Battlefleet Gothic - Eldar [FanMag#03].pdf - Inne dodatki [do posegregowania] - trzeci

Fan03_06-19 3/4/04 7:29 Page 6

DOOM OF THE ELDAR

by Matt Keefe

Although Eldar Corsairs are a constant threat to merchant shipping, they very rarely pose a major

threat to Imperial battlefleets. The same cannot be said of the dozens of fleets of Eldar ships that

protect each Eldar Craftworld. Each of these Craftworld warfleets is a deadly and highly potent force

that is capable of laying waste to an entire sub-sector.

The Craftworlds

Craftworlds, though spacecraft, are vast beyond

comprehension. They are not merely huge capital ships

ploughing through space with a surrounding escort of

smaller vessels. They are not even akin to vast cities, as

some of the largest star forts of the Imperium might be

considered, but rather are immense spacefaring worlds

accompanied by vast armadas, the likes of which might

otherwise be set aside to defend an entire system or even

sub-sector. Whole battlefleets cluster around key points

and stations all across the thousands of miles of the

craftworld’s exterior as smaller, nimbler craft rush and

surge across its surface in a constant shimmering patrol.

stars. By means of this Webway the Eldar could move

almost unhindered throughout the galaxy. It is still this

same ancient system which the Eldar use when moving

their armies to war.

The Webway is not perfect, however, and the birth of the

Great Enemy, Slaanesh, did much to make its use

hazardous to the Eldar. Many portals had to be

permanently sealed to prevent the forces of Chaos spilling

from the Warp, and the millenia of struggle which the

Eldar have since endured continues to diminish the once

great extent of their Webway.

The Craftworld at War

It is possible for an Eldar to simply traverse the Webway on

foot, moving directly from a craftworld to a wraithgate on

some far distant world. Such portals, however, are

invariably far too small to quickly deploy an entire army,

and hence such methods are used by few amongst the

Eldar – only the Rangers, the Harlequins and other distant

wanderers tread these slender paths.

Beneath this dizzying tide of vessels, under clear

crystalline domes through which ground and stars might

gaze upon one another, the Eldar live their lives aboard

these spaceborne worlds. Since the Fall of their race and

the decline of their empire, those Eldar who seek to

continue their ancient way of life have done so aboard

these craftworlds, on an aeons long course across the

galaxy, as much in flight as in search of any kind of

destination, for the Eldar race is a dying one, and even the

exodus of these great craftworlds will do little to avert

that.

On occasion however, the Eldar’s destiny will draw them

to fight on a world disconnected from the Webway by the

millenia of tragedy which have befallen the Eldar. The

Eldar warhosts may be dispatched aboard vast wings of

Eldar attack craft – Vampire Raiders and the like – which

are able to ferry susbstantial forces rapidly via the Webway.

At other times, a force so vast may be required that the

aircraft and skimmers of the Eldar army itself are

insufficient. It is at such times that the Eldar battlefleets

will be readied.

The Webway

With such gargantuan vessels at their control, it may seem

surprising that the Eldar rely upon a fleet at all, but the

craftworlds should not be considered ships in any real

sense of the word. Mobile they may be, but their own vast

size makes them far too massive and cumbersome a

proposition to involve directly in any fighting. Instead a

craftworld’s army must be delivered to distant battles by

means of the warfleets of the Eldar, and more specifically

by the Eldar’s ancient Webway.

The warhosts of the Eldar will assemble aboard the fleet,

which will then depart the craftworld, itself using the

webway. As such, a craftworld’s docks are not really simple

holding areas for its fleet, but rather they are immense

wraithgates attached to the craftworld itself from where

the fleet may enter the Webway. Such a fleet is then able to

exit the Webway by another point elsewhere in the depths

of space using are the largest of the Eldar’s wraithgates –

portals so sizeable that whole fleets may emerge from

them when activated.

