ISSUE 53
31 January 2015

Editor: Jes Bickham
jes@whitedwarf.co.uk

Publisher: Paul Lyons
paul@whitedwarf.co.uk

Even by the Eldar’s own inscrutable standards, the Harlequins are enigmatic beyond compare. These warrior-actors pursue their own mysterious agenda, fighting Chaos wherever it may be found, and acting as ambassadors between the Craftworlds, Exodites and the Dark Kin of Commorragh. They are an uncommonly colourful – and deadly – fighting force, and with the release of the new Harlequin Troupe and Solitaire the battlefields of the 41st Millennium (and your own gaming club) just changed forever.

In this issue we’ve stuffed in a wealth of Harlequin material, including a guide to painting them (painting tiny diamonds was never so much fun!), new rules, and a dedicated feature exploring the background of these unknowable warriors. We hope you enjoy the issue – please come back next week for much more!

Harlequins are the most enigmatic members of the Eldar race, inscrutable warriors who make no distinction between art and war. For the members of a Harlequin Troupe, every battle is a choreographed performance that ends with the death of their foes.

The Eldar known as the Harlequins first appeared following the Fall, the tragic event that led to the birth of Slaanesh and the almost total destruction of the Eldar race. As Slaanesh battled the Eldar god Khaine, the Laughing God, Cegorach, escaped into the webway and so avoided the predations of the Prince of Excess. In the millennia since, Cegorach’s agents – the Harlequins – have emerged from the webway to fight in his name, conducting their own mysterious, unfathomable war against the forces of Chaos.

Harlequins live, perform and fight as a Troupe, a colourful group of individuals each with a specific role to fulfil. The Troupe Master or Athair represents Cegorach himself, while the other Players make up the cast of gods and mortals involved in the plays, songs and stories the Troupe perform to their people, be they Craftworld Eldar, Exodites or even Dark Eldar. Indeed, they tend to ignore the hostile relationship between their fractious kin, fighting alongside Eldar of all backgrounds and inclinations.

In battle the Harlequins are a kaleidoscopic maelstrom of destruction, combining extraordinary athletic abilities with a staggering array of esoteric wargear. Each of the six Harlequins in this plastic kit have been sculpted mid-way through a complex dance, which doubles up as a bewildering battle routine. Their already phenomenal agility is increased further by the flip belts around their waists, each one unique to its wearer and keyed to their suite of dance moves, enabling them to perform mid-air somersaults and agile back flips. To convey their gracefulness, each Harlequin is posed leaping to or from a fallen piece of Eldar masonry, faint runes etched into the crumbling stonework.

The Harlequin Troupe sprues include a veritable arsenal of unusual wargear. Some weapons, such as the shuriken pistol, are instantly recognisable, as is the deadly Harlequin’s kiss, a fluted tube attached to the wearer’s vambrace, which is used to inject the target with monofilament wire and shred them from the inside out. There are six of them in the set, meaning you can equip your entire Troupe with these deadly weapons.

But the Harlequins have even more weapons up their chequered sleeves: the Harlequin’s caress and the Harlequin’s embrace. The caress (shown in image 16 to the left) surrounds the Harlequin’s hand with a deadly force field, while the embrace spits a web of monofilament wire as the Harlequins leap into combat. You get two of each in the set, along with two neuro disruptors (image 11), a classic weapon from the Rogue Trader days brought back to life for this plastic kit.

Among the other options in the set, you’ll find seven heads and 13 individualised Harlequin masks, some with a noble appearance and others with a more sinister aspect, reflecting their role in the Dance Without End or, perhaps, the nature of the Eldar they’re fighting alongside.

Above: All Harlequins wear a mask representing the character they play in their grand performances, such as that of Isha or the half-black, half-white mask of the Dawnsinger. In battle the masks project terrifying images of the enemy’s worst nightmares, leaving them paralysed with fear.

Above: The Troupe Master wears a mask known as a marathag or ‘face of death’. Its physical appearance constantly shifts between leering and sneering, but in the heat of battle it replays a montage of gruesome deaths inflicted by the wearer.

Left: The Troupe Master wields a basket-hilted power sword.

Centre: The Harlequin’s kiss: the signature weapon of the Harlequins.

Right: Harlequins often carry unusual weapons, such as the neuro disruptor, of which there are two in the box.

Left: Shuriken pistols are a Harlequin’s traditional sidearm.

Right: Colourful ponytails and crests are a common sight among Harlequins.

Left: There are seven swords in the kit: the Troupe Master’s power sword, three that emulate straight-edged Eldar swords and three that look like curved Dark Eldar ones.

Left - Centre: There are two fusion pistols in the kit, the perfect weapon for melting open a tank.

Right - Centre: The Harlequin’s caress, a deadly neural shredder. There are two in the set.

Right: Each Harlequin is sculpted leaping from a chunk of Eldar masonry.

Solitaires are the strangest and most dangerous of all the Harlequins. Known as Arebennian in the Eldar tongue, they are doom incarnate, for they play the part of She Who Thirsts in the Dance Without End, and once their path is chosen no one can stay their hand.

As their name suggests, Solitaires lead a lonely existence, their lives spent roaming the galaxy, only joining a Harlequin masque for a battle or performance when the fancy takes them. Just speaking to a Solitaire outside the Dance is tantamount to death, for he treads the Path of Damnation, his soul forfeit to the Chaos god Slaanesh. Indeed, a Solitaire’s role is afforded the utmost fear and respect by other Eldar, for only the bravest, strongest and most incorruptible of their race could play the part of their greatest nemesis and remain sane.

Like all Harlequins the Solitaire wears a holo-suit during performances and in battle. Where other Harlequins are garbed in vibrant, bewildering domino suits, the Solitaire wears an austere hooded coat to disguise his appearance, revealing his Daemon-faced mask only moments before he strikes down his foe.

This elegant plastic model captures the Solitaire as he leaps forward to deliver an excruciatingly painful death. His left hand is extended before him as if ready to deliver a benediction, while in reality his gloved hand conceals a deadly Harlequin’s caress. In contrast, his right arm is outstretched behind him, hidden from the enemy’s view, a Harlequin’s kiss attached to his vambrace. In battle the Solitaire wields both these weapons with deadly skill, somersaulting from one foe to another with impossible grace.

Left - Top: The Solitaire’s mask is deliberately androgynous, mirroring the image of the Chaos god Slaanesh.

Left - Bottom: The diamonds trailing behind the Solitaire’s flowing coat are an optional component that represents the shimmering digital camouflage of the Harlequin holo-suit.

