ISSUE 55
14 February 2015

Editor: Jes Bickham
jes@whitedwarf.co.uk

Publisher: Paul Lyons
paul@whitedwarf.co.uk

So your Harlequin Troupe is all ready to wreak havoc on the battlefields of the 41st Millennium – but how to get there? That’s where the mighty new Starweaver plastic kit comes in, a gorgeously sleek transport that also makes the fearsome Voidweaver, a lightning-swift gunship able to fell massed infantry and armoured behemoths alike. Check out our painting guide and the full rules later in the issue. There’s also a brand-new Codex for the Harlequins this week, too, which digs deep into the background of these enigmatic warriors and enables you to field a full army of them. We offer a little illumination on this front, you’ll find Harlequin Masques, an in-depth feature explaining exactly how the warriors of the Laughing God construct their battle formations.

Be sure to come back next week for more Harlequins, and a pinch of End Times…

Travelling through the webway is a perilous task, the Harlequins making use of fast-moving Starweavers to get to their destinations. Obscured by holo-fields, their shattered images only coalesce when they remain stationary. But by then, it’s already too late for their foes.

Exiting the webway at incredible speed, the Starweaver appears as a mosaic of light, its outline confused by powerful holo-fields. Streaking across the battlefield, it drops off its Harlequin Troupe where they are most needed before racing off to harass the flanks of the enemy army.

Like all Eldar craft, the Starweaver is long and streamlined, its bird-like appearance reminiscent of the Eldar sky chariots of old. Its forked nose conceals a shuriken cannon, which nestles between the anti-grav plates that keep the Starweaver aloft. The rear half of the craft is an open-topped crew compartment that’s typically austere, with an internal running board to sit or stand on and a rear stabiliser fin complete with a rappelling line.

This plastic kit comes with three Harlequins: a pilot and two riders. The pilot (who can be male or female) can wear any of the masks included in the kit and comes with a pair of corresponding masks that fit onto the craft’s hull. Each represents a different character in the masque’s various dances, be it an Eldar deity or a hero of legend. The other two players represent the embarked Troupe, one of them ready to leap over the side of the Starweaver, the other with his hand on the turret-mounted shuriken cannon. Like the pilot, their heads are compatible with other Harlequin models, giving you lots of additional modelling options.

Left: The Starweaver comes with two clear plastic cockpit canopies – one half-open, the other fully-enclosed.

Right: There are six heads and 10 masks for the Harlequins in this kit, all of which are compatible with the models in the Harlequin Troupe and the Skyweavers boxed set. There are also nine pairs of masks for the hull of the Starweaver itself (mounted just in front of the cockpit, as you can see in the bottom right of the picture).

Left: This Player holds on to the Starweaver’s balustrade, ready to leap into the enemy’s ranks.

Right: From the back you can see the rappelling line used by the Harlequins to disembark (though more likely they’ll just leap over the sides). The floor of the Starweaver features the rune of the Harlequins. More sinisterly, when this rune is inverted, it forms part of the Eldar rune for She Who Thirsts…

The Voidweaver is a swift-moving gunship whose size belies its destructive capabilities. Where most Harlequins perform their deadly dances up close and personal, the Voidweaver skirts the edges of the battle, contributing heavy firepower to the proceedings.

As the Harlequin masques leap into battle, the Voidweaver steals out unseen from the depths of the webway, its arrival obscured by shimmering holo-fields and overshadowed by the more immediate threat of the Harlequins who arrive with such devastating effect before it.

Like the Starweaver, the Voidweaver’s beak-like prow contains a shuriken cannon operated by the pilot, and banks of mirage launchers to confound the enemy’s shooting. In contrast, the rear compartment plays host to two weapons systems, including a rear-facing shuriken cannon that fires independently of the craft’s other guns. The primary turret-mounted weapon is the haywire cannon, which has a similar design to the haywire blasters carried by Dark Eldar Scourges. Firing blasts of electromagnetic energy, it’s ideal for crippling enemy vehicles at a distance. The alternative weapon is the prismatic cannon (shown left). A smaller version of the prism cannons mounted on Eldar Fire Prisms, it uses an array of lasers and a rare psychocrystal to project a beam of devastating energy with pinpoint accuracy. The Harlequin manning the gun straddles the internal running boards and wears a long coat not dissimilar to those worn by the masque’s Death Jesters.

