What is this article?
This article is meant to be a compilation of the many ideas as listed on http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/295268.page
The article itself is meant to be without bias and where credit is realized as a group effort. Naturally, due to the discussion in the original forum thread, there may exist a number of occasions in this article where copyrighted material is used, although it is not the article's author's intention to present current material, but rather simply compile suggestions or points of discussion for future material.
Each suggestion is a stand-alone suggestion, although they can possibly be combined with each other. It is important to note that in no case is this an exhaustive list of absolutes, but a list of suggestions with, where appropriate, commentary.
Layout
The original thread attempted to deal with each suggestion on a unit-by-unit basis where this was feasible, and as such this article will attempt to conform to this notion where possible. Each suggestion has a presentation describing the suggestion for what it does, a dependency list which describe relevant necessary changes elsewhere or possibly problems with other units and set of advantages speaking for the suggestion.
Any exact prices are not discussed, although it is assumed that the suggestions do not make the unit more expensive than it currently is, going by the realization that most (not all) units in the codex are overpriced for performance. The pitfall of unit-to-unit synergy is difficult to analyse, but where possible this should be in dependencies.
Army-wide changes / General changes
Craftworld orientation
Army-wide special rules
Fleet of Foot. Move Through Cover for Aspect Warriors. Skilled Rider/Skilled Flyer for jetbike/jump infantry Aspect Warriors. Aspect Warriors roll 2d6 and pick the highest when running.
Army-wide alterations
Squad Layout: mandatory Warlocks and Exarchs
Each Aspect squad has a mandatory Exarch. Guardian and Wraithguard squads have a mandatory Warlock. Rangers and vehicles do not have a mandatory "sarge".
Increased skill
All units in the army gain +1 skill as appropriate to their intended use; Guardian Defenders and Dark Reapers gain +1 BS while Guardian Storm and Banshees gain +1 WS, for instance.
Another suggestion was +1 WS for melee aspect warriors and +1 BS for shooting aspect warriors, with Guardians of both types being kept at WS3 BS3.
Rending Shuriken Weaponry
Description: The potential killing power of all rending weapons are increased by giving them the Rending USR.
Dependencies: Alterations to units using these weapons may significantly change their individual potency. There is, for example, less foreseeable impact on Wraith Lords, but significant impact on Guardians or Dire Avengers.
Advantages: By improving the default weaponry of the core units in the Eldar codex you offer a different prospect than decreasing their price or improving their range, staying true to the high-risk-high-reward style of the Eldar race.
Improved Shuriken Catapult range
Description: Increasing the range of Shuriken Catapults to 18".
Dependencies: Improving the range of Shuriken Catapults significantly affects the viability of Dire Avengers, to whom improved range is not analogous to an improved design niche.
Advantages: The most glaring discrepancy of the current Eldar codex is the Guardian's potency as a high cost, yet very low reward unit. By improving the range of their basic weaponry, Guardians are better able to be the ranged infantry they are, avoiding melee if handled correctly.
Starcannon: Return to 3rd edition
Description: Increase Starcannon attack to 3
Dependencies: This depends on other improvements not making the Star-cannon significantly cheaper, and may mean that units which are currently BS3 may experience price increases if they are made BS4.
Advantages: This plasma weaponry's current flaw is that it is only useful if fired on Marines out in the open. Marines seldom stay in the open, and there are a significant amount of other armies where Marines are not prominent. By improving the weapon's number of attacks, the weapons killing power against Marines is not grossly put to shame when compared with the Scatter Laser and also functions against less armoured opponents, if then slightly cost-inefficient.
Heavy Weapons to become cheaper
Description: Reducing the cost of all Heavy Weapons, with the possible exception of certain already-cheap Shuriken Cannons, would have Eldar mandatory upgrades more in line with what other armies pay for equivalent power on similar fire-bases.
Dependencies: The reduction in points must be assuming that each individual weapon discounted is not improved in other ways (such as "Rending Shuriken weaponry" or "Star-cannon: Return to 3rd edition")
Advantages:
Psychic Powers
Mind War ignores cover saves.
Eldritch Storm becomes an anti-deepstrike power.
Vehicle upgrades
Vectored Engines help with difficult terrain
There are two levels of this suggestion:
Vectored Engines allows vehicles to re-roll difficult terrain tests. This promotes alternative placement of 'grav' tanks and gives Eldar a potential advantage on terrain-rich boards.
