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With the release of new Aeldari units and upcoming Codex, a lot of people are getting excited about this Warhammer 40k faction. But the Aeldari haven’t been a major player in Warhammer 40k for years. Sure, they’ve been around, but the models are literally decades old and it has seemed like Games Workshop had forgotten about the Aeldari. But not so anymore.

So it leaves new players to wonder what an Aeldari army actually looks like, what they’re made up of, and what makes the units special. We’re not going to talk about all of the Aeldari units today, but I do want to talk about a particular group, those who have taken the Path of the Warrior. The Aspect Warriors.

(The Aspect Warriors have sometimes been a hindrance to new players getting into playing the Craftworlds Asuryani because they are almost all specialized, and it’s hard to get the hang of when to use the exact weapon set at the exact right time. But on we go.

The Aeldari Aspect Warriors

When an Aeldari (or, I should more correctly say a Craftworlds Asuryani) feels called to the Path of the Warrior, that Asuryani will pick an Aspect Shrine. Each Aspect Shrine leads a different path, takes a different strategy, and will fight differently from their fellow Asuryani in battle. It should be noted that each Aspect Warrior has a Phoenix Lord, and the Phoenix Lord that we mentioned most recently here (because he got a stunning new sculpt) is Maugan-Ra, of the Dark Reapers.

It should also be noted up front that there are Aspect Warriors and Aspect Shrines that we don’t have much information about. There are even Aspect Warriors who have (or had) models and who are in the lore, but who are no longer available in the (current) codex.

So Who Are The Aeldari Aspect Warriors and What Do They Do?

Dire Avengers

From the oldest Aspect Shrine, the Dire Avengers are an all-around good combat troop. They’re fast, as are all Aeldari, with a movement of 7″, and they’re armed with both a good gun and have good close-combat weapons. They are, for the most part, the generalists of the Aspect Warriors: pretty good at a lot of things, but not excelling in any one thing.

Their guns are Shuriken Catapults, which are good enough Assault weapons but have a short range of 18″, but their Dire Sword is a little tougher giving them good close combat, and even having the chance for Mortal Wounds on 6s.

All in all, the Dire Avengers as Aspect Warriors are not a bad choice for a jack-of-all-trades troop.

Dark Reapers

The Dark Reapers, of the Shrine of Maugan-Ra, are specialized in long-range combat which is effective at both tank busting and elite-troop killing. Their Reaper Launchers can be set with either the Starswarm missile, which is Heavy 2, Strength 5, AP -2, Damage 2, or they can be equipped with the Starshot missile, Heavy 1, Strength 8, AP-2, Damage 3.

Given those stats they’re not really as versatile as, say, a Space Marine Devastator Squad which can target either tanks or masses of troops, but the Starswarm wouldn’t be bad at killing some elite troops like Terminators, and the Starshot is strong enough to go up against major toughness opponents. The Armor Piercing is surprisingly low, however.

Eagle Pilots

The Eagle Pilots don’t have a stat sheet of their own, but they are–as the name suggests–the pilots of the Asuryani flyers like the Nightwing interceptors or the Phoenix strike aircraft. More seen in the lore than on the tabletop, they are a somewhat mysterious Aspect Warrior group, with a Phoenix Lord of which very little is known.

Fire Dragons

Fire Dragon Aspect Warriors are definitely the tank busters of the Asuryani, made to fight up close–not in close combat, mind you, but with high-powered melta weaponry. And they are indeed very formidable. Their Fusion Gun is Assault 1, Strength 8, AP -4, Damage D6–and if they’re within 6″ they can roll two dice for the damage and pick the highest. They are also equipped with Melta Bombs which do almost exactly the same characteristics except that the Fire Dragons must be within 4″.

So if you get the Fire Dragons in the right place at the right time, then they are absolute maniacs when it comes to killing anything with high wounds and armor. But in close combat? Regular old Strength 3, Toughness 3, 1 Wound, and 1 Attack. Not a good showing.

Howling Banshees

Howling Banshees are a bit of a conundrum, because there are models for Howling Banshees (though they’re currently being shown as not available on Games Workshop’s site, and they’re not in the current Codex. This intrigues me because they’re not bad looking models, as far as old Aeldari sculpts go, and they certainly fill a battlefield role that the Asuryani Aspect Warriors desperately need. So I hope they show back up.

The Howling Banshee Aspect Warriors are the opposite of the Fire Dragons–they’re made for close combat. They just carry a Shuriken Pistol, but also wield an Aeldari Power Weapon. They are good enough to go toe-to-toe with Space Marines in close combat. Add on top of this the fact that they have their Banshee Masks, which are a sort of paralyzing, shrieking microphone that incapacitates their enemies, ensuring the Howling Banshees the first attack.

But why they’re not in the current codex, I have no idea.

Shadow Spectres

Shadow Spectres are also Aspect Warriors that are missing from the Codex–and from Games Workshop’s site. As the name would suggest, they’re secretive and kind of fast-attack, guerilla fighters of the Asuryani. They have Prism Rifles, which are good at anti-armor attacks, and they’re equipped with jetpacks, so they can leap around the table causing chaos to armored units.

Or, they COULD leap around the table causing chaos, if there were rules for them and models.

Shining Spears

The Shining Spears are the fast attack, jetbike Aspect Warriors. They have a massive 16″ move, with a Laser Lance that can either be used in close combat (Strength 3, AP-4, Damage 2) or as a gun (Assault 1, Strength 6, AP -4, Damage 2).

There aren’t going to be a whole lot of Shining Spears Aspect Warriors on your table, as they come in very small groups, but they can hit hard and fast.

Striking Scorpions

These Aspect Warriors are made for close combat, and I assume they are taking the place of the Howling Banshees while those are out. Armed with chainswords and Shuriken Pistols, these are a great type of Aspect Warrior if you want to murder low-toughness opponents like, say, the Imperial Guard.

In my mind they’re a weak excuse for close combat beside the Howling Banshees, but maybe the Howling Banshees were just too good to have in the game.

Swooping Hawks

Swooping Hawks are a very cool group of Aspect Warriors. They’re fast attack, using jump packs that can carry them 14″, but they don’t do a TON of damage when they get where they’re going. Armed with grenades and the Hawk’s Talon, a gun with Assault 4 and Strength 5, they’re basically made to jump in, blast poorly-armored troops, and then jump away before anyone can engage with them.

Warp Spiders

My personal favorite of the Asuryani Aspect Warriors are the Warp Spiders. They are extremely mobile because, as the word “warp” suggests, they move in and out of the Warp to get around the table. It’s not a particularly safe way to travel, and it can end up killing them, but they can do it and it’s lots of fun to watch them.

Their Warp Jump Generator allows them to move their regular 7″ plus 4D6 additional inches, hopping around the board killin’ stuff. They can even use their Warp powers defensively–when being targeted they can Flickerjump, which means they bounce in and out of the Warp, making them obviously harder to hit, but also giving them the opportunity to not come back from the jump and be lost to the Warp for good.

They also carry one of my favorite weapons, reminiscent of the Harlequin’s Kiss, which is the Death Spinner: they fire a monomolecular net at you which can either kinda hurt you or, on a 6, absolutely slice you to ribbons.

Conclusion

And that’s it for the Aspect Warriors of the Aeldari and Craftworlds Asuryani–or that’s it for right now. I have high hopes that, as more Aeldari are released in the current wave we’re going to see some of these Aspect Warriors return–like the Howling Banshees or the Shadow Spectres.

Which Aspect Warriors are your favorite? Tell us in the comments!