The kit also comes with a transfer sheet, featuring masque and Troupe markings in both yellow and white.

Above: The Voidweaver features an aft-mounted shuriken cannon. While the Voidweaver’s gunner busies himself with the enemy, the aft shuriken cannon can be used to fire at other targets.

Left: On the underside of the Voidweaver’s hull can be seen two banks of mirage launchers. In the heat of battle they hurl holo-grenades around the Voidweaver, making it harder for the enemy to target it.

Right: The Voidweaver’s gunner operates the vehicle’s main gun – either an electromagnetic haywire cannon (shown here) or a prismatic cannon, a high-powered laser capable of both coruscating blasts and deadly focussed beams.

Harlequins straddle the line between Craftworld Eldar and their dark kin of Commorragh, residing in that grey area between noble austerity and wicked depravity. As a result, their weapons and wargear often have different origins, some created by craftworld Bonesingers, some manufactured by Dark Eldar artisans and others a deadly combination of the two.

The Starweavers and Voidweavers of the Harlequins are a prime example of this technological fusion, the sleek shape of the two craft reminiscent of both the Eldar Vyper and the Dark Eldar Venom. The long nose and rib-like anti-grav plates are similar in design to the Eldar craft while the crew compartment shares much with the Dark Eldar one, the balustrades very similar to those on the Venom and the Raider. The wings are a combination of Dark Eldar Razorwing engine design and Eldar Wraithfighter vanes and aerofoils. The result is two vehicles that, like their pilots and passengers, straddle the line between the darkness and the light.

The same can be said about the primary weapons carried by the Voidweaver. While both are unique to the Harlequins, both echo familiar weapon designs. The haywire cannon is the big brother of the haywire blaster used by the Dark Eldar while the prismatic cannon is the little sister of the Fire Prism’s main gun. While the haywire cannon is uncannily similar to those carried by Scourges, the prismatic cannon has a different way of focusing its energy, the lasers surrounding the psychocrystal focusing inwards or aiming outwards depending on the gunner’s requirements.

All Eldar and Dark Eldar vehicles feature large curving armour panels, and those of the Harlequins are no exception. These are the perfect place for freehand details such as thorns, vines, craftworld markings or, in the case of the Harlequins, masque markings and diamond patterns that represent their shimmering holo-fields activating in the heat of battle.

The Dark Hunters are Space Marines who are proud to trace their ancestry back to the White Scars Legion. More than a century ago they fought a long and brutal campaign against the Punishers, a host of Chaos Space Marines, which left the Chapter bloodied, its numbers depleted and its resolve all but spent.

Now word has reached the Dark Hunters that their foe has returned to Ras Hanem, the planet where they first fought, and so the Dark Hunters must rally to defeat their foes once again. Dark Hunters: Umbra Sumus is a fascinating yarn that casts light on a Chapter hitherto unexplored. Kearney breathes life and character into these stoic Space Marines, their contemptible foes and some most unexpected allies.

The Harlequins are the strangest of all the Eldar, travelling players who journey through the webway performing grand pageants that recreate the myths of the Eldar. They are also deadly warriors, scions of the Laughing God on a desperate mission to save the Eldar race.

There is far more to the Eldar Harlequins than meets the eye – at first glance they are flamboyant entertainers, dancers and troubadours, clad in motley and masked to play some elaborate role. While all of that is true, they are also deadly warriors, skilled beyond even the abilities of other Eldar and driven by a singular purpose: to enact the plans of Cegorach, the Laughing God, and bring about the salvation of the Eldar Race.

Codex: Harlequins is the definitive guide to these sworn enemies of Chaos, a full 96 pages loaded with more history, background and information than has ever before been presented on these enigmatic warriors. The front portion of the book is devoted to the Harlequins’ place amongst the wider Eldar race, explaining how they travel between the craftworlds and the domain of their dark kin, and how, in the dying years of the 41st Millennium, more Eldar are drawn to join their ranks. This gives way to a section devoted to the Harlequin masques – large groups who perform, travel and most importantly fight together. These masques are the heart of a Harlequin army, and the book presents a swathe of examples, along with background, artwork and galleries of painted models to inspire your own masque. The Codex also provides a full rules section for unleashing your masque on the battlefield, either as individual units or as the mighty Masque Detachment. There are also three types of Warlord Trait, Tactical Objectives and the Harlequins’ own psychic discipline, Phantasmancy.

