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I was wondering if anyone knew anything about the Slicing Orbs of Zandros I heard them mentioned as one of the two or even many possible minor aspects. Does anyone know about what these other aspects may be.

Also I was wondering if anyone has designed rules/converted models for warp spider and/or spear PL

the Slicing Orbs are just a wierd aspect warrior cult that probably won't be in any books or codices or rules. You can forget about them, because they aren't of any importance.

As to the Pheonix Lords, there aren't any in the Eldar fluff. In "Eldar Prophecy" there was a guy who was essentially a warp spider pheonix lord. As for their rules, you can make up your own on an apoc datasheet, and use them in apoc games.

I vaguely recall a mention somewhere of the Shining Spears not having a Phoenix Lord on account of being too young an aspect.

There was a theory that the Warp Spiders similarly didn't have a Phoenix Lord... I think based on the idea that the original Phoenix Lords were created all at once, and the Warp Spider Aspect came along later... but that doesn't match up to current fluff. So there's every possibility that there is one... just that there's nothing said about him in the fluff.

Goto wrote a book about the theory of a Warp Spider phoenix lord but it didn't ever have much credibility because he kind of skewed the fluff a bit. I think the general idea is that there are many shrines to minor aspects not the canonical 5, and they may be represented by 'counts as' models or things like a 'speartarch' for instance. There are 5 aspects with notable PL, but the possibility of other from smaller shrines is one of those lovely ambiguities the writers leave us so we can make up our own silliness.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

insaniak wrote:I vaguely recall a mention somewhere of the Shining Spears not having a Phoenix Lord on account of being too young an aspect.

There was a theory that the Warp Spiders similarly didn't have a Phoenix Lord... I think based on the idea that the original Phoenix Lords were created all at once, and the Warp Spider Aspect came along later... but that doesn't match up to current fluff. So there's every possibility that there is one... just that there's nothing said about him in the fluff.

They weren't created all at once, as Asurmen was the Father... more or less the Eldar version of the Emperor creating different yet equal band-of-brothers of primarchs, and Baharroth is said to be the youngest of them (codex eldar), with Maugan as his opposite older brother (cain and able?). Meanwhile Jain Zar is the first choice Asurmen had because of her ferocity and violent temper, Scorpions have had different ones because of the fall and the chaos temptation (ahrah or something like that sorry for spelling), But Asurmen, the hand of Asuryan was first and he gradually trained them all to invent their own paths, aspects, methods of fighting. They didn't spontaneously exist, it was a flow of Eldar ideaology that created the first aspects, as they learned the different portions of their violent side, different ideas emerged one after another.

Shineys and Spideys don't get a phoenix lord because they emerged much later in 40k mythology. They may be warrior paths but they don't date back to mythology they emerged after the Tyranid war that smashed Iyanden.

I can remember before Warp Spiders were released. When they came out we all cried 'bs' because in those days they were teleporting templates that cut through any armor save. People shunned them. As the years go by, they, along with the spears, become a standard for players. But the fact is, they weren't there at the origin. Which is the Phoenix Lord vibe. Offshoot SMurf chapters don't get special characters either (otherwise we would have an encyclopedia of special characters to choose from.... of wait.... never mind, we do! it's a SMurf codex followed up by a SW followed up by a BA! lucky us...)

How many superstars in the marine chapters (who can oddly mix and match) compared to how many Eldar mythological persons? and why is a landspeeder so cheap while a vyper is so lame? And so on... We don't get new stuff because GW doesn't give a gak because nobody plays Eldar as much as they play CSM or SM or Ork for the easier no-brainer tourney win. Sad truth.

Model a counts-as PL for Spiders or Spears using an Autarch instead, sticking him in the appropriate squad of aspect warriors and make sure to take an exarch.

You'll get a high WS/BS model with appropriate gear for the aspect (and then some) as well as the benefit of the exarch powers (even if he's not the model with them), Master Strategist, and an invulnerable save - which all the PL's should have gotten anyway. Unfortunately, no EW... :(

By that logic
Reaper=autarch+reaper launcher
Scorp=autarch+mandis+chainsword
Banshee=autarch+poweap+banshee mask
etc

the 'real' phoenix lords are a tad more exceptional than that.

That's true, but in a pinch they'll do. Also, remember that the phoenix lords all started as aspect warriors once, just like Autarchs. Just because Autarchs now walk the path of command doesn't mean they can't rejoin the path of the warrior...

It's not just that (except Baharroth) they all get a magic weapon of some kind, they also have a superior statline to the Autarchs (T4 is a huge difference from T3 when it comes to instant deat, just as the first one), They also all make like-minded squads fearless and have a single special rule each to make them stand out. Autarchs just don't cut it compared to all of that.

If for fluff reasons you need a Phoenix Lord style character for a minor aspect, I would think an exceptionally kitted out autarch who personifies the shrine (aka the jetbikey speartarch, or a warp pack guy) would be the closest approximation, but they still don't hold a candle to the real PL statline.

Origional Phoenix Lords are so old they are practically myths, while younger shrines have exarchs to worship. I don't think there is a shining spear lord because there are so few of them. As to warp spiders, maybe there was one, maybe he's lost in the warp cuz somebody rolled doubles?