11.06.2009

On Harlequins and Fritz's Army

A few months ago, Fritz asked me to comment on Harlequins, given I was the only other person he's seen that uses them.  I didn't forget he asked, but I've waited for the appropriate time to address the question, so here we go.

Fritz said...Brent, I'd like to hear some of your thoughts on the Harlequins in your army. Nobody plays them anymore and opponent's don't seem to know what to expect- for that reason I've been getting in more games with my clowns, but it is still a WIP and fine tuning tactics. Last three tourneys I played in, with BOLS being the third out of everybody the only guy playing harlequins was you. Didn't see anybody else at BOLS, did you?


(Little shit-head broke some miniatures...  but I digress.)


No, I was the only Eldar player using Harlequins.  Given this question was on my mind, I looked around at various tournaments, including Hard Boyz, and there wasn't a unit to be found.


Fire Dragons is the short answer.  Any really good Eldar build will have at least two units of Fire Dragons, either in Wave Serpents or Falcons.  Often, all three elite slots have Fire Dragons in them; I won't touch on the reason why, as it is obvious.

In my opinion (born out by success on the table), Harlequins are still a great unit, but they have one huge fault: no dedicated transport.  They're strictly a foot unit.  Any decision to include them means you have to address the delivery system.  Walk or catch a ride?  Luckily they're fast, given terrain doesn't slow them down and they have fleet, not to mention the protection from shooting they get from Veil - but with 5th Edition trending toward mech, this is unpalatable to most people.  The Falcon is okay, but can get expensive; worse from the Harlequins perspective, there are only six spots in the ride so you can't max out the unit.

That said, this was done often enough it got a name, Clown Cars.  All well and good, but there is a reason we don't see 'em anymore.

To recap, taking Harlequins means you can't take Fire Dragons, so not only do you have to determine how Harlequins fit in the army you're putting together you also have to work out how you're going to destroy tanks.  Bright Lances are good, but not as good as Fusion Guns; they're also expensive.  Carry the excercise out and you find the simple decision to include the unit determines the entire composition and type of army you're running.

Fritz's army is a good example, from the post
http://saimhann.blogspot.com/2009/04/1750-eldar-harlequin-army.html

HQ: Eldrad
Elite: 10 Harlequins W/ 2 Fusion Pistols, Shadowseer, Death Jester, Kisses
Elite: 10 Harlequins W/ 2 Fusion Pistols, Shadowseer, Death Jester, Kisses
Elite: 10 Harlequins W/ 2 Fusion Pistols, Shadowseer, Death Jester, Kisses
Troops: 7 Rangers
Troops: 6 Rangers
Heavy Support: 1 Wraithlord W/ Flamers, Brightlance, Missile Launcher
Heavy Support: 1 Wraithlord W/ Flamers, Brightlance, Missile Launcher
Heavy Support: 1 Wraithlord W/ Flamers, Brightlance, Missile Launcher

Applying the logic I outlined, you'll see the entire army was built around Harlequins.  Obviously in this case he wanted to, but that's not the point, is it?  Fritz had to include multiple ways to destroy tanks, from the Fusion Pistols to the Brightlances and Missle Launchers it was a must-have.  He went further and included pinning as a tactic, in order to slow his opponent down and allow his Harlequins to choose the best assaults.

Are there other ways to build an army around three full-size units of Harlequins?  I've played around with a few ideas but didn't come up with anything particularly earth shattering.

Anyone got anything good?  The points was 1750.

Oh, and the comments are fixed - thanks for letting me know they were down.

11 comments:

evil homer said...

1750 Pts - Eldar Roster

Elite: Harlequin Troupe (8#, 194 pts)
7 Harlequin Troupe @ 194 pts (Fleet; Flip Belts; Furious Charge; Hit & Run; Holo-Suit; Close Combat Weapon x2; Harlequins Kiss x5; Fusion Pistol; Shuriken Pistol x6; (pp.48-49 & 63 Eldar))
1 Troupe Master (Fleet; Flip Belts; Furious Charge; Hit & Run; Holo-Suit; Harlequins Kiss; Shuriken Pistol)

Elite: Harlequin Troupe (8#, 204 pts)
7 Harlequin Troupe @ 204 pts (Fleet; Flip Belts; Furious Charge; Hit & Run; Holo-Suit; Close Combat Weapon x2; Harlequins Kiss x5; Fusion Pistol; Fusion Pistol; Shuriken Pistol x5; (pp.48-49 & 63 Eldar))
1 Troupe Master (Fleet; Flip Belts; Furious Charge; Hit & Run; Holo-Suit; Harlequins Kiss; Shuriken Pistol)

