New Catachans

[OttoVonAwesome]

8 hours ago, JayJapanB said:

I mean, plastic catachans have been around since 1999.

Don't point that out they'll end up in the legends graveyard. But yeah it's Scouts. A worse version of the two units we had rolled into one inferior unit that no one will field outside of killteam.

8 hours ago, JayJapanB said:

I mean, plastic catachans have been around since 1999.

Don't point that out they'll end up in the legends graveyard. But yeah it's Scouts. A worse version of the two units we had rolled into one inferior unit that no one will field outside of killteam.

[Old-Four-Arms]

As much as I want to see new plastic Striking Scorpions, I'm dreading how they're going to shoehorn the KT specialist roles in there.

 

@Valrak ; I'm expecting the new Scouts to be heavily based on the BT Neophyte models. Any more snippets ? I dunno.. shoulder-mounted heavy bolter ?

Mohican haircuts ? 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 27, 2023 by Old-Four-Arms

[jarms48]

I hope the new Catachans replace the current battleline datasheet and they're not some crappy "elite" option like that Kroot killteam. 

[Magos Takatus]

7 hours ago, Old-Four-Arms said:

As much as I want to see new plastic Striking Scorpions, I'm dreading how they're going to shoehorn the KT specialist roles in there.

 

@Valrak ; I'm expecting the new Scouts to be heavily based on the BT Neophyte models. Any more snippets ? I dunno.. shoulder-mounted heavy bolter ?

Mohican haircuts ? 

 

 

 

 

I agree with you about the specialist roles being a difficult fit into a Striking Scorpions squad, at least it might develop the lore of Aspect Warriors further. I'm not talking about Comms Experts, that's still a mystery to me, but a couple of Scorpions training to use what we currently consider Exarch-only weapons could be interesting. Having Aspect Warriors gradually learning these different fighting styles could be a way to practice fighting against different opponents, and when an Aspect Warrior finally becomes an Exarch they could pick up the relic version of the training weapon he'd been using. Or perhaps one of the Scorpions get access to the Biting Blade but in the hands of an Exarch it gets a major stat boost to represent the time spent training in all the different styles of the Aspect? Either way, a Scorpion Sniper does sound like a bit of a hard sell. 

[Cleon]

As a kill team, the narrow focus of aspect warriors doesn't really make sense. I wonder if maybe it's 5 scorpions and 5 rangers rather than a full team of Scorpions.

[Doctor Perils]

38 minutes ago, Cleon said:

As a kill team, the narrow focus of aspect warriors doesn't really make sense. I wonder if maybe it's 5 scorpions and 5 rangers rather than a full team of Scorpions.

This is what I hoped for the eldar ever since they showed us the "fireteams" system early in the edition, but I'm not sure we've seen any more mention of that since the compendium? The extra ranger bitz like the spotter, the holodeck and the knives certainly feel like they'd fit in KT. It's probably long enough since the rangers original release that they'd be comfortable creating an upgrade sprue for them too

Edited July 27, 2023 by Doctor Perils

[Emperor Ming]

9 hours ago, jarms48 said:

I hope the new Catachans replace the current battleline datasheet and they're not some crappy "elite" option like that Kroot killteam. 

They might be both like eldar corsairs, that would be interesting

[Chapter Master Valrak]

10 hours ago, Old-Four-Arms said:

As much as I want to see new plastic Striking Scorpions, I'm dreading how they're going to shoehorn the KT specialist roles in there.

 

@Valrak ; I'm expecting the new Scouts to be heavily based on the BT Neophyte models. Any more snippets ? I dunno.. shoulder-mounted heavy bolter ?

Mohican haircuts ? 

 

 

 

 

Hearing a Couple of Snipers and Heavy Bolters in there, guess we’ll see soon :)

[Kallas]

2 hours ago, Cleon said:

As a kill team, the narrow focus of aspect warriors doesn't really make sense. I wonder if maybe it's 5 scorpions and 5 rangers rather than a full team of Scorpions.

Something I think they should do for Kill Team is an all-Aspects Kill Team. Like, all-Scorpions, or all-Dire Avengers doesn't quite fit...but having the Aspects as the specialists works.

 

Have a core of, say, three or four Guardians as your 'Warrior'/basic grunt type, and then a choice of four of Aspects, with an Exarch option for each (and probably one Exarch for the whole team, maybe even a Warlock too):

• Dire Avengers - a couple of specialist possibilities, like a grenadier or overwatch specialist.
• Striking Scorpions - stealth and melee focused, could have a specialist like the VetGuard Zealot kind of thing.
• Howling Banshees - speed, could have a specialist type kind of like the Kroot Cut-skin, or Corsair Kurnathi.
• Dark Reapers - your typical heavy/special weapon model, your Gunners. Wouldn't really need a specialist type beyond that.
• Warp Spiders - having a teleport kind of action would be pretty unique.
• Swooping Hawks - Grenade pack to drop on people they fly over, or maybe the grenadier type here instead of the Avengers.

