The Guardian warriors of Craftworld Biel-Tan.
A Guardian is a member of the militia infantry of the Aeldari craftworlds who serve multiple tactical roles as needed in the defence of their homes and comprise the majority of the Asuryani's armed forces.
In times of peace the Guardians pursue their normal civilian roles. All adult Asuryani, however, are trained in the arts of warfare and can be called to arms if their craftworld is threatened.
It is a painful irony that, in the Aeldari species' endless quest for survival, the very civilians the warhosts fight to protect are all too often forced to take up arms themselves. Every Asuryani is trained and ready to fight as a Guardian if need be.
On some craftworlds, Ulthwé foremost amongst them, the Guardians are the most common of all Aeldari warriors. As the number of dedicated, professional Aeldari troops -- the Aspect Warriors -- in a craftworld are simply too few to meet all threats, those Aeldari dedicated to a civilian Asuryani Path serve as Guardians in battle, forming the bulk of the Craftworlder Aeldari armies.
Guardians are also called upon to pilot and crew the majority of the Aeldari's many war machines, providing vital armoured support and transportation for the warhost in battle.
Guardian forces consist of two main types; the tactically flexible Guardian Defenders, and the more assault-oriented Storm Guardians. Both are equipped with Aeldari Mesh Armour.
Role
A Guardian Defender in combat.
Clad in psycho-reactive Mesh Armour and armed with lethal Shuriken weaponry, the Guardians of the Craftworld Aeldari armies are able warriors all. Gifted with the natural speed of the Aeldari and the determination to preserve their craftworld no matter the cost, the Guardians are more than a match for the soldiery of the "lesser races."
Guardians are the civilians of the craftworlds, who take up arms as assault teams, pilots and artillerymen. In this way, all Aeldari can play the role of the remorseless killer should the fates dictate it. Among the ever-thinning ranks of the Aeldari, Guardians remain the most numerous of a craftworld's warriors. Yet they are not deployed idly, for every Aeldari life is a precious thing, not to be squandered in pyrrhic victories or needless last stands.
To tip the odds further in their favour, Guardians go to battle supported by anti-gravitic weapons platforms whose crews have a mandate to vanquish priority targets in a storm of firepower. Should a foe draw too near, Guardian Defenders make a fighting retreat, for their weapons are designed for accuracy on the move.
When an Aeldari Guardian dons his "war mask," his former life is supplanted by the thrill of battle. Thoughts of peace and tranquility are replaced with the desire to destroy his foes and secure glorious victory. Where once the dulcet tones of a star-harp would stir the Aeldari's spirit, at war the wailing song of the Shuriken Catapult and the blast of grenades are the sounds that set their heart racing.
Guardian Defenders
A Guardian Defender of Craftworld Biel-Tan.
Guardian Defenders are the most common militia troops drawn from the civilian population of the Asuryani craftworlds. The weapons used by the Guardians vary depending on their battlefield role.
Guardian Defenders act as support units, manning anti-gravitic heavy weapon platforms that glide effortlessly over rugged terrain as they blast away at any targets that get too close.
These platforms are crewed by two of a squad's Guardians and mount a Bright Lance, Missile Launcher, Scatter Laser, Shuriken Cannon or Star Cannon. These squads can be transported by a Wave Serpent if they do not exceed its passenger capacity, and will sometimes be joined by a Warlock to lend them their aid.
If the enemy closes in on their position, the Guardians will unleash a withering hail of fire from their Shuriken Catapults, moving steadily to safety all the while. When the Farseers and Autarchs of a craftworld deploy Guardian Defender squads, they do so knowing that they are risking the lifeblood of their people.
For that reason, Guardian Defenders are briefed to avoid the closest and most furious aspects of combat wherever possible, though in practice they fight as bravely as any of their kin.
It is a testament to the skill and technology of the Aeldari that even their civilians are capable of engaging an enemy army and emerging victorious.
Storm Guardians
A Storm Guardian squad of Craftworld Alaitoc.