Elite: Harlequin Troupe (8#, 204 pts)
7 Harlequin Troupe @ 204 pts (Fleet; Flip Belts; Furious Charge; Hit & Run; Holo-Suit; Close Combat Weapon x2; Harlequins Kiss x5; Fusion Pistol; Fusion Pistol; Shuriken Pistol x5; (pp.48-49 & 63 Eldar))
1 Troupe Master (Fleet; Flip Belts; Furious Charge; Hit & Run; Holo-Suit; Harlequins Kiss; Shuriken Pistol)

Troops: Guardians (11#, 235 pts)
10 Guardians @ 235 pts (Fleet; Shuriken Catapult x10; (p.39 & p.64 Eldar))
1 Weapon Platform (Missile Launcher)
1 Wave Serpent (Energy Field; TL Shuriken Catapults; TL Bright Lances; (pp.45 & 63 Eldar))

Troops: Guardians (11#, 235 pts)
10 Guardians @ 235 pts (Fleet; Shuriken Catapult x10; (p.39 & p.64 Eldar))
1 Weapon Platform (Missile Launcher)
1 Wave Serpent (Energy Field; TL Shuriken Catapults; TL Bright Lances; (pp.45 & 63 Eldar))

Troops: Guardians (11#, 235 pts)
10 Guardians @ 235 pts (Fleet; Shuriken Catapult x10; (p.39 & p.64 Eldar))
1 Weapon Platform (Missile Launcher)
1 Wave Serpent (Energy Field; TL Shuriken Catapults; TL Bright Lances; (pp.45 & 63 Eldar))

HQ: Eldrad Ulthran (1#, 210 pts)
1 Eldrad Ulthran @ 210 pts (Psyker; Doom ; Eldritch Storm ; Fortune ; Guide ; Mind War ; Divination; Independent Character; Ghosthelm; Rune Armour; Runes of Warding; Runes of Witnessing; Spirit Stones; Shuriken Pistol; Witchblade; Staff of Ulthamar; (pp.50-51 & 61 Eldar))

Heavy Support: Fire Prism (1#, 115 pts)
1 Fire Prism @ 115 pts (TL Shuriken Catapults; Prism Cannon; (pp.43 & 67 Eldar))

Heavy Support: Fire Prism (1#, 115 pts)
1 Fire Prism @ 115 pts (TL Shuriken Catapults; Prism Cannon; (pp.43 & 67 Eldar))

evil homer said...

An Explanation:
At 1850 it looks much better as you can flesh out the harlies a bit more and don't have to sac as much to get the Fire Prisms in. Also you can probably upgrade all the guardian EML to brightlances.

So the guardians take up some cover positions and look to pop transports.

The Harlies pile into the wave serpents and move to take good forward positions. Eldrad runs with one of the harlie squads. I don't think I break these guys up. I use the serpents to provide cover and move around to the enemy's central mass. Then the tricky part, I have to hold for a turn or make him kill the serpents and survive the shooting...

Harlies vs. Close range shooting = Fail for harlies. Vs. flamer and you get french fried clowns....

Fire Prisms work to kill AV14 first and then target as necessary.

evil homer said...

its not great nor can I think it can be but its the best I can come up with right now. It was something I was looking at last week when Lewis and I discussed a CC eldar list.

Brent said...

French-fried clowns!

evil homer said...

or flaming clowns your choice

Master Manipulator said...

Thought I would take a stab at this even though I am not a huge fan of Harlies. Thoughts are at the bottom...

1750 Pts - Eldar Roster - Unnamed

HQ: Farseer (1#, 75 Pts)
1 Farseer @ 75 Pts
Psyker; Eldritch Storm ; Fleet; Independent Character; Ghosthelm; Rune Armour; Shuriken Pistol; Witchblade; (pp.26, 28 & 60 Eldar)

Elite: Harlequin Troupe (8#, 206 Pts)
7 Harlequin Troupe @ 206 Pts
Fleet; Flip Belts; Furious Charge; Hit & Run; Holo-Suit; Harlequins Kiss (x7); Shuriken Pistol (x7); Hallucinogen Grenades; (pp.48-49 & 63 Eldar)
1 Shadowseer @ [52] Pts
Psyker; Veil Of Tears ; Fleet; Flip Belts; Furious Charge; Hit & Run; Holo-Suit; Harlequins Kiss; Shuriken Pistol; Hallucinogen Grenades

Elite: Harlequin Troupe (8#, 206 Pts)
7 Harlequin Troupe @ 206 Pts
Fleet; Flip Belts; Furious Charge; Hit & Run; Holo-Suit; Harlequins Kiss (x7); Shuriken Pistol (x7); (pp.48-49 & 63 Eldar)
1 Shadowseer @ [52] Pts
Psyker; Veil Of Tears ; Fleet; Flip Belts; Furious Charge; Hit & Run; Holo-Suit; Harlequins Kiss; Shuriken Pistol

