting, and the option to replace it's Bright Lances with Starcannons. I wouldn't recommend the weapon swap, but the re-roll is probably worth it.

Now that you no longer take these as squadrons, the Exarch feels strangely out of place. The point difference almost makes it feel like an auto upgrade to the regular Hunter.

Hemlock Wraithfighter

Proving to be quite fearsome on the table top for a bargain 200 points, the psychic aircraft is back. It shares the Wings of Khaine, Hard to Hit and Airborne rules with the Crimson Hunter. It also has built in Spirit Stones to give it the ability to ignore wounds on a 6.

It's role is different. The short range of it's weapons means that it wants to strafe their lines, not yours. 16", Assault d3, S12, AP-4, D2. It has two of them and they auto-hit. Good at hurting anything, units that are too numerous to worry about the guns are usually not a threat to it. While it's that close, it's Mindshock Pods give enemy units -2 Leadership. The cherry, on top of this icing, on top of this delicious cake: It's a Psyker.

It can deny one power, and cast one. It know Smite and any one power from the Runes of Battle. It can only cast the debuff half of the power, but those are potent enough options. It's also a Wraith Construct for the purpose of the Stratagem that heals them.

The final unit review is in Part Eleven, Lords of War.

Asuryani Review - Part Nine; Dedicated Transports

The Aeldari only have one Dedicated Transport and it's come a long way in design since the Epic model.

Wave Serpent


The Wave Serpent has long held the title of best transport in the game. It's fast, with a 16" Move. It carries 12 models, allowing it to potentially carry two squads of Aspect Warriors. It's got a lot of firepower, with a twin heavy weapon turret and an under slung either Twin Shuriken Catapult or single Shuriken Cannon. It's got the ability to survive a lot of punishment too. 13 Wounds, 3+ Save and the Serpent Shield plus the option of taking Spirit Stones.

It only asks what guns you are giving it. 3 Shuriken Cannons is pretty good, allowing it to move and shoot with no reduction in effectiveness. It's a good fit for all the Vehicle Upgrades as well, allowing for more speed, more survivability and more firepower, if you have the points. It's a shame that all this means you are less likely to field a Fire Prism, especially as you can theoretically take 1 Wave Serpent for each other unit in the army.

I won a vehicle conversion competition with my first Wave Serpent by adding parts from the plastic High Elf Dragon model. I'd post a picture, but I currently cannot find the turret,

Part Ten will be almost as short, as we look at the Fliers.

Asuryani Review - Part Eight; Heavy Support

Just in case there wasn't enough mobile heavy weapons in the Fast Attack slots, the Asuryani pack out the Heavy Support slots too, with some unique weaponry to boot.

War Walker

The humble War Walker is a cheap way of getting 2 heavy weapons per model onto the battlefield. With a 10" Move they are relatively fast too. They don't mitigate the -1 penalty for firing them while moving, but if you are worried about that you can always give them a pair of Shuriken Cannons to hunt infantry.

However, having the weapons of your choice is only half the equation. It has a 5+ Invulnerable Save and the ability to come on from Reserve along any board edge. Another unit great for harassing either your opponents back row artillery or their flanking units. 210 points gives you 18 Shuriken Cannon shots against flanking Genestealers or equivalent troops. Or, Bright Lance their Basilisks. What ever you need, you can configure these guys to match.

Some people are complaining that War Walkers have lost the option to Scout Move at the start of the game. I feel that the "Outflank" ability is better, putting them where you want, when you want and avoiding Alpha Strikes which is a key property in 8th Edition.

Wraithlord

In the Index, they reduced the Wraithlord's legendary toughness to 7. I wasn't happy with this, as in previous editions it had been immune to Strength 4 weapons and in 8th that suddenly translated to Strength 4 hurting it on 5s. Thankfully the Codex restores it to it's former glory.