Right: Neither of the Solitaire’s feet touch the floor, the model held up by its coat tails and tassels as it leaps over a ruined piece of Eldar masonry. From the back you can also see the power nodes and sharpened nails of the Harlequin’s caress on his left hand.

By John French
Hardback | 128 pages

On the verdant world of Tallarn, the greatest armoured battle in history is about to take place.

The Battle for Tallarn is famous in the context of the Horus Heresy for a number of reasons, but foremost among them is the fact that it was the single largest tank battle in the history of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Tallarn: Executioner is a novella that tells the story of this atrocity-laden conflict, available now in regular edition hardback (as well as ePub and Mobi formats).

John French breathes life into this famous battle between the Imperial Army and the Iron Warriors Legion. The way the Iron Warriors fleet bullies its way into real space is spellbinding in its violence, and the determination of the Imperial Army is inspiring. Tallarn: Executioner is a great read that is well worth your time.

By Andy Chambers
Hardback | 128 pages

An Eldar Craftworld is dead and someone’s to blame. The Harlequins step in to investigate.

The advent of the new Harlequin models has sparked the re-release of The Masque of Vyle, a colourful novella centred around a Harlequin Troupe as they hunt for the perpetrators of a heinous crime.

If you’re after an insight into the mysterious Harlequins, this novella is definitely a great starting point. Unusually, it features the Dark Eldar as the Troupe’s audience, one of the Archons among them responsible for the corruption and death of an Eldar Craftworld. It’s entertaining, not to mention unsettling, to see how the normally fearless Dark Eldar react to the arrival of the Harlequins, and the lengths to which they’ll go to cooperate with them. Watch out for the roguish Harlequin known as Motley, universally reviled by all.

PATH OF THE DARK ELDAR

Andy Chambers’s reign of webway-based terror continues with Path of the Dark Eldar, a trilogy of tales set in the city of Commorragh and interspersed with three short stories. The mischievous Harlequin Motley even makes an appearance.

The White Dwarf team are proud to present Warhammer: Visions issue 13, a 236-page celebration of the best Citadel miniatures in the world. From the Skaven of the End Times to a massive Golden Demon feature, this issue has something for every fan.

Above: The number 13 is sacred to the Skaven. Fitting that they are in this issue…

Warhammer: Visions 13 opens with a spectacular showcase of the insidious ratmen unleashed upon the world last month as Thanquol and Boneripper lead the Skaven into the End Times. This glorious gallery of Citadel miniatures includes breathtaking photography and is completed by one of the largest and most iconic models we have ever produced: SmaugTM, from The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. The magazine also boasts a selection of the best models from Golden Demon Modena, a 50-page spectacular that features some of the finest models we’ve ever seen. Add to this a gallery of Troops and Transports, an End Times special, Blanchitsu and a focus on the miniatures of Golden Demon winner Martin Waller and you’ve got a very full issue indeed. Check it out on Saturday.

Above: The insidious Skaven join with the Legions of Chaos in the End Times.

Left: See the Modena Slayer Sword winner.

Right: Check out our gallery of End Times models.

Golden Demon is Games Workshop’s annual painting competition, featuring some of the finest Citadel miniatures in the world. This week we’re pleased to present the Slayer Sword winner from Golden Demon 2014, a Thanatar Siege-automata, painted by Richard Gray.

We caught up with 2014 Slayer Sword Winner Richard Gray to talk about his winning entry, a Thanatar Siege-automata.

White Dwarf: Congratulations, Richard! Is this your first Golden Demon victory?

Richard Gray: This is my first Golden Demon entry since 1999, when I won a silver award for my Keeper of Secrets Warhammer Monster entry. I thought it was about time to enter again!

I love looking at the Golden Demon entries and find them to be one of the most exciting parts of the hobby as they display such skill and creativity. They help to bring the Warhammer universe to life.

Also, I had a personal reason to enter this year; sadly, my mother passed away on the 20th of August. It was only the previous week that I discussed with her the possibility of entering the competition again and she thought it was an excellent idea, encouraging me to give it a try. I couldn’t not enter after that.

WD: What made you choose the Thanatar as your entry?

RG: I loved the Thanatar from the first moment I saw Forge World’s work-in-progress shots of it, and knew I had to have it. I just happened to pick it for Golden Demon as I liked the model; there was no technical reason for thinking it would be a good display piece.

WD: Can you tell us about some of the techniques you used?

RG: I actually learned some new techniques shortly before starting work on the Thanatar. Previously I had used edge highlighting to paint my models, but I wanted to expand my techniques and so researched wet blending and using a wet palette. Wet blending allowed me to blend the paint on the model and achieve nice transitions between colours quickly. A wet palette lets you keep mixed colours on a palette and they don’t dry out, allowing you to keep painting without stopping to add water as youigo.

Left: One of the things that caught the eye of the judges was Richard’s amazing freehand work, painting all of the heraldry on his Thanatar by hand.

Right: “The Thanatar is part of my Mechanicum army, although it is still in its infancy and hasn’t seen the field of battle yet,” says Richard. “The army is a support section for the Legio Gryphonicus Titan Legion.”

Left: Super-smooth blending enabled Richard to create the rich, realistic glowing effect inside the Hellex plasma mortar.

Right: Richard has made extensive use of weathering to make his Thanatar look like it has been involved in some serious warfare – the armour is scarred and chipped, dirtied by mud, and the paint is scraped through hard use.

SEE MORE GOLDEN DEMON!

Every month, Warhammer: Visions features 50 pages of the best entries from Golden Demon competitions around the world. Issue 13, released next week, features a gallery of entries from Golden Demon Modena 2013. Warhammer: Visions is released on the first Saturday of every month.

The Eldar known as Harlequins are nomads among their own kind, wanderers who ply the mysterious paths of the webway. Appearing as a band of players who recreate the mythic cycles of the Eldar in dazzling displays, they are in truth warriors in a clandestine war.

THE FALSE FACES

All Eldar Harlequins wear an agaith, an exquisite mask that serves both as a prop in their dazzling displays and also as a crucial item of wargear on the battlefield. An enemy confronted by a Harlequin will look upon the shimmering mask and see their worst fears made manifest.

Harlequins are enigmatic travellers, nomads who have forsaken their past lives to tread a very peculiar path. They are the worshippers of Cegorach, the Laughing God, and they maintain ancient traditions that have continued for millennia. It is their duty to remember, and recreate, the mythic cycles of the Eldar, which they convey through spell-binding performances of song and dance. These are no mere pageants, but breathtaking displays of colour and movement so enchanting that they are capable of moving even the most jaded Archon with their unparalleled intricacy and grandeur.