The Webway is a legacy from the days when the Eldar

ruled the galaxy from the many trading ships which would

later form the beginnings of the craftworlds themselves. In

these merchant vessels the Eldar journeyed across the

galaxy through a series of intricately connected warp

tunnels, returning to real space by means of warp portals

or ‘wraithgates’ which the Eldar had seeded across the

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These journeys may bring a fleet into orbit directly around

their chosen destination, or it may be necessary for them

to emerge some distance away, but either way the pace of

which Eldar vessels are capable of moving means they will

descend upon their target very swiftly indeed. Eldar fleets

employ the Webway in this manner in order to launch

horrifyingly sudden attacks upon unsuspecting enemy

vessels, emerging from the Warp while their enemy

remains unready and ill-prepared for battle.

convenient points along the craftworld as it journeys

through space. Each fleet might typically number from ten

to twenty warships and is commanded by an Eldar

Admiral, though it will inevitably also rely greatly on

advice and counsel from the craftworld’s Seers. The

vessels themselves are crewed by those Eldar who have

chosen the Path of the Mariner, symbolised by the blue

and white feathered birds of Eldar myth who guide the

Eldar southward and westward over the seas. Helmsmen

and Wayfarers, dedicated specialists within this path, each

provide their own valuable skills as part of a vessel’s crew,

allowing the Eldar to navigate the Webway with a mastery

unknown to most.

When it is the Eldar’s will to attack a world, the emerging

fleet will take up position around their chosen planet as

quickly as possible. The largest craft in an Eldar warfleet

possess internal wraithgates, through which they can

swiftly deploy their armies to the ground while at the same

time providing orbital support and further landings from

their notoriously fast attack craft. If the world to be

attacked no longer possesses any viable warp portals, the

Eldar will instead descend upon it in a howling flock of

Vampire Raiders, Phoenix bombers and Nightwing

fighters, tearing apart their enemies so rapidly that

defence is all but an impossibility.

The Shadowhunter patrols usually remain independent of

these battlefleets, moving to and fro about the craftworld

as they please. These smaller vessels lack the dedicated

crews of the larger capital ships and are often crewed by

those Guardians who were once embarked upon the Path

of the Mariner. The compact size and customary agility of

these sleek escorts allows them to approach much closer

to the craftworld than would be expected for true

spacecraft. Shadowhunters put these unique traits to good

use as they defend the craftworld’s delicate wraithbone

exterior from encroaching asteroids or space junk which

might be attracted by the force of gravity, blasting such

interlopers into pieces small enough to rain harmlessly

down on the craftworld below. At other times the

Shadowhunters can be seen playfully stalking the Eldar

fighters which patrol the craftworld’s lower atmosphere,

tracking and chasing the smaller vessels with a precision

unthinkable for escort sized vessels. As need dictates,

small groups of Shadowhunters will eschew their normal

role, band together and join their larger counterparts in

defence of the craftworld.

A craftworld’s course is also aided greatly by the many

wraithgates spread across the stars. As a craftworld’s Seers

scrye out its course, small shoals of Shadowhunters move

far ahead through the Webway, hunting out potential

enemies and scouring the way clear. If encountered,

enemy fleets or patrols who may present a danger to the

craftworld’s safe passage will likely find themselves the

unsuspecting targets of the Eldar’s powerful warships

long before even becoming aware of the craftworld’s

imminent arrival.

The Eldar Warfleets

The sheer size of a craftworld means that each individual

vessel possesses several full battlefleets, stationed at

The new Eldar fleet in all it’s glory

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CRAFTWORLD ELDAR SPECIAL RULES

ELDAR LEADERSHIP

All Eldar ships add +1 to the Leadership score generated

on the Leadership table on page 10, giving them a

Leadership value between 7 and 10.

example, 10/20/30). The first is used if the sunward table

edge is in the Eldar ship’s front fire arc; the second is used

if the sunward table edge is in its rear fire arc; and the

third is used if the sunward table edge is in its left or right

fire arcs. If the sunward table edge lies on the line

between two fire arcs, the Eldar player may choose which

he uses.

