40k Tactics: Void Dreamers and Aethermancy
Aethermancy is the new psychic power discipline for the Eldar Corsairs – and there are some seriously dirty things you can do with it.
Hey all, TPM here to talk about and aspect of the new Corsair list from the Doom of Mymeara.
For 90 points you can get a level 3 psychic Corsair Void Dreamer. He can not be your compulsory HQ choice, so there is a bit of a tax to open up this HQ slot in a lot of force org charts. He can take a Dark Eldar Shadowfield, just throwing this in there – for.. reasons. Once he is on the table he is going to be difficult to dig out.
The Void Dreamer is capable of really turning a close battle into a blow out.
The Void Dreamer is a 0-1 choice so taking multiple Dreamers won’t be easy.
Welcome to Aethermancy
With that out of the way let’s get to the Aethermancy good stuff.
Primaris Power
Path-ward – WC2:
This is a blessing that allows Eldar Corsair units to count all dice as a 6 rolled for Run, Difficult Terrain, Charge Distance, Hit and Run and Charge moves.
This doesn’t suck but it is WC 2 for seemingly no reason.
Warp Blink WC1:
You target a unit within 6 inches of the Void Dreamer, that can include the Void Dreamer, and moves them 2d6 in a chosen direction. You can also target enemy units.
This can’t take a unit off the board and stops the unit 1 inch before any other unit, obstacle or before leaving the table.
The Eldar are fast enough without this but I can see this coming into play for objective games. You can target enemy units with this but they need to be close. That’s not especially hard to do since you can move the Void Dreamer before the psychic phase for the turn.
This is seriously in old school Lash of Submission territory. With all the D templates Eldar can drop this may be pretty bonkers when you pull someone out of cover.
This power also helps slingshot charges that would otherwise not be possible.
Dispersion Field WC1:
A single Corsair unit within 12 inches gains a 4+ cover save.
Hang in there with me… We’ll get to the meat of this discipline soon.
Webway Rift WC1:
Witchfire with 12 inch range, Str 3 AP6, Heavy 1, Large Blast, Poison 3+.
This is terrible, but we’re almost to the real goods, if Warp Blink didn’t do it for you.
Webway Breach WC2:
This targets a Corsair unit within 12 inches (and can include the Void Dreamer) that is not locked in close combat, and places them in ongoing reserves.
This is not worth Warp Charge 2 since the Corsairs have so many other ways to exit the table including the old school webway portals that are two-way. I guess this doesn’t suck for some redundancy, if that’s your strategy but eh.
Warp Tunnel WC2:
Here is where it starts to get spicy. The Void Dreamer’s player places a large blast template anywhere on the tabletop. Either the Void Dreamer and their unit or another unit with the Corsairs Faction (non vehicle) within 6 inches may be immediately moved to the chosen location as if they are deploying via deepstrike (I have no idea what the point of the blast template is anymore) but they don’t scatter. For each 6 inches moved from their original location the unit rolls a d6. Each 1 rolled means the unit suffers a wound, and saves apply as normal.
The target unit can ATTACK AND CHARGE NORMALLY on a turn which this power was used on them.
This can set up fast charges but you’d have to build a Corsair list for that to be particularly effective. They can battle brother in Craftworld Eldar, Harlequins and Dark Eldar independent characters. Can you guys think of some cool combos with this?
Webway Maze WC3:
Last but not least by any stretch.
This power may target any unit with 12 inches of the Void Dreamer that is not locked in close combat. The target unit is immediately placed in Ongoing Reserves. This power may not target Super Heavy Vehicles. If the power targets units from the Eldar, Dark Eldar, Harlequins, or other Corsairs they receive a 1+ to Deny the Witch tests when targeted by this power.
So.. This is WC 3 and that makes it more difficult to get off but certainly not impossible. I see the most ‘ideal’ corsair lists likely being powered up by including a Seer Council from the Craftworlds so power dice won’t be an issue.
This is an awesomely powerful ability in almost any game. If you’re off table when the game ends you count as being destroyed. If you’re moved off table in a relic mission you drop it (right?). If you’re not on the table for Emperor’s Will then so sorry.. you get the idea.
This is pretty much the ultimate feel bad when it goes off. The power can be back breaking on any turn of the game. It is an especially bitter pill if it goes off at the bottom of a turn where the game ends. I think essentially invalidating your opponents game play in this way, outside of a more traditional psychic power or one of the combat phases, isn’t going to sit well with people and powers like this should be reserved for tournament play.
Is Aethermancy Worth It?
The saving grace for this is that these powers come with a tax to unlock in battle forged games. The Corsair Prince (who does not get access to this discipline) is a mandatory selection and the Void Dreamer is a 0-1 choice.
Even the special Corsair Fleet Raiding Company Force doesn’t allow you to really cheat a higher amount of Void Dreamers into it.
I do see the Corsairs pairing very well with Eldar Seer Councils to get more power dice. We talk about this on an episode of my podcast but there is also a way for Corsair units with the Wild Psyker rule to unlock Malefic Daemonology through a trait on the Corsair Prince.
The Corsairs have 3 characters that can take the Wile Psyker rule. The Prince, Void Dreamer and the Baron (not that Baron). This doesn’t come without a drawback. The Corsairs have their own Perils of the Warp table that replaces the main rulebook for them. In fact, the Corsairs have a handful of drawbacks that Eldar Craftworlds don’t have. We will cover that in the article next week and we’ll certainly be talking about it on this week’s episode of Forge The Narrative.
The Corsairs remind me of what I thought the Dark Eldar would be way back in the day when we first read about them in Citadel Journal. I think they are going to be fun to play with and against – despite being able to summon daemons and send units into reserves.
What do you think? How powerful do you think Aethermancy is?
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