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Superheavies and Special vehicles in Eldar Hosts [Broken HTML]

Submitted By: Date: September 29, 2005, 05:44:57 AM Views: 5357
Summary: <p class="body">Now you have your heavy support; your wraithlords, Fireprisms, Falcons and Warwalkers, but as the dangers on the other side of the battlefield mount, you need something more. The answer is simple; <b>escalate</b>.<br /> <br /> There are a few super-heavies and other extraordinary vehicles worth mentioning, and after reading this article you will have at least a few ideas to work from.<br /> This article outlines the different available Eldar specialist-vehicles and super-heavies around, as well as the flyers, along with a reference to where the rules for the vehicle is to be found.<br /> Enjoy</p>


<p class="subheader">Specialist Tanks</p>
<p class="body">Specialist tanks are tanks designed for a specific purpose, and that does not fill another battlerole with ease. There are two of these for the Eldar; the Nightspinner and the Fire storm.</p>
 
<p class="subheader1">Night Spinner</p>
<p class="body">The specialist tank appears on page 12-13 in Imperial Armour II.

Now this is an odd vehicle indeed. It sports a weapon with one of the better ranges in the entire Eldar armoury, and this is fitted to a fast skimmer-body. This is very strange. Why give near-unsurpassed speed to something with fantastic range. On top of this the guns are really not that impressive. You can get those on the ground for a lot less points, and save yourself the money. There is a use for this tank, on extremely large boards, or when the store has run out of normal shadowweavers, but it seems odd. I would rather use the VDR (Chapter Approved 2004) to make this tank with a bit more punch.

The model looks good, but I have an old Doomweaver (the tank’s predecessor) from Epicast, that I am sticking to.</p>
 
<p class="subheader1">Fire Storm</p>
<p class="body">This specialist tank is found on page 27 of Imperial Armour Update 2004.

The Eldar lack anti-aircraft fire on ground-based units. The Nightwing and other interceptors can normally handle flyers, but if you are not interested in investing that sort of money, or just want to add a tank with a bit more flair then the Firestorm is your best bet. Along with its anti-air-capacity it can also dish out a great deal of fire at incoming lighter groundvehicles, and can easily double as landspeeder-stopper.

The model itself, just like the Nightspinner, is a modified Falcon, and has an array of guns clustered on the tower in a way that makes some love it, and others hate it.</p>
 
 
{mospagebreak}<p class="subheader">Superheavy tanks</p>
<p class="body">The Eldar go to war in the engines of Vaul, and while some are light and fast, like the Waveserpent, Falcon and Fireprism (formerly known as the Deathstalker, but that’s another story) others are huge constructs, and use the warmachine-rules. These are the Scorpion and the Cobra.</p>
 
<p class="subheader1">Scorpion</p>
<p class="body">This super-heavy tank is found on page 14-15 of Imperial Armour II. Updated rules are found on page 28 of Imperial Armour Update 2004.

Now this is true firepower. This tank has everything you would want in a tank. It can kill scores of heavy infantry per turn, or lay waste to vehicle-squadrons, or tightly packed tanks. It is a killer, and that is what you pay for. However, a note of warning is due here. The tank, as formidable as it may seem, cannot stand a lot of fire, and will crumble eventually. The times I have used it it has had a lot of trouble earning its points back with its firepower, but it draws a lot of incoming fire, keeping it off the rest of the army.

There are two models for this tank from Forgeworld, but I prefer the older Tempest from Armourcast (now long out of production).</p>
 
<p class="subheader1">Cobra</p>
<p class="body">This super-heavy tank is found on page 16-17 of Imperial Armour II.

Imagine three Falcons slapped together and that this vehicle-behemoth would have its pulselasers replaced with a super-version of a D-cannon. Then you are getting close to what this is. The Cobra is among the nastiest tanks out there, just for the sheer killingpower it possesses. It does not handle heavy infantry as its cousin the Scorpion, but it will make short work of anything bigger, like heavy bugs (See optional rule on page 48 of Imperial armour Update 2004) or other Warmachines. It kills imperial and other warmachines a lot easier than it gets killed itself, and if you know you will be facing a Baneblade or such, then this is the vehicle of choice.