A slower, tougher, more versatile unit that the War Walker. It lacks the Invulnerable Save and the ability to be fielded in squads; but gains higher Toughness, more Wounds and great close combat ability. It can be built for the role you want. Ghostglaive to destroy Monsters and Vehicles in combat, Flamers to defend on Overwatch, Shuriken weapons to run around, other heavy weapons to be a static gun platform, or any combination. Obviously, the more roles you try and have an individual Wraithlord do, the more expensive it gets, and the Wraithbone Fists ensure that it's never a slouch in combat, even without the sword.

I think specialising is the way to go, as is par for the course with the Aeldari. A static one with 2 of the heavier weapons with Flamers for Overwatch gives you a gun platform that can defend itself. A mobile one with 2 each of Shuriken Cannons and Shuriken Catapults to run around shooting infantry. The options are actually limitless.

The Wraithlord hasn't always had Toughness. In 2nd Edition, it was a normal Vehicle with Armour Values. It was in fact at the time called the Eldar Dreadnought. 3rd Edition changed it's name to Wraithlord and gave it Toughness 8. I still have my 2 original metal ones, although they are actually the second version of the model.

Support Weapons

Static gun platforms with 3 options for firepower. They set up as a unit but after that count as separate units from each other, making it harder for the opponent to tackle them all at once.

The default is the Shadow Weaver. D6 shots, 48" Range and the ability to ignore line of sight. Otherwise, same stats as the weapons of the Warp Spiders. Decent for killing all sorts of infantry, especially in high numbers. Nothing spectacular in an army that already has lots of options for that job.

Next is the Vibro Cannon. Upgraded from the Index, it now has d3 shots and 2 Damage. Each subsequent cannon that hits the targeted unit improves its AP and wound roll by 1. Good for focus fire on a Monster, but again there are better options in the army. One interesting facet is enemy units it damages cannot Advance in the next turn, unless they have the Fly keyword.

Finally, is the D-Cannon. "Only" d3 shots at "only" 24" Range, and also ignoring line of sight. It's also been upgraded to Strength 12, one of the few weapons in the game with a printed Strength above 10. I've long been a fan of parking one of these behind something and daring the opponent to bring things nearby. 75 points may seem expensive for this, but many opponents will fear the potential of 3 shots doing 6 damage each, even when the reality could be 1 shot doing 1 damage.

Support weapons are in an odd spot. While they are cheap for what they do, their job is largely done better by other things in the Codex. While I've often taken the D-Cannon, I'm never happy taking the other two options, and I don't think 8th Edition changes that.

In 2nd Edition, this entry also included the Heavy Weapons Platform. 3rd Edition made those part of Guardian Defender units instead.

Dark Reapers

The Aspect that represent Khaine as the Destroyer, Dark Reapers have long been the heavy firepower unit of choice. Still armed with their signature Reaper Launchers, they now always hit on a 3+, regardless of modifiers. That means they can move and fire with no penalty, ignore the Hard to Hit rule of many Fliers, ignore the abilities of armies such as Alaitoc or Raven Guard. The flip side is they also ignore positive modifiers, but not re-rolls.

The Reaper Launcher still has it's two firing modes, either the Starswarm for Marines or the Starshot for Vehicles/Monsters. They excel at dealing with either target, and you can just keep an Autarch nearby to allow the re-roll of 1s. They wont kill units like Conscripts or Pox Walkers quickly enough, but you have more than enough other options to do that. Taking multiple units is an easy way to lose friends if your playgroup has a lot of Marine armies.

That last part isn't hyperbole. Dark Reapers tear Marines to pieces, and do decent amounts of damage to Terminators and Vehicles. I'm hearing a lot of online sources recommending taking multiple units, which is fine for competitive lists. Your mileage may vary.

Falcon

The first tank model that the Eldar had, and half transport/half gun vehicle. Receiving a near 50 point drop from the Index they are a more attractive option than they were, although still oddly competing with the Wave Serpent for their job. They are good for carrying a small unit and the Pulse Laser is a pretty good weapon. It just doesn't make sense when compared with the Wave Serpent. For near equivalent points, or identical Power Level, you get less transport capacity and less survivability.

