Alaitoc war strategy relies, of course, on the Rangers and Pathfinders hit and run attacks, supported by surgical and precise strikes lead by small war hosts of Vypers and other light vehicles. Alaitoc Kill teams excel in assassination of leaders and charismatic commanders, leaving the soldiers frightened and disoriented. But when the time has come, Alaitoc Craftworld masters the way to crush his opponents without any ounce of pity, leaving them no chance of retreat or surrender. Buildings, vehicles, defense lines, soldiers and civilians are simply wiped out by the massive fire power of Alaitoc. Rangers provide information about the enemy�s weaknesses and the Alaitoc Warhosts know exactly when and where the weapons have to unleash storms of fire.

Battle lines of super heavy vehicles, aligning dozens of Cobras or Scorpions grav-tanks are not uncommon once Alaitoc decides to fight. As an example, more than three hundred Machines of Vaul were deployed in the conquest of Krayak�s Moon by Alaitoc Craftworld. Surprisingly, Imperials records are not very prolix about Alaitoc heavy firepower. The only explanation is that Alaitoc Farseers are particularly cautious when war is over to leave no evidence of the Craftworld presence in the sector or on a planet. Mystery and ignorance are, for them, the main weapons of Alaitoc.

Alaitoc policy of war is fully supported by the Craftworld�s titan clan: Fir Iarstilltann.

Fir Iarstilltann, or Swords of the Spirits, is the most secret of all Eldar titan clans. Highly religious and secretive, even for Eldar of their own Craftworld, the clan has developed during centuries of war, complex battlefield tactics and formations. Theses strategies are built upon divination powers of Farseers as well as rigorous examination of the opponent�s behavior. The unmatched lifespan of Eldar race is a source of superiority when analyzing battle tactics of other younger races whose commanders are at the best twenty times younger than the less experienced of the titan crewman. little is known about Fir Iarstilltann�s glorious history. In Tamahl IV campaign, during the final assault on the governor�s palace, Inquisitor Trant reported that  eight Eldar titans, acting as pairs, succeeded in destroying entirely the 20km-long bunkers lines filled with super heavy weapons turret. Each fighting pair was equipped with different Eldar weapons, dedicated to very specific task during the strategy development. Alternatively, successively, each Eldar formation used its weaponry to hit Imperial lines at long range, stopping for a while, retreating, then hitting more strongly at another place then retreated again. Unable to know the real target of Eldar titans, Imperial defenders spread their forces along the bunker line. Then, taking benefit of their speed, the eight titans moved quickly at a single point in the Imperial defenses and launched a massive assault on the walls of the palace. Four of the titans, equipped with close combat powerfists, moved inside the walls to engage imperial forces and to pull down defensive buildings while the remaining four provided them a long ranged support fire to prevent Imperial reinforcement and Leman Russ companies to reach the front line.

Suffering no loss and minor damage, Fir Iarstilltann titans bring victory to Alaitoc War hosts...

II. About Finnadan�.Phantom titan

Among Fir Iarstilltann, Alaitoc titan Clan, Warlock titans are very rare, probably because most of the dead Farseers of Alaitoc prefer integrating the infinity Circuit of the Craftworld, to continue their task as advisers following some ancient and strict religious convictions strongly anchored in Alaitoc Society. However, Light Revenant Titans are relatively common in Fir Iarstilltann, playing the role of scouts and harassing opponent�s flanks. The Phantom, or Finnadan, is the most common class of Alaitoc Titan. As its name suggests, the Phantom is fast-moving and very agile, embodying the Eldar military philosophy which prefers speed and mobility to heavy armor. Like all Eldar military vehicles, the Phantom is designed for beauty as much as function, and compared to an Imperial Titan it is very tall (more than 25 meters high), slim and fragile-looking. This appearance is largely deceptive, for the Phantom is strongly built, and can absorb at least as much damage as a Human Reaver Titan.

The Phantom has a crew of four - three living Eldar and one Infinity Circuit. The Infinity Circuit is normally mounted in the centre of the crew compartment in the Titan's head, and the living crew - frequently blood-relatives of the Infinity Circuit - occupy couches around it. Unlike their Human counterparts, they do not have specific functions. Each crew member is equipped with a headband in which is set a fragment of a spirit stone. By means of this they merge their minds with the Infinity Circuit, forming a composite mind capable of handling multiple thoughts and actions. This mind is linked to the Phantom's mechanical systems by Mind Impulse Units which are far in advance of those used by the Imperium. The superior design of Eldar Mind Impulse Units, coupled with the composite mind formed by the crew and Infinity Circuit, makes the Phantom Class a very flexible Titan, able to react quickly to an opponent's actions.