Despite the precious nature of all Aeldari life, sometimes the brutal economy of war requires autarchs to commit troops to shock assaults and bloody close combats. Though rare among the craftworlder warhosts, the Storm Guardians are warriors ideally suited to the reckless maelstrom of melee.
Many Storm Guardians are drawn from those Asuryani who once walked the Path of the Warrior and served with Aspect Shrines dedicated to close combat. Though they have set down their war masks to walk a new Path, when necessity calls, they can put it back on and once more use the deadly melee skills they once honed to perfection.
Armed with Shuriken Pistols and crystal-toothed Chainswords, they wade into the press of enemy ranks, hewing open flesh in vivid sprays of gore. However, unlike the clumsy butchery of the other starfaring species of the galaxy, there is a beautiful violence to the way the Storm Guardians despatch their foes.
Elegantly balanced Aeldari chainswords carve bloody figures of eight in the air as they find the throats of enemies, the agile Storm Guardians ducking and diving through the foe's errant fire whilst shooting their Shuriken Pistols point-blank into their ranks.
Storm Guardian squads are a rare sight, but effective nonetheless, acting as assault troops in support of the craftworld's Aspect Warriors. Although they lack the protection afforded by Aspect Armour, they fight with all the skill and grace of their kind.
With preternatural speed, their weapons sweep into the foe, chopping through limbs and joints before their adversaries can take a heavy toll in return. Storm Guardian squads invariably need to move fast, sprinting from one hotly contested strongpoint to another, and thus they forego the use of heavy weapon platforms.
Instead, these darting fighters bear specialist weapons; they often bolster their short-ranged firepower with Fusion Guns and Flamers, and some even wield Aeldari Power Swords, allowing Storm Guardian squads to excel in a wide variety of close assault roles.
If small enough to fit within its transport bay these squads may ride into battle within a Wave Serpent, and are sometimes accompanied by a Warlock to lend them psychic aid.
Black Guardians of Ulthwé
The Black Guardians of Ulthwé counterattck.
Perhaps due to its proximity to the Eye of Terror, Craftworld Ulthwé boasts far more combat psykers than other craftworlds. Consequently, it has relatively few Aspect Warriors, instead relying heavily upon a standing army of citizen troops known as the "Black Guardians."
These fearless soldiers hold back the advance of the Chaos hordes in a hundred different locations, striking with serpentine swiftness from hidden Webway portals across the Segmentum Obscurus. Black Guardians form the bulk of Ulthwé's standing army.
They are more highly-trained compared to standard Guardians, but are arranged in a similar tactical manner, consisting of both Defender and Storm Guardian units.
Tactically, the Black Guardians make heavy use of the Webway which allows them to appear anywhere on the battlefield, seemingly emerging from nowhere.
The other forces used by the Black Guardians include Black Guardian Jetbikes, Vypers, War Walkers and grav-platform mounted support weapon batteries.
Rune
The rune in the Aeldari Lexicon for the Guardian.
The Guardian rune represents the trinity that guides the Craftworld Aeldari both in their daily lives and on the field of battle.
Wargear
Guardian Defenders
Storm Guardians
- Fusion Gun (Optional for ranged fire support)
- Flamer (Optional for ranged fire support)
- Aeldari Power Sword (Optional)
Sources
- Codex: Craftworld Eldar (3rd Edition)
- Codex: Eldar Craftworlds (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), pg. 59-61, 62, 70, 120-125, 131, 141-145, 156-158, 162-164, 174-175, 177, 180-191, 316-317, 319-320, 322-324, 379-380, 383-384
- Codex: Eldar (6th Edition), pg. 40
- Codex: Eldar (4th Edition), pp. 39-40
- Codex: Eldar (3rd Edition), pp. 12-13
- Codex: Eldar (2nd Edition), pp. 7-8
- Codex: Eye of Terror (3rd Edition)
- Epic Swordwind (Specialty Game), pg. 14
- Warhammer 40,000: Munitorum - Shuriken Catapults (Digital Edition)
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