Archived from groups: rec.games.miniatures.warhammer (More info?)
Well, prompted by the appearance of the supplement on the Online Store
confirming that the published version won't be out until I'm in Australia,
I've decided to review it now instead, based on the pdfs in the Epic Vault.
We are told these are the final versions bar correcting typos (so the Warp
Spiders might actually get a Firefight value) and adding colour, so this
will be the review of the effectively finished product.
We start, as ever, with an introduction setting the scene in sketchy
outline - a Death Korps of Kreig regiment conquered Baran, a world lost
to an Ork Waaagh!, and was granted rights of settlement there. Unable to
eradicate the Orks, they established heavily-fortified cities and eventually
gave rise to the Baran planetary defence regiments. Then, one day, the Eldar
invaded to get rid of the now-feral Orks, deciding they may as well take pot
shots at the humans while they were in the area. At some stage the Raven
Guard get involved, but as they use the standard Space Marine army list from
the Epic rulebook there are only three new army lists.
We have the obligatory "This is a statline. This is what it means"
introduction to the forces. While this is completely redundant as it is
repeatedly stated that Swordwind can't be used without the main rulebook, it
only takes up a page. This is followed by Eldar fluff reprinted wholesale
from the 2nd Edition Codex: Eldar (up to the sections on the Paths). This
means that, while there's nothing new here, Swordwind represents the most
complete Eldar fluff resource currently in print. Even for those of us
well-acquainted with Eldar fluff but who haven't dug out the Codex in a long
time, this is nice to have. Following the E:A format, this is followed by
the Eldar special rules and rules and background by unit.
Despite having a full Epic Eldar army, I haven't yet played an Epic game
with them, so my thoughts on the units aren't influenced by past playest
experiences. As in other systems, the Eldar aren't short on special rules,
manifested here as several army-wide rules. Eldar Farseers are better at
retaining the initiative for their formations than other races' leaders, and
once a turn the Eldar can try to retain the initiative twice in a row. The
most significant Eldar rule allows their formations to move, fire and move
again if using an order that allows them to make multiple moves and still
shoot (i.e. like the 40k CTM this affects when the Eldar can shoot, but it
doesn't give them a movement boost). The Eldar also have their
characteristic nice weaponry - armour-piercing lances, pulse lasers using
the same mechanic as BFG pulsar lances, and of course holo-fields and webway
portals. Added since earlier incarnations of the list are spirit stones -
these solve a problem highlighted in playtest discussions on the Epic forum
that Eldar formations don't easily recover from being broken due to low
numbers. However, the rationale tying this rule into the spirit stone idea
is sadly flimsy.
Onto the units:
Avatar of the Bloody-Handed God and Court of the Young King: Anyone who's
played Epic in earlier incarnations will know what to expect from the
Avatar - a close combat war machine who is (a) powerful, (b) tough and (c)
free. All is true of this incarnation, though war machines in general are
relatively fragile compared with earlier versions of the game, and as a unit
on his own this is exacerbated in the Avatar's case. He has five attacks in
close combat, two of them macro-weapon attacks, but he only gets one turn a
game - he's basically there to summon and throw into an assault when you
need an extra edge, or to lead other Eldar formations into combat (as he's a
Commander). Although he's listed as 0-1 the Avatar is basically an automatic
part of the army, another Eldar special rule - he doesn't cost anything and
doesn't prevent you from taking a real Supreme Commander (i.e., an Autarch).
An issue here is with a new part of the fluff, referring to the fates of
surviving Young Kings on Craftworlds other than Biel-Tan. It's been
established (not least in the Court of the Young King fluff) that Young
Kings are Exarchs, yet we are told that on Ulthwe they are invited to embark
on the Path of the Seer and become part of the Seer Councils, and elsewhere
they are excused from military service once they've finished on their Path -
neither of which can be the case for an Exarch.
Farseer and Warlock Bodyguard: Again hardly an optional choice, Farseers are
a rarity in the Eldar force, having the Commander rule, as well as allowing
the army to summon the Avatar and benefit from Farsight. The unit's
essentially an Aspect Warrior with the close combat Autarch weapon upgrade
in stats, trading the Aspect special rules for the Farseer's.
Guardians: There's been debate over whether Guardians with weapon platforms
are a worthwhile investment - they're slow as they can't take transports and
their range is pitiful. I'm not convinced myself - while Eldar are a fast
army and static Guardians stick out like a sore thumb, for 50pts less than
an Imperial Guard infantry company (13 units, 7 45cm AP5+/AT6+ heavy
weapons) you get 10 units including a Farseer (the equivalent of an IG
Supreme Commander in combat ability, with an additional +1 save and an
invulnerable save), 6 heavy weapons that will hurt anything on 5+ and half
of which ignore armour, Guardians have a superior firefight value to
Guardsmen and get to use the Hit & Run rule. Intuitively, too, they just
better-suit the role Guardians should have thematically, while Guardians
with Serpent transports are just cheap Dire Avenger formations with half the
firepower and none of the armour.
Rangers: Rangers are just a straight translation of Space Marine Scouts to
Eldar flavour, with a point less armour but otherwise essentially the same.
I like the idea of Scout units, but I'm still not sure how to incorporate
them effectively into a wider battleplan.
Jetbikes: The other reason, aside from Dire Avengers, not to take fast
Guardian Hosts. For 200pts, the cost of giving Guardians Wave Serpents,
these combine the speed of Wave Serpents with the firefight ability of
Guardians and the armour of Striking Scorpions. It's hard to see where to go
wrong or to think of a reason not to take all the Jetbikes you have models
for.
Vypers: While Jetbikes are flying Guardians, Vypers are their attendant
flying scatter lasers. However, unlike Guardians and weapon platforms,
Vypers and Jetbikes are not a good mix. This is because Vypers are light
vehicles and jetbikes are infantry - a bike formation with attendant Vypers
suddenly becomes vulnerable to casualties and blast markers from AT weapons
to which the basic formation is immune. Vypers are as good or better in a
firefight than weapon platforms, but mostly they seem designed to work in
their own harrying units of 6. Fortunately, the Vyper blister comes with six
models.
War Walker: Reinforced armour or no, a small light vehicle formation with 6+
armour is ridiculously vulnerable. Reports I've read from playtests bear
this out. However, War Walkers are fast and heavily-armed for the points,
with access to the cheapest lance weapon platform in the game. For firepower
fans like me War Walkers look seriously tempting even though I doubt their
effectiveness.
Exarch: There seems to be a new Exarch/Autarch model, apparently based on
Asurmen (though the Exarch in the Warhost set is still the Swooping Hawk).
An Exarch is what you expect - a powerful fighter, but without great
leadership skills. Mostly the benefit of Exarchs is that you can take up to
two in a Host, a +2 bonus to assaults due to their Inspiring rule. Like most
characters they add an extra attack to their unit, which will be either at
range or in close combat depending on the Aspect, though unlike most they
lack the macro-weapon ability. Nevertheless, for 25pts an Exarch adds the
fighting equivalent of an extra Aspect Warrior stand to the formation and I
doubt many people will take Aspect Hosts without the maximum Exarch
allowance, though they're perhaps of questionable use for Dark Reapers.
Autarch: A relatively conventional supreme commander, with an extra small
arms attack in place of the usual heavy weapon, the Autarch is cheap and
doesn't require a special model, just an Exarch. He's also the only way of
adding the Commander ability to an Aspect Host, and is a Supreme Commander
at that. At half the price of his Space Marine equivalent, he should be a
feature of any Eldar army. Where to put him? As a character he needs
survivability, so a 4+ save is a must. Fortunately, Scorpions and Spears are
both best in close combat and capable at small arms range, while Spiders are
respectable at both and their infiltrate ability allows the Autarch to
charge choice targets, which may outweigh the others' slightly higher chance
to hit. As First Strike is a Warp Spider special rule (rather than a listed
ability of their death spinners), they also confer this ability to the
Autarch in both close combat and firefights, increasing his survivability
further.
Dire Avengers: Here's a good piece of advice when selecting an Aspect
Warhost: Take Dire Avengers. Then take more Dire Avengers. You see, in a
turnaround from their 40k (and earlier playtest versions of the Epic list)
pariah status, Dire Avengers in Epic are the best fighters among the
Aspects. Their extra attack ability allows them to throw out 16 attacks
within firefight range in a full Avenger Host, and with a firefight value of
4+ that's not to be sniffed at. Their armour of 5+ isn't the toughest, but
nor is it paper-thin. They can even hold their own in close combat if they
have to - superior to un-upgraded Guardians in every way, DAs should be the
core unit in Eldar armies. Shame they come 4 to an £8 blister (with 4 Fire
Dragons).
Fire Dragons: The walking Land Speeder. Fire Dragons are as good in a
firefight as anyone in terms of their skill, and having macro-weapons is
certainly not to be sniffed at. I've wondered about how best to use these,
and I think the answer is: in the same way as Wraithguard in Guardian Hosts
(with the crucial difference that Dragons can use transports). Fire Dragons
are not a stand-alone Aspect formation, but with a couple of units in a
mixed-Aspect Host based on Dire Avengers they can add punch and (short)
ranged attacks - do you really need sixteen firefight attacks rather than 12
anyway, especially when the Dragons trade the extra firefight attack for the
ability to make a shooting attack? Essentially, Fire Dragons can be seen as
a Dire Avenger 'upgrade'. A quick note on the models: While the Dire
Avengers are straight recastings from the plastic originals, the Dragons
have adopted the new look with serrated-crest helmets and loincloths, and I
think the result looks pretty good.
