1. A lot of work there, well done.
2. The formatting is not a joy to trawl through, especially since you have not made enough spaces between things, making it just huge slabs of text like that. It makes reading your work harder than it should have to be.
3. It is obvious you have thought a lot about this, but I have to question if you have playtested it at all? It seems to be a paper-construct, and a few places seem, to me, to be hotbeds of exploits and things people could use to add a side order of cheese to their army.
4. Now I am going to sound hard in this, but bear in mind that if I said “This is fine” or “That's really good” for everything I had no quarrel with we would be here until Christmas. Anything not mentioned here is fine and dandy, and well done. Now, onto the things that are not fine and dandy, which is why you posted, isn't it?
* Bright Lance: See Codex: Eldar page 22 or 68.
I think most of this section is unnecessary to be honest. I mean, most anyone who would read this would be satisifed with “See Eldar Codex for all wargear-stats not mentioned here”, especially when there are this many of them.
* Eldar Plasma Pistol: Rng: 12" S6 AP2 Pistol
With the fusionpistol in the list, why is this necessary? Simplicity is a good thing in fringe-lists like this.
Powerfists make little sense to me too. I mean, when you have rending and insta-kill, why would you want S6, especially when you lose the advantage of speed and more with it? It does not quite “fit in”.
* Splinter Cannon: See Codex: Dark Eldar page 13.
* Splinter Rifle: See Codex: Dark Eldar page 13.
I have trouble with adding DE-gear to the Harlequins by the virtue of the fact that the Harlequins still have ties to the soulstones (even though current fluff does not have them wearing them) and these things use wraithbone for ammo. It does not sit well with me. It also makes the Harlequins far too gothic.
However independent characters may use a different grenade even if they have joined a squad.
Here is an open exploit. I am sure some playtesting would show exactly how. I think you need to revise this.
* Defensive Grenades: See the 5th edition rulebook pages 36 and 63.
The Harlequins as defensive? Not really the style they are portrayed with in the fluff. At all.
* Domino Field: Improves the holo field save to a 4+ Invulnerable, and all models in close combat with a Harlequin equipped with a domino field have their weapon skill halved when assaulting or being assaulted by the model with this piece of wargear.
I like this. If it wasn't adding so much complexity to the way attacks are worked out in a squad then I think this is something similar t what I would have included. However, for 5th ed it was a bit too cumbersome for me.
* Dread Mask: Any enemy units in combat with a model wearing a dread mask rolls an additional d6 for all their leadership checks.
That is like knocking half the Leadership off a Guardsman, mathmatically speaking. That is really quite rough.
* Hallucinogen Grenades: Models with these that charge into close combat count as having done 1 extra wound when resolving assaults. The effects of these grenades do not stack. If the harlequin unit is in combat with a fearless or stubborn unit these effects become inert. These have no use against vehicles.
Again adding a lot of complexity, and this is another one open for exploit.
* Powerblades: Power Gloves and Riveblades will not benefit from this piece of wargear.
As their combination is prohibited elsewhere, this line is just needlessly redundant.
Great Harlequin 0-1 ... 45 points
WS 6/ BS 5/ S 3/ T 3/ W 3/ I 7/ A 3/ Ld 10/ Sv -
I7 is a stretch. It makes him par with some of the hardest hitters in the game, and for a lot less points.
The Great Harlequin may also purchase a single Dance.
Dances: Dances remain in effect for as long as the Great Harlequin is not destroyed or otherwise removed as a casualty.
This means he can sit on one end of the Apocalypse-sized battlefield and affect Harlequins
everywhere, not to mention disrupting any and all deep strikers. Reserves are well and truly gimped by your list too, with the combination of the Dance and the Muck-up.
Shadowseer 0-1 ... 25 points per model
WS 5/ BS 5/ S 3/ T 3/ W 2/ I 6/ A 2/ Ld 9/ Sv -
Squad 1-3 (Shadowseers are deployed at the same time, but do not need to be placed together.)
Woah there. 25 points each? Are you quite sure?
And 3 for 75 points? Gimme! If you can get three tougher-than-nails psykers as one slot for even twice the price it would be a bargain and then some.
Not too sure on force rod. Why not a Witchblade?
Master Mime ... 40 points per model
WS 6/ BS 4/ S 3/ T 3/ W 2/ I 7/ A 3/ Ld 10/ Sv -
Squad 1-2 (Master Mimes are deployed at the same time, but do not need to be placed together.)
Again I7. That is simply massive, when you think about it. Again, playtesting would show this I think.
6 of these guys ( 3 slots á 2 Master Mimes) with their rule would cost 240 points and cripple anyone with that special rule of theirs.
1-2: The Harlequin player may re-roll or force the enemy to re-roll the "Seize the Initiative" die once for each time this result comes up.
of course this breaks the “never re-roll a die more than once-rule, which is somewhere you don't want to take this list I think.
5-6: One enemy unit is forced to go to ground for the first game turn. Or one enemy vehicle is stunned for the first game turn.
Imagine a 1k game when you roll decently, and the entire enemy force is completely immobilised for a turn, and you have done nothing to pay for this; the unit is still rock-hard and able to tear them to shreds before they can lift their weapons. Imagine then that you give these 6 guys phasefields and some nasty weapon, like the disruptor, and you are back to the priests of 2nd ed (rushing down the field, enemy unable to stop them, and wasting a unit each before the battle starts). I don't think you want to go there.