Above: The glorious Codex cover, a Troupe Master leaping into battle.

Left: The background and history of the Harlequins is conveyed through evocative fiction and stunning artwork.

Right: The Harlequin range of Citadel miniatures is showcased, showing the colours of the masques, their weapons, wargear and holo-suits.

Codex: Harlequins is also available as a limited edition and in digital iPad and eBook editions.

Slipcased hardback set Limited to 1000 copies

For the most devoted followers of Cegorach, there is an incredible limited edition of the new Codex.

The Troupe Master edition of the new Codex: Harlequins provides the ultimate collectors piece: a deluxe slipcase that contains the new Codex, Warriors of the Laughing God and a wallet loaded with 36 Tactical Objective cards, 21 psychic powers (including Phantasmancy, Sanctic Daemonology and Telepathy) and six gorgeous Harlequin objective markers.

All this content alone makes the Troupe Master edition truly outstanding, but the icing on the cake is the incredible finishing that has been applied to the entire package. On the reverse of the slipcase each copy is marked with its unique edition number, letting you know which of the strictly limited 1000 copies you own. If you want one of your own, do not delay.

43 Cards (7 Psychic Cards & 36 Tactical Objective cards)

Keep track of your psychic powers and Tactial Objectives as you unleash the dance of death.

In the midst of battle, keeping your mind on your mission can be the difference between a glorious victory and a crushing defeat. The Harlequins Datacards are specifically designed to help you keep track of your Tactical Objectives and also muster the full might of the Harlequins’ unique psychic discipline, Phantasmancy.

The set includes seven large-format Phantasmancy psychic power cards, including powers such as the Peal of Discord or the Mirror of Minds. The remaining 36 cards are the Tactical Objectives for the Harlequin army, including the six unique objectives that reflect the nature of the Harlequins, like the Dance of Death and the capricious Strike and Evade.

10 dice & Harlequins dice tin

For the discerning Harlequins player, these scintillating dice are a must-have accessory.

Would you like to hold the shimmering, scintillating colours of a holo-suit in your hands? Then the new Harlequins dice are what you need! The Harlequins dice tin contains 10 dice, each an iridescent cube with the Harlequin rune adorning the ‘one’ facing. The finish on these dice looks amazing – it’s like holding a fragment of a dathedi holo-suit in your hands. Surely there’s no better dice to use when rolling your Harlequins’ saving throws.

The presentation tin is finished in the livery of Cegorach’s followers, with poignant runes adorning its sides. The set is the perfect combination of collector’s piece and functional gaming accessory, and they are sure to sell out quickly. Act fast to avoid disappointment.

Available in eBook and enhanced iPad formats

Take Codex: Harlequins wherever you take your favourite device with this digital edition.

Loaded with all the same content you’ll find in the standard ‘paper’ edition, the digital edition of Codex: Harlequins has been made with those collectors in mind who prefer their Codexes on iPad, Android or other compatible electronic devices. You’ll find all the same history, stories, rules and pictures in the digital version as you will in the regular book, with the added advantage that it won’t weigh down your bag (beyond the weight of your preferred device, anyway).

The enhanced iPad version of the Codex also boasts several additional features, with quick reference rules that enable you to bring up glossaries and move easily through the Codex, 360º images, a force requisition function and more.

[DIGITAL_EDITIONS]

These and other Games Workshop Digital Editions are available from www.blacklibrary.com/games-workshop-digital-editions

Paperback 168 pages

The Harlequins are famed for their stunning regalia, taking to battle in bold and brilliant colours. This painting guide is the key to painting your own masque.

Warriors of the Laughing God is also available as an iPad edition. Check out the iBookstore for details.