Dark Reapers: Another of what I might call 'upgrade' units - this time the
Aspect equivalent of heavy weapon platforms. Very strong in a firefight,
they've got good range and Devastator firepower (though with no anti-tank
ability). However, I'm unsure how these are best-used - on their own they
have no anti-tank capability aside from that conferred by transports; in
combination with other Aspects their range becomes irrelevant, and 2 x small
arms attacks hitting on 4+ are preferable to 2 x AP5+ at short range. Ranger
Troupes are a better dedicated anti-personnel unit due to the reduced cost
and the Sniper rule. I'm not sure what Reapers' best role is - supported by
Falcons in a dedicated (but hugely expensive) ranged Troupe would be my
first thought, or possibly combined with Fire Dragons.
Striking Scorpions: The close combat 'flavour' of the Dire Avenges - an
Aspect with extra attacks, and with its close combat and firefight values
switched. Second to the Avengers only because the need to be in base contact
is more limiting than the need to be within 15cm, but their extra armour is
good compensation. A mixed Host of Dire Avengers and Striking Scorpions
(maybe split 50/50, or 50/25/25, with the third Aspect being Fire Dragons or
Warp Spiders) might be the best overall Aspect configuration, to my mind.
Howling Banshees: Expert in close combat, the Banshees sadly only have half
as many attacks as the Scorpions, and two attacks hitting on 4+ are better
than one hitting on 3+. Banshees of course have weaker armour than their
counterparts, and to cap it all their first strike close combat ability
isn't the best in the game. I've said that in the past splitting Banshees
and Scorpions into different units at Epic scales would make one redundant,
and Banshees are indeed the one Aspect I can't forsee a need for in any
Host.
Shining Spears: An Aspect clearly intended to work alone by virtue of its
speed. Based on this, we can assess a 300pt 8 Spear Host compared with a
200pt 6 Jetbike Troupe. The Spears are weaker at firefighting but a lot
better in close combat; however, all else being more-or-less equal my
preference is for firefighters over close combat specialists. The only other
thing the Spears offer over the Jetbikes is the lance ability in close
combat. However, this is an ability that is only useful against heavy
armour, which isn't renowned for its ability to withstand close combat
attacks at the best of times. Unless you want a force specialised for
destroying armoured companies in close combat, I'd give the Spears a miss.
If you do want a force specialised in destroying armoured companies at close
range, on the other hand, I'd take Fire Dragons, who get to shoot *and*
firefight in the same round.
Swooping Hawks: Other Aspects are often intended to stand alone. For
Swooping Hawks it's effectively mandatory, as their Aspect ability is
teleportation. They're not the world's best fighters, but by popping up
anywhere and with the Scout ability it's been pointed out they're good at
area denial or providing support. They lack the special abilities of
Avengers or Fire Dragons, but are their equals in firefighting skill - think
of them as an armoured Guardian Host you can drop anywhere you want and
you've got the idea. Perhaps a bit on the expensive side, and in an army of
limited size you won't often have the luxury of specialising in
single-Aspect Hosts, but by no means a bad unit.
Warp Spiders: Some idiot's plonked the Warp Spider photo on top of their
firefight value - in other incarnations of the list this has been 4+, and I
doubt this has changed. The combination of Infiltrator and First Strike
(both in close combat and at range) is unusual, but effective. First Strike
is sometimes seen as a double-edged sword, as killing the closest enemy unit
can deprive your other units of targets and so waste their attacks. Being
able to infiltrate avoids this problem - the Spiders can get close to a
choice target (or simply make sure that their closest target isn't the
closest target for other members of your formation) and kill it with
impunity. Essentially, this is an assassination unit and so pretty
specialised in its application - I'd use them tied to other Hosts, but only
in a minority of those. Alternatively, a full Spider Host makes a great
assault force due to its ability to charge 30cm after disembarking from its
transports, but see my above comments on the viability of specialised Aspect
Hosts in 2,700pt games.
Wraithguard: For 50pts apiece Wraithguard are pretty much twice as tough and
twice as shooty as Fire Dragons for less than twice the price. They're
infantry, which means that they are useful for protecting Farseers and
Guardian platforms (or vice versa). They pack a respectable punch in close
combat as well. And I'm still not sold on them. They're the Eldar Terminator
equivalent, but lack several things Terminators possess - range, teleport
and transport access. Their Fearless ability is of little consequence in a
fearful Guardian Host, the only way they can be taken, and you're doubling
the cost of the formation to buy three units that can't be used outside 15cm
range (though inside that range they are formidable). With the formation
itself being bestsuited for firefighting and with a maximum range of 30cm,
this probably isn't fatal but I'm not yet convinced by Wraithguard.
Wraithlord: As vehicles in an infantry formation, Wraithlords make the Host
vulnerable to AT shots it would otherwise ignore and can be targeted
specifically by those shots (as Hosts containing Wraithlords can take no
other vehicles). On the flip side, unlike Vypers they're impervious to AP
shots and as tough as an IG battle tank against anything else. In the
context of the Guardian Host they provide strong AT firepower, are as
capable as Guardians at holding their own in a firefight and are excellent
in close combat. They are expensive for their firepower, though - almost
twice the price of War Walkers with the same AT attack and a scatter laser
to boot. The Wraithlord therefore has to use all of its abilities - ranged,
firefight and close combat - to pay for itself.
Wave Serpent: The fluff intro describes the Wave Serpent as "possibly the
best troop transport in the galaxy". This isn't much of an overstatement -
very fast, with the same armour save as equivalents like the Chimera and
Rhino but the added bonus of reinforced armour and, unusually, as capable as
the transported infantry in a firefight, the Wave Serpent is exactly what
you want, not only to get your troops in close, but to support them once
they're there. That's all it needs to do to earn a place in any formation
that can take a transport, but it also has a ranged attack not to be
ignored. A trend among Eldar vehicles in Epic is that they frequently have
fewer weapon systems than alien equivalents, but those are individually more
powerful, and the Serpent's AP4+ ranged attack is no exception. The vehicle
has no AT value, but its value as a firepower unit is in adding fire support
to transported Hosts that otherwise have none.
Falcon: Strangely, one of the Falcon's selling points is that it can only
transport one unit rather than the Wave Serpent's two. This allows Apect
Hosts to be supported by more vehicles than would be the case if they relied
on Wave Serpents alone. Doubling the number of vehicles is expensive, and
used as transports Falcons should probably only be used to replace one or
two Serpents. Their lack of reinforced armour is also a hindrance when
employed as transports, but they complement the Serpent with a potent AT
attack. Falcon Troupes fulfill the same role as Predator Detachments, a
respectable tank formation made of respectable tanks, and free to move and
fight as a formation rather than acting as a well-armed taxi service.
Fire Prism: For the price of a Leman Russ, the Eldar can take a grav-tank
armed with an upgraded battlecannon and...well...that's it. It's true that
the range is a bonus for the Eldar, it's true that it gives the Fire Prism a
useful edge as an AA tank and it's also true that the lance ability is
useful, but for a fragile support formation Prisms are expensive. What's
more, for the same price as 3 Prisms you could take 5 Falcons with AT4+
pulse weapons and a respectable secondary weapon. My feeling is that the
lance ability, while useful, is overpriced on nearly all platforms, and Fire
Prism Troupes don't have the numbers to represent a significant threat to
the armoured formations they're best-suited for fighting. Meanwhile the
lance ability is nearly worthless against infantry, and Night Spinners are
superior in the anti-personnel role. Fire Prisms are cheaper than Nightwings
and don't eat into your Titan/flyer allowance, but considering that only the
Thunderhawk, Space Marine Landing Craft, Phoenix and Vampire come with
reinforced armour, the lance ability you pay so much for will only
occasionally be used, and the Firestorm's a better anti-aircraft platform
against anything else.
Night Spinner: Artillery is a fairly prominent feature of Swordwind, and
with the Night Spinner, Cobra, Void Spinner, Phoenix, Warlock Titan and
spacecraft, the Eldar have no shortage. Night Spinners are the cheapest, but
like most Eldar artillery the disrupt ability compensates for relatively low
barrage firepower. Crucially for a small, fragile support formation, Night
Spinners benefit from indirect fire. This also makes them the longest-range
support tanks in the Eldar arsenal. A Troupe or two of Night Spinners are
found in most Eldar army lists I've seen, and with good reason.
Firestorm: As an upgrade to a Falcon, the Firestorm is an interesting
trade - it loses the accuracy of the pulse laser and is restricted to only
one ground attack weapon system, but it has the same potential anti-tank
ability and is superior against infantry. Most importantly, of course, the
Firestorm is an AA tank. It lacks the rate of fire of Ork or IG equivalents,
but is as accurate as the Space Marine Hunter and benefits from the pulse
special rule. Being found in Falcon Troupes of five vehicles, the Firestorm
is less susceptible to suppression than the Fire Prism. Given the choice
between 3 Fire Prisms for 250pts or 3 Falcons and 2 Firestorms for the same
price, I'd plump for the latter, though I doubt I'd upgrade more than one
Falcon formation with Firestorms. A note on the new model; while the Forge
World one has laser batteries that are unbalancingly large, these look
pitifully small, especially in comparison with the other Eldar support
tanks.
Scorpion Super-heavy Grav-tank: It's tough, it looks good and it's got a
long-ranged MW2+ pulse attack - there's really not anything to dislike about
the Scorpion. It's perhaps not quite the no-brainer that it was in early
incarnations of the army list, before the Cobra upgrade or the introduction
of the Great Hawk/Avenger/Void Spinner, but it can't be beaten for accuracy
or rate of fire.
