Editing Warhammer 40,000/9th Edition Tactics/Eldar (section)

===HQ===
*[[File:2022 Autarch.jpg|200px|right]]'''[[Autarch]]<sup>{{W40kKeywords|Infantry}}</sup>''': After going for ''years'' without an official model (you know, unless you managed to hold onto an OoP or Made-to-Order one), your standard Autarch has returned from retirement, bringing nearly all his/her tools of war with him/her. The customization options for your Autarch are quite unparalleled for an Eldar character, and not just aesthetically. Between Swooping Hawk Wings, Warp Spider Generators, a Skyrunner (which unfortunately remains a finecast-resin/plastic hybrid) or just running on his/her two legs, the Autarch has several means of getting around the field to do the job you gear him/her to do. In case that wasn't made apparent by the Autarch's panoply of guns and blades, he/she can do pretty much anything. With both a BS/WS of a 2+, there's no enemy your Autarch will lack the skills or tools to face. Though, should luck not be on your side to the degree even your '''Strands of Fate''' rule leaves you high and dry, a new ability granted to Autarchs, '''Superlative Strategist''', allows you perform a command re-roll twice each phase. And he/she doesn't even need to be your Warlord to do it. Of course, the '''Path of Command''' aura still supports nearby units with a re-roll 1s to hit buff, but the limit to {{W40kkeyword|Core}} units does prevent your Autarch from supporting many of your Vehicles and Characters (himself included).
**'''Variants''': Your flavor of Autarch, tailor fit to your every need. Only the standard Autarch may board transports, though with how quickly the other two are able to deploy and maneuver about the battlefield, you're not really any worse off for taking any one version over the other. Take what fits your needs best.
**:<tabs><tab name="Standard">A regular old Autarch, no trimmings, excess fluff, or tricks. Also the only one able to embark on transports, if you'd like to have him/her accompany a particular squad of Aspect Warriors in a Falcon/Wave Serpent for a special job. Alternatively, if you plan on loading one up with a Reaper Launcher and/or just want to park him on some backline objective as cheaply as possible, this'll be the one for you.</tab><!--
--><tab name="Warp Generator">It's back! This nifty little tool was tuned up since the last time your Autarch was allowed to take it for a spin and frankly, it's seriously worth considering. The Warp Generator bumps up your Autarch's movement to a terrain-ignoring 12", the ability to Deep Strike and grants him/her a 2d6 Battle Focus move (though a double 1 causes him/her a mortal wound). Probably the most flexible option, though keep in mind it prevents your Autarch from boarding transports should the need arise.</tab><!--
--><tab name="Swooping Hawk Wings">The first plastic Autarch variant, completely compatible with the armory re-introduced with the new Autarch model. This is the fastest infantry Autarch at 14" movement coupled with the ability to rapidly re-deploy each turn courtesy of the Winged Descent ability. While the Codex hard-locked their weapon choices to what the model came with out of the box, GW was pressured by enough backlash to correct their colossal fuckup and provided [https://www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/fDlxaHkFk1zghWjo.pdf a revised datasheet] that restored the entire loadout to this variation. Considering they not only bragged about how the weapons were designed to be compatible with all Autarch plastic kits but even depicted an otherwise illegal-to-field Autarch on the cover of the Codex in question, it's the least they could've done.</tab><!--
--><tab name="Skyrunner">Your swiftest, most durable Autarch variant. Unfortunately, by default the Skyrunner is still quite dated to look at, but between all the new bits and Shining Spear revamp, converting a fully plastic one is certainly within the realm of possibility. Your Skyrunner Autarch currently wins the race when it comes to speed and durability, but these perks come at the cost of a larger profile and a higher price-tag.</tab><!--
--></tabs>
**'''Weapons and Wargear''': Oh boy, there's a lot to go over here. The default kit your Autarch goes to war with is a Star Glaive and a Shuriken Pistol with a handful of Plasma Grenades (which you'll ''never'' use), but you're strongly encouraged to mix it up. To better represent the Autarch's combat mastery, and befitting their high ranking station, several of the Autarch's weapons perform even better than the standard issue versions Aspect Warriors are equipped with.