I doubt they'd do it, since they can't sell it to 40k as easily, but it'd be damn cool.

[GenerationTerrorist]

If true, I would be going all in for a Catachan army. Something I have wanted to do for at least two decades.

[Arendious]

38 minutes ago, Kallas said:

Something I think they should do for Kill Team is an all-Aspects Kill Team. Like, all-Scorpions, or all-Dire Avengers doesn't quite fit...but having the Aspects as the specialists works.

 

Have a core of, say, three or four Guardians as your 'Warrior'/basic grunt type, and then a choice of four of Aspects, with an Exarch option for each (and probably one Exarch for the whole team, maybe even a Warlock too):

• Dire Avengers - a couple of specialist possibilities, like a grenadier or overwatch specialist.
• Striking Scorpions - stealth and melee focused, could have a specialist like the VetGuard Zealot kind of thing.
• Howling Banshees - speed, could have a specialist type kind of like the Kroot Cut-skin, or Corsair Kurnathi.
• Dark Reapers - your typical heavy/special weapon model, your Gunners. Wouldn't really need a specialist type beyond that.
• Warp Spiders - having a teleport kind of action would be pretty unique.
• Swooping Hawks - Grenade pack to drop on people they fly over, or maybe the grenadier type here instead of the Avengers.

I doubt they'd do it, since they can't sell it to 40k as easily, but it'd be damn cool.

 

I know it's not represented on the tabletop, but aren't Dire Avengers technically the 'professional standing army' of the Craftworlders?  So maybe instead of Guardians, include a fire-team of 6 Dire Avengers, and mix-n-match other aspects for another 4-6 bodies to make an 'Asyurani Warparty'.

[Kallas]

9 minutes ago, Arendious said:

aren't Dire Avengers technically the 'professional standing army' of the Craftworlders?

Not really. Craftworlds generally don't have a 'standing army' per se - all of the Aspect shrines could be considered that, and they all absolutely would defend their craftworld; Guardians are more of a militia (citizens that take up arms, though they are a lot better trained that the term might typically imply). Dire Avengers are more just the most numerous: Asurmen was the first Phoenix Lord, and his shrines are by far the most common ones - which may or may not be just the justification for them previously being Troops in editions past!

 

Anyway, yeah, Avengers aren't a standing army, and Craftworlds typically wouldn't have one - Ulthwé's Black Guardians literally are a standing army, but they are unique (or at unusual) in that they actually have an official, permanent one.

12 minutes ago, Arendious said:

So maybe instead of Guardians, include a fire-team of 6 Dire Avengers, and mix-n-match other aspects for another 4-6 bodies to make an 'Asyurani Warparty'.

But yes, this could also be cool.

 

Another thought I had was to go Court of the Young King: make it a Kill Team of all Exarchs, maybe they were ready to awaken the Avatar but instead the threat was diverted and so they send off the assembled Exarchs to go do some stuff in a different way 

[MaximusTL]

personally, really hoping for these to be scouts - i think the guard definitely deserve love, but they have had multiple really good kill teams, while marines only got a cruddy phobos upgrade. i've been wanting updated scouts for a long time, and since im beginning an Ulthwé force, I would really enjoy this box.

[Emperor Ming]

4 hours ago, Chapter Master Valrak said:

Hearing a Couple of Snipers and Heavy Bolters in there, guess we’ll see soon :)

Bringing a heavy bolter these days is like bringing a spoon to a cannon fight

 

The Emperor maybe didn't take into account power creep when he said:

 

and with the mightiest guns they will be armed.

[LSM]

17 hours ago, Arendious said:

 

I know it's not represented on the tabletop, but aren't Dire Avengers technically the 'professional standing army' of the Craftworlders?  So maybe instead of Guardians, include a fire-team of 6 Dire Avengers, and mix-n-match other aspects for another 4-6 bodies to make an 'Asyurani Warparty'.

 

My longstanding thought was to do this sort of thing, but with the Guardian kit as the basis.

 

The fluff behind Storm Guardians is that they are those who had a background in one of the close combat Aspect Shrines, but are (essentially) "out of practise". I imagine the same is true for Guardian Defenders - they've trained in an aspect, but have spent most of their time in civilian roles. So they might still retain some degree of specialisation good for a Kill Team.

 

And the Guardian kit is pretty meaty. Ten bodies, S. Cats/Pistols, chainswords, swords, power swords, lots of heads, pointing arm, binoculars arm, controller arm, grenade arm, shield/heavy weapon platform, flamers, fusion guns.

 

An upgrade sprue to create specialists based on the Aspect Shrines would be pretty simple to pull off.