It's a solid battle tank, that can also carry some Aspect Warriors. It also allows you to put your transports in the Heavy Support slot when trying to fill detachments but minimise deployments. It is a shame that the Wave Serpent outshines it.

Turning up near the end of 2nd Edition, the current model changed the way Eldar vehicles are designed, being different to the Epic versions at the time. It's a hull sculpt that has gone on to be the base of the other Asuryani tanks, plus the design basis for the Forge World versions.

Night Spinner

The closest thing the Aeldari have to vehicle-mounted artillery. The Doomweaver is a solid anti-light vehicle weapon that ignores line of sight. 2d6 shots, Strength 7, potential AP -4 and 2 Damage. That is perfect for tackling Razorbacks and Rhinos. More so with help from Guide and Doom. That not only deals with an opposing fire base, it strands the unit that was inside, hopefully while they are still in the opposing deployment zone.

This unit has always felt weird. It's on a mobile platform, but it feels like it wants to be static. It might prove to be the answer to the competitive Razorback spam, while also having enough shots to deal with screening units like Conscripts. Time will tell.

Fire Prism

The Aeldari rival to the Imperial Leman Russ. It also has the ability to fire twice if it moves half distance or less. It's not as tough as the Leman Russ, but trades that for a main weapon that combines many of the turret options the Imperium has.

For killing Marines - d6 shots, S6, AP-3, D1. Takes out heavy infantry squads and light Vehicles.
For killing Tanks - d3 shots, S9, AP-4, Dd3. Takes out heavier Vehicles and Monsters.
For killing Titans - 1 shot, S12, AP-5, Dd6. Punches a hole in Titanic units, especially those without an Invulnerable Save. All of this weapons are combined into one gun that can choose how it fires each turn. This is so strangely versatile for the Aeldari.

The original model for this had a different turret, with a shorter cannon made completely of metal. The plastic sculpting allows for a much better looking transparent prism.

This brings Part Eight to a close. Part Nine will be the shortest part, Dedicated Transports.

Asuryani Review - Part Seven; Fast Attack

The Aeldari are renowned for their speed and the Asuryani are no exception. Here is where the most manoeuvrable units reside, and they aren't slouches when it comes to firepower either.

Windriders

This unit is defined by it's 16" move and ability to advance 6", no rolling. Keep the Twin Shuriken Catapult or upgrade to Shuriken Cannon for mobile infantry slaughter. Or, keep them static and give them Scatter Lasers to keep them further away from the enemy, and use their massive speed if you need to redeploy to find new targets.

Or play Saim-Hann and use your Craftworld Trait to have the best of both worlds, this unit being one of two the Heavy Weapon part of their Trait is built for. The Fly keyword lets them both ignore terrain while moving, and still shoot should they Fall Back from combat.

Until 7th Edition, the upgrade options were 1 in every 3 bikes. The change to allowing all to upgrade lead to units focusing on certain types of firepower.

Vypers

Mobile firepower at it's finest. They have a 16" move that increases to 20" if there are 3 models in the unit. Each one has a Shuriken Cannon and a Twin Shuriken Catapult. You can upgrade the Catapults into a Cannon, for maximum mobile Shuriken fire, slaughtering infantry much like the Windriders. Or you can give them your choice of Heavy Weapon, getting -1 to hit when you move, but giving a cheap platform for Bright Lances or Aeldari Missile Launchers.

Again, Saim-Hann ignore the -1 to hit for Heavy Weapons on Bikers, so they excel here. They will be mobile tank hunters in with Lances/Missiles, or exceptionally mobile infantry hunters with 2 Shuriken Cannons.

Long gone are the days of 2nd Edition, where you could remove the heavy gun platform and instead mount a character on the back so they could ride around in style.

