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I know this may be a case of "invisibility makes everything viable" but I was thinking about how with eldar it could be almost guaranteed to get invisibilty, and thus, maybe make the harlistar a thing again.

The idea would be some combination of farseers and or spiritseers (iyanden shadow council) joining ten harlis with kisses and a shadowseer. Keeping it on the low end to start you could run this with 2 spiritseers and a farseer for under 500 points. Still substantial, but not too bad for a deathstar and solid psyker hq's. With that combo you get 8 psychic dice, 7 chances at invisibility (which the spiritseers will roll for first), and with good rolls or added spiritseers you can still likely pick up guide/prescience or something solid from runes of battle. You also always have veil for backup.

In melee, with invisibility or without, they're going to tear most things apart.

The problem of course is that A. you're still counting on getting invisibility, which is never a guarantee. and B. you're still running up the board on foot. Granted they're fleet, have a chance at quicken (potentially), and are running, but they're still on foot.

So what are the thoughts? Could the harlistar be reborn? Is this the way to do it, or are there some other options? Just looking for a little theoryhammer.

Your first thought is the correct one. Everything can be made possible with invisibility. The only problem I have with it is the fact that you're still completely reliant on getting the power, and getting it off. If you achieve both of those you still have a slow moving small squad that will destroy anything it touches. If it can get to them. It's the same reason none of the melee units in eldar make it into lists except for councils. You need speed to be a reliable deathstar.

For very competitive environments, I do not think the Harliestar will be better than the Beaststar for the points. But, if you liked running the Harliestar from early 6th edition, go for it. I'm breaking mine out to give it a shot. Eldrad, Farseer on bike, Vect joining a Harlie unit and have fun.

Almost any other unit in CW Eldar dex would do this better. Point for point, I think either Storm Guardians or Banshees would do better.

Harlies may have a place as a harrasment unit, but they're unbelievably slow for Eldar (no battle focus) on foot, and if you have Invis, Tears isn't going to do much. For melee, they do pack a punch, but I don't think its enough.

Why would they need battle focus?

Tactical_Genius wrote:
Why would they need battle focus?

Yeah, I have seen this mentioned a few times, and I don't really see the need for it either. Harlequins are not a shooting unit, so being able to run and shoot doesn't really help them much. If they are within range to shoot their shuriken pistols, you are probably close enough to attempt a charge, too (so you probably don't want to be running). With Fleet to re-roll a charge die, you can probably dependably charge at 7-8". I guess Battle Focus might help the Death Jester, but I see that model more as something you would use to pin a unit before a charge so as to prevent overwatch fire. So, again, Battle Focus would be pretty situational, if not superfluous, for Harlequins.

I am actually planning on trying out the Harley Quinns in a Footdar list (well, there are jetbikes and a WS in there, so not pure footdar) I have been working on. More of a fluff list for casual games, but if you get Invisibility, it could be pretty good, and Veil is a decent fallback. With the changes to the psychic phase you can just throw two dice at it and have very little chance of perils (1/36) plus a 75% chance of getting off the Veil.

How is your army going to respond to going second when you've spent such a large amount of points on something that never occurs?

All those shuripistol shots add up. And I suppose you could potentially have a singing spear or two in the 'deathstar' that you'd also lose (or even a Long Rife, but you really wouldn't take that...). Sure, it's not huge, but it's just one more place where Harlies are outperformed by other things.

Ideally, you'd be clearing off a little chaff on your way up (units with only a few models left or such). Other choices for this would be able to. Harlies can't. And then there are times when you're 10-16" out. Can't reliably charge (or charge at all, 12-16), but with battle focus, you could get closer and shoot.

Vect, 5 Spiritseers, eldrad / Farseer, shadowseer, troupe master and 7 normal Harlequins in a tantalus would work I guess. Or maxed out on foot.

Invis + veil and probably sanctuary from sanctic sounds nasty.

If you can get them gate of infinity your laughing.