Cobra: This was the surprise of the final Swordwind list when I saw it - the
Cobra now sports a barrage weapon (but lacks indirect fire). On its own it's
not accurate, needing 5+ to hit infantry and 6+ for its ideal targets, war
engines (and other vehicles), but a pair of Cobras have 4BP between them.
Despite its short range, the Cobra's barrage attack and two secondary
weapons make it arguably the best anti-personnel Engine of Vaul as well as a
potent war engine killer (when it hits).
Storm Serpent: The Storm Serpent is certainly the most unusual vehicle in
the Eldar force (pity it's the only one for which no model is shown), which
makes it difficult to assess its value. Certainly it isn't a good gunship -
its firepower is almost identical to that of the Falcon a fifth of the
price. The Storm Serpent is a flying webway portal - because it is 'passive'
rather than a transport actively disgorging troops, there's nothing to stop
the Storm Serpent moving at full speed (marching) on turn 1 and then, with a
subsequent action, a Guardian Host can leap from the portal. With a
successful retention of the initiative a Storm Serpent march and Guardian
Host advance could get the formation into play 90cm from the Serpent's start
point (almost close enough for Wraithguard to come in useful). I can see
little use for including multiple Storm Serpents in any but the largest
armies; with a Serpent and two Cobras or Scorpions in a Troupe the portal
will most likely survive until you need to use it, unless you plan on
withholding several formations. However, the only formations that will
benefit hugely from portals seem to be infantry Guardian Hosts and War
Walker Troupes, possibly some Wind Rider Troupes.
Void Spinner: Not sure about the fluff for this one - rather than just being
a web weapon, it's also a form of bio-weapon utilising modified bacteria. I
don't think this explanation is actually needed - the weapon is basically an
array of Night Spinners, hence the higher BP. Having said that, considering
the size of the rereleased Night Spinner's weapon, the Voidspinner Array is
laughably small. The Void Spinner is the true artillery super-heavy, selling
itself on long range and the ability to take several in a Troupe (and hence
take from 3-9BP in a formation). However, it's generally agreed that 4BP is
the optimal size for artillery batteries, with larger ones having no
significant effect that can't be accomplished with several formations.
Therefore the only things the Void Spinner offers over the Cobra are range,
disrupt and indirect fire - these aren't insignificant bonuses by any means,
but cheaper Night Spinners have all of these abilities. The Void Spinner
certainly isn't weak - a pair of them can be hugely disruptive, causing two
blast markers for coming under fire in addition to the effects of the
disrupt attack - but they're no longer the most obvious choice when you have
four types of super-heavy to choose from.
Nightwing Interceptor: I've neve been a huge fan of the E40k flyer models,
and it's clear that they need replacing since none is armed with the weapons
shown on its statline. It was a shame they weren't redone. Anyway, onto the
vehicle. The Nightwing is excellent as a pure interceptor, not simply
because both its AA attacks are 30cm range (the Thunderbolt has one of 15cm
range) and one has the lance ability, but because it comes in squadrons of 3
rather than 2. Of course Nightwings take points away from your Titan
allowance, and the Eldar are not short of ground-based AA capability, but
Nightwings also have a firepower advantage over the Fire Prism, mounting two
weapon systems.
Phoenix Bomber: Basically a Nightwing squadron with a Night Spinner battery
thrown in and reduced AA capability. The Phoenix is popular where enemy
interceptors aren't expected in any numbers - and again, as a squadron of 3
(and with reinforced armour, at that) they're resilient. Thematically,
though, the idea of a fast-moving aircraft attacking with Night Spinners is
implausible.
Vampire Raider: Epic is a good effort at recreating modern warfare in a GW
wargame, and one consequence of this is that airdrops are very effective.
Without the option to take more than one in a formation, the Vampire's
transport capacity is lower than it might be (though it can theoretically
transport Wraithguard and support platforms, with a maximum transport
capacity of 8 it can't fit an upgraded Guardian Host). Wih reinforced armour
and damage capacity 2, the Vampire has a good chance of successfully making
its transport run even in the face of unsuppressed AA fire - with their 30cm
charge move Warp Spiders are ideal for these sorts of missions. The
Vampire's armament is of secondary importance, but with 3-7 AT shots it's no
slouch at tank-hunting although it lacks the Phoenix's versatility, with
only nominal AP firepower.
Revenant Titan: There's a good reason to take Revenants - you can argue
about whether or not they look like Titans, but they may be the best models
in the army. Holofields make Eldar Titans extremely tough. Each Revenant
sports nearly twice the firepower of a Scorpion, albeit with shorter range,
and they invariably come in pairs. This of course restricts you - if you
take a pair of Revenants, you can't take any other Titans or flyers save a
Vampire in a 2,700pt army.
Phantom Titan: My favourite of the Titans. Armed with a pair of pulsars it's
just an up-gunned Revenant, but both it and the Warlock are murderous at
short range when armed with a power fist (9 3+ firefight attacks, or 8 3+
close combat attacks). Oh, yes, or 6 battlecannon attacks at range. Overall,
its firepower is closer to that of a Warlord than a Reaver Titan.
Warlock Titan: Yes, it's better than the Revenant, but is it 100pts better?
The psychic lance is essentially a high-power Cobra D-Cannon with the
disrupt ability. It also has a small arms ability - with a power fist as the
other primary weapon, that gives it a daunting 11 firefight attacks,
including Titan Killer ones. I'd like to use a Warlock and get it into
firefight range just to see it wipe out an entire formation in one go (or
thoroughly smash a Warlord), but it is pricey given that it's no tougher
than the Phantom.
Wraithship: Comparing Eldar spacecraft with their Imperial Navy
counterparts, there isn't much comparison. The Wraithship can make a 4BP
macro-weapon attack compared with the Lunar's 3BP one. Although the
Wraithship has the option of making a pinpoint attack instead, the Eldar
aren't short of accurate macro-weapons and more barrage templates are always
welcome...
Dragonship: Transport of up to 12 Vampires and their cargo is somewhat
excessive, isn't it? Otherwise the Dragonship is a closer match for its
Imperial counterpart, with the same type of bombardment attack.
Alternatively it can make two pinpoint attacks. Unless you desperately want
to use the Vampires' planetfall ability, though, I'd be happy sticking with
the Wraithship.
IMPERIAL GUARD SIEGE REGIMENTS
Siege Infantry: No pioint complaining about these, they're your basic grunts
and you'll have lots of 'em. That being said, in the Imperial Guard that's
par for the course and at least they come cheap. Though personally I prefer
to have as many big gun-toting support formations as possible and the
minimum number of Siege Infantry. The exception is the Siege Command HQ -
since it counts as the Break Their Spirit victory condition if destroyed,
you have nothing to lose by making it your biggest and most expensive unit
to keep it alive as long as possible, and the extra grunts could come in
useful there.
Rapier Laser Destroyer: This and the Thudd Gun are basically copies of one
another with the AT and AP values reversed. The only difference is that the
Thudd Gun has direct fire and the Rapier doesn't, and so is the superior
weapon. As good AT ability is easy enough to come by with tanks, my
preference is always for the Thudd Gun.
Thudd Gun: See above. As a unit you can attach to Siege Companies, the Thudd
Gun adds need long-ranged punch and is cheap for it.
Gotterdamerung: Siegemaster artillery - so you'll naturally need lots of
these. Artillery companies are support units, and inexpensive compared with
their more elaborate counterparts. The Gotterdammerung is nothing but a
stationary BP generator, but its range is huge and what would the IG be
without vast amounts of artillery?
Blitzen AA Gun: Like most Siegemaster equipment, a stripped-down immobile
counterpart to Guard support tanks in the main list. The AA gun is not a
very good unit - its firepower is poor and its accuracy woeful - but aside
from your own aircraft it's all you have.
Bruennhilde: What you need if you want to move Siegemaster artillery from
one place to another. If you don't, take fortifications instead. My
preference is for fortifications.
Siegfried: The light 'combat tractor'. Basically it's a faster version of
the Sentinel with a shorter-ranged weapon. As such it has all the uses the
Sentinel does; I regard both as being of limited value except as a way to
get very cheap firepower.
Ragnarok: A walking tank? What are they thinking? Okay, it says it isn't
really a walking tank but surely they shouldn't have called the 'Walker'
rule 'Walker' if they envisaged giving it to things that, well, don't walk?
Essentially a stripped-down Leman Russ, Ragnaroks have the Russ's main
advantages - battlecannon and heavy armour - and come in squadrons twice the
size. Good for the army, bad for the wallet.
Imperial Guard Sappers: Looking remarkably like Storm Troopers modelwise.
Close-range troops with no armour to speak of in an army with no transports.
Hmm. Can't see much use for them yet.
Fortified Positions: When the first Siegemasters list came out it was a
slight readjustment of the main list with a few new units but no
fortification rules, and was basically very dull. Then they decided to make
artillery companies auxiliary formations and to add bunkers, trenches and
razorwire to the army. Now that, as I thought at the time, is how an
Imperial Guard army should play. Fortified positions also have the advantage
of saving you money on models, though the maximum limits do place
constraints on the upper size of your siege companies if you want everyone
to be protected. Still, I wouldn't play Siegemasters without all the
fortifications I could physically use.
THE FERAL ORKS
Feral Ork fluff seemingly drawn from the Chapter Approved article, followed
by a reminder of Ork army rules and the new units.