For the Eldar, these performances and the memories they preserve hold a deep spiritual importance. Thus, the Harlequins do not set up residence in one place but instead constantly travel, taking their pageants to every part of the fractured Eldar realms, weaving their path through the webway to perform upon the craftworlds and Exodite worlds and in the dark places of Commorragh to equally spellbound and absorbed audiences.

If the Harlequins were but travelling players, they would likely never have come to the attention of the wider galaxy, but the role of the Harlequins is far more terrifying and mysterious than even their profound importance to the Eldar might suggest. As the disciples of the Laughing God, the Harlequins are the sworn enemies of Chaos, engaged in a struggle against the primordial annihilator that has spanned the millennia since the Fall. The Harlequins believe there is a chance, a gossamer thread of hope, that the tragic fate of the Eldar can somehow be reversed and that the Children of the Stars might yet prevail in the Rhana Dandra, the mythic battle at the end of time. They are the guardians of the Black Library, the secret realm holding the Eldar’s ancient knowledge. The Harlequins are themselves masters of those secrets, and it is on the basis of this hidden knowledge that they engage in a secret war, taking to the battlefield – still as players in a great dramatic act, for art and war are one to the Harlequins – with aims mysterious and motivations seemingly unfathomable.

Because of their enigmatic calling, the actions of the Harlequins at times seem unduly cruel or capricious, and at others heroic. On the world of Karadox an Imperial expeditionary force attempting to reclaim archaeotech treasures was attacked brutally and without warning by the masque known as the Midnight Sorrow. Eventually, their numbers depleted and resolve crushed, the Imperium’s forces retreated from the world prizeless and none the wiser as to the horrors their so-called treasure could have unleashed. There are tens of thousands of such incidents throughout history, involving every race to ply the stars and, as the Time of Ending approaches, they increase in regularity. While these attacks seem random, at best, in truth they are all part of the mysterious plans of the Laughing God – and only those who have beheld the greatest secrets of the Black Library can hope to comprehend them.

THE WEBWAY

Between the mortal universe and the roiling Chaos of the Empyrean lies a twilight realm hidden from the prying eyes of mortals and Daemons. It is the webway, a labyrinthine domain ungoverned by either the rules of physics that hold sway in the galaxy or the unreality of the Warp.

Those with the knowledge to find the webway can use it to travel with incredible speed, and none know the secrets of the webway better than the Harlequins. The Eldar whisper that their knowledge comes from Cegorach himself, for it is said only he knows every path and route within the webway. As a result of this, some even speculate that Cegorach has gifted his servants with some supernatural ability.

Regardless, the webway is the means by which the Eldar are able to attack without warning and escape without reprisal. Its myriad paths reach to almost every corner of the galaxy.

The Harlequins travel in masques, large ensembles that perform and fight together, echoing the gatherings of Cegorach’s devotees in ancient days. Each masque is formed around a number of Troupes and joined by the likes of Shadowseers and Death Jesters. Each member of the masque is a player in the grand performance. Each performs a part, taking up the role of some character from the mythic cycle. Thus, one might be the Dawnsinger, another the Blinded Princess. Some roles are reserved for specific members of the masque – for only a Death Jester may play the role of Death (and few others would wish to).

THE DEATH OF THE GODS

In the times before the Fall, the Children of the Stars were close to their gods. But as the depravity that led to the Fall crept into Eldar society, the Eldar turned from them, some from shame but most from arrogance and a belief that they, in their supposed knowledge and power, were above worship of anything except self-gratification. Only a few clung to their traditions and the worship of their gods, and many of these were devotees of Cegorach, the Laughing God.

When the Fall occurred, the Eldar gods were all but destroyed in the moment of Slaanesh’s ascendance. Famously, Kaela Mensha Khaine fought against the newly-birthed Slaanesh, but even the Bloody-Handed God could not triumph against the primordial horror of a deity born from the excesses of the doomed race. Khaine was shattered, but his rage was sufficient to distract Slaanesh, so the Laughing God escaped into the webway.

The most ominous role of all is that of the Solitaire, the most sinister and abhorrent, yet also most fascinating and alluring, troubadour within the host – for the Solitaire alone may take on the role of She Who Thirsts, Slaanesh, the great and hated enemy of all the Eldar. The role of Solitare, more so than any other, is a lonely part to play, for they speak only in ritual form and rarely if ever outside of their flamboyant performances. Universally they are feared by the Eldar around them, even other Harlequins, for all know the Solitare treads the Path of Damnation, his soul already forfeited to Slaanesh.

On the battlefield a Harlequin Masque is a whirlwind of energy, each Troupe coordinating its tactics and attacks with unspoken ease. To those that face the Harlequins, there is always the unnerving feeling that one is merely the unwitting pawn in some great charade. Here, too, they are often joined by Death Jesters, Shadowseers and Solitaires, these damned Eldar becoming lightning-fast assassins in battle.

As champions of the Laughing God, foot soldiers in Cegorach’s plan to redeem the Eldar, the gaudy accoutrements and exotic attire of the Harlequins take on an entirely more sinister air. Their holo-suits form shapeless, dazzling blurs of colour, causing them virtually to disappear, and their masks – once seen, which is almost always too late – show only the victim’s darkest nightmares. For the Harlequins, the battlefield is their stage, and the enemy the unwitting understudy to the hellacious slaughter they unleash, a crescendo to the chorus of gunshots, sword strokes and keening battle cries.

FLIP BELTS

In contrast to the lumpen and crude technology of lesser races, the flip belts of the Harlequins are things of grace and beauty. Appearing as an ornamental belt, usually inlaid with precious metals and inset with glorious gems, it is actually the casing for a complex anti-grav generator so advanced that it would totally baffle the Adeptus Mechanicus. In their performances, flip belts enable Harlequins to jump and pirouette with preternatural grace. On the battlefield, they enhance their already formidable deadliness. The belt itself is so light that it does nothing to inhibit the wearer, in fact it enables them to sprint effortlessly across rubble or scree without slowing and to leap and weave through deadly melees with the grace of the finest dancers.

THE BLACK LIBRARY

The mystical realm known as the Black Library lies hidden from prying eyes deep within the twisting, unfathomable skeins of the webway. It is said the Black Library is the most secret place in the galaxy, and only the chosen few may ever lay eyes upon it – and whether that is strictly true or not, it is certainly guarded well. Troupes of Harlequins patrol the ways around the Black Library and within it lurk shadowy sentinels, who are both scholars and warriors. Should one even learn of the library, they could still spend a thousand lifetimes searching and never find it. Should they find it, they would need an army to force their way past its defenders.