By Joe Parrino, Graeme Lyon & Rob Sanders
Hardback | 128 pages

The Necrons have awoken upon the maiden world of Carnac. The Eldar mobilise for all out war.

In The Carnac Campaign, the galaxy’s oldest enemies go to war as the Children of the Stars and the Necrons do battle over the maiden world of Carnac. For Carnac is also a tomb world, and the awakening Necrons are not pleased at the interlopers they have found soiling their planet. As the metallic automatons begin to rise from the Great Sleep, they begin a programme of eradication that will see the Eldar swept from the world, unless the warriors of Craftworld Alaitoc can stop them.

The Carnac Campaign is a compilation of novellas that delves into the action and events of this bloody struggle, featuring characters such as Anrakyr the Traveller, Illic Nightspear and the gathered might of these galactic super powers.

By Gav Thorpe & Rob Sanders
Audio drama | 77 minutes

The Eldar go to war in two very different ways in this double bill of audio dramas.

The Path Forsaken and Howl of the Banshee are audio dramas that present two very different aspects of the Eldar at war. The former, written by Rob Sanders, focuses on the efforts of an Eldar Ranger, surrounded by Tyranids, but with a deadly task to accomplish. The second, by Gav Thorpe, deals with a squad of Howling Banshees who must board a derelict craftworld to save its very soul.

Both the audio dramas in this set are action-packed stories, and they will be of particular appeal to fans of the Eldar race because of the stunning insight they give into the Eldar, specifically their way of war. Add to that a fantastic voice cast (including Black Library’s first all-female ensemble) and you are on to a winner.

Forge World make highly-detailed resin models, upgrade packs, large-scale kits and books for the worlds of Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000 and the Horus Heresy. This week we look at new weapon options for the Thallaxii cohorts of the Mechanicum Ordo Reductor.

The Thallax Cohorts of the Ordo Reductor are heavy shock-troops, armed with lightning guns and chainblades. There are times, however, when specialised weapons are called for and to this end a Thallax can be equipped with more powerful guns, such as the deadly phase plasma-fusil and the flesh-boiling irad-cleanser. These new weapons for the Thallax Cohorts are available in cohort packs, which include one Thallax with special weapon and two standard Thallaxii with lightning guns.

Above: A Mechanicum Thallax Cohort with phase plasma-fusil (centre).

Above: A Mechanicum Thallax Cohort with irad-cleanser (centre).

For more, go to:
www.forgeworld.co.uk

Since the Fall of the Eldar, the Laughing God’s servants have gathered into bands called masques. These groups of travelling players are far more than mere performers, however. Each is a deadly warrior band, bent on fulfilling the plans of their enigmatic master.

THE GET OF CEGORACH

Most of the Eldar live with the bitter knowledge that their gods are gone, having abandoned them or been destroyed in the Fall. Almost unique among their kind, the Harlequins know that Cegorach survived the Fall, and even now plans for the salvation of the Eldar race.

With every passing year more Eldar are drawn towards the way of the Harlequins, erasing their past identity and taking up the mask and motley of the Laughing God.

A Harlequin masque unleashed upon the battlefield is a thing of boundless fury and mind-boggling precision, the ultimate melding of cold, alien wrath and preternatural agility. It is a spectacle of destruction as beautiful as it is murderous, as Troupes of warriors leap and bound through the enemy, slaughtering the foe even as Skyweavers cut off lines of retreat, herding the enemy onto the waiting guns of the Voidweavers and Death Jesters. A masque possesses a synergy unmatched in almost any other fighting formation, an instinctive bond grown between the Harlequins as they travel and perform together and unleashed on the battlefield in times of war and strife.

The organisation of a Harlequin masque is unusual by the standards of the most of the forces fighting in the Dark Millennium – after all, it is formed from multiple bands of dancers, mimes and other performers. The truth is that the masques owe their origins to a more peaceful time, when they gathered as the Harlequins of the Laughing God. While the Eldar race drove itself into oblivion, the Harlequins girded themselves for war – the masques became warriors fighting for the future of their race. Thousands of years later, they still travel the webway, performing to the scattered remnants of their race, but they also fight tirelessly to fulfil Cegorach’s plan to thwart the powers of Chaos. They watch over their race as sentinels, ever vigilant against the plans of She Who Thirsts.