The model is a modified Scorpion with a new gun, and looks ok, but not nearly as original as the old Warphunter this tank is based on. As far as I know there was never a 40k-scale version of that tank made available, so if you don’t like the Cobra-design then there is some heavy converting in your future.</p>
 


 
<p class="subheader">Flyers</p>
<p class="body">The Eldar are known for their hit-and-run tactics, and these are made complete with airsupport. The Eldar have three crafts of this class available to them; the Nightwing, the Phoenix and the Void Dragon Phoenix.</p>
 
<p class="subheader1">Nightwing</p>
<p class="body">This flyer is found on page 18 of Imperial Armour II.

This is really a nice cheap (pointwise) flyer that can be used to hunt tanks and generally scare your opponent. It is not a gamewinner like the Scorpion might be, but then again, it is less than half its points, so it should never be, either. It is not heavily armed, which is a disappointment to some players out there who wanted a gunship, but it is a nice antiflyer, and can also bust tanks fairly well.

The model is one of Forgeworld’s more dynamic designs, and if you build it correctly it is even posable to a degree.</p>
 
<p class="subheader1">Phoenix</p>
<p class="body">This flyer is found on page 24 of Imperial Armour Update 2004.

This is a non-superheavy tankhunter-flyer. While you chew on that definition I can tell you that this is an all-around-flyer, able to take out the odd tank as well as lighter infantry, or enemy aircrafts, and still have some firepower left over. It is not overly expensive, pointwise, but provide a fair deal of firepower, while staying alive long enough to deliver it. It is a decent all-round flyer, and a fine compliment to your heavy support.

The model is one the cleanest from Forgeworld, with long sweeping lines and not a lot of useless decorations, like some of the other models suffer from. This might put you off it, or make it more attractive, but in either event beware this; the model is pretty hard to assemble, as far as I have heard, and you might want to think it over a few times.</p>
 
{mospagebreak}<p class="subheader1">Void Dragon Phoenix</p>
<p class="body">This flyer is found on page 25 of Imperial Armour Update 2004.

Where the Phoenix is an all-round flyer the Void Dragon Phoenix is an anti-infantry flyer. It is equipped with enough firepower to deal with pretty much any infantry in the game but lacks the punch to deal with heavy tanks or warmachines. It is a rather strange machine as the Eldar have enough anti-infantry firepower walking/skimming around to deal with most such threats without investing in something this expensive, but it is explosive, and has some durability, especially against armies with fewer anti-armour weapons at their disposal.

The model is one if Forgeworlds “cheaper" models, and I don’t mean in cost, but in design. It is a converted Phoenix, simply, and has another assortment of weapons and decorations, but is basically the same flyer.</p>


 
 
<p class="subheader">Super-heavy Flyers</p>
<p class="body">This class of vehicles are like the flying fortresses of the Eldar host, or the flying equivalent of a super-heavy tank. They are intimidating in cost, both for the model and on the field, but generally get a few looks. There are two of these; the Vampire Raider and the Vampire Hunter.</p>
 
<p class="subheader1">Vampire Raider</p>
<p class="body">This super-heavy flyer is found on page 20-21 of Imperial Armour II. Options are found on page 23 of Imperial Armour Update 2004.

When looking at this thing (rules-wise, not modelwise) you are intimidated (you will be by the pricetag as well, and by the stunning model). It is a hefty chunk of points, and a LOT of armour, and weapons, and transporting-space. This is a lander, pure and simple. It is heavily armed and fitted to withstand quite a shelling without dropping like a rock, and it can carry a stunning number of troops, equal to five Falcons. It is heavy, large and scary, and in a small-point game will never make its points back by firepower alone. However, if you have it in a bigger game and scare the opponent with what is carried in there, seeing him shooting at the massive flyer before it lands and lets out its troops then it is worth its points, surely.

The model is one of the bigger flyers in the game, and will cost you a fair wad of cash, but if the aesthetics appeals to you there is nothing finer to top off a large hosts. For a first super-heavy, however, it is a truly poor choice.</p>
 
{mospagebreak}<p class="subheader1">Vampire Hunter</p>
<p class="body">This super-heavy flyer is found on page 22-23 of Imperial Armour Update 2004.

If you thought that the Raider was a heavy-hitter then you should check out the Vampire Hunter. This is the Scorpion of the skies, sporting an impressive array of weapons meant to deal death to pretty much anything it wants short of heavy warmachines. It is extremely costly, and will have a tough time earning its points back unless you are firing at other warmachines, but if you do then you should be able to hurt a lot of people with this. It has low armour, but since it is a flyer and has a field and enough structure points it is likely to survive engagements even again fortified opposition.