Vectored Engines allows the vehicle to ignore area terrain. This gives equipped vehicles a distinct advantage over most armies, but could promote awkward placement of the involved vehicles. Sticking grav tanks on top of impassable terrain would simply be a matter of balancing them.
Vectored Engines allow deep striking
Instead of protecting against immobilized when travelling really fast, Vectored Engines could simply allow an alternate delivery method for the grav tanks. The upgrade itself is more of a cool upgrade than potency due to deep striking involving risks that a 24" (with a possible extra 12") move would simply not have, in addition to deep striking not offering speed-cover.
Crystal Targeting Matrix allows multiple weapons in cruising speed
There are two levels of this upgrade which has been suggested:
Two weapons would be allowed to fire as one. This limits the combat movement to 12" in order for under-slung mounted or normal Falcons to retain full fire-power.
One additional weapon may be fired. This is a version of the Machine Spirit and would allow under-sluing mounted or normal Falcons full fire power when moving up to 12" as well as giving single-weapon fire when movign up to 24".
HQ units
Due to necessity, the Autarch is split in model and concept to avoid over-crowding. Model will deal with mostly specifics regarding the model's regalia, stats, etc while the concept will deal with role alterations - specifically army tactics.
Farseer
Proper Seer Council
Farseers in a group, uses psychic powers more effectively and safely. Farseer powers have an improved version which a Seer Council can cast (Fortune would be AOE instead of targeted, Mind War would affect increasing number of models in the squad, etc). Drawback is that the Seer Council is no longer independent character and may not join another unit.
Autarch, model
Premium gear for a premium model
Autarchs are allowed to choose from Exarch weaponry rather than simply standard equipment.
Craftworld specific Autarchs
Autarchs from different craftworlds grant major benefits and drawbacks to the entire force. An Autarch from Iyanden is better at fighting a war of attrition and desperation than one from Saim-Hann, and would thus rely more heavily on the sturdier Wraiths than the flimsy Vypers.
Exarch powers
Autarchs are not only able to gain benefits from Exarch powers, but are also able to purchase them for themselves.
Autarch, concept
Stratagems
Similar to how psychers have psychic powers, Stratagems allow the Autarch to affect the battlefield, specifically the Eldar units under his command. These stratagems include such things as allowing re-positioning of units during deployment, bringing in skimmers through deep striking, making scout moves regardless of models being scout or not, etc.
Outflanking army
Allow units arriving from reserve to enter from any non-hostile table edge.
Army groups
Allows the Eldar player to roll for reserves for groups of units instead of individual units. Exact number of units per group, or how to handle transported units, is not predetermined.
Avatar
Children of Khaine
In addition to granting Fearless to nearby Eldar, the Avatar grants Stubborn to all Eldar units on the table in order to not so much force an Eldar foot army to stay in a small area.
Representing the God of War
Avatar stats and combat abilities increased with price increased to match (the idea is to make the Avatar a God of War). One proposed ability was to allow the Avatar to inflict an S4 hit on all units in base contact instead of attacking in melee.
Master War God
Unlike the lesser beings, the Avatar is of the oldest war god, bested only by Slaanesh during the epitaph of Slaanesh' power. The Avatar has a fixed chance to hit and a fixed chance to get hit.
Seriously, spell out the fire
The Avatar is immune to a limited set of fire based weapons, but not all fire based weapons. A complete list is necessary, or an exception list (immune to template weapons, except...) or simply a rule which directly instruct you to read the fluff regarding a weapon. The current list is out dated.
Body of fire and metal, but still no better than a humie?
Improving the armour save to 2+ (but is invulnerable even necessary in this case?) massively improves the Avatar's survival.
Fire Corona
Melee-range AOE attack. Strikes all targets within 2" of the Avatar with a low strength fire attack that automatically hits in addition to his normal attacks.
Prince Yriel
Farseer Eldrad
Phoenix Lords in general
Invulnerable save
All Pheonix Lords get some form of invulnerable save.
Disciples are scoring
Pheonix Lords can make a squad of their aspect scoring.
Disciples are bodyguards
Phoenix Lords are no longer independent characters, but rather form the basis for an HQ unit. Each Phoenix Lord may be joined by up to 9 Aspect Warriors (4 in Maugan Ra's case) of their own aspect, where the Phoenix Lord acts in place of the Exarch.
