Aeldari Howling Banshees

Aeldari Howling Banshees

The Howling Banshees are the all-female Aeldari Aspect Warriors who specialize in highly mobile hand-to-hand combat and represent the ability of the Aeldari war god, Khaela Mensha Khaine, to instill fear in his enemies.

The Banshee is a harbinger of harm in Aeldari mythology. It is fitting that these most feared Aeldari Aspect warriors draw inspiration from this creature. These lightly armed warriors are fearsome melee specialists who draw inspiration from the sinister creature they share a name with. What the Howling Banshees lack in raw power, they make up for in uncanny and inhuman precision and efficiency. The piercing war-cry of these Aspect warriors has heralded the impending doom of countless enemies of the Aeldari people.

Legend has it that the Aspect of the Howling Banshees was first created when the Aeldari goddess Morai-Heg desired the knowledge contained in her own divine blood and sent her daughters, the Banshees, to do so to pursue her father, the war god Kaela Mensha Khaine. since he was the only being who could harm another god.

A notable exception to the otherwise genderless meritocracy that constitutes Craftworld Aeldari society, the Howling Banshees are almost always female. This is because the banshees of Aeldari legend, the daughters of the ancient goddess Morai-Heg, are always female spirits themselves. However, it is possible for Aeldari males to walk the path of the Howling Banshee, although this is exceedingly rare in most males due to the lack of the requisite mental and physical prerequisites.

The powers unleashed by the Banshee Mask can severely damage a Banshee's enemy's central nervous system. induce a sense of deadly terror and cause temporary paralysis of a victim's body. A squad of Banshees activating their masks together can cripple an enemy unit before a single blow is dealt, leaving them paralyzed and helpless before their charge.

Howling Banshees each use a shuriken pistol and an aeldari power sword in combat. This armament allows them to penetrate even the toughest enemy armor. Skillful use of her pistol can also eliminate vulnerable targets, while her blade brings down heavily armored enemies like Space Marines.

Exarchs of the Howling Banshees Aspect Shrine can wield a deadly pair of Mirrorswords or the dreaded Executioner, a powerful powered polearm. Howling Banshees operate in squads of five to ten warriors, and these squads are sometimes led by their Exarch. While these squads are capable of extremely fast movement on foot, they can also use Wave Serpent transports to get to their objectives even faster. An Aeldari Exarch is the leader of an Aspect Shrine. Traveling so far down the warrior's path that he or she can no longer depart, an Exarch, as High Priest of Khaine, dedicates himself entirely to the service of the aspect of the War God he or she represents.

Exarchs wear more elaborate and ornate versions of Aspect Armor, embodying the spirits of their former wearers, bestowing on an Exarch not only wisdom and knowledge spanning millennia, but also a raw pool of powerful psychic energy for use in combat