[Restayvien]

Eldar are one of the oldest, and arguably the most magnificent race in the 40K galaxy. They are also known for their arrogance!
But they have a right to be.
The remnants of their once galaxy-spanning empire live on vast constructions made of a psycho sensitive material called Wraithbone. These constructs are known as Craftworlds.
Other Eldar live on planets, and are more feral than their Craftworld kin. This is by choice, as they choose to live simpler (but by no means easier) lives.
Enigmatic members of the Eldar known as Harelquins travel from place to place telling tales and impressing crowds with their amazing displays and fighting skill.
Then there are the Dark Kin. But that is for another board .

Eldar are awesome to behold on the battlefield. The vehicles look better than those of other races (IMO), their different Aspect Warriors have some excellent looking models and great special equipment and abilities. Eldar also have a handful of powerful characters that emanate coolness and some of the weapons look as good as they work.
The Eldar army is like a sword. Powerful, and deadly in the right hands; but if it is not used properly it will shatter.
If you want an army that is challenging to play, diverse, fast, powerful and sleek...Eldar are the way to go!

Anyone else feel free to add to what I have written. This thread is to encourage new gamers, and to advise them on the pros and cons of collecting Eldar.
Here's the link to GW's Guide to Starting Eldar page.

The following is a compilation of posts from various members describing the Eldar race, it's background, and why you should be collecting them.

P.S. If anyone spots a mistake, feel free to PM me or post here. Likewise, feel free to submit extra fluff etc
P.P.S I've added pictures. :P

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Eldar Fluff: Volume 2
The Fall
Thanks to Hunter for this.

Other Eldar live on planets, and are more feral than their Craftworld kin. This is by choice, as they choose to live simpler (but by no means easier) lives.