• Dire Avenger head to go with the existing shuriken catapult.
• Fire Dragon head and meltabombs to go with the existing fusion gun.
• Howling Banshee head to go with the existing power sword and pistol.
• Striking Scorpion head to go with the existing chainsword and pistol.
• Dark Reaper head to go with the heavy weapon platform controller.
• Swooping Hawk head, wings, and lasblaster.
• Warp Spider head, jump generator, and deathspinner.
• Any other accoutrements that will fit on the sprue (tabards, etc. other weapons if there's room).

[TheMawr]

On 7/25/2023 at 12:18 PM, Chapter Master Valrak said:

Scouts vs Scorpions, trust me :) 

Honestly the evidence does lineup for this too, why would they add scout transfers for the first time and at around the same time retire the scout kit, for wich they never made scout transfers troughout their long existence. ( altough I guess while technically that indicates new scouts, it does not indicate new scouts in kill team specifically )

 

With the other catachan discussions.. i always felt that a catachan unit should be more jungle fighters that happen to be catachans rather than catachan guardsmen that happen to be jungle fighters... if this makes any sense at all.

They will be your battleline ( and conversion basis) for a catachan army, but outside of that.. you can just as well use them as a unit of cadian jungle fighters or atillan jungle fighters. The jungle fighters being the key element ( especially in rules) not the catachan part.

 

As for the striking scorpions, i agree im curious to see how it pans out, one aspect warrior unit in current kill team makes no sense. My main theory is still that the kill team itself technically might not be striking scorpions ( but you can build them).. i could see that the KT side is its entirely own thing and possibly entirely new thing.. maybe a scorpion shrine on the planet that has been so disconnected for so long that they became their own little rogue/outcast community that do not necessarily follow the path system... and thus allow for more varied looks ( could be interesting fluffwise if the last contact they had was when arha was Phoenix lord ;) ) 

Either way i do kind of expect it to be 5 "striking scorpions" plus 2-4 other more individual things like we see in warcry, even though the 10man kit pattern does fit scouts better.

 

 

[MegaVolt87]

Any guardian type doesn't make sense to me for a eldar kill team. An all mixed aspect one makes more sense. Should cap at x5 of one type of each aspect to show who is taking the lead in that instance. 

[Emperor Ming]

I'm not sure there would be primaris scouts,

 

Since they don't leave the pods until they are fully ready and all the implants are ready, its not like the old system of picking the best of the best, then starting the implant procedure then becoming scouts etc etc

 

 

[Orion]

4 minutes ago, MegaVolt87 said:

Any guardian type doesn't make sense to me for a eldar kill team. An all mixed aspect one makes more sense. Should cap at x5 of one type of each aspect to show who is taking the lead in that instance. 

Mixed aspect might make sense for KT, but I think they'd always plan on making future kits that run double duty as a release for 40k.

And GW don't seem to love mixing unit types. (I always get rolled running compendium tau)

[Blindhamster]

4 minutes ago, Emperor Ming said:

I'm not sure there would be primaris scouts,

 

Since they don't leave the pods until they are fully ready and all the implants are ready, its not like the old system of picking the best of the best, then starting the implant procedure then becoming scouts etc etc

 

 

It was only the original ones that did that, primaris go through the normal process for the vast majority of instances and chapters now.

 

up to date creation of a space marine with the extra primaris organs also shows this

 

also worth noting some chapters had the rapid creation process before anyway, blood angels spend a year in the sarcophagus and come out with all organs and crept the carapace which they still have to earn through scout duty. 

Edited August 1, 2023 by Blindhamster

[Squark]

4 minutes ago, Emperor Ming said:

I'm not sure there would be primaris scouts,

 

Since they don't leave the pods until they are fully ready and all the implants are ready, its not like the old system of picking the best of the best, then starting the implant procedure then becoming scouts etc etc

 

 

Errr....

 

We already have primaris neophytes for Black Templars. Just not for other chapters yet.

Edited August 1, 2023 by Squark

[Orion]

3 minutes ago, Emperor Ming said:

I'm not sure there would be primaris scouts,

 

Since they don't leave the pods until they are fully ready and all the implants are ready, its not like the old system of picking the best of the best, then starting the implant procedure then becoming scouts etc etc

 

 

The lore is scuffed but BT Primaris Neophytes are what you're gonna get.

It's like a reverse of how Black Templars got them in the first place, haha.

 

 

[jaxom]

41 minutes ago, Emperor Ming said:

I'm not sure there would be primaris scouts,

 

Since they don't leave the pods until they are fully ready and all the implants are ready, its not like the old system of picking the best of the best, then starting the implant procedure then becoming scouts etc etc

 

 

It was always in the Primaris lore that Chapters would use the additional three gene-seed cultures on their neophytes following their normal traditions. This is why I wish they hadn't back-tracked on the 200 year time jump, because then most Chapters would be Primaris, but not Cawl-Primaris. Instead, we're at the point where most Primaris are either from Cawl-pods or crossed the Rubicon.