New Harlequins Leaks

[CrystalSeer]

What are people's thoughts on the new harlequins leaks? I'm likely going to run Soaring Spite because it matches my color scheme and play style, but there look to be several other great combos.

 

Also, the webway gate has some drawbacks, but being able to weather t1 fire and assault almost anywhere on the table the turn you come on is huge.

[CrystalSeer]

For reference:

 

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2018/05/16/16th-may-harlequins-preview-stratagems-warlord-traits-and-moregw-homepage-post-1/

 

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2018/05/14/14th-may-codex-harlequins-masque-formsgw-homepage-post-1/

 

https://www.facebook.com/BlogForTheBloodGod/posts/2091588161088019

[Papewaio]

Honestly I reckon for straight power, Soaring Spite is the way to go. Just stew some fusion pistols in clown cars, add garnish to taste, and throw that stew at the opponent. That said, I'm more intrigued by the Midnight Sorrow - there's been plenty of times where I've just needed a touch more consolidation. It really depends on what the rest of the warlord traits/stratagems/relics come out like. 

 

Some of the stratagems look fun - I'm really digging the Hero's Path. You can get a T1 charge off with the Solitaire if you go second. (Top of opponents move phase, you pop HP, and drop them in out of sight at the end of the phase. You have your movement next turn to set up the charge, probably with some Shadowseer buffs. If only he was more of a monster...)

 

On the whole though, I can't see the army changing how it plays very much. Maybe for freakshow lists? But pure 'quins are going to pretty much the same. Maybe 2 seers instead of just one, now there's some more powers that are actually worth bringing alongside Twilight Pathways.  

 

EDIT: Man, you're going to look like such a pro if you pull off Skystride in a battle.

[CrystalSeer]

 

 

EDIT: Man, you're going to look like such a pro if you pull off Skystride in a battle.

 

Was looking at it; basically all it takes is moving your transport to the location of your assault after the unit disembarks. Not terribly difficult, you just have to plan for it going in.

 

Its excellent for doing some cc damage without leaving yourself overly exposed to small arms fire.

[CrystalSeer]

 

 

On the whole though, I can't see the army changing how it plays very much. Maybe for freakshow lists? But pure 'quins are going to pretty much the same. Maybe 2 seers instead of just one, now there's some more powers that are actually worth bringing alongside Twilight Pathways.  

 

 

The biggest change I see is the webway portal. The army has always been seriously vulnerable to alpha strike, but this thing allows you to weather T1 fire with a T8 / SV 3+ / 5++ platform. Thats almost like have a harlequin landraider.  Following that, you can start hopping out and hitting most places on the table within one turn. It also neatly avoids the FAQ issue of not being able to DS in the opponents zone T1.

 

The rules from Soaring spite have also increased the Starweaver movement from 16" to 22" without losing any firepower. If you take the relic, that's now up to 28". The Warlord can also disembark and move after this, giving you a potential charge range of 41-51". That's literally across the table.

 

Skyweavers also ignore the -1 to hit with advance, giving you a more stable firing platform that moves faster and has more opportunities for 'Prismatic Blur'

 

And the biggest one, Lightening-Fast Reactions can stack with Mirage Launchers, Allowing us to get -2 to hit on key units. This is one of the key abilities with Eldar tournament lists.

[shandwen]

The webway gate is a trap. Most armies can easily remove it in one round of shooting, and then most of what was placed in reserve is just dead. If you plan on taking it you almost have to take two of the gates, but then your whole army snowballs into needing them and looses the ability to manage many enemies.

[CrystalSeer]

Even if they destroy it, there's a strategem to let a unit get out anyway. Since the cost isn't much more than a starweaver, I really see it more as a transport.

 

I do agree 2 is generally better than one, but its not an all or nothing approach. You can use portals to bring on units too large to fit in Starweavers, opening up larger foot units. Concentrating fire on a portal also keeps it off your other units in the field.

 

- Edit - 

 

Went back and re-read the rules. I was thinking you disembarked from them, but you have to stay wholly within 3". This means you still have to eat shooting for a turn before you can do much. That's unfortunate.

[Brother Talarian]

Yeah, the gate isn’t great unfortunately. You would probably need 3 to make the most of the stratagem. Perhaps 2. You can deny objectives and have a “threat bubble”.

 

As for the soaring spite unique strat you can cycle through units and transports. Just get one to jump out, charge, jump back in while the rest zip around the board melting everything else.

 

Just to think how to feasibly get a decent amount of CPs... one Batallion is easy, perhaps two but your list might not be optimal, unless you try running larger blobs of quins on foot, which could be awesome and perhaps decent with some other masques...

[CrystalSeer]

The power play is definitely in allying other Aeldari for access to cheaper shooting Troops. Double Battalion may be possible with a pure Masque list, but the cost / power trade off of troupes makes it challenging.

[Papewaio]

I had a few games with some of the leaks and previews, and honestly the army plays very similarly. Now CPs can get used on other things than re-rolls, and there's some funky tricks we have. I managed the Hero's Path shenanigans against Salamander, and just bad rolls stopped my Solitaire from taking out some key characters. And I attempted the Twilight Warlord trait, but forgot about it the entire game. This is what happens when all your rules are scattered across a bunch of preview pages and photos.

 

Haywire cannons on bikes are SOLID. Sadly, I dunno why you would ever take a Voirdweaver now, because Skyweavers feel straight up better. I feel like their role has changed somewhat - before I was using them to screen and be my shooty unit, whereas now they're supportive anti-tank, in case a fusion weaver doesn't pop the land raider in one turn. And even better is slamming them into a Predator or something like that, and using Cegorach's Jest. Totally blindsided the opponent. 

 

That's more or less where I see us changing, in using our CP's to do funky things in our opponents turn, be that kill their units (Cegorach\s Jest), prep for a charge (Hero's Path) or lock down other units (with Midnight Sorrow, although that happened only once and didn't really do much).

 

Soaring Spite is very much what I want to try next - I feel like that's really where the money is. Although, there's an argument for a vanguard of Dreaming Shadow, because if Curtainfall works the way everyone says it does, that's bonkers. Even possibly worth just paying a CP for an auxiliary detachment, just for that. And I'm very interested to try a Silent Shroud force, even if morale damage is kinda gimmicky (but isn't that the point of Harlequins? Fun gimmicks?  ) 

[CrystalSeer]

What are the thoughts on the d6 profile for haywire? I could see it being good, but also being very finicky.

[Brother Talarian]

100% taking haywire for bikes now. That said, I’ll be running Soaring Spite primarily. They’re also aussault now. So XD6 on bikes zipping around yo anywhere you need them can put te hurt on any vehicle. Thinking of running 2 groups of 3 or 3 groups of 2, or maybe just 2 of 2.

 

The question now... star bolas or zephyglaives....

 

What’s cool as well is that they can tie up tanks, the tank falls back, you use cegorachs jest to shoot them again. I don’t see the bikes being super melee oriented anymore. Mostly to tie up back line and causing mortal wounds to vehicles.