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Games Workshop / Warhammer 40000 / Eldar|Aeldari & Harlequins
These are modern Eldar figures, all in plastic. These days they are referred to as Aeldari.
Most of the sculpts are modern variations on the classic models, sharing most of the classic Eldar design cues. Metal figures have mostly been phased out, with the very last models in metal (Warp Spiders!) finally getting plastic kits in late 2024/early 2025.
Collecting of these models started in late 2024 for a small display alongside some of my classic Eldar, not as a full army to play.
I decided to make a display for these models, check out the Eldar Forest/Hills display.
Eldar
| Final Image | Manufacturer Image | Build Images | Instructions | Name | Quantity | Base Size | State | Based | Assembled | Painted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |   | Amallyn Shadowguide | 1 | 32mm | OWNED | Yes | Yes | No | Not a 40K release, but available from the Blackstone Fortress boardgame set. Looks like a Ranger Exarch - often used as a replacement to the resin-only Illic Nightspear. Bought second hand, assembled but unpaint d, from eBay in Feb 2025. Assembled and added to completed base, March 2025. | ||
 | Asurmen | 1 | 40mm | WANTED | No | No | No | Updated plastic model of the Dire Avengers Phoenix Lord. Released in early 2025. | |||
 |     | Autarch | 1 | 32mm | OWNED | No | No | No | Resin recast. | ||
 | Autarch (Winged) | 1 | 32mm | OWNED | No | No | No | Resin recast. | |||
 | Baharoth | 1 | 40mm | WANTED | No | No | No | Updated plastic model of the Swooping Hawks Phoenix Lord. Released in early 2025. | |||
 |      | Dark Reapers | 5 | 28mm | WANTED | No | No | No | |||
 |     | Dire Avengers | 5 | 28mm | WANTED | No | No | No | |||
 |   | Farseer | 1 | 32mm | OWNED | Yes | No | No | Bought as an unbuilt kit, second hand from Ebay in November 2024. Assembled and added to completed base, March 2025. | ||
 | Fire Dragons | 5 | 28mm | WANTED | No | No | No | Updated Fire Dragon plastic box set. Supposed to be released late 2024/early 2025. | |||
 | Fuegan | 1 | 40mm | WANTED | No | No | No | Updated plastic model of the Fire Dragon Phoenix Lord. Supposed to be released late 2024/early 2025. | |||
 |        | Howling Banshees | 5 | 28mm | OWNED | No | No | No | Resin recast. | ||
 | Illic Nightspear | 1 | 32mm | OWNED | No | No | No | Resin recast. | |||
 | Irillyth | 1 | 40mm | WANTED | No | No | No | Shadow Spectre Phoenix Lord. Only ever released in resin. Now only available as recasts. | |||
 |       | Jain Zar | 1 | 40mm | OWNED | No | Yes | No | Resin recast. Decent quality but very fragile - lots of very fine bits with the spear, hair, ribbons etc. | ||
 |   | Karandras | 1 | 40mm | OWNED | Yes | Yes | No | One of the only models which has not been updated. This is the same pre-2000 metal figure. Built but unpainted figure bought second hand from Ebay in Feb 2025. I didn't want to strip and repaint my original Karandras figure which I painted in the late 90's/early 2000's. Assembled and added to completed base, March 2025. | ||
 | Lhykhis | 1 | 40mm | WANTED | No | No | No | New Warp Spider Phoenix Lord, teased with a release in early 2025. | |||
 |    | Maugan Ra | 1 | 40mm | OWNED | No | No | No | Resin recast. | ||
 |        | Rangers | 5 | 28mm | WANTED | No | No | No | |||
 |     | Warlocks | 2 | 28mm | OWNED | No | No | No | Resin recast. | ||
 | Warp Spiders | 5 | 32mm | WANTED | No | No | No | Finally, an update to the 25-30 year old metal Warp Spider models! Supposed to be getting released in early 2025. | |||
 | Shadow Spectres | 5 | 32mm | WANTED | No | No | No | Never released in plastic or metal form. These were available for a few years in the resin 'finecast' limited volumes. Now gone from the range and only available as recasts. | |||
 |     | Spiritseer | 1 | 32mm | WANTED | No | No | No | |||
 |     | Striking Scorpions | 5 | 28mm | OWNED | No | Yes | No | Not available in plastic as part of the main 40K releases, but available as a Combat Patrol box set as a 10 unit set. Will need to look for loose sprues to get a minimal set of 5. Three loose sprues bought in Feb 2025 as part of the 10 figure Combat Patrol kit - this totals 5 figures (including Exarch). Assembled, March 2025. | ||
 |             | Swooping Hawks | 5 | 32mm | WANTED | No | No | No | Updated Swooping Hawks plastic box set. Released Feb 2025. | ||
Harlequins
Harlequins got integrated into the main Eldar army lists part way through the 40K 4th edition ruleset (around 2006 or so). Prior to then the Harlequins operated as a seperate force, though I believe there were some rules about integrating into an Eldar army as a supplement to 3rd edition (a White Dwarf article perhaps?), still, I was out of playing Warhammer at the time that happened, so it never made much of an impression on me.