Swooping Hawks

And the award for most improved from the Index goes to - Swooping Hawks. And that's awarded for one simple change. Lasblasters have gone from 24" Range, Rapid Fire 2; to 24" Range, Assault 4. They have even dropped in points to boot. They've kept the ability to Deep Strike, cause Mortal Wounds as they arrive/move and even re-enter Reserves to come back the turn after. The Exarch still gives an aura bubble of +1 Leadership too.

Deep Strike these guys in far away from the opponent. Use their 24" Range to target the Infantry unit you want to kill and let rip. This should keep them out of combat, where they really don't want to be. Don't worry about the opponents army moving away, their 14" Move and Battle Focus should keep their targets in range. If things get too hot where they are, leave the board and return elsewhere the next turn.

This unit is one of the units that made the Eldar appeal to me in 2nd Edition, and drew me to Eldar as my first army. The ability to leave and re-enter the battlefield while dropping grenades sounded really fun, and still is.

Warp Spiders

From 3rd Edition onwards, this has become a strange unit. Their weapons, while okay, always seem to be outclassed by others in the army. I think their role in 8th is as a very mobile unit for grabbing and holding Objectives. They can sacrifice the ability to Advance or Charge, to move 7+4d6" and gain the Fly keyword. That gives them an average of 21" to get to the correct Objective. They can even set up in Deep Strike, though you risk losing a member on a double 1.

To help clear out anyone near the Objective, they have Range 12", Assault 2 weapons that gain -4 AP on a 6 to wound. The amount of shots can even help with Overwatch. To help them keep the Objective, the Exarch lets them re-roll Morale tests, and they can Flickerjump. Again risking losing a model on a double 1, this gives your opponent -1 to hit them in Shooting.

In 2nd Edition, the Death Spinner used the Heavy Flamer template. I'm not sure why the stats couldn't have been adjusted and let them keep the template rule, giving Craftworld Eldar a unit for clearing out horde units. Alas, it just wasn't meant to be, until D-Scythes.

Shining Spears

Much like ancient Knights looking for Dragons to slay, these guys are hunting Monsters and Vehicles while mounted on trusty steeds. Much like Windriders, they Move 16" and Advance 6". That gets them to where they are needed, while a 4+ Invulnerable Save against ranged weapons helps keep them alive. While they have Twin Shuriken Catapults for killing threatening infantry, that isn't their job.

Their Lances are what make them. They have an AP of -4 for both shooting and combat, and a Damage value of 2. The Laser Lance is Strength 6 for shooting and on the Charge, while the Exarch's Star Lance is Strength 8. The Exarch also gets to re-roll wounds against Vehicles and Monsters. This makes them superb for hunting Tyranid Monsters, denying your opponent Synapse and Shadow in the Warp at a key part of the Battlefield. With the Fly Keyword, they can also hunt enemy aircraft, something your opponent may not realise until it is too late.

While the Windriders got a model upgrade, the current models for Shining Spears are still mounted on the 2nd Edition plastic jetbike models.

With the end of Part Seven having arrived, it's time to tell you that Part Eight will be about the seven choices for Heavy Support.

Asuryani Review - Part Six; Elites

Where the bulk of the Aspect Warriors are found, as well as the deadly Wraith-units, the Elites section is where you start to see the specialisation that Asuryani excel at. With 5 options, each unit is great at it's purpose and bad at everything else.

Howling Banshees

Classically, this unit has struggled with it's Strength 3. In 8th Edition though, that can now hurt a wider range of units. A unique quirk is that Toughness 4 and 5 are the same, both requiring a 5+ to wound. They are armed with Shuriken Pistols and Power Swords, making them a nightmare for heavily armoured troops. They will struggle against units with multiple wounds and Storm Shields, like Terminators and Custodes though.

Where they shine is delivering their killing strike to the unit you want. Move 8 and the ability to Advance and still Charge gives them quite a threat range. When they do this, not only can they attempt to charge units up to 15" away, but they get +3 to the roll. That gives them a combat distance of 11+3d6! This even combos with Battle Focus so they can still fire their Pistols. Their masks nullify Overwatch and the Exarch give opposing units -1 to hit in combat. Establish a target, Charge the target, remove the target.