While Harlequin masques tend to follow a time-honoured structure, established by the followers of Cegorach in ages past, each also has a distinct identity that reaches from their performances and onto the battlefield. For instance, the Masque of the Leaping Stars go to war heralded by the same kaleidoscopic displays that accompany their performances, while the Mourning Mist advance in ghostly silence, as ominous as the shadow of Ynnead from Eldar legend. This adherence to tradition and connection to their ancient legends strengthens the masques in battle. Every tactic they implement is a counterpart to the mythic plays, known as a saedath, a battlefield plan with an allegorical edge. These inform the masque’s tactics and which Troupes will take the lead. Each Harlequin knows these saedaths on such an intricate level they are able to enact these strategies with flawless precision.

THE MASQUES

The Masque of the Dreaming Shadow act as self-appointed guardians against the awakening Necrons. They appear morbid of spirit, resentful towards other masques, who perhaps surprisingly hold them in high regard.

The Soaring Spite favour rapid warfare, utilising Skyweavers, Starweavers and Voidweavers in large numbers. The diamond rune signifies oneness with the mythological beasts they represent in their performances.

There are three Harlequin Troupes within a masque: Light, Dark and Twilight, and each player in the Troupe will wear the markings of that Troupe. These icons are largely standard across the masques, with Light Troupes wearing a prism, Dark a four-sided star and Twilight a heart. Each Troupe is led by a Troupe Master, who wears the master rune, an ornate version of the same basic device worn by his Troupe, often hollowed out and bordered by curved arcs.

On this Harlequin from the Soaring Spite, you can see the symbol of her masque, the diamond, on her right knee and her Troupe, the heart, on her left – signifying she is of the Twilight Troupe.

The Harlequins of the Midnight Sorrow are the ultimate enemies of Chaos, sworn to fight Cegorach’s endless battles against the Ruinous Powers of the Warp. This razor-sharp focus drives the masque to pursue their agenda to the extent that no action is too extreme. On one hand they strike alliances with the pawns of the Corpse God, and on the other they slaughter his slaves without mercy. This seems capricious in the extreme to those who must deal with the Masque of the Midnight Sorrow, but to them it is all a part of Cegorach’s great plan.

In recent years this masque has been drawn increasingly into conflict with the servants of She Who Thirsts. The Farseers of the Eldar craftworlds watch the masque with growing concern, perceiving that the frenzied and daring nature of the Midnight Sorrow’s actions are proof the end is at hand. Regardless, these single-minded Harlequins dance on, whether in the beautiful displays for their kinsmen, or the bloody dance of death on the battlefield.

Above: A Player from the Masque of the Midnight Sorrow.

Left: This Harlequin wears the rune of his masque on his upper thigh, one of the few spaces on his body that isn’t covered in intricate diamonds.

Centre: Each player in a Troupe wears the Troupe marking. The prism denotes this player is from the Light Troupe.

Right: This Troupe is supported by a Starweaver, which bears the same prism as its passengers.

READING THE RUNES

The symbol of the Masque of the Midnight Sorrow is a spear driven into the inverse heart of Twilight. To alien observers there is no easy interpretation of this icon, but Eldar know it represents the Midnight Sorrow’s desire to strike their foe when daylight is slain, but before darkness reigns once more.

A literal interpretation of this might lead some to think they favour attacks at dusk, but there is a more poignant reading, too. The day of the Eldar has come and passed, and the Midnight Sorrow strike now, before the long night begins.

The organisation of a Harlequin masque is almost as old as time, a deeply-engrained aspect of Eldar culture that, while subject to small differences from one masque to the next, has otherwise remained fundamentally unchanged for thousands of years. The heart of each masque is the cadre of three Troupes, each of which is led by a Troupe Master. Appended to the three Troupes are the Skyweavers and Voidweavers. A full Masque will feature two squadrons of Skyweaver jetbikes and one of Voidweavers. Masques also usually include at least one Shadowseer and Death Jester, and it is common for one of each to fight alongside each of the three Troupes and, on rare occasions, a masque may also be joined by a Solitaire. This final Player is not bound to the masque, and will serve with it only as long as his own agenda and that of the masque are aligned. See overleaf for an example army.