These days the models really lean in to the acrobatic, jester, trickster aesthetic.
| Final Image | Manufacturer Image | Build Images | Instructions | Name | Quantity | Base Size | State | Based | Assembled | Painted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |   |    | Death Jester | 1 | 32mm | OWNED | Yes | Yes | No | |
|
 |      | Harlequin Troupe | 6 | 28mm | OWNED | No | Yes | No | Bought new in January 2025 from Hobbygames.co.uk. Assembled, March 2025. | ||
 |   |   | Shadowseer | 1 | 32mm | OWNED | Yes | Yes | No | Bought as an unbuilt kit, second hand from Ebay in November 2024. Assembled and added to painted base, March 2025. | |
 |  |   | Solitaire | 1 | 32mm | OWNED | Yes | Yes | No | Bought new in January 2025 from Hobbygames.co.uk. Assembled and added to painted base, March 2025. |
Bases
I am planning to use the 'Mystic Bases, Round' from https://shop.microartstudio.com/en/:
28mm (x38), 32mm (x24) and 40mm (x8)
These will get painted in a earth/grass/bone colour (for the pathways and runes) and then decorated with both static grass and grass tufts from the Gamers Grass range - as I want a quite 'lush', overgrown ancient Eldar ruin feel to the bases.
Parts
- 28mm Micro Arts Mystic base
- 32mm Micro Arts Mystic base
- 40mm Micro Arts Mystic base
- WWS 2mm North Europe static grass
- Gamers Grass 2mm dark moss
- Gamers Grass 4-6mm marshy tuft set
Size Guide
- Basic 'regular size' foot troops (Guardians, Dire Avengers, Fire Dragons, Scorpions, Rangers, Harlequins): 28mm
- Larger troops, flying units (Warp Spiders, Swooping Hawks): 32mm
- Command units (Farseer, Spiritseer, Autarch, Harlequin special characters): 32mm
- Hero units (Phoenix Lords, named units): 40mm
Note: This is just my size guide, and nothing official. I just wanted some consistency between figure types, as well as the hero units to stand out.
Orders
- 8x 40mm (6x from Hobby-Heaven, 2x from Element Games)
- 8x 32mm (8x from Element Games)
Base Painting
As usual, I tend to complete the bases in a big batch before I prime the models (seperately) and then attach them to the base. Seeing the model on a completed base gives me much more encouragement to finish them than a plain black plastic stand! So, this section usually happens before any of the models above are built.
Vallejo black primer
Drybrush Vallejo Game Colour Khaki → Bone White → 50/50 Bone White + AK Interactive Off White:
Vallejo Game Ink Brown wash:
Earth colours added; Vallejo Charred Brown base, then Beasty Brown → Cobra Leather drybrush. Base edges painted in Cobra Leather. Some metallic parts picked out in Vallejo Brassy Brass and Vallejo Smoky Ink wash:
First layer of static grass (WWS North Europe grass 2mm) added to the 32mm bases:
Additional grass tufts (2mm dark moss, 4-6mm marshy set) added to the 32mm bases:
First layer of static grass added to the 40mm bases:
Additional detailing with the 2mm and 4-6mm marshy tufts added to the 40mm bases
