40K - Action on on Calispass IX

 It's been a while since I've played Warhammer 40,000. 

A new Space Wolves Codex is on the way and an Army Box with new models and special edition codex was released in the last week or so - which Orion picked up and has been itching to play with... So I suggested we play a game! 

I did pick up the new Codex: Aeldari back in February, but I haven't played them in... five or six years!? (I may have used some in a few Kill Team games, though...). 

THE SITUATION

Farseer Thymiltelyir of the Biel-Tymm Fleet foresaw the Mon-keigh building of a refinery on Calispass IX was a little too close to some ancient Aeldari ruins and should they find any of the artifacts lost within, it could be ruinous for the Aeldari. A force was dispatched to dissuade the Mon-Keigh from further encroaching on the site. 

Unfortunately, Farseer Thymiltelyir did not foresee the presence of the worst of the Mon-Keigh; the brutal and savage beasts that call themselves "Space Wolves"... 

THE SCENARIO

Just to keep things simple, we played the very basic Only War scenario from the Warhammer 40,000 (Tenth Edition) Core Rulebook. There are four Objective locations. A single point is awarded at the end of each players Command Phase (after the first tun) for each Objective held (to a maxim um of three points per turn). 

That's it. 

THE FORCES

Aeldari Force

Farseer Thymiltelyir  (with Psychic Destructor enhancement) 

Warlocks Adrellewi and Broelwyn of the Chorus of the Emerald Reaping Warlock Conclave

Shrine of the Fading Night Dire Avengers led by Exarch Bylizek

Shrine of the Dawning Confluence Dire Avengers led by Exarch Thodelwynn

Shrine of the Crawling Fury Warp Spiders led by Exarch Latrodectus

Maesenir's Rangers

Myardak's Rangers 

Kaedoreth's Rangers

Wraithguard

Space Wolves Force

Bjorn the Fell-Handed

Ragnar Blackmane leading ten Blood Claws 

Wolf Guard Battle Leader leading six Wolf Guard Headtakers and six Hunting Wolves

Wolf Guard Battle Leader (with Wolf Touched enhancement) leading Wulfen (with Thundershields!) 

A pack of six Fenrisian Wolves

THE GAME

The Mon-keigh's new a refinery on Calispass IX

The brutal savages of the Space Wolves are there waiting... 

Kaedoreth's Rangers infiltrated ahead of the main Aeldari force, signalled back the presence of the unexpected defenders. It was decided to go ahead with the raid. 

Farseer Thymiltelyir lead the Chorus of the Emerald Reaping Warlock Conclave and some Wraithguard forward, while Thodelwynn, Exarch of the Shrine of the Dawning Confluence Dire Avengers, held his troops back to defend one of the Ancient Aeldari ruin sites. 

The Wraithguard brought fire upon an anceint dreadnaught within the refinery, damaging it slightly... 

Shrine of the Crawling Fury Warp Spiders surged past Myardak's Rangers to seize one of the locations the Farseer determined would be ideal to set demolition charges. the were followed by Shrine of the Fading Night Dire Avengers led by Exarch Bylizek. 

Before they could even start setting the charges, they were assaulted by the brutal and savage Wulfen, led by a Wolf Guard Battle Leader. The Warp Spiders let loose with their Death Spinners and shredded three of the Wulfen, before they were upon them. 

The Wulfen crashed into the Warp Spiders with a terrifying fury, smashing and shattering flesh and bone and equipment. With so many injured and/or rendered ineffective with shattered equipment, Exarch Latrodectus called for the Shrine of the Crawling Fury Warp Spiders to retire to the rendezvous point in preparation to return to the fleet via a webway portal 

So shocked by the violence of the Wulfen's assault, the Shrine of the Fading Night Dire Avengers did not even have a chance to react to a second Wolf Guard Battle Leader leading a troop of Headhunters assaulted from their flank, through the Shardwrack Spines. 

A few of the Dire Avengers were immediately cut down by the murderous Headtakers. Exarch Bylizek ordered the remains of the squad to lay down suppressing fire to give the injured a chance to escape, then all fell back to the rendezvous point. They may have beaten them, but they would not be taking any heads today!

Elsewhere, Ragnar Blackmane and his Blood Claws, along with a pack of Fenrisian Wolves savaged Maesenir's Rangers then attempted to storm the position held by Exarch Thodelwynn and the Shrine of the Dawning Confluence Dire Avengers. Thodelwynn and the Shrine of the Dawning Confluence Dire Avengers were a bit more prepared than their compatriots. Thodelwynn directed a the Dire Avengers to unload vicious volley of monofilament shurikens at the stampeding brutes, slaughtering all but Blackmane... 

The Dire Avengers then charged in and, with the aid of the Farseer and warlocks...  

...brought down the famed leader of the Space Wolves. 

meanwhile the Wraithguard finished off the pack of wolves and siezed one of the objectives. 

The Wraithguard exchanged fire with the ancient dreadnaught in the refinery... 

Meanwhile, the headtakers quickly redeployed to the opposite flank of the battle!?

All but Maesenir (leader of one of the Ranger groups that had been savaged by Ragnar Blackmane and his barbaric Blood Claws) moved forward to try and hold one of the objectives long enough to start planting demolition charges.  

More fire was exchanged with the Headtakers and the Dreadnaught, chipping away at the forces on both sides. 

Eventually the Headtakers and their Wolf Guard Battle Leader charged in. 

Maesenir continued taking pot shots with his long rifle and planting demolition charges to destroy evidence of the Anceint Aeldari ruins. 

He hoped the rest of his rangers made it back to the rendezvous point. Two had been seriously injured... 

The sounds of escalating violence drew the Wulfen away from the position their commander had told them to hold... 

More of the Wraithguard were smashed and Dire Avengers injured. Farseer Thymiltelyir decided the situation was untenable and had the remaining forces exact an ordered retreat to the rendezvous point. The Farseer and Warlocks gathered the spririt stones of the Wraithguard and escorted the injured Dire Avengers off the battlefield. 