***'''Standard''':
***:<tabs><tab name="Shuriken Pistol">Your Autarch's least impressive gun, and one you're almost assuredly not taking unless you ''absolutely'' need every point you can get for something else. Though if you're that desperate for points...why are you taking an Autarch? Switch this out for literally anything else.</tab><!--
--><tab name="Fusion Pistol">The Fusion Pistol hits pretty damn hard, but the atrocious 6" range almost guarantees that you're only ever using it while in melee. Unfortunately, the Fusion Pistol still sits at S8 and only gets the d6+2 damage at half range like most normal melta weaponry, but since you're likely firing this off in combat...it's not a bad thing. A successful wound with this thing can very well slaughter most characters you may face in combat, so if you plan on having your Autarch fisticuff with anyone, consider bringing this.</tab><!--
--><tab name="Death Spinner">Well, you don't currently have a Phoenix Lord for the Warp Spiders. Why not have your Autarch fill those shoes? The Death Spinner in your Autarch's hands is a potent anti infantry weapon effective into most targets at Assault d6 S6 AP -2 Blast. Combine this with the Scorpion Chainsword and your Autarch will be able to drop in, blast a hole in a Guardsman squad, then swoop in to sweep away the few guys still standing. Replaces your pistol.</tab><!--
--><tab name="Reaper Launcher">The premier choice for any Autarch that wants to lead from the rear. The Reaper Launcher is unchanged from prior editions; a single S8 AP-2 D3 shot or two S5 AP-2 D2 shots. Replaces your pistol.</tab><!--
--><tab name="Scorpion Chainsword">Your choppy choice, for when you need your Autarch to slice through hordes of models as quickly as possible. The effective S5 AP-1 makes it ideal against units like Guardsmen, Skitarii, Ork Boyz, Terma/Hormagaunts and Necron Warriors. This is made better by the extra attack granted by the blade. Replaces the Star Glaive.</tab><!--
--><tab name="Star Glaive">The default blade for your Autarch is the hardest hitting. An effective S6 AP-3 D2 allows your commander to efficiently bisect a Space Marine in a single swing or carve up a potent character in a duel.</tab><!--
--><tab name="Howling Banshee Mask">This is the best offensive option, especially if you plan on having a fellow squad of Striking Scorpions or Wraithblades assist him/her in melee. Just like the regular Howling Banshees, when your Autarch attempts to charge an enemy unit, they cannot fire overwatch or set to defend. Also applies Always Strikes Last on the charge, like with Banshees.</tab><!--
--><tab name="Mandiblasters"> Every natural wound roll of a 6 against non-{{W40kkeyword|Vehicle}} targets generates a mortal wound on top of all other damage dealt. If you're looking to maximize potential damage, this is the option for that, but one would argue the ability to both ignore overwatch and force opponents to fight last in all circumstances consistently would be more beneficial than the fickle, luck based mortal wounds you ''might'' get.</tab><!--
--></tabs>
***'''Available to Skyrunner''':
***:<tabs><tab name="Dragon Fusion Gun">When your Autarch wants to hop out with the Fire Dragons he just kicked out of the Falcon, he may as well be equipped like one. This bad boy hits ''damn'' hard at S9 AP-4 d6+2 like all Dragon Fusion Guns. Replaces pistol or laser lance.</tab><!--
--><tab name="Banshee Blade">Little to note here, the Banshee Blade is the weakest melee weapon available to your Autarch, but it cuts the deepest at AP-4. This is frankly ideal if you're expecting to go against the likes of the Sisters of Battle or Skitarii, but you'll probably get more mileage out of one of the other melee options.  Replaces a laser lance for the Skyrunner, so you'll likely never take it.  </tab><!--
--></tabs>
