Warhammer 40K: Craftworld Envy
The Aeldari are eyeing the giant new Necron release with envy, but here’s how they can be turned around.
The new Necron Range is impressive. 19 new kits (20 if you count Szeras), including a large amount all new units are breathing new life in the space undead of the Grimdark. While all of this excitement and anticipation is running through the community, their ancient enemies, the Aeldari can only sit and glare through envious eyes.
It’s a bit of bitter medicine to be honest. The Necrons are certainly deserving of a grand reboot. Many of the kits have been doing service on the tabletop since the Necrons got their first codex back in 2002, during 3rd Edition. It has been 18 years for some of those kits.
But to their ancient enemies this is no time at all. The Craftworld Eldar have been waiting much longer. With a larger and much older range, the Craftworld Eldar have been waiting in many cases since the early 1990s for new kits. Here’s what GW should to do reinvigoriate the range and reignite the War in Heaven.
The Aspects
The Aspects are old indeed, coming from the 1990s. Originally all metal, several of them have been replaced multiple times in the interim. But some like Shining Spears and Warp Spiders still soldier on with models that are well, well past their prime. The current list of units that need replacing are:
- Dark Reapers
- Swooping Hawks
- Fire Dragons
- Striking Scorpions
- Warp Spiders
- Shining Spears
The Phoenix Lords
Next up is a related thorny issue – The Phoenix Lords. GW has a real opportunity here. These models are ancient and only Jain Zar has been updated. Some Aspects have no model, or even background as to their Phoenix Lord. The Warp Spiders have nothing while the Shining Spears have only a name for their founder – Drastanta, the Tempest of Starlight.
Games Workshop has an opportunity here. The reappearance of either of the missing Phoenix Lords would be a great change to add new models and a narrative campaign to the game as well as a perfect time to redo several Phoenix Lords. They do tend to gather together from time to time to face great challenges. The kits that need replacing are:
- Asurmen
- Fuegan
- Baharroth
- Karandras
- Maugen Ra
- Drastanta (new model)
- Warp Spider PL (new model)
I came out in March 1997!
The Old Kits
Next we have the old kits who have done good service but are a bit long in the tooth. The Eldar vehicle range is built atop a small number of pretty old models still done by hand before they went all digital. These kits can be redone just as we saw with the Necron Monolith, to let an all new range of vehicles come to pass. An updated Vyper for example would be much appreciated and give the army a new platform for new light and fast combi-kit options.
I’m going to throw in the Rangers as well as they are a TROOPS choice that is still finecast and we know how no one likes that.
- Falcon
- Wave Serpent
- Fire Prism/Nightspinner
- Vyper
- Rangers
New Leaders
Finally we need some new HQs to round things out. On the mortal side the Autarch Skyrunner is stale, and could use a more aggressive kit on the new-style jetbikes. Finally the Avatar of Khaine is beyond old and is dwarfed by even the Daemon Prince models. He needs to get the Greater Daemon treatment and a giant new kit, with impressive rules to match. With the Avatar so dimished for so long as the the great opponents of the game grew over the decades, modern Craftworld players don’t even know what they are missing. Once, decades ago, an Avatar-Aspect Warrior playstyle used to be potent and feared. It needs to return.
- Autarch Skyrunner
- Avatar of Khaine
Putting It All Together
It seems like madness… there’s no way GW would replace ALL of that, after almost 30 years of piecemealing out Craftworld releases. But let’s do a little math. If you added up everything up there you get… 20 kits. The same number Necrons are getting this release. Less units than the Marines are getting, who JUST GOT a giant release of new kits one year ago.
I think it’s not only possible, but plausible. Big army overhauls not only replaces the models, but gives GW a change to totally overhaul the rules for the army, and build up a lot of buzz and excitement for an existing range. I have my fingers crossed they will the next army to get the “big treatment”. They have certainly waited long enough.
~ Do you think the Craftworld Eldar should get the next “big overhaul” in the game?
