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Ever since I saw Index: Xenos 1, I've been thinking to myself, they're gonna try to sell us 3-4 different Eldar Codices, and there really is no reason to do so. If you took Necrons out of Xenos I, added in fluff, strategems, and special rules, you would end up with a book that was still probably shorter than Codex Adeptus Astartes, even with Drukhari, Craftworld, Harlequins, and Ynnari all in there, and since a huge number of Aeldari players are playing at least two factions (and they blend fairly seamlessly with the new faction rules), wouldn't it make more sense to just keep them together? What does everyone else think?

Yep...but then I feel you could compress a ton of the codices --- they're wasted, particularly on Harlequins, Grey Knights, etc. However, more codices = more money for GW. I was happy to see Admech being combined and adding Knights.

AnFéasógMór wrote:
If you took Necrons out of Xenos I, added in fluff, strategems, and special rules, you would end up with a book that was still probably shorter than Codex Adeptus Astartes, even with Drukhari, Craftworld, Harlequins, and Ynnari all in there

All that tells me is that GW needs to stop writing stuff about SM.

Nope.

Too much content.

The Aeldari section in the index is already 10 pages longer compared to all the rules in the adeptus astartes codex.

That is before warlord traits, relics, Strategems for each faction., As well as tactical objective cards. The SM codex takes 10 pages to cover that, adding that for four factions is another 40 pages. Would also need 2 pages of pre rules for what can be <keywords> per faction , so another 5-8 pages. Colored plates, backstory, models etc for four factions would like seeing take up too much space. It would be twice ad thick as codex space Marines and maybe have 2/3 of the content respective to the factions it contained.

You could write three Codexes and a Ynnari appendix and glue them together into one book, but using the same logic you could write all the Codexes for everything and glue it together into one immense epic hardback to rule them all. There's dramatically less content overlap than there is between any two Space Marine books (or Chaos Marine books, for that matter); Harlequins and Craftworlders share some weapons, yes, but so do Marines and Guard, and I don't see anyone suggesting mashing together all the 'human' books into one giant one.

honestly as a Harlie player, I'm looking forward to their own codex. I like the idea of having just one book, but like Elbows said it would be more money for GW

Let's stuff Aeldari, Drukhari, and Harlequins into one, and while we're at it, let's stuff Space Wolves, Dark Angels, Blood Angels, and Space Marines into one as well. Then we can also cram Death Guard, Thousand Sons, and Chaos Marines all into one Codex too! They're already stuffing Tempestus into Militarum, so that's taken care of. Oh, and let's get Ministorum, Inquisitors, and other Imperial Agents crammed in with Grey Knights. Add Deathwatch to that too, just get all the Ordos in one Dex. Then we can stick Genestealer Cults in with Tyranids.

And voila, you've halved the number of Codexes that need to be released, giving almost every faction double the options in their respective armies, reducing Ally shenanigans, and encouraging people to buy a greater variety of products because their Codexes give them the opportunity to do that.

Oh wait, but that makes sense...

It would make sense to keep them together.

But this is GW, whose motto is "cents, not sense."

blaktoof wrote:Nope.

Too much content.

The Aeldari section in the index is already 10 pages longer compared to all the rules in the adeptus astartes codex.

That is before warlord traits, relics, Strategems for each faction., As well as tactical objective cards. The SM codex takes 10 pages to cover that, adding that for four factions is another 40 pages. Would also need 2 pages of pre rules for what can be <keywords> per faction , so another 5-8 pages. Colored plates, backstory, models etc for four factions would like seeing take up too much space. It would be twice ad thick as codex space Marines and maybe have 2/3 of the content respective to the factions it contained.

Alright, you've got me on the size of the SM codex, I was thinking of Imperium I. But that sort've ties into my point. I loved the indices when I first saw them. They made way better sense, were way better priced, and I didn't think the size was ludicrous, or would even be ludicrous if you added another 50 pages to each of them. What I always thought was ridiculous was pay $55 for a wafer thing, 60-70 page codex. Plenty of games sell rulebooks that are 400 pages, for less money, and they're perfectly manageable.

