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So I'm making custom models for several of the local players, and coming up with some special rules for them for when they're playing more casual games. (I'll append pictures of the models once I'm finished)
I'd post them in the big special character thread, but I don't see much feedback there, and really want to get them balanced properly and such, so instead I'm posting individual threads for them, spaced by a few days so I don't end up assaulting the forum with a dozen threads all at once.
They're meant to be somewhat powerful, but nothing beyond the sort of characters we see already in the various codices.


Second, we have Tyranthia (a working name, since the owner will be able to choose the final name himself of course), a character representing the spirit of a long-dead Eldar Autarch who had vacillated between each of the Aspect Shrines; it was said that she would have been an Exarch if she could've only settled one a particular Aspect to call her own, but she claimed that Khaine called to her in all his guises. When she died in battle, her spirit stone had been shattered but her blade was recovered, and seemed to hold a part of her essence, in much the same way the Exarch armours do; those who have taken up her blade act distant and strange to those that know them, and speak with an accent not heard in ages, but they show uncanny knowledge of tactics and coordination withing their shrines. Several reports of her sword appearing in the hand of a warrior who was nowhere near where it was last seen have come to light, but little has been confirmed.

Notes of things I'm considering changing are in green.


(Taken as HQ in a Codex: Eldar army)
Tyranthia, Embodiment of the Aspects

* WS6 BS6 S3 T3 W1 I6 A3 Ld9 Sv3+


Possession - At the start of the game, choose one of your Exarchs on the table. Replace his model with Tyranthia's (yes, this is Awkward for Shining spears; you may want to leave the Exarch and just note that she is possessing him). Replace his statline with Tyranthia's, but keeping his original wargear and abilities, including exarch powers. Replace any CCWs with The Nameless Blade (keeping any pistols). At the start of each of your turns (after reserves are rolled), if Tyranthia is alive, you may return the original Exarch to play in her place and instead 'possess' a different Exarch on the table, following the same procedure. If Tyranthia is killed, roll a d6; on a 2+, she instead possesses another of your Exarchs on the table (the Exarch she had been possessing is killed instead). Tyranthia may not be your Warlord.


Guidance - Tyranthia has knowledge of each of the Aspect Shrines, and imparts her timeless insight to those she leads. While she is leading a group of Aspect Warriors, she has an additional Exarch power, depending on which type she is leading:
-Warp Spiders - When making their warp jump, roll three dice and choose two.
-Swooping Hawks - May make a special attack against Zooming flyers in the style of a vector strike; when using their jump packs to move over(/under) a flyer, each may make one strike with haywire grenades, hitting on 5+(4+?). Each roll of '1' results in one Swooping Hawk being removed as a casualty as they are splattered by the passing flyer.
-Howling Banshees - The unit causes Fear, and on the first round of combat this will even affect models with ATSKNF (though not Fearless).
-Dire Avengers - The unit can fire after having used Bladestorm, but may only Snap Shot, and may reroll '1's to hit in close combat.
-Dark Reapers - Reduce by 1 any cover saves against the unit's shooting.
-Fire Dragons - The unit gains a 2+ cover save against any wounds caused by exploding vehicles and flaming flyer wreckage.
-Striking Scorpions - After the movement of an enemy unit within 24" that does not have a clear LoS on this unit (i.e. the Scorpions would get a cover save against its shooting or cannot be seen at all), this unit may make an immediate consolidate move, though must move so that they are closer to the 'stalked' unit (though not necessarily directly towards them). May only be taken once per turn.
-Shining Spears - As an opponent declares a unit's shooting targeting Taranthia's unit, you may choose to have the unit 'evade', increasing its Jink save by +1, but in the following turn it may only Snap Fire and if it declares an assault each member must take a Dangerous Terrain test (unaffected by Skilled Rider). While possessing a Shining Spear Exarch, Tyranthia can still fire its Laser/Star Lance despite it having been traded for The Nameless Blade.
-Shadow Spectres - Any unit within 18"(12"?) wishing to fire at Tyranthia's unit (in the shooting phase or on Overwatch) must first pass a Ld test or may not fire on it, though may choose a different target instead.

The Nameless Blade - Gives the wielder a 4+ invulnerable save. May be used with either of two profiles (chosen at the start of each Assault phase), either using its power to charge the blade or to power an inbuilt miniature gravitic generator, causing it to be light as a feather as it 'falls' with the wielder's swings:
-Powered - S+1 AP2
-Gravitic - S AP5, each hit scored results in an additional immediate attack, though these do not produce further attacks themselves


Unsure where to start with points for this one, since she doesn't even really have a model of her own, and is more a migrating upgrade, as well as only being useful as long as you have more Exarchs.

Suggestions on points cost? Think any of her 'Aspects' is over- or under-powered? Is this just a stupid idea in general?

Love this idea

definitely keep her BS on par with her WS, she embodies the ranged aspects also after all.

