The latest version of the game changed the way we make armies. Battle forged vs. Unbound, and within Battle forged; Combined arms, Allied, or.. other formations that would be made available. Like in codex's.
The main, new element to Codex Eldar Craftworlds is the formation. Craftworld Warhost. This optional organization revolves around the player choosing one core choice, and then unlocking the ability to choose up to 12 plus the HQ. Now, I don't have bikes yet (yes, the new models look cool) nor do I have enough Storm Guardians to make that chore choice. So I'll take the Guardian Battle Host.
Guardian Battle Host
You must take the following:
1 Farseer
3 Units of Guardian Defenders (may add a weapons platform for free)
1 Vyper Squadron
1 unit of Warwalkers
1 Vaul Wrath Support Battery
Warlock conclave is 0-1
Once you fullfill that, you may unlock the others. Like the Aspect Host and Dire Avenger Shrine. You do all this to get the Command Benefit for the Craftworld Warhost. Matchless Agility: Any unit with a model from this detachment runs 6in instead of rolling for a run roll. That's pretty sweet for how much I use Battle Focus. Plus, many auxiliary choices or mini-formations have their own, fairly powerful, rules. What do I lose by taking the Craftworld Warhost? Objective Secured. The Eldar command benefit is Matchless Agility not Objective Secured. Interesting...
There are 3 Regents of the Warhost choices, you may have 0-3 per Guardian Battle Host
Heroes of the Craftworld - 1 Autarch, Prince Yriel, Eldrad, or Illic
Seer Council - 2 Farseers + 1 Warlock Conclave (Eldrad is optional)
Living Legends - 1 Avatar, or Phoenix Lord
There are 7 Auxiliary choices, you may have 1-12 per Guardian Battle Host
Outcasts - 1 unit of Rangers, Aspect Host - 3 units (in any combination) of the Aspects, Crimson Death - 3 Crimson Hunters, Dire Avenger Shrine - 3 units of Dire Avengers, Engines of Vaul - 1 unit of Fire Prism, Falcons, or Night Spinners, Wraith Host - 1 Spiritseer 3 Wraithguard or Blades 1 Wraithlord 1 Wraithknight, Wraith Constructs - 1 Hemlock or Wraithlord or Wraithknight.
I'll just go over a couple,
Aspect Host: Rites of Battle - after warlord trait choose either WS or BS, All units in this formation +1. Shrinekeepers - models from this formation re-roll failed morale, pinning, and fear tests.
So, I could take Dark Reapers, Warp Spiders and Fire Dragons, as my host. They would all be BS 5 with the Exarchs at 6. Oh mama! Or 3 units of Dire Avengers all BS 5...
But why do that when there is the Dire Avenger Shrine? - 3 Units of Dire Avengers, Killing Strike - once per game in the shooting phase they each fire +1 shot. Rites of the Avenger - all models in this formation add 1 to BS. Plus the Shrinekeeper rule.
I can see the Aspect Host and Dire Avenger Shrine being the backbone of my Antaries army.
Although units cannot normally belong to more then one Detachment, units from a formation in the Craftworld Warhost are an exception. They count as being part of their formation and the Detachment so they have all associated Command Benefits and special rules.
So what got toned down?
The Wave Serpent Shield. It now only fires once per game and then loses all benefits of the shield. That's tough. I never fired it much myself, but many on the internets used Serpent Shield spam.
The Scatter Laser no longer has the laser lock rule. It no longer twin links weapons.
Warp Spiders have to choose, either use the warp jump in the movement phase or the jet pack jump in the assault phase. A slight nerf. But they can jump in the enemy shooting phase if they are targeted. A mixed bag.
The Holofield is now a +5 inv save. A worse save then the +1 to the cover save, but you don't jink to use it. Different, not better or worse.
What got better?
Wraithcannons, D-Cannons, any "distort" weapon is now ST D. That's pretty nasty. But, I noticed Wraithguard are not easy to get into your Craftworld Warhost. I will have to put them in a Combined Arms detachment if I want to use them as your only option in the Craftworld Warhost is the Wraith Host.
Pretty much all the Aspects. Banshee masks, a model wearing a mask causes Fear and enemy may not Overwatch against the unit! I think I might have to make an Autarch with one...
The book itself is bigger, 160 pages. With some lovely art and pictures.
The Harlequins are gone from the book.
I'm not much of a jetbike player so I found the model release weak.
The Farseer is awesome. Once per psychic phase may reroll any dice in a psychic test or deny the witch. Wow! Eldar may not summon Daemons, good that was just silly.
We'll see what happens when I get some games in. The Craftworld Warhost looks tough.
