Eldar Warband (theorycrafting)

[Kaled]

An all eldar warband is going to be powerful (perhaps overpowered by most standards) as eldar are physically, mentally and technologically superior to humans, however I think the other problem you have is you're looking at making a warband full of very powerful archetypes - seer, scorpion, pirate etc. If you made a warband made up of similarly powerful human archetypes you'd see similar objections - add to that the innate superiority of eldar and they don't really fit in most people's games. That's not to say it can't work, just that it'll take a bit more effort than most warbands. Most of the time, against commonly seen warbands, you'll probably be looking at using just a couple of eldar.

Also, the focus of the game is on 'The battle for the Emperor's soul' - while you obviously can include eldar in that, you have to put more thought into the background of your warband as you don't want the campaign as a whole or all the games to revolve around them and sideline other player's warbands.

On the other hand, good models get past a lot of objections...

[MarcoSkoll]

On the other hand, good models get past a lot of objections...

Very true (RobSkib as much as insisted I take my Battle Sister when I was at the Summer 'Clave, despite her formidability), but to be blunt, Ramnok's modelling does feel a little rushed.

Looking at the Striking Scorpion thread, a lot of the armour has been added in about half a day, which would be pushing it even for a professional sculptor using a good putty oven. It feels less like an exercise in miniature art and more like an exercise in being able to play with a Scorpion.

It may not be, but it's easy for it to come across that way.

[Ramnok]

Working on number 1 and 2 there the 54mm models are coming when the cash does. I've since found that the storyline intertwines with another inquisitor, while he may not be a character you can see, he exists and is a focus on why the Seer is there, As I said previously the Seer hails from the black library and if you thought Eldar were mysterious this guys motives are beyond the eyes of most (tho it is there and playing through the campaign story I'm working on for a friend will tell more)

While it is rare to see aspects away from their shrine its definitely not unheard of. I put in the idea of an Eldar pirate in there to show all walks of Eldar life (which is originally why I had a Dark Eldar slave) and while it may be a "Battle for the Emperor's Soul" that certainly doesn't mean my characters cant be the villains in this case, aka incursions from without.

I've got a huuuuge background on all of them (2 days ago I spent all night writing...) and gave you guys the cliffnotes. If required to put some of you naysayers to rest I'll post the full stories (aka previous campaigns) in their entirety..

Would it be more prudent to make the Seer the NPC in this case with the rest being imperial standard? (aka guardians) and have the scorpion as the leader on the field? I'm trying to work with you guys here so I have the least amount of hassle when I play against others (my normal gaming league disbanded and I've not played since so looking for more in the South Florida area)

Suggest some visually stunning archetypes then for me that would not be OP yet still Eldar. Also after visiting the stats listings of the other forum goers my Eldar look a bit weak in the stats department..

My only thing is, The Eldar in this warband are away from their Craftworlds, have very basic equipment and not much in the way of being able to replace their gear if lost or destroyed. They have one NPC bonesinger who travels with them who is able to shape very basic equipment and can actually heal any wraithbone that was damaged (despite wraithbone's ability to regenerate)

I'm willingly trying to work with the community here so I can field a beautiful all Eldar warband (4 members on paper thus far) but with the least hassle to others. The pirate has ties with the black markets therefor getting common things for Eldar is a bit trickier then normal black market dealings and losing that model on the field (aka instadeath) he's gone and so are their ties to getting more wraithbone/equipment easier then having to fight through imperial controlled maiden worlds for what they need.

@Kaled: Easy yes, and I've actually taken 2 years to make this model... the sculpting armor portion came recently since I had the cash so.. I originally had the parts and she was made but no GS... so now that she did she got updated. I'm no professional sculptor but I do have several years of experience with modeling as with a year at the Art Institutes of Florida. Larger scales are easier for me since the small scales the detail can just get lost and I do work with some makeshift tools that get the job done. Not cool to suggest I rushed anything "just to use the model"

I put a lot of background thought into this and with my recent joining of the forum I did wish to show what I had worked with on the previous forum, and in all fairness she was my first "More greenstuff then metal" model...

[Kaled]

I'm not sure I'd call it all that rushed - it seems like he (she?) has been working on the scorpion for a couple of weeks. That said, while the torso is rather good and shows a lot of promise the most recently added bits, the leg armour especially, isn't as good. Overall it's a good model, and could be great with some tidying up - and given how long it's been worked on for I don't get the impression it's just an exercise is making a powerful warrior. However if I was facing it across the table I think I'd prefer to see it alongside a less powerful warband than the one being proposed...

[Kaled]

One last thing before I sleep - you wrote 'Also after visiting the stats listings of the other forum goers my Eldar look a bit weak in the stats department..'. Now I'm curious, what stats were you looking at for your elder and what are you comparing them to?

Also, have you read the eldar article in Dark Magenta? It's been a while since I looked at it so can't just remember what's in there but it should be of help to you.

[Ramnok]

Edit: I found it, reading it over now and as with stats, some of the stats I've seen posted on the forums for inquisitors and such, also using the old eldar rules that were on 40konline before it went down (or moved, I lost it... lol) I printed them all off and it gives the stats and details of all eldars you can field, it also went into length about how spacemarines and wraithlords are OP and characters should be as dynamic as possible...

After Reading the article I got a few new insights on the warband. I will definitely rework my concepts on them giving more walks of life then the warrior path The article cuts off saying there is a second and third part covered later, was that posted somewhere?