THE TROUPES

When an Eldar becomes a Harlequin he joins one of the Harlequin Troupes, either Light, Dark or Twilight. The difference between these three Troupes to a non-Eldar observer would be hard to distinguish by visual clues alone. Save for a rune badge that is either a prism, heart or four-sided star, there is little else to distinguish them from each other. The true difference between them is how the Players act.

Harlequins from Light Troupes embody the heroic aspects of the Eldar (and typically play such heroes in their grand displays). They launch brave charges, fight with boldness and hurl themselves into the fray like heroes of myth. Dark Troupes, on the other hand, appear sinister and vindictive in their actions and the ways in which they finish off their enemies seem cruel, flamboyant and often very violent. The Twilight Troupes are the strangest, their actions dictated apparently by some unknown motive. They appear capricious or obsessive, and their actions are hard to read, until the moment their true genius is unveiled.

The Harlequin masque is the typical organisation for Harlequin forces on the battlefield. The heart of the masque is three Troupes, along with the two squadrons of Skyweavers and one of Voidweavers. Other optional elements include up to seven Elite unit selections – which can be filled by Shadowseers, Death Jesters and Solitaires. A typical masque might include one Shadowseer and Death Jester per Troupe and a single Solitaire (thus filling all seven Elite slots).

Fielding your models as a Harlequin masque, as described here, not only matches their stories and history, but also gives your units advantages in the game.

COMPULSORY
3 Troops
2 Fast Attack
1 Heavy Support

OPTIONAL
7 Elites

Paint Splatter provides handy tips and stage-by-stage painting guides for the week’s key releases. This week we examine how to paint the Harlequins’ Troupe transport, the agile Starweaver.

WARRIORS OF THE LAUGHING GOD

If you want more tips and painting guides for your Harlequins, check out Warriors of the Laughing God, on pre-order this week Warriors of the Laughing God is full of comprehensive painting advice.

Starweavers are sleek combat transports, designed to deliver a Harlequin Troupe right into the heart of the fighting, where they can disembark and set about the enemy at the very moment of their arrival. These agile craft are considered an integral part of the Troupe’s arsenal, and as such are painted and decorated to match their costumes, as well as carrying the markings of the wider masque.

The Starweaver shown here is painted in the colours of the Masque of the Frozen Stars, who favour the bold, contrasting colours of black and white – and their Starweaver features this heavily. This model was undercoated with Chaos Black spray, which also serves as an all over basecoat. The white patterns were built up over a second basecoat of Celestra Grey.

When it comes to painting your own designs on the canopy of your Starweaver – or Voidweaver or Skyweavers, for that matter – a good tip is to draw your chosen design on with a fine pencil (just don’t press hard enough to score the paint). You can then easily paint over your design.

While most Harlequins wear masks that are either wholly white, or white and black, the Frozen Stars wear striking gold face masks instead. From a painting point of view this makes them the focal point of the models, as the gold contrasts strongly with their black and white costumes.

RUNES AND SYMBOLS

Harlequin vehicles such as the Starweaver and Voidweaver are marked not only with the scintillating colours of their masque, but also with badges relevant to the Troupes that ride within them, or the squadrons to which they belong. For instance, a Starweaver will typically have the same Troupe markings as the squad riding in its crew area.

The new kit comes with a transfer sheet that provides plenty of these markings, along with the runes and sigils so often seen on the hulls of Eldar vehicles.

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 have Phantasmancy, Harlequin masques and a very personal question for Grombrindal.

UNLEASHING THE POWER OF PHANTASMANCY

Codex: Harlequins includes a set of all-new psychic powers in the shape of the aptly-named Phantasmancy discipline – a brand of psychic shenanigans unique to the Harlequins, assailing the enemy with illusion and misdirection.

With powers such as Veil of Tears, which represents the Shadowseer plucking the image of the Harlequins from the open minds of his foes, the Phantasmancy discipline is very much focused on preventing the enemy from gunning down your precious performers on their way into the fight. The Dance of Shadows can give all your Harlequins the Shrouded ability, making fighting them harder than fighting wisps of smoke on the wind, while the Fog of Dreams blinds the enemy with an eldritch mist, making any kind of attacks against the Harlequins all but impossible.

