Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

GW put up a tactica for Eldar skimmers with the stats for the Nightspinner

72" Range, S6, AP-, 5" Barrage. Unit hit by it counts as being in both difficult and dangerous terrain if they move in their next movement phase.

I know it was pretty much verified in rumors a while ago but just thought I'd point it out for those wanting a quick read of something new.

Fateweaver wrote:GW put up a tactica for Eldar skimmers with the stats for the Nightspinner

72" Range, S6, AP-, 5" Barrage. Unit hit by it counts as being in both difficult and dangerous terrain if they move in their next movement phase.

I know it was pretty much verified in rumors a while ago but just thought I'd point it out for those wanting a quick read of something new.

Thanks, I wasn't aware.

I hate to go OT so fast but I'm still confused as to why people think that the Nightspinner is so bad. I mean maybe it's because where I play there's some mech but it's not like "wall o' vehicles" or anything silly like that.

If I played Eldar I'd take 1. Probably because it competes with WW's and Prism's and Falcons. It'll mess up Daemons and Tyranids, 2 armies that have 0 vehicles (Mycetic doesn't count as it's a creature with wounds).

Probably because it competes with WW's and Prism's and Falcons.

Bingo. It doesn't shift to anti-vehicle as well as either of those options, which is more of an issue for Eldar than anti-infantry firepower. The other options are just more flexible.

It'll mess up Daemons and Tyranids, 2 armies that have 0 vehicles (Mycetic doesn't count as it's a creature with wounds).

True that.

I think it's a piece of junk in an army with massive competition for heavy support slots, and with IG artillery coming in squadrons of 3, you have to ask why would Eldar even notice?

Points cost of a Prism cannon, effect of a whirwind?

Sad.

Like so much Eldar junk, at least it's a pretty kit.

Fateweaver wrote:Probably because it competes with WW's and Prism's and Falcons.

Mostly this. But the gun itself is very unimpressive for what you pay for it and that Eldar have no problems with dealing massed fire to infantry OR spamming S6 weapons.

Vladsimpaler wrote:why people think that the Nightspinner is so bad...

Well,

S6 is probably the biggest problem, weak
Cost is another, the whirlwind has nearly the same gun for 1/2 the cost
Critical Heavy Support Slots, that thing is competing with the best things in the army: Prism Cannons, Falcons and Wraithlords, never mind the volume of fire provided by walkers
Doesn't come in squadrons
Purposeless; Eldar do not need a way to kill horde that takes a heavy support choice, that's easy to come by with prism cannon blast or walker volleys already
A skimmer and a move or fire weapon is a dumb design, if you can't move and shoot why have a skimmer, if you can shoot for miles why do you need to be fast? it's a solar flashlight.

Eldar Need, effective antitank with long range indirect. What it needed to be was at least S8 AP3, then it might have been worth playing.

Alright, while I'm not a really in-depth tactician, the Night Spinner looks really good for a reason I see too many people overlooking. It's not just crowd death, it's crowd control. Hit - not wound, but hit - a unit, and it's crippled the next time it moves. It's probably slower, and it'll probably lose models with no armor saves allowed, and that's if the person wants to risk moving it. I've heard different things on the duration if the unit doesn't move, but if it last the whole game, even better. Don't think about it as a anti-horde gun, think of it as a way to set up a perfect assault, keep someone off an objective, or keep one of your units out of assault with something that'd wipe the floor with them.

Still costs way to much though. All Eldar vehicles need a points reduction....

All Eldar models need a points reduction, apart from Eldrad who needs to cost more than he does.

The Nightspinner can be a game winner if you are playing a horde army, but in most other situations, it isn't worth it, IMO.

I kind of wish I played Eldar, so I could use this, and drop silly putty on the other guy's models every time I did, to represent the effects.
Yes, I'm a silly goose.

I don't purchase White Dwarf, so I can't see the actual printing of the rules on the Nightspinner, but if what I see is correct and that it's a Barrge, Large Blast weapon then it can still move and fire indirect. Only Ordnance Barrage weaposn have the indirect firing limitation. If it's just barrage the Nightspinner can move 12" and still shoot either direct (for BS scatter reduction) or indirect.

Fateweaver wrote:GW put up a tactica for Eldar skimmers with the stats for the Nightspinner

72" Range, S6, AP-, 5" Barrage. Unit hit by it counts as being in both difficult and dangerous terrain if they move in their next movement phase.

