Eldar rumours (Preorder pics added to first post)

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**Just Dave**

I reckon there's potential for dual kits for the aspect warriors, some combinations I could probably see working:

- Swooping Hawks & Howling Banshees
- Fire Dragons & Dark Reapers
- Fire Dragons & Striking Scorpions
- Fire Dragons & Warp Spiders
- Warp Spiders & Striking Scorpions
- Striking Scorpions & Howling Banshees (just)

Many of the existing aspect warrior kits seem to be quite similar in pose (although that could just be because most are so static), so dual kits could work IMHO. Whilst both CC, Scorpions and Banshees seem like an ill-fit to me: one's much more static and heavily armoured than the other.

**gorgon**

Krinsath wrote:
MajorStoffer wrote:
if GW wants to move some models, new plastics at a reasonable-by-GW pricepoint wit the same obvious talent and care that went into DE would be a godsend, at least to those people I know who play Eldar, or want to expand their armies.

But then the same logic holds true for most armies with old model ranges; Chaos players would likely prefer some new versions of their ancient special characters, Marines would likely care for some new basic troops, who today are more mold-line than actual model, and Guard players would like some updated troopers. Giant silly expensive kits with questionable aesthetics and battlefield performance, not so much.

That's when you hit the "risk" portion of the industry, and GW has shown that it is actually incredibly risk-averse of late. A new kit, such as the Riptide, will enjoy fairly predictable sales because people both old and new will want it, and there's limited other ways of getting it (i.e. - almost none outside of heavy conversion work). Most of the past few releases have gone the route of "fewer boxes to more people" with big new units while there haven't been a great many "core" kits released. I think the only "update models" that have been released going back to October 2012 are the Raptors which as a dual kit for a new unit,is a stretch, Dragon Ogres, Pathfinders and Broadsides. In the upcoming release you could count the Shadow Warriors, though it's the same toss-up on "does it count?" as the Raptors since the kit will make a new unit too.

So, being generous, that there have been five "update to existing model" kits in eight months of releases shows where GW's focus is at the moment. They don't want the risk of people not buying models because they have "good enough" with the old models or buying the old models cheaper from someone looking to upgrade (as I have no doubt GW views this as a "lost" sale like most blinkered companies). It's not an unfounded fear, as dramatically altering an army's look will never go completely well. I'm sure there's people who lament the Dark Eldar release because they liked the old look. These people are crazy, of course, but they undoubtedly exist. Other armies would be far too cost-prohibitive to trade out every model so the players wouldn't, such as a flot-slog IG force. So, they would rather sell 1-2 boxes to 70-80% of the players of a given army than take a shot at selling 3-4 boxes (or more) to an unknowable percentage.

Would they make more money if they do it right? Sure, but that "if" in there seems as like it's going to scare them away, at least under their current leadership. Maybe the sales enjoyed by the Tau Pathfinders and Broadsides will convince GW to try a bit harder though.

I don't know if I'd call it risk aversion so much as just marketing sense to sell the new stuff with the broadest appeal first and then save the refreshes for a later date. Maybe some of them will be released alongside future supplements, campaign books, etc. They probably should have been handling their releases this way for years, although 10 years ago they wouldn't have had so many of their bases covered already with plastic kits.

I don't play Eldar but I'm certainly looking forward to the new codex and the new stuff that will bring. They've historically been one of the more popular armies for 40K, and I suspect that they may become that again fairly quickly with a good codex. And I like all the codices for 6th edition so far. Others may disagree, but then YMMV as always.

**MajorStoffer**

It just seems that the focus on new big kits is at odds with GW's other business policies.

Generally speaking, they've presented the opinion that they seek to bring more people into the game; the purpose of their stores is increasingly to get people to start the game, and are increasingly less concerned with keeping them in it, with limited tablespace and whatnot.

So, if you're all about expanding your playerbase, and aren't terrible concerned with the older players who, in their opinion, don't buy much as they already have their armies, why leave most of an army in unattractive finecast?

Some of the armies are facing some very old sculpts, but I don't think any other army has as much of their line in expensive and limiting finecast; there's more yellow "Citadel Finecast" on the Eldar section than any other army. Raptors used to be finecast, and become the plastic multikit, as did several older kits. Finecast, by all accounts, is a transitory stage for actual units, with seemingly only characters doomed to remain in that medium. The quesiton is, then, how long will it be for the Eldar to get their enormous finecast range changed into something more palatable?