There is an aggressive angle to Phantasmancy, too, as the Shadowseers prey on the darkest fears lurking in the unguarded minds of their enemies. The Mirror of Minds draws the foe into a brain-slaying battle of wills that feels like an eternity but in truth lasts mere moments, while the Laugh of Sorrows can literally kill the enemy with fits of convulsive laughter. It’s a nasty way to die, and quite in keeping with the capricious nature of the Harlequins.

THE WAR ON CHAOS

The Harlequins are among the most driven enemies of Chaos in the galaxy, particularly when it comes to She Who Thirsts, as the Eldar know Slaanesh. At the moment of Slaanesh’s birth the Eldar race was forever damned, their souls forfeited to the nascent Chaos god, and over the long millennia the Eldar (both of the craftworlds and the Dark Eldar) have found ways to stave off or prevent their doom – but not forever.

Deep within the webway lies the Black Library, where the combined wisdom of the Eldar on the subject of Chaos is preserved. This is the ultimate weapon in their unending war against Chaos – a war none save the Harlequins truly believe they can win, for the Eldar’s demise has long been foretold. But that mystical library holds a crystalline tome believed to contain the words of Cegorach himself. Penned in inks of shadow and light, this book holds the secret to victory over Chaos and the great enemy Slaanesh. For the Harlequins, the time has come for the final dance… or destruction.

Harlequin masques offer unique opportunities for modelling and painting. You’ll have seen examples of quite a few different masques throughout White Dwarf these past few weeks and here you can see Harlequins of the Veiled Path, merciless tricksters who cruelly exploit other races to achieve their aims, feigning alliance when in truth they care for none but their own.

While Codex: Harlequins explains how to organise your masque, the Warriors of the Laughing God painting guide provides plenty of examples to fire your imagination when it comes to painting or even creating a masque of your own. The great thing about the guides in the book is that you can follow them to the letter or use them for inspiration in forming your own ideas. The Harlequins will always be mysterious, but it’s a lot easier to go about collecting them now!

CHOOSE YOUR WARLORD

A Harlequin army provides four potential choices of Warlord: the Shadowseer, Death Jester, Solitaire and Troupe Master. Solitaires chosen as Warlords get no Warlord Traits at all, while Shadowseers and Death Jesters get to pick from a limited selection.

The best leader is the Troupe Master, who can choose from the traits in Warhammer 40,000: The Rules or from the Light, Dark and Twilight Traits tables in the new Codex. Each of these embodies an aspect of the way the Harlequins wage war (and some of those traits, such as the Final Joke, are really fun to use).

Notes from the worlds of Warhammer. This week: Eldar Gods

ASURYAN
Asuryan was the king of the Eldar pantheon. During the Fall, Asuryan was consumed, along with many of the other Eldar gods, by the newly-born Chaos god Slaanesh.

ISHA
The Eldar race are the children of Isha, goddess of the harvest. The spirit stones worn by Craftworld Eldar are known as Isha’s Tears and were once used by the goddess to communicate with her children. During the Fall she was ‘rescued’ from Slaanesh’s clutches by Grandfather Nurgle. She remains chained in his garden to this day.

KHAINE
Khaine was the Eldar god of war. During the Fall, he fought Slaanesh to protect the Eldar race, but was ultimately defeated. Slaanesh, weakened from the fight, could not destroy Khaine, but shattered him into thousands of pieces. These Avatars of Khaine now reside at the heart of every craftworld, ready to be reborn in times of dire need.

VAUL
Vaul was the god of smiths and patron of Bonesingers, the Eldar psykers who build and maintain the craftworlds. He also created the sword Anaris, which was wielded by the mortal Eldanesh when he fought Khaine. Eldanesh was defeated and Khaine given the agnomen Kaela Mensha or ‘bloody-handed’ for his slaughter of a mortal.

YNNEAD
The Eldar god of the dead is currently coalescing within the infinity circuit, an amalgamation of every Eldar soul stored within it. It’s believed by the Eldar that his birth will bring about the salvation of their race.