Wyrdboy: A powerful character, with a macro-weapon AA attack or long-ranged
(for Orks) macro-weapon ground attack. Wyrdboyz aren't expensive and there's
no reason not to add them to the formations that can take them.
Wildboyz: Half-price Boyz without the ranged or firefight attacks. Since
these attacks are fairly negligible anyway, the extra numbers might be
helpful, though massed firepower may work instead.
Madboyz: A Fearless version of Wildboyz, though with a firefight attack.
They're restricted to their own small formation, and as such of little
obvious value except as a distraction.
Boarboyz: These are to Boyz what Jetbikes are to Guardians - fast versions
of the same thing, which pack a punch when they reach combat. Having the
Infiltrator ability, they have a 50cm charge move to boot. Best of all, they
don't cost any more than Boyz.
Squig Catapult: Very cheap artillery. With the disrupt ability and available
in unlimited numbers, every Ork formation that can use them has no reason
not to take four or more. They lack indirect fire, so don't need to keep
their distance from the enemy or stay on orders that keep them at a distance
(though the latter would help their aim).
Junkatrukk: A free upgrade for Boyz (effectively) in a Junka Brigade, these
give the Boyz mobility, extra firepower and some close combat support.
They're also the army's only transports and valuable for that if nothing
else.
Squiggoth: Okay, this is a transport after a fashion, and heavily-armoured
at that. The most heavily-armed light vehicle in the game, the Squiggoth is
the Feral Orks' tank equivalent, though it's no slouch in close combat.
Squiggoths are attached to infantry formations, though taking one
fully-transported in its Squiggoths would be pricey.
Orkeosaurus: What a ghastly model it is - shame, since all the other Feral
Ork (and most of the Swordwind) releases have been pretty good. It seems
undergunned for its cost, being three times the price of a Squiggoth but
with only twice the weapons, and with a movement no greater than that of the
Boyz the only reason you'll want to use it as a transport is to increase
their survivability. One thing an Orkesaurus won't do is die easily.
Steam Gargant: The highlight of the army modelwise, and indeed as a unit.
It's fairly vulnerable - despite having damage capacity 4 it will be
destroyed by a single critical - but it comes with three macro-weapons, up
to two of which can be 2BP soopaguns. My favoured combination would be 2
soopaguns, for maximum barrage ability and to make this a long-ranged unit.
Squiggoths are for assaults. Both for the model and for game capabilities,
the Steam Gargant should be found in any Feral Ork army.
The units are followed by a painting guide - of limited use in my
black-and-white copies.
The techniques are simple and produce fairly
thorough (if monochromatic) results - I'll have to speed up my Epic painting
with the next batch. Guides are given for a couple of infantry types and
Falcons, and there is a showcase of other models. This is followed by
similar Ork and Siegemaster showcases.
The next section deals with modelling fortifications - this was first
printed as a Fanatic Magazine article. It's a good piece and includes
templates for entrenchments and bunkers as well as full modelling tips on
these, razorwire and craters.
THE BARAN WAR
We start with the familiar tale of an Ork Waaagh! as background to the
conflict. Baran started off as an Exodite world which fell to the Waaagh!,
before the Death Korps of Kreig were assigned to claim it for the Imperium.
Raven Guard forces involved in the initial attack on the Orks assisted the
Guardsmen in hunting down the surviving Orks as new settlements were built.
Meanwhile, Biel-Tan discovered the legacy of the Waaagh! and, led by a Fire
Dragon Autarch, its forces attacked. Again I'm not sure about some of the
background (Bonesingers and Spiritseers creating Wraithguard and Wraithlords
from scratch on a planet's surface, for instance) but the story is moved on
from battle to battle capably enough. It means more semi-reprinted fluff
along the way, on the Exodites and Biel-Tan, which is welcome. At first the
Biel-Tan uncharacteristically ignore the humans and concentrate on fighting
Orks, though as the Orks retreated they found themselves fighting the
Siegemasters. The Siegemasters called for help and the Raven Guard
responded, discovering that the Eldar were ultimately behind the attack
before their contingent was destroyed. The situation at the end of the story
has the Feral Ork Waaagh! broken up, but Siegemaster, Ork and Eldar forces
still on the planet (though with the Eldar yet to make contact with the
humans).
We then have the army lists - I've described them as I've gone along in the
units section, but as examples I'll give the 2,700pt army lists I've planned
for each:
Eldar: 2,700pts
Wraithgate 50pts
Avatar Free
Aspect Warrior Warhost 525pts
Warp Spiders (Autarch) 75pts
2 Striking Scorpions (1 Exarch)
3 Dire Avengers
2 Fire Dragons
4 Wave Serpents
Aspect Warrior Warhost 525pts
2 Striking Scorpions (1 Exarch)
4 Dire Avengers
2 Fire Dragons
4 Wave Serpents
Guardian Warhost 200pts
Farseer
4 Guardians
3 Heavy Weapon Platforms
3 Support Weapon Platforms
Falcon Troupe 250pts
3 Falcons
2 Firestorms
Night Spinner Troupe 175pts
3 Night Spinners
Engine of Vaul Troupe 250pts
Scorpion Super-heavy Grav-tank
Engine of Vaul Troupe 250pts
Cobra Super-heavy Grav-tank
Phoenix Bombers 400pts
3 Phoenix Bombers
Total: 2,700pts
Activations: 8 (9)
This was the one I spent longest puzzling over - I decided to start from
scratch rather than going with models I already had. Aspect Hosts are just
so attractive I couldn't pass them up, but they've gobbled a fair portion of
the army's points. In the end I decided against jetbikes on the basis that
my three Hosts gave me plenty of firefighting ability and the Aspects were
well-supplied with speed. Which Engines of Vaul to take caused me some
thought as well - only the Scorpion really seems to work as a unit of one,
but feeling short of macro-weapons (and AA weapons) I plumped for one Cobra.
I eventually decided against the Storm Serpent on the basis that the only
formation I had that would benefit from it cost less than the war machine
itself.
Baran Siegemasters: 2,700pts
Siegemaster Regimental HQ (Supreme Commander, 9 infantry) 150pts
Siege Infantry Platoon (6 Siege Infantry)
75pts
Thudd Gun Platoon (3)
75pts
Griffon Battery (3)
100pts
Fortified Positions
100pts
Siegemaster Infantry Company (Command unit, 9 infantry) 125pts
Thudd Gun Platoon (3)
75pts
Griffon Battery (3)
100pts
Fortified Positions 100pts
Siege Regiment Artillery Company (9 Gotterdammerungs in gun emplacements)
450pts
Heavy Tank Platoon (6 Ragnarok heavy tanks) 300pts
Heavy Tank Platoon (6 Ragnarok heavy tanks) 300pts
Siege Regiment AA Battery (3 Blitzen AA guns in gun emplacements)
125pts
2 Marauder Bombers 300pts
2 Marauder Bombers 300pts
Total:
2,675pts
Activations: 8
*This* is what an IG army should be - aside from the AA battery and the
tanks, absolutely everything has some sort of barrage capability, and
everything bar the tanks and aircraft has enough fortifications for the
formation. World War One, here we come.
Feral Orks: 2,700pts
Warband 300pts
2 Nobz (1 Wyrdboy)
6 Ork Boyz
2 Grotz
4 Squig Catapults
Warband 325pts
2 Nobz (1 Wyrdboy)
6 Ork Boyz
2 Wildboyz
2 Grotz
4 Squig Catapults
Warband 350pts
2 Nobz (1 Wyrdboy)
6 Ork Boyz
2 Grotz
2 Squiggoths
Big Wildboyz Warband 500pts
4 Nobz (Wyrdboy)
12 Ork Wildboyz
4 Grotz
4 Squiggoths
Big Boarboyz Horde 225pts
10 Boarboyz (1 Wyrdboy)
Boarboyz Horde 225pts
10 Boarboyz (1 Wyrdboy)
Big Junka Brigade 335pts
Nob (Warlord)
12 Ork Boyz (1 Wyrdboy)
13 Junkatrukks
Big Junka Brigade 335pts
Nob (Wyrdboy)
12 Ork Boyz
13 Junkatrukks
'Uge Steam Gargant Mob 500pts
2 Steam Gargants: 2 Soopaguns, Fist of Gork
Steam Gargant: Soopagun, Mega-Choppa, Fist of Gork
Total:
2,700pts
Activations: 9
There was no plan at all to selecting this army - I just kept adding
warbands until I ran out of points, which took a while. With no
point-gobbling Fighta Bommerz or large Gargants and no vehicle formations,
you can throw almost endless Orks into a Feral Ork army (wonder how I'd
afford to buy them all?) I've ended up with six fully mobile fighty
formations, two artillery formations and a full set of Steam Gargants. Just
don't expect much in the way of shootiness except for all the Wyrdboyz and
the Gargants (8 Wyrdboyz and 3 Fists of Gork? Feral Orks may be one of the
best anti-aircraft forces in the game).
Swordwind ends with a Collectors' Models section for the Eldar. This is not
large - except for Harlequins practically all the Eldar units ever produced
have been revived in this list, with the return of the Firestorm. I think
I'd very much like a tremor or Titan D-cannon for my Titans, though...The
Exodite Knight units are pretty potent for armoured vehicles of their size
(though the Towering Destroyer is considerably weaker than the Revenant it
'counts as'). Not sure why the vibro-cannon has a shorter range than the
D-Cannon; otherwise it's a nice weapon.