Exarch Thodelwynn stayed to hold back the beasts of the Mon-Keigh... 

Maesenir, distracted by the violence in the distance was unable to concentrate on setting up demolition charges... (failed a battleshock test and no longer counted as holding the objective). 

The Beastly Wolfen rounded the corner and it was time for the Exarch to give up the position. He'd held it long enough for the others to get away. There was no glory in dying this day.. 

The Wolf Guard Battle Leader and last surviving Headtaker had finally spotted the hidden Ranger and decided they should chase him off. Maesenir faded into the forest and made his way back to the Rendezvous point just in time to travel with the rest of the force. 

Despite slaying many of the absurd genetically-enhanced mon-keigh, what was gained strategically was too little compared to the Aeldari losses. Despite access to the best flesh and bone weavers, two were killed in action (Daelwynneth of the Shrine of the Fading Night Dire Avengers and Aurelys of Maesenir's Rangers) and others were so grievously injured, they had to leave the Path of the Warrior (or Outcast) and find new paths to walk in life. Klofaryl's head injury meant the could not focus to be an effective ranger. Holemenes and Bothrenon of Shrine of the Fading Night Dire Avengers lost and arm and a leg, respectively, and neither of the replacements grown for them were strong enough to continue their path. Farseer Thymiltelyir  took a bolter round to the spine and was crippled for some cycles. Many others spent many cycles in painful and difficult recovery and it would be a long time before they rejoined the path. 

What actually happened in the game...?

I had to go first and moved up, taking an objective with the Warp Spiders... because that's what we have to do... right? Then the space wolves went and the Warp Spiders, a unit of Dire Avengers and a unit of Rangers were charged and wiped out... Three of my seven units of troops gone in the first round. 

The next round the other two units of Rangers were destroyed. 

I did take out ONE unit of Space Wolves... chipped away at another... but didn't really 

I think I ended with 4-5 victory points and Orion would have scored... 10?  or so...?

40K - Aeldari Faction Update... sort of...

Ages ago, in January, I took a bunch of new pictures of ALL THE AELDARI - right before the new codex came out, I think...? I was planning to do a Taking Stock/Faction Update post... and I'd started organizing them into a new gallery page. 

I never did the Taking Stock/Faction Update post... and it seems like a pain in the ass to basically copy and past ALL of those pictures from the Gallery into a post just to post the same stuff in a post... when the Gallery is right there... So I finished up what I could for the Gallery and published it. It still needs some new pics of the Epic stuff and the Drukhari/Ynnead stuff... but all the Assuryani and Harlequins have been catalogued! 

You can find all the pictures of the CURRENT Aeldari force (along with some commentary and point values) on the new Gallery Page:

40K - Aeldari Gallery

It has all the current (as of March) point values. 

Spoiler: If I put ALL my painted Assuruyani (Craft World Aeldari) and Harlequins together in a force, I'd have 1995 points!

(I have NO IDEA if it would even be a USEFUL, PLAYABLE force... but I have a 2000 point force ready for action and don't NEED to paint a thing! Yay!) 

40K - Aeldari - Faction Update

Since the announcement late last year (at the World Championships in November?) that the Aeldari Codex would be one of the first ones released this year, I've been thinking about doing a bit of a stock-taking of my Aeldari forces... 

Then with the announcement yesterday that the Codex will be going up for pre-order this coming Saturday, and released on 8 February 202, I thought it was about time I got to it!  

There really isn't much ORGANIZING to do for this, as 40K has abandoned force construction rules - other than everything is now set unit sizes and you can't have more than three of any thing (or six, if it's core troops). The point values might change with the release of the new codex... I just hope they don't fuck around with the unit sizes!

This is what I have for Aeldari and what I still need to do as of the beginning of January 2025... 

Painted

These are all the Aeldari I currently have done. 

Assuryani

• Farseer (1) 80 pts
• Warlock Conclave(2)  60 pts
• Dire Avengers (10).140 pts
• Dire Avengers (10).140 pts
• Warp Spiders (10) 230 pts
• Rangers (5) 55 pts
• Rangers (5) 55 pts
• Rangers (5) 55 pts
• Wraithguard (5) 170 pts
• Wraithlord (1) 160 pts
• Wraithlord (1) 160 pts
• Wraithlord (1) 160 pts

Assuryani Total: 1465

Harlequins

• Troupe Master (1)  55 pts
• Shadowseer (1) 60 pts
• Solitaire (1) 115 pts
• Death Jester (1)  90 pts
• Death Jester (1)  90 pts
• Death Jester (1)  90 pts
• Troupe (6)  90 pts 

Harlequin Total: 590

TOTAL: 2055

Wow... that's already a 2000+ point force! All the other stuff to paint is just OPTIONS, I guess!? 

Oh, and that doesn't even include all those big tanks in the background!  

Titanic Tanks

• Scorpion (1)  410 pts
• Scorpion (1)  410 pts
• Scorpion (1)  410 pts

Titanic Total: 1230

The models are old Armoucast Tempest Heavy Tanks... but they're very similar to the current Scorpion Heavy Tanks, so... that's what I'd use them as! 

Still to DO!

This is all the Aeldari things I still have to do... well... most of them... 