What about the shadow spectre aspect?
and the shining spears? ( I suppose they are aspect warriors too?)
Im not too sure about the idea of a 1 wound HQ choice, maybe make her possess another exarch on 2+ (just like C:necrons Trazyn the infinite) Or maybe give her 3 wounds and everytime she loses one, she automatically possessess an exarch?
If she becomes an elite choice she takes up valuable Aspect warrior room in the army :/

I suppose the striking scorpions are only allowed to make 1 special consolidate move per turn right?

I have no idea about her point cost :/

I actually had forgotten that Shining Spears were Aspect Warriors. Will add something for that shortly.

I'd like to keep her 1W, though I think I'll change it to a 2+ to jump once 'killed'.

Good point on not taking up Elite room.

I wasn't sure whether to limit the Scorpions to one move per turn, but I think I will; I suspect things could get abusive otherwise, even if I don't immediately see the problem with it.

Can you give me an idea of just what the Shadow Spectres are about? All I know is the models look awesome.

The shadow spectres are ranged anti-armour aspect with jetpacks.
They have a prism rifle that can be combined with other prism rifles in their squad to make a super shot.
The exarch powers are hit and run and reroll misses on the combined shot.
They have a 5+ inv save, which is increased to a 4+ when shot at from more than 12" away. In addition to their normal 4+ aspect armour.
They are a fast attack choice in C:Eldar

Fluffwise they are living spirits taking on the appearance of wraiths. Maybe a special exarch power granting them more ghostlike abilities( ignoring diffucult terrain/move through walls or something)

Yeah I guess its more flavourfull to only give her one wound, as she would "jump" more and its more in line with exarchs.

The scorpions would get alot of movement in nightfighting against a MSU opponent, maybe like 10d6 or more

Britneyfan12 wrote:
The shadow spectres are ranged anti-armour aspect with jetpacks.
They have a prism rifle that can be combined with other prism rifles in their squad to make a super shot.
The exarch powers are hit and run and reroll misses on the combined shot.
They have a 5+ inv save, which is increased to a 4+ when shot at from more than 12" away. In addition to their normal 4+ aspect armour.
They are a fast attack choice in C:Eldar

Fluffwise they are living spirits taking on the appearance of wraiths. Maybe a special exarch power granting them more ghostlike abilities( ignoring diffucult terrain/move through walls or something)

Hmm. Is their invuln save representative of them phasing through things or something? Moving through terrain is cool, but them suddenly being able to move through solid objects when they couldn't do anything even close to that before is a bit off.

hhm true that. Ok I think they have a physical armour and the invulnerable save is from a spectre holofield. So yeah I suppose they wouldnt be able to phase through objects. Oh well

Its a really cool idea, I would like to see a model when its done.

I like it, but I have a couple of concerns. The first is that the nameless blade should probably just be additional wargear for the model, mainly just to keep things simple (such as not having to keep track of which weapon is traded out). The second is that I am somewhat concerned about the 'wordiness' of the guidance ability. That's not to say I think its bad, but as a general rule I prefer to keep things simple. Maybe an option would be to just make it so that she automatically has every exarch skill available to that aspect, and that she can use each exarch skill once each turn (if she couldn't already, I'm not certain about how exarch skills work, as I haven't played an eldar player in years).

RegalPhantom wrote:
I like it, but I have a couple of concerns. The first is that the nameless blade should probably just be additional wargear for the model, mainly just to keep things simple (such as not having to keep track of which weapon is traded out). The second is that I am somewhat concerned about the 'wordiness' of the guidance ability. That's not to say I think its bad, but as a general rule I prefer to keep things simple. Maybe an option would be to just make it so that she automatically has every exarch skill available to that aspect, and that she can use each exarch skill once each turn (if she couldn't already, I'm not certain about how exarch skills work, as I haven't played an eldar player in years).

Exarch skills tend to just give an ability to the unit or, less often, to the Exarch himself. Such as giving the unit Hit And Run or Move Through Cover, or letting the Exarch's shots ignore cover. They're all passive bonuses with only a couple of exceptions.

I was a bit worried about how wordy Guidance is; was hoping each ability was simple enough to not be too much of a problem.
I considered wording it to give her all the Exarch skills automatically, but I thought anyone taking her would've probably completely kitted out their Exarchs anyway and didn't want to make it an issue of getting varying upgrades for free depending on which Exarch you're possessing; I thought it would be a point-balancing nightmare. This way, I only have to worry about valuing her own abilities.

I didn't just add the Blade to their wargear because I was afraid of it giving an additional attack for having dual weapons to some, and not to others. Plus confusion about things like the Striking Scorpion exarch's power fist being a Specialist Weapon and such. I thought it just easier to say "lose main weapon, get Blade", worded in such a way to prevent pistols from suddenly vanishing. Though now that I look at it, I'll go back and reword so that people don't trade a pistol for the Blade and get to keep some other CCW with special abilities.



Automatically Appended Next Post:
Anyone have any sort of idea for a points cost for her yet? I think the abilities are nearing an end-point (though I still need to add a Shadow Spectre one), but I still have no idea what to charge for her.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Edit: added an idea for Shadow Spectres. Oooh, ghosts! Spoooooky!