And I do think you might be going a little overboard on how many more pages there would be, because I doubt Quins and Ynnari would add anywhere near as many pages of special rules as Drukhari and Craftworld, being nowhere near them in faction size, and as far as fluff, a large portion of it is going to be the same background until you hit the birth of Slaanesh, so we could probably assume each faction only really needs maybe 2 pages (front and back) for their individual fluff (Ynnari probably only need one)

AnomanderRake wrote:You could write three Codexes and a Ynnari appendix and glue them together into one book, but using the same logic you could write all the Codexes for everything and glue it together into one immense epic hardback to rule them all. There's dramatically less content overlap than there is between any two Space Marine books (or Chaos Marine books, for that matter); Harlequins and Craftworlders share some weapons, yes, but so do Marines and Guard, and I don't see anyone suggesting mashing together all the 'human' books into one giant one.

Hello, hi, nice to meet you. I am anyone who would absolutely suggest that. Maybe not one giant one, but as I said in my reply to blaktoof's comment, I would be completely fine with a book two books 50-60 pages bigger than the two Imperium Indices, with some extra fluff and rules. I really do not see the value of a bunch of tiny little books.

I'd be happy with a pair of hybrid codices, like pair DE/Harlequins and call it "Webway" Aeldari and then take Ynnari/CWE together and call them "Realspace."

Or something that's a more catchy name...my creativity roll was a 2 here.

The three eldar factions are different enough to warrent different codexes, especially since Dark Eldar alone is like three factions in one (Kabals, Wych Cult, Haemonculus Coven).

It's Space Marines and other, non IG non AdMech, imperial factions that needs to be shrunk into a single book or two.

HuskyWarhammer wrote:
I'd be happy with a pair of hybrid codices, like pair DE/Harlequins and call it "Webway" Aeldari and then take Ynnari/CWE together and call them "Realspace."

Or something that's a more catchy name...my creativity roll was a 2 here.

Nah, I actually think that's pretty solid, namewise. I mean, are "Webway" and "Realspace" really any worse than "Craftworld"?


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 MechaEmperor7000 wrote:
The three eldar factions are different enough to warrent different codexes, especially since Dark Eldar alone is like three factions in one (Kabals, Wych Cult, Haemonculus Coven).

It's Space Marines and other, non IG non AdMech, imperial factions that needs to be shrunk into a single book or two.

To me it's really less of an issue with similarity and more an issue of how the can be, and are likely to be, played together.

Also, hush with that talk, you. GW might be listening. Do you want them to start pulling 7e shenanigans and we end up with Codex Supplement: Kabals, Codex Supplement: Wych Cults, and Codex Supplement: Haemonculus Covens, all 30 pages long but inexplicably the same price as the normal codices? If we're not careful we'll end up with 10 page, $55 Incubi Shrines and Scourges codex supplements.

No i dont, it would be a 250pg book that would cost the same as 3 books....

I'd rather have them separate since i dont always play all 3... heck i very rarely play all 3 at once. So i wouldnt have to lug around an addition 150pts of crap with me.

I really enjoyed the Indexes. Sad to see codexes return.

Erm....no.

Craftworld, Dark and Harlquims all work in very, very different ways.

 Amishprn86 wrote:
No i dont, it would be a 250pg book that would cost the same as 3 books....

I'd rather have them separate since i dont always play all 3... heck i very rarely play all 3 at once. So i wouldnt have to lug around an addition 150pts of crap with me.

Why would you assume that it would cost the same as 3 books when GW has a pretty solid track record of pricing ever book the same regardless of the size? The Harlequins Codex in 7e cost the same as the Space Marines Codex that was nearly 4 times the size. The new indices all cost the same $25, even though Index Imperium I is nearly twice the length of Index Xenos I, half again as large as Index Xenos II. GW has never priced books based on size, they price them based on format (hardcover or softcover), and utility (rulebook, codex/supplement, or now index). There's literally no reason to think they would price a single Aeldari codex any more expensive than individual codices; exactly the opposite, actually.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Erm....no.