If this were even last year where codex releases were glacial, I'd assume that they'd get some plastic aspect warriors with one of the release waves, but now, with the constant run of codex/army book, when would they be updated if not with the codex? The only rumoured breaks are for Apoc and other supplements like that, more likely to produce missing vehicle kits or new superheavies, rather than core unit re-releases.

**Tyranid Horde**

I quite like most of the Eldar sculpts that are out atm, sure, they could be made plastic, but they don't need a revamp. I think that Dark Reapers are really pretty models, same goes for nearly all of the others, apart from Warp Spiders, they are fairly dated now.

**Scottywan82**

Just Dave wrote:
I reckon there's potential for dual kits for the aspect warriors, some combinations I could probably see working:

Spoiler:

- Swooping Hawks & Howling Banshees
- Fire Dragons & Dark Reapers
- Fire Dragons & Striking Scorpions
- Fire Dragons & Warp Spiders
- Warp Spiders & Striking Scorpions
- Striking Scorpions & Howling Banshees (just)

Many of the existing aspect warrior kits seem to be quite similar in pose (although that could just be because most are so static), so dual kits could work IMHO. Whilst both CC, Scorpions and Banshees seem like an ill-fit to me: one's much more static and heavily armoured than the other.

I've often pondered this myself. I always hoped they would group them by armor level and do male and female torsos like the Dark Eldar

-Swooping Hawks and Howling Banshees - Light Armor, Leaping/flying legs
-Fire Dragons and Striking Scorpions - Medium/Heavy armor, segmented plates and helmets
-Warp Spiders and Dark Reapers - Heavy Armor, posed bracing large weapons

Anyways, it's a thought.

**Just Dave**

Scottywan82 wrote:
I've often pondered this myself. I always hoped they would group them by armor level and do male and female torsos like the Dark Eldar

-Swooping Hawks and Howling Banshees - Light Armor, Leaping/flying legs
-Fire Dragons and Striking Scorpions - Medium/Heavy armor, segmented plates and helmets
-Warp Spiders and Dark Reapers - Heavy Armor, posed bracing large weapons

Anyways, it's a thought.

I thought a similar thing, except that Scorpions and Spiders may work better together, as they could have somewhat static, somewhat mobile poses (e.g. between the static reapers and the leaping hawks/banshees); whilst Dragons and Reapers are both very static?

**Krinsath**

gorgon wrote:
I don't know if I'd call it risk aversion so much as just marketing sense to sell the new stuff with the broadest appeal first and then save the refreshes for a later date. Maybe some of them will be released alongside future supplements, campaign books, etc. They probably should have been handling their releases this way for years, although 10 years ago they wouldn't have had so many of their bases covered already with plastic kits.

If this was a few months ago, I'd agree with you that it was just marketing. As time has gone on and GW has not updated kits in sore need and instead gone in favor of all-new kits it's become less likely that's the explanation. Throw in that two of five kits are a dual unit set and one of them was arguably one of the worst models to put together in any GW range and the picture looks starker still. I'd have to double-check this one further, but I don't recall a "core" unit getting a real update in a very long time, potentially coming up on a year. With so many kits out there coming up on a decade old, it really is time to update them but it'd be a big risk on if they will sell enough when there's multitudes of the existing unit out there.

I'd love to see the dual kits of aspect warriors that was theorized, but I don't see GW leaping to make that many kits happen when there's going to be a lot of "well, my howling banshees are fine, really" hold-outs, especially since they would likely be priced at $35 for 5. While I'm hoping they surprise me and do it, I'm not going to start holding my breath. My guess is they will instead make the WraithPony and flyer and some other characters, because those kits will sell a nice, predictable number.

To me it looks like GW desires predictability much more than profit, which would align with a lot of what GW has been doing of late.

**RancidHate**

In truth, as I might have mentioned before, before we wishlist in vain we should recognize what currently exists in our codex that has still kept up with the power curve.

**JOHIRA**

I dread plastic aspect warriors.

If GW wanted to do them well, they could. It would be like the Dire Avengers- each one is a single kit for a single aspect, characterfully customized with interesting bits that fit their motifs. And as we've all seen in the High Elves, that's not what GW will do.

We'll likely get dual kits, dual kits that require GW to blandify everything or horrifically mix male/female sculpts into one single frame because elves don't have to have coherent body shape, and because giving us a mediocre kit that we're stuck with for the next decade or so is all the rage these days, it seems.

No, I don't want to see them even attempt plastic aspects. Even if it means getting stuck with Finecast.