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

IS THERE A MRS GROMBRINDAL?
Hello Grombrindal. I was wondering if there is a Mrs Grombrindal somewhere behind the scenes – surely no Dwarf-maid can resist your beard?
- Mrs Holland

GROMBRINDAL SAYS
I am married to duty. My only lover is the fiery heat of battle, my only passion is revenge. Yes, that sounds about right.

My heart, however belongs to Valaya, the ancestor god of the Dwarfs: she who is fairest in all creation. None can look upon her and remain unmoved. As protector of hearth and home, Valaya is beloved of all Dawi, from the palest beardling to the oldest of ruddy-cheeked Longbeards.

And, before you ask, Valaya even gifted me the cloak that I wear in battle. And, I don’t believe I am boasting when I say it was because of my rugged good lucks and handsome beard. I would say that proves the feeling is mutual.
- Grombrindal

This week’s reader’s submission is the ill-tempered Krom Dragongaze, painted by Rob Hale. The majority of the model was painted following the stage-by-stage guide that we printed in issue 24, though Rob decided to paint the Fenrisian runes green instead of blue to match the gems, targeters and Krom’s bionic eye.

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.

When it comes to using your fists in a fight, the Eldar Avatar surely has the greatest advantage. Not only is he a physical representation of a demi-god, with all the strength and skill that suggests, but his fiery, molten metal gauntlet is constantly bathed in the still-warm blood of a young Aspect Warrior. Should any foe survive a blow from it, there’s just the small matter of the Wailing Doom to deal with…

Despite their status, it’s clearly not all banquets and parades for the Elector Counts of the Empire – check out the sunken eyes and bitter scowl on this head from the Empire General on Griffon kit. Clearly, times are not good. We fear there’s more to come.

The Skyweaver jetbikes ridden by the Harlequins of the Veiled Path have a split green and black colour scheme on their canopies. This was achieved by undercoating the whole model Chaos Black, then using masking tape to cover the front of the jetbike. The whole bike was then sprayed with Warpstone Glow using the Citadel Spray Gun. When the masking tape is peeled off, the black paint underneath is revealed with a straight, neat line between the two colours. Why not try this technique with your own Harlequin colour scheme?

Earlier in the issue we mentioned the new transfer sheet that comes in the Starweaver, Harlequin Troupe and Skyweavers sets. Well, here it is.

Included on the sheet are a host of masque runes, including diamonds for the Soaring Spite, the enigma symbol of the Dreaming Shadow, the three-headed spade of the Frozen Stars and the spear and inverse-heart motif of the Midnight Sorrow. The sheet also includes markings for Light and Twilight Troupes (hearts and prisms), so you can mark your Starweavers with the symbol of the Troupe they carry into battle.

It’s also worth noting that vehicle markings can be any colour, not just yellow or white. Simply apply the transfer to the model as you normally would and use it as a guide to paint on the colour of your choice. You can even combine several transfers to create your own masque symbols.

The ratmen of Clan Skiddle have been growing in number deep below the cities of the Empire for many years, longing for their chance to rise up and claim their birthright as Children of the Horned Rat.

Centuries ago Clan Skiddle was all but destroyed by a desperate army raised by a famous Warrior Priest, remembered as Poelm the Bold. Though none now live who remember that fateful day, this legend has passed down from one litter to the next, until Poelm and all worshippers of Sigmar have become an object of intense hatred for the Skaven of Clan Skiddle. Revenge is a duty that Warlord Skarbrack and his ‘trusty’ advisor Warlock Engineer Zzapfer take very seriously… just as long as someone else will do the fighting and dying for them.

Copyright © Games Workshop Limited 2015 excepting all materials pertaining to the New Line theatrical productions: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG, THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES which are © 2015 New Line Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and the names of the characters, items, events and places therein are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises under license to New Line Productions, Inc. © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved. THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG, THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES and the names of the characters, items, events and places therein are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises under license to New Line Productions, Inc. (s15)

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Editor: Jes Bickham. Publisher: Paul Lyons

Produced by the White Dwarf Team

Email: team@whitedwarf.co.uk

Printed by Artisan Press Limited in the UK.

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ISSN 2055-2653

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