Ulthwe DLC dire avenger work around

[xerrol nanoha]

Everyone knows about the touchy issue of replacing DLC content for things like Dire avengers, and it plays as much of a role in Dire avenger exarch/warlock animation issues. (which is that the Dire Avenger exarch model carries a pistol, but is locked into warlock animations and projectiles, i.e. destructor as its ranged attack).

Since Guardians are present in setup teams, and the warlock is present in the wraithguard squad, would it be possible to completly replace the guardian/dire avenger squad entirely with a *new* dire avenger squad that could use the new distinct units and animations instead?

It seems possible to do, since in the least grey knights replace scouts with stormtroopers, and its clear that squad availability can be done on a hero per hero basis. This doesn't mean we would be removing or altering access to DLC content, instead simply denying the three eldar heroes the ability to produce "guardsmen squads" in favor of a unique "dire avenger squad" with a distinct squad leader.

[Lulgrim]

So what would these new distinct units (models?) and animations be exactly?

[xerrol nanoha]

So what would these new distinct units (models?) and animations be exactly?

Well the models could be the current dire avenger rigs, and normal dire avengers could adopt guardian animations (as they have now). However, making a distinct squad would allow the Dire Avenger Exarch to use more appropriate animations (such as the ranger sword/pistol animation set) in place of the warlock animations which don't handle the sidearm well at all.

In simplest terms, it would be in-essence a copy-paste. But, having a distinct squad apart from the guardian squad (whether the guardian squad is buildable or not), gets you past all the reservations of changing things like exarch animations or the models used with the Ulthwe DLC.

[Faultron]

Xerrol i am happy u came up with this:)
i asked once about this issue, but lulgrim said they cant change it due to warlock
(i suggested to replace the pistols at that time)

if it possible to replace warlock model that would be great:)

it can be ,any' model and animation just make sure it looks similar enough,
and the animation should be shuri-pistol pewpew and sound as well.
i think the best leader model for this is the autarch, but modified into male and some other things.
ranger model is good also if you can manage to act like not a sneaky sniper:)
or even guardian/firedragon model?

[David-CZ]

I'm not saying it wouldn't be nice if the animations and fxs were the appropriate ones, but it seems as way too much trouble just to get one minor detail right.

[Faultron]

it is not a minor thing in my opinion, even if we look there are plenty things which had been done and it is less important.
My main problem is the different sound+ animation from eld destructor,
it breaks the shooty synergy for the squad and the sound is confusing.

i dont know how modding works, and how much time would take to do this if ever possible.

one of the ideas
- maybe the simplest is David-CZ's Dire avenger model with the scope shuriken for leader(but the same/similar skin that we already have now for the warlock exarch), which you made for regular dire avengers, and lack of melee weapon here as visual is not a big problem i think, u usually never go melee with this squad.

[Torpid]

Actually I go into melee with DA quite often. Guardians do reasonable melee damage (~7) for a ranged unit (only shoota boyz do more for a starting ranged unit and with both fully upgraded DA win) and their exarch actually does 24, not to mention because he's based on the warlock he actually has a passive leap-into-combat which knocks all the enemy ranged units over. So it's not like we can remove the sword.

[Faultron]

Torpid@
the passive leap is not something u can rely on every time, and rarely KB all enemy model from the squad:) (sometimes the leader is stucked in backline or cant even KB 1 model)
and DA loose to shootas without using and hitting of grenade.
from the 2 unit the DA is forced to go in melee, cos shoota has longer range.this means
if DA reach shootas they gonna bleed from ranged fire, and loose melee fight as well.
+running into ork army to melee with eldar is dead idea, they will wipe your units on retreat.
and just look IG catachans, or even better ogryns.Dedicated melee with guns:)



another problem with the warlock that i forgot to mention earlier,is that he cant fire on the move, other leaders has got 100% accuracy.

but the scoped guardian was just the fast and easy alternative, compare to others.
i would not mind if we change to this model and not having a melee weapon as visual,doesnt affect gameplay.+we already have units like dat.
or more , we could even change the leader damage values to have less melee, and more ranged.

[xerrol nanoha]

Well then, is it simply possible to just straight up replace the reskinned warlock with a new Dire Avenger exarch unit? I mean, I didn't like the "dire avenger" replace in the first place, but making it only a reskin (especially one that intrudes on things like the wraithguard) just seems like half commitment to a significant visual choice.

Not meant to be offensive, I just sounds like a super simple fix by comparison to most of the new unit implementation that's been going on. I get that everyone is busy and doesn't want to go back to rework something "superficial", but w.e

Maybe by early next year something will happen.