Within the halls of this inscrutable realm lies the collected wisdom of the Eldar on the topic of Chaos, and how to defeat it. Every scrap and fragment of esoteric wisdom, from ancient and frayed grimoires that contain instructions on wards and protective charms, to imprisoned daemonic artefacts that can be interrogated by a strong enough mind and crystallised thoughts that can be stored, maintained and relived by later witnesses. This repository is the ultimate weapon in the Harlequins’ ongoing war against the Dark Gods and their servants, and though it exists for the betterment and benefit of the Eldar race, it has on rare occasions been shared with outsiders. The most notable examples of this are probably the Inquisitors Bronislaw Czevak and Jaq Draco. Czevak, in particular, distinguished himself as an expert on the Eldar within the Ordo Xenos, and the guardians of the Black Library saw in him a potential ally in their struggle against Ahriman of the Thousand Sons. Such instances must remain rare, however, for even one as staunch as Czevak has been weighed down by his burdens, and tortured by his foes for the secrets he bears. If the Black Library is to remain safe in the face of the rising power of Chaos, the Black Library’s mysterious defenders will need to be ever on their guard.

THE MASQUES

Every Harlequin Masque has a name and identity drawn from the legends of the Eldar. Typically the titles resonate strongly with the players in the masque, and will inform the nature of the Troupes within it.

For instance, the Midnight Sorrow are perhaps the most single-minded of all Harlequins, stoically determined to stand in the breach between reality and the Warp and fight the forces of Chaos to the bitter end. They are determined to strike when daylight is slain, but before the darkness can reign once more, and thus remain ever vigilant for the tolling of the midnight bell, when they must descend through the blazing hellfire of daemonic breaches to deliver death to the scions of Chaos.

Sogoth stood shoulder-to-shoulder with his squad brothers, each an Iron Warrior Legionnaire, sworn by the six-score oaths to drown the stars in Chaos. With a snarl he levelled his bolter on the xenos scum pouring into the trench. Eldar.

To Sogoth’s left, Vrygor twitched and fell, face first, into the muck sucking at the Iron Warriors’ feet. Through the smoke haze more Eldar advanced. Harlequins. Sogoth blazed away in the direction of the newcomers. His brow furrowed as the targets leapt, spun and weaved through the fusillade. Each was a kaleidoscope of colour, clad in motley garb, with face masks that shifted in the half-light. Kogoron, butcher of worlds, died as one of the dancers plunged a wrist-mounted blade through his helm’s armoured seal. He jerked like a doll shaken by an Ogryn before collapsing into a mire.

With practiced skill, Sogoth thumbed the magazine release as one of the Harlequins hurdled mouldering crates to reach him. Faster than he could reload, the Eldar brought its sword down in a glittering arc. Sogoth barely parried the blow, which instead bisected his bolt gun. Anger flooding his soul, the Chaos Space Marine glared at the face mask of his killer. Half was blank, pure white like polished marble; the other a leering skull that was entirely too much like the badge of his Legion. A shiver made its way down the length of Sogoth’s spine as the sword whispered towards his throat.

’Eavy Metal is our regular feature celebrating beautifully-painted Citadel miniatures. Curated by the renowned ’Eavy Metal team, we feature their models alongside those of selected special guests.

This week, the ’Eavy Metal team have turned their attention to freehand painting, picking out this High Elf Mage and Warrior of Chaos as two great examples of how freehand art can enhance an already incredible paint job.

The High Elf Mage above hails from the province of Ellyrion, as signified by his rich blue and purple robes. The model exhibits a cool palette of whites, blues and silvers accented with purple – a traditional look for Elven Mages – which is complemented by the ochre-coloured horse with its blonde mane and tail.

There are two primary areas of freehand on the model: the lettering on the Mage’s robes and the scrollwork on his cape. Both were picked out in Lothern Blue to maintain the model’s cool colour palette, but also to keep the freehand distinct from the blue highlights around them. The secret to painting intricate patterns like this is to draw an appropriate design on paper first, in this case a series of curving, fluid shapes reminiscent of the High Elf runes shown in the army book. Once you’ve got your design down, carefully plot the key points onto the model with your chosen colour and then join the dots.

Where the High Elf Mage is an army hero, the Warrior of Chaos is a servant of the Dark Gods. His status, however, makes the painting on his armour no less impressive.

The inspiration for this model was, perhaps unsurprisingly, molten magma, the cracks in the Warrior’s armour painted to look like they’re glowing with infernal heat. The effect was achieved by painting faint lines of Khorne Red onto the Abaddon Black armour. The armour’s edges were highlighted the same colour for consistency. Progressively thinner lines of red, orange, yellow and white were then painted on to the lines and the edges of the armour to give the impression of superheated magma. In fact, paint the cracks in the armour like you would a fine edge highlight and you can’t go far wrong. The effect was primarily concentrated around the icon on the shield, but it was also used to paint the symbol of Khorne on the Warrior’s helmet and leg armour. To complement the warm colours used on the majority of the model, the fur around the Warrior’s cape and the horns on his helm were painted with cool colours, drawing the eye instinctively to the model’s head; a subtle but clever technique.

To see more models selected by the ’Eavy Metal team check out our regular showcase in Warhammer: Visions, on sale the first Saturday of every month.

Among the greenskins there are many creatures that share a similar genetic make-up. Collectively known as squiggly beasts, or squigs for short, these ferocious beasts serve a bewildering variety of purposes.

Squigs are ever-present amongst the tribes of the greenskins, cousins of the Orks, Gretchin and Snotlings. For the most part, these beasts are completely lacking in intelligence, though their ferocity is impressive. These organisms range from the size of a gretchin’s fist to that of a Stompa, for several traditionalist Ork clans specialise in breeding ever-larger and more belligerent strains. Some squigs are used for fur and food, others kept as fearsome pets, and the largest of their kind can even be ridden into battle.

Wherever Orks are found they also appear, though where they come from is a mystery. It has been theorised by the Genetors of the Adeptus Mechanicus that squigs were created by the Orks’ forebears as part of a simple, mobile ecosystem that sustains the greenskin race as it travels from world to world. The squigs eat the refuse of the Orks (as well as local plants, animals, and each other) and the Orks eat the squigs. Such rugged simplicity is a hallmark of the Ork race, and a large part of the reason why it has infested the galaxy.

SQUIG HOUNDS

Also known as sniffer squigs, squig hounds have been specially developed by Ork runtherds for the purpose of putting the fear of Gork into truculent Gretchin. They are trained to devour runts on command, and have been selectively bred for their speed, ferocity and endurance, but most of all for their keen ears and extremely sensitive sense of smell. These allow the squig hound to track down runaway Snotlings and Gretchin wherever they might hide, nibbling or eating a few if necessary to maintain order. In addition, sniffer squigs make very good guard creatures, belching manically at stealth operatives or other intruders long before any potential ambush can be sprung.

