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The Eldar Wraithknight Arrives – A Review!

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The Eldar Wraithknight has arrived. Games Workshop seems to shoot for a slightly different visual style with their new range of Eldar Miniatures for Warhammer 40K 6th Edition.

Time for a first review! How do the new 6th Edition Eldar miniatures compare to the existing Eldar in Warhammer 40K? Read on!

#1 – A First Glimpse of the New Warhammer 40K Eldar

Warhammer 40K Eldar Wraithknight

Eldar Wraithknight

#2 – A Brief Review of the Eldar Wraithknight

Seeing the new Eldar Wraithknight before me, I am quite surprised at the direction the design team took. Though the Wraithknight shares a lot of the visuals with the basic Eldar range, notably the gems and the helmet, it doesn’t really try to fit in with the Wraithlord and Wraithguard minis.

Compare the new visuals with the old Wraithlord, notably this one by the incomparable James Wappel.

New Eldar Miniatures

Eldar Wraithlord by James Wappel

The Eldar Wraithknight features

  • A much beefier chest and broader legs
  • A far smaller head, more reminiscent of the Eldar Guardians or Aspect Warriors
  • A rather odd “crotch-shield” instead of banners

#3 – How Large is the Wraithknight really?

Another interesting question the new Wraithknight raises: How large is this model? Does it scale up to the recent Tau Riptide? Or is it even larger?

If we assume they are on the same type of base, the Wraithknight could be quite a bit larger, even if we allow for some margin of error due to the different angle of the two pictures below.

Warhammer 40K Wraithknight vs Riptide Comparison

Wraithknight vs. Riptide Size Comparison

Another pic to give you a sense of scale for the Eldar Wraithknight in relation to an Ulthwe army.

Warhammer 40K Eldar Ulthwe Wraithknight

Ulthwe Craftworld Army with Wraithknight

#4 – Your Thoughts?

This is of course only an initial assessment. But it seems to be that the new Wraithknight will struggle to fit in with the existing line of Wraith-miniatures for the Eldar… unless of course they have also all been redesigned. That, however, seems doubtful to me.

What do you think of the new Eldar Wraithknight Miniature?

Leave a comment!

Z.

Update: Eldar Release Detail Rumours and the Teaser Trailer
Zweischneid

Zweischneid

I am Zweischneid. Wargame Addict. Hopeless painter and founder of Pins of War. I hope you enjoyed this article. Don't forget to share your favourite miniature pictures and wargaming videos at www.pinsofwar.net.
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  • TheSeekingOne .

    Thanks for sharing this new pic! Looks awesome, even if not necessarily in positive sense…

    Personally, I don’t really like this model, for one main reason: imho, it looks WAY too much like typical anime robots (series like Gundam, Full Metal Panic, etc.) And the last thing I wish to happen to my beloved Eldar is for them to turn completely into anime-style…

    As for comparing it to wraith-constructs – it’s not quite correct because it’s not really a “wraith-construct” as such (despite its name). It’s a piloted war-machine, and in that it’s much closer to various Titans than to Wraithguard/Wraithlords. And it does look pretty similar to, say, the Forgeworld Revenant Titan model – although the latter is still notably more weirdly-gothic and less anime-ish in style.

    • http://pinsofwar.net/ Zweischneid

      That is true. I guess “Wraith”-knight is a bit of a misnomer really.

    • Chris Hayes

      I presume it is ‘inspired’ by the exodite Eldar knights? Though obviously looking very different…

  • http://www.facebook.com/matthew.byrne.545 Matthew Byrne

    i like the larger limbs however i would have like to have seen a heavier weapon and linger more “alien” like head

  • http://www.facebook.com/C4darkmane Andrew Clive Early

    with the way things are growing the next codex will have an even bigger big guy and the last codex of this edition of 40k will include a life size model

  • Aryllon

    I think there is one major design departure which is the most disappointing – the lack of traditional ‘fins’ on the back. This just looks like a bunch of equipment.