And that, at long last, is it. I have to say I'm unhappy with Swordwind for
one particular reason - it's come along when I don't have any spare money,
and I want to start/add to all three armies. :-(
Philip Bowles
Philip Bowles
Well, prompted by the appearance of the supplement on the Online Store
confirming that the published version won't be out until I'm in Australia,
I've decided to review it now instead, based on the pdfs in the Epic Vault.
We are told these are the final versions bar correcting typos (so the Warp
Spiders might actually get a Firefight value) and adding colour, so this
will be the review of the effectively finished product.
We start, as ever, with an introduction setting the scene in sketchy
outline - a Death Korps of Kreig regiment conquered Baran, a world lost
to an Ork Waaagh!, and was granted rights of settlement there. Unable to
eradicate the Orks, they established heavily-fortified cities and eventually
gave rise to the Baran planetary defence regiments. Then, one day, the Eldar
invaded to get rid of the now-feral Orks, deciding they may as well take pot
shots at the humans while they were in the area. At some stage the Raven
Guard get involved, but as they use the standard Space Marine army list from
the Epic rulebook there are only three new army lists.
We have the obligatory "This is a statline. This is what it means"
introduction to the forces. While this is completely redundant as it is
repeatedly stated that Swordwind can't be used without the main rulebook, it
only takes up a page. This is followed by Eldar fluff reprinted wholesale
from the 2nd Edition Codex: Eldar (up to the sections on the Paths). This
means that, while there's nothing new here, Swordwind represents the most
complete Eldar fluff resource currently in print. Even for those of us
well-acquainted with Eldar fluff but who haven't dug out the Codex in a long
time, this is nice to have. Following the E:A format, this is followed by
the Eldar special rules and rules and background by unit.
Despite having a full Epic Eldar army, I haven't yet played an Epic game
with them, so my thoughts on the units aren't influenced by past playest
experiences. As in other systems, the Eldar aren't short on special rules,
manifested here as several army-wide rules. Eldar Farseers are better at
retaining the initiative for their formations than other races' leaders, and
once a turn the Eldar can try to retain the initiative twice in a row. The
most significant Eldar rule allows their formations to move, fire and move
again if using an order that allows them to make multiple moves and still
shoot (i.e. like the 40k CTM this affects when the Eldar can shoot, but it
doesn't give them a movement boost). The Eldar also have their
characteristic nice weaponry - armour-piercing lances, pulse lasers using
the same mechanic as BFG pulsar lances, and of course holo-fields and webway
portals. Added since earlier incarnations of the list are spirit stones -
these solve a problem highlighted in playtest discussions on the Epic forum
that Eldar formations don't easily recover from being broken due to low
numbers. However, the rationale tying this rule into the spirit stone idea
is sadly flimsy.
Onto the units:
Avatar of the Bloody-Handed God and Court of the Young King: Anyone who's
played Epic in earlier incarnations will know what to expect from the
Avatar - a close combat war machine who is (a) powerful, (b) tough and (c)
free. All is true of this incarnation, though war machines in general are
relatively fragile compared with earlier versions of the game, and as a unit
on his own this is exacerbated in the Avatar's case. He has five attacks in
close combat, two of them macro-weapon attacks, but he only gets one turn a
game - he's basically there to summon and throw into an assault when you
need an extra edge, or to lead other Eldar formations into combat (as he's a
Commander). Although he's listed as 0-1 the Avatar is basically an automatic
part of the army, another Eldar special rule - he doesn't cost anything and
doesn't prevent you from taking a real Supreme Commander (i.e., an Autarch).
An issue here is with a new part of the fluff, referring to the fates of
surviving Young Kings on Craftworlds other than Biel-Tan. It's been
established (not least in the Court of the Young King fluff) that Young
Kings are Exarchs, yet we are told that on Ulthwe they are invited to embark
on the Path of the Seer and become part of the Seer Councils, and elsewhere
they are excused from military service once they've finished on their Path -
neither of which can be the case for an Exarch.
Farseer and Warlock Bodyguard: Again hardly an optional choice, Farseers are
a rarity in the Eldar force, having the Commander rule, as well as allowing
the army to summon the Avatar and benefit from Farsight. The unit's
essentially an Aspect Warrior with the close combat Autarch weapon upgrade
in stats, trading the Aspect special rules for the Farseer's.
Guardians: There's been debate over whether Guardians with weapon platforms
are a worthwhile investment - they're slow as they can't take transports and
their range is pitiful. I'm not convinced myself - while Eldar are a fast
army and static Guardians stick out like a sore thumb, for 50pts less than
an Imperial Guard infantry company (13 units, 7 45cm AP5+/AT6+ heavy
weapons) you get 10 units including a Farseer (the equivalent of an IG
Supreme Commander in combat ability, with an additional +1 save and an
invulnerable save), 6 heavy weapons that will hurt anything on 5+ and half
of which ignore armour, Guardians have a superior firefight value to
Guardsmen and get to use the Hit & Run rule. Intuitively, too, they just
better-suit the role Guardians should have thematically, while Guardians
with Serpent transports are just cheap Dire Avenger formations with half the
firepower and none of the armour.
Rangers: Rangers are just a straight translation of Space Marine Scouts to
Eldar flavour, with a point less armour but otherwise essentially the same.
I like the idea of Scout units, but I'm still not sure how to incorporate
them effectively into a wider battleplan.
Jetbikes: The other reason, aside from Dire Avengers, not to take fast
Guardian Hosts. For 200pts, the cost of giving Guardians Wave Serpents,
these combine the speed of Wave Serpents with the firefight ability of
Guardians and the armour of Striking Scorpions. It's hard to see where to go
wrong or to think of a reason not to take all the Jetbikes you have models
for.
Vypers: While Jetbikes are flying Guardians, Vypers are their attendant
flying scatter lasers. However, unlike Guardians and weapon platforms,
Vypers and Jetbikes are not a good mix. This is because Vypers are light
vehicles and jetbikes are infantry - a bike formation with attendant Vypers
suddenly becomes vulnerable to casualties and blast markers from AT weapons
to which the basic formation is immune. Vypers are as good or better in a
firefight than weapon platforms, but mostly they seem designed to work in
their own harrying units of 6. Fortunately, the Vyper blister comes with six
models.
War Walker: Reinforced armour or no, a small light vehicle formation with 6+
armour is ridiculously vulnerable. Reports I've read from playtests bear
this out. However, War Walkers are fast and heavily-armed for the points,
with access to the cheapest lance weapon platform in the game. For firepower
fans like me War Walkers look seriously tempting even though I doubt their
effectiveness.
Exarch: There seems to be a new Exarch/Autarch model, apparently based on
Asurmen (though the Exarch in the Warhost set is still the Swooping Hawk).
An Exarch is what you expect - a powerful fighter, but without great
leadership skills. Mostly the benefit of Exarchs is that you can take up to
two in a Host, a +2 bonus to assaults due to their Inspiring rule. Like most
characters they add an extra attack to their unit, which will be either at
range or in close combat depending on the Aspect, though unlike most they
lack the macro-weapon ability. Nevertheless, for 25pts an Exarch adds the
fighting equivalent of an extra Aspect Warrior stand to the formation and I
doubt many people will take Aspect Hosts without the maximum Exarch
allowance, though they're perhaps of questionable use for Dark Reapers.
Autarch: A relatively conventional supreme commander, with an extra small
arms attack in place of the usual heavy weapon, the Autarch is cheap and
doesn't require a special model, just an Exarch. He's also the only way of
adding the Commander ability to an Aspect Host, and is a Supreme Commander
at that. At half the price of his Space Marine equivalent, he should be a
feature of any Eldar army. Where to put him? As a character he needs
survivability, so a 4+ save is a must. Fortunately, Scorpions and Spears are
both best in close combat and capable at small arms range, while Spiders are
respectable at both and their infiltrate ability allows the Autarch to
charge choice targets, which may outweigh the others' slightly higher chance
to hit. As First Strike is a Warp Spider special rule (rather than a listed
ability of their death spinners), they also confer this ability to the
Autarch in both close combat and firefights, increasing his survivability
further.
Dire Avengers: Here's a good piece of advice when selecting an Aspect
Warhost: Take Dire Avengers. Then take more Dire Avengers. You see, in a
turnaround from their 40k (and earlier playtest versions of the Epic list)
pariah status, Dire Avengers in Epic are the best fighters among the
Aspects. Their extra attack ability allows them to throw out 16 attacks
within firefight range in a full Avenger Host, and with a firefight value of
4+ that's not to be sniffed at. Their armour of 5+ isn't the toughest, but
nor is it paper-thin. They can even hold their own in close combat if they
have to - superior to un-upgraded Guardians in every way, DAs should be the
core unit in Eldar armies. Shame they come 4 to an £8 blister (with 4 Fire
Dragons).
Fire Dragons: The walking Land Speeder. Fire Dragons are as good in a
firefight as anyone in terms of their skill, and having macro-weapons is
certainly not to be sniffed at. I've wondered about how best to use these,
and I think the answer is: in the same way as Wraithguard in Guardian Hosts
(with the crucial difference that Dragons can use transports). Fire Dragons
are not a stand-alone Aspect formation, but with a couple of units in a
mixed-Aspect Host based on Dire Avengers they can add punch and (short)
ranged attacks - do you really need sixteen firefight attacks rather than 12
anyway, especially when the Dragons trade the extra firefight attack for the
ability to make a shooting attack? Essentially, Fire Dragons can be seen as
a Dire Avenger 'upgrade'. A quick note on the models: While the Dire
Avengers are straight recastings from the plastic originals, the Dragons
have adopted the new look with serrated-crest helmets and loincloths, and I
think the result looks pretty good.