Due to their unique method of movement, the Eldar may

not use the following special orders: All Ahead Full, Burn

Retros, Come To New Heading. Note: because Eldar ships

cannot use All Ahead Full special orders, they also may not

ram.

Eldar ships have no minimum move distances. They move

from zero up to the maximum distance allowed by the

direction of the sun. After their initial turn they travel in a

straight line and may not make additional turns as they

move.

ELDAR SHIP MOVEMENT

The movement rules below replace the normal movement

rules for Eldar ships. Assume anything not modified below

applies normally to the Eldar. Eldar ships move in their

Movement phase and in the Ordnance phase of their own

turn. Note that they do not move in the Ordnance phase

of the enemy’s turn.

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Before an Eldar ship moves, it may turn to face any

direction. It always turns before it moves and then

remains facing in that direction until the start of its next

move.

A Hellebore class escort has Speed 10/20/30. At the start of

its move, it turns in the direction shown, so that the

sunward table edge is in its left fire arc. This gives it a

speed of 30cm. It can then move up to 30cm straight

ahead.

Work out the speed an Eldar ship can move at after it has

turned. Its speed depends on its facing towards the

sunward table edge. All Eldar ships have three speeds (for

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As noted above, the Eldar move twice in each of their

turns. The second move is made in the Ordnance phase

after any ordnance is moved, but apart from this all the

rules described for Eldar movement will apply.

Note that holo-fields do not negate hits from moving

through Blast markers, exploding ships and celestial

phenomena. They do, however, work against ordnance

hits, hit-and-run raids, boarding actions, ramming or Nova

cannon.

BLAST MARKERS AND GRAVITY WELLS

Eldar are affected by Blast markers in the same way as

other ships without shields – they will take a point of

damage on a D6 roll of 6 and reduce their speed by 5cm

that turn. Gravity wells allow Eldar to curve their normally

straight line move around the planet and so the ship may

make a free turn towards the planet at the end of its move

(since it can turn in any direction at the start, there is no

additional benefit at the start of its move).

Eldar Weapons

Eldar ships carry three main weapon systems which are

described below:

Pulsar Lance

Pulsar lances fire volleys of high energy laser bolts. These

count as lance shots, and hit on a 4+ no matter what the

target’s armour. However, if a pulsar lance shot hits, then

you may roll to hit again and you may keep on rolling to

hit until you miss or the lance has scored a total of 3 hits.

HOLOFIELDS

Against attacks that use the Gunnery table, the holo-fields

cause one column shift to the right, in addition to any

other column shifts for range or Blast markers. Against any

other form of attack (lances, torpedoes, etc), roll to hit an

Eldar ship as normal, but the Eldar player may then make

a saving roll for his holo-fields:

Weapon Batteries

Eldar weapons batteries are short-ranged weapons that

unleash a torrent of fire. They employ sophisticated

targeting systems which make them very accurate even at

extreme angles of attack. To represent their accuracy,

Eldar weapons batteries count all targets as ‘closing’ on

the Gunnery table, no matter what the target’s actual

aspect is. This aside, all the normal rules apply.

D6 Result

1 Hit! Score a hit on the Eldar ship

2-6 Missed! Place a Blast marker in contact with

the ship.

Fan03_06-19 3/4/04 7:30 Page 10

Torpedoes

Eldar torpedoes use sophisticated targeter scrambling

systems to make themselves virtually undetectable until

they strike. To represent this, defensive turrets only hit

Eldar torpedoes on a roll of 6, rather than on a roll of 4,

5, or 6 as is normally the case.

Eldar Critical Hits table

EXTRA

2D6 DAMAGE RESULT

Infinity circuit damaged. The ship’s

infinity circuit, which aids control and

internal communications, is damaged by

the hit. The ship’s Leadership is reduced

by -1 until the damage can be repaired.