• Autarch (1) 75 pts
• Autarch Wayleaper (1) 115 pts
• Farseer (1) 80 pts
• Warlock (1)  45 pts
• Warlock Conclave (2)  60 pts 
• Warlock Conclave (4)  120 pts
• Fuegan (1)  115 pts
• Jain Zar (1) 105 pts
• Karandras (1) 100 pts
• Baharroth (1) 125 pts
• Fire Dragons (5)  85 pts
• Howling Banshees (5)  85 pts
• Howling Banshees (5)  85 pts
• Dark Reapers (5) 80 pts 
• Striking Scorpions (5)  75 pts 
• Striking Scorpions (5)  75 pts 
• Swooping Hawks (10) 150 pts
• Warp Spiders (10) 230 pts
• Guardian Defenders (11) 110 pts
• Guardian Defenders (11) 110 pts
• Guardian Defenders (11) 110 pts
• Rangers (5) 55 pts
• Rangers (5) 55 pts
• Rangers (5) 55 pts
• Falcon (1) 140 pts
• War Walker (1) 110 pts
• Wraithknight (1) 510 pts
• Wraithknight (1) 510 pts

Total: 3570

Another 3570!? That's a LOT of options to play around with (or a full second force!?) 

One of the Wraithknights there is fully painted. It was Keiran's and they said they don't want it anymore, so I've taken it. I may or may not repaint it. Maybe... if I ever get the one I own done... and I want them to match...? I'll probably keep it as is... 

TITANIC

I also have a few other Titanic forces which didn't fit into the pictures... 

Phantom Titan - the old Armourcast version - partly painted/partly assembled - I didn't feel like getting it out of the cabinet - it is SO TALL it wouldn't have fit nicely into any of the above pictures anyway!?

I also have two of the old Armourcast Revenant Titans. I also did not feel like assembling them to try and stick them into the picture... One I thought I might paint in wild patterns - like my Harlequins (if/when I ever get to them!)!?

Titanic Forces

• Phantom Titan (1) 2100 pts
• Revenant Titan (1) 1100 pts
• Revenant Titan (1) 1100 pts

Total: 3300 pts

It would be fun to get them together and play some Apocalypse games with them at some point... 

When it's ALL DONE

All the stuff together. 

All of that stuff, together, including the Heavy Tanks, adds up to about 6855 points... If I add in the Titans, that would be 10155 points!? Yikes!? 

Now I need to update the Aeldari Gallery... Or maybe just make a completely new one!

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!?

Somewhere along the line I acquired an finecast Eldrad Ulthran miniature... likely in a lot with other miniatures. Then acquired an assortment of newer (and not-so-newer) plastic aeldari... and then there was the Voidscarred I picked up for Kill Team... and how Keiran has gifted me all their ole Aeldari (which are all plastic or Finecast) and I got it in my head to put together a small contingent of plastic/finecast miniatures from Ulthwe (the craftworld where Eldrad Ulthran comes from...)

I don't know... I have a LOT of the main force (which are all METAL)... when am I ever going to get to THESE!? I should probably just trade/sell them off...  

Also there is a Aeldari aircraft in this box that could be built as either Hemlock Wraithfighter or a Crimson Hunter. it was originally Keiran's as well... I could assemble it an use it with the main force... or use it with the plastic force... or sell/trade it off with the plastic force

I also have the Ynnead (again, was Keiran's) as with the above... But also, could be used with the Drukhari force...? Which is alos all plastic...?

And there are boxes/drawers FULL of Keiran's stuff that they don't want anymore... easily another 1500 points or more... 

Still to GET!?

I need ONE metal Swooping Hawk to have a complete unit of ten. 

I also need TWO (or up to five) metal Harlequins. Two will bring the three troupes to eleven (as they are fielded as 5, 6, 11, or 12..?). Five would bring all three to 12. I guess I could, currently, field them as two units of twelve and one unit of six...? (with one spare left over... but then I'd have to re-repaint the bases on some of them!?) 

Other than that...? Not really anything I can think of!? 

I mean, if I could find some old Armourcast Falcons and Wave Serpants...? But I am definitely not actively looking for those right now... 

Or if ever I stumbled across some old metal jet bikes... or the harlequin metal jet bikes (I had one waaaaaaaay back) that weren't insanely expensive... I would totally pick those up too... 

Part of me just wants to abandon the Ulthwe force of plastic miniatures... sell or trade them all away with most of Keiran's stuff... There's a small part of me that wants to hold onto Keiran's stuff for them, though. When I was their age, I ditched a lot of things that I thought I'd never want again - including SO MANY warhammer miniatures (both fantasy and 40K)... and very much regret having done so now!! I have a feeling that they are actually DONE with 40k for good... or even gaming all together (at least miniature gaming and role-playing... they seem to want to hold on to a few of the boardgames that are theirs...) 

40K - New Aeldari Codex

 Well I did pick up the new Aeldari Codex Saturday... I've really only had the briefest of looks through it. 

(TL/DR: Eldar being reorganized, stay tuned for pictures later this week, maybe) 

There are things I like about it, so far.  

Others... well... 

I DO like that the Assuryani and Harlequins and Ynarri and Corsairs are all included in this book. And it looks like there is lots of cool new stuff for narrative Cursade Campaigns. 

There have been some changes to the troop types, however, that are going to throw a BIG OL' SPACE WRENCH into my traditional force composition!? 

A LOT of my troops have suddenly become "Elites" in the new codex. I now have a FEW TOO MANY Elites and not enough Headquarters... or... other stuff... Are least not to field proper core detachments (the ones that refund you the Command Cost of the detachment if your warlord is included in it)... 

Warlocks went from being Headquarters to Elites...

Dire Avengers went from being TROOPS to being Elites...? 

Wraithlords went from being HEAVY SUPPORT to being Elites!? 

Ugh... it's the 8th Edition Astra Militarum Codex all over again. (or was it 7th when the basic Troop element went from being an entire PLATOON to a single infantry squad and EVERYTHING ELSE in the platoon became separate Elite elements!?)  

So... for headquarters... you can now have Farseers.. Autarchs... the GIANT FREAKING AVATAR OF KHAINE... and Phoenix Lords.... In the fluff, these are all commanders of entire ARMIES!? 

If you want a small, up-to-platoon-sized Patrol Detachment, it's going to be a Farseer, Autarch or PHOENIX LORD leading it!?  

If you're wanting to field something between a platoon and company sized force (a "Battalion" detachment), you're going to need at least TWO of them.  