***'''Skyrunner''':
***:<tabs><tab name="Twin Shuriken Catapult">I mean, it's on your bike. Since you're not going to be able to pick up much else in the way of guns, you'll likely be relying on this.</tab><!--
--><tab name="Laser Lance">Skyrunner exclusive and not the worst pick if you're putting your Autarch on a jetbike. The unfortunate thing is that it does taper off in effectiveness if your Autarch remains in combat for the turn after the charge, so unless he/she's accompanied by a full squad of Shining Spears, you may consider something with a little more staying power.</tab><!--
--></tabs>
<!-- ---------------------------------------------------------------------Farseer-------------------------------------------------------------------- -->
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: left"
!colspan="2"|'''[[Farseer]]'''
|-
|''HQ Infantry''
|''Psyker''
|-
|colspan="2"|[[File:99070104001 EldarFarseer01.webp|200px|right|border]] For generations, the Farseer has been the psychic glue that has and continued to hold Craftworld armies together. In 9th edition, this is no different. As one of the most flexible supporting psykers in the game, it's borderline mandatory to bring one due to the massive amount of utility they can provide your army. Complete hit rerolls, complete wound rerolls, tossing out mortal wounds left and right, Farseers can do a bit of everything for everybody. Well, as long as they're {{W40kkeyword|Core}} or {{W40kkeyword|Characters}}. That's right, all Runes of Fate and Fortune that grant boons to your forces in some way, direct or not, require them to have one of those two keywords to be of use. That is a shame, but fortunately all of your Aspect Warriors and Guardian units are core. Unfortunately, Farseers alone are not as reliable at casting their powers as they were last edition; the changes to the Farseer's ghosthelm make it so that they're completely immune to suffering Perils of the Warp, but their ability to re-roll one psychic test per turn and 5++ FNP to Mortal Wounds is now gone. For what it's worth, the good news is that your Farseer does know Smite and any two powers from the Runes of Fate and/or Fortune, so they are more flexible now than they have ever been before.

|-
|colspan="2"|
:'''Variants''': Farseers have two modes of transportation: their feet or atop a skyrunner.
<tabs>
<tab name="Standard">
Your default option, and the one you pick if you don't plan on moving him much over the course of the game or plan on cramming him into a transport to do so. Slightly less durable and lacks a touch of offensive presence compared to the skyrunner, but a good option for remaining cost effective.
</tab>
<tab name="Skyrunner">
Seat your Farseer atop a jetbike and get him where he needs to go on the double! Though mobility isn't the ''highest'' concern for your Farseer given the range of their powers, it can be a very convenient repositioning tool should things go awry with your plans. It also provides your Farseer with an additional point of toughness, an extra wound and a Twin Shuriken Catapult to provide an all around buff to your Farseer's survivability. Not a bad choice if you only want to give as much protection to your premier psyker as possible.
</tab>
</tabs>

:'''Farseer Weapons''': The same two blades they've always had. Pick your favorite, even if you need to Frankenstein a plastic Witch Blade onto the infantry model since they don't naturally come with one.
<tabs>
<tab name="Witch Blade">
The free, melee only option and probably the better of the two. Keeps the point cost down by a bit and still lets you wound everything in the game on a 2+, the Witch Blade now does a flat 2D and has a single AP-1 pip! This gives it a ''slight'' edge compared to the Singing Spear against targets with anything resembling an armour save. You generally don't want any of your psykers in combat anyways given the low volume of attacks they have..
</tab>
<tab name="Singing Spear">
In a bit of a mix-up from last edition, Singing Spears got a minor tweaking. Though they still wound everything in the game on a 2+ in melee (dealing a flat D3 per wound), their throwing profile no longer does so. Granted, a ranged profile of S9 is still going to wound any <T5 target on a 2+ anyways, it is a noticeable change worth mentioning. Additionally, the Singing Spear still lacks AP of any flavor, so the Witch Blade may actually be more desirable.
