Excitement is rising as Codex: Aeldari is just days away from being available to pre-order, and with it comes an expanded suite of rules. One of the most entertaining parts of the new Codex experience is discovering all of the cool things you can do with the new Detachments on offer, so today we’re having a dig through them with the help of Warhammer Community’s own Aeldari experts.
First, an overview – Codex: Aeldari includes eight Detachments. The Battle Host Detachment from their Index has changed significantly – and is rechristened the Warhost Detachment – thanks to the expansive changes to their army ability. Alongside it comes the Windrider Host, Guardian Battlehost, Spirit Conclave, Seer Council, and Aspect Host, each of which focus on one of the key elements of the Aeldari roster, while the Ghosts of the Webway and Devoted of Ynnead let you build your army around the Harlequins and Ynnari respectively.*
Warhammer Community writer Luke’s Craftworld Biel-tan army is already patterned after the Court of the Young King – a gathering of Aspect Warriors from each shrine that fight as a single immensely skilled war host with the immolating might of the Avatar of Khaine at their fore. This makes the Aspect Host Detachment the perfect way to muster these elites-among-elites, as their Path of the Warrior Detachment rule is a flexible way to improve the rolls that each individual Aspect Shrine needs most.
Detachment Rule
Aspect Host: Path of the Warrior
The teachings of Khaine’s martial aspects are diverse and highly specialised, each completely lethal in its own nuanced fashion.
Each time an Aspect Warriors or Avatar of Khaine unit from your army is selected to shoot or fight, select one of the following abilities for it to gain until the end of the phase:
Each time a model in this unit makes an attack, re‑roll a Hit roll of 1.
Each time a model in this unit makes an attack, re‑roll a Wound roll of 1.
Most of the Detachment’s Stratagems can be used across any of the Aspect Shrines or on the Avatar itself, making your force equally powerful whether you opt for a fast-moving contingent of Swooping Hawks, Shining Spears, and Warp Spiders or a powerful and resolute band of Fire Dragons, Dark Reapers, and Dire Avengers.
A pair of Stratagems also provide alternate uses for the aspect shrine tokens supplied with each squad, with To Their Final Breath letting them lash out on death while Preternatural Precision grants your choice of useful keywords to shooting attacks.
To their final breath - 1CP
Aspect Host – Strategic Ploy Stratagem
As champions and defenders of a dying race, these warriors fight furiously to the very end.
WHEN: Fight phase, just after an enemy unit has selected its targets.
TARGET: One Aspect Warriors or Avatar of Khaine unit from your army that was selected as the target of one or more of the attacking unit’s attacks.
EFFECT: Each time you use this Stratagem, you can remove one Aspect Shrine token your unit has (see datasheets). Then, until the end of the phase, each time a model in your unit is destroyed, if that model has not fought this phase, roll one D6, adding 1 to the result if you removed an Aspect Shrine token during this usage of this Stratagem. On a 4+, do not remove the destroyed model from play; it can fight after the attacking unit has finished making its attacks, and is then removed from play.
Preternatural Precision - 1CP
Aspect Host – Battle Tactic Stratagem
Analysing their targets’ weaknesses with incredible skill, the Aeldari fire for lethal effect.
WHEN: Your Shooting phase.
TARGET: One Aspect Warriors unit from your army that has not been selected to shoot this phase.
EFFECT: Each time you use this Stratagem, you can remove one Aspect Shrine token your unit has (see datasheets). Then, select one of the following abilities, or select two of the following abilities if you removed an Aspect Shrine token during this usage of this Stratagem: [IGNORES COVER], [LETHAL HITS], [SUSTAINED HITS 1]. Until the end of the phase, ranged weapons equipped by models in your unit have the selected abilities.
The quartet of Enhancements on offer are all picked up by Autarchs and Autarch Wayleapers, who between them can lead any squad of Aspect Warriors bar Shining Spears and Crimson Hunters. These multi-purpose commanders can be outfitted with an assortment of weapons to fight at any range, and can boost their damage, durability, or objective-capturing prowess depending on the upgrade they take.
Enhancement
Aspect host: Strategic Savant
A commander who knows with absolute certainty which strategic goals must be achieved, this warrior can appraise the battlefield at a glance.