If you want a full-sized/reinforced Company sized force ("BRIGADE" Detachment) you will need at least three!? 

They really seem to want to turn the game into HIGH POWERED HEROES leading around a small host of... other things... and it'll probably come down to a throw-down between those heroes...? 

All we need is CHALLENGES to return. Remember those? Maybe it wasn't a thing in 40K, but I'm pretty sure it was a thing in Warhammer Fantasy where your general could issue a challenge to the opposing general, if they were within a certain distance and the whole battle would stop and the two would fight their own little duel and the winners army would gain a huge morale boost and the losers army would melt away... and if you didn't accept the challenge, pretty much the same thing happened anyway...? Was that Warhammer Fantasy? Am I thinking of something else...? 

I digress... 

Then there are the Dire Avengers. Aspect Warriors are the Professional Warriors of the Craftworlds, and Dire Avengers are the bog-standard, Shurican-Catapult-armed-shooty-bang-bang, foot soldier of the Aspect Warriors. These used to be TROOPS. They made up the core of the warfighting professionals. Well now they are ALSO ELITES...

Troops now have to be made up of Guardians (either Guardian Defenders or Storm Guardians), Rangers or Corsairs. Guardians have been, for the last few editions, just citizens of the craftworlds, that have taken up arms in dire times - usually to defend the craftworld itself!? Rangers are outcasts that technically don't even belong to a Craftworld anymore, wanderers, doing their own thing, but are sometimes called upon to show up on a battlefield if they happen to be in the area or have some specific knowledge and are leading the rest of the army to an objective... 

And then there are the Corsairs - Pirates, that are DEFINITELY NOT part of a craftworld (can can't even be used to fulfill the basic troops requirement, so it's really just Defenders and Rangers...) 

Finally Wraithlords... These three hard-hitting, muthafukkin' wriathbone constructs powered by souls of dead Eldar, pretty much WERE my Heavy Support (along with a single unit of three Dark Reapers) now they are Elites... and each has to be fielded as a separate until 

So... 

I went from having 4-6 units of elites (once all the minis I have are painted), depending on whether two options are fielded as two units of five or a single ten  (all being easily fit into a Battalion or Brigade Detachment). Now I will have 10-18 units when everything is painted (again, depending on whether units are fielded as multiple units of less than maximum size or a smaller number of units at their maximum size. EVEN IF they were fielded at MAXIMUM SIZE, I have TOO MANY for even a BRIGADE Detachement (the largest Core Detachment) and no longer have enough Heavy Support options to field a Brigade... 

I know... I know... WHO CARES!? I could just play Open War games with forces designed around scenarios and completely ignoring "battle-forged" force compositions... 

I do like the idea of being able to field a force that actually conforms to the current rules (but that also fits a narrative and "makes sense" fluff-wise) - just in case I actually played against... someone else outside of my home... or in a league... or if I went to a tournament again someday... 

I'm not crying or making any sort of claim that GW is just doing it to fuck over the older players and making us buy more toys... I can even kind of understand why they made some of those changes. Some having to do with changing fluff as the narrative of the 41st millenium continues to develop... Some having to do with aesthetics and style of play... Its just annoying to have to try and make the shift... I'm NOT going to have to run out any buy ANYTHING new... I just won't be using some units as much as I might have... and other units I thought would only be used in scenarios, if it fit the narrative, are now going to be staples in the army (Guardians).

So given the current situation, what CAN I do... 

Here's what I have painted (or... very nearly painted!): 

• Farseer x1 - Headquarters
• Guardian Defenders x10 (one unit of 10 with weapons platform) - Troops
• Rangers x15 (2-3 units of 5-10) - Troops
• Warlock Conclave x2 (one conclave of two) - Elites
• Dire Avengers x20 (2-4 units of 5-10) - Elites
• Howling Banshees x10 (1-2 units of 5 or 10) - Elites
• Wraithguard x5 (one unit) - Elites
• Wraithlords x 3 (3 individual units) - Elites
• Warp Spiders x10 (1-2 units of 5-10) 
• Dark Reapers x4 (one unit - need one more to make COMPLETE unit of 5) - Heavy Support

This totals about 96 Power Level. With this what can I field...? A Patrol Detachment! (like the 25-Power Level Biel-Tymm Patrol Detachment I put together last September to potentially start a .. but with a bit of a different make up) 

A Patrol Detachment includes 

• 1-2 Headquarters
• 1-3 Troops
• 0-2 Elites
• 0-2 Fast Attack
• 0-2 Heavy Support
• 0-2 Flyers
• (up to one dedicated Transport for each Infantry unit taken) 

So, I can't even put together the same Patrol, as THREE of the units in that detachment are now Elites (Warlocks, Dire Avengers, Wraithlord) and a Patrol Detachment limits Elites to two... In addition to that, the Power Ratings of a few of the units have increased and it would now be a 27 Power Level force... 

The Farseer will now be my only Headquarters. 

Currently, Rangers will fill the Troops requirement - 1-3 units of 5 or 10 - They've increased from a Power Rating of 3 per five rangers to 4. I COULD include the Guardians... but I feel like a Combat Patrol, lead by a Farseer, should be made up of professional warriors, not cooks and poets and janitors pressed into service as "Guardians" 

A maximum of two Elites could be chosen from Dire Avengers or Howling Banshees or Wraith Guard or Wraithlords (though the Wraithlord has also increased in Power Rating)... 

Warp Spiders could be taken as a Fast Attack Option

Dark Reapers could be taken as Heavy Support... but the unit is now understrength so I probably won't be taking them at all for a while until I can source one more... 