</tab>
</tabs>
|}

<!-- ---------------------------------------------------------------------Spiritseer-------------------------------------------------------------------- -->
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: left"
!colspan="2"|'''[[Spiritseer]]'''
|-
|''HQ Infantry''
|''Psyker''
|-
|colspan="2"|[[File:Spiritseer New.jpg|200px|left|border]] Now free from competing Warlocks! Spiritseers continue to functions as a sort of Warlock+ unit and a solid discount HQ if you're just looking for something cheap to lead your forces. A WS/BS of a 2+ does ensure that should your Spiritseer ever commit to actual combat that he can actually hit his targets, but when all he's packing is a piddly Shuriken Pistol and a Witchstaff... he generally shouldn't be involved in it. His unique aura ability encourages him into the support role, as it grants Wraith units within 6" of him re-roll 1's to wound in both melee and shooting. Very much an improvement to the previous edition where your psyker had to be within range of the enemy rather than your units. His one Rune of Battle can be used to further support those Wraith allies of his (only the Wraithguard/blades though), but he lacks the protections and flexibility a Farseer or group of Warlocks would have should he fail his one cast per turn. If price is no concern, or you aren't invested in absolutely maximizing your Wraith unit potential, you may generally want to give this guy a pass. Though Warlocks are no longer HQ's, two of them (in a unit) run about the same price your Spiritseer does and they don't take up a unit slot if you have a Farseer. Additionally, if you also have a Farseer, Spiritseers cannot be used for Seer Council support What's worse is that the former main selling point over a Warlock, having a fully functional Smite, is no more thanks to that particular buff Warlocks received. In short, if you're looking to take the cheapest HQ or make a Wraith deathstar, take a Spiritseer. If you want literally anything else out of your HQ slot, give this guy a pass.
|}

<!-- ---------------------------------------------------------------------Avatar of Khaine-------------------------------------------------------------------- -->
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: left"
!colspan="2"|'''[[Khaine|Avatar of Khaine]]'''
|-
|''HQ Monster''
|-
|colspan="2"|[[File:1F0501F8-A526-4EC3-80F0-8071D5F35875.jpeg|200px|right|border]]My god... after all this time, ''the'' face of the Craftworlds got a glow up and my god does it bring a tear to the eye. Now towering over the mere mortal Aspect Warriors, the Avatar of Khaine has finally become something to behold. Not just aesthetically either. As the Aeldari god of war, Khaine can use his Wailing Doom to deal bloody (handed) death to all manner of foes with his multiple attacking profiles. His Piercing Strike profile, advertised as being able to lay low a Titan in a single melee phase*, is tailor made to ruin the day of elite or single model unit; 7 attacks at S14 AP-5 and d6+2 will indeed lay low practically everything without a solid invuln save or some ability that prevents damage altogether (like your Phoenix Lords' ''Favoured of Khaine'' ability, for example). Alternatively, should your foe foolishly attempt to bog down the Avatar in a tide of bodies, his Sweeping Blows (like the name suggests) trades sheer strength and damage to double the number of strikes he makes, going from 7 to 14 separate S7 AP-2 D2 attacks. Though units with heavier armor may be able to shake off a glancing blow, the staggering number of attacks hitting on a 2+ will almost assuredly doom the "lucky" son of a bitch anyways. Now, that ranged profile he used to have? Instead of a random d6 hits, the Avatar instead picks a target at 12" away (if it's a unit with multiple models, he has to pick the one closest to him) and strikes. If it hits (pretty likely with that BS2+), that unit and every unit between the Avatar and them is hit by the attack. Unfortunately, this does reduce the total potential output against a unit (only killing one model per unit), but at S12 and d6+2 damage, any multi-wound unit isn't walking away scratch free. Defensively, the Avatar lost his FNP rule, but in exchange received a full 2+/4++ save at T8. Should something manage to make it through that statline, the Avatar halves the damage of every attack that lands true (rounding up).
<br>
Long story short? This guy has become an absolute ''beast'' on the battlefield and is a solid pick to form the core of a Craftworld Deathstar. There are a couple drawbacks that do warrant consideration though. The first (and obvious) issue; his price point. This towering monstrosity is pretty pricey at 270pts and may find it challenging to fit into smaller armies without severely limiting the number of boots on the ground. Second, his upgraded statline, while extremely beefy, does now degrade. While his accuracy with the blade in combat never depreciates, he does become slower and lose attacks as he brackets. Coupled with being much bigger and freely targetable, as well as not having any healing options for him, this can be a major problem if you can't get him stuck in. Which brings up the next major con: While 10" is respectably quick, it's not ideal when your massive melee monster needs to spend a turn or two slogging across the battlefield. You have zero options for speeding him up and if your opponent doesn't need to guard anything in particular, they can potentially spend the whole day kiting this thing from one end of the table to the other. The last major downside? The Avatar of Khaine can no longer take any Warlord Traits or equipment what-so-ever (so never make him your Warlord). Regardless, his upgraded base kit more than makes up for these flaws and if you need something to drop kick an enemy Landraider off the table, you can't go wrong with the Avatar of Khaine.