In addition, the highly accurate targeting sensors on Eldar

torpedoes allow you to re-roll the dice to hit for any

torpedo that misses a target on the first attempt.

Keel armament damaged. The keel

armament is taken off line by the hit and

may not fire until it has been repaired.

Phantom Lance

Although larger capital ships employ the powerful Pulsar

lance, the vast energy arrays required to power such

weaponry are far too large to be mounted on the

necessarily swift and nimble Shadowhunters. Instead,

smaller Eldar vessels are armed with the Phantom lance –

a less powerful version of the same Eldar laser technology.

Phantom lances count as typical lances in every respect

(ie. no multiple shots).

Prow armament damaged. The ship’s

prow is ripped open. Its prow armament

may not fire until it has been repaired.

Mast lines severed. The systems that

allow the ship to alter the angle of the sails

and turn swiftly are broken by the hit.

Until the damage is repaired, the ship may

only turn up to 90° before it moves.

Aspect Warrior Fighting Crews

Unlike Eldar Pirates, who rely on the same self-serving

rogues who crew their ships to conduct raids and

boarding actions, Eldar craftworld vessels are able to go to

war carrying hosts of Eldar Aspect Warriors who form

fighting crews aboard their ships. Many of the Aspect

Warrior shrines excel at the kind of rapid assaults which

are ideally suited to teleport and other hit-and-run attacks

and hence specialise in attacking enemy vessels in this

manner. Certain ships in an Eldar fleet are permitted to

carry Aspect Warrior Fighting Crews as chosen from the

fleet list. Ships with Aspect Warrior Fighting Crews add +2

to their dice roll when fighting in a boarding action, or +1

to the dice roll when conducting a hit-and-run attack

(normally a teleport attack, since the Eldar do not have

access to boarding torpedoes or assault boats).

Mainsail scarred. The ship’s main solar

sail suffers surface damage, reducing the

amount of energy it can store. Each of the

ship’s speeds is reduced by 5cm until the

sail is repaired.

Superstructure damaged. The hit tears

into the ship, causing a small breach.

Excess strain on the ship’s hull could

increase the damage. Until the damage is

repaired, roll a dice every time the ship

turns over 45°. On a roll of 1, the ship

suffers 1 extra point of damage.

Mainsail shredded. The solar cells of the

mainsail are torn to tatters by the hit. The

ship cannot move in the Ordnance phase

until the damage is repaired.

ELDAR CRITICAL HITS

Any hit on an Eldar ship causes critical damage on a D6

roll of 4+, rather than the usual 6+. Roll 2D6 on the

following Eldar Critical Hits table, rather than the

standard Critical Hits table.

Infinity circuit smashed. The fine crystal

matrix of the infinity circuit is shattered by

the hit. The ship’s Leadership is reduced

by -3. This damage may not be repaired.

Holo-field generators destroyed. The

holo-field generators are smashed beyond

repair by the hit. The ship no longer

benefits from its holo-fields. This damage

may not be repaired.

“Those Eldar ships were all over us. I’ve never seen anything

move quite like them. They’d rush in and hit us with

volleys of laser fire and missiles, and then they’d keel over

and be away before we could engage them properly. They

didn’t have shields like our void shields, and there ships

were fragile too, so if we could hit we’d do them some

serious damage. But our augers just couldn’t get a proper fix

on them, so hitting them wasn’t easy, not easy at all. If the

rest of the flotilla hadn’t got back when it did, I think

we’d have been doomed.”

+D3

Hull breach. A huge gash is torn in the

ship’s hull, causing carnage among the

crew.

+D6

Bulkhead collapse. Internal pillars buckle

and twist, whole compartments crumple

with a scream of tortured metal, just pray

that some of the ship holds together.

Captain Steinback, After Action Report

Battlefleet Gothic - Eldar [FanMag#03].pdf

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