For those who don't know, these are the Exodites, seen by the Biel-Tan as the starting points of the new Eldar Empire.[/td][/tr]
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The Fall of the Eldar was brought about through the actions of the Eldar themselves, their technology had advanced to the point where they merely had to wish for something to attain it. As a result they became decadent. The Eldar who plyed the stars in the great Craftworlds as traders and explorers were able to avoid this decadence, they noticed the depravity of their planet bound kin increasing with each planet they reached. They urged their kin to stop this folly for their decadence was wasteful and unseemly.
Few listened.
The lusts of the Eldar eventually reached the level where they called into being the prince of darkness, She who thirsts, Slaanesh. Her birth cries were echoed across the galaxy as the souls of billions of Eldar were torn from their bodies and consumed by the new born Chaos god.
The survivors on the craftworlds attempted to save those who they could form the planets, they avoid the thirsts of slaanesh by controlling their lusts and desires and each wears a jewel known as a spirit stone which captures and stores their soul at the moment of their death. These souls are later entered into the Infinity Circuit in the center of each Craftworld.
Many of those who survived the Fall on the planets escaped into the webway, there they found that the thirst of Slaanesh was lessened and so they continue their decadent ways and are now known as the Dark Kin.
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Eldar Fluff: Volume 3
Aspects of life
Thanks to Hunter for this.[/td][/tr]
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The craftworld Eldar are not insulated from the thirsts of slannesh by the webway, as a result they must continually strive to protect themselves from their own desires and lusts; focussing on only one part of life at a time. As a result the lifestyle of the craftworld Eldar is broken into various paths, the Path of the Seer and the Path of the Warrior are merely two of these.
Whilst on each path, the Eldar will devote their entire energies to just this apsect of life, striving to attain perfection in all that this path encompasses.
The Path of the warrior is further broken into Aspects, each of which has it's own shrine and own particular way of fighting. Each style of death dealing is intended to represent one aspect of Khaine's persona, from the noble protectors of the Dire Avenger shrine to the screaming close combat masters of the Howling Banshee shrine to the grim destroyers of the Dark Reaper shrine.
There are those who tend each shrine, once noble Eldar, who have found themselves unable to resist the allure of the path of the warrior. These lost souls are known as Exarchs and are held in a mixture of awe and fear by other Eldar. Awe for they have given themselves over to the aspect of Khaine that they represent, becoming the embodiment of His fury, and fear for these souls are no longer able to resist their own desires for bloodshed.[/td]
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Eldar Fluff: Volume 4
Craftworlds of the Eldar, The Swordwind of Biel-Tan.
Thanks to Hunter for this.[/td][/tr][/table]
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This Craftworld is found amongst the southern-most stars of the Imperium. It's citizens are among the most war-like of the Craftworld Eldar with the path of the warrior being dominant. This Craftworld has many shrines to the Aspects of Khaine, the Exarchs of which be members of a secondary ruling body, alongside the council of Seers, known as the Court of the Young King. This court is named for the ceremony required to awaken the Avatar of Khaine which will take the life of the head of this council, the Young King.
The Court of the Young King holds much sway on Biel-Tan, given the militant nature of the Exarchs, this leads to the Biel-Tan Eldar having a distinctly bloodthirsty reputation amongst the other races of the southern rim. The high number of Apsect Warriors fielded by this Craftworld means that although small in number, the Swordwind of Biel-tan can nevertheless deal a strong blow to any foe.
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Eldar Fluff: Volume 5
Craftworlds of the Eldar, Wild Riders of Saim-Hann.
Thanks to Hunter for this.[/td][/tr]
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[td]The craftworld of Saim-Hann is regarded by the other craftworlds as barbaric and feral. They were one of the first Craftworld to flee the coming Fall, and maintain strong ties to the Exodites. The warriors of Saim-Hann are proud and value honour more than any other craftworld. The population of the Craftworld is divided into wild Rider families, each Eldar belonging to one of these families, producing a clan-like social structure. Ties to the family are strong, it is only during an individuals time on the Path of the Warrior that the family is not placed foremost within an Eldars actions.
Each family is ruled by a single leader, their closest relations forming a the Kinsman, a court of ruling elite who advise the leader in times of war. The feudal nature of the Saim-Hann means that there is little unity of action within the craftworld, it is not uncommon for only a single family to go to war, without the backing of the others.
On the battlefield, the Saim-Hann use Jetbikes and other anti-grav vehicles to strike rapidly at their foes, performing raids upon the enemy line, rather than forming a single concerted attack.
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Eldar Fluff: Volume 6
The Craftworlds of the Eldar, The Ghost Warriors of Iyanden.
Thanks to Hunter for this.
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Before the arrival of Hive Fleet Kraken, Iyanden was very similar to many other craftworlds; an elegant wraithbone construct drifting through space along the Eastern fringe of the Imperium. The actual attack by the Tyranids is worthy of a separate chapter entirely, suffice to say that although the Great Devourer was repelled, it was at a terrible cost. The slender wraithbone towers and beautiful domes of this once fair craftworld lay in ruins, and four fifths of the population lay dead or dying.
Iyanden has few living Eldar left, thus in order to protect the living, it is the dead who go to war under the banner of the Shrine of Asurman.
The rank and file of the armies if Iyanden consist of wraithbone constructs piloted by the souls of the dead. Towering even over a Space Marine, these Wraithguard wield weapons capable of rending holes in the material of space itself; capable of sucking their enemies into the great void. Towering even over these soul-driven machines stalk the Wraithlords. These nigh-indestructible behemoths are capable of ripping apart all who stand before them, piloted by the soul of a once great warrior, long since fallen, who has risen again to bring death to the foes of the craftworld.
The ritual to bind the souls of the departed to their new bodies is heart-wrenhing for all who take part. The spirits must be taken from their eternal relief from the thirst of Slannesh and once more exposed to the harshness of the material realm. Only the strongest spirits are able to make this transition, and even then, without the guidance of the Spiritseers, they are liable to be overcome and stand motionless even in the heat of battle.
The Ghost-Warriors of Iyanden fight so that the living may avoid death. Though few in number, there are even fewer who can stand before the ranks f the angry dead of Iyanden and survive.
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Eldar Fluff: Volume 7
History of the Eldar - The Phoenixes.
Thanks to Hunter for this.
The Phoenix lords, or Asuryan, are the original Exarchs of the Eldar Aspect Warriors. They founded many of the current aspects, teaching the path of the warrior to those they could. Asurmen was the first, the founder of the Dire Avengers, he took the other Phoenix Lords as pupils and taught them the ways of war. [/td][td] [/td][/tr]
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It was they who with Asurmen first became trapped upon the path of the warrior, to the extent that they could not leave. Over time, their bodies became one with their suits, and now they no longer have a separate body. They are truly an example to all the Eldar of what they could achieve if they did not practice the balance that they strive to maintain, and for this they are equally feared and respected.
The original Phoenix Lords died many centuries ago, their armour rent asunder, causing the soul within to retreat into the plates of the armour, yet unable to control it. But with the donning of the armour, perhaps by a vagrant ranger, the armour repaired and took the soul of the wearer to become the Phoenix lord once more.
In such a manner of death and rebirth, the Phoenixes' have survived the ages, bringing millenia of experience and battle prowess to those they fight alongside.
The Phoenixes are six in number; Asurmen of the Dire Avengers, the first of the Phoenixes. Feugan of the Fire Dragons, first killed by Arhra, the Fallen Phoenix. Karandras, the second Exarch of the Striking Scorpions, successor to the Fallen Phoenix. Jain Zar of the Howling Banshees, the swiftest of the Asuryan. Baharroth of the Swooping Hawks, finest pupil of Asurmen. And Maugan Ra, founder of the Dark Reaper shrine and sole survivor of the craftworld Altansar.
Very little is known of the majority of these Phoenix Lords, however Maugan Ra has since become well known through his actions against Abbadon's 13th Black Crusade. His actions to assist the seers of Ulthwe have helped to staunch the flow of Chaos from the Eye of terror.
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Eldar Fluff: Volume 8
Eldar Paths, Exarchs and the Young King.
Thanks to Yriel of Iyanden for this.
As was discussed earlier, the Eldar path involves progression along different aspects of Eldar life, each aspect spanning roughly as long as a human lifetime. So for instance, an Eldar may be a painter for 100 years, a poet for the next 100, and so on. One of these paths is known as the path of the warrior- where an Eldar becomes a member of one of the warrior aspect shrines and specializes in their preferred art of combat.