Each Aspect has a Phoenix Lord
Equality for all, all aspects get one each.
Phoenix Lords affect the army
Each Phoenix Lord gives the army a passive army bonus. Karandas could, for instance, grant entire army Stealth.
Jain Zar
Maugan Ra
Baharroth
Karandas
Asurmen
Fuegan
Elite units
Harlequins
Give them all Harelquin Kisses and have a 4+ armour save and 5+ invunerable. (Perhaps)
Striking Scorpions
Banshees
Assault Drill
Banshees can assault after disembarking. Either an innate ability, or an optional Exarch power.
Fire Dragons
Flamer replacement or upgrade
Flamers are added as a possible option for Fire Dragons. Either heavy or normal flamers. This in order to diversify their role.
Wraithguard
Troop units
Guardian Defenders & Storms
This is going to be a huge section, it is an integral part of the army. Also, please note the interaction between Guardian Defenders and Dire Avengers. What is agreed on is that Guardians are overpriced by a huge margin, some even argue that this was also the case in the previous codex as well.
Note that Guardians are heavily affected by weaponry change suggestions!
Decreasing the cost of the models
By decreasing the cost of the models to something close to what they are worth, estimated around 5 points, you gain a fair trade for your investment. This suggestion has the danger of going strictly against Eldar fluff in that people may start using Guardian blobs or Guardian bubble-wrapping.
Increasing the possible number of platforms
By simply increasing the number of platforms, the Guardians (Defender) become a viable heavy weapon base where their own performance matters less. The key is to find a number of platforms, and the natural incentive to purchase them.
Integral with this suggestion is that a platform with a Shuriken Cannon is free and that to upgrade this to something else you gain a discount compared to the price for purchasing each weapon with no trade-in.
Merging Storms and Defenders
By combining Guardian Storms and Defenders into a single model choice with equal capability of both units, you gain a diverse unit in an army which only offer specialization - but at the price of the unit not being particularly great at either role.
Each Guardian would be armed with a Shuriken Catapult, Shuriken Pistol and Close Combat Weapon. A small number of Shuriken Catapults may be upgraded to flamers or fusion guns and the squad may be accompanied by a heavy weapon platform.
Improving Storm Guardian weapons
Guardian Storms would gain Chainswords (+1S).
Alternatively, more exotic wargear could be given to them chosen among the non-exarch gear found in the rest of the army.
Storm Guardian Vibro Blades
Power Weapon Light. Storm Guardians force enemies to re-roll successful armour saves in melee.
Better saves
Eldar armour save begin with 4+ by improving Guardian armour to the same level as aspect warriors, citing that it makes no sense not to protect the most valuable assets the craftworld has if they have the capability to do so. An important aspect of this is that the aspect warriors do not gain better saves because of it.
Grenades
Plasma Grenades, defensive grenades, and Haywire Grenades. Distribute as appropriate to the Guardians.
Alternative squad leaders
Ranger Pathfinders may provide an alternative squad leader for Guardian Defenders, where a Warlock often fail in providing efficiency in the long-range game.
Rangers
Assault Snipers
Rangers are able to move and shoot.
The simple cost decrease
Rangers are good, but only in an environment with fewer tanks. A cost decrease would adapt Rangers to the reality where few units are not deep striking or being transported.
Pathfinder is a "sarge" upgrade
A single member of the squad is able to upgrade to a squad sergeant who bestows the improved bonuses to the rest of the squad. Additional wargear may thus be enabled.
Ranger disruption table
A lesser form of the ranger disruption table returns. Several possible iterations. Primarily to combat transports and deep striking.
Dire Avengers
Guardian Jetbikes
Fast Attack units
Vyper
Removal of open-topped
By removing open-topped status from Vypers, you remove an unnecessary vulnerability which gives none of a transport's benefits. Vypers are plenty easy to destroy with AV10 regardless. This is simply closing the gap to a Vyper's current cost by making them a fraction more durable. A Vyper squadron will likely succumb to massed Bolter fire, regardless.
Vyper Jetbikes
Vypers are changed from being vehicles with very little protection into simply Jetbikes. This gives them the ability to fire both it's primary weapon and the secondary weapon as well as make a 6" move in the assault phase - but precludes vehicle upgrades. By changing Vypers to normal Jetbikes you play on Eldar's high-risk-high-reward style. They immediately become vulnerable to most melee and to strength 3 weapons, but the over-all durability against mid-power weapons such as Autocannons increase.
