Phil Kelly

Phil: When I first learned that we were definitely taking up the idea for an Eldar variant list for Codex: Eye of Terror, a couple of themes sprang to mind straight away, foremost among them that of Ulthwé the Damned. As with Cadia, this Craftworld resides on the outskirts of the Eye, ready to react with full force to any daemonic incursion emanating from it. After toying with some ideas for the doomed Craftworld of Altansar and the Crone world Eldar (those poor unfortunates trapped within the Eye of Terror since the Fall) I decided that those already devoured by the Eye were better left for another time. This was Ulthwé’s darkest hour, and I was determined that they should rise to the challenge.

The question was, how? If I was to put together a variant list for Ulthwé, it would have to be markedly different from the parent list. The answer was in the background. The Eldar could not possibly hope to stem the tide of filth vomiting from the Eye, nor match the billions of troops mustered for the Imperial war effort. After all, they are a dying race. Nevertheless, they have their strengths, including the mighty prescience of Farseers such as Eldrad Ulthran. I decided that only by dividing Ulthwé’s army into small Strike Forces that could tip the tide of battle at exactly the right place and time could Eldrad hope to influence the course of the coming war.

Stripping the army right down to its core, the Black Guardians and their psyker leaders, I ensured that the army list comprised primarily of both Storm and Defender squads plus the war machines manned by the Black Guardians (Support weapons, War Walkers, Vypers and Jetbikes). I gave them all the signature Ballistic Skill of the troop type, and balanced this with a Tactical Withdrawal special rule that forced them to make quick, decisive strikes instead of kamikaze charges.

Lastly, I needed an interesting twist to the army so that it played in its own unique style. The Eldar use a labyrinth dimension called the Webway to navigate the galaxy, and although massive spaceships can traverse the wider arteries of the Webway, I reasoned a compact, light infantry force could travel down the smallest capillary to arrive wherever the situation demands. I stripped out the vehicles and bulky wraith-constructs from the army list, and gave them the option to take a Wraithgate (essentially a mobile Webway portal) so that, once it opened, the rest of the army could spill out in a lightning-fast strike. Led by the formidable Seer Council or the Avatar-led Spear of Khaine, and backed up by a forest of BS4 shuriken catapults, it was turning out to be an army that excelled at close quarters. After extensive playtesting and a rule that kept half of the army in reserve, I was left with a very fast, infantry-based army that has to play carefully on the first few turns, but hits like a ton of bricks when the cavalry arrives. And believe me, when your opponent thinks he’s got you on the ropes, that’s a lot of fun.

Related Links:
Eldar Storm Guardians | 13th Company Designer's Notes