Dark Reapers: Another of what I might call 'upgrade' units - this time the
Aspect equivalent of heavy weapon platforms. Very strong in a firefight,
they've got good range and Devastator firepower (though with no anti-tank
ability). However, I'm unsure how these are best-used - on their own they
have no anti-tank capability aside from that conferred by transports; in
combination with other Aspects their range becomes irrelevant, and 2 x small
arms attacks hitting on 4+ are preferable to 2 x AP5+ at short range. Ranger
Troupes are a better dedicated anti-personnel unit due to the reduced cost
and the Sniper rule. I'm not sure what Reapers' best role is - supported by
Falcons in a dedicated (but hugely expensive) ranged Troupe would be my
first thought, or possibly combined with Fire Dragons.
Striking Scorpions: The close combat 'flavour' of the Dire Avenges - an
Aspect with extra attacks, and with its close combat and firefight values
switched. Second to the Avengers only because the need to be in base contact
is more limiting than the need to be within 15cm, but their extra armour is
good compensation. A mixed Host of Dire Avengers and Striking Scorpions
(maybe split 50/50, or 50/25/25, with the third Aspect being Fire Dragons or
Warp Spiders) might be the best overall Aspect configuration, to my mind.
Howling Banshees: Expert in close combat, the Banshees sadly only have half
as many attacks as the Scorpions, and two attacks hitting on 4+ are better
than one hitting on 3+. Banshees of course have weaker armour than their
counterparts, and to cap it all their first strike close combat ability
isn't the best in the game. I've said that in the past splitting Banshees
and Scorpions into different units at Epic scales would make one redundant,
and Banshees are indeed the one Aspect I can't forsee a need for in any
Host.
Shining Spears: An Aspect clearly intended to work alone by virtue of its
speed. Based on this, we can assess a 300pt 8 Spear Host compared with a
200pt 6 Jetbike Troupe. The Spears are weaker at firefighting but a lot
better in close combat; however, all else being more-or-less equal my
preference is for firefighters over close combat specialists. The only other
thing the Spears offer over the Jetbikes is the lance ability in close
combat. However, this is an ability that is only useful against heavy
armour, which isn't renowned for its ability to withstand close combat
attacks at the best of times. Unless you want a force specialised for
destroying armoured companies in close combat, I'd give the Spears a miss.
If you do want a force specialised in destroying armoured companies at close
range, on the other hand, I'd take Fire Dragons, who get to shoot *and*
firefight in the same round.
Swooping Hawks: Other Aspects are often intended to stand alone. For
Swooping Hawks it's effectively mandatory, as their Aspect ability is
teleportation. They're not the world's best fighters, but by popping up
anywhere and with the Scout ability it's been pointed out they're good at
area denial or providing support. They lack the special abilities of
Avengers or Fire Dragons, but are their equals in firefighting skill - think
of them as an armoured Guardian Host you can drop anywhere you want and
you've got the idea. Perhaps a bit on the expensive side, and in an army of
limited size you won't often have the luxury of specialising in
single-Aspect Hosts, but by no means a bad unit.
Warp Spiders: Some idiot's plonked the Warp Spider photo on top of their
firefight value - in other incarnations of the list this has been 4+, and I
doubt this has changed. The combination of Infiltrator and First Strike
(both in close combat and at range) is unusual, but effective. First Strike
is sometimes seen as a double-edged sword, as killing the closest enemy unit
can deprive your other units of targets and so waste their attacks. Being
able to infiltrate avoids this problem - the Spiders can get close to a
choice target (or simply make sure that their closest target isn't the
closest target for other members of your formation) and kill it with
impunity. Essentially, this is an assassination unit and so pretty
specialised in its application - I'd use them tied to other Hosts, but only
in a minority of those. Alternatively, a full Spider Host makes a great
assault force due to its ability to charge 30cm after disembarking from its
transports, but see my above comments on the viability of specialised Aspect
Hosts in 2,700pt games.
Wraithguard: For 50pts apiece Wraithguard are pretty much twice as tough and
twice as shooty as Fire Dragons for less than twice the price. They're
infantry, which means that they are useful for protecting Farseers and
Guardian platforms (or vice versa). They pack a respectable punch in close
combat as well. And I'm still not sold on them. They're the Eldar Terminator
equivalent, but lack several things Terminators possess - range, teleport
and transport access. Their Fearless ability is of little consequence in a
fearful Guardian Host, the only way they can be taken, and you're doubling
the cost of the formation to buy three units that can't be used outside 15cm
range (though inside that range they are formidable). With the formation
itself being bestsuited for firefighting and with a maximum range of 30cm,
this probably isn't fatal but I'm not yet convinced by Wraithguard.
Wraithlord: As vehicles in an infantry formation, Wraithlords make the Host
vulnerable to AT shots it would otherwise ignore and can be targeted
specifically by those shots (as Hosts containing Wraithlords can take no
other vehicles). On the flip side, unlike Vypers they're impervious to AP
shots and as tough as an IG battle tank against anything else. In the
context of the Guardian Host they provide strong AT firepower, are as
capable as Guardians at holding their own in a firefight and are excellent
in close combat. They are expensive for their firepower, though - almost
twice the price of War Walkers with the same AT attack and a scatter laser
to boot. The Wraithlord therefore has to use all of its abilities - ranged,
firefight and close combat - to pay for itself.
Wave Serpent: The fluff intro describes the Wave Serpent as "possibly the
best troop transport in the galaxy". This isn't much of an overstatement -
very fast, with the same armour save as equivalents like the Chimera and
Rhino but the added bonus of reinforced armour and, unusually, as capable as
the transported infantry in a firefight, the Wave Serpent is exactly what
you want, not only to get your troops in close, but to support them once
they're there. That's all it needs to do to earn a place in any formation
that can take a transport, but it also has a ranged attack not to be
ignored. A trend among Eldar vehicles in Epic is that they frequently have
fewer weapon systems than alien equivalents, but those are individually more
powerful, and the Serpent's AP4+ ranged attack is no exception. The vehicle
has no AT value, but its value as a firepower unit is in adding fire support
to transported Hosts that otherwise have none.
Falcon: Strangely, one of the Falcon's selling points is that it can only
transport one unit rather than the Wave Serpent's two. This allows Apect
Hosts to be supported by more vehicles than would be the case if they relied
on Wave Serpents alone. Doubling the number of vehicles is expensive, and
used as transports Falcons should probably only be used to replace one or
two Serpents. Their lack of reinforced armour is also a hindrance when
employed as transports, but they complement the Serpent with a potent AT
attack. Falcon Troupes fulfill the same role as Predator Detachments, a
respectable tank formation made of respectable tanks, and free to move and
fight as a formation rather than acting as a well-armed taxi service.
Fire Prism: For the price of a Leman Russ, the Eldar can take a grav-tank
armed with an upgraded battlecannon and...well...that's it. It's true that
the range is a bonus for the Eldar, it's true that it gives the Fire Prism a
useful edge as an AA tank and it's also true that the lance ability is
useful, but for a fragile support formation Prisms are expensive. What's
more, for the same price as 3 Prisms you could take 5 Falcons with AT4+
pulse weapons and a respectable secondary weapon. My feeling is that the
lance ability, while useful, is overpriced on nearly all platforms, and Fire
Prism Troupes don't have the numbers to represent a significant threat to
the armoured formations they're best-suited for fighting. Meanwhile the
lance ability is nearly worthless against infantry, and Night Spinners are
superior in the anti-personnel role. Fire Prisms are cheaper than Nightwings
and don't eat into your Titan/flyer allowance, but considering that only the
Thunderhawk, Space Marine Landing Craft, Phoenix and Vampire come with
reinforced armour, the lance ability you pay so much for will only
occasionally be used, and the Firestorm's a better anti-aircraft platform
against anything else.
Night Spinner: Artillery is a fairly prominent feature of Swordwind, and
with the Night Spinner, Cobra, Void Spinner, Phoenix, Warlock Titan and
spacecraft, the Eldar have no shortage. Night Spinners are the cheapest, but
like most Eldar artillery the disrupt ability compensates for relatively low
barrage firepower. Crucially for a small, fragile support formation, Night
Spinners benefit from indirect fire. This also makes them the longest-range
support tanks in the Eldar arsenal. A Troupe or two of Night Spinners are
found in most Eldar army lists I've seen, and with good reason.
Firestorm: As an upgrade to a Falcon, the Firestorm is an interesting
trade - it loses the accuracy of the pulse laser and is restricted to only
one ground attack weapon system, but it has the same potential anti-tank
ability and is superior against infantry. Most importantly, of course, the
Firestorm is an AA tank. It lacks the rate of fire of Ork or IG equivalents,
but is as accurate as the Space Marine Hunter and benefits from the pulse
special rule. Being found in Falcon Troupes of five vehicles, the Firestorm
is less susceptible to suppression than the Fire Prism. Given the choice
between 3 Fire Prisms for 250pts or 3 Falcons and 2 Firestorms for the same
price, I'd plump for the latter, though I doubt I'd upgrade more than one
Falcon formation with Firestorms. A note on the new model; while the Forge
World one has laser batteries that are unbalancingly large, these look
pitifully small, especially in comparison with the other Eldar support
tanks.
Scorpion Super-heavy Grav-tank: It's tough, it looks good and it's got a
long-ranged MW2+ pulse attack - there's really not anything to dislike about
the Scorpion. It's perhaps not quite the no-brainer that it was in early
incarnations of the army list, before the Cobra upgrade or the introduction
of the Great Hawk/Avenger/Void Spinner, but it can't be beaten for accuracy
or rate of fire.
