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Hello all! I'm starting a Harlequin force in anticipation of the upcoming codex, and I'm hoping you wonderful people can give me some advice. At the moment I have a Starweaver, 2 boxes of Troupes, and 6 metal harlequins from the 4th edition release. I plan to turn those into 4 troupes of 5 (converting some of the crew from the Starweaver into more infantry) and a Troupe Master. I'm holding off on building the Troupes until we start to hear what changes might be in store with the codex, and I know that I'll need some more Starweavers to transport all those bodies. Other than that, what would you all suggest? What should my next purchases be? I like the idea of playing a mono-Harlequin list, but what allies work well with Harlequins? I've always liked Craftworld, though I have no interest whatsoever in finecast which makes their range more limited. Do wraith units work well with Harlequins? I'm not looking to be curb-stomping competitive, but at the same time I don't want to immediately lose because of my list building.

Any advice you all can give me would be great!

Best ally of large harlequin squards are Craftworld Spiritseers. The possible buffs they give are all awesome for Harlequins. <<-This is wrong, I ddidn't notice that. Thanks Bharring!


Swooping Hawks also work well, they have the mobility to play the same fast game and are strong versus large T3 units, something you prefer not to engage with Quins.
Biggest enemy of Harlequins is lots of low quality attacks or shots. Guardsmen, Gants, Bolters etc. You want stuff that is either another target for those enemies (extra bodies) or something that is effective at killing those enemies.

Multiple Troupe Masters are good too, their buff is OP good. The new codex might change stuff that is good though.

Wraiths make great allies thematically and visually, but I don't think they really add something that Harlequins need. But they are not crap so you can make them work.
If you go for Wraithguard I would certainly take multiple Spiritseers/Warlocks as well. The extra move from quicken is a must have IMO.

You can also take one large, no transport squad of Harlequins. This is more efficient for buffs from psykers and Troupe Masters, and you don't have to pay the transport tax. You can keep it safe turn one by deep striking them in.

Check the keywords carefully before mixing and matching buffs across subfactions, though.

I have a wraith and Harlequin army and they don't really complement each other well. You will have too few units and nothing to camp objektives.
Craftworld Dire Avengers are plastic or some Fire Prism for longe range firepower. Most other good options aren't in plastic. A doom / Executioner Farseer Skyrunner or a Skyrunner Autarch with Laserlance and the no overwatch warlord trait work also well with harlies.
I'm pretty sure that the Drukhari codex has some good stuff for Harlequins, but I don't know much about them.

Anyway, I would wait untill the codex drops. I'm predicting preorders for one of the next two saturdays.

My DAs have complimented my Harlies and Banshees very well. You might not think it, but when your expensive CC units charge in, it can be useful to charge in with the DAs, too. This way, the enemy typically has to split their attacks between your glass cannon Harlies and your not quite as glass or cannon DAs. I'd rather lose an Avenger in CC than a Harley. Beyond points, the DAs have done most of the work they're going to do already, so chumping some of the attacks on them is quite a plus.

I'm in a similar situation with just starting out a small Harlequin force to ally with other Aeldari. It seems you need to set out with clarity on what you want your Troupe squads to do since their damage numbers seem to steer them to either MEQ smashing, or jumping over screens and hunting down T7 Vehicles and Monsters.

Currently aiming for a force of 2 Troupe loaded Starweavers, one with Troupe Master, one with Shadowseer to be the meat of the force. Then unit of 3 Skyweavers to run interference for them.

A third Troupe feels a bit overkill for an allied force so i'm not quite sure how I am going to get command points out of that lot. Fingers crossed Death Jesters get a price drop and some usefulness so I can go Solitaire & 2 Jesters to make a Vanguard.

I'm guessing most Harley guns and melee weapons are going to change stats in the new codex.

Very difficult to tell what will be useful atm.

 dan2026 wrote:
I'm guessing most Harley guns and melee weapons are going to change stats in the new codex.