The model is among the largest of Forgeworld, and, as its brother the Vampire Raider, will set you back a bit financially. If you are fighting super-heavies and don’t want a tank, this is the flyer for you.</p>
 


 
<p class="subheader">Titans</p>
<p class="body">The titans are the largest of the Eldar constructs, and while there is only one of these in current production it is the focal-point of any Host that fields it, or any collection that houses it; the Revenant Scout Titan.</p>
 
<p class="subheader1">Revenant Scout Titan</p>
<p class="body">This machine is found in Imperial Armour 2005.

This is the mother lode of Eldar Superheavies; our very own Titan! This beast is graceful, tall, imposing, and very very expensive (at least money wise) but might well make it up on the field. The rules from Forgeworld has it a bit more expensive than a Scoprion, and with comparable firepower, just a bit more of it, as well as another design. The two units operate in a very similar way, and can deal with very similar targets. Surprisingly the Revenant does not really well against other warmachines, and certainly not against warmachines in the same pointrange, but it is a nice model and a nice addition to a bigger host. I would not say that it is a game-winner, especially not when facing other warmachines, but against a “normal" army it can be truly indimidating, and draw a LOT of fire.

The model is one of Forgeworld’s most ambitions projects to date, with a lovely “light" pose and some stunning designwork. There is even an alternative model, with alternative load out and some other details changed on it. There is an older Revenant titan-model that was made by Armourcast, and while this looks considerably heavier and studier, it can still use the same rules. Which model you like the best is all up to you, as the aesthetics of one might appeal to some and repulse others. </p>
 
 
{mospagebreak}<p class="subheader">The Others</p>
<p class="body">There is a range of other specialist and superheavy vehicles worth mentioning, even though they are only marginally part of the 40k-system. Some are featured in the Epic Swordwind (<A HREF="http://www.specialist-games.com/epic/assets/pdf/swordwind/swordwindpt1.pdf">Link here</A>)</p>

<p class="subheader1">Phoenix bomber</p>
<p class="body">The bomber is basically a Phoenix variant with nightspinner-weapons to blow apart large troop-structures and disrupt lighter vehicles. If you have nothing better to do with your Phoneix and want this capacity the possibility of converting a unique aircraft of your very own.</p>
 
<p class="subheader1">Stormserpent</p>
<p class="body">This is a super-heavy transport with a twist. It does not contain the transported troops as such, but a webway portal that leads to whatever location the troops are actually are at. For being a super-heavy it is armed very lightly, but it is not meant to be a gunship, but as a glorified Waveserpent. It can soak up a great deal of punishment, and offers some nice conversion-possibilities.</p>
 
<p class="subheader1">Voidspinner</p>
<p class="body">The super-heavy version of the nightspinner does a bit more than just bomb a target with monofilament wires, but actually cuts down the molecules and re-seeds the ground for Eldar colonisation. It is a nasty weapon and I have no idea how to best model it in the VDR, but the possibility is there if you want a unique super-heavy.</p>
 
<p class="subheader1">Eldar Knights</p>
<p class="body">This is a bit of a one-off. The Knights (Towering Destroyer, Firegale and Bright Stallion) never had any official rules at all, but were made by Armourcast (at least the Tower Destroyer) and has been made in smaller numbers by other people with or without license from GW. Making rules for them using the VDR is simple enough if you get hold of one of these models, which is a fair bit harder.</p>
 
<p class="subheader1">Phantom Titan</p>
<p class="body">The Phantom titan has been around a while in Epic, and has even gotten a 40k-scale model from Armourcast (these pop up on ebay every once in a while) and is among the biggest and scariest things in the entire game of 40k. Rules for it would be VDR pushed to its limit, but no matter how you make it I am sure it will be a frightfully powerful and durable thing, as it should be.</p>
 
<p class="subheader1">Warlock Titan</p>
<p class="body">The Warlock is a Phantom-variant with a psychic add-on in the form of a new head and a massive psycannon. This would be another hard thing to model in the VDR, as well as converting/building the parts to modify a Phantom with, but I am sure it would be stunning on the field of battle. Good luck.

There are rumours of a Harlequin-head for the Phantom Titan too, to make a Harlequin-class Eldar titan. Now there's a thing to have nightmares about.

 

 

I hope this offers a first insight into the bigger world of Vaul’s engines, as well as tell you where to proceed in your quest to expand your Host.</p>

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