Howling Banshee

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Rune Symbol Basic Data
Bansheerune8th.jpg Name Howling Banshees
Phoenix Lord Jain Zar
Phoenix Lord Title "The Storm of Silence"
Main colours Cream, Red, Green
Combat Speciality Swift melee fighters

Howling Banshees are one of the types of Eldar Aspect Warrior who represent a facet of the war god Kaela Mensha Khaine, in their case the fury of the Murder God as well as the cunning of his daughters with Morai-Heg, the Banshees.[7] These lightly-equipped warriors are fearsome close combat specialists who draw their inspiration from the unearthly creature with which they share a name. What they may lack in brute strength they more than make up for in precision and efficiency, and their piercing warcry has signaled the doom of countless foes.[1a][2][3a]

Overview

Howling Banshees

According to Eldar mythology, Banshees are the harbingers of woe and death whose cry, it is said, heralds ill fate, calling forth dead spirits from the Warp and forewarning certain death. A more sinister implication of the banshee's call is that it may even tempt spirits out from their Spirit Stone and thus lure them into the arms of Chaos.[1a][2] Unique to the Howling Banshees is the fact that they are almost always female,[Note 2] for the banshee of legend is itself a female spirit.[1a]

When Asurmen raised the first Aspect Warriors, he selected Jain Zar for her ferocity and speed, whereupon she became the first of the Phoenix Lords. Of all the Pheonix Lords she is the most devoted to her shrines, traveling the Webway to spread and nurture her teachings on all the large Craftworlds.[1d]

Wargear

Howling Banshee wargear.[8]

Fast and athletic, Howling Banshees are the most lightly equipped aspect[14] training emphasizes swiftness of foot and mobility in hand-to-hand combat. Their Aspect Armour is coloured bone-white contrasted with a flaming shock of orange hair, while their principle armament of Shuriken Pistol and Banshee Blade Power Weapon is a devastating combination in close combat. Their most notable weapon though is the Banshee Mask, a powerful sonic weapon which uses a psychosonic amplifier to turn their battle cry into a howling shriek of psychic rage which attacks their enemies' central nervous system. An entire squad of Howling Banshees activating their masks all at once can cripple an entire enemy unit before a single blow is landed, leaving them paralyzed and helpless before their onslaught.[1a][3a]

Howling Banshee Exarch

Howling Banshee Exarch.[12]

An Exarch is the leader of an Aspect Shrine. She is one that has traveled so far down the Path of the Warrior that she can no longer leave it and so dedicates herself fully as a high priest of Khaine. Exarchs wear more elaborate and ornate versions of Aspect armour which incorporate the spirits of past wearers, granting them not only wisdom and knowledge but a raw pool of psychic energy.[1] The Howling Banshee Exarch sits upon the "Storm Throne" within her Aspect Shrine.[15]

The Exarchs of the Howling Banshees emphasize their aspect to the highest levels and help pass this knowledge on to their squads. Under her guidance a squad of Howling Banshees are acrobatic warriors, leaping and bounding into combat with deadly grace, while the war shout of an Exarch is even more devastating than the normal piercing cry of a Banshee Mask[3a] Instead of a normal power weapon some Exarchs will wield an Executioner or Triskele, while others will replace both power weapon and shuriken for Mirrorswords.[3b]

Notable Appearances

Jain Zar battles Drazhar with her Howling Banshees[17]

In 838.M41 in what became known as the Pyre of Kiliak's Bane, Imperial xenologists began to plunder buried Eldar artefacts on the Maiden World Kiliak, bringing about a devastating assault from the nearby craftworlds of Biel-Tan and Ulthwé. A sighting of the Phoenix Lord Jain Zar accompanied by a hundred of her disciples was confirmed before the entire Imperial force was slaughtered and incinerated, their ashes scattered to the winds.[4]

Jain Zar led the howling banshees in pursuit of Drazhar in the defence of Yvraine.[17]

Notable Howling Banshees Shrines

Aspect shrine of the Howling Banshees[10]

Notable Howling Banshees

Images

Miniatures

Howling Banshees

  • Howling Banshees (1st Edition)[1b]

  • Howling Banshee (3rd Edition)

  • Howling Banshee (4th Edition)

  • Howling Banshee (8th Edition)[5]

Howling Banshee Exarchs

  • Howling Banshee Exarch (1st Edition)

  • Howling Banshee Exarch (3rd Edition)

  • Howling Banshee Exarch (4th Edition)

  • Howling Banshee Exarch (8th Edition)[6]

Trivia

TriviaScrollTrans.png

The following information is not to be regarded as officially sanctioned and/ or is not written from an in-universe point of view. A detailed explanation of the term "Trivia" as used in the Lexicanum can be found here.

Notes

See also

Sources


Craftworld Eldar Forces
Command Autarchs • Bonesingers • Farseers • Spiritseers • Warlocks • Exarchs
Aspect Warriors
Troops Guardians (Guardian Defenders • Storm Guardians) • Windrider Squadrons • Rangers (Pathfinders • Shroud Runners) • Ghost-Warriors • Wraithguard • Wraithblades
Support Weapons Grav Platform • Support Battery • War Walker
Constructs Avatar of Khaine • Wraithknight • Wraithlord
Special Characters Amallyn Shadowguide • Eldrad Ulthran • Illic Nightspear • Iyanna Arienal • Nuadhu 'Fireheart' • Yriel
Phoenix Lords Asurmen • Baharroth • Drastanta • Fuegan • Irillyth • Jain Zar • Karandras • Lhykhis • Maugan Ra
Fortifications Webway Gate
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