[Ramnok]

Currently out enjoying the weather so I figured you all could get an update.

Celestia is from a craftworld that is leaving the galaxy they currently are some ways in to the void. Her shrine was lost to orks on a  maidenworld they wagggghed so she wanders with a corsair who has his own ship it's a smallish freighter but she runs they travel with a bonesinger who is quiet the artist yet knowing how to fight as he was once a ranger an they also travel with a soulstone keeper who has stayed on the path of caretaker and was with celestia at the maiden world falling to orks. This is Me™  so my ideas are mine lol. 

Any thoughts now sirs? I love this idea better

[Kaled]

I printed them all off and it gives the stats and details of all eldars you can field, it also went into length about how spacemarines and wraithlords are OP and characters should be as dynamic as possible...

While I would be interested in seeing the list you compiled, I wouldn't say it's a list of all the eldar you can field. Inquisitor warbands shouldn't just be defined by lists of archetypes and stats like picking units from a codex. Also I would be wary of just using stats you find on the internet - there have been some really poorly written fan rules over the years (and some good ones).

The article cuts off saying there is a second and third part covered later, was that posted somewhere?

I don't know if it was ever written - Saussure might know. The guy who wrote it ended up writing for FFG's 40k RPGs so I'm not sure he ever completed the article.

As for your idea, it sounds like it has promise, but I'm not enough of an eldar expert to really comment. I guess my question would be - why are they involved in the battle for the Emperor's soul? Why don't they just go home? Also, do they need a ship? Could they not be attempting to get where they're going by wandering the webway and hitching passage on Imperial starships where necessary?

[InquisitorHeidfeld]

Why would an Aspect Warrior (and one in power armour no less)

I'm not sure about older sources, but I've just checked my 3rd and 4th Ed Eldar codices and I'm pretty sure that Scorpion Armour is not powered. Sure, it's heavier than most Eldar armour (hence no Fleet rule in 40k), but a 3+ save alone does not power armour make.

(Yes, they used to be S4 in 3rd Ed, but that was said to be their own physical strength.)

And in the Rogue Trader Compilation IIRC. The difficulty with that would be that when they put on the mask of the Hawk they'd lose that strength... But I agree that it isn't Power Armour in the Imperial sense.
Typing out "exceptionally heavy armour which is fully enviro-sealed, incorporates built in weaponary and increases strength" though seemed a bit much 


Ramnok:
If you consider your original warband as if they were Imperial archetypes I think you'll get an idea of what some of us mean.
Your Shadowseer is a potent psyker and not shabby in personal combat (plus he spits out grenades like they're candy) and could probably be placed as an Inquisitor equivalent...
Your Corsair is something of a Rogue Trader...
Your Striking Scorpion is an exceptionally elite warrior in the heaviest armour available and with training which puts him far ahead of the rest of his species (or most of them) and should be placed as the equivalent of an Astartes (he's not as strong or tough but he's faster and more skilled).
Then you have your Harlequin Trooper - probably an assassin archetype given the lack of armour but the hugely intense speed (I'd be expecting a Harlequin to have a Speed rating of 7 or , although whether he would be counted as equal to one of the Temple Assassins is debatable.

Even ignoring the Dark Eldar I hope you can see where some of the objections are coming from.

[DapperAnarchist]

I think its perfectly possible that if an Eldar changes Aspect or Path away from Scorpion, they become weaker - as such a potently psychic race, their bodies would be affected by the way they think, and the Paths and Aspects are ways of thinking. The Farseers are evidence of this - eventually, they become Crystal Seers, literally changing into crystal. Becoming stronger because thats what the Scorpion Path teaches isn't that hard to imagine. And changing Path wouldn't just be a matter of donning a different mask, any more than changing faith is a matter of saying different words.

[Ramnok]

Well the Bonesinger who was once a Ranger still knows how to use the weaponry just not as expert in the skills that made him such a potent fighter, currently tho he is a bonesinger and practices this when not on the field of battle. He's just a bit weaker since taking on the bonesinger path.

I based my current story on what I read in dark magenta about how the eldar are and decided to deviate slightly from craftworld armies and more for dynamic story telling.

I'll post the full story over in IC so keep an eye out for it!

[Kaled]

I was wondering, how much of their skills do eldar retain when they move onto a new path? I was really good at swimming when I was a child, but can barely swim a few lengths now - is it kinda like that but magnified - i.e. They know exactly how to do it out but are out of practice?  Or is it that when they move on to a new path they pretty much shut away their experiences from the old path and start afresh on the new one?

Do eldar generally come back from the path of the outcast - it's not really a path, more a rejection of the whole path system.

[Ramnok]

From what I read eldar can become entwined on the path which are exarchs the outcast don't always leave on bad terms just that they want to explore unhindered by protocol and the strict paths that the craftworld can, the issue is not if they leave it's banishment

Also they are allowed to freely switch paths if they feel they have accomplished what they set out to do

[Kaled]

I always thought that this picture would be a great reference for building an eldar for Inquisitor;
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v-QnkPLGATg/S4deYFNYKBI/AAAAAAAABO4/5DAKfWVzuhc/eldar_lg.jpg

Or maybe the Titan crew from this one (although probably not as Titan crew);
http://www.dakkadakka.com/s/i/at/2008/3/9/8f3c026131da7a5e50c7122466700a6d_518.jpg__thumb

[Ramnok]

I really like the one on the far right in the second one with the titan crew... I may work on something like that.. That has potential for one of mine, what does that title read for him tho I cant see it.