Wraithknight

HELLO I AM HUGE. Seriously, Games Workshop's tagline for this model is "And you thought the Riptide was BIG..." They also add "Please note, the Eldar Guardian is shown for size comparisons only. Honestly, the Wraithknight really is that big!"

The Wraithknight is a massive Wraithbone construct, towering even over the tall Wraithguard and massive Wraithlord design to harvest new soul stones from Crone Worlds. They can be armed with a pair of massive fuck-off Wraithcannons, a Suncannon or a Duel Disk and a huge Ghost Glaive.

They are for the Eldar what the XV-104 Riptide and Dreadknight are to the Tau and Grey Knights, except less stupid in the case of the latter. It is an enormous model and a lethal one, making it a massive fire magnet in a more literal way than usual. While its WS and BS are kind of meh (both 4), it's a Jump Gargantuan Creature with S 10 and 5 attacks and I 5. It's impressive in defence but not too much: T8, 6 wounds and 3+ armour; also the option of a 5++ blinding anyone at 6" each time it saves this way, plus Feel No Pain.

Like other wraithbone constructs, Wraithknights are animated by souls of dead Eldar. Wraithknights are special because they also have pilots; in particular, the pilot must be the twin of the soul animating the machine. It seems that the designers must have been watching Evangelion or Pacific Rim the night before designing the Wraithknight.

Wraithknights like to be fortuned to forever laugh at all small arms fire and turn a one in three chance to successfully invulnerable save to a one in half chance, concealed, and renewed, but sadly cannot have their armor saves enhanced. Plonk one on a skyshield and place fortune on it to sneer at the very concept of dying. Don't forget that Forewarning and potentially Sanctuary are options, too.

As of the Codex Eldar: Craftworlds update, Wraithknights are now 295-point Jump Gargantuan Creatures (cue outrage from everyone), and the Wraithcannon and Ghostglaive are now Strength D. This is in contrast to Imperial Knights which cost 370 or 375 points a model and have only one Strength D weapon (the Reaper Chainsword). Eldar players celebrated, while everyone else is wondering what the hell GeeDubs was smoking to think that buffing an already overpowered unit further still could possibly be a good idea. On the bright side, this thing is now LoW, so in a Combined Arms Detachment you get a maximum of 1 in your list, but in the Craftworld Warhost detachment, you can have up to 12 for each Guardian Battlehost, one of which costs about 500 points base. MOTHER. FUCK.

Note that while the new Wraithknight is extremely tough, each army usually has at least one way of beating it:

• IG/AM: Lascannon spam out the ass. Alternatively, if you're willing to sacrifice the HS slots, Rapier Laser Destroyers, which are lascannons on crack.

• SM/DA/Cult Mechanicus: Grav Spam out the ass, or Sternguard's Hellfire rounds.

• Space Wolves: Throw a squad of Wulfen with Thunder Hammer/Storm Shields at it. Seriously. Death Frenzy still works even if the Knight removes a model with a 6 on the destroyer table, and at S10 the Wulfin will lay on the saves.

• Sisters of Battle: Ironically, one of the most underused armies might be best against the Wraithknight in the form of Exorcists. Strength 8 AP 1 at 48" can whittle the Wraithknight down over the course of the game. Granted it's Heavy d6, so probably take an entire gunline of these things.

• Chaos Daemons: Daemon Prince of Nurgle with Balesword and either fleshbane reward or iron arm. Alternatively, both Bloodthirsters and Keepers can outpace it in combat, while the Bloodthirster has AP2 and ID and Keeper has Rending. Lord of Change can just pepper it with psychic attacks the entire game too.

• Khorne Daemonkin: Bloodthirster of Insensate Rage with Strength D axe.

• Eldar: You already have a WK. "But what if-?" Shut up. Just take it.

• Dark Eldar: Ally with Eldar and get a Wraithknight of your own or just spam poison shots with Splinter racks for flavour.

• Tau: Railgun spam out the ass.

• Tyranids: Five Flying Hive Tyrants, but who the hell would have those lying around. Swarmlord or a pack of Genestealers can do some damage if you manage to run them up into close-combat. Of course you could just throw a bunch of Carnifexes or Old One Eye at it.

• Blood Angels: Bring Mephiston, cast his special power and force (worst case scenario you'll have a 75% of each), you'll be wounding him on 2+ (hit him on 2+ with luck) and inflict instant death (therefore denying the 5+ FNP, which cannot be taken when ID is involved, regardless of T or EW), as a Gargantuan Creature, Wraithknights suffer D3 wounds from Instant death so it will take at least 2 hits. But given that, statistically, you can get 4 wounds (5 with Transfixing gaze) and the Knight only has a 5++ (and only the CC variant, so the other is dead meat too), it's not that hard. Sure, you need luck to pull this maneuver but by the emperor you'll be brofisted by everyone should this happen.

• Chaos Space Marines: Lascannon spam out the ass from Obliterators, Havocs, and Predators.

• Necrons: Destroyer spam out the ass to get past armor saves. Heavy Destroyers will work better due to their higher strength weapons, but with Gauss, even your basic troops will auto-wound on a 6, so with all the shots you land you'll likely get enough of them to kill it.

• Orks: Tankbustas out the ass. Plus a Battlewagon full of Rokkits or a Mek Gun line of Kannons can do some damage. All Mobs must have as many Rokkit Launchas as you can. With shitty Ork BS, you'll need every shot. Or if you're feeling particularly Orky and/or suicidal hope you can run Ghazghkull and a mob of Meganobz up to it.

• Harlequins: see the harlequin tactics for full info but solitaires are the ultimate knight/riptide/wraith knight etc. killers, because as they flail around hitting them on fives the solitaire auto wounds/glances on a 6 to hit, which with 8-12 attacks this can happen pretty realiabely