In the Index, the Banshee Mask let them always strike first. I think the Codex version of ignoring Overwatch is much stronger, allowing them to make a mess of T'au battle lines. They were at their strongest in 2nd Edition though, denying their opponents attack dice on the turn they charged, as well as stopping Overwatch.

Striking Scorpions

They attack at Strength 4 in shooting and combat, allowing them to pick apart Toughness 3 troops with ease and pressure Toughness 4-7. The Exarch can even strike at Strength 6 with a -3 AP and Damage d3, with no penalty to hit and extra attacks on 6s. Their Mandiblasters cause Mortal Wounds at the start of combat, allowing them to take on units much larger than them. The icing on this cake, and what defines their role is the combo of Deep Strike and +1 to hit units in cover. They excel at hunting your opponent's backfield units. Just put these guys in Reserve and wait for the time to strike.

These guys haven't changed over the years. They have always been about a combination of combat prowess and ability to cause extra wounds from the Mandiblasters. In this edition though, use of Reserves is important for getting to strike the units that would normally try and hide, while denying your opponent the Alpha Strike against such threatening units.

Fire Dragons



The truest masters of their art, and the best at it in the game. They carry Fusion Guns, all of them. The Exarch can even upgrade to a longer range one. This gives them 1 shot each at Strength 8, hitting on 3s. Battle Focus allows them to do this while Advancing, increasing their threat range. The Exarch also re-rolls 1s to hit at range. They have an AP of -4 and do d6 damage, rolling 2 dice and choosing the highest at half range. Finally, to make sure they destroy the target, if shooting a Vehicle of Monster, they get to re-roll 1s to wound. Get them to a Vehicle or Monster and make it die.

They really need a way of getting to the target though. I recommend a Wave Serpent, though there is an argument to be made for the Webway Strike Stratagem to Deep Strike them in. Which  ever method best suits your play style.

Here is a familiar refrain - These guys haven't changed. The heavy focusing of Aspect Warriors doesn't give them a lot of room for change, plus it really fits the flavour of the Paths that they are unchanged this far in the game across 8 editions now.

Wraithblades


The first of the Wraith-units is close combat based. They have been increased from Toughness 5 to 6 from Index to Codex. They also have 3 Wounds each and a 3+ save to help them survive. 2 Attacks plus an extra 1 when they Charge, from Fires of Wrath, gives them a lot of hitting power. These guys are for taking on in combat the units that are too heavily armoured for Banshees.

They have two load out options. You can either give them Ghostwords for a 4th attack and essentially a Strength 6 Power Weapon. This is for hunting and killing Terminators, possibly retaliation after they Deep Strike. The other give them a 4+ Invulnerable Save for more survivability, and a Strength 7 weapon that has -3 AP and d3 Damage. This is for taking on Dreadnoughts, Monsters and other Vehicles in combat. They get -1 to hit with this Ghostaxe, but you can easily mitigate that with a nearby Spiritseer with Enhance.

Wraithblades were introduced in 6th Edition, presumably to give Iyanden a more flavourful close combat unit. While they are effective once they get to combat, they are both slow and expensive. They suit a more defencive style of play, while Banshees are more about aggression.

Wraithguard


These have always been about bringing relatively short-ranged death to whatever you can point them at. They replace the combat abilities of the Wraithblades with Implacable, allowing them to Fall Back and still shoot, should your opponent try locking them down in combat. Even their, at Strength 5 they have -1 AP and d3 Damage, so they aren't terrible. This also allows them to finish of a Vehicle or Monster if their guns fail to do the job.