A few options for 25 Power Level Combat Patrols:

• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Warlocks (2) - Elites - PR 3
• Warp Spiders (5) - PR5

or

• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Dire Avengers (10) - Elites - PR6
• Wraithguard (5) - Elites - PR10

or

• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Warlocks (2) - Elites - PR 3
• Wraithlord (1) - Elites - PR8
• Warp Spiders (5) - PR5

or

• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Wraithlord (1) - Elites - PR8
• Wraithlord (1) - Elites - PR8

or

• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Howling Banshees (10) - Elites - PR8
• Wraithlord (1) - Elites - PR8

(Technically, I can field THREE Warlocks for PR3, so I could paint up a third to include with the two indicated in two of the options above...) 

I like the first option, as it's basically the Ranger Element of Maesenir's Rangers Kill Team, with a Farseer, Warlocks and a handful of Warpsider. Narratively, it could be seen as Maesenir finding something needing to be dealt with and calling upon the Biel-Tymm Fleet for a little bit of back-up and Farseer Thymiltelyir shows up with his Warlock entourage and a rapid reaction team of Warp Spiders... Yeah. I think that might be the one I use... 

To field ANY larger force, I would now have to finish up the other Farseer that I have (and/or the model I'm hoping I can pass off an Autarch). With that, however, I could instantly field a Battalion Detachment, which increases the number of Elites I can field to six... which, could be MOST of the ones I currently have painted... but not all. Even fielded at their maximum sizes, I'd have EIGHT Elite units: Warlocks (2), 2x Dire Avengers (10), 1x Howling Banshees (10), 1x Wraith Guard (5), 3x Wraithlords (1) 

Incursion Level (Power Level 50) Battalions could look like:

• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Warlock (1) - Elites - PR 2
• Wraithguard (5) - Elites - PR10
• Wraithlord (1) - Elites - PR8
• Wraithlord (1) - Elites - PR8

or

• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Guardian Defenders (10 + Weapons Platform) - Troops - PR5
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Rangers (5) - Troops - PR4 
• Warlocks (2) - Elites - PR 3
• Dire Avengers (10) - Elites - PR6
• Dire Avengers (10) - Elites - PR6
• Howling Banshees (10) - Elites - PR8

STRIKE FORCE (Power Level 100) would require deciding which Elites to take, which to leave behind, and require a few more NOT-ELITE units to be finished up... but could look like... 

• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Farseer (1) - Headquarters - PR 5
• Guardian Defenders (10 + Weapons Platform) - Troops - PR5
• Rangers (10) - Troops - PR8 
• Rangers (10) - Troops - PR8 
• Rangers (10) - Troops - PR8
• Warlocks (5) - Elites - PR 5
• Howling Banshees (10) - Elites - PR8
• Wraithguard (5) - Elites - PR10
• Wraithlord (1) - Elites - PR8
• Wraithlord (1) - Elites - PR8
• Warp Spiders (10) - PR10
• Swooping Hawks (5) - PR4

(This would require painting 15 Rangers, 3 Warlocks, 5 Swooping Hawks) 

(Y'know, instead of just using the Dire Avengers and a third Wraithlord That i COULD have in the previous edition...) 

The Rangers above COULD also be fielded four units of five and one unit of ten

I COULD have fielded a Brigade Detachment in the past - once everything was painted (or even just a few more units were painted) but now I'm going to have a hard time making up that minimum three Heavy support requirements... I'd need second unit of Dark Reapers or another War Walker - if I'm wanting to keep it all METAL... 

Maybe I'll just stick to big battalions and be limited to six Elites - three of whom will be Wraithlords. 

What I WILL have when all the stuff I currently have squirrelled away is painted... 

• Farseer x2 - Headquarters
• Autarch x 1 - Headquarters
• Jain Zar (Phoenix Lord) - Headquarters
• Fuegan (Phoenix Lord) - Headquarters
• Baharroth (Phoenix Lord) - Headquarters
• Karandras (Phoenix Lord) - Headquarters
• Guardian Defenders x20 (two units of 10) - Troops
• Rangers x30 (3-6 units of 5-10) - Troops
• Warlocks x5 (one conclave of up to five) - Elites
• Dire Avengers x20 (2-4 units of 5-10) - Elites
• Howling Banshees x10 (1-2 units of 5 or 10) - Elites
• Striking Scorpions x 10 (1-2 units of 5 or 10) - Elites
• Fire Dragons x 5 (1 unit of five - unless I find three more) - Elites
• Wraithguard x5 (one unit) - Elites
• Wraithlords x 3 (3 individual units) - Elites
• Warp Spiders x20 (1-4 units of 5-10) - Fast Attack
• Swooping Hawks x5 (1 unit of five - unless I find one or two more I need to make 10) - Elites
• Dark Reapers x4 (one unit - need one more to make COMPLETE unit of 5) - Heavy Support
• War Walker x1 (on unit) - Heavy Support

All of this adds up to about 188 Power Level.. (which is about 3600 points...?) The LARGEST games are "Onslaught" which are played at 150 Power/3000 points. I think most tournaments are built around Strike Forces which are 100 Power/2000 Points? So I have LOADS to play around with... 

The ONLY thing I'm even considering trying to track down would be ONE metal Dark Reaper to finish up a unit of five.  

It doesn't even include the Wraith Knight (another 23 Power Rating) it is a plastic model... buuuuuut, I'd be okay using it (or tanks, if ever I got some) with this force. 

It also doesn't even include my Harlequins - which are included in this book. I haven't read far enough to determine if they have to be included in separate detachments... 

ALSO, I have a SECOND Aeldari force I'm kind of working on... in a large lot that Keiran and I bought off a local guy (for some metal stuff to finish up units) I ended up with a bunch of plastic stuff and a resin Eldrad Ulthran. So I thought I'd try to put together a separate Ulthwe Patrol Detachment, lead by the Big Elf himself! (If ever the Corsairs Ill be getting in the Kill Team box are used in 40K, they will probably show up in THIS detachement!) 