    Overall I like it though, plenty of conversion potential!

    By the way, a Wraithlord does have a crotch-shield (the guy who painted the one in your image just hasn’t attached it). So do the Eldar titans & Wraithseer. It’s only Wraithguard who don’t.

    • http://pinsofwar.net/ Zweischneid

      Really? Guess I need to track down a pic of that… ;)

  • ryzonic

    I think this new wraithknight is totally amazing, in a good way. I never liked the over sized head on the wriathlord, and even the position of the head completely unbalanced the model. This wraithknight looks like it would work far better as an actual war machine… Even though it’s a science fiction game, the hook, in terms of miniature design, must allow for suspension of disbelief, and this new model does that far better than the ponderous and ungainly looking wraithlord ever did imho. Praise be to Eldanesh! A very large step in the right direction as far as I’m concerned.

  • Nid player

    we need….. bigger bases (and guns).

  • spencer

    i play dark eldar =(

  • Justin

    I Love the look of it and I don’t think that the “wraith” name is misleading because if you read the WD picture it says that the pilot’s twin is helping pilot the knight which to me leads that one spirit stone is not enough to control something but its not big enough to need multiple pilots working in tandem so bigger than a writhlord but smaller than a titan, and what do you know it just so happens to fit into that description.

  • a guy

    The Dreadknight made me say ‘wow’..the Riptide blew my mind…the Wraithknight made my head explode. :)

  • http://twitter.com/kidfist0 rich hughes

    I think it looks pretty sweet with one exception: the head looks too small.
    Unless theyre changing the wraithguard and wraithlords, the head definitely isnt in the same proportions as it is on the other wraith units.
    I’ll probably still get one, but i’d try and beef the head up somewhat.

    • http://www.facebook.com/crlong1 Christopher Stanley Grimm

      the knight isnt supposed to be like wraith guard or lords, it’s a titan class walker. the head looks perfect to me

      • Gwayne Li

        Still, the body/chest is way too bulky and the shoulders way too large. I like the usual slim type Wraith, this one just looks like a douche-dar.

  • WraithKnightFail

    My thoughts who ever designed this needs to be shot. it looks really ugly compared to the riptide, just hope it comes with another head. They should of gone with an over sized guardian style helmet like the Revenant’s. Everything seems out of proportion, but not in a good way like with the slender aesthetically pleasing titans.

  • WraithKnightFail

    My thoughts who ever designed this needs to be shot. it looks really ugly compared to the riptide, just hope it comes with another head. They should of gone with an over sized guardian style helmet like the Revenant’s. Everything seems out of proportion, but not in a good way like with the slender aesthetically pleasing titans.

    • http://www.facebook.com/crlong1 Christopher Stanley Grimm

      My thought was they need to be given a raise and a bigger office and the riptide needs to be shot as its soo very ugly.

      • Daniel Latham

        I agree with Christopher on this one. The Riptide is atrocious. The Wraithknight, on the other hand, is a nice bit of nostalgia. The only parts that bug me are the shoulder-vents, and the head, but those can’t be too hard to deal with. I think alot of the problem comes from how terrible the Saim Hann colour scheme is.

  • Martin Jørgensen

    I am on the fence with this one. The picture isnt all that great so ill reserve final judgement untill i see the 360 images and better pics. However my first impression is that it isnt gracefull enough, it is too fat and too busy. It looks like the designer didnt know when to stop adding bumps and bits. They should have gone with the look of the phantom, smooth gracefull panels and recessed panel lines, with a few bumps and gems.

    Also a layered armor effect on the torso would have made it look sleeker, also ala the phantom.

    The head is alsp quite boring and poor. A revenant or phantom type head would have been better.

    The big sword is very pretty though.