Fir Iarstilltann Phantom crewman are immediately recognizable by the Spirit Stone (called carrecenad) he or she wears upon their front head. This carrecenad is a small chunk of the spirit stone taken from the titan that the crewman is to serve. Upon becoming a titan crewman, a ceremonial band is wrapped by the Council of Farseers around Eldar�s head. Almost immediately, the band bonds to his skull and send tendrils to his brain. Upon taking his place in the cockpit, each crewman psychically links with the titan using the fragment of stone, becoming a single entity. The carrecenad can only be removed upon the Eldar�s death.
Like all Eldar, a Titan crewman bears a spirit stone on his chest, the shape of it reflecting the symbol of Fir Iarstilltann; a stylized sword. Because strong links are required between Titan�s crewmembers and the Phantom itself, it is usual for each crew to consist of Eldar from a single family. This affords them a great deal of respect within Alaitoc Craftworld hierarchy, as a family must truly be worthy and follow strictly the rules of the Path to serve Titan Clan. Thus, it�s considered as a huge dishonor for a family serving Fir Iarstilltann to have an Outcast or a Wanderer within its brotherhood.

The relationship between a Phantom's living crew and its Infinity Circuit is intimate and all-sharing; they know each other totally, and are marked by their ability to finish each other's sentences and thoughts out loud. With any other Eldar, this would be an unthinkable presumption, but Titan crews are know for the closeness they develop and the eccentricities that arise from it.

Technically speaking, Phantoms are very different from their Imperial counterparts. Unlike Human Titans, however, Phantoms do not make use of void shields. Instead, they have a system of defensive screens called datbedi ('between colours'). The screens project a holographic disruption pattern, whose dispersion is linked to the Titan's movement. Thus, when a Phantom moves, its image seems to explode into a storm of tiny multi-coloured shards. The faster it moves, the more scattered its image becomes. When it stops, the cloud appears to coalesce into a solid shape.

Eldar defensive screens are designed to disrupt enemy targeting rather than stop incoming fire as void shields do. Compared to Imperial Titans, the Phantom is vulnerable to damage, but its screens make it more difficult to hit. While many Imperial Titan commanders see this as a weakness, it is entirely in harmony with the Eldar conception of war; hit-and-run tactics are normally employed, with the Phantoms using their speed and agility to manoeuvre into an opponent's blind side before firing.

III. Banners and Iconography of Fir Iarstilltann

Fir Iarstilltann titan often carries banners as tabard between Titan�s leg, unlike other Craftworld Clans which prefer carrying banners on the weapons of the titan.
These banners show black symbols on a clear surface. Squadrons leaders or Warlock Titans exhibit always reversed colors.

IV. Fir Iarstilltann Phantom weapons.

IV.1. Description

For tactical flexibility, Fir Iarstilltann use extensively the whole range of Eldar super heavy weapons carried by titans. Phantom Titan carries two main weapons and two wing-mounted weapons. These weapons are almost always a combination of a Prism Cannon and a Phantom Missile Launcher, a powerful version of Eldar Missile Launcher carried by Phoenix Bombers.
Main weapons are even more destructive. Some are larger version of those carried by Light Revenant titans or super heavy tanks like Cobras or Scorpions like the dreaded Heavy Pulsar Cannon or the Long Barreled Distortion Cannon. Some other are gigantic version of Guardians weapons such as the Heavy Vibrocannon, able to demolish with a single shot the heaviest bunker, or the Heavy Thermic Lance, a big copy of Fire Dragon Exarch Firepike, measuring more than 15 meter long used to melt everything, including adamantium carapaces of Warlord Imperial titans!

If the Finnadan is armed with a large power fist, the Phantom version is called a Shade. On the contrary, a Phantom equipped with two long ranged weapons like two Heavy Pulsar Cannons are called Specters.

IV.2. WH40K Phantom titan stats.

Designer�s note


The stats I submit here are not inspired by 2ed WH40K rules already published in old Inquisitor journal. These old rules are not in accordance with new edition of WH40K and were not related to the stats of the Warhound titans published in �Imperial Armour update� Book. I tried to design balanced stats for the titan in itself and its weapons, starting from VDR rules ( GW Chapter Approved 2003) and from the close observation of the Phantom model compared to size and shape of �official� Forge World weapons carried on Scorpion and Cobra SHTs, Phoenix etc�

The cost in points of the titan have been first calculated strictly using VDR starting from the cost of upgraded superheavy weapons (it�s normally not possible to re-upgrade such weapons but in some case, it was compulsory to respect the size difference between a Scorpion and Phantom�s pulsar. More over, Epic Armaggedon trial rules for Eldar distinguish clearly between pulsars and bigger version carried by Phantom or Warlocks titans.
After some big games (over 10000 pts) played with the Phantom, it becomes clear that the cost of this machine was two high, mainly due to the strict application of VDR on expansive weapons. As an example, the cost of a pulsar (the single version of those carried by a Scorpion) is 180 pts. If you upgrade it as followed : +150% (improved) +50%(long cannon) =+200% it costs 540pts. OK, you�ll say it�s the cost but you can obtain even better stats(str:10) for a weapon starting from normal prism canon (55 pts) and upgrading it to gatling, mega, long barrelled, improved, heavy etc�
After long discussion with my opponents, I decide to reduce the calculated cost of the heavy pulsar to 300 pts.
That�s the reason why a fully equipped phantom cost (heavy pulsar+long distort cannon)  is not 1825 pts (according to stric VDR rules) but 1590 pts, nearly twice as a warhound.


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