-Masques are a really cool idea. But they should probably be similar to the Kindred Traits of the Kroot Mercs. In that the all Harlequins get x ability at y cost per model. Example: Masque of Awesomeness, All harlequins benefit from Furious Charge however if they're within charge range of an enemy that they dont wish to assault they must first pass a ld test or they will have to. Or Masque of Shifting Shadows, all Harlequins benefit from the Hidden Set-Up rule even during normal games and may make a Scout move without revealing what unit they are. However the enemy will always get the first turn.
That was tried initially, but the costs started gaining complexity, and this method was instead chosen to keep things simple.
-Death Jesters staying Elite. Now here are some changes from the CJ but I propose that they have a Normal Trouper's stats except with BS 4 and I 5. And instead of a Power blades their Shrieker Canon comes with a built in Executioner. Switching the weapon out with others would be cheaper (because they'd be sacrificing that S 5 power weapon, but they'd serve a more defined purpose).
Thisi s not represented on the models though, not at all. Powerblades are small things that the model could conceivably have on them without it being too aparent, but the executioner is just a whole nother ballgame. I think we should try to stick wo WYSIWYG, at least as basic loadouts go. Executioners as options might be more interesting, though.
--Simplifying the core Harlequin special rules. In keeping along with the simpler is better theme of 4th Ed. here are some suggestions.
Preternatural Dexterity: All Harlequins benefit from the Fleet special rule and have an Invunerable save of a 6, even against shooting attacks.
Flight Belt: Harlequins have a 3" attack radius instead of 2" and ignore difficult terrain when moving and assaulting. Their Invulnerable save becomes a 4+ in assault.
Holo-field: All succesfull to-hit rolls against a Harlequin must be re-rolled against a Harlequin, in both shooting and assaults. In addition any Guess range weapons will automatically scatter, even if a Hit result is rolled. D-fields DONT force a re-roll, they are just ONLY hit on a 6 (price would likely have to go up for that wargear).
The holo-field makes things a lot more complicated than a coversave. Imagine a large battle and having to tell your opponent that every shot he hits in the entire army against the Harlequins have to be re-rolled? It would take forever.
In honestly, the simplest way to handle all of this is just to combine the flip-belt save and the holo-field save to a single invulnerable save. How does that sound to all of you? 5+ across the board? But then, in all simplicity, if would work against everything, to not confuse the issue any further.
-Lose Hit and Fade.
Ok. Some math then.
Without hit and fade 10 Harlequins without special weapons charge an equal number of marines (in this case 17 of them). Let's assume that all get within killing-distance and can thus launch their 40 attacks (imagine that at +1 attack as per the suggestions above... lots of dice...) Now of those a total of 26 will hit, and out of those 8 wound. This results in 2.9, or 3 wounds unsaved. That's about 45 points. Now the marines hit back. 14 marines kill 2 Harlequins, or about 50 points. So far it looks ok, even though it does not bode well.
If the marines charge, the Harlequins still manage to kill 3 of them before they get to strike, but with the counterblow is nastier, killing 4 harlequins, with a 5+ cc-save. If the marines have frag-grenades the numbers are bleaker; Harlequins killing 48 points of marines while the marines kill 122 points. No, you think, what's the problem? Equal points overall, right, and the marines had the edge with the fraggrenades? Seems fair, and with special weapons the numbers shift to the favour of the Harlequin. Great huh?
That's not quite right though. The Harlequins are supposed to be really great att cc, and this is balanced by a lack of firepower. The Marines are to be a little above so-so level at both, but still manage to kill their points against Harlequins. In shooting it is a slaughter, as the harlequins can kill2 marines witha round of concentrated shooting, whereas the marines will kill 15 Harlies, or 1.5 times the points back, even with a 4+ coversave.
Hit and fade does not help the Harlequins when they get charged, as the rules is there as an incentive to plan and launch raids rather than to get charged, or get into protracted wars. With the current hit and fade the first charge would have hit 35 iunstead of 26, and wounded 11 instead of 8, killing another marine. Now those who scream that this is wildly unbalanced, pleased, before you do, run the numbers on this, and show me how the Harlequins can remain a potent force in cc, without shifting them over to a firepower-army, without some such rule. Please?