Elite: Harlequin Troupe (8#, 206 Pts)
7 Harlequin Troupe @ 206 Pts
Fleet; Flip Belts; Furious Charge; Hit & Run; Holo-Suit; Harlequins Kiss (x7); Shuriken Pistol (x7); (pp.48-49 & 63 Eldar)
1 Shadowseer @ [52] Pts
Psyker; Veil Of Tears ; Fleet; Flip Belts; Furious Charge; Hit & Run; Holo-Suit; Harlequins Kiss; Shuriken Pistol

Troops: Guardians (11#, 150 Pts)
10 Guardians @ 150 Pts
Fleet; Shuriken Catapult (x10); (p.39 & p.64 Eldar)
1 Warlock @ [40] Pts
Psyker; Conceal ; Fleet; Rune Armour; Shuriken Pistol; Witchblade; (p.27-28 & p.60 Eldar)
1 WP Conceal @ [0] Pts
1 Weapon Platform @ [30] Pts
Bright Lance

Troops: Dire Avengers (10#, 152 Pts)
9 Dire Avengers @ 152 Pts
Fleet; Avenger S-Catapult; (pp.30 & 64 Eldar)
1 Dire Avenger Exarch @ [44] Pts
Fleet; Bladestorm ; 2 Avenger SC

Troops: Pathfinders (Rangers) (5#, 120 Pts)
5 Pathfinders (Rangers) @ 120 Pts
Fleet; Infiltrate; Move Through Cover; Stealth; Ignore Difficult Terrain; Pathfinder Stealth; Scouts; Pathfinders; Shuriken Pistol (x5); Ranger Long Rifle; (pp.38 & 64 Eldar)

Troops: Guardians (11#, 150 Pts)
10 Guardians @ 150 Pts
Fleet; Shuriken Catapult (x10); (p.39 & p.64 Eldar)
1 Warlock @ [40] Pts
Psyker; Conceal ; Fleet; Rune Armour; Shuriken Pistol; Witchblade; (p.27-28 & p.60 Eldar)
1 WP Conceal @ [0] Pts
1 Weapon Platform @ [30] Pts
Bright Lance

Heavy Support: Wraithlord (1#, 155 Pts)
1 Wraithlord @ 155 Pts
Unit Type: Monstrous Creature; Fearless; Wraithsight; Flamer (x1); Shuriken Catapult (x1); Bright Lance; Missile Launcher; (pp.47 & 66 Eldar)

Heavy Support: Wraithlord (1#, 155 Pts)
1 Wraithlord @ 155 Pts
Unit Type: Monstrous Creature; Fearless; Wraithsight; Flamer (x1); Shuriken Catapult (x1); Bright Lance; Missile Launcher; (pp.47 & 66 Eldar)

Heavy Support: Wraithlord (1#, 155 Pts)
1 Wraithlord @ 155 Pts
Unit Type: Monstrous Creature; Fearless; Wraithsight; Flamer (x1); Shuriken Catapult (x1); Bright Lance; Missile Launcher; (pp.47 & 66 Eldar)

Total Roster Cost: 1730

Master Manipulator said...

The more I thought about it I am not sure I like the clown cars idea. Buying a transport for them from another unit is not necessarily the way to go I think. You definitely need to protect them, but maybe another way. Give them enough targets they have to make a conscious choice of what is the immediate threat. Layer the troops to help force the choice your way. Guardians, avengers, harlies, then WLs. Full press early, moving as a coherent force instead of units. Towards the enemy. Use the guardians for cover on the Avengers. The farseer is really an after thought to fill the slot. WLs and platforms open tanks and unleash the harlies on the squishy insides.

A few down sides...templates are gonna equal epic fail for this list. Also..more so than some other list you need to put your opponent on foot ASAP. You definitely can't have them rolling around at will waiting torrent the shit outta your harlies.

What do ya think?

Evil Homer said...

I had to sacrifice a lot of material to get the trip wave serpents in. Running this list on foot would scare the crap out me (not necessarily the MM's list specifically but footed harlies in general) in a heavy mech environment.

Roll up, drop out out, rapid fire and flame for toasty clowns.

evil homer said...

Not sure you have enough to screen the foot harlie advance. Maybe you could get away with it with 20 strong guardian squads on the cheap, make them storm guardians to maximize the piss off.

At that point you can use the harlies to break combats and clean up rather than be primary engagers.

De-meching becomes the priority at that point. Not sure what the reliable answer is there since BLs are so damn expensive and we ate the Elite slots with Harlies.

Ultimately I think if Harlies are ever to be really useful that have to the be in FA slot rather than the elite. Just to much competition there.

Gauthic said...

Slightly off-topic: Here's to hoping Dark Eldar get Clowns in the future! *hic*

Jwolf said...

The best use for Harlequins in the current environment is as colorful objective markers.

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