New Warzone book: Eldar vs Nids

[Brakkart]

Just seen this weeks White Dwarf and there's a new Warzone supplement book coming out for Apocalypse, detailing a conflict between the Eldar (and Dark Eldar joining in too) against the Tyranids of Hive Fleets Kraken and Leviathan (I think it's those two). I cannot remember the name of the book though, Koromar maybe, dunno. General plot seems to be a concerted effort by the Eldar to prevent the two Hive Fleets meeting/combining with each other in the wake of the attack on Iyanden. Nice to see an all Xenos 40k book for a change, here's hoping it sells well and maybe gives GW a nudge to produce some more.

There's a couple Apoc formations from the book in the new White Dwarf, one each for Eldar and Dark Eldar.

EDIT: The name of the book is Warzone: Valedor.

[Defenestratus]

just seen this weeks white dwarf and there's a new warzone supplement book coming out for apocalypse, detailing a conflict between the eldar (and dark eldar joining in too) against the tyranids of hive fleets kraken and leviathan (i think it's those two). I cannot remember the name of the book though, koromar maybe, dunno. General plot seems to be a concerted effort by the eldar to prevent the two hive fleets meeting/combining with each other in the wake of the attack on iyanden. Nice to see an all xenos 40k book for a change, here's hoping it sells well and maybe gives gw a nudge to produce some more.

There's a couple apoc formations from the book in the new white dwarf, one each for eldar and dark eldar.

swoon

*Give me back my shadow walker (aka void shield removal) formation*

[Mr Mystery]

Oooh! Nice!

[Badtucker]

https://31.media.tumblr.com/a6c57b82b9f884e9d15148ebdadf7f61/tumblr_n58ut1P4VU1sct717o1_1280.jpg

https://31.media.tumblr.com/60eac64599e5b1f2522ba2a3b32c7fef/tumblr_n58ut1P4VU1sct717o3_1280.jpg

https://31.media.tumblr.com/81ef1740116ca550a52b894f31169b13/tumblr_n58ut1P4VU1sct717o2_1280.jpg


pics of the formations and such

[Tyrendian]

those two formations aren't exactly exciting, but I'm looking forward to the whole thing regardless!

[Asymmetrical Xeno]

Very cool! Great to see an all-xenos book! :)

[Defenestratus]

those two formations aren't exactly exciting, but I'm looking forward to the whole thing regardless!

My thoughts too. The formations aren't exactly inspiring me to go out and spend more money on minis to fill them out (well, I wouldn't have to do that but...)

If you want to use a ghost formation, I highly recommend the "Lost Ghost Walkers" (IIRC) formation from IA 11. Outflanking a bunch of wraithguard, wraithblades and wraithlords is ... pretty awesome.

[DrLove42]

The DE one is pretty decent. Good way of getting infantry round quick and capable of damaging your opponent early

Good to see more Xenos. Now if FW could just do that damn Dark Eldar Imperial Armour...

Does suprise me they've not jsut taken the easy option and done Iyanden

[Charon]

I like the DE one but it is kinda boring. Oh lets make even more Alphastrike stuff!

And I really hate the Eldar one. Yey... its Ghostwarriors AGAIN. Not that they got a supplement, a Dataslate and an apocalypse Formation... here comes the next one which is nearly the same composition as the Dataslate.

[iNcontroL]

think they will update the rules for Tyranid bio titans? Hierophant / Harridan / Heirodule ?

[Thaldin]

I'm happy to see more Xenos stuff...especially since that is all I have ever played heh... I'll get it just to support the Xenos effort!

[Saunders]

I like the DE one but it is kinda boring. Oh lets make even more Alphastrike stuff!

And I really hate the Eldar one. Yey... its Ghostwarriors AGAIN. Not that they got a supplement, a Dataslate and an apocalypse Formation... here comes the next one which is nearly the same composition as the Dataslate.

Biel'Tan joins forces with Iyanden for this Warzone, so there will be non-Iyanden stuff present as well.

[Garradh]

Now for the challenging part - talking one of my Nid friends into buying this book so I can perma-borrow it.

