The Contents
- Craftworld Aeldari (9 new models)
- Chaos Space Marines (6 new models & a Forgefiend/Maulerfiend)
- A mini campaign book designed to pit the factions & models within the box against each other
- New Datasheets for the Aeldari models & the current datasheets for the Chaos models
First Impressions
Personally, as an Aeldari player, I was elated when Warhammer Community showed off the new sculpts. Not only do the Rangers & Shroud Runners look phenomenal, but the Autarch getting a definitive easy to obtain kit is a huge bonus.
As someone who used to play Chaos Space Marines those models excite me as well. The Chosen are wildly dynamic compared to most of their other Chaos brethren, and the Warpsmith looks absolutely brutal. I knew that this was going to be a great buy for me as someone looking to expand my Craftworlds, regardless of what their rules ended up being.
A huge advantage of this style of dual army boxes is that even if you are not in it for both factions, it’s fairly easy to find someone to split the boxes with. Let’s dive more in depth into the Good, the Bad, and address the chaos elephant in the room.
The Good
There’s a lot for me to unpack in this section because this product is GREAT! First of all I’d like to talk about the models. Games Workshop has made a fantastic push towards updating sculpts for existing out-of-date models as well as providing dynamic new units for armies to play with. We saw this when the Ork roll-out happened late 2021 with the new Squighog riders, the Kill Rig, and the update to Kommando models in Kill Team.
Eldritch Omens is no slouch in this department. The new Chaos models & Aeldari models in this box jump off the sprue with personality! I personally look forward to getting the Shroud Runners assembled and painted up to match my existing army theme, and also seeing some of those truly scary Warpsmiths dominating tables when Chaos gets their new rules.
Speaking of new rules, we have some awesome sneak peaks at the Aeldari datasheets. There’s a lot to unpack here based on what we know about the various changes coming in Codex Aeldari, so let's start with the Autarch. First off, he’s got the Battle Focus & Strands of Fate keywords. This will allow him to make use of shooting as if stationary, a D6 move after shooting, and the new monofaction bonus Strands of Fate, allowing you to sub in various die as 6’s based on the value shown on their die face that corresponds to a chart. He’s retained his 4+ Invulnerable save but has notably gained a whole host of weapons & wargear to choose from! Lastly, he has Path of Command, which has changed to re-rolling hit rolls of a 1 for <Craftworld> core in an aura, and a spicy new ability Superlative Strategist, an ability that allows you to use the Command Re-roll stratagem more than once per phase as long as this model is on the battlefield or in a transport.
Next we have Aeldari Rangers, which are now rocking a 2+ Ballistic Skill, rather than the 3+ in their previous iteration. The Ranger long-rifle is now S4 -1AP 1DMG rather than having no AP, the Rangers can forward deploy, still get an additional +1 to their save in cover, and can be a bit harder to shift with some excellent wargear options. Oh did I mention they’re core?
The biggest bike on the rule block is the Shroud Runners. I almost wish this box had included more because man, are these sweet! Each shroud runner is 16” move, 2+ Ballistic Skill, Toughness 4, with a 4+ Save! Each bike is equipped with a Scatter Laser & a Ranger Long Rifle, and are Core. The real spice is in the unit's special abilities, Shroud Runner Cloak & Swift Scouts. Shroud Runner Cloak allows the unit to benefit from light cover as if they were Infantry AND receive an additional +1 to their save in cover. This ability added with Battle Focus will allow you to cut angles and get right back into cover, now rocking a 2+ Save. Swift Scouts is a pregame move equal to the bike's move characteristic. This allows the bikes to play swiftly to the mission, and with the update to secondaries like Retrieve Nachmund Data allowing bikers to do the action, the Shroud Runners could easily Retrieve Nachmund Data in an opponent's quarter turn 1!
All in all, I love the box set. But I have one thing that I wish was handled better, so let’s dive into that.
The Bad
While the datasheets contained in the box are for the purpose of playing the missions contained within, I have some problems with how these are handled. Firstly, while Strands of Fate and Battle Focus have been previewed online, any first time buyers of this product or anyone just getting into Warhammer may be stumped. Datasheet keywords & abilities, unless they are a special ability, give you no frame of reference on what they do. The same holds true for Chaos faction abilities such as Death to the False Emperor. Going forward I hope they fix this and make these battle boxes more user-friendly in the way you approach the units contained within.
Other than this one issue, I have very few problems with the box set itself and think that it’s a wonderful product, despite there being some understandable community discourse about it. Let me walk you through the issue.
The Chaos
The Chaos-sized elephant in the room is Games Workshop’s previous battle boxes, and their release window. Let me preface by saying, jokes aside, Chaos are EXTREMELY likely to be a part of some grandiose rules-rollout later this year, but not as soon as many would like. With boxes like Shadow Throne, (featuring Custodes & Genestealer Cults), Games Workshop was quick to release both armies’ actual rules just a week or so later. Since the unveiling of Eldritch Omens we’ve only heard news of 2 upcoming books: the Aeldari codex & Tyranids afterwards.
This has caused confusion among veteran and new players alike, and I’m going to give my 2-cents about this all. Pick up this box while it’s available! These models are dynamic, and sure to see a huge glow-up over the issues the faction currently has. Many Aeldari players are looking to split the box and while the Chaos Space Marine codex is certain, the release of these specific plastic kits is unknown. Basically put, don’t allow the bad rules plaguing the Chaos Space Marines dissuade you from getting the models, and be patient! Before you know it Chaos Space Marines will be the new menace on the block, and you’ll be kicking yourself over not owning these dynamic sculpts.
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