<br>
*GW, prone to over exaggeration, would have you believe the Avatar can somehow ''not'' get shot off the table before it walks up to a Warhound Titan and pokes it in the shin. If you load your dice as well as your opponents, then ''maybe'' it'll win. Against a regular Imperial Knight, it'll almost assuredly cut that thing in half.
|}

====[[Phoenix Lords]]====

[[Fail |Sadly, Phoenix Lords can't take a Warlord Trait]]. That's right, these millennial patriarchs of craftworld military doctrine and martial champions apparently lack the tactical acumen to lead their forces more efficiently than the nameless Warlocks trying to figure out where the pointy part of the witchblade is supposed to go. The one can only excuse this by mentioning that they're arguably too consumed by war and with too alien a viewpoint to be an effective leader when compared to an Autarch or Farseer.

Phoenix Lords are remarkably durable (by Eldar standards at least) with an average statline of M7, WS/BS 2+, S/T 4, W6, A6, Ld9, and a 2+/4++ save as well as the ability to only take up to three wounds each phase, similar to Ghazghkull. Not all Phoenix Lords are created equally, obviously, and they all have various perks and draws to differentiate themselves from each other and to accentuate their respective Aspect (or, you know, do whatever Maugan Ra is doing). Every single one of them has a 6" aura that grants the aspect warriors of their temple ObSec and +2 Ld. Unfortunately, some of them (like Maugan Ra and Jain Zar to an extent) don't really function well themselves when paired with their students and thus are less attractive options to pick up for your army. You know, aside from the fact that only two of the following characters (three if you count Irillyth) [[fail|actually has a model less than 20 years old]].

*'''[[Asurmen]]:''' Has a S+2 AP-3 3D sword, which inflicts an additional 1d3 Mortal Wounds on a nat 6 to wound, and twin souped-up Avenger Shuriken Catapults for ranged combat. Sadly, he lost a lot of his support powers and now only has the ObSec aura given to all the Phoenix Lords. Arguably, his is only worth it because the Exarch Power that grants Avengers ObSec on their own is only usable once, so you can use this to make sure others can snag objectives. Also comes with a 3++ for added durability. 
** With some support, Asurmen can be disgustingly tanky in a fight. He's got a 2+/3++ save that doesn't need Protect, but he can be supported with Enervate/Drain if you so desire. That said, your opponent may simply bow out of fighting him and try to light him up with excessive fire. Even if he can only lose three wounds in a phase, you don't exactly have a way to heal him for the next barrage.
*'''[[Baharroth]]:''' Baharroth is surprisingly the most durable of the Phoenix Lords, thanks to his insane maneuverability, but is not cheap at 160 points. The only way for him to die is if you mess up your positioning. He has the same Sudden Assault and Cloudstrider abilities his Swooping Hawks have as well as the Phoenix Lord's ObSec aura for fellow hawks. Unlike normal Hawks though, he can teleport out of combat instead of consolidating. That means you can shoot, charge, attack, and escape before the opponent has a chance to swing back in melee. You can drop him wherever his support abilities are needed.  He also has a super lasblaster with S6 AP-2 D2 that auto-wounds on a nat 6 to hit, and an S+1 AP-3 D2 sword that scores an additional hit on a nat 6 to hit.
*'''[[Fuegan]]:''' If you thought Fire Dragons were awesome, wait until you get a load of this guy. His Firepike got a major buff by gaining two modes, either a tank-cracking S10 AP-4 D4+d6 or a less-lethal S6 AP-3 D4 beam that burns through any models in between him and his marked foe, and he packs his trusty Fire Axe which is AP-4 D3 (note Fuegan is S5!) to hack infantry. He's pretty kitted out as is and pairing him with his dragons allows him to at least mitigate their mob management. Also gets a special rule to be a little bit better in melee with +1S and +1A after he's taken some damage earlier in the game. 
