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Does it make sense to anyone that the wraithlords are designed to have a tall slender profile if they are designed to be a combat zone? Wouldn't it make sense that the second most advanced race in the game would have a more dreadnought-ish design than a big, look at me, shoot at me design? I know its mundane, but why do they do it?

Because it looks REALLY cool.

Why do Dire Avengers have giant conehead helmets with plumes? Because Eldar are pansy gits that care more about lookin' fancy than krumpin'.

Because Eldar can say "oh yes, doesn't our equipment look fragile, it's actually just as tough as yours and packs a better punch, you have AV14? I don't care"

If I was part of that race I'd have every reason to be arrogant.

MarsNZ is completely right they're just arrogant.

If you push a wraithlord on its back, it can get back up.

A giant square box is probably easier to hit than a lithe, thin monster. Eldar are all about streamlined efficient natural shapes. No need to be a giant metal box when your made of wraithbone, and you can use those long legs to kick tanks and dreadnaughts in half.

Also, swag. Those wing wraithbone things on the back? Pure swag.

well, the same surface area, and humans (AKA most of the galaxy) aim down to miss more than left-right(i can't reference this farther than hearing it on the military channel) so if your squat, your more likely to be missed. Regarding the box like shape, you dont need to be like that, just not have a super slim, super tall robot that is the first thing seen on the battlefield. Not saying that a box would be super easy to hide, but it would probably be easier to hide behind urban cover(broken columns, small buildings, overturned tanks)

So it can shoot over walls. Notice that it's gun is on his shoulder. It actually makes a little more sense then a dreadnought who has it's weapons half way down it's body so It can shoot unless it exposes everything. Then if the wrathlord wants to hide, it can crotch because unlike the dreadnought it has knees.

Reduction in cover save as enemy units are not screened as easily from the LOS from a Wraithlord. Also Eldar are supposed to be faster and more agile than human units hence its ability to wield a large sword versus a Dreadnaught which basically just clubs things with its arms.

Aesthetics is a big part of Eldar design. When you have wraithbone, why build a fat, bulky design. Wraithbone is the strongest substance in the game. Building only the minimum needed to house the spirit stones cuts down on the time it takes to grow it also.

Wraithlords are also extremely lithe and agile when compared to just about any Imperial equivalent. They are also made from, as was mentioned before, Wraithbone, one of the strongest substances in the galaxy. For their size, the maneuverability of a Wraithlord is pretty impressive. They can perform movements of agility and flexibility that betrays their massive size, and it can be attributed to their thin, sleek profile and Eldar design.

Not to turn this into "who would win" debate, but I'd put money on a Wraithlord over a Dreadnought nine times out of ten. That's both in their ability to fight each other, as well as their ability to survive the battlefields of 40k.

Wraithbone is also grown. Who knows, it could make a lot more sense to make long, lithe, things than bulky stuff?

Also, as some have noted, the Wraithlord is actually capable of crouching.

And they are more likely to be able to walk stairs and over stones and over small shrubbery, something the Dreadnought looks completely incapable of managing.

Besides the other points made, Wraithlords are designed mainly to act as a replacement body for a deceased Eldar warrior's spirit to inhabit and a combat machine second, so the humanoid form could simply be to make it feel more natural for the "pilot" (what with Eldar being tall, lithe creatures).

Also goes to explain why Wraithlords are classified as a Monstrous Creature ingame rather than a Walker, they act like really large infantry opposed to a clumbersome walking contraption.

 Dr. Serling wrote:
A giant square box is probably easier to hit than a lithe, thin monster. Eldar are all about streamlined efficient natural shapes. No need to be a giant metal box when your made of wraithbone, and you can use those long legs to kick tanks and dreadnaughts in half.

Also, swag. Those wing wraithbone things on the back? Pure swag.

This. Just this. Swag and its harder to hit.

FoWPlayerDeathOfUS.TDs wrote:
Does it make sense to anyone that the wraithlords are designed to have a tall slender profile if they are designed to be a combat zone? Wouldn't it make sense that the second most advanced race in the game would have a more dreadnought-ish design than a big, look at me, shoot at me design? I know its mundane, but why do they do it?

No you're right, they should have just put a giant box with legs on the field instead of something that moves, walks, and kills like a normal Eldar. Indeed, big, loud box-shaped war machines are the way of the future.

Being torn apart by a psychic plastic skeleton is...

Unpleasant

For me, I think it isn't as much how the height of a Wraithlord is a hindrance on the battlefield, but how most of the qualities of a Space Marine Dreadnought are a hindrance on the battlefield.

Imagine if Wraithlords didn't suffer from "Wraithsight". They would essentially be a giant ultra-tough Eldar Aspect warrior.

Of course, most of their qualities wouldn't transfer to the game as 40K is played, but imagine how many advantages a Wraithlord has when it comes to jumping, hand to hand combat, climbing right up the sides of ruins and slopes, how their new handheld w/trigger heavy weapon design would allow them to fire from the completely prone position, fire shoulder-mount weapons from behind cover, etc.

A Space Marine Dreadnought would get stuck on it's back or front like a turtle if it fell off it's little feet, can't actually grab anything standing on top of it's sarcophagus or back, can't physically step over anything more than three feet high or it's crotch will high-center, can't fire at anything unless it's turned nearly completely square on forwards to it, etc.

A Wraithlord could (thematically) take on a Dreadnought very easily in Close Combat, at least without "Space Marine Plot Armor" involved. Imagine as a slender humanoid with a Diresword, you are fighting an armored box balanced on tiny feet with stubby arms whose (standard) fingers are so short it probably can't barely grasp anything, which is capable of almost no shoulder movement outside of the horizontal "lift or lower". It'd be like fighting the Robot from Lost in Space.

Dreadnoughts have a thing where they spin like tops in close combat. It looks crude as hell, but it's actually quite effective and kind of makes up.