I don't think any codex had major stat changes from their index counterpart.
The DE codex got a few changes like number of shots on haywire, or number of damage on blasters, or the wraithguards/blades/lords got +1T in the CWE codex, but they all function the same.
The neuro-disruptor and haywire cannons are the most likely to get stat changes, but I'm not sure embraces/caresse/kisses will (although I would welcome a change that makes them more different).

fresus wrote:

 dan2026 wrote:
I'm guessing most Harley guns and melee weapons are going to change stats in the new codex.

I don't think any codex had major stat changes from their index counterpart.
The DE codex got a few changes like number of shots on haywire, or number of damage on blasters, or the wraithguards/blades/lords got +1T in the CWE codex, but they all function the same.
The neuro-disruptor and haywire cannons are the most likely to get stat changes, but I'm not sure embraces/caresse/kisses will (although I would welcome a change that makes them more different).

I expect/hope the Prismatic Cannon will be buffed.
It needs more shots to be viable.

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2018/04/27/may-white-dwarf-preview-27-aprgw-homepage-post-2/

Nice little portal.
Hope its rules are solid.

On a different note. Does anyone think we might get a Start Collecting Harlequins box to go along with the codex?
Am I right in thinking Harlequins haven't had one before?

 dan2026 wrote:
Nice little portal.
Hope its rules are solid.

On a different note. Does anyone think we might get a Start Collecting Harlequins box to go along with the codex?
Am I right in thinking Harlequins haven't had one before?

I would love a Harlequin start collecting box, there is almost no way to make a bad one. If you go the simplest route of 1 large model, 1 troop, and 1 HQ, that is filled with just a troupe box and voidweaver/starweaver, which at $82 is less than the cost of the SC boxes at $85.

Realistically, almost any model added to that set would never get bought by itself again. The only Harlequin model besides the troupe and transport I could see you needing multiple of would be starweavers, which would make it incredibly cheap to create a Harlequin force.

The rules for the portal are mostly known. 120pts, 14W with 3+ 5++. You can set it up more than 12" away from enemy units, and more than 3" from an objective. Then each turn a unit can get out of it (at deployment you have to choose which units are held in the webway and will get out of it), and stay more than 9" away from enemies. So very similar to the necron monolith.
The only thing we don't know is the keyword restriction on units. Given the size, it's not impossible we'll be able to DS starweavers or even wraithlords wraithknights

fresus wrote:
The rules for the portal are mostly known. 120pts, 14W with 3+ 5++. You can set it up more than 12" away from enemy units, and more than 3" from an objective. Then each turn a unit can get out of it (at deployment you have to choose which units are held in the webway and will get out of it), and stay more than 9" away from enemies. So very similar to the necron monolith.
The only thing we don't know is the keyword restriction on units. Given the size, it's not impossible we'll be able to DS starweavers or even wraithlords wraithknights

But... the Monolith can move, staying away more than 9 will be terrible for us with that thing, the opponent just needs to move around it with a couple unit.

Yay, soon!
Preorder 12. May
Webway gate one week later.

For only 351 points, i'm coming around to including a Craftworlds Supreme Command detachment of 1x Farseer Skyrunner and 2x Autarch Skyrunners with Laser Lance. Doom compliments Haywire too well to really ignore the option once Voidweavers get a good buff, and the Autarchs put out some serious pain for their points, adding some needed punch to Skyweaver squads.

It would also open up the option of some Elites, potentially a squad of Scorpions acting as turn 2 support by going Biel-tan and using Court of the Young King to improve your charge odds. It may take 3CP in total to get them in reliably using a re-roll, but feels like it could be worthwhile for the points.

I would take Farseer Skyrunner with Doom / Executioner, Warlock Skyrunner with Jinx / Protect, Autarch Skyrunner with Laser Lance and the Shimmerplume of Idontremember (-1 hit).

Seer Council stratagem and Jinx are really worth it. Because Jinx also reduces invulnerable saves!

Well I massively lucked out. I've been painting up my Harlequins as Soaring Spite in preparation for the new book arriving and I managed to score exactly the Masque form I want out of the 6.

*Happy 'Quin*

I like the idea of a new thread for the codex if we dont mind. The game has changed so much and points, etc.. this thread will be almost fully outdated soon.

Please go to new Codex topic.