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Hi all,

Part fluff, part gameplay question here.

I base my Ulthwé army on the concept of the Ulthwé Strikeforce first seen in 3rd edition. I dug out my old Codex Craftworld Eldar supplement Codex recently to remind myself of the flavour of the Strikeforce and the way it describes the famous Webway strike is that some units, like support batteries and war walkers, pin the enemy in place before the strike is launched from the Webway.

So, my question is, is it assumed some units have emerged from a Webway Portal nearby before the battle, explaining why they are already there?

Might seem like a pointless question but just trying to get it all straight in my head as my unit choice, what I do and don’t deploy and my tactics / strategy will rely on this somewhat.

The batteries and walkers would have preemptively come through the webway and then to theme it on the tabletop, your batteries and walkers would be in the backfield while you use stratagems to deep strike units from the webway into the face of your opponent.

Support batteries are cheap and pretty good now and War Walkers are decent chaff killers but can be turned into heavy weapon platforms.
You can then use Guardians to strike from the webway supported by a range of other units and get a great narrative going as per the Ulthwe strikeforce of old.

That’s great! Thanks for that. Wanted to give it a sounding in the community. I was thinking along similar lines.

There’s a GW story, or potentially short story, where they are pitted against Tyranids (might have been Valedor?) and it describes them coming through the Webway and the platforms sort of form a beachhead near the main portal.

Another thing is love to get my head around is how to fit Wraithguard in. I know they’re not 100% Ulthwé Strikeforce but, love them as I do, I wonder if they’d Webway Strike our even run up the field. Wave serpents visually don’t look like they fit Wraithguard inside them which bothers me.

I only wish the rules for the Webway gate model were good!

 Bhazakhain wrote:
That’s great! Thanks for that. Wanted to give it a sounding in the community. I was thinking along similar lines.

There’s a GW story, or potentially short story, where they are pitted against Tyranids (might have been Valedor?) and it describes them coming through the Webway and the platforms sort of form a beachhead near the main portal.

Another thing is love to get my head around is how to fit Wraithguard in. I know they’re not 100% Ulthwé Strikeforce but, love them as I do, I wonder if they’d Webway Strike our even run up the field. Wave serpents visually don’t look like they fit Wraithguard inside them which bothers me.

I only wish the rules for the Webway gate model were good!

Important to remember that you can only webway strike 2 Infantry units, so yes you can put them in the webway but it means only one other unit can join them. Personally I'd put 2 units of Guardians in the webway and have the Wraithguard start on the table.

As for the vehicles, it's worth remebering that most vehicles in the game are massively undersized, I mean a rhino doesn't look like it would fit any space marines, let alone 10.

Yeah you’re right. I think the primaris vehicles are there first to really fit what they say they do.

Yep only 2 units in the Webway (unless you use that new custom Craftworld trait) but with everything coming up or popping out the Webway maybe 7-8 Wraithguard running up wouldn’t fare so badly. It would mean the opponent would know where the anti armour is rather than a surprise drop in from the Webway but could be a good threat / form of board control.

 Bhazakhain wrote:
Wave serpents visually don’t look like they fit Wraithguard inside them which bothers me.

For that matter I've never thought they look like they'd fit a min. squad of Eldar in either....

So I always just envision the Wave Serpent/Falcon as containing a mobile webway portal. Ramp opens, portal activates, the troops exit/enter.
I modeled mine like that. Magnetized door opens & there's a purple swirly pattern visible right inside.

You can build a new Craftworld using the Psychic Awakening book, where one of the options is to gain additional Webway Portal Stratagems (I think it's an additional one per detachment you produce). So you could use that make it more thematic.

ccs wrote:

 Bhazakhain wrote:
Wave serpents visually don’t look like they fit Wraithguard inside them which bothers me.

For that matter I've never thought they look like they'd fit a min. squad of Eldar in either....

So I always just envision the Wave Serpent/Falcon as containing a mobile webway portal. Ramp opens, portal activates, the troops exit/enter.
I modeled mine like that. Magnetized door opens & there's a purple swirly pattern visible right inside.

That’s an awesome idea! Sort of like what the Necrons have in their Monoliths.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Elbows wrote:
You can build a new Craftworld using the Psychic Awakening book, where one of the options is to gain additional Webway Portal Stratagems (I think it's an additional one per detachment you produce). So you could use that make it more thematic.

Yeah I’ve been playing with the idea of making a bespoke Ulthwe Strikeforce with the new custom Craftworld rules (and obviously losing the ulthwe keyword and this stratagem, Eldrad etc.) but have so far thought about pairing Martial Citizenry with either Hail of Doom, Expert Crafters or Webway Warriors.

People I’ve mentioned this to say to tell your opponent first, but it’s 100% legit isn’t it? I mean, I’m not saying I want to use Ulthwé relics, stratagems, characters etc. AND custom traits? I’m a total fluff bunny so have no intent to twist the rules in my favour.

You can have multiple detachments with different Craftworld traits, you just have to be clear in game with what is what.

You can run any rules you like regardless of colour.

Ah I’m a play as it’s painted guy, but I feel an Ulthwé Strikeforce with fluffy custom rules wouldn’t be too much of a stretch.

Sure, but if your Detachments have some form of identifier that works too - depending on how your opponent feels about it. Different tabards or crests, or shoulder pads, etc.

ccs wrote:

 Bhazakhain wrote:
Wave serpents visually don’t look like they fit Wraithguard inside them which bothers me.

For that matter I've never thought they look like they'd fit a min. squad of Eldar in either....

So I always just envision the Wave Serpent/Falcon as containing a mobile webway portal. Ramp opens, portal activates, the troops exit/enter.
I modeled mine like that. Magnetized door opens & there's a purple swirly pattern visible right inside.

I think one of the Eldar superheavies without rules is basically that. It's just a flying mini webway gate.

I would definitely go Webway Warriors with Hail of Doom, you can get reroll 1s to hit with an Autarch. Instead of modeling wings on the Autarch, you could make a mini warp portal on his back with clear plastic painted swirly as mentioned above for the vehicles. (Hmm, I have all the models for an USF as I loved the concept back in the day and the resurgence last edition).
Warwalkers with Shuricannons can also come in from reserve.

You are going to need something to start on the table though, so not sure what you feel fluffy for this.

Well my plan is to have two wave serpents each with guardians and two HQs, plus two vypers and the support platforms (4 or 6 distort cannons). Rangers would come on T1 and then guardian blobs, Swooping hawks and walkers come on later. Basically nothing squishy on display until the Webway Strike hits

That’s an awesome idea! Sort of like what the Necrons have in their Monoliths.

that actually was a thing in epic. One eldar superheavy we never saw "full scale" was the Storm Serpent - basically a flying webway gate strapped to a scorpion/cobra chassis in place of the prow and main guns.

Wow, well I never knew that!

 Bhazakhain wrote:
Wow, well I never knew that!

You can read about it in the epic Armageddon swordwind supplement found here:

http://www.net-armageddon.org/rules.html

Alongside another super heavy called the void spinner which used pre-fall technology in the form of wraithbone parasites and customised bacteria to breakdown worlds and rebuild them.

Slightly off topic. But I can see the webway gate being on sale in some shops. Ae there rules/points for that thing ? I assume it has a data card somehwre.

I think it’s about 125. Google ‘Eldar 8e’ and you’ll find a page by 1d4chan with tactics etc. Webway gate is down the bottom. Severely underwhelming sadly.