-Mimes would benefit from Preternatural Dexterity but not Flip Belts or Holo-fields. Instead they'll have Dusk-fields that make it so that anyone wishing to shoot at them will have to roll as if it were night fight. A points increase will likely be needed.
This would be increasing complexity again. We are trying to tone
down the special rules, not add more of them at this point. Besides, wit ha Shadowseer you can get that effect for your favourite Mime-troupe.
-Master Mime should have a stat line lower than the Great Harlies.
He does, on all counts except S and T... He also costs more. What are you reading?
-Models armed with Harle Kisses benefit from Rending. May still not be combined with Power blades (except for that additional attack).
In addition to or instead of their current rule?
-Keep Rive Blades as Power Weapon that auto kills on to wound rolls of 6. And no matter what toughness they will be wounded on a roll of a 6.
At what point-increase?
-I envisioned Harlequins as the Eldar Daemonhunters, in particular they're akin to the Greyknights themselves. As such they can be taken as allies, but can't take a whole lot of allies themselves (greyknights cant take SM allies, only Guard. And although it would make sense for the imperium to be able to call on any old guard regiment it doesnt flow quite so well with the Harlies.) Instead of the current slightly convoluted rules for Eldar allies their should just be a new unit. So I present:
They currently can't take that many allies, and not anything overly powerful either.
The current allies-rule is supposed to mimic the Harlequin ally-rules for other Eldar armies, but it has to be limited to avoid a lot of powergaming. How is a limited choice with limited options convoluted? Please elaborate.
Eldar Chorus. The Chorus are well, the chorus, they sing along with the dances. Composed of aspiring Harlequins culled from the many aspects of Eldar society, that either aren't ready to be mimes just yet or arent needed to be. They would have the statlines of a DE Warrior (because any Craftworlders would be in a more warlike state of mind, as though they were in their aspect identity and it would only be natural that their skills will have improved because of it) but they could be armed with shuriken catapults or shuripistols and ccws. For special weapons they would get different Edlar instruments that could prove usefull on the battle (similar to the old Eldar musicians from long ago). For each squad of Chorus you must first have a non compulsory Troupe squad, and yes the Chorus would take up a Troop slot of its own.
This would just make fora cheaper better mime, and adds nothing of the Allies-feel.
-Wraithlords should NOT require a Shadowseer but instead be 0-1.
The shadowseer is there to make sure that the wraithlord is not used in small-point battles, as he/she tends to drain a bit of points him/herself. A safeguard, as it were. And the spiritwalker is 0-1... Again, what are you reading? Are you readin the 3rd ed revision? If so, stop, and read the 4th ed one instead.
Now, it seems I have unfortunately taken the role of antagonist here. You all have some great ideas, and it seems I am shooting them down. This is not an indication that your ideas are bad as such, but that they either.
a) are poorly tested, or thought through, and would unbalance the game in ways you have not thought of yet.
b) breaks the Harlequins from the traditional feel that the Revision was set up to preserve. Novelty in its glory and all, but it is not what the Revision should be.
From the beginning I got a lot of feedback, and it formed the Revision into the basis of what it is currently. The majority of playtesting was performed by me and my group, and I have assumed the responsibility to safeguard the integrity of the list, as well as edit the changes that we have thought up. While the Community has helped form the Revision, I have been the one who have had to maintain it. As such, I am also stuck defending the views of previous contributors and playtesters, even though the ideas were not mine, against ideas that would thwart their hard work and unbalance or overpower (alternatively underpower) the ideas and thoughts they had.
I don't want to have to do that, and I hope none of you are taking it personally, but really, the Revision has found a state where it is pretty solid right now, and major shifts like the introduction of new units, major changes of rules, introducing new complexities and setting precedents (yes, it is one of my principal worries) would make the list
worse, not better. And I am not talking about a list-power worse, but a playablility and integrity-worse. I hope you can understand this.
In keeping with this I ask that before you make suggestions to radically change something; please, think it through first, do the math on it, playtest it and
then tell it to us for consideration. It is easy to spout out ideas, but it leaves me in the uncomfortable position of having to pick them apart, something I am not enjoying, currently. Please have some sympathy for this.