1k Ulthwe/Harleys for relatively cheap

[Zephaniah Adriyen]

I can - and will - build this very shortly, since I already have the Craftworlds for it. I'm picking up a box of Harleys over the weekend, off Amazon or eBay, and I'll be fielding them together. I was careful with the point values, so I could fit them exactly in 1k, and I picked my Masque for the weird color scheme - nice and striking next to my Craftworlds - and for the ability it gives you. Makes your opponent's probability of hitting you in melee effectively a 6+, but with a weird, Harlequin twist. The Spiritseer got Protect/Jinx to help the Wraithguard - the ability to worsen enemy saves and buff the Wraithguard while I'm crossing the board is very powerful. The plan is to have the Harleys advance across the board as fast as they can and slam into the enemy's gunline, then have the Wraith stuff get in relatively close and just kinda kill everything. I wanna have some murder clowns anyway, so I'm pushing the button over the weekend - I just want an opinion regarding the setup itself.

++ Patrol Detachment (Aeldari - Harlequins) [9 PL, 150pts] ++

+ Configuration +

Masque Form: The Veiled Path: Riddle-Smiths

+ HQ [4 PL, 71pts] +

Troupe Master [4 PL, 71pts]: Fusion Pistol [7pts], Player of the Dark, Power sword [4pts], The Starmist Raiment, Warlord

+ Troops [5 PL, 79pts] +

Troupe [5 PL, 79pts]
Player [1 PL, 11pts]: Harlequin's Blade, Shuriken Pistol
Player [1 PL, 11pts]: Harlequin's Blade, Shuriken Pistol
Player [1 PL, 16pts]: Harlequin's Blade, Neuro Disruptor [5pts]
Player [1 PL, 16pts]: Harlequin's Blade, Neuro Disruptor [5pts]
Player [1 PL, 25pts]: Fusion Pistol [7pts], Harlequin's Caress [7pts]

++ Vanguard Detachment +1CP (Aeldari - Craftworlds) [51 PL, 850pts] ++

+ Configuration +

Craftworld Attribute: Ulthwé: Foresight of the Damned

+ HQ [3 PL, 55pts] +

Spiritseer [3 PL, 55pts]: 0. Smite, 4. Protect/Jinx, Shuriken Pistol

+ Elites [32 PL, 525pts] +

Wraithblades [10 PL, 175pts]: Ghostswords [30pts], 5x Wraithblade [145pts]

Wraithguard [11 PL, 165pts]: Wraithcannon [50pts], 5x Wraithguard [115pts]

Wraithguard [11 PL, 185pts]: D-scythe [70pts], 5x Wraithguard [115pts]

+ Heavy Support [16 PL, 270pts] +

Wraithlord [8 PL, 135pts]: Bright Lance [20pts], Flamer [6pts], Flamer [6pts], Ghostglaive [10pts], Starcannon [13pts]

Wraithlord [8 PL, 135pts]: Bright Lance [20pts], Flamer [6pts], Flamer [6pts], Ghostglaive [10pts], Starcannon [13pts]

Created with BattleScribe (https://battlescribe.net)

[GrinNfool]

So, a couple things.  First I think you need to look at riddlesmiths again, its roll two dice at the start of the fight phase and discard the HIGHEST, unmodified hit rolls of that exact value before modifiers always miss.  Lowest of two dice will usually be a 3 or less, most often a 3 or 2.  Aside from against leaders a 2 is usually useless a 1 is always useless.  If you aren't fighting faction with a 3+WS then their ability does nothing more than 50% of the time.  I am not sure where you are getting a 6+ to hit but that is not right.  Veiled path are generally regarded as one of the worst choices, but as always with 40k you should do what you find cool.  Honestly though if you like the color scheme nothing is stopping you from painting them one way and playing them another.  No one knows the harlequin masques anyways as GW kinda pulled them out of their butt for the codex (color scheme wise).  I only bring this up because your understanding of the rule would have made it probably the most powerful masque form.  Might suggest Frozen stars for +1a,  or silent shroud since its just a patrol they have a 2 cp strat that would make the unit immune to overwatch. 

 

Second, I get you are trying to fit all this into a 1k list, but I would try to find a way to put at least 1 or 2 caresses onto the troupe, maybe remove the guns, they aren't particularly great, and 8 more s5 ap-2 attacks would go a long way to giving the unit some teeth.  I also think 4 cp is going to be excessively tight for clowns, they burn cp quick.  I play harlies and DE so I don't have much input on your CWE, but you play them so I will assume that part of the list is good, or someone with more CWE knowledge than me can offer input.

 

Honestly though I don't see a footslogging unit of 5 harlequins doing you much good, they are probably dead turn 1 or 2 mid table most games.  They are an expensive army (point wise) and it takes a reasonable investment of points to get mileage out of them.  Harlies need starweavers, or just run skyweavers instead of the foot clowns.  Not trying to rain on your parade, you did ask for an opinion on list set up.  For what you are doing with your ghost army, an outrider of bikers would likely be the better choice as you build the force up.  If skyweavers aren't your thing though then you are going to need to get those clowns a clown car.  That is from a critical point of view of course, and once again, as always, run what you think is fun

Edited March 6, 2020 by GrinNfool

[Zephaniah Adriyen]

So, a couple things.  First I think you need to look at riddlesmiths again, its roll two dice at the start of the fight phase and discard the HIGHEST, unmodified hit rolls of that exact value before modifiers always miss.  Lowest of two dice will usually be a 3 or less, most often a 3 or 2.  Aside from against leaders a 2 is usually useless a 1 is always useless.  If you aren't fighting faction with a 3+WS then their ability does nothing more than 50% of the time.  I am not sure where you are getting a 6+ to hit but that is not right.