Swooping Hawks
Turbo-boost
One drawback of the Swooping Hawks is that, considering their relative low fire power, they are of tactical limitations and vulnerable. By giving them the ability to turbo-boost you have both the option of increasing survivability as well as allowing the Hawks to re-deploy in a limited and reliable way by sacrificing shooting.
High-powered Weapons
By altering the Swooping Hawks weapons to be of strong AP, the squad's role is distinct from Warp Spiders. This is a role alteration and a complete remake of the squad as a concept.
Dual role
Giving Swooping Hawks natural access to both lasblasters and close combat weapon and pistol allows the Swooping Hawks to perform an assault role against imperial guard equivalent troops. One important part of this is to make the Swooping Hawks more cost efficient for such a risky role, however, as they are still very vulnerable.
Linked optics
Specific Dark Reaper war gear, also available for Autarchs and Swooping Hawks, which allows line of sight, for purposes of cover and target acquisition, to be drawn from any other model in the army with these optics. Only works when shooting missiles (Eldar Missile Launcher, Reaper Launcher, etc)
Warp Spiders
Template
Shining Spears
Template
Heavy Support units
War Walkers
Move them to Fast Attack
Description: Change FOC slot to Fast Attack.
Dependencies: Provided that no light version of the War Walker is introduced in the Fast Attack section.
Advantages: War Walkers are Scouts, and it is customary that Scouts are in the Fast Attack section - more importantly, however, the Fast Attack section is less crowded than the Heavy Support section. An additional advantage is that a pure foot army becomes infinitely more possible, adding much needed spread to fire-power by allowing both War Walkers and Wraith Lords without FOC competition.
Wraith Lords
No more twin-linking
Can buy the same weapon twice without twin-linking them.
Easier twin-linking
A second weapon of the same sort is half as expensive. Twin-linked weapons aren't as powerful as two weapons of the same kind.
Three for the FOC-price of one
Each FOC slot may provide room for up to three Wraith Lords. Each Wraith Lord is a unit of it's own for all other purposes.
Souped-up Melee
Return of the 3 base attacks in melee OR by having Wraithsword provide bonus attacks (in which case double-blade becomes an option). The idea is that the Wraith Lord is FOC-slot ineffective and easily tied down in melee for a monstrous creature.
Aspect Lords
Wraithlords are equipped according to their former Aspect. Each lord will also feature a slightly different statline to differentiate between the heavy and the light aspects.
This is a rather large topic due to the number of itterations, but also requires the base statline for Wraith Lords to be decreased. For example a Spider Wraith Lord would come with double swords and a Mandiblaster, bumping it's base attacks up to 4, in addition to being able to infiltrate. A Spider Wraith Lord would have increased Strength of 8(9) and a high toughness of 8.
The basic idea is also to cut down on the number of iterations, maybe so much as to only get one melee archetype, one ranged archetype, and one miscellaneous archetype, and allow for some variation.
Support Weapon Platform
Moved to Guardian Defenders
Heavy Weapon Platforms may be upgraded to support weapons, and as such a limited number of Support Weapons may be found in the Troop section instead.
Lowered cost
Strictly speaking, lowering the cost drastically to reflect the relative difficulty at which these are used.
Relentless
A major drawback of these weapons is that they are stationary (and expensive). This is a tactical upgrade.
Improved performance
Most of the Support Weapons perform poorly, and particularly the Vibro Cannon's rules are poorly written. Shadow Weaver need to be improved in the AP or special rules section. Vibro Cannon need to give proper benefit when adding more, and the rules for shooting on vehicles (particularly squadrons of vehicles) need to be re-written.
Dark Reapers
Slow and Purposeful
Can choose to be Slow and Purposeful or to move as normal each turn. While moving normally, Reapers may not move-and-fire.
Relentless
Contrary to Slow and Purposeful, Reapers are fully Relentless.
Shared Vision
The missiles are guided and the Reapers may share vision between each other, if a unit is in line of sight of one Reaper squad, it is in line of sight of all Reaper squads. Could possibly be expanded to be able to share vision from other units, as well.
One alternative is that a unit not in line of sight with the Reapers, but with a visual-link unit, gains a cover save but is not completely immune.
