#exodites

I think the biggest surprise of the Big Summer Preview was the reveal of new Eldar Exodites. These have been rumored for a while, almost to the point of wishlisting, and based on certain sources I'd been anticipating an end-of-show teaser at most.

Eldar are not my jam but I've gotta say, I think the studio really understood the assignment with these sculpts. For at least the last thirty years, the go-to Exodite conversion has been to slap a Shining Spear on the back of a Cold One and call it a Dragon Knight and this is hands down the best execution of the concept to date.

The kit contains options for the three Kill Team specialists, and any can model be built as the 40k datasheet friendly Dragon Knights.

They are around the same height as an Astartes, towering above baselines. They all possess lithe frames, with extra long limbs. Think race of Slendermen, except psychic and they have access to some crazy OP technology. Despite their proportions, they move with perfect grace. All humans have moments when they stumble, stutter, twitch, jerk. Not Eldar. They move with perfection that should only be achieved through unparalleled self-control and training. It would take a normal human implants and prosthetics to achieve this level of grace. Except for Eldar it comes... naturally. That's just how they move, achieving such perfection to them is as easy as breathing.

Combine all that with them looking human and now you see why a lot humans are afraid of Aeldari. They sit perfectly in the realm of Uncanny Valley. They look like us at first glance, but they are so clearly NOT. A human doesn't have limbs so long, a normal non-abhuman isn't as tall and strong as an Astartes (who themselves exude Uncanny Valley and Transhuman Dread effects) and even if there are abhumans like that they don't act like the Eldar do. They don't talk and think like Eldar. They don't move with the surgical precision and perfect grace like Eldar do naturally, from their birth.

THAT is terrifying. And I am talking about simple Eldar. Now apply all that to the fact they have warriors that can outrun a moving vehicle, clearing miles in the matter of seconds, crush necks with only one hand with such ease... No wonder humans are terrified of them.

Exodites finally have models.