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I was looking through the Eldar codex, and I could not find the definition of an Aspect Warrior for games purposes. I know it's supposed to be Dire Avengers, Fire Dragons, Howling Banshees, Striking Scorpions, and Dark Reapers, as stated on page 10. So Warp Spiders and Wraithguard are not?

Warp Spiders are Aspect Warriors (so are Shining Spears and Swooping Hawks, although you haven't mentioned them). Aspect Warriors are Eldar who make war using the teachings of a particular Aspect Shrine (they follow the Path of the Warrior), but this is only of importance fluff-wise, and has no bearing on your army rules-wise. Wraithguard (dead, so follow no path), Guardians and Guardian Jetbikes (who are a civilian levy/militia) Rangers (who follow the Path of the Outcast), Warlocks/Farseers (who follow the path oft the Seer) and Harlequins (crazy clowns don't need no Paths!) are not Aspect Warriors. As I said though, it makes no difference, as any rules or special equipment relating to specific Aspects are covered in the individual unit entries and Bestiary of the Codex.

It is worth noting that certain Aspects have a Phoenix Lord of that Aspect, (but not all of them do), who boosts a unit of their Aspect if they join the unit. Once again, this is explained in the Bestiary section for the Phoenix Lords, and in the individual unit profiles for each Phoenix Lord.

Phoenix Lords cannot join aspect squads of a different aspect, so this does have a rules related reason. I'm not seeing Warp Spiders listed anywhere as an Aspect Warrior Squad....

General Hobbs wrote: I'm not seeing Warp Spiders listed anywhere as an Aspect Warrior Squad....

Page 36, 2nd paragraph:
"The Warp Spider Aspect Warriors epitomise this doctrine of aggressive defence."

Page 21 also makes it fairly clear (while admittedly not stating it outright) that if it has an Exarch, it's an Aspect.

insaniak wrote:

General Hobbs wrote: I'm not seeing Warp Spiders listed anywhere as an Aspect Warrior Squad....

Page 36, 2nd paragraph:
"The Warp Spider Aspect Warriors epitomise this doctrine of aggressive defence."

Page 21 also makes it fairly clear (while admittedly not stating it outright) that if it has an Exarch, it's an Aspect.

Exarch powers(page 21) almost explicitly states it; as only aspect warriors have exarchs with exarch powers, and Exarch powers can only ever effect aspect warriors + Autarchs in the exarch's squad.

The phoenix lords also each identify their individual Aspects(via the unit names); pages 55-57, and again on 61.

So while the earlier half quoted page 21 comes pretty darn close to specifying the obviousness that Warp spiders and Shining Spears are definitely Aspect warriors the open "vagueness" could possibly allow through some readings that they are not, in that case the only Phoenix lord that doesn't just plain limit their "usefulness"(via limiting their mobility) is Baharroth; who is also one of the least useful Phoenix lords.

Rules as written, no unit has the ability/special rule "aspect warrior", nor is there a list of aspect warrior units, making some difficulties for phoenix lords rules. Any defenition or pointers to what "Aspect warriors" are is pure fluff.
However, common sense mixed with fluff say any unit with an exarc are aspect warriors, even if the fluff for each aspect warrior unit dont even mention them as aspects.
Thanfully the wording in most rules (exept those for phoenix lords) let us treat "aspect warrior" as an outdated rule since it also say it affect the squad of the exarc or something like that.
Still, any mentioning of aspectwarriors is, by RAW, pointless word fill.

Edit, the descriptions on page 21 of the codex, give us a clear hint to exarch-indicate-aspect, but the definition/concept of aspectwarrior is clearly taken for granted in the text, and no clear definition is given.

Wraith guard are not. Shining spears and warp spiders an swooping hawks are.

Stat wise aspects have ld9 bs4 ws4

fluff wise the eldar aspects were created after the fall to c


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Wraith guard are not. Shining spears and warp spiders an swooping hawks are.

Stat wise aspects have ld9 bs4 ws4

fluff wise the eldar aspects werone created after the fall to control the warriors war mask to create another fall from happening. Each aspect had its own shrine and exarchs who train new aspect warriors. Every aspect was started by a phoenix lord.

As I said the Phoenix lords rules themselves(on page 61) gives a very clear definition as to what are irrefutably aspect warriors(Each phoenix lord lists their aspect warriors in their rules, immediately after "disciples") the only "aspect warriors" that are still in question from those rules are Warp Spiders and Shining Spears.

But then again the Rules for Exarch Powers on page 21 reasonably clarify that units with an exarch are aspect warrior units, since none of the powers would function for the units(like Withdraw + Surprise assault for Warp spiders, and Skilled Rider + Withdraw for Shining spears) if said units were not aspect warriors(since they are clearly not Autarchs).

Kommissar Kel wrote:As I said the Phoenix lords rules themselves(on page 61) gives a very clear definition as to what are irrefutably aspect warriors(Each phoenix lord lists their aspect warriors in their rules, immediately after "disciples") the only "aspect warriors" that are still in question from those rules are Warp Spiders and Shining Spears.

But then again the Rules for Exarch Powers on page 21 reasonably clarify that units with an exarch are aspect warrior units, since none of the powers would function for the units(like Withdraw + Surprise assault for Warp spiders, and Skilled Rider + Withdraw for Shining spears) if said units were not aspect warriors(since they are clearly not Autarchs).

Agree, but in my oppinion, the rules are only "clear" if you already have a definition of aspect warrior in your head, and that definition is based on fluff. It would not hold in a raw fight against TFG

To cite something that's not explicit rules written but certainly counts:
The gallery section of Codex: Eldar first has some pages dedicated to the Craftworlds, Harlequins and the Avatar, then it has a few pages dedicated to Aspect Warriors: Warp Spiders, Shining Spears and Swooping Hawks certainly show up on those pages, so I don't think there's any doubt as to whether they are Aspect Warriors.