[eldargal]

Yay!

Edit: I have to admit I was sceptical we would ever see an all-xenos Warzone from GW, very happy to be proven wrong.

[John Bower]

Dam, poor wallet is heading for another cardiac arrest. :) Even worse as I've just been off sick for 2 days.

[Grey Mage]

I was really hoping the ghostwarrior force would have something like the old strategic redeployment asset. Otherwise Im excited.

[Arthfael]

Found this on the BL website: http://www.blacklibrary.com/warhammer-40000/valedor.html This may be old news but I for one never heard of it.

- - - Updated - - -

Also, as an eternally dissatisfied eldar player I would love to see some non ghost warrior love here ^^ Not everyone's craftworld got almost wiped out by tyranids, you know.

[Wolfshade]

Very cool! Great to see an all-xenos book! :)

Exactly, wonder how many people said GW will never do an all Xenos book are not feeling miopic.

[Defenestratus]

From that BL link...

As the tyranids of Hive Fleet Leviathan sweep through the sector consuming everything in their path, wayward Prince Yriel of Iyanden discovers that the farseers have inadvertently brought a greater threat to bear – a fragment of Hive Fleet Kraken, hurled into the warp in order to save the craftworld, has returned.

So once again the ancient conclave of future-seers f'ed up. Its any wonder the Eldar were ever the dominant force in the galaxy with its seemingly never-ending string of blunders.

[LostInTheDark]

Found this on the BL website: http://www.blacklibrary.com/warhammer-40000/valedor.html This may be old news but I for one never heard of it.

There is a prequel as well

http://www.blacklibrary.com/warhammer-40000/the-last-days-of-ector.html

[BigGrim]

think they will update the rules for Tyranid bio titans? Hierophant / Harridan / Heirodule ?

Their rules are already up to date. Harridan and Heirophant in the Apoc book and the Heirodules in the FW Apoc book.

[Asymmetrical Xeno]

Well, the book is up now with a few novels. Kind of a shame theres no tie-in miniatures with this release, would of been nice to see a plastic Archon clampack and plastic Zoanthrope kit. Either way I am happy to see a pure xenos book like this :)

[Gleipnir]

Will be fun having some game rules for fighting on a Tyranid World and in the Webway, and just how apocalyptic the Fireheart is.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Why aren't there any Space Marines in it?

[RGilbert26]

They're in the novella Last days of Ector, Crimson Castellans.

[Hendarion]

Why aren't there any Space Marines in it?Because someone noticed they're boring. :rolleyes:

[eldargal]

Because someone noticed they're boring. :rolleyes:

#fistbump

[Saunders]

So once again the ancient conclave of future-seers f'ed up. Its any wonder the Eldar were ever the dominant force in the galaxy with its seemingly never-ending string of blunders.

Having gotten halfway through the Valedor novel, without posting spoilers I can confirm that this point of view is misinformed.

Also worth noting that the novel is fantastic and equally about Biel-Tan, with a healthy dose of Dark Eldar (including a rather famous character) and Harlequins (cameo from a Path character as well)

[eldargal]

Whats the colour section like with the maps and stuff?

[daboarder]

Do the Nids come across as a truely horrifying biological apocalypse?

please say that they really get the futillity of facing down a tyranid invasion right, ala fall of malvolion

[Charon]

I really doubt that as the Eldar races see the great devourer different. Dark Eldar would never admit to be afraid and go to stupid lenghts just to prove it. What else do you expect from a race that tries to invade a swarmship just to extract tyranids for research and some arena fun?
Craftworlders see them as what they are and their view of the universe and their future is not an optimistic one anyways.

[Ang56]

I do like the DE one, though I really like lots of warriors and reavers in any DE army, so I would like a sheet for them.

Wraith one is meh.

Aren't SoB supposed to be at valedor? I may be wrong. Anyways any DE love is fine by me. Really want to see the nid stuff.

[Saunders]

Finished the novel. It's absolutely fantastic.


Whats the colour section like with the maps and stuff?