Cobra: This was the surprise of the final Swordwind list when I saw it - the
Cobra now sports a barrage weapon (but lacks indirect fire). On its own it's
not accurate, needing 5+ to hit infantry and 6+ for its ideal targets, war
engines (and other vehicles), but a pair of Cobras have 4BP between them.
Despite its short range, the Cobra's barrage attack and two secondary
weapons make it arguably the best anti-personnel Engine of Vaul as well as a
potent war engine killer (when it hits).
Storm Serpent: The Storm Serpent is certainly the most unusual vehicle in
the Eldar force (pity it's the only one for which no model is shown), which
makes it difficult to assess its value. Certainly it isn't a good gunship -
its firepower is almost identical to that of the Falcon a fifth of the
price. The Storm Serpent is a flying webway portal - because it is 'passive'
rather than a transport actively disgorging troops, there's nothing to stop
the Storm Serpent moving at full speed (marching) on turn 1 and then, with a
subsequent action, a Guardian Host can leap from the portal. With a
successful retention of the initiative a Storm Serpent march and Guardian
Host advance could get the formation into play 90cm from the Serpent's start
point (almost close enough for Wraithguard to come in useful). I can see
little use for including multiple Storm Serpents in any but the largest
armies; with a Serpent and two Cobras or Scorpions in a Troupe the portal
will most likely survive until you need to use it, unless you plan on
withholding several formations. However, the only formations that will
benefit hugely from portals seem to be infantry Guardian Hosts and War
Walker Troupes, possibly some Wind Rider Troupes.
Void Spinner: Not sure about the fluff for this one - rather than just being
a web weapon, it's also a form of bio-weapon utilising modified bacteria. I
don't think this explanation is actually needed - the weapon is basically an
array of Night Spinners, hence the higher BP. Having said that, considering
the size of the rereleased Night Spinner's weapon, the Voidspinner Array is
laughably small. The Void Spinner is the true artillery super-heavy, selling
itself on long range and the ability to take several in a Troupe (and hence
take from 3-9BP in a formation). However, it's generally agreed that 4BP is
the optimal size for artillery batteries, with larger ones having no
significant effect that can't be accomplished with several formations.
Therefore the only things the Void Spinner offers over the Cobra are range,
disrupt and indirect fire - these aren't insignificant bonuses by any means,
but cheaper Night Spinners have all of these abilities. The Void Spinner
certainly isn't weak - a pair of them can be hugely disruptive, causing two
blast markers for coming under fire in addition to the effects of the
disrupt attack - but they're no longer the most obvious choice when you have
four types of super-heavy to choose from.
Nightwing Interceptor: I've neve been a huge fan of the E40k flyer models,
and it's clear that they need replacing since none is armed with the weapons
shown on its statline. It was a shame they weren't redone. Anyway, onto the
vehicle. The Nightwing is excellent as a pure interceptor, not simply
because both its AA attacks are 30cm range (the Thunderbolt has one of 15cm
range) and one has the lance ability, but because it comes in squadrons of 3
rather than 2. Of course Nightwings take points away from your Titan
allowance, and the Eldar are not short of ground-based AA capability, but
Nightwings also have a firepower advantage over the Fire Prism, mounting two
weapon systems.
Phoenix Bomber: Basically a Nightwing squadron with a Night Spinner battery
thrown in and reduced AA capability. The Phoenix is popular where enemy
interceptors aren't expected in any numbers - and again, as a squadron of 3
(and with reinforced armour, at that) they're resilient. Thematically,
though, the idea of a fast-moving aircraft attacking with Night Spinners is
implausible.
Vampire Raider: Epic is a good effort at recreating modern warfare in a GW
wargame, and one consequence of this is that airdrops are very effective.
Without the option to take more than one in a formation, the Vampire's
transport capacity is lower than it might be (though it can theoretically
transport Wraithguard and support platforms, with a maximum transport
capacity of 8 it can't fit an upgraded Guardian Host). Wih reinforced armour
and damage capacity 2, the Vampire has a good chance of successfully making
its transport run even in the face of unsuppressed AA fire - with their 30cm
charge move Warp Spiders are ideal for these sorts of missions. The
Vampire's armament is of secondary importance, but with 3-7 AT shots it's no
slouch at tank-hunting although it lacks the Phoenix's versatility, with
only nominal AP firepower.
Revenant Titan: There's a good reason to take Revenants - you can argue
about whether or not they look like Titans, but they may be the best models
in the army. Holofields make Eldar Titans extremely tough. Each Revenant
sports nearly twice the firepower of a Scorpion, albeit with shorter range,
and they invariably come in pairs. This of course restricts you - if you
take a pair of Revenants, you can't take any other Titans or flyers save a
Vampire in a 2,700pt army.
Phantom Titan: My favourite of the Titans. Armed with a pair of pulsars it's
just an up-gunned Revenant, but both it and the Warlock are murderous at
short range when armed with a power fist (9 3+ firefight attacks, or 8 3+
close combat attacks). Oh, yes, or 6 battlecannon attacks at range. Overall,
its firepower is closer to that of a Warlord than a Reaver Titan.
Warlock Titan: Yes, it's better than the Revenant, but is it 100pts better?
The psychic lance is essentially a high-power Cobra D-Cannon with the
disrupt ability. It also has a small arms ability - with a power fist as the
other primary weapon, that gives it a daunting 11 firefight attacks,
including Titan Killer ones. I'd like to use a Warlock and get it into
firefight range just to see it wipe out an entire formation in one go (or
thoroughly smash a Warlord), but it is pricey given that it's no tougher
than the Phantom.
Wraithship: Comparing Eldar spacecraft with their Imperial Navy
counterparts, there isn't much comparison. The Wraithship can make a 4BP
macro-weapon attack compared with the Lunar's 3BP one. Although the
Wraithship has the option of making a pinpoint attack instead, the Eldar
aren't short of accurate macro-weapons and more barrage templates are always
welcome...
Dragonship: Transport of up to 12 Vampires and their cargo is somewhat
excessive, isn't it? Otherwise the Dragonship is a closer match for its
Imperial counterpart, with the same type of bombardment attack.
Alternatively it can make two pinpoint attacks. Unless you desperately want
to use the Vampires' planetfall ability, though, I'd be happy sticking with
the Wraithship.
IMPERIAL GUARD SIEGE REGIMENTS
Siege Infantry: No pioint complaining about these, they're your basic grunts
and you'll have lots of 'em. That being said, in the Imperial Guard that's
par for the course and at least they come cheap. Though personally I prefer
to have as many big gun-toting support formations as possible and the
minimum number of Siege Infantry. The exception is the Siege Command HQ -
since it counts as the Break Their Spirit victory condition if destroyed,
you have nothing to lose by making it your biggest and most expensive unit
to keep it alive as long as possible, and the extra grunts could come in
useful there.
Rapier Laser Destroyer: This and the Thudd Gun are basically copies of one
another with the AT and AP values reversed. The only difference is that the
Thudd Gun has direct fire and the Rapier doesn't, and so is the superior
weapon. As good AT ability is easy enough to come by with tanks, my
preference is always for the Thudd Gun.
Thudd Gun: See above. As a unit you can attach to Siege Companies, the Thudd
Gun adds need long-ranged punch and is cheap for it.
Gotterdamerung: Siegemaster artillery - so you'll naturally need lots of
these. Artillery companies are support units, and inexpensive compared with
their more elaborate counterparts. The Gotterdammerung is nothing but a
stationary BP generator, but its range is huge and what would the IG be
without vast amounts of artillery?
Blitzen AA Gun: Like most Siegemaster equipment, a stripped-down immobile
counterpart to Guard support tanks in the main list. The AA gun is not a
very good unit - its firepower is poor and its accuracy woeful - but aside
from your own aircraft it's all you have.
Bruennhilde: What you need if you want to move Siegemaster artillery from
one place to another. If you don't, take fortifications instead. My
preference is for fortifications.
Siegfried: The light 'combat tractor'. Basically it's a faster version of
the Sentinel with a shorter-ranged weapon. As such it has all the uses the
Sentinel does; I regard both as being of limited value except as a way to
get very cheap firepower.
Ragnarok: A walking tank? What are they thinking? Okay, it says it isn't
really a walking tank but surely they shouldn't have called the 'Walker'
rule 'Walker' if they envisaged giving it to things that, well, don't walk?
Essentially a stripped-down Leman Russ, Ragnaroks have the Russ's main
advantages - battlecannon and heavy armour - and come in squadrons twice the
size. Good for the army, bad for the wallet.
Imperial Guard Sappers: Looking remarkably like Storm Troopers modelwise.
Close-range troops with no armour to speak of in an army with no transports.
Hmm. Can't see much use for them yet.
Fortified Positions: When the first Siegemasters list came out it was a
slight readjustment of the main list with a few new units but no
fortification rules, and was basically very dull. Then they decided to make
artillery companies auxiliary formations and to add bunkers, trenches and
razorwire to the army. Now that, as I thought at the time, is how an
Imperial Guard army should play. Fortified positions also have the advantage
of saving you money on models, though the maximum limits do place
constraints on the upper size of your siege companies if you want everyone
to be protected. Still, I wouldn't play Siegemasters without all the
fortifications I could physically use.
THE FERAL ORKS
Feral Ork fluff seemingly drawn from the Chapter Approved article, followed
by a reminder of Ork army rules and the new units.