**RancidHate**

I might be in the minority here but I think all of the following look good;

Scorpions; the "predator dreadlocks" (sensor cables) are kewl.
Reapers; 3rd ed. and 4th ed. look good but NOT the 2nd ed. cone heads.
Dragons; 3rd ed. are good but, 4th ed. are awesome.
Rangers; 4th ed. look awesome, too bad they suck.
Banshees; 3rd ed. look good but, 4th ed. look awesome, too bad they suck.
Wraithlords; 4th ed. look awesome, too bad they suck.
War Walkers; 4th ed. models look good, current codex they ARE good.
Fire Prism; I like either model and, one of the best entries in the current codex.

Farseers; awesome to use, look good, look great if you kit bash.
Jetbikes; awesome to use, look good EXCEPT for the klan-hoods they wear. Swap out heads with spare 4th ed. Guardian helmets and they look sleek

**Tyranid Horde**

RancidHate wrote:
I might be in the minority here but I think all of the following look good;

Scorpions; the "predator dreadlocks" (sensor cables) are kewl.
Reapers; 3rd ed. and 4th ed. look good but NOT the 2nd ed. cone heads.
Dragons; 3rd ed. are good but, 4th ed. are awesome.
Rangers; 4th ed. look awesome, too bad they suck.
Banshees; 3rd ed. look good but, 4th ed. look awesome, too bad they suck.
Wraithlords; 4th ed. look awesome, too bad they suck.
War Walkers; 4th ed. models look good, current codex they ARE good.
Fire Prism; I like either model and, one of the best entries in the current codex.

Farseers; awesome to use, look good, look great if you kit bash.
Jetbikes; awesome to use, look good EXCEPT for the klan-hoods they wear. Swap out heads with spare 4th ed. Guardian helmets and they look sleek

You aren't alone there mate!

**MandalorynOranj**

Tyranid Horde wrote:
RancidHate wrote:
I might be in the minority here but I think all of the following look good;

Scorpions; the "predator dreadlocks" (sensor cables) are kewl.
Reapers; 3rd ed. and 4th ed. look good but NOT the 2nd ed. cone heads.
Dragons; 3rd ed. are good but, 4th ed. are awesome.
Rangers; 4th ed. look awesome, too bad they suck.
Banshees; 3rd ed. look good but, 4th ed. look awesome, too bad they suck.
Wraithlords; 4th ed. look awesome, too bad they suck.
War Walkers; 4th ed. models look good, current codex they ARE good.
Fire Prism; I like either model and, one of the best entries in the current codex.

Farseers; awesome to use, look good, look great if you kit bash.
Jetbikes; awesome to use, look good EXCEPT for the klan-hoods they wear. Swap out heads with spare 4th ed. Guardian helmets and they look sleek

You aren't alone there mate!

Seconded, the current range of models is awesome. I really hope they don't go the way of dual-kits, as pointed out before that would doubtless leave each Aspect looking less unique and making the whole range less interesting. As for not buying new ones, if they made plastic kits and the rules were good, I'd definitely buy in. Aside from Avengers and Spiders, the most I have of a single Aspect is one box, so 5-6 guys. I'd definitely be willing to buy into more if they made having more useful.

**Skinnereal**

Since the current boxes offer just 1 Exarch option, there's little reason to buy them.
I wanted the Striking Scorpions, to go with the old power-fist version I have, but that's all the box comes with. If not, they don't mention there's more in the box than the pictures suggest.
I'll stick with the CHS exarch then, and get ebay troops.

So, if dual-kits offer more options, I'll get a box, just for them, and model up as many exarchs as I can from that 1 box.
Otherwise, ebay and kitbashes and conversions.

**JOHIRA**

If GW were smart (and ruthless) they'd make a plastic autarch kit that had all the missing weapon options from the exarchs. Then you'd have to buy the autarch just to get the exarchs you wanted.

**RancidHate**

From what I've seen with my own eyes, the following Exarchs do come with multiple options, but they are typically very limited;
The model weapon range appears limited because Exarch options are relatively simple.

Banshees: Exarch can be equipped with Mirror Swords (a power sword in each hand) or the 2-handed Executioner (halberd)

Scorpions: Exarch can have the Biting Blade (large 2-handed chainsword) or the Scorpion Claw (looks like a power fist with an in-built short-barreled shuriken catapault)

Dire Avengers: Exarch on a plastic kit that can have all the fix-ins. 2x Guns? Check. Power Weapon + Shimmershiled? Check. Diresword? Check.

Dragons: Exacrh pick Heavy Flamer or 18" Melta. Simple.

Farseers: they need to have alternate arms so you can do Witchblade + Pistol or 2-handed Singing Spear or something. I'll post a pic of my slightly kit-bashed CC Farseer (back when withcblades helped against Dreadnoughts and such)

**gravitywell**

Thinking about building an Eldar army and I'm wondering what is safe to buy and paint now (ie wont be updated in the next couple months).