No comment. I picked up the ebook because I couldn't wait for the hardcopy to come in, so I skipped over the color section (I was reading on a kindle, not exactly flattering for it)

I will comment on that when my hardcopy comes in. It's currently on preorder, at least.


Do the Nids come across as a truely horrifying biological apocalypse?

please say that they really get the futillity of facing down a tyranid invasion right, ala fall of malvolion

Biel-Tan jumps the gun and their warhost gets mauled once Leviathan catches wind of them. Even with their combined might, the best that Biel-Tan and Iyanden can come up with to prevent Leviathan from assimilating the remains of Kraken is to destroy the world. Erasing a maiden world is not a decision the eldar make lightly, and they need a pre-fall relic from the dark eldar to do it


Aren't SoB supposed to be at valedor? I may be wrong. Anyways any DE love is fine by me. Really want to see the nid stuff.

Different Valedor. All the humans are already dead, here.

[Charon]

Erasing a maiden world is not a decision the eldar make lightly, and they need a pre-fall relic from the dark eldar to do it

Did they change the fluff again? A craftworld is considered to be able to destroy a planet with ease (there was even a story in the old codex: assassines why ulthwe didnt destroy the culexus temple, because the runes told them that if they do the imperium would attack ulthwe and ulthwe would release its ancient forbidden arsenal in response. Ending with both ulthwe and the imperium destroyed)

[daboarder]

Did they change the fluff again? A craftworld is considered to be able to destroy a planet with ease (there was even a story in the old codex: assassines why ulthwe didnt destroy the culexus temple, because the runes told them that if they do the imperium would attack ulthwe and ulthwe would release its ancient forbidden arsenal in response. Ending with both ulthwe and the imperium destroyed)

considering Ulthwe hangs around on the wrong side of the tracks, I guess its not inconceivable they have bigger sticks than other craftwolrds.

[Saunders]

Technically it's still relevant, since they replicated the Fireheart after using on Duriel and have been deploying it to starve out Leviathan around the Octavius system.

[eldargal]

considering Ulthwe hangs around on the wrong side of the tracks, I guess its not inconceivable they have bigger sticks than other craftwolrds.

Not only that but there could be any number of reasons why they wouldn't want to use such kind of weapons in this particular instance. Biel-Tan focuses on reclaming the Eldar empire and protecting maiden worlds, they may simply not have the kind of weaponry that could destroy an entire world because why expend the resources creating and maintaining something like that? Maybe they didn't want to draw the hive minds attention by using their own technology so they decided to go with Dark Eldar tech instead. Maybe maiden worlds have defenses against eldar tech that human worlds lack? It's not exactly an enormous plot hole.

[Saunders]

Not only that but there could be any number of reasons why they wouldn't want to use such kind of weapons in this particular instance. Biel-Tan focuses on reclaming the Eldar empire and protecting maiden worlds, they may simply not have the kind of weaponry that could destroy an entire world because why expend the resources creating and maintaining something like that? Maybe they didn't want to draw the hive minds attention by using their own technology so they decided to go with Dark Eldar tech instead. Maybe maiden worlds have defenses against eldar tech that human worlds lack? It's not exactly an enormous plot hole.

They actually address this quite specifically; it's not a plot hole, so much as it is a retcon (if one wishes to look at it in such a fashion; I do not recall ever reading about any craftworlds actually vaporizing worlds in the age of the imperium outside of this instance). You are correct in believing that Biel-Tan does not want to destroy a maiden world, though. They exhaust every other possibility before making that decision (Iyanden is obviously a cares a bit less)

In the novel, the seer council discussion lays it out plainly as they discuss possibilities for preventing the union of kraken and leviathan (after they come to the conclusion that conventional methods will be insufficient). The farseers debate razing the planet via atmospheric ignition (in similar fashion to exterminatus) but determine that there is no guarantee of the tyranids being unable to avoid complete extermination by submerging themselves for the duration. If even a handful of kraken spawn mingle with leviathan, it will prove sufficient to bring about the annihilation that the seers have foretold.