FACE-EATER SQUIGS

Often used as attack squigs, Orks use this rabidly violent breed in the same way the Adeptus Arbites use their cyber-mastiffs. Little more than a snapping, drooling mouth on legs, these ferocious beasties are a sign of status, and need little to no encouragement to go for the face. Many an Ork warlord keeps a pet face-biter that dines upon those who have fallen out of his favour. Other equally sharp-toothed squigs grow and breed in the sprawling cesspits of Ork settlements, lending an air of unpredictability and excitement to even the briefest trip to the drops.

BUZZER SQUIGS

Buzzer squigs are hideous, wasp-like creatures, each the size of a human head. Sometimes they are trapped and kept in special pots by enterprising Gretchin. The pots are made from sun-baked mud drilled with tiny holes to allow the squigs inside to breathe. The top of the vessel is corked shut and sealed with more mud once a good number of squigs have been trapped inside. Normally the squigs must feed regularly by burrowing into other larger squigs or small animals, so when they are captured they soon get ravenously hungry. They can be kept without food in the pot for many weeks, getting angrier and more savage all the time. Once the swarm is angry enough it will be used in battle, either as ammunition for the squig katapults so beloved of the Snakebite clan, or as a primitive form of stikkbomb. Either way the pot will crack open once it hits the ground, releasing a swarm of berserk buzzer squigs that will attack anything nearby in a stinging, stabbing, flesh-burrowing frenzy. Though this may not cause as much direct harm as conventional ordnance, the buzzer squigs will keep swarming and attacking until they are either so gorged they cannot move, or there are no more foes to eat.

HAIR SQUIGS

The hair squig is a parasitic creature with tiny jaws and flowing, hair-like gills. Being naturally bald, Orks sometimes fasten hair squigs to their skin to create colourful topknots, scalp-locks, mohawks and so on. The constant gnawing on the top of the head is seen as a small price to pay for the extra status gained in the process.

SQUIG-PIPES

The infamous squig-pipes are formed from a single organism, two if you count the Ork ‘musician’ that plays them. Wedged under the armpit, the squig-pipes can be compressed with eye-bulging force to emit a chorus of squeaks, squeals and flatulent roars that the greenskins consider to be music. The most adventurous Ork musicians will blow hard into one of the squig-pipes’ many tubes to produce a truly unearthly skirl – though it is the occasions on which the squig blows back, usually causing the Ork to choke, that the listeners find the height of entertainment.

OILER SQUIGS

Some squigs naturally exude viscous black grease. They hawk up phlegm-like gobbets of this stuff, spitting it onto their environment whenever they need to squeeze into a tight hidey-hole or force their way into a smaller animal’s warren in search of a snack. Mekboyz and Painboyz alike collect these creatures, sometimes sowing long flexible tubes to their snouts so the beasts can be used as oil cans whenever a piece of machinery grinds to a squeaking halt.

SQUIGGOTHS

The elephantine Squiggoths that thunder and stomp around the edge of Ork camps are the most pig-headed and violent of all their kind. Ranging in size from huge to truly gargantuan, Squiggoths have massive jutting tusks that allow them to bowl over enemy battle tanks or smash through portcullis gates with a swipe of their blunt heads. With a thick scaly hide and a nervous system so rudimentary they are all but impervious to pain, some Squiggoths have been known to keep fighting well past the point of death, their tiny brains admitting defeat only when their body runs out of momentum. Evil-smelling and bad-tempered, the Squiggoth is something of a totem creature to many primitive Orks, especially those of the Snakebite clan. Those who feel a kinship with such a beast will often ride to war in a jury-rigged howdah, strapped to the beast’s back when it is asleep and festooned with heavy weapons so the boyz can loose off a bit of dakka as their prized beast storms through the enemy lines.

Codex: Apocrypha is a regular feature that explores the infinite background of the Warhammer universe.

Paint Splatter provides handy tips and stage-by-stage painting guides for the week’s key releases. This week we take a closer look at painting the new Harlequins, diamonds and all.

Harlequins are easily the brightest, most colourful warriors of the 41st Millennium, their ever-changing holo-suits represented by garish colour combinations and intricate, diamond-like patterns.

While the diamond pattern on a Harlequin’s holo-suit is a classic look, it’s not essential to paint them this way. Indeed, the thought of painting that many diamonds onto a model is enough to give most painters, even experienced ones, pause for thought. If you’re new to painting freehand designs on models, you’ll definitely want to check out our advice in the stage-by-stage guide to the right and over the page. If you don’t fancy the diamonds, why not try a simpler pattern (quartered or halved, perhaps) using our colour-picking advice.

NEW BRUSHES, PLEASE!

When painting a Harlequin’s diamond pattern, it’s worth investing in a brand new Fine Detail Brush. Wash it regularly, keep a fine tip and don’t load too much paint onto the brush and you‘ll find those diamonds much easier to paint.

These Harlequins were painted as Players of the Masque of the Midnight Sorrow. The masque’s colour palette is made up of the three primary colours (red, yellow and blue) while the Harlequins’ undersuits are painted a neutral black. You’ll notice there are only two highlights on the black, both of them very thin. This helps give the illusion of a skin-tight, glossy black bodysuit that doesn’t detract the eye from the more garish parts of the model. In contrast, the Harlequins’ masks are a bright, eye-catching white, helping to mark them out as focal points of the models.

CHECKS, PLEASE

The diamond pattern on a Harlequin’s holo-suit can be a real painting challenge. Fortunately, we’ve got a few tips to help you get your diamonds sparkling.

The first thing you need is a smooth basecoat on the area you’re painting. We advise painting the lightest colour first, in this case Caledor Sky (1) followed by a layer of Lothern Blue (2). Next, paint a faint cross-hatched pattern onto the area using Abaddon Black (3) or draw it on with a thin graphite pencil. Start at the front of the model and bring the lines round to the back, making sure they don’t cross at right angles (otherwise you’ll get squares, not diamonds). Mistakes are not uncommon at this stage, but can be cunningly hidden in the crooks of knees and behind tabards.

Once the pattern has been applied, choose your secondary colour and apply it to the diamonds so they look like a chess board (4). Here, Mephiston Red was used as the secondary colour, the highlights applied slightly inside the edge of each diamond, leaving a dark red line inside the guidelines (5). The blue was then highlighted the same way (6) and any wobbly lines tidied up with Abaddon Black.

THE COLOUR WHEEL

When picking colours for your Harlequin Troupe, it’s always worth taking a look at a colour wheel before you get started.