They have 2 options. Firstly is the much maligned (by their opponents) D-Scythes. Only 8" Range, but Strength 10 and -4 AP. Only 1 Damage, but d3 shots each with no roll to hit. They make a mess of heavily armoured troops that get too close, and are a nightmare on Overwatch. The second (and my preferred) is their traditional Wraithcannon. Similar stats, trading the auto-hit for +4" range, and the d3 shots for 1 shot but d6 Damage instead. They are a nightmare for Monsters and Vehicles, especially if they don't have an Invulnerable Save. Again, an expensive unit, but as an Iyanden player I'm not concerned.

The D-Scythe appeared in 6th Edition, alongside the plastic models. Still not sure what the reasoning behind bringing this weapon to the game was. 8th Edition is the first edition where the Wraithcannon hasn't had the ability to instantly remove models from play, something they had long before Strength D became a universal special rule.

That brings Part Six to an end, Part Seven will be a look at the Fast Attack units.

Asuryani Review - Part Five; Troops

The backbone of every army, giving access to Objective Secured and filling out the Detachments that give the most command points - Troops. The Asuryani have 4 choices here and, like the rest of their army, each one has a specific purpose.

Guardians

When the Craftworld is in threat, all must help defend. Those that don't join the Path of and Aspect take up the mantle of Guardians.

Guardian Defenders

The standard of the Asuryani. Combat stats of the Space Marine, physical stats of the Imperial Guardsman but with a higher Movement value. Backed up by Battle Focus and Shuriken Catapults. These guys aren't exciting, but for every 10 in the unit you can add  Heavy Weapons Platform. If this isn't a Shuriken Cannon, you lose out on the mobility of Battle Focus though. They are the solid Troops choice, nothing special but nothing bad. I would take the Heavy Weapons platforms and use them to hold an Objective while shooting choice targets.

They have been largely unchanged over time, though 4th Edition upped their Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill.

Storm Guardians

Same stat line as the Defenders, but with a unit cap of 24 rather than 20. Regardless of unit size, 2 models can have either a Flamer or a Fusion Gun. I wouldn't take them these days. While they are the cheapest option for Troops, their role is eclipsed by other units in the army. Everything they do except cheapness is better done by something else. And while Defenders cost 24 more points at minimum, their Shuriken fire is better than Aeldari Blades or Chainswords. While they are better than they have been in previous editions, I still can't see much use for them.

Storm Guardians didn't exist in 2nd Edition. You could simply purchase close combat weapons for regular Guardians, making them a unit that could do both jobs if you were willing to pay the points. It made them one of the few options in the army that was customisable. 2nd Edition was weird for it's rules that allowed models to carry numerous weapons for different purposes.

Dire Avengers

The Aspect of Asurman, first of the Phoenix Lords. They have longer range that Guardian Defenders plus they Overwatch on 5s. These are the Troops you want mobile Shuriken fire. They really exemplify Battle Focus. Their Exarch has several options, an extra Catapult is a good choice. My preferred choice is the Shimmershield to give the unit a 5+ Invulnerable save.

The Aspect Warriors are much like their Pheonix Lords, in that they haven't really changed as the rules changed around them.

 
Rangers

Character support is key in 8th Edition. Having lesser Characters in the right place with the correct skills is integral to a battle plan. The rules let those Characters hide, making them difficult to deal with before you opponent gets maximum benefit from them. These guys are the answer.

While the stats on the Ranger Long Rifle aren't exceptional, they do additional mortal wounds on a 6 on the Wound roll. They also have the ability to pick out Characters. This means units like Commissars, Lieutenants and other support Characters can be easy pickings. They can also help soften up stronger Characters before a more capable unit tackles them.

They give the opponent -1 to hit them at Range, and get +2 to their saving throws while in cover, making shifting them an effort for the opponent. That choice will come down to how important their Characters are. They also have the ability to Infiltrate, placing them in exactly the best vantage point right from the start of the game.

3rd Edition brought us Pathfinders in the Craftworld Supplement. They were better Rangers, but have since fallen to the wayside.

This is the end of Part Five. Next will be the review of the Elite units, where the majority of the Aspect Warriors reside.

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.