Craftworld, Dark and Harlquims all work in very, very different ways.

Which, again, has nothing to do with my reasoning. Yes, they work in different ways, which is part of why many players play 2 or more factions together, and very few Eldar players (at least that I've ever met or spoken to) only ever collect models from a single faction of Eldar. And having them in a single codex doesn't in any way stop them from working in different ways. Did having them in an index together stop them from working in different ways?

AnFéasógMór wrote:

 Amishprn86 wrote:
No i dont, it would be a 250pg book that would cost the same as 3 books....

I'd rather have them separate since i dont always play all 3... heck i very rarely play all 3 at once. So i wouldnt have to lug around an addition 150pts of crap with me.

Why would you assume that it would cost the same as 3 books when GW has a pretty solid track record of pricing ever book the same regardless of the size? The Harlequins Codex in 7e cost the same as the Space Marines Codex that was nearly 4 times the size. The new indices all cost the same $25, even though Index Imperium I is nearly twice the length of Index Xenos I, half again as large as Index Xenos II. GW has never priced books based on size, they price them based on format (hardcover or softcover), and utility (rulebook, codex/supplement, or now index). There's literally no reason to think they would price a single Aeldari codex and cheaper than individual codices; exactly the opposite, actually.

Codex Space Marines = $50. 208 pages.

Codex Grey Knights = $40. 102 pages.

Codex Chaos Space Marines = $40. 169 pages.

Codex Death Guard = $40. 104 pages.

Codex Adeptus Mechanicus = $40. 104 pages.

 Ghaz wrote:

AnFéasógMór wrote:

 Amishprn86 wrote:
No i dont, it would be a 250pg book that would cost the same as 3 books....

I'd rather have them separate since i dont always play all 3... heck i very rarely play all 3 at once. So i wouldnt have to lug around an addition 150pts of crap with me.

Why would you assume that it would cost the same as 3 books when GW has a pretty solid track record of pricing ever book the same regardless of the size? The Harlequins Codex in 7e cost the same as the Space Marines Codex that was nearly 4 times the size. The new indices all cost the same $25, even though Index Imperium I is nearly twice the length of Index Xenos I, half again as large as Index Xenos II. GW has never priced books based on size, they price them based on format (hardcover or softcover), and utility (rulebook, codex/supplement, or now index). There's literally no reason to think they would price a single Aeldari codex and cheaper than individual codices; exactly the opposite, actually.

Codex Space Marines = $50. 208 pages.

Codex Grey Knights = $40. 102 pages.

Codex Chaos Space Marines = $40. 169 pages.

Codex Death Guard = $40. 104 pages.

Codex Adeptus Mechanicus = $40. 104 pages.

Okay, fair enough, there is some marginal difference in prices in this edition. You'll note, however, that C:SM is twice as long as CG and C:AdMech, and more than twice as long as C:GK, and yet it only costs 25% more. So there's still no reason to assume that an Aeldari codex would "cost as much as three codices". In fact, while we obviously have a very limited pool of information to draw from here, the only pattern we could deduce so far is <200 pages = $40, >200 pages = $50.

My main point still stands, there is literally no reason at present to assume a combined Aeldari codex would "cost as much as three codices"

I guess the first question to ask is why were the codexes split up all over the place anyways.

In 7th i heard complaints of grey knights being a fw army but they had a book. And i remeber harliquins being in my eldar 6e codex. Why were they taken out of it. And besides like 3 models ynarri is more like a supplement army in function which would warrent a supplent book at half cost like my iyaden book was in 6th

Let's remember that we're all "old hands" at this and the same fluff and art re-printed isn't as exciting as it would be to a noob.

