Start Competing: Aeldari Tactics
The Aeldari are among the oldest of the galaxy’s factions, being direct creations of the Old Ones who fought the War in Heaven against the Necrons millions of years ago. The lore sort of stops making sense here – along with the Orks they were apparently around for sixty million years in essentially their current form, but also the Enslavers wiped out nearly all life in the galaxy, and the Necrons went to sleep, and also the human empires of the Dark Age of Technology sprang up and covered the galaxy but didn’t somehow get smashed to bits by the also-galactically-dominant Aeldari whose empire then conveniently fell right around the time of the Great Crusade… look, it’s complicated, ok? This isn’t a Lore Explainer article. The main thing is that the Aeldari are old, and were once the most powerful thing in the galaxy, and then through their own actions they collapsed their empire and now they’re the Eldar of Tolkien, an ultra-powerful race which is nevertheless slowly fading from the world.
Faction Overview
The Aeldari of 10th edition continue a trend that started in 9th edition, of covering all the elves except the really evil ones (the Drukhari, who basically looked at everything that caused the Fall and decided that they wanted to carry on with it, consequences be damned). In 9th this meant a combined tome covering both the Asuryani of the Craftworlds and the Harlequins, but still being separated into different armies, which in 10th has taken a step further with the two things forming one coherent whole.
The running theme of Aeldari rules ever since the early days of 40k has been the same – they’re elite, and they’re better than you. Their models move faster and shoot harder than yours do, though they’re often a little fragile in return. 10th edition took this to something of an apex, with the initial Aeldari index offering some of the most powerful rules ever put into the game, though this has slowly been toned down over the life of the edition.
Beyond their sheer power, the Aeldari offer a diverse experience, with a broad model range encompassing all kinds of units – many players are attracted to the Aspect Warriors, a kind of Aeldari special forces focused on a particular method of warfare such as the Howling Banshees who excel at close combat or the Dark Reapers who specialise in long-range shooting. The faction also offers a range of battle tanks and artillery, undead monsters (yes, these are the good elves), and Avatars of their long-dead gods striding the battlefield and laying down the pain – and that’s before you get to the murderous clowns. If there’s a particular playstyle you like, Aeldari can probably cater to it.
How to Play Aeldari in Warhammer 40k
Looking for advice on how to play Aeldari? From getting started to playing at competitive events, we’ve got you covered with these articles.
- Competitive Faction Focus: Aeldari
- Detachment Focus: Battle Host
- Competitive Stats for the Aeldari
Hobby
Want to know how to paint your Aeldari? Whether it’s the colours of the Craftworlds or the panoply of the Harlequins you’re looking for, you can check out all our How to Paint Everything articles here:
How to Paint Everything: Craftworld Alaitoc
How to Paint Everything: Craftworld Biel-tan
How to Paint Everything: Craftworld Iyanden
How to Paint Everything: Craftworld Saim-hann
How to Paint Everything: Craftworld Ulthwé
How to Paint Everything: Other Eldar Craftworlds
How to Paint Everything: Harlequins
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