Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Harlequins(8E)
![]() |
This article has been flagged for deletion. Comment on the article's talk page. Reminder: Do NOT blank pages when flagging them for deletion. Reason: This page already exists. Please check the tactics category before you create these pages. |
Why play Harlequins?
Harlequins are a candidate for most improved army in 8E. The 5++ army wide has been increased to a 4++. The Starweaver is one of the best transports point for point in the game. Thanks to Shadowseers and Troupe Masters getting promoted to HQs, They are a viable solo force (though realistically you will want to borrow some big guns from your less silly cousins). Speaking of Shadowseers, they are a fantastic force multiplier that make Harlequins the toughest infantry available to an Aeldari force, in that they make all your opponent’s forces take -1 on all to wound roles against your infantry and bikes.
Harlequins are extremely fast. Nothing in the army moves less than 8 inches a turn, and everything that isn’t the Starweaver or Voidweaver can advance and charge. Every unit in the Harlequin Army list has the FLY keyword or a Flip Belt, allowing them to ignore terrain, so the shortest distance to any enemy is always a straight line. On top of that, the Shadowseer can give units an extra turn of moving and advancing during the psychic phase, pretty much guaranteeing you’ll get at least one first turn charge, if not multiple.
If playing an elite army designed to get in your opponent’s face as fast as possible, with a brutal melee phase is your cup of tea, you’ll have a hard time finding a force that can do it as fast as the Ninja Space clowns.
Pros
- With the ability to advance and charge on the entire army (save their two vehicles), plus the ability to ignore all terrain, Harlequins are hellishly fast. 22 inch movement plus 2d6 charge distance can almost guarantee a first turn charge for bikes, and the 12 inch plus 2d6 movement on a Solitaire Blitz, plus a 2d6 charge also makes it very easy to be in your opponent’s face before they are prepared to death with you.
- 4++ save Army wide means you do not have to care about units with high AP or hiding in cover (short of the line of site blocking variety), you can dive toward the enemy at top speed.
- Shadowseers make your units extremely tough to weed out. -1 on to wound roles for every INFANTRY or BIKE keyword unit within 6 inches makes these psykers worth taking even before you look at their high utility psychic tree. Twilight Pathways makes first turn charges even more likely, and Fog of Dreams giving an enemy unit -1 to hit makes your already shockingly tough army even tougher.
- Due to how targeting rules work, you can get your opponent into situations where much of their shooting is negated. It was ruled in the first FAQ that even if the closest enemy unit is locked in combat, you cannot shoot at a character if they are the next closest visible unit. This will keep your force multipliers very safe (barring snipers), even out in the open, and will often force the enemy to fall back out of multiple combats just to have viable targets, limiting how much shooting back they can do each turn.
- Starweavers are a fantastic transport now, instead of a paper deathtrap. This is thanks in big part to the always on 4++ save, and all enemy units having -1 to hit against it.
Cons
- Harlequins are still expensive to kit out, so you are a quality over quantity army, and therefore a day of bad rolling is going to hurt more than if you spammed cheap units.
- The Voidweaver still isn’t worth the paper it’s made out of.
- Some trouble dealing with high toughness values on their own, but stealing heavy support options from the other elves can help negate this
Reborn Elves vs. Dancing Elves
Losing Rising Crescendo is a big hit to the speed at which you can get your army into combat, and how safely you can get them there. However, with how deadly they are once they reach combat, Strength from Death allows you to more effectively sweep from unit to unit. More a side grade than an upgrade.
Special Rules
- ’’’Rising Crescendo:’’’ Give you the ability to advance and charge I the same turn, as well as to fall back while still shooting and charging. With the ability to ignore terrain on all of your units (since everything has a flip belt or the FLY keyword) this gets your deadly close combat units where you want them as fast as possible.
Psychic Powers
The Phantasmancy Discipline offers incredible mobility options for damn near guaranteeing a first turn charge, or making your already tough to remove troupes harder to hit. You should have at least one shadower per army, and 2+ is highly recommended for how well they act as a force multiplier for everything else with the HARLEQUIN keyword.
Phantasmancy
Runes of Battle powers allow you to pick one of the following whenever you manifest the power.
- 1. Twilight Pathways’’’:
- 2. Fog of Dreams’’’:
- 3. Mirror of Minds’’’:
Wargear
Melee Weapons
- ’’’Harlequin Blade’’’:
- ’’’Harlequin’s Kiss’’’:
- ’’’Harlequin’s Embrace’’’:
- ’’’Harlequin’s Caress’’:
- ’’’Power Sword’’’:
- ’’’Zephyr Glaive’’:
Ranged Weapons
- ’’’Shuriken Pistol’’’:
- ’’’Fusion Pistol’’’:
- ’’’Neuro Disruptor’’’:
- ’’’Halucinogen Grenade Launcher’’’:
- ’’’Shreiker Cannon’’’:
- ’’’Star Bola’’’:
- ’’’Shuriken Cannon’’’:
- ’’’Haywire Cannon’’’:
- ’’’Prism Cannon’’’:
Unit Analysis
Common keywords are AELDARI, ‘’’HARLEQUIN’’’, and the <MASQUE>. You share the AELDARI keyword with Drukhari, Aeldari and Ynnari, meaning you can combine them within any detachment.
TL:DR
- Viable: Troupe Master, Harlequin Troupe, Death Jester, Solitaire, Skyweavers
- Trash: Voidweaver
- Things that are OP: Shadowseer, Starweaver
HQ
- ’’’Troupe Master’’’:
- ’’’Shadowseer’’’:
Troops
- ’’’Harlequin Troupe’’’:
Dedicated Transport
- ’’’Starweaver’’’:
Elites
- ’’’Death Jester’’:
- ’’’Solitaire’’’:
Fast Attack
- ’’’Skyweavers’’’:
Heavy Support
- ’’’Voidweaver:’’