  • Fastaga

    To all noobs around here. The eldar knights have all this aspect (long legs).

    http://www.solegends.com/citcat911/c2131epiceldarknights.htm

  • Ikati

    I believe the base is not a oval (flyer) base, but a large round (the ones the dreadnaught is standing on) So if I’m right, the size comparison isn’t correct. I think both models (the riptide and the wraithknight) are about the same size.

    • http://pinsofwar.net/ Zweischneid

      I think it is pretty certain by now that the Wraithknight is huge

      Here’s another pixely pic with the Wraithknight in an army http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/2130/463557.page#5642990

      And it is almost certainly some 40% more expensive than the Riptide

  • http://www.facebook.com/cristopher.serna.71 Cristopher Serna

    doesnt feel right, just look at the eldar walkers and titan…

  • http://www.facebook.com/julienwbell Julien Bell

    The “crotch shield” makes a whole lot of sense to me. Walkers without their legs are even more useless than tanks with blown treads…

  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/9360674@N04/sets/72157600510023664/ BrassScorpion

    The “crotch shield” as you call it (codpiece might be better) is nearly identical to the one on the Eldar Revenant Titan from Forge World. So are the tassets (thigh guards). The Wraithknight is essentially a small Titan so I think it works rather well and ties it in with the next size up Eldar walking machine.

    The model is beautiful. I think it’s an act of hubris to jump up $30 more than the Riptide. How long before a new army release has a $150 model?

  • Adam Steffy

    Looks…. so…. bad. Needs a new head, removal of the side chest fans, and a curved chest instead of a angled one. I will be using a LOT of expoxy if these things turn out to be the “new thing”. Also, the size of this thing…. its as big as a revenant looking from the last picture. Bringing a titan to normal games of 40k…..

    OTOH, those planes look sexy. Yes please. They will go nicely with my 2 nightwings

  • Mark Hofmann

    Those tiny arms are laughable, and the rest of it is just stupid. You fail at design, GW. Big-time.

    • Matt Skytone Stone

      Good that you don’t have to buy one then isn’t it?

  • zhambah

    All I have to say is, try getting a cover save with this model.

    • Matt Skytone Stone

      lol

  • Matt Skytone Stone

    Love it. Memories of titans wash back to me..

  • DanielHartman

    I like how it looks, though i do agree, it could have been more in style with the other wraith models ;) one thing that really bugs me is the name “Wraithknight”. the knight is bigger than the lord!

  • Agent666

    This looks something i would expect of Tau. Its like a Japanese ninja robot.

    • http://pinsofwar.net/ Zweischneid

      Is there anything more Manga/Japanese than Space Elves? Tau never seriously challenged that throne.

      Of course, it bears remembering that the only miniatures for which John Blanche is definitely on the record for being inspired by Japanese anime are the plastic Space Marine Terminators and the Space Marines more generally.

      Quote:

      This recent overhaul of the Terminator design brings it into line with progress made in appearance of the Space Marines in general. The suit is now bigger and takes on the “Anime” proportions bestowed on the rest of the range – longer legs, wider shoulders and a bigger chest. The larger bases and plastic component nature of the hard copies allows for more versatile poses especially in the legs giving the suits more dynamism.

  • Bri Bri

    Will my Blood Angels get a 12″ Space Marine in their next codex? Please GW, this is getting stupid. The statline is one thing, but this is becoming a different game. Bigger is not better.

  • Lazerus

    i think that both the wraith knight and the riptide are really nice models and the knight really fits the role its intended for, basically a last ditch attempt at the Eldar trying to survive so its built to be more resilient, also its interesting as its 9″ tall so it can stare a ork stomper in the face and is also the same price at £70 each interesting … so looking at the wraithlord stat line i recon the wraith knight will have to be a titan because the lords stats were already borderline silly for a monstrous creature so the knight doesnt really have much room left to fit in in that category

  • JonLeBon

    Ever since the Ogre Kingdoms released their big stuff I have been turned off by models that are getting to be ridiculously huge. Nostalgia glasses I suppose, but I like that stuff to be Forge-World and ‘special’.