40k: Harlequins Supplement - a premature review

So! Harlequins are next! And as their own Supplement no less. Wishlisting aside, I doubt anyone in the history of ever saw that coming. Well, except Eldrad of course!

See the UPDATED, NON-RUMOR POST with actual rules confirmations from White Dwarf

Right off the bat, let me say ALL OF THIS INFORMATION IS RUMOR. I/we don't actually know any of this is what the book or units will actually look like, only that some of the most reliable sources are being consistent with each other, and what we've been seeing is in line with other recent releases.

Still, having said that, it's interesting and exciting enough to speculate. So I want to take a minute to go through what I am, and am not, seeing.

I'll also be updating this as more rumors come out, and as images start to leak that confirm or refute what we're hearing so far

Here are my sources:

http://natfka.blogspot.com/2015/01/here-are-harlequins-for-next-week.html

http://natfka.blogspot.com/2015/01/harlequin-troupe-rules-new-dedicated.html

http://natfka.blogspot.com/2015/01/solitaire-rules-and-hints-of-whats-to.html

http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2015/01/breaking-40k-harlequin-mini-spotted-schedule.html

Those are some of the summaries, the actual sources are from elsewhere, Natfka and BoLS are just particularly good at finding and compiling them. So what do we have?

1.) Harlequins are coming (confirmed), with their own Supplement, HQs, Troops, etc.

2.) They have their own Relics ("Enigmas of the Black Library)

3.) They have their own Dedicated Transport ("Starweaver"), which can also be built as a Heavy Support option.
**Latest word on the Skyweavers is that they're a hybrid of Vypers/Venoms, an elongated two-rider bike.

4.) There will be a Solitaire model in addition to new Harlequin models (some early rumors pointed to their own Jetbikes for as well)

5.) They will be different, if only a little bit, than their incarnation in the current Eldar Codex.

**An older rumor, that hasn't been re-stated, said Harlequin Jetbikes. While that hasn't been in the recent batch of rumors, I'd be shocked if they weren't in this release.

We can also assume they will have their own Formations, be Battle Brothers with both Eldar and Dark Eldar, and will be removed from the next Eldar Codex. Maybe. 

Rumored Changes so far-

1.) Unit sizes up to 12 (Harlequin Troupe, up from 10)
2.) Flip-Belt now provides 2+ Look Out Sir rolls

3.) Have Fear and Fearless (niiiice!)

4.) Can be upgraded with Fusion Pistols (as before) or "Neural Disruptors" (12", S1, AP2, Fleshbane - not going to Instant Death anyone but DAY-UM!)

5.) Can still take Harlequin's Kisses over CC weapon, but they're different - instead of granting Rending, now they make a single one of each Wielder's attacks S6, AP2, Instant Death on a to-wound roll of 6. It's only one attack each, but personally I think that's a buff, trading S4/3 Rending for that is awesome, even if it's only one attack, it's still one per model, and in multiple rounds of combat if you fail the Hit & Run and lose the Furious Charge boost for a turn.

6.) New Wargear - "Harlequin's Caress," S:User, AP-, any roll of 6 to-hit causes an automatic wound (AP2) regardless of toughness, or an automatic Glancing Hit on a vehicle (another source said "3 S6 Hammer of Wrath hits" but that sounds like wish listing…)
7.) Harlequins have access to Haywire (judging by Dark Eldar, only on their Characters, but still!)

Not Changes so far-
1.) Stock Holosuit, Flip-Belt, Plasma Grenades, Shuriken Pistols, CC weapon (assuming pistol still has Bladestorm)
2.) Fleet, Furious Charge, Hit & Run
3.) Can still take a Troupe Master, Death Jester, Harlequin's Kisses (changed or not) and Fusion Pistols

I don't use Harlequins - or haven't yet - so looking through my Codex, I was surprised to see that they NEVER had Ancient Doom or Battle Focus. I hadn't seen that before, and at first thought that the rumors without those rules meant a change.

And the Solitaire…  A new beast altogether!

WS/BS 9, T3, W3, A6 (!)

*Comes with Holosuit, Harlequin's Kiss, Harlequin's Caress, Flip-Belt (no gun, incomplete list?)

*Deep Strike, Eternal Warrior, Fear, Fearless, Fleet, Furious Charge, Hit & Run, Precision Strikes

*Once per game "Blitz" may "Run D6 x Turn Number inches, ignoring Terrain/Interveining models. When Blitzing Attacks go up to 10" (So this can be used as/with an Assault?)

*3++ Invulnerable Save

*Character, but NOT Independent Character

*May not take Warlord Traits (So, HQ then?) but may take Relics and Haywire

Whoa… Well, he's going to die in a lot of games, but make a royal mess in at least some of them too. A single model can be easy to hide on a table, and get away with not being a priority target for a while. In any case, it's a cool (and very fluffy) idea.
**Based on the confused nature of rumors, I would be willing to guess that THIS guy gets the 3 Hammer of Wrath attacks (on a Blitz maybe? And instead of getting a flat 10 Attacks?) and Fear/Fearless. It would be kind of strange if stock Harlequins got both of those rules...

The "Hmmm…" Factor-
This is shaping up to be a long release, people are saying 2-4 weeks, with the big money on 2, but a lot on 3. I'd be surprised if it was even 2 weeks, but it is sounding like there's a lot to cover. Design-wise, Harlequins have always been an up-close-and-personal kind of unit, and the rumors we've seen coming out so far support this being an entire army of face-punchers. A heavy emphasis on Assault means those new Dedicated Transports (if they're real) are more than likely Open-topped or otherwise Assault Vehicles.

From a Fluff perspective, this release makes sense - the Harlequins bridge the gap between Craftworld and Dark Eldar, but don't really belong to either. As Battle Brothers (presumably) with both of the other two, all three flavors of Eldar can be fielded together as an awesome united Eldar Faction. Which, as a big Eldar buff, I'm very excited about!
It also makes a future "Corsairs" Supplement more likely. Although I, like my Cult CSM player friends, hope they visit some existing Factions (Craftworld Ulthwe Supplement? Please?) sooner rather than later...