Without getting bogged down in a lecture about colour theory (there are plenty of those online…), knowing what colours work well together and which ones will clash is an essential part of painting a Citadel miniature.

One of the first things to note is the difference between warm colours like red, orange and yellow and cold colours like green, blue and purple. We featured great examples of both on the ’Eavy Metal pages earlier in the issue. Using a warm or cool palette is a great way to define a model – a hot-blooded Khorne Daemon painted in red tones, for example, or a cold-blooded Skink painted in cool blues.

Another way to pick a colour scheme for your Harlequins (or, indeed, any miniature) is to use complementary colours, essentially the opposites on the colour wheel: purple and yellow, blue and orange, red and green. The warm colours and cold colours balance each other out, creating a harmonious colour scheme. Why do you think Dark Angels look so good with red bolters?

A third way to choose a colour scheme is to use a triad, three equally opposed colours on the wheel. The most popular combination is red, yellow and blue as shown on the Masque of the Midnight Sorrow on the previous page and our ever-popular Ultramarines with their gold shoulder trims and red details.

PUT IT INTO PRACTICE

The Harlequins shown here were both painted using the advice on colour theory mentioned above.

The Harlequin on the left, a member of the Masque of the Veiled Path, utilises a warm analogous colour palette (that is, neighbouring colours) of greens, yellows and golds.

The Harlequin on the right is from the Masque of the Dreaming Shadow and uses two complementary colours for the majority of the colour scheme – red and green. You can find a stage-by-stage painting guide for them in Warhammer: Visions 14.

Harlequins are hyper-agile killers, able to sprint across cratered battlefields and into the maelstrom of combat in the blink of an eye. Here we present the rules for the new Harlequin Troupe and the Solitaire, along with some tactics for using them in your games.

USING THE NEW MODELS

You can use the new Harlequin Troupe and Solitaire as allies for your existing Warhammer 40,000 armies. Their levels of alliance are as listed below:

Battle Brothers: Dark Eldar, Eldar.

Allies of Convenience: Armies of the Imperium, Tau Empire.

Desperate Allies: Orks.

Come the Apocalypse: Chaos Daemons, Chaos Space Marines, Necrons, Tyranids.

UNLEASH THE TROUPE

Few units in Warhammer 40,000 come close to the fast-hitting power of a Harlequin Troupe. They combine the best in esoteric wargear with the individual close combat prowess of stone cold killers. Here are our top four suggestions for unleashing them to deadly effect:

The Path Less Travelled. Harlequins are not slowed, in the least, by difficult terrain, their flip belts ensuring they can bound and leap across anything in their path. As a result of this, you can plot your course into action regardless of obstacles.

Mask Yourselves. With the relatively fragile frames of the Eldar, Harlequins can’t really take a punch (much less a bolter shell). Avoid open spaces until you are ready to charge.

Choose Your Dance Partners. There isn’t much that a unit of Eldar Harlequins can’t overwhelm if they arrive in sufficient strength, so create fights that you have the advantage in. Either team up multiple units to tackle overwhelmingly large or durable foes, or leave those targets to someone else.

Choose Your Props Carefully. The Players in the Troupe have access to some amazing wargear, and to win fights you should take some (lots if possible). The Harlequin’s kiss and Harlequin’s caress will make short work of most targets (we recommend two of each). Likewise, consider taking some of the special pistols in your Troupe – neuro disruptors make a mockery of fleshy targets, while fusion pistols are the bane of tanks.

In battle, Harlequin Troupes move fast and hit hard, relying on speed and skill to annihilate the enemy before they even have time to raise their guns. Preferring to evade harm than endure it, every Player is equipped with a holo-suit that fragments their outline into a storm of coloured shards, confounding the foe’s aim. Once in combat, the Harlequins are in their element, performing a lethal dance of death while their masks shimmer with the foe’s worst fears. The Players cut their panicked victims to pieces using an array of horrific, yet strangely beautiful weapons, every pinpoint blade thrust and whipcord kick an act of worship to the Laughing God.

WARGEAR:
Holo-suit
Shuriken pistol
Close combat weapon
Plasma grenades
Flip belt

SPECIAL RULES:
Fear
Fleet
Furious Charge
Hit & Run

OPTIONS:
May include up to seven additional Players
15 pts/model

Any model may replace their shuriken pistol with one of the following:
Neuro disruptor
10 pts/model

Fusion pistol
15 pts/model

Any model may replace their close combat weapon with one of the following:
Harlequin’s embrace
5 pts/model

Harlequin’s kiss
5 pts/model

Harlequin’s caress
8 pts/model

The Troupe Master may replace his close combat weapon with a power sword
15 pts

The Troupe Master may take haywire grenades
5 pts

The Troupe Master may take one item from the Enigmas of the Black Library list.

The unit can select a Starweaver as a Dedicated Transport.

The first the foe knows of the Solitaire’s onset is a shimmering blur of light and colour streaking through their ranks. Then the killing begins. Soldiers fall, eyes widening as heads are severed, throats opened, and hearts pierced. Blood falls like monsoon rain in the wake of a killer too fast to be seen. Only when he pauses for a moment amid the slaughter do his victims get a glimpse of their executioner – a domino field swirling around his lithe form, his grotesquely masked head tilted at a curious angle as he regards those he hunts. This is the Solitaire, and as he leaps into motion once more, his victims’ deaths are but seconds away. None, even amongst the Harlequins, know the limits of the Solitaires’ abilities. Tales exist of these supernatural killers running up sheer fortress walls, spilling from the shadows inside locked bunkers, even slowing time itself. How much is hyperbole and how much the truth, few can say for certain. To those who stand in the Solitaire’s path it matters little, for their deaths are assured either way.

WARGEAR:
Holo-suit
Harlequin’s caress
Harlequin’s kiss
Flip belt

SPECIAL RULES:
Deep Strike
Eternal Warrior
Fear
Fearless
Fleet
Furious Charge
Hit & Run
Precision Strikes

Blitz: Once per game, at the start of any of the controlling player’s Movement phases, the Solitaire can move in the following manner instead of moving normally. Roll a number of D6 equal to the current turn number; the result is the number in inches that the Solitaire can move. When moving in this manner, the Solitaire can move over all other models and terrain as if they were open ground, but it cannot end its move on top of other models or impassable terrain. In the Assault phase of the turn in which the Solitaire moves in this manner, its Attacks characteristic is increased to 10.

Impossible Form: A Solitaire has a 3+ invulnerable save.

The Path of Damnation: A Solitaire can never be joined by another character. If a Solitaire is your army’s Warlord, he never has a Warlord Trait.