Wyrdboy: A powerful character, with a macro-weapon AA attack or long-ranged
(for Orks) macro-weapon ground attack. Wyrdboyz aren't expensive and there's
no reason not to add them to the formations that can take them.
Wildboyz: Half-price Boyz without the ranged or firefight attacks. Since
these attacks are fairly negligible anyway, the extra numbers might be
helpful, though massed firepower may work instead.
Madboyz: A Fearless version of Wildboyz, though with a firefight attack.
They're restricted to their own small formation, and as such of little
obvious value except as a distraction.
Boarboyz: These are to Boyz what Jetbikes are to Guardians - fast versions
of the same thing, which pack a punch when they reach combat. Having the
Infiltrator ability, they have a 50cm charge move to boot. Best of all, they
don't cost any more than Boyz.
Squig Catapult: Very cheap artillery. With the disrupt ability and available
in unlimited numbers, every Ork formation that can use them has no reason
not to take four or more. They lack indirect fire, so don't need to keep
their distance from the enemy or stay on orders that keep them at a distance
(though the latter would help their aim).
Junkatrukk: A free upgrade for Boyz (effectively) in a Junka Brigade, these
give the Boyz mobility, extra firepower and some close combat support.
They're also the army's only transports and valuable for that if nothing
else.
Squiggoth: Okay, this is a transport after a fashion, and heavily-armoured
at that. The most heavily-armed light vehicle in the game, the Squiggoth is
the Feral Orks' tank equivalent, though it's no slouch in close combat.
Squiggoths are attached to infantry formations, though taking one
fully-transported in its Squiggoths would be pricey.
Orkeosaurus: What a ghastly model it is - shame, since all the other Feral
Ork (and most of the Swordwind) releases have been pretty good. It seems
undergunned for its cost, being three times the price of a Squiggoth but
with only twice the weapons, and with a movement no greater than that of the
Boyz the only reason you'll want to use it as a transport is to increase
their survivability. One thing an Orkesaurus won't do is die easily.
Steam Gargant: The highlight of the army modelwise, and indeed as a unit.
It's fairly vulnerable - despite having damage capacity 4 it will be
destroyed by a single critical - but it comes with three macro-weapons, up
to two of which can be 2BP soopaguns. My favoured combination would be 2
soopaguns, for maximum barrage ability and to make this a long-ranged unit.
Squiggoths are for assaults. Both for the model and for game capabilities,
the Steam Gargant should be found in any Feral Ork army.
The units are followed by a painting guide - of limited use in my
black-and-white copies.
The techniques are simple and produce fairly thorough (if monochromatic) results - I'll have to speed up my Epic painting
with the next batch. Guides are given for a couple of infantry types and
Falcons, and there is a showcase of other models. This is followed by
similar Ork and Siegemaster showcases.
The next section deals with modelling fortifications - this was first
printed as a Fanatic Magazine article. It's a good piece and includes
templates for entrenchments and bunkers as well as full modelling tips on
these, razorwire and craters.
THE BARAN WAR
We start with the familiar tale of an Ork Waaagh! as background to the
conflict. Baran started off as an Exodite world which fell to the Waaagh!,
before the Death Korps of Kreig were assigned to claim it for the Imperium.
Raven Guard forces involved in the initial attack on the Orks assisted the
Guardsmen in hunting down the surviving Orks as new settlements were built.
Meanwhile, Biel-Tan discovered the legacy of the Waaagh! and, led by a Fire
Dragon Autarch, its forces attacked. Again I'm not sure about some of the
background (Bonesingers and Spiritseers creating Wraithguard and Wraithlords
from scratch on a planet's surface, for instance) but the story is moved on
from battle to battle capably enough. It means more semi-reprinted fluff
along the way, on the Exodites and Biel-Tan, which is welcome. At first the
Biel-Tan uncharacteristically ignore the humans and concentrate on fighting
Orks, though as the Orks retreated they found themselves fighting the
Siegemasters. The Siegemasters called for help and the Raven Guard
responded, discovering that the Eldar were ultimately behind the attack
before their contingent was destroyed. The situation at the end of the story
has the Feral Ork Waaagh! broken up, but Siegemaster, Ork and Eldar forces
still on the planet (though with the Eldar yet to make contact with the
humans).
We then have the army lists - I've described them as I've gone along in the
units section, but as examples I'll give the 2,700pt army lists I've planned
for each:
Eldar: 2,700pts
Wraithgate 50pts
Avatar Free
Aspect Warrior Warhost 525pts
Warp Spiders (Autarch) 75pts
2 Striking Scorpions (1 Exarch)
3 Dire Avengers
2 Fire Dragons
4 Wave Serpents
Aspect Warrior Warhost 525pts
2 Striking Scorpions (1 Exarch)
4 Dire Avengers
2 Fire Dragons
4 Wave Serpents
Guardian Warhost 200pts
Farseer
4 Guardians
3 Heavy Weapon Platforms
3 Support Weapon Platforms
Falcon Troupe 250pts
3 Falcons
2 Firestorms
Night Spinner Troupe 175pts
3 Night Spinners
Engine of Vaul Troupe 250pts
Scorpion Super-heavy Grav-tank
Engine of Vaul Troupe 250pts
Cobra Super-heavy Grav-tank
Phoenix Bombers 400pts
3 Phoenix Bombers
Total: 2,700pts
Activations: 8 (9)
This was the one I spent longest puzzling over - I decided to start from
scratch rather than going with models I already had. Aspect Hosts are just
so attractive I couldn't pass them up, but they've gobbled a fair portion of
the army's points. In the end I decided against jetbikes on the basis that
my three Hosts gave me plenty of firefighting ability and the Aspects were
well-supplied with speed. Which Engines of Vaul to take caused me some
thought as well - only the Scorpion really seems to work as a unit of one,
but feeling short of macro-weapons (and AA weapons) I plumped for one Cobra.
I eventually decided against the Storm Serpent on the basis that the only
formation I had that would benefit from it cost less than the war machine
itself.
Baran Siegemasters: 2,700pts
Siegemaster Regimental HQ (Supreme Commander, 9 infantry) 150pts
Siege Infantry Platoon (6 Siege Infantry)
75pts
Thudd Gun Platoon (3)
75pts
Griffon Battery (3)
100pts
Fortified Positions
100pts
Siegemaster Infantry Company (Command unit, 9 infantry) 125pts
Thudd Gun Platoon (3)
75pts
Griffon Battery (3)
100pts
Fortified Positions 100pts
Siege Regiment Artillery Company (9 Gotterdammerungs in gun emplacements)
450pts
Heavy Tank Platoon (6 Ragnarok heavy tanks) 300pts
Heavy Tank Platoon (6 Ragnarok heavy tanks) 300pts
Siege Regiment AA Battery (3 Blitzen AA guns in gun emplacements)
125pts
2 Marauder Bombers 300pts
2 Marauder Bombers 300pts
Total:
2,675pts
Activations: 8
*This* is what an IG army should be - aside from the AA battery and the
tanks, absolutely everything has some sort of barrage capability, and
everything bar the tanks and aircraft has enough fortifications for the
formation. World War One, here we come.
Feral Orks: 2,700pts
Warband 300pts
2 Nobz (1 Wyrdboy)
6 Ork Boyz
2 Grotz
4 Squig Catapults
Warband 325pts
2 Nobz (1 Wyrdboy)
6 Ork Boyz
2 Wildboyz
2 Grotz
4 Squig Catapults
Warband 350pts
2 Nobz (1 Wyrdboy)
6 Ork Boyz
2 Grotz
2 Squiggoths
Big Wildboyz Warband 500pts
4 Nobz (Wyrdboy)
12 Ork Wildboyz
4 Grotz
4 Squiggoths
Big Boarboyz Horde 225pts
10 Boarboyz (1 Wyrdboy)
Boarboyz Horde 225pts
10 Boarboyz (1 Wyrdboy)
Big Junka Brigade 335pts
Nob (Warlord)
12 Ork Boyz (1 Wyrdboy)
13 Junkatrukks
Big Junka Brigade 335pts
Nob (Wyrdboy)
12 Ork Boyz
13 Junkatrukks
'Uge Steam Gargant Mob 500pts
2 Steam Gargants: 2 Soopaguns, Fist of Gork
Steam Gargant: Soopagun, Mega-Choppa, Fist of Gork
Total:
2,700pts
Activations: 9
There was no plan at all to selecting this army - I just kept adding
warbands until I ran out of points, which took a while. With no
point-gobbling Fighta Bommerz or large Gargants and no vehicle formations,
you can throw almost endless Orks into a Feral Ork army (wonder how I'd
afford to buy them all?) I've ended up with six fully mobile fighty
formations, two artillery formations and a full set of Steam Gargants. Just
don't expect much in the way of shootiness except for all the Wyrdboyz and
the Gargants (8 Wyrdboyz and 3 Fists of Gork? Feral Orks may be one of the
best anti-aircraft forces in the game).
Swordwind ends with a Collectors' Models section for the Eldar. This is not
large - except for Harlequins practically all the Eldar units ever produced
have been revived in this list, with the return of the Firestorm. I think
I'd very much like a tremor or Titan D-cannon for my Titans, though...The
Exodite Knight units are pretty potent for armoured vehicles of their size
(though the Towering Destroyer is considerably weaker than the Revenant it
'counts as'). Not sure why the vibro-cannon has a shorter range than the
D-Cannon; otherwise it's a nice weapon.
And that, at long last, is it. I have to say I'm unhappy with Swordwind for
one particular reason - it's come along when I don't have any spare money,
and I want to start/add to all three armies. :-(
Philip Bowles
Philip Bowles
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