Autarch or Autarch Wayleaper model only. While the bearer is leading an Aspect Warriors unit, add 1 to the Objective Control characteristic of models in that unit.
We asked Warhammer Community designer Joel what his plans were and ran into a pickle, as he’s a die-hard devotee of the Ynnari and we’re already getting cosy with them later this week. The Seer Council have also piqued his interest, however, and that gives us a good chance to see what the sorcerous side of the Craftworld Aeldari are up to.
Strands of Fate finds a new home here as the Detachment rule for the Seer Council, and while veteran players will be familiar with their pool of Fate dice, they are used in an altogether different way here. Instead of manipulating dice rolls, they now grant your Farseers and Warlocks access to free Stratagems decided by the results you roll.
Detachment Rule
Seer Council: Strands of Fate
At the start of the first battle round, you generate Fate dice by rolling a number of D6 based on the battle size, as shown below. Keep your Fate dice to one side – this is your Fate dice pool.
BATTLE SIZE | NUMBER OF D6 |
Incursion | 2 |
Strike Force | 4 |
Onslaught | 6 |
Each time you use one of the Stratagems opposite, if your Fate dice pool contains one or more Fate dice showing the corresponding value in the table below, you can discard one of those corresponding Fate dice. If you do, reduce the CP cost of that usage of that Stratagem by 1CP.
STRATAGEM | FATE DICE VALUE |
Presentiment of Dread | 1 |
Forewarned | 2 |
Unshrouded Truth | 3 |
Fate Inescapable | 4 |
Isha's Fury | 5 |
Psychic Shield | 6 |
The random nature of your Fate dice means you can never quite be sure what you’ll get to unleash in the coming battle, but every one of the six Stratagems available is an immensely useful tool. Unshrouded Truth augments the already significant speed and agility of Aeldari infantry with a pocket teleportation trick that can see critical objectives secured in moments, while Psychic Shield prevents distant targets from being picked off by enemy sharpshooters – even after they’ve been chosen as the target.
Unshrouded Truth - 1CP
Seer Council – Strategic Ploy Stratagem
Dispelling the psychosomatic mirage that has so far beguiled and assailed the foe, the seer reveals the true location of the warriors it was masquerading as.
WHEN: Your Movement phase.
TARGET: One Asuryani Infantry unit from your army (excluding Wraith Construct units) that has not been selected to move this phase and is within 9" of one or more friendly Asuryani Psyker models.
EFFECT: Remove your unit from the battlefield and set it up again anywhere on the battlefield that is more than 9" horizontally away from all enemy models.
RESTRICTIONS: Until the end of the phase, your unit is not eligible to be selected to move.
Psychic Shield - 1CP
Seer Council – Strategic Ploy Stratagem
A twist of the seer’s psychic powers raises a whirling shield of empyric energy and psychokinetic debris to screen the Aeldari from enemy fire.
WHEN: Your opponent’s Shooting phase, just after an enemy unit has selected its targets.
TARGET: One Asuryani Infantry unit from your army (excluding Wraith Construct units) that was selected as the target of one or more of the attacking unit’s attacks and is within 9" of one or more friendly Asuryani Psyker models.
EFFECT: Until the end of the phase, your unit can only be selected as the target of a ranged attack if the attacking model is within 18".
If you want a tighter read on the skeins of fate, the Lucid Eye Enhancement is an invaluable tool that lets a psyker manipulate one result every Command Phase to make sure your favourites are always available when you need them. And, since you’re already fiddling with the cost of Stratagems, why not increase the cost of your opponent’s with the devious Torc of Morai-Heg?
Enhancement
Seer Council: Lucid Eye
Asuryani Psyker model only. In your Command phase, you can add 1 to or subtract 1 from the value of one Fate dice in your Fate dice pool.
Seer Council: Torc of Morai-Heg
Asuryani Psyker model only. Once per turn, when your opponent targets a unit from their army within 12" of the bearer with a Stratagem, the bearer can use this Enhancement. If it does, increase the CP cost of that usage of that Stratagem by 1CP.
There’s not long left until the Codex hits the pre-order page along with the brand new Phoenix Lord and Aspect Warrior miniatures, whether you’re starting anew or upgrading your own warhost. We’ll see you with the enigmatic scions of Ynnead and Cegorach tomorrow!
* More on these two later this week!