Does this list look right to you? Or can anyone see some more of these being updated or changed?

Avatar - Same
Farseer - UPDATE
Autarch - UPDATE
Eldrad Ulthran - Same
Prince Yriel - Same
Phoenix Lords - Same
Warlock - Same
Wave Serpent - Same
Striking Scorpions - Same
Harlequin Death Jester - Same
Harlequin Shadowseer - Same
Howling Banshees - Same
Fire Dragons - Same
Harlequin Troupe - Same
Wraithguard - UPDATE
Dire Avengers - Same
Jetbike - UPDATE
Guardians - Same
Rangers - Same
Warp Spiders - UPDATE
Swooping Hawks - Same
Vyper Jetbike - Same
Fire Prism - Same
Falcon - Same
Wraithlord - Same
War Walker - Same
Dark Reapers - Same
Support Weapon - Same

**pretre**

First post has a rather dubious rumor from Kirby re what is being redone/etc:

Here's what I've been told re: boxes. No rules.

plastic Warpspiders/Everguard
plastic Skycharriots/Shining Spears
plastic Phantomwaechter - these might be the shadow spectres?
plastic Jetbikes
plastic Wraithguard/Cataphracts
plastic flyer combi-kit - The flyer is pretty large and has a crossbow shape, two canopies, one fin. The main variant on the cover has some lances and a large dorsal distort cannon. The other variant has extra downward/sideway thrusters, but I don’t remember if it has a different weapon loadout.
plastic phoenix lord niadhau - For Shining Spears, appears to be on a Vyper jetbike.
plastic webway gate
resin box Avatar
resin Black Warden - The Black Warden looks like an female Autarch. She has a shurikencatapult and a feathered guardian helm with an eye on it.
resin Dire Avenger Xentarch - Appears to be a new English name for Exarch?
resin Howling Banshee Xentarch
resin Fire Dragon Xentarch
resin Striking Scorpion Xentarch
resin box Dragon Riders
resin box Eldritch Raiders - They look like guardians but have no helms and wear scarfs around the lower head and swashbuckle belts. They are very individually equipped, have all sorts blades, pistols and/or rifles. (potentially Storm Guardians?)
resin box Halcones Cazadores
resin Warlock

**gorgon**

I don't know what to think about all those rumors from around that time period -- the Eldar mini descriptions, the big release list, and even pancake edition. It's hard to imagine people investing that kind of effort into fooling some people on the internet for no real payoff. Yet pancake was either an early, discarded GW effort or an outright fake. The release list now looks to be a flat-out fabrication, and that Eldar list seems to be overly lengthy with too many "re-dos" compared to what we've seen from the 6th edition releases so far.

My current best theory is that all these things are real in a sense -- they just slipped into our reality from an alternate universe next door.

**streetsamurai**

no way they make dragon riders in resin, so the list is definitively fake. Shame since it look pretty cool

**catharsix**

pretre wrote:
First post has a rumor from Kirby re what is being redone/etc:

Here's what I've been told re: boxes. No rules.

plastic Warpspiders/Everguard
plastic Skycharriots/Shining Spears
plastic Phantomwaechter - these might be the shadow spectres?
plastic Jetbikes
plastic Wraithguard/Cataphracts
plastic flyer combi-kit - The flyer is pretty large and has a crossbow shape, two canopies, one fin. The main variant on the cover has some lances and a large dorsal distort cannon. The other variant has extra downward/sideway thrusters, but I don’t remember if it has a different weapon loadout.
plastic phoenix lord niadhau - For Shining Spears, appears to be on a Vyper jetbike.
plastic webway gate
resin box Avatar
resin Black Warden - The Black Warden looks like an female Autarch. She has a shurikencatapult and a feathered guardian helm with an eye on it.
resin Dire Avenger Xentarch - Appears to be a new English name for Exarch?
resin Howling Banshee Xentarch
resin Fire Dragon Xentarch
resin Striking Scorpion Xentarch
resin box Dragon Riders
resin box Eldritch Raiders - They look like guardians but have no helms and wear scarfs around the lower head and swashbuckle belts. They are very individually equipped, have all sorts blades, pistols and/or rifles. (potentially Storm Guardians?)
resin box Halcones Cazadores
resin Warlock

Wow, that's quite a lot of new things. Of course, much in the Eldar range is pretty old (though not necessarily bad - them old 2nd Ed. Jes Goodwin sculpts hold up pretty decently, actually).