Misread the ability, thought it was "opponent has to hit the exact roll, everything else is a miss".

 

Might suggest Frozen stars for +1a,  or silent shroud since its just a patrol they have a 2 cp strat that would make the unit immune to overwatch.

Mm, Frozen Stars rules, for sure.

 

I play harlies and DE so I don't have much input on your CWE, but you play them so I will assume that part of the list is good, or someone with more CWE knowledge than me can offer input.

The Craftworlds are slow, but hit like a truck when they get where they're going. They like to advance forward in a blob of Wraithguard while the Wraithlords hang back and shoot, with the Spiritseer in the thick of it to buff those Wraithcannons. If they survive - which is one of the reasons I took Protect/Jinx, to help them survive - they hit very hard, with S10 AP-4 weapons with either flamer hits and 1 damage or 1 shot and D3 damage, depending on the squad. Once I get stuck in, I generally hit the most threatening unit with Prot/Jinx, to make them worse at saving attacks, and hit them hard. They're a shock troops list.

 

Honestly though I don't see a footslogging unit of 5 harlequins doing you much good, they are probably dead turn 1 or 2 mid table most games.  They are an expensive army (point wise) and it takes a reasonable investment of points to get mileage out of them.  Harlies need starweavers, or just run skyweavers instead of the foot clowns.  Not trying to rain on your parade, you did ask for an opinion on list set up.  For what you are doing with your ghost army, an outrider of bikers would likely be the better choice as you build the force up.  If skyweavers aren't your thing though then you are going to need to get those clowns a clown car.  That is from a critical point of view of course, and once again, as always, run what you think is fun

Plan is actually to start from here and build up the force to a 2k someday with some Haemonculus Coven and some Harleys vehicles, specialists, etc. Not Ynnari - just mixed.

 

Edit: How about this, for the Harleys segment? I tweaked some things based on your input - the Craftworld segment is unchanged.

++ Patrol Detachment (Aeldari - Harlequins) [9 PL, 150pts] ++

 

+ Configuration +

 

Masque Form: The Frozen Stars: Hysterical Fury

 

+ HQ [4 PL, 67pts] +

 

Troupe Master [4 PL, 67pts]: Fusion Pistol [7pts], Harlequin's Blade, Player of the Dark, The Starmist Raiment, Warlord

 

+ Troops [5 PL, 83pts] +

 

Troupe [5 PL, 83pts]

Player [1 PL, 11pts]: Harlequin's Blade, Shuriken Pistol

Player [1 PL, 18pts]: Harlequin's Kiss [7pts], Shuriken Pistol

Player [1 PL, 18pts]: Harlequin's Kiss [7pts], Shuriken Pistol

Player [1 PL, 18pts]: Harlequin's Caress [7pts], Shuriken Pistol

Player [1 PL, 18pts]: Harlequin's Caress [7pts], Shuriken Pistol

 

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Edited March 6, 2020 by Zephaniah Adriyen

[GrinNfool]

So nothing you do at 150 points is going to keep your clowns alive, so I wouldn't stress to hard on it, its only 1 box you are experimenting with.  Until you get star weavers and/or more clowns, or bikes its just how its going to be.  If you are going to foot slog clowns (not a fantastic idea but you can) you want to keep a shadowseer near them for -1 to hit psychic and -1 to wound aura, and have more than 5 in a squad.  Shadowseer could also slingshot them with a second movement via psychic.   I personally like shoving them in clown cars with ~3-4 fusion pistols in each car, run as soaring spite, and do melta drive bys. 

 

For what you are trying to do here though you want to keep most of the points on the clowns limited to a few models, so taking casualties doesn't lose you points, because you are going to take casualties.  Something like this should be fine

 

Troupe master w/ fusion/caress

 

5x clowns 3 naked 1 fusion caress 1 caress

 

That comes out to the 150 you are trying to get and keeps your upgrade points a little safer.  In the unlikely event the harlies make it, they are equipped to cause havoc and can take a few losses without impacting them much.

Edited March 8, 2020 by GrinNfool

[Zephaniah Adriyen]

So nothing you do at 150 points is going to keep your clowns alive, so I wouldn't stress to hard on it, its only 1 box you are experimenting with.  Until you get star weavers and/or more clowns, or bikes its just how its going to be.  If you are going to foot slog clowns (not a fantastic idea but you can) you want to keep a shadowseer near them for -1 to hit psychic and -1 to wound aura, and have more than 5 in a squad.  Shadowseer could also slingshot them with a second movement via psychic.   I personally like shoving them in clown cars with ~3-4 fusion pistols in each car, run as soaring spite, and do melta drive bys. 

 

For what you are trying to do here though you want to keep most of the points on the clowns limited to a few models, so taking casualties doesn't lose you points, because you are going to take casualties.  Something like this should be fine

 

Troupe master w/ fusion/caress

 

5x clowns 3 naked 1 fusion caress 1 caress

 

That comes out to the 150 you are trying to get and keeps your upgrade points a little safer.  In the unlikely event the harlies make it, they are equipped to cause havoc and can take a few losses without impacting them much.

Thing is, box only comes with two Caresses.

[GrinNfool]

swap the guy w/o a fusion to an embrace then, they are pretty similar in performance, you will come in 1 point under then but is what it is.

[Zephaniah Adriyen]

They got here this morning - I'm gonna build them as you directed. I figure they're about the same appearance-wise, and you know better than I do how good Harleys can be.