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Its always puzzled me that games workshop removed the option to have an eldar warlock lead you forces, as surely there are warlocks who have progressed a long way down the witch patch without becoming farseers, I could especially see this happening on the more warlike craftworlds such as biel tan where the aggressive spirit and power of warlocks would be respected and a natural choice to lead armies. I know eldar already have loads of HQ choices but still

Infact in first edition (and I believe second) eldar had access to a warlock champion to lead their forces, I know it was a different game back then, but still...

So here goes some proposed rules

Thoughts?

Eldar High warlock: 100Pts

WS5 BS5 S3 T3 W2 I5 A3 Ld10 Sv4+

Unit Type: Infantry (character)

Wargear:
Rune Armour
Witchblade
Shuriken Pistol
Plasma Grenades

Psyker Mastery Level 2
The High warlock has access to powers from the runes of battle, telekinesis, and pyromancy disciplines in any combination

Options:
The High warlock may exchange his witchblade for a power weapon..........................................................Free
Or a singing spear...................................................................................................................................................5pts
He may exchange his shuriken pistol for a shuriken catapult.........................................................................Free
He may take haywire grenades.............................................................................................................................5pts
May ride an eldar Jetbike........................................................................................................................................25pts

He may also take items from the remnants of glory list

Special Rules:
Independant Character
Warlock council: The high warlock may be accompanied by a warlock council in the same way as a farseer

Battle Psyker: The High warlock always knows the Destructor/Renew power from the runes of battle discipline, if he rolls this power again it must be re-rolled, this means he will know 3 psychic powers rather than the normal 2 for ML2 Psykers

So...basically a Spiritseer with free Destructor/Renewer?

I do agree that warlocks deserve a better statline. I play Dawn of War 2 and I think that the Warlock should be able to lead strike forces instead of playing second fiddle to a farseer. I like your statline, but I think he is a little expensive, he would work at 70pts because he loses out on a wound from the farseer. doesn't seem like much, but it means that after his first perils he will be at risk of peril'in to death. For the powers I would probably swap telekinesis for telepathy (Warlocks are known for their mind speech to rally) or even just add telepathy to the list they can access.

I'm thinking he needs something extra, but I'm not sure what. Maybe a special weapon of his own (WitchGlaive, +1 strength AP 3 force weapon and/or Fleshbane if you use a warp charge for each rule) or support runes that you could buy which would give him unit USR such as fearless or rage. I really like the Battle Psyker rule, quite fluffy. I wouldn't give them access to mastery level 3, because having 4 rolls on RoB has a great chance of getting protect. I like this because it means a seerstar could be lead by a Farseer & and High Warlock, rather then a double farseer. That way you have to choose if which table of powers is more important for you, the generally helpful runes of battle, or the outshining powers of Runes of Fate along with the bad powers.

 Happyjew wrote:
So...basically a Spiritseer with free Destructor/Renewer?

Well more combat focussed really rather than a wraith guider, plus no telepathy.

And yeah AlexisAwesome I think DoW2 had the right idea allowing a more powerful warlock as a leader, runes as you suggested might be something to look into, perhaps options like hatred, soul blaze, or the like?

I stayed away from force weapons because it seems GW didnt like eldar having them for some reason, so I went with that, and yes I went for less wounds than a farseer in the end but more attacks. And yeah if they had ML3 I think that might get a bit silly and start to outshine/directly compete with the farseer, where I would rather see the farseer warlock and spiritseer occupy different niches in the army

I have been playing a few games with my Eldar now, and I have been coincidentally thinking exactly this. There should be some kind of "high Warlock" that can be made a combat monster and that mixes direct attacks with offensive spells. He would lack the reserves boost and choice of tasty wargear available to the Autarch, though.

And yes, I play DoW2 as well, and that too is what made me think this.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
He should at the very least have W3, though. Why would a Farseer be tougher?

My idea was WS6 BS5 S3 T3 W3 I6 A3 LD10 SV 4++ (Maybe a 3+ as well, seeing as he intends to do front line combat?)

Combat powers, but much more limited in support powers compared to Farseer. And some kind of buffed weapon, perhaps, as AP- is kind of depressing.

A Farseer is tougher because a Farseer's skin is turning into wraithbone.

Runes of Battle is excessively good once you start getting higher leadership than too little (which is the standard Warlock's lot) and more than one mastery level. Often the runes stack really well with itself.

My suggestion: remove the extra psychic power, it's not necessary. Flesh out the weapons a bit more. Add a special rule that sets him apart from the Farseer and the Spirit Seer.
Also, be careful so that you do not make him a psychic Autarch, you really don't want to do that. He should have worse statline than the Autarch, but utility from psychic powers and a potential special rule.
A suggestion for the special rule: Soul Burn use after successfully wounding an enemy with a witchblade, singing spear or psychic power to take an additional psychic test in order to cause instant death
Or a different suggestion: Duality when the Warlock casts the Malediction or Witchfire version of a psychic power without it being denied, he and his unit also gains the benefit of the Blessing without taking a psychic test for the second effect.

For the Support Runes I would go along the idea of the last codex's eldar powers. You simply buy the rune with the rule you want. For example for 15pt you can buy fearless for your warlock,for 10pts the unit gets soulblaze or stealth. Something along the lines of small buffs, but permanent ones. That would give him a role other then psykic autarch kill stuff, and gives him more stable but less game changing buffs then the farseer.

But I'm afraid that might make him too support-y, when he is meant to be a battle psyker. Stay with your base statline, its good enough. And Isn't SoulBurn just Force? I would advise thinking up your own weapon for him, the AP - of witchblades is a real downer on a combat character while strength 3 is a real downer on the power weapon idea.