Bloodlust is an Eldar trait that can be dangerous, as evidenced by the depravity of the fallen, and the savage nature of the Exodites. But even along the Eldar path, an Eldar's thirst for battle and blood can have dangerous consequences. In some cases, bloodlust can become a permanent part of an Eldar's psyche, and he or she becomes permanently trapped in the path of the warrior. In their respective shrine, these Eldar often reach a state of perfection in a single combat form, and after centuries of training they develop skills far superior to other Eldar of that path. These Eldar trapped in the path of the warrior are known as Exarchs.

Exarchs are responsible for maintaining the shrines of their chosen aspect. They are instructors and mentors of the other members of their shrine. In addition, many Exarchs carry ancient unique and specialized armor and weapons, inherited from their Exarch predecessors. These weapons are said to be so ancient and cryptic that they are only useful in the skilled hands of an Exarch.

When war is upon the Eldar of a craftworld, a Young King is selected. He or she is selected from the craftworld's Exarchs, usually haven proven themselves worthy through great feats and exploits in combat. Selection as the Young King is the highest honor any Eldar warrior can recieve, and the effects of selection are permanent...

The Young King is prepared for his ceremony by other Exarchs and stewards. He is stripped naked, with the exception of a cloak, and his whole body, including the cloak is covered in various runes. He is then led to a chamber, one in which only he can enter, and the doors are shut behind him. Moments later, it is said that horrifying shrieks and screams of agony can be heard outside of the chamber. After the ceremony, the Young King is never seen again. In his place, the towering new Avatart takes his place, with molten blood and metal skin, the Wailing Doom- a weapon that literally screams as it cuts through the air, and one hand that drips permanently with blood. The living form of the Bloody-Handed God, the only thing left of the Young King is the cloak he went in with, which often becomes the cloak or the tabard of the newly waken God of War.

The waking of an Avatar affects every single Eldar on a craftworld- their minds and hearts filling with bloodlust, and the cray for war.

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[Restayvien]

Hmmmm, there is lots to choose from! Here are several intersting topics:
The Eldar Gods/Legends
The Phoenix Lords
The other Craftworlds
The Avatar
The webway or the infinity circuit
Any of those would be good!
When I merge the topics I will try to keep all the relevant posts together, I.e. All the craftworlds together etc.

[dark flame]

I'm sorry Hunter, but a fair bit of the fluff you have written is wrong. Siam Han doesn't have strong ties to the Exodites any more than normal Eldar. Biel Tan probably have the strongest ties. The Pheonix Lords only numbering in 6 is wrong, as is other stuff there. Biel Tan could do with a fair bit added on, as could Siam Han. In fact, everything there seems kind of short. If you want, I'll be happy to expand on it. Anyway, don't mind me, I'm just a bit of an Eldar buff...

[Hunter]

Most of the Saim-Hann was taken directly out of Codex: Craftworld Eldar.
If there are other official Phoenix lords please let me know.

Sorry, but I think I see this thread as "Mine", so I'm probably over reacting.
Please, feel free to add more stuff.

[Sethras Ra]

Ok. I have a long one that has alot of stuff already said about why you should be Eldar.

Eldar are very powerful with alot of specialists called aspects. All aspect warriors excel at something. The Eldar vehicles are also highly effective and fast skimmers are included, they are heavily armored for their size. Flacons and Wave Serpents are fast so you are able to move your unites where they are needed on time. Eldar aren't generally as highly armored as space marines, but they still have some pretty heavily armored troops like Striking Scorpians, Warp Spiders, and Wraithgaurds, so don't let that discourage you from going Eldar. A big point about being an Eldar is their psykers, which are the most powerful in all of Warhammer 40k. They also haev more psykers than other races. Farseers and Warlocks can greatly improve your chances of winning a battle or just provide nice support, like mind war or destructor.

Now for some of the cons, but only if used in the wrong hands, so if you play Eldar use strategy don't be a mon-keigh player. The Eldar are usually more fragile than other races. Many of the vehicles and troops cost more points than others, so it is nessecary that you maximize all of their strengths when essential to do so. If your long range support guys get caught in close combat, CC, or all of your assault units spend most of their time just chasing after the enemy and not fighting them then you will probably not get your points worth back for them.