• Eldrad Ulthran - Headquarters - 8 PR
• Guardian Defenders (10 + weapons platform) - Troops - 5 PR 
• Guardian Defenders (10) - Troops - 4 PR 
• Corsair Voidscarred (10) - Elites - 8 PR

I also have an extra Warlock I could paint as Ulthwe I could add to this... If ever I got all these done and wanted SOME kind of additional options, I might pick up some of those sweet new Storm Guardians! 

Hopefully in the next week, I'll finish up the few final minis I need to finish up the Howling Banshees and Guardian Defenders - as well as the second Farseer, that I apparently now need - and post some pictures of these complete forces... 

Then I need to come up with some opponents - either my own guard, or maybe help Finnegan reorganize/finish up some of his T'au or Orks or Deathwatch... and THEN we can actually try these theoretical options out!? 

(I suppose I should read through the Harlequin options and finish rebasing those, too, at some point!)

Aeldari Expansion

 I've been working on the Assuryani again - the Craftworld Aeldari. Partly because I've had new ideas about where to take the narrative in the Xoxigar System... But, the hint of a new Codex and New CORSAIR models might have had something to do with it as well. 

I haven't really painted any NEW minis - though there are a few on the workbench - to finish up existing units! This is mostly bringing the rest of the currently painted Aeldari up to the current basing standards - as with the Biel-Tymm Combat Patrol Force I did last September. 

It started with the Warp Spiders of the Shrine of the Mean Red Spiders - lead by Exarch Nyswandir

I'm not entirely sure WHY I started with them... but that's where I started. 

I decided to do the unit in two base colours that were reversed - five that had blue bases with purple rocks and five that had purple bases with blue rocks. I wanted them to have a similar look that echoed each other and wouldn't look weird when operating together... but could also be fielded as two separate units of five - and have distinct bases to differentiate them. 

First group - with Exarch Nyswandir.

Second Group - no Exarch. 

I actually have TEN MORE Warp Spiders I could paint up some day... but I think I'll finish up some of the other aspect warriors first! 

Next I did a squad of Dire avengers from the Shrine of . 

These all have orange bases, but I did five with green stones and five with pink stones... in case I ever wanted to field THESE are two separate units of five... I'm not sure why I would... 

Finally I got to work on finishing up the Wraithlords. 

Wraithlord Kloethades

Wraithlord Phinyndros

Wraithlord Melynaearian

The whole rebased force - so far! 

(not including the Super Heavy Detachment of Tempest/Scorpion Tanks) 

I have four Howling Banshees to finish up to make a unit of ten of those. 

I also have a weapons platform and two gunners to finish up to complete a unit of ten Guardians. 

I have a unit of Wraith Guard that just need to be rebased - but I need to get some 40mm bases for them! 

After that... things need a bit more painting! 

I have based and prepped a few Phoenix Lords: Jain Zar, Fuegan, Baharroth, and Karandras (these are the only ones I have). I have also based a squad of ten Striking Scorpions and the additional ten Warp Spiders (though, as mentioned, they are VERY LOW priority).

Still to be rebased, AND painted, are fifteen more Scouts, two squads of Guardians, two Dire Warrior Exarchs (if I wanted to have exarchs in each of the potential four units of five) three or four more Warlocks and some Swooping Hawks (nine) and Fire Dragons (eight) - need a few more of each to make full units. 

That's about it... 

I feel like I want to chip away at these and finish them all up this year and be DONE with them. 

(Oh, I guess there are also the old Armourcast Eldar TITANS I picked up a few years ago and still haven't finished painting... but that's for some other time... ) 

(and SO MANY other things!?) 

Clue Tokens

 Not a lot going on here, hobby-wise. I've been pretty busy with the Birbs of Saskatchetoon project. 

I've worked on a few things... but haven't really finished much up. I

 did finish one or two things... but thought I should wait until I have the rest of the unit finished... 

Haven't even been playing many games.... 

Here is SOMETHING, though... 

I finished up a few Clue/Treasure tokens. 

One... or... maybe two... of them might have been done for some time, I'm only just getting around to posting them now. 

I've been rebasing more Eldar a lot lately - and a have a few minis I'm working to finish up (to complete units) Maybe when I'm done a few more - or finished the entire force (that I have painted so far) done I'll post pictures of those. 

40K - Recovering an Aeldari Artefact.

Picking up the narrative from the Aeldari Ambush (Kill Team scenario) The real purpose of Maesenir's Ambush was ... deadly... 

BACKGROUND

3.859.021.M42 - Xoxigar Tertium

Maesenir's Rangers have been tasked with keeping an eye on the Ancient Aeldari ruins deep within the jungles of the planet know to the Mon-keigh as Xoxigar Tertium. Recently, Genestealer cultists, fleeing Imperial forces after a failed uprising in the city of Gehardog Fol, have taken up residence in caverns connected to some of the Aeldari ruins. They have looted some of the ruins, though they know not what the use of half the stuff they made off with is. Unfortunately, one of the items is an artifact of great power and it has been determined too great a risk to leave in their hands, lest they discover it's secrets... Or, more likely, it is stolen from them by someone who does know it's purpose and can use it... Like the forces of the inquisition that have been prowling the area. 

To determine where, exactly, the Genestealer cult spirited the item off to, Maesaenir laid an ambush for a group of the Cultists and implanted their leader with tracking devices which allowed them to follow them back to their lair. It turned out that there were many more cultists in their 

SCENARIO

The scenario, itself, was based on the 8th Edition Narrative Play Mission: Rescue. There were four stashes in which the artifact could be located. Aeldari forces had to move within 3" to determine if the artefact was within and recover it.

In addition to the regular forces, the Defending Genestealer Cult got some extra sentries. The scenario called for a unit of troops of 10PL or less... since the scenario, as written, assumed a force of 50-100 Power Level (and we were only using 25) rather that taking a full unit of 10 Neophyte Hybrids, we agreed upon six. The sentries were the ONLY defending forces on the table. The rest would only arrive if/when the alarm was sounded. 