Upgraded Reaper Launchers (fire modes)
Reapers Launchers are changed to have a single-fire mode where you gain high-strength shots at the expense of rate of fire, this in order to better combat the lack of anti-tank when opting for Reapers.
Blast through cover mk 1
Simply put, Dark Reapers impose a penalty to any cover saves. Main suggestion is -1.
Blast through cover mk 2
Similar to above, but instead Dark Reapers force successful cover saves to be re-rolled.
Reaper Optics
Specific Dark Reaper war gear, also available for Autarchs, which reduce enemy cover for one step worse.
Linked optics
Specific Dark Reaper war gear, also available for Autarchs and Swooping Hawks, which allows line of sight, for purposes of cover and target acquisition, to be drawn from any other model in the army with these optics. Only works when shooting missiles (Eldar Missile Launcher, Reaper Launcher, etc)
Falcon Gravtank
Crystal Target Matrix
As an alternative to the vehicle upgrade, this is offered as a unique upgrade to Falcons only; can shoot two weapons after moving up to 12" (possibly as an upgrade).
Dedicated Transport
Falcons are moved to be dedicated transports. Their relative similarity to Wave Serpents might be problematic.
Assault Vehicle
While Falcons are not necessarily dedicated transports, they are considered assault vehicles meant to transport elite assault squads.
Nightspinner
Fire Prism
Transport and Non-FOC units
Venom
The name "Venom" is a work in progress. With the Dark Eldar now having Venoms, naturally a more animalesque name for Craftworld Eldar is more appropriate.
Squadrons of Venoms
The basic idea is for the Vyper to lose the cannon and to have a troop capacity, specifically for Banshees and Harlequins, maybe Scorpions. Each Vyper would be able to carry 2-3 models each, where Venom casualties would either also lose the models they carry or have the entire squad force a disembark.
Solitary Venoms
This idea is to add open-topped assault vehicles for Craftworld Eldar. Naturally they wouldn't be very protected and succumb quickly to shooting, so cost would be low, durability would be left for cover saves, and life expectancy only long enough to give their squad a boost. Troop capacity around the 6 model mark.
Wave Serpent
Inertia Containment Compartment (Assault Ramp)
Mandatory or optional upgrade, allows units inside to assault on a turn they disembark from the vehicle.
Warlock
Removal of Seer Council
The Seer Council is proving to be a difficult obstacle in order to provide a serious boost for Guardian squad leaders or the individual Warlock psychic powers. Additionally, the Seer Council gives rise to crude tactics not quite benefiting an Eldar.
Conceal is Stealth
Currently Conceal provides little meaningful benefit since terrain is recommended to be plentiful. Conceal may instead provide a squad with Stealth USR.
Conceal like a Grey Knight
Currently Conceal provides little meaningful benefit since terrain is recommended to be plentiful. Conceal may instead provide a range limiter similar to night-fighting. The benefit here is that it clearly provides an incentive for the enemy to get within the range where Eldar is more comfortable, but does not provide a reliable or extra defence when the enemy is within that comfort zone.
Psychic Ballistics Skill
In order to better adapt a Warlock to ranged Guardians, they would also need a psychic power which benefited them. Enhance could be modified to provide this, or a new psychic power introduced to keep Enhance from becoming a no-brainer.
Warlock Proliferation
In order to make Eldar more Psychic, Warlocks may be purchased as an upgrade for all Type: Infantry units.
True Psycher
The Warlock psychic powers are improved to the point where they justify taking a psychic power test.
Bone Singer
A Bone Singer is a support psycher with a special synergy with Wraithguard, Wraith Lords. The psychic powers below are simply suggestions, the model would otherwise be very similar to a Farseer.
Bone Prison
One model or vehicle in contact with the Bone Singer is entombed, unable to perform actions until psychic power is ended. Would probably also protect the entombed.
Repair Wraithbone
Repairs vehicle weapons and immobilizations.
Mend Wraith
Resurrects Wraithguard and repairs Wraith Lords.
Protects Wraith
Wraithguard and Wraith Lords in tight proximity / same squad, gain Feel No Pain.
Bone Field
Provides area terrain. This terrain's size and danger to enemies is not determined.
Fortify Wraithbone
Improves the toughness or armour value of Wraithguard or Wraith Lord, or improves armour value of a vehicle.