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At the current time swooping hawks seem to be the most "meh" of all the eldar aspects (shining spears are up there, but only because they cost too much imo) So heres what I would do with them, thoughts?

Swooping hawks:
20Pts/Model

WS 4 BS 4 S3 T3 W1 I5 A1 Ld9 Sv4+

Unit type: Flying Infantry*

Squad: 5-10 Swooping hawks

Special Rules: Flying infantry, Fleet of foot, Deep strike

Wargear: Lasblaster, Plasma grenades, Haywire grenades, Swooping hawk grenade pack

May upgrade one model to an exarch for 12pts

He may take skyleap for 15pts and/or Intercept for 30pts

The exarch may take a power weapon at 10pts, or replace his lasblaster with a sunrifle or hawks talon for 10pts
The exarch may replace his lasblaster with an eldar laspistol for free

Sunrifle: Range 24" S3 AP5 Assault 6 pinning, blind
Hawks Talon: Range 24" S5 AP5 Assault 3 Shred
Eldar Laspistol: Range 12" S3 Ap5 Pistol

Special Rules
Flying Infantry: Swooping hawks use their wings to soar over the battlefield at great speeds with a grace and skill that only a fully disciplined eldar could accomplish, they follow all the rules for movement as a flying monstrous creature, but must maintain squad coherency as they move. The unit must only take a grounding test if a model is hit and not killed. If the unit is grounded, then only models who had a wound allocated to them must take a hit. (it is assumed the rest of the squad quickly lands to defend their injured comrades, or to recover their soul stone)

The unit may not make vector strikes, unless the exarch has the intercept power (see below)

If the unit chooses to arrive via deep strike, they may declare to be gliding or swooping

Grenade packs:
The swooping hawk's grenade packs can be used in the same way as a flyer may make a bombing run, using the normal rules in the warhammer 40,000 rulebook, and uses the following profile:

Range: n/a S* AP4 Large blast, Bomb

*The more hawks in the unit, the greater the concentration of plasma grenades dropped on the target, this means that with a large enough unit, the hawks can create a firestorm of plasma. The strength of the blast depends on the number of members in the unit:

1-6: S4
7-9:S5
10:S6

Exarch Powers:
Skyleap With a great shout, The exarch and his squad soar high into the atmosphere, ready to strike anew,
The unit is removed from play instead of moving, and placed into ongoing reserves, they may also immediately place a grenade pack marker anywhere on the table. The unit may choose to either arrive as normal or deep strike next turn

Intercept The exarch and his squad are extremely skilled at aerial combat, even able to challenge enemy flyers.
The unit may make vector strikes against vehicles (including flyers) and monstrous creatures(or flying monstrous creatures) using haywire or plasma grenades. This means each model gets to make 1 attack with the grenades against the enemy model. Enemy flyers may choose to evade (this specifically allows a cover save). The unit may not make a vector strike and use a grenade pack attack in the same turn. In addition, the unit never needs worse than a 4+ to hit a vehicle without a weapon skill.



Thoughts?

That is pretty much what I had in mind for hawks as well, and also is what hopefully GW will do with them when the next eldar codex rolls round (after Tau supposedly).

I hadn't thought of the strength increase on the grenades with more models in the unit though, that is an ace idea!

If hawks had these rules, I would be off to GW to get me a unit (I think I might anyway as they are lovely models).

Do you mind if I copy these and maybe give them a try?

Have you heard off one of the new tau special rules called plasma burn? Not sure if its true and I can't find the link at the moment but it'd be interesting to look into

Just so everyone knows I will primarily be siding with imperial guard against daemons either with just a generic daemon pirince or one of she who thirsts


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rohansoldier wrote:
That is pretty much what I had in mind for hawks as well, and also is what hopefully GW will do with them when the next eldar codex rolls round (after Tau supposedly).

I hadn't thought of the strength increase on the grenades with more models in the unit though, that is an ace idea!

If hawks had these rules, I would be off to GW to get me a unit (I think I might anyway as they are lovely models).

Do you mind if I copy these and maybe give them a try?

Glad you approve Crack on

After watching the 1980s Flash Gordon movie last night, all I have to say is "Squadron 40! DIVE!"

I approve of Swooping Hawks being able to assault Flyers (even if right now it is only possible in Apocalypse and requires Baharroth, and 3 units of Swooping Hawks led by an Exarch with both powers).

Going by the Eldar lore, each unit of Aspect Warriors (even their name suggests specialities) need to have a role that they are superb at but are at a disadvantage if they try anything else.

All of the units have their niche role, be it anti heavy infantry (howling banshees/dark reapers), horde (striking scorpions/dire avengers), anti tank (fire dragons).

The only unit I can think of that doesn't have a niche role in the army list is the swooping hawks. They can't do much to heavy infantry, can't do much to a tank without assaulting it (which means they have to get to it without being shot first) and imo there are better units for killing light infantry for the points.

This basically leaves the hawks as an annoyance unit using skyleap each turn to drop templates on peoples heads. Therefore as a unit that is capable of true flight, I believe that assaulting fliers and flying monstrous creatures should be the niche role of swooping hawks.

Plus the idea of a unit of eldar swooping down on a enemy jet and slapping grenades on it would be cool to see!