I know it was pretty much verified in rumors a while ago but just thought I'd point it out for those wanting a quick read of something new.

Let me get this straight, you mean a 5" radius blast not 'large blast'? If so, yikes, that thing is going to get several units through dangerous terrain tests, also even with BS3 its very very rarely going to miss its intended target. Is it BS4?

It's also Rending, according to the latest WD.

12-72" range, strength 6, AP -, Barrage, Pinning, Rending, and placement of marker. Marker means the next time any hit unit moves, it moves as if in difficult and dangerous terrain.

Seems like a good weapon to me.

The tactics article didn't actually go into exact stats, I had to extropolate. Thanks for clearing it up.

Am I the only person who thinks that this unit is worth it just because it is a barrage weapon? And a pretty nice barrage weapon on a survivable tank chassis at that?

In my experience barrage weapons are a wonderful force multiplier, so long as there is something in the enemy army they can hurt. Because the Night Spinner has rending and the entanglement rule it should be at least a little useful against any opponent, since it can hurt any infantry unit pretty badly and it can harrass tanks as well (St 6 + Rending + side armor hits + entanglement = okay at hurting tanks).

Maybe it won't kill all that much by itself but, like all barrage weapons, it will do a nice job extending your armies reach and enhancing the effectiveness of your other units. Obviously, actual game experience will be the ultimate arbiter, but I'm optimistic.

Also, who are all of these people who are always filling up their Heavy Support slots and can never, ever, open one of them up? I mean, Eldar heavies are pretty sweet, but c'mon - live a little! Two slots is more than enough to take the heavies you need, and 115 is a pretty cheap cost for a fast AV12 tank with a decent gun.

The nightspinner does have it's uses, and 1 vs 1 against a prism I personally believe it beats a prism out.

#1 issue with Prism: Scatter. A single Night Spinner is TL, so it doesn't have this issue. Ever try firing the small blast of a prism at a target without linking? Scatter city. There is a reason your told to take them in pairs, so now your looking at 230-300+ points for that single TL str6 ap3 LBshot vs 115-150 for a TL str6 ap- rending with difficult/dangerous terrain tests.

#2 Those frigging marines in cover. 230-300pts for a s6 shot that grants 4+ save vs 115-150pts for a s6 shot that grants a 3+ armor save with a chance to make it +4 and difficult/dangerous terrain test. (noticing a trend here?)

#3 Footslog armies, forcing multiple unit difficult and dangerous terrain tests with a single shot is full of win.

Now that being said the preferable combo would be 2 prisms and 1 Nightspinner. The Prisms in a dual pair offer a ranged AP1 solution that they sorely lack, plus the benefit of being a marine cooker if you catch them in the open. Ranged anti-troop though I think the Nightspinner pulls slightly ahead on cost effectiveness.

Here's another question: What would you tweak to make this thing workable in the next version of the codex?

Me, I think I'd include something to buff it against vehicles. The difficult/dangerous rule already gives a 1 in 6 chance of immobilization. But perhaps forcing a reroll of successful dif terrain tests, or causing failure on a 1-2?

Augustus wrote:

Vladsimpaler wrote:why people think that the Nightspinner is so bad...

Well,

S6 is probably the biggest problem, weak
Cost is another, the whirlwind has nearly the same gun for 1/2 the cost
Critical Heavy Support Slots, that thing is competing with the best things in the army: Prism Cannons, Falcons and Wraithlords, never mind the volume of fire provided by walkers
Doesn't come in squadrons
Purposeless; Eldar do not need a way to kill horde that takes a heavy support choice, that's easy to come by with prism cannon blast or walker volleys already
A skimmer and a move or fire weapon is a dumb design, if you can't move and shoot why have a skimmer, if you can shoot for miles why do you need to be fast? it's a solar flashlight.

Eldar Need, effective antitank with long range indirect. What it needed to be was at least S8 AP3, then it might have been worth playing.

You've made a descent arguement right there


Automatically Appended Next Post:
And I totally love the idea of 2 Frisms(I said it first!I said it first?) and a spinner


Automatically Appended Next Post:
And yes, eldar vehicles are over pointed,very, over pointed

Why would you take one?

-A lot of people say it sucks, therefore, I consider it a challenge to try and win with it.

-It looks cool.

I think its funny when so many people say certain units suck. Like my bestigors. I always use them, and they always wreck gak up, and make up more than their points back. The popular opinion on the internet should be known, but not be heavily heeded.

There is a corresponding (much longer) thread in the Tactica section.