Speaking of, do we have any idea who might be working on these? Is Jes Goodwin involved? I sure hope so - if he is that would almost certainly suck me in to picking up at least a few things, to make a little Eldar force (famous last words, I know). I still have some neato Dark Eldar bits laying around from my (sold off) Dark Eldar army, so I'd already have some good conversion fodder, especially if the above is an accurate list of the new stuff on its way. So many new plastic kits would be a real boon to converting (to say nothing of the many good plastic kits the Eldar already have).

I definitely hope to see plastic Aspect Warriors. They were always a favorite of mine, from back in the 2nd Ed. days.

Curious about this though:

pretre wrote:
First post has a rumor from Kirby re what is being redone/etc:

Here's what I've been told re: boxes. No rules.

plastic Warpspiders/Everguard

What are the "Everguard"?

-C6

Automatically Appended Next Post:

streetsamurai wrote:
no way they make dragon riders in resin, so the list is definitively fake. Shame since it look pretty cool

Now, normally, I'd totally agree. But with the crazy things that GW has been putting out more recently, it seems like pretty much anything (except exactly what everyone desperately wants) is possible, and unusual things are probable...

**Kroothawk**

Is that the complete Eldar release list for the next 12 years?

Or just a copy paste of the old so called release list of GW that "leaked" a year ago?

**pretre**

Kroothawk wrote:
Is that the complete Eldar release list for the next 12 years?
Or just a copy paste of the old so called release list of GW that "leaked" a year ago?

That was from when Kirby said he saw [strikethrough]god[/strikethrough] the Eldar codex. As someone mentioned, it was a rather dubious rumor at the time and I have a feeling Kirby will be feeling rather awkward about it in a month or so.

I posted it more as a tongue-in-cheek list than anything else. I'll edit the post to make it more clear.

**Experiment 626**

So do we have any solid rumors/idea who's writting the new codex?!

If it's Ward, then considering what he's given HE's, I'm expecting a new Relic that;
- Gives all units within 6" a 4+ Deny the Witch roll
- Gives all units within 6" a 2++ against all attacks made by models with the Daemon USR

(sorry, Daemon player here who can't resist the idea that my other codex book will be completely neutered by the very next 40k release!

)

**Eberious**

@catharsix "What are the "Everguard"?

From the Eldar codex they look like CW/portal guard, appearance wise they look like a mix between Dire avengers and a farseer/warlock. In the codex there's a page with a point of view picture of a CW, and a numbered guide to what you see in the pic. One of the number focus points are Everguard, if I'm not mistaken.

They look pretty cool and wouldnt mind having a unit or two of them. Although if they are mixed in a dual kit with warp spiders, I don't see them looking anything like the picture. :(

**PredaKhaine**

Experiment 626 wrote:
So do we have any solid rumors/idea who's writting the new codex?!

If it's Ward, then considering what he's given HE's, I'm expecting a new Relic that;
- Gives all units within 6" a 4+ Deny the Witch roll
- Gives all units within 6" a 2++ against all attacks made by models with the Daemon USR

(sorry, Daemon player here who can't resist the idea that my other codex book will be completely neutered by the very next 40k release!)

The rumours I'd heard were that Phil Kelly was doing the new 'dex. No idea if it's true though.

**Kroothawk**

It would be unusual for an author to write the revision of his old Codex. And 2 years or so ago, Phil Kelly was quoted that he would hate to become the Eldar guy. Still I would love to have the Kelly/Goodwin team on Eldar again. Did Cruddace have any release the past 6 months?

**MandalorynOranj**

Kroothawk wrote:
Did Cruddace have any release the past 6 months?

Yeah, Cruddace co-wrote Daemons with Kelly. So far in 6th we've had Kelly, Vetock, Cruddace/Kelly, Vetock. Nothing yet from Ward, and nothing solo from Cruddace.

**Experiment 626**

MandalorynOranj wrote:
Kroothawk wrote:
Did Cruddace have any release the past 6 months?

Yeah, Cruddace co-wrote Daemons with Kelly. So far in 6th we've had Kelly, Vetock, Cruddace/Kelly, Vetock. Nothing yet from Ward, and nothing solo from Cruddace.

Ward's done Fantasy Daemons and now High Elves, which have basically just deleted Daemons from the game!

**kronk**

Excited for Eldar, baby!

My Black Templars need some Allies!

**rohansoldier**

Eldar allies to Black Templars?

Heresy! Why would the most devout witch haters of the marine chapters ally with the most obviously witch like alien race in the galaxy?

Seriously, these rumours sound cool and I am so excited for this codex!