Solitaire 0-1 ... 70 points
WS 7/ BS 5/ S 3/ T 3/ W 3/ I 8/ A 4/ Ld -/ Sv -
With everyone else being I7 this guy turns I8, making his head and shoulders taller than even the 10 millennia veterans known as the phoenix lords. I somehow doubt this is a good spot.
* Power Glove ... +15 points
Of course, with this heavy mitten he will be back at I1 again....
* Blitz Attack: The Solitaire's assault moves are always 12". For every full inch of this assault move not used to get into base contact with an enemy model. The Solitaire gains an additional attack for that round of assault. This rule replaces the normal extra attack for charging.
This gives him a total of +11 attacks....
* Fights Alone: The Solitaire is always alone. This frequently leads the enemy to ignore the Solitaire. This means that no enemy may fire on the Solitaire as long as it is not the closest target. Even if the Solitaire is the closest. The enemy unit that tries to fire on the solitaire must pass a leadership test or choose a different target. It also means that the Solitaire may not be joined by any independent character.
No, just no.
1.Either they can fire at him when he is the closest target - “ as long as it is not the closest target” or not “ Even if the Solitaire is the closest”. Maketh thine mind up-eth.
2.This is a seriously overpowered rule. With the loss of target priority from 4th ed this would make the Solitaire immune to fire for a LONG time, especially with a Veiled Shadowseer with troupe in front of him, and then he could tear into the opposition with ... ouch... 17 attacks on the charge. That's a bit tough.
* Spiritless: The Solitaire is immune to all psychic powers, and all attacks based on its leadership. The Solitaire also passes all leadership based rolls.
Immune to psychic powers? Does this means he can ignore the librarian's save? I don't think so, but a clarification would be nice. The fact that he can also ignore the massive power of a Librarian's Hellfire and such makes his far more dangerous than the Cullexus.
Eldar Allies 0-2 ... Use the point values in the respective codex.
A Harlequin may purchase allies from Codex: Eldar, Codex: Dark Eldar. Each allied unit uses up a slot from the Harlequin player's Elites slot in their force organization chart.
Only units from the respective codices's Troops sections may be used. Those units may take any weapon and wargear option that is allowed to them in their codex. The only exception are Dire Avengers from Codex: Eldar.
So the Dark Eldar fighting alongside the Craftworlders? Ouch.
And what is the exception for the Dire Avengers?
Harlequin Dedicated Transport
Venom ...
Squadron: 1-3
Either it is dedicated or it is a squadron. Or are you advocating that a squad may be split on up to three Venoms riding into battle in formation?
* Mime Disruption: The harlequin player rolls for all mime troupe squads' outflanking reserve roll on the opponent's turn. When the mime troupe arrives from reserve from outflank. They roll first for determining which table side the come on. The harlequin player then moves them onto the board as normal. Then the opponent makes their rolls and moves. After the mime troupe is placed on the table.
The mime troupe units then act as normal during the opponent's turn as if it was the harlequin player's turn for the rest of the game. Each phase of the opponent's turn, the opponent always moves/shoots/assaults first. After the opponent is finished for that phase. The harlequin player may then finish the phase with their mime troupes.
Please note that for the assault phase, the enemy declares all their charges first. Then harlequin player may declare their assaults. Nothing is changed if the enemy is successful in charging the mime troupe squad. If the enemy wasn't able to assault the mimes, say due to a unfortunate terrain test, then the harlequin player may try to make the charge.
There is a lot of busted sentences here, and I am having a hard time following what this rule is supposed to do, but from what I can read you are restructuring the enemy's first turn and allowing the Mimes to move about when the enemy is not looking. This is again ripe for exploits, and sets several precedents in the rules I am not sure you want to get into.
Chorus ... 7 points per model
The Shadowseer and the Warlocks are the Chorus of the Harlequins. Adding something completely new to make up for a tactical shortcoming is just unbalancing the list. It would make more sense just to allow them to ally with Dark Reapers and be done with it.
Harlequin Jetbike Squad ... 38 points per model
That is really cheap. How did you arrive at that number? With free Harlequin kisses to boot?
Venom Squadron ... 45 points per model
So why would you get them as dedicated when you can get them as independent taxi-units? Is there any advantage of taking them as dedicated at all?
Mockingbird Squadron ... 100 points per model
Mockingbird: BS 4/ Front 11/ Side 11/ Rear 10
Squadron: 1-3
Unit Type: Fast, Skimmer, Vehicle
Wargear: Twin-linked Shuriken Catapults
You have omitted the sonic cannon, which has gotten tougher in your revision with no pointincrease. That hardly seems fair does it?
And again, you have made somethign to absolutely tilt the balance of the list, adding a whooping 9 of these things at 1500 points easily, demolishing the entrie enemy army in the first turn.
Harlequin Spiritwalker ... 100 points per model
I can't see how a rather awesome 5++ save can cost only 10 points on something with a high Toughness as this, but please, share your math on it.
Looted Vehicle 0-1 ... As parent Codex.
This was excluded out of the 5th ed revision for the simply too cumbersome rules you have tried to simplify with this line, which made me chucke.
Typically, if you can come up with a logical reason that a harlequin army would be able to steal and operate the vehicle. Then more power to you.
Brilliant! Give me my monolith! Living metal with holofield! Baneblade with holo-field! Thunderhawk! Reaver titan!
I think that if you want to include this you need to do it on a very exclusive list of vehicles, not a “rule of thumb” as it is just an obvious hole for exploits. This list needs to include how many, if any, Harlequins may be transported in said vehicle, and so on.
Overall, there are two things you really need to do with this list.
1. Playtest playtest playtest.
2. Reformat the codex into a more legible format.