Another Pro. The Eldar just look awsome and have the best looking vehicles by far. Also the overall color schemes of the Eldar are cool and you can haev plenty of really nice looking models that could be the centerpieces of your army like an Avatar, Wraithlords, and even Warwalkers can look nice. I have to reiterate this, since it is so true, the Eldar ships are just teh best looking ships in the game and definitly the slickest-looking too . The Eldar are just a great race to play in Warhammer 40k, so if you join us and you are a strategist then I am sure you will fare nicely in battles against the lowly mon-keigh that will be your enemies.

[Hunter]

This thread is pretty much for fluff only, some of that stuff comes under tactics or general advice and doesn't belong on this thread.

Make a new thread called "It's good to be an Eldar"?

[crazedmongoose2003]

hmm, nobody seemed to have covered the Avatar yet, can i do a bit on that? (sorry if i get anything wrong)

The eldar's original pantheon of gods were led by Asuryan, but Khaine, god or war, grew jealous and waged war on the eldar gods. He defeated Asuryan, and captured Isha the fertility goddess as well as many of the others. He also crippled Vaul, the forge god. He also slayed the eldar noble Eldanesh. So he was basically a great enemy of the eldar.

But then, when Slannesh was born, as described earlier, Khaine stood up to her and defended the eldar. Almost every single eldar god was overwhelmed and destroyed by She Who Thirsts, save the great harlequin who decieved Slannesh, and Khaine. Khaine was swiftly defeated by she who thirsts, yet just as he was about to fall, Khorne, the chaos god of blood, was angered that Slannesh was destroying a god so close to his aspect, and fought against Slannesh. Khaine, caught like a pedal betweem two whirlwinds, Khaine shattered himself into many shards. Each shard came to rest in the core of each craftworld, and became Avatars of the bloody handed god. These are monstrous deamons, who lead the eldar into battle during the most dire of times.

An Avatar can not be killed wholly, if his physical manifestation if destroyed, he will return to the craftworlds core and regenerate over time. He is a 15 foot tall giant, with skin of molten lava and his weapon is the fearsome wailing doom. The wailing doom can turn into any form, sword, spear or axe, and armed with it, the Avatar is a fighter without equal.

PS. well okay, the greater deamons are stronger than him...and so are the Ctans.....and so are the monstrous creatures.....but technically, tehy're better than him, not his equal.

[Hunter]

I think a big post on Eldar mythology is due here... I'm not qualified. Would anyone else like to?

[Restayvien]

I can answer specific questions (usually ) but I'm not too good at writing it all down in order. Maybe somebody with more experience with the Eldar could oblige? I might PM some people.

[crazedmongoose2003]

Ok here's a post on Eldar mythology, please correct me, I might get it very wrong.


First and foremost, it is rumoured an Eldar used to be able to reincarnate, a warrior could do battle without fear of death. The eldar were ruled by a pantheon of gods. The head of this pantheon was Asuryan, then Isha, the mother of all Eldar, the goddess of fertility. Following that is Khurnous (dunno what he is) and Vaul, the eldar smith god, there is also the mysterious laughing god, the great harlequin, and the mythical serpent, the only being to exist in both the material and the spiritual realm. Under them was a range of mighty eldar heroes, Eldannesh, Lantrhilaque and so forth.

Then came the jealous god of war Khaine, he fought the entire pantheon adn the eldar race, he defeated Asuryan, he enslaved Khurnous and Isha, who was later freed by Vaul. In a fit of rage he crippled Vaul. Then he battled and slayed Eldannesh, the greatest of all eldar heroes. This act seperated mortals from the gods forever.

However, despite this, the eldar civilisation was at its peak, then they gave birth to Slannesh, she who thirsts. The birthcry of Slannesh, also known as the fall annihilated almost every eldar in the galaxy, as well as every eldar god save two. Khaine, who was torn to shreds as he was fought over by Khorne and Slannesh (he lived on as Avatars), and also the Great Harlequin, who managed to decieve and evade Slannesh.


Now comes all the really vague stuff about the future thats never going to happen cos it'll mean the end of 40k.

Chaos grows stronger, the annihilation of the eldar gave birth to Slannesh, it is believed the end will come when the eventual death of humanity gives birth to a fifth and final power of chaos. At that time, the Eldar mythology foretells of an apocalyptic battle between Eldar and Chaos, leading the eldar would be all 6 phoenix lords, fighting together for one last time, all destined to die together. And in this battle, the greatest and most powerful of all Eldar gods, Ynnead, the god of death will arise, and he only can give the eldar hope. However, it is believed victory over chaos will not be possible, the best the eldar can muster is the mutual destruction of both itself and chaos, ending the hell they created aeons ago.