FORCES 

Biel-Tymm Combat Patrol

Headquarters

• Farseer Thymiltelyir - Shuriken Pistol and Witch Blade - 6 PR
• Warlock Conclave (Adryllewi and Broelwyn) - Shuriken Pistol and Witch Blade - 4 PR 

Troops

• Rangers (5 - Maesenir, et al) - Shuriken Pistol and Ranger Long Rifle - 3 PR
• Rangers (5 - More of Maesenir's Rangers) - Shuriken Pistol and Ranger Long Rifle - 3 PR
• Dire Avengers (10 - Shrine of the Fading Night) - Avenger Shuriken Catapult and Plasma Grenades plus Exarch with Shuriken Pistol and Diresword - 5 PR

Heavy Support

• Dark Reapers (3 - Shrine of the Sunset Bouquet... it makes more sense in the original Aeldari...) 5PR

Power Level: 26

This varies from the original team I put together for a Combat Patrol level Crusade Campaign force - that force had a Wraithlord, which I thought made no sense bringing that down into caverns, so I replaced it with 3 Dark Reapers and added five more Dire Avengers... this brought the total to 26... but that was okay because the force Finnegan wanted to use was also 26... so... 

Ebony Viper Genestealer Cult

Headquarters

• Patriarch 7 PR
• Magos 5 PR

Troops

• Neophyte Hybrids (10) 4 PR
• Acolyte Hybrids (5) 3 PR
• Acolyte Hybrids (5) 3 PR

Elites

• Kellermorph (1) 4PR

+6 Neophyte Hybrid Sentries 

Power Level: 26

THE GAME

All set up and ready to go. 

Cache #1 

Cache #2 

Cache #3

Cache #4

On the left flank approaching Cache #1

Farseer Thymiltelyir and the Dark Reapers of the Shrine of the Sunset Bouquet on the center-left. 

Exarch Bylizek leads his Dire Avengers of the Shrine of the Fading Night on the center-right, towards the central cavern containing Caches #2 and #4... 

Maesenir and his Rangers, accompanied by the Warlock Conclave on the right flank. 

ROUND ONE - Aeldari

The Rangers sneak up through the shadowed corridors in utter silence. 

Exarch Bylizek leads his Dire Avengers of the Shrine of the Fading Night towards the central cavern. A sentry is spotted, but it seems completely unaware of their presence... 

(the sentries only spotted stuff within line of sight and up to a certain distance - for all units of 5 Power Rating or less, that distance is 3"!) 

Aeldair forces moving forward. 

On the left, Rangers snuck into the cavern containing Cache #1 and took out the sentry with silenced Shuriken Pistols. 

(Silenced Weapons was a 1CP Strategem - allowing you to shoot and not raise the alarm) 

The Cache was clear. 

ROUND ONE - Genestealer Cult

Until the Alarm was raised, the only thing that happened on the Genestealer Cult turn was moving teh sentry. each sentry was diced for and the winner got to move them up to 6". Ties meant the Sentries stayed where they were... 

I won all by one of the roll-offs so the SEntries got bored and wandered off to gather in the central cavern for a coffee break and to play cards... or... something... 

Sentires leaving their posts... 

One did not leave his post... he wasn't liked much by the other Neophyte Hybirds. He turned and looked down a corridor and wished he hadn't... 

The defenders also has a strategem that, for one Command Point, they can double the distance that one of their sentries can see... so... the Dire Avengers were spotted and the alarm was raised. 

As soon as the alarm is raised, the defenders get to play a regular full turn and can dice for the arrival of the rest of their force. 

The sentry spotting the Dire Avengers fled, shouting and screaming about the intruders... running only meant he died tired. 

More neophyte Hybrids were the first to arrive on the scene!

(actually they were the ONLY ones to arrive on the first turn!?) 

they could not see the Dire Avengers, though... so that's about all that happened on their first turn. 

ROUND TWO - Aeldari

Aeldari moving with more speed and purpose, now that the alarm has been raised. 

Dark REapers falling behind Farseer Thymiltelyir - the tight tunnels made it difficult for them to maneuver with their Reaper Launchers. 

(rolled six for the Farseers advence. Rolled one for the Dark Reapers...) 

The Farseer quickly despatched the Sentries with Psychic Powers (Smite and Executioner) 

Dire Avengers poured into the central cavern and while surveying the scene and making plans to destroy the enemy, they also check Cache #2 and it was clear. 

Maesenir and his rangers and the two Warlocks swiftly moved about the flanks, hoping to check the Third Cache without drawing the attention of any of the hostiles. 

ROUND TWO - Genestealer Cult

And then the hordes arrived... 

A Kellermorph and a unit of Acolyte Hybrids arrived on the Aeldari left... 

Though they could not spot the Rangers in front of them... 

The Neophtyes surged into the central cavern, followed by a Cult Magos. 

The Cult Patriarch also arrived, along with a brood of acolyte Hybrids. 

The Neophytes blasted away at the Dire Avengers. Three were injured and forced to retire to the Rally Point.

ROUND THREE - Aeldari

The Dire Avengers advanced into the cultists fire, returning fire and preparing to assault - those cultists were standing in the way of their objective - Cache #4

Teh FArseer and Dark REapers also moved forward into the cavern. 

The rangers on the right took up firing positions to hold off the aDvancing cultists on the left flank. Their fire only managed to take down one of the Acolyte Hybrids... 

Maesenir and his rangers on the right rushed forward to check Cache #3 and fire on the Patriarch. 

The Cache did not contain the Artefact. 

The Dire Avengers of the Shrine of the Fading Night stormed the neophytes position and saw them off. They consolidated into cover. 

(technically, they couldn't check the cache as that is only done if they end a MOVE within 3" of the cache... they'd have to survive to the following turn... which might be easier said than done! 

ROUND THREE - Genestealer Cult

The Magos and Patriarch moved towards the Dire Avengers! 