*'''[[Irillyth]]  (Forge World):''' Irillyth is... interesting. At 140 points, he's just barely more expensive than a standard squad of his Shadow Spectres. At his base level, he brings the rather standard Phoenix Lord statline (-2 attacks) to the table with the only major standout point being his 12" movement and the ability to deep strike. His main weapon, ''Spear of Starlight'', is essentially just a buffed up Prism Rifle at Assault 3 S8 AP-4 D3 which trades the dispersed firing mode his students get to use for a rather snappy melee profile of S+1(5) AP-3 D2, although with only 4 attacks instead of 6. This turns him into a certified Space Marine murderer who can easily hang out with a squad or two of his disciples in order to pop in unannounced and vaporize a rather troublesome backline squad of Devastators or Heavy Intercessors. His ''Reaper of Souls'' ability was also re-tooled to the bog-standard 6" +2 Leadership and ObSec aura every Phoenix Lord grants their disciples. Not the best power he could've given them, as a generic Autarch could've done that much, but at least he himself can operate comfortably at the same ranges his charges tend to work at. Defensively, he's a bit of a tank these days; though his rather unimpressive T4 won't turn any heads, a defensive lineup of a 2+/4++ save hidden behind a -1 to-hit debuff can make him extraordinarily challenging to move, especially if supported with psychic powers. All things said and done, Irillyth is looking ''much'' better this edition, though he's still something of a niche pick and offers little to no synergy with the rest of your army on his own... like most Phoenix Lords.
**Ever due to GW's fickle nature (and the likely low sales of this particular model), Irillyth is no longer actively available for sale on Forge World's website. It remains to be seen if GW will continue to support his profile in the future with occasional Made-to-Order sessions or even convert him into plastic, but it's equally if not far more likely that he's off to join the likes of the Vampire, Wasp Assault Walker and Phoenix in Warhammer Legends retirement.
*'''[[Jain Zar]]:''' Jain Zar is still a terrifying melee combatant who wields both ''Silent Death'' (an Assault 6 S6 AP-3 weapon) and the ''Blade of Destruction'' (an Executioner that can either hit at S+2 AP-2 D2 to hack up marines or AP-3 D1 with double hits to blend hordes) on the mostly standard Phoenix Lord statline. Combined with the flurry of special abilities native to her aspect, such as preventing overwatch or setting to defend, advancing after charging with a -1 hit penalty to enemies that always strike last on that fight phase, she will find it particularly easy to get stuck into combat and do some heavy damage. With how powerful the banshees are this edition, you'll absolutely be seeing her fighting alongside her disciples for a follow-up charge.
*'''[[Karandras]]:''' Hell yes, our infiltrating super-ninja warrior! He has the average Phoenix Lord stat-line and currently runs 150 points. He has Advance Positions as well as exploding attacks (6s to hit generate a single additional hit and a natural 6 to wound deals 2 mortal wounds on non-vehicle units with super-Mandiblasters). His Scorpion's Claw [[Arhra]]'s Bane is a power fist with no hit penalty with a stronger shuriken catapult strapped on. If you give him Empower, [[Awesome|he is wounding everything below T8 on a 2+, letting him take on anything short of a Super-Heavy]], <s>and [[Rape|Enhance means his attacks explode on a 5+, or 4+ if the target is cowering in cover]]</s>. This doesn't account for his chainsword, which doubles his attack output and lets him rip apart chaff easily (and with Doom and strands of fate wound dice can be up to 24 mortal wounds on top of the normal damage!!) 
*'''[[Maugan Ra]]:''' Our shooty Lord is expensive at 160 points and the slowest of them at M6, but his new model looks appropriately edgy as fuck. His Maugetar got another rework, now being 36" Assault 6 S7 AP-2 D2 that deals a MW on a 6 to wound - a sizeable buff to his anti-infantry prowess, especially when each kill he makes counts as double for morale. Not to mention that this still allows him to slip away with Battle Focus.  The scythe end of his gun is also a powerful S+2 AP-2 D2, making him decent at taking on enemy characters or heavies.