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Hello, today as I'm starting High Elves "At Some Point(tm)" I thought I'd have a go at converting Maiden Guard to 8th, as for some reason they're not in the army book, and they're fantastic models (especially given the age of the sculpt). I have tried to simply make the rules compatible with 8th Edition where possible rather than simply make them up. So here we go:

Handmaidens of the Everqueen: 16 points each

Profile.............. M WS BS S T W I A LD
Handmaidens.....5 5 5 3 3 1 6 1 9

[Edit: Can't get the formatting to match up the columns, sorry, should be able to work it out, though]

Weapons/Armour: The Handmaidens wear light armour and carry Hand Weapons, Spears and Long Bows.

Special Rules: Valour of Ages, Speed of Asuryan (see High Elves book page 43)

Immune to Psychology: So long as the Everqueen is in the unit they are Unbreakable.

Ward Save: While the Everqueen is in the unit, the entire unit has a 4+ Ward Save.

Hatred: If the Everqueen is killed, then the Maiden Guard will Hate all the enemy for the remainder of the battle.

Martial Prowess: High Elves armed with Spears fight with one extra rank to the front only.

Options: The Handmaidens may carry a magic standard. This will always be the Banner of Avelorn. The musician may carry the Horn of Isha.

The Banner of Avelorn: 25 points
Any enemy wishing to charge the Handmaidens must pass a Leadership test first. If the test is failed the chargers stand in their place, transfixed by the magic. The Handmaidens must declare their charge reaction before the test is made.

The Horn of Isha: 25 points
Once per battle, at the beginning of either the hand-to-hand combat phase or the shooting phase, the High Elf player may declare that the musician will blow the Horn. This will allow the Handmaidens to either fight with an extra Attack in the close combat phase, or allow them to shoot twice in the shooting phase.

Good to see I have just picked up some nicely painted off ebay and happy to see someone having a go at the stats

Comments:
Needs points for the Command Group - suggest 6pts for Muscian (or 31pts if Hprn carried automatically?) and 12pts for Champion and 12pts for standard bearer (or 37pts if Banner carried automatically?)

I'd allow the Champion to take magic items up to 25pts

maybe Make them Rare unless Everqueen is chosen and then they are core but only 1 unit per army?

and of course stats for the Everqueen are needed.

I generally like the idea, but I think they are worse than any of the other elite infantry, and more expensive.
Neither spears nor long bows hit hard enough to be a serious threat, and 6+ armor doesn't last long either.
At 18 points, they need something more. +1 attack would help, and I wouldn't mind facing that at 18 points each.
It isn't exactly like you can afford a horde of them 4 deep at 18 points a pop.


-Matt

They're 16pts each, not 18...

Why not just count them as Sea Guard?

I always find that putting a price on units that one is making up can be very difficult, particularly when you have a convenient counts as handy. Hand maidens are armed appropriately, and (I think) should preform the same duties on the battlefield as Sea Guard. The models look cool and I thought about getting some myself, but to use as Sea Guard.

Nice idea, but it just seems like a lot of effort for not much gain.

Sea Guard aren't as fluffy as Hand Maidens; sure they might be easier to use, but the fluff doesn't support it as much, and having a fluffy unit from an older edition is what I believe Adelynn is trying to do.

I'd tend to proxy them as Phoenix Guard in normal games because in 5th they were a character bunker, so PG are the more logical choice for proxy in Save Or Die Spells Only No Fluffy Cool Units Allowed Edition (Service Pack Warriors of Chaos).

Turalon wrote:Why not just count them as Sea Guard?

I concur, all they need is a different name and gender not different stats.

The only similarity to Sea Guard are the bows, spears and armour, you're missing the special rules that accompany the unit and ignoring their main purpose, which is to house the Everqueen.

Instead of thinking 'Sea Guard' think more 'High Elf Temple Guard', they are intended to be a unit that houses a special character which in turn grants them things like ItP, a 4+ Ward and Hatred if she dies.

There is too little similarity between the two units to even consider them being counts as SG unless you simply look at at the bow, the spear and the light armour and nothing else.

Orlanth wrote:

Turalon wrote:Why not just count them as Sea Guard?

I concur, all they need is a different name and gender not different stats.

Its a a matter of taste I guess - I am interested to see what can be done to make an interesting and flavourful unit and Adelynn has made a good start - like to see more......

As Avatar states they are an elite bodyguard force rather than a standard formation.....

I do think you need to stat up the Everqueen in conjunction to get the symbiosis between the two.

The advantage of counts as is that the Maiden Guard dont need to be rebalanced, nor do you have to explain yourself if someone thinks you made them underpriced or overpowered.

Take your Maiden Guard models, use Sea Guard rules. You could take them to tournament too.

I saw an Avelorn army using Wood Elf rules and hybrid Wood Elf and High Elf models. It worked out just fine, had tgher player tried to make a special list it might have not been so simple.

Frankly the irony is I can trust an average Dakkaite to balance rules better than GW studio, but I am not the one that needs convincing and one doesn't need to be 'that guy' to be a little cautious over custom units.

Orlanth wrote:Frankly the irony is I can trust an average Dakkaite to balance rules better than GW studio

Quoted for truth!

I just use my maiden guard as counts as Seaguard. Not everyone is cool with house rules. Although your rules sound reasonable.

Turalon wrote:Why not just count them as Sea Guard?

+1 To this idea. Best case for it, but sound ideas.

>WHFB Proposed Rules forum
>Proposing rules
>12 replies of "Why are you proposing rules? Houserules arn't cool!"

tend to agree - a bit strange - but hey I am still interested in your rules evolving