The Kellermorph and Acolyte Hybrids rushed forward, blasting away at the Rangers cloaked in the shadows... though the RAngers were barely visible in their cameleoline cloaks the sheer volume of fire was telling. Two of their number were severely injured and a third left to escort the others to the Rally Point. The other two remained, hoping to pin and slow the advance of the monstrosities charging them, that the others might make their getaway and protect the flank of the others searching the last caches. 

Both Patriarch and Magos charged in to fight the Dire Avengers. 

The last two Rangers on the left saw their position overrun and were obliged to retire from the mission, with serious injuries. 

Which, unfortunately, left their flank open... 

The melee in the dark shadows of the dank cavern was brutal. Four more of the Dire Avengers were taken out of action. But the Dire Avengers managed to take down the Magos. 

ROUND FOUR - Aeldari

The two remaining Dire Avengers, Zaelanys and the Exarch Bylizek, fled the Patriarch and secured the Artefact...

The Rangers and Warlocks on the right took down the last of the acolyte Hybrids accompanying the Patriarch.

The Farseer and Dark REapers maneuvered into the Central Cavern and brought fire down on the Patriarch, injuring it severely. 

The followed up their fire with a charge into melee... which proved to be their undoing... no furhter damamge was dealt the Monstrosity, but the Farseer was gravely injured in the combat. 

Their hope was to buy the Dire Avengers time to escape with the Artifact. 

ROUND FOUR - Genestealer Cult

Avolyte Hybrids moving in on the left flank. 

Teh Kellermorph broke off from the Acolyte Hybrids and went directly after the Dire Avengers that were making off with their loot... clearly it was something of importance! The Kellermorphs usually deadly accurate fire was not able to find it's mark... 

The Patriarch cut down the Farseer in their protracted melee... 

ROUND FIVE - Aeldari

The Dark Reapers fell back from the Patriarch - realizing they were of no use there. They dragged away their fallen commander. 

The Warlock Conclave charged the Patriarch, hoping to buy the others time to escape - and possibly finish off the Patriarch... (seriously, it was down to two wounds... they had two attack each, hit on 3+, their Witch blades always wound on 2+... and dealt d3 damage... but NOTHING could get past that 4+ invulnerable save!?) 

Maesenir quickly tried to redeploy his Rangers so they could help the others escape! 

ROUND FIVE - Genestealer Cult

Things not looking good... 

Acolyte Hybrids sneaking in from behind. 

The Kellermorph blasted into the chamber!

Surrounded... 

The patriarch blasted the Dark REapers with Psychic energies - taking down two of them. 

The Kellermorph shot down the last two Dire Avengers. They had to abandon the artifact and crawl away, injured, in the darkness. 

Acolyte Hybrids charged the remaining Dark Reaper. 

As did the Patriarch, finishing them off...

ROUND SIX - Aeldari 

In a desperate last ditch effort, Maesenir's Rangers moved into position and brought fire down on the Acolyte Hybrids... but only managed to down one of them. 

ROUND SIX - Genestealer Cult

The Rangers were blasted with Psychic energies, shot at by the Acolyte Hybrids and then charged by the same.... They were unable to recover the artifact, but bought the others a little time to escape to the rally point. 

POST GAME

Well that was a lot of fun!

Are we going to use these forces again...? Not sure... but I suggested we treat them like Crusade Campaign forces and check for survival and award experience accordingly. Crusade forces and Kill Teams track survival and experience a little differently, though, so we also decided that units made up of elements of Kill Teams we might do a little differently. 

Crusade Force Units that were taken out of action check for survival as a group - on 2+ they are fine - injuries or losses weren't serious enough to disrupt the integrity of the team - they may have had members die, but they are immediately replaced and the overall efficiency of the unit isn't compromised. On a one, though, they have to choose Devastating Blow or Battle Scar. Devastating Blow means the team loses d6 experience and does not gain any from this mission. Battle Scar means they roll for a permanent penalty of some sort (presumably this option if for experienced units that have gained really cool Battle Honours and don't want to lose them with the loss of experience points. 

I don't love this system - I actually like the campaign system in Age of Sigmar where you actually roll for individuals survival within units and, until they are replaced with Requisition Points, that unit starts battles. I may have to modify this for our campaign... Of course that would require re-reading BOTH sets of campaign rules, and, considering how often we're playing... it might not be worth my time... We shall see. 

ALL my units were taken out of action, so there were probably injuries or deaths among the units, but for the units that passed the survival roll, the injuries weren't so bad that some time in the super advanced Aeldari medical facilities - just beyond the webway gate - couldn't fix/regrow... Rolling for my forces, everyone was okay - except for the Dark Reapers, which failed the roll. So I said the Dark Reapers, one of the last to go down, stayed behind and fought to the last to delay the Genestealer Cultists and give the others time to escape to the Rally Point and then to the Webway gate to escape. None of the Dark Reapers bodies were recovered. 

The Dire Avenger Squad and Rangers were made up of members of Maesenir's Rangers Kill Team, however, so I rolled for all of them individually. Again, as the units were all wiped out, one can expect there were a lot of serious injuries among them... but also, advanced medicine would be able to repair a LOT of those injuries relatively quickly. there were a few individuals who were so seriously damage that they would have lingering impairments... 

Crusade Forces also gain experience differently. Each unit gains ONE experience point just for participating in the battle, regardless if they survived or were taken out. They also gain one additional point for every THREE units they take out. ONE unit is designated as Marked for Greatness and gains three experience points. In Kill Team there is no participation experince points - they only get experience for individually taking out enemy operatives, and completing mission objectives or Tac Ops... of which there are none in regular 40K. So I suggested that any models that are members of Kill Teams just get one experience point (like the crusade forces) and that was it for them. The other Crusade Force units could track experience as per normal. 

If it seems like we might use these again, I might create a Page to track the status of the forces - much like I did for the Daemon World Crusade Forces.