Prismatic Blur: A Solitaire may move up to 12” in the Movement phase.

OPTIONS:
May take haywire grenades
5 pts

May take one item from the Enigmas of the Black Library list.

GOING SOLO

As outcasts even among outcasts, Solitaires always fight alone, and as such you need some very different tactics when using them compared to most characters in Warhammer 40,000. You can’t just hide a Solitaire among the ranks of his friends and let them cover him as he advances into action. Thankfully, with a Solitaire, you don’t really have to. He is the definition of swift, able to tear across the battlefield at a startling 12” per turn, leaping and skipping across obstacles and battlefield detritus without impediment as he goes.

Think of the Solitaire as a high-speed assassin. Use his faster than average move rate and ability to pass through difficult terrain without slowing to advance unseen, hopping from one piece of cover to the next and, once you’ve closed in on your chosen target, launch the mother of all assaults. It’s imperative that you do charge with the Solitaire as well – while he’s surprisingly durable, with the ability to dodge nimbly aside from most blows, and he’s an Eternal Warrior, so he can’t be killed by a single hit, you really do need the benefits of Furious Charge to ensure you do the most damage in close combat.

Then, it’s all a matter of choosing the right enemy – go for enemy characters, lone heroes and support units, but avoid units that can muster lots of return attacks.

UNLEASH THE BLITZ

One of the most interesting abilities of the Solitaire is Blitz, a one-use ability which allows him to move at an incredible rate, the Solitaire’s speed increasing as the dance of battle continues.

Use Blitz in one of two ways. Firstly, to increase the Solitaire’s power in close combat (Blitz also gives the Solitaire 10 Attacks for the turn); if you have a very stubborn foe that needs killing, this can make all the difference. Secondly, to cross the board: often in the final stages of the battle, you need to get an enemy off an Objective. Blitz is great for last-minute grabs.

FUSION PISTOL
Fusion pistols vapourise their targets into nothingness.
Range - 6”
S - 8
AP - 1
Type - Pistol, Melta

HARLEQUIN’S CARESS
This device sheathes the wearer’s hand in a deadly power field.
Range -
S - User
AP -
Type - Melee, Caress of Death

Caress of Death: Each To Hit roll of a 6 made by a weapon with this special rule causes a single automatic Wound, regardless of the target’s Toughness, and is resolved at AP2. Against vehicles, each To Hit roll of a 6 causes a single automatic glancing hit.

HARLEQUIN’S EMBRACE
This weapon shreds its victims with a web of monofilament wires.
Range -
S - User
AP -
Type - Melee, Embrace of Death

Embrace of Death: A model equipped with a Harlequin’s Embrace has the Hammer of Wrath special rule, but makes D3 Hammer of Wrath Attacks that hit automatically and are resolved at Strength 6.

HARLEQUIN’S KISS
Plunged into the victim’s body, this weapon reduces their innards to meat slurry in moments.
Range -
S - User
AP -
Type - Melee, Kiss of Death

Kiss of Death: When a model equipped with a Harlequin’s Kiss makes its close combat attacks, one of its Attacks will be a Kiss of Death Attack (roll this Attack separately). A Kiss of Death Attack is always resolved at Strength 6 AP2. If a 6 is rolled To Wound with a Kiss of Death Attack, that attack has the Instant Death special rule.

NEURO DISRUPTOR
Neuro disruptors burn out their victims’ nervous systems.
Range - 12”
S - 12”
AP - 2
Type - Pistol, Fleshbane

SHURIKEN PISTOL
Shuriken weapons fire lethally sharpened discs at high velocities, cutting their targets to pieces.
Range - 12”
S - 4
AP - 5
Type - Pistol, Bladestorm

Bladestorm: When firing a weapon with this special rule, a To Wound roll of a 6 wounds automatically, regardless of the target’s Toughness, and is resolved at AP2.

FLIP BELT
These devices enhance the Harlequins’ agility to incredible levels.
A model with a flip belt is not slowed by difficult terrain and does not suffer the penalty to its Initiative for charging through difficult terrain. In addition, a character with a flip belt always passes Look Out, Sir rolls on a 2+.

HOLO-SUIT
In battle, holo-suits transform Harlequins into dazzling blurs, their outlines exploding into blizzards of light that leave the foe’s aim confounded and their thoughts bewildered.
A holo-suit grants the wearer a 5+ invulnerable save.

Join us for a round-up of the week as we share comment, opinion and trivia on all the latest releases, plus other fun tidbits that have cropped up in the White Dwarf bunker. This week we take a look at nimble warriors, broken spirit stones, Eldar words and bouncing bombs.

THE EPIC CYCLE OF THE HARLEQUINS’ OWN DESIGN

Harlequins have been a part of Warhammer 40,000 since the early days; the first miniatures hail from the late 1980s when the Eldar themselves were new.

The aim when designing the new Harlequins was to take their established look and make them even more dynamic as plastic models. The addition of ruined Eldar masonry to their bases adds a degree of height to each model so they’re barely touching the ground as they dance around their foes. Their athletic, mid-action poses and range of movement make their skills and abilities more believable, especially for those on the receiving end.

The new kit was also an opportunity to create some new wargear for the enigmatic Harlequins and, indeed, bring back a classic. The Harlequin’s caress plays on the ‘slightest touch is death’ theme, while the Harlequin’s embrace sits somewhere between the Harlequin’s kiss and the death spinner both in design and effect. Of particular note is the reintroduction of the neuro disruptor, a weapon that appeared on the first Harlequin Solitaire before disappearing into obscurity for over two decades. Now the deadly crystalline pistol has returned as an option in the Harlequins kit, an unusual weapon for the most unusual members of the Eldar race.

ASSEMBLING THE TROUPE

The instruction booklet in the Harlequin Troupe box contains several specific options for building each model. While it isn’t necessary to follow these suggestions, they do provide some of the most dynamic poses. The torsos with the long coats, for example, are designed to fit specific legs, otherwise they may get tangled up in the Harlequin’s streamers.

An important point is that each pair of arms has a different design: some have cuffs, some buttons and others gloves. When creating your Harlequins, it’s worth clipping off each pair of arms at the same time so you know which ones go together. The Harlequin’s kiss, embrace and caress all feature a vambrace, so they can be paired up with any left arm.

You’ll also notice that there are a lot of head options in the kit, many with trailing ribbons or ponytails. While all the heads are compatible with all the torsos, it’s worth choosing each Harlequin’s head carefully so their plumes flow in the same direction as their streamers when you assemble them.

