# Harlequins



## Loli (Mar 26, 2009)

Simply put i love Harlequins, and i was wondering what any of you thought on using Harlequins as the main bulk of an Eldar army?

I think the models are brilliant (except for them being metal) and i have been thinking about making an Eldar army with Harlies as an Elite choice filled to the brim but with the rest filled with bikes, shining spears. What do the rest of you think about Harlies in an army?


----------



## Cyklown (Feb 8, 2010)

Well, I like them but there are a few things that stand in their way.

First and foremost, I generally try to put my dudes into transports. Harlies are faster than footslogger due to their ignoring cover, but they don't move as fast as a Wave Serpent. With no dedicated transport they can only be put into a falcon. Six Harlies just isn't nearly as effective enough. They do a ton of damage, sure, but they still take attrition back, and you're losing a big chunk of your dudes every time a t3 5++ save model goes down. You can fortune guys if they're in a vehicle at the start of the turn, so you're not able to reroll that invuln save.

The other issue is a minor quible: they nerfed rending. Autowounds on a 6 to hit and "is a power weapon" on a 6 to wound are a completely different power level. Sure, it will let you have a 1/9 chance to do anything at all (glance+pen) per hit to a dread on the charge, and a 1/18 chance to glance the rest of the time. You're still going to need them thar fusion pistols if you want to do much of anything to dreads. Heck, against rear armour 10 vehicles you're still looking at a 1/6 chance of getting a pen. Against, wooo. It's not exactly a reliable way of getting through armour. I guess it allows you to wound all those toughness 6 TMCs out there during their assault phase. You 
get enough attacks to make them worthwhile. If you don't take them then you've basically got hit-and-run Scorpions who don't have an armour save and who have a power sword instead of a power claw option. Oh, right, and no option to take a dedicated transport.

The upside, is that they do kick but, and that you don't need a shadowseer if you put them in a transport. As of 5th ed the Hallucinogen effect that Shadowseers grant is largely unneccesary. Defenders get the benefit of cover in the assault if you took a dangerous or difficult terrain test. Harlies ignore difficult terrain, so you'll never take a difficult terrain test. Bam. Viel of Tears is great, but paying 30 points for it with no other benefit... well, if you're running around in a vehicle you won't be using it a whole lot.

They are quite cool. If everyone wasn't meching up they'd be better. If Pinning wasn't essentially worthless Death Jesters would be worth it as well. If they could take dedicated transports EVERYTHING would be forgiven. 2 Melta pistols, s4 attacks on the charge with a power weapon in the group, and ld 10? If that had a transport it would be a CC unit that would actually be worth displacing a Fire Dragon, I mean elites slot for. Not being able to start the game/move onto the board in a transport that seats more than 6 dudes just hurts, however. If we ever the Stom Serpent as a Fast attack nondedicated transport option they'll suddenly become worth trying, even if they are slightly outrageous costwise. Any CC unit that neither costs 45+ points a model a la jetcouncils and which can pack melta weapons (I'd rather pay 10 points and not give up any cc attacks to get a s8ap1 melta shot than pay 3 points and give up a wounds on a 2+ attack to get a s9ap6 shot, really) which offsets the fact that the FOC they're in is already bespoke may very well be worth putting up with Phil rounding up on his points values.


----------



## Alexious (Apr 13, 2009)

Hi Loli,

Unsure how much about Harlies your aware history wise. But in the original rules harlies could and did steal vehicles back in RT days and paint them up and use them. Ie; Pink and Purple Spotted Land Raider with cherry accents is heading your way!

When I first returned to 40k, I did the harlies as a DE Witch army themed list using their rules. Its not nearly as effective as harlies! But using the DE codex gives you bikes, death jesters as Dark Lancers, and witches as CC and the raiders look pretty good painted in two clashing colors as it is. 

Its not as strict a ruling as what the eldar lists would be, but it is fun.


----------



## Hemophile44 (Jun 12, 2010)

I do love the Harlequins myself, buti only use them as shocktroopers. i seem to remember using them bulked up a long time ago, and they dropped like flies to the csm. didnt try that again. if i use them, they run along the edge, and generally nail the flankers.


----------



## Warlock in Training (Jun 10, 2008)

Theres a few people that use Harlie Theme Armies with current Eldar Rules. 

Key Componets are Harlies on foot with DJs laying dpwn range fire and a Shadow Seer keeping the group from being shot up at a distance. Three Squads maxed out should do as the main body.

Next is to have Rangers or Pathfinders as your troop choices to hold Objectives. Sitting in cover with +1/+2 cover save makes it hard to move them. They also act as your Long Range Gunners. After all Rangers and Harlies fluff wise are like Penut Butter and jelly.

Last but not least is your super bad ass Mech Killers, Wraith Lords. Harlies have Wraith Lords just like any Craft World Eldar. Their much needed with Brightlances and EML to crush Mech and Troops alike. They also leviate the incoming range fire power from your running Harlies. 

Who to lead them is simple enough, Farseer and Warlocks (aka Harliquin Seers and Warlocks). You can even give these buggers Jetbikes for the competitive Jetbike Seer Council feel. Fortune is a must, so is Doom so you can kill those harder units, as well as Upgrades on some Warlocks as Spirit Seers for the Wraith Lords.


Thats really all you need for a semi competitive Harlie Theme army.


----------



## Cyklown (Feb 8, 2010)

Another thought, is that they'd make a halfway decent bubblewrap unit if they weren't quiiiite so expensive, and if they weren't in the elites FOC slot.


----------



## Loli (Mar 26, 2009)

Warlock in Training said:


> Theres a few people that use Harlie Theme Armies with current Eldar Rules.
> 
> Key Componets are Harlies on foot with DJs laying dpwn range fire and a Shadow Seer keeping the group from being shot up at a distance. Three Squads maxed out should do as the main body.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the fairly detailed stuff for a Harlie list, once im done with my Nids list im still looking for a new army. Plus Harlies are still damned cool.


----------

