STARTING AN AELDARI ARMY IN 11TH EDITION: A COLLECTOR'S STARTER PATH
The Aeldari are a faction of specialists: swift, fragile, and devastating when each unit does the one thing it was born for. This page covers the three layers of a craftworld host, the starter path, and which wraith construct to crown it with.
Three layers of a craftworld host
An Aeldari collection is built from a core of line infantry such as Guardians or Dire Avengers, a scattering of scouts and snipers like Rangers, and then the exotic layer: grav-tanks, wraith constructs, and Aspect Warriors, each a shrine to a single art of war. You do not need all of it at once. Buying broadly too early is the classic Aeldari mistake, and this is an army that rewards patience on the table (finesse over brute force) and at the desk (flowing robes, gemstones, and some of the most elegant sculpts in the hobby). If you enjoy an army that feels like a scalpel rather than a hammer, you are in the right place.
Recommended: Guardian Defenders
Starter, Wave Serpent, Rangers
Begin with whatever Combat Patrol bundle is current. It packs a character, core infantry and support at a real saving over separates. Then add a Wave Serpent: the faction's iconic transport gives the infantry the speed the army is famous for, and its large panels are a good exercise for practising smooth blends. A box of Rangers rounds out the early collection with a cheap, characterful unit that earns its keep in every game you play.
Wraithlord or Wraithknight
When the itch for something grand arrives, a Wraithlord, or a towering Wraithknight if you are feeling ambitious, is the natural crown for the collection. Pick the one you want to paint. A centrepiece you are excited about gets finished, and a finished centrepiece changes how the whole army feels.
Aspect shrines one at a time
- Collecting every Aspect Warrior shrine at once. Choose one, finish it, then decide.
- A second grav-tank before the first has paint on it.
- Named characters. They are dessert.
Sprues are sprues
Record every box the day it lands and be truthful about its state; sprues are sprues, and never "nearly done". A collection you can see clearly is one you complete. The full roster and lore are on the Aeldari faction page under Data.