Of all the parts of the mythic cycle performed by the Harlequin masques, the most renowned is the Dance without End. It is, however, far from the only tale performed by these enigmatic troubadours – there is the Cripple and the Dragon, the Blades of Vaul, Isha’s Tears, and many others. Each Harlequin in a masque assumes the persona of one of the characters from one of these epic tales at all times, and thus can be recognised by those Eldar who know the tales.

In the tale of the Blades of Vaul, for instance, Vaul is moved by sympathy for Isha and Kurnous, who are imprisoned by Khaine, agreeing to forge 100 swords for his brother to set them free. Vaul failed to make all the blades, however, and in his wrath Khaine attacked his uncle. The culmination of this pageant is the dazzling duel between the gods, played out by Harlequins of unparalleled skill.

A BROKEN SPIRIT

Harlequins do not wear spirit stones, for their souls are already bound to Cegorach, merging with him upon their death. If you look closely, however, the new Solitaire model does wear a spirit stone shackled around his ankle. More to the point, it’s been shattered.

Like all Harlequins, Solitaires would once have been normal Eldar. Upon taking the role of the Solitaire, they shatter their spirit stones rather than relinquish them, knowing that their souls are to be claimed by Slaanesh upon their passing. This Solitaire still wears his, a constant reminder of his inevitable fate.

Notes from the worlds of Warhammer. This week: the Harlequin lexicon.

RILLIETANN
A member of the Harlequin Troupe.

ATHAIR
The Troupe Master.

MARGORACH
The Death Jester.

AREBENNIAN
The Solitaire.

ESDAINN
The Shadowseer.

DATHEDI
The holo-suit worn by Eldar Harlequins. Translated as meaning ‘between colours’.

GEIRGILATH
The flip belt worn by every Harlequin that enables them to perform incredible moves and stunts.

CREIDANN
The grenade launcher used by the masque’s Shadowseers. Loaded with hallucinogenic cartridges, they add to the physical and psychic effects of the Harlequins’ performance, though they’re also a deadly weapon in battle.

AGAITH
A Harlequin’s mask or ‘false face’.

MARATHAG
The rictus mask worn by Troupe Masters, also known as a ‘face of death’.

BRATHU-ANGAU
The deadly Harlequin’s kiss, the ‘kiss of doom’.

MARSGRECH
The bio-explosive shrieker ammunition favoured by Death Jesters.

The White Dwarf team is a font of hobby knowledge, a metaphorical repository of useful facts. If you have a question about Warhammer 40,000 or Warhammer, need a bit of painting advice or you’re after a few tactical tips, drop us a line: team@whitedwarf.co.uk

DRINKING WITH WOLVES

In Prospero Burns, the Space Wolves say that if a mere human drinks mjod, even a little sip, they will die. What about Dwarfs? Would mjod harm them?

- Mr Li

GROMBRINDAL SAYS

Well, Mr Li, what it seems you are really asking is whether the unkempt savages of Fenris can outdrink a Dwarf. I would like to say no – after all, Dwarfs can quaff ale that would slay an Elf outright and cause even an Ogre to spend a day with his head over the Great Maw.

But Space Wolves aren’t really normal are they? The Emperor has kitted them out with spare organs and a poison filtering system, so it’s not even a fair contest. And you must remember this: Dwarfs drink for the love of good ale, not to make themselves ill. We’re craftsmen. Let the louts from Fenris drink their mjod. Make mine a XXXXXX, and the next one a Durgrund’s Hellfire!

- Grombrindal

No, no need to adjust your set, you’re not seeing the picture in monochrome; this Necromancer, by Tom Routh, really has been painted in black and white.

Tom used only six colours to paint this model: Runefang Steel, Nuln Oil, Abaddon Black, Mechanicus Standard Grey, Administratum Grey and White Scar, with Lahmian Medium to help achieve a smooth transition between the colours and create glazes. Many classic horror films were watched during the painting of this miniature and Tom already has more Undead minions underway as we type…

If you’ve painted a miniature that you think is worthy of a place in White Dwarf then why not send a picture to:
team@whitedwarf.co.uk

If it’s something we can use, we’ll be sure to get in touch.

With nine barrels loaded with metal shot the size of an ogre’s head, the Helblaster Volley Gun is an enemy regiment’s worst nightmare. Every salvo can tear ragged chunks from entire ranks of soldiers, leaving nothing but groaning casualties and the stink of sulphur on the breeze. Of course, everyone’s favourite thing about the Helblaster is when it misfires – nothing creates as much excitement as seeing what manner of malfunction will occur!

The Imperial Knight kit offers a choice of three face plates, and this is the most ominous. It marks out Knights of those houses aligned to the Adeptus Mechanicus and is deeply sinister

Each Eldar Harlequin wears a flip belt and while the ones on the new models are all subtly different, they each have a huge gem in the centre. The key to painting these is simple. 1) Paint the whole gem your chosen colour. 2) Add a lighter highlight in one of the lower corners. 3) Add a second, lighter highlight over the first, leaving some of the previous one visible. 4) Paint on a single white dot in the centre of the highlight and the opposite corner.

Squigs are a bigger topic than we would have ever imagined. The devout greenskin who penned this week’s Codex: Apocrypha threatened us with daily facts about Gitfinda squigs, squigeons and sundry other Ork weirdness until we agreed to let him write about just one more squig:

BOMB SQUIGS

Many squigs have a natural tendency to chase after anything that moves. Enterprising Ork Tankbustas take advantage of this trait by strapping the aptly named bomb squigs with contact-mines and explosives before loosing them towards the enemy’s vehicles. The creature will yap and roar delightedly as it bounces across the battlefield towards the closest moving target. Once it nips at a vehicle’s wheels or tank tracks, the short-fused dynamite and ticking time-bombs strapped to its flanks ensure it greets its new playthings with an explosion violent enough to flip over a Rhino.

This Barracuda is piloted by Kor’vre Tinek’la Shiavia, a rising hero of the Farsight Enclave, having distinguished herself in action against both the forces of Chaos and the relentless attacks of the Tyranid hive fleets.

Shiavia first rose to prominence during the battle of Magalon Ridge, where she annihilated the Daemon Prince Grulphor, a towering scion of the Plague God, Nurgle. With a daring low-level attack run she cut the Daemon Prince in half with her ion cannon, earning her the fierce respect of the Fire caste warriors below.

Since that incident Shiavia’s presence has been repeatedly requested by Fireblades who seek a daring and skilled pilot to provide air cover.

This Barracuda is painted with the white markings adopted by many of the Tau who fought at Vior’los. Whereas they previously bore the grey markings most commonly associated with the followers of Farsight, those who felt the grief of Vior’los’s loss most keenly changed their Sept markings to white in remembrance.

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