The have the means to raze a planet and render it uninhabitable as mentioned above, but no longer the capability of the pre-fall empire to unmake an entire world. After consultation of the skein, the council concludes that unlikely allies will provide a solution to the dilemma. They decide to appeal to the dark eldar for assistance, and after some creative summoning by High Autarch Sunspear, a Great Troupe of harlequins consents to mediate with Commorragh. Asdrubael Vect himself sends a large force of dark eldar along with the Fireheart, a psychically-activated pre-fall artifact that he had in his possession. The Fireheart literally blows worlds to pieces from the inside; think Death Star explosion.

The book makes it quite clear that until they gain the Fireheart (and replicate it to use on other worlds), craftworlds Biel-Tan and Iyanden do not have weapons capable of destroying worlds. Burning them out isn't a problem, though. That doesn't necessarily mean Ulthwe doesn't possess such weapons.

[Trystis]

Did they change the fluff again? A craftworld is considered to be able to destroy a planet with ease (there was even a story in the old codex: assassines why ulthwe didnt destroy the culexus temple, because the runes told them that if they do the imperium would attack ulthwe and ulthwe would release its ancient forbidden arsenal in response. Ending with both ulthwe and the imperium destroyed)

No one wanted to park their craftwork filled with civilians next to a massive hive fleet and the splinter of a different hive fleet. Sure they may of won a space battle but people always seem to forget that craft worlds are not warships. While they are heavily armed any real attack on one will result in massive civilian casualties.

[Lord-Boofhead]

think they will update the rules for Tyranid bio titans? Hierophant / Harridan / Heirodule ?

Thats due in the next IA book update.

[Saunders]

Thats due in the next IA book update.

Pretty sure all the nid gargantuan creatures were updated in the GW Apoc book.

[Defenestratus]

Picked up the book today at the GW.

If you're an Eldar player you should probably get it. The Wraith formation they leaked online is by far the worst out of the group IMO. There are formations in here for T6 mobs of Dire Avengers, Revenants that can only be snap fired at, Area of Effect blanket Eldar 3++ saves from shooting and more (including a very cool one for hemlocks that makes me giggle with glee).

Considering the overall "Blah" of the formations for Eldar in the original Apoc book, I'd consider this a must. I was pleasantly surprised.

[daboarder]

what about nids? any reason to look at it?

[Defenestratus]

what about nids? any reason to look at it?

I'm not all that familiar with nids honestly, but here I'll paraphrase the formation abilities...

Bonus to hive crones' vector strike, a formation that lowers all units with LOS to yours Leadership by the game turn number, a formation that gives units coming in from reserver pref enemy and makes nearby units strike in close combat even if they've been killed already in the combat, a formation that gives harpy's tank hunter and special weapons to use against superheavy fliers, a formation that can move 60" in the movement phase 1x per game, a formation that lets gargoyles attack flyers (but poorly) and lowers the BS of skyfire units shooting at it, plus four more... the bugs have by far the most formations.

The DE only have 2 so I would hold off on this purchase if you're DE player, unless you're absolutely dying to get some new rules.

[Saunders]

what about nids? any reason to look at it?

Yes. There's as much reason to to get it for nid players as there is for eldar players.

[Cap'nSmurfs]

Pick it up if you're the sort of person who wants to send positive messages to GW about Xenos-only material, too.

My two armies on the go at the moment are Eldar and Dark Eldar, sooo... off to the shops (after Arsenal's bus parade!)

[Pssyche]

One thing that's annoyed me are the Rules for Tyranid Capillary Towers on Page 35.
We're a week away from a brand new 40K Ruleset that they are advertising as having all new Psychic Phase and Perils of the Warp and here they present Psychic Tests using 6th Edition Rules.

Now, whilst they may still be current for the next few days, I think this is piss poor seeing as they are shouting from the rooftops on the same day as they release Warzone Valedor about their new Rules in White Dwarf and via YouTube.

And yes, I do have a set of Forge World Capillary Towers, so it does make a difference to me.

[daboarder]

eh,

Im more disappointed that valedor didnt get an audiobook version, both damocles and pandorax did

[Cap'nSmurfs]

Valedor's reet good, by the by. Guy Haley's a good writer.