The indexes were 80% rules, and we crunchers loved that, since we've already read the fluff. To a new player, more, smaller codexes but full of fluff and art would be much more immersive and closer feeling that a giant encyclopedia or a stripped down index.

Let the noobs have their first codex--complete and (somewhat) affordable. If we need 3+ armies we can buy 3 books.

 JimOnMars wrote:
Let's remember that we're all "old hands" at this and the same fluff and art re-printed isn't as exciting as it would be to a noob.

The indexes were 80% rules, and we crunchers loved that, since we've already read the fluff. To a new player, more, smaller codexes but full of fluff and art would be much more immersive and closer feeling that a giant encyclopedia or a stripped down index.

Let the noobs have their first codex--complete and (somewhat) affordable. If we need 3+ armies we can buy 3 books.

No! *stamps foot*. I refuse to have pity for the noobs. Let them learn the fluff the way I did, by listening to that one guy at every FLGS who has read every 40k codex and novel ever and won't shut up about it already. I shall reserve my pity for my wallet.

Oh, alright, fine, have it your way. Still seems crap that the rest of us should have to pay $120 on top of everything we've already bought just to get 30 pages worth of new rules and the exact same pictures we've seen in the last 2 codices.

Merging armies into the same codex could be acceptable if the price of those books remains the same, and we don't lose pages and pages of background.

I play drukhari, I don't care anything about eldar, ynnari or harlequins and I don't want to pay more for having their rules included.

Same for space wolves, I play them and only like that imperial faction, I couldn't care less about other SM chapters. Now if a codex with all chapters costs as much as single ones and it doesn't lose the background section it might be ok, but we'll end with a 350+ pages book and I seriously doubt that it would cost like a standard codex.

Definitely not one book. craftworld and Drukhari are very different and need separate books. I'm expecting there to be specific rules and startagems for different craftworlds. And as said before Drukhari are like 3 different sub sets.

GW have just put Admech Skitarii and Knights into one book so there is definitely some thought processes amongst the powers that be that match the OP's sentiment.

I just don't know how Ynarri and Halequins will fit. Perhas they'll come in their own book together?!?

 Nithaniel wrote:
Definitely not one book. craftworld and Drukhari are very different and need separate books. I'm expecting there to be specific rules and startagems for different craftworlds. And as said before Drukhari are like 3 different sub sets.

GW have just put Admech Skitarii and Knights into one book so there is definitely some thought processes amongst the powers that be that match the OP's sentiment.

I just don't know how Ynarri and Halequins will fit. Perhas they'll come in their own book together?!?

I think drukhari, harlequins and eldar should have their own codex and in each of them there should be included the rules for the ynnari faction.

I always thought CHAOS doesn't need more than 1 codex. Aeldari are actually cool tho.

Personally, I'd definitely like one BIG book with all the space elves in one place.

I like codexes. I like looking at the pretty pictures, reading the fluff and the rules. I like my codexes hardback and I like owning them, collecting them and putting them on a shelf. They only cost 20 quid with a discount. Well worth it.

No. Dark Eldar and Craftworld Eldar are even more different than Chaos Space Marines and Loyalist Space Marines.

For Ynnari and Harlequinn I can agree that probably they don't deserve their own codex. But the other two types of Eldar? They deserve it.

No.

If they wanted to deliver the rules in a convenient, efficient package, they'd just go digital-first. No one would care how many books they have with how few pages of actual rules if there was an easy way to get up-to-date special rules, army lists, and point values. Fortunately, Battlescribe is like 95% of the way there.

So, sure, it'd be convenient if all Eldar were in one book. But then it'd also be convenient if I just had a single bookmarked pdf-type thing where I click "Craftworld Eldar" and boom, I'm there, and then I open up a table of contents sidebar and skip over to the Space Marines section to remind myself of the stats for some unit I'm worried about, and all of this had point values indicated on the unit cards with maybe a popup for stats and point values for the standard heavy weapon options, etc. Maybe just package the whole thing with an army builder.

Convenience and efficiency do not appear to be a priority for GW at this time.