[daboarder]

Valedor's reet good, by the by. Guy Haley's a good writer.

I know, thats part of the reason Im disappointed. I really really like the audio books, great for listening to when Im working in the lab

[eldargal]

To anyone with the book, ona cale of 1 to 5 how bad is the Eldar loss?:p

[daboarder]

To anyone with the book, ona cale of 1 to 5 how bad is the Eldar loss?:p

....given that nids are the antagonist, isnt a 0 or 1 scale more appropriate ;)

[Pssyche]

The Warzone book is incredible.
Seriously, as I first started reading it I skipped straight to the Datasheets and I was goggle eyed and saying "Wow!" out loud.

But that Capillary Tower Rule is such a basic, schoolboy error, it's shocking.
There are what I take to be new Rules alluded to elsewhere in the book, so it's not as if they were writing Valedor without knowledge of 7th Edition.

[eldargal]

....given that nids are the antagonist, isnt a 0 or 1 scale more appropriate ;)
Nope

0- Bad loss
1 - Terrible loss
2 - Holy ****
3 - What the ****?
4 - God****itydamn****ityit****
5 - *table flip* Whatever I'm going to go play X-Wing

[daboarder]

Nope

0- Bad loss
1 - Terrible loss
2 - Holy ****
3 - What the ****?
4 - God****itydamn****ityit****
5 - *table flip* Whatever I'm going to go play X-Wing

see I was thinking more,

0, hive fleet destroyed
1, eldar eaten

thats normally how hive fleet engagements go

[Saunders]

I'd rate is as a 3.

Biel-Tan goes off half-cocked at the start and makes things a lot more difficult than they already were.

[eldargal]

I'd rate is as a 3.

Biel-Tan goes off half-cocked at the start and makes things a lot more difficult than they already were.
That's what you get when you don't include enough women on your seer council, hur.

[Cap'nSmurfs]

They actually win, but it's a close-run thing. Goes right down to the wire. The stakes are huge: if the two hive-fleets had been able to combine, it's prophesied that they would've created an unstoppable force.

Also, as stated above: Biel-Tan ****ed it. Not irretrievably, though!

Also, Lelith ends up with some cool new beasts to fight in the arena.

It's a really, really nice book. If you like Eldar, there's some great art, most of which I think is new, from nice character-portraits of Lelith, Yriel and others, to the big battlefield spreads.

[eldargal]

<3 Lelith.

[Cap'nSmurfs]

Yriel destroys a whole splinter fleet, too. I know why your scale above exists (I read those stupid short stories too!), but it's really quite a good story for Eldar fans. They triumph against immense odds, but there's an elegiac tone to it of the never-ending struggles against the dying light, and the "but at what cost" - but that's how it should be, rather than just "they lost again, silly Eldar".

[Melon-neko]

To anyone with the book, ona cale of 1 to 5 how bad is the Eldar loss?:p

I just finished reading it. I enjoyed it. Eldar still do some stupid things, but there's no imperium and the tyranid are even more xeno's than eldar so they get to win for once.
If you've read the iyanden book you already know the story though because a lot of it is covered in there.

the formations are cool too actually and if I knew anyone that owned tyranids I would try to do some of the apoc scenarios

altogether my favorite war zone book, but i don't like imperial stuff so that's not hard >.>

[eldargal]

Yeah I got my copy yesterday evening, very happy with it.:)

[Defenestratus]

Yeah I got my copy yesterday evening, very happy with it.:)

I'm pretty happy overall as well... which is unusual since I'm very easily disappointed. I think the difference here is that the formations are quite fluffy IMO.

What are peoples' opinions on using some of the older Apoc formations such as the warp spider one... the aspect assault wave... etc?

[legalsmash]

I'm pretty happy overall as well... which is unusual since I'm very easily disappointed. I think the difference here is that the formations are quite fluffy IMO.

What are peoples' opinions on using some of the older Apoc formations such as the warp spider one... the aspect assault wave... etc?

I used a few of the old ones, they are kind of one trick ponies tho