Eldar (Warhammer 40,000) - Fantasy Counterpart

Fantasy Counterpart

In the sense that Warhammer 40,000 races parallel the earlier (and still extant) Warhammer Fantasy Battle game, the Eldar race mirrors the Elven people.

The Eldar in general consist of three distinct sides: the Craftworld Eldar (often simply called Eldar), who are similar to the High Elves; the Dark Eldar, who are similar to the Dark Elves; and the Exodites, who are similar to the Wood Elves. These equivalences are only in very general thematic terms, however, as the major details of the races' backgrounds differ greatly from their Warhammer Fantasy counterparts. For instance while the Dark Elves have long existed as the main antagonist to the High Elves in Warhammer Fantasy, Games Workshop originally incorporated both High and Dark Elves' elements into the Craftworld Eldar for the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Only recently in 1998, did they create the Dark Eldar as a separate army, and there is little back-story on the Eldar-versus-Dark Eldar rivalry. The Exodites exist mainly in Warhammer 40,000 background material and never had any specific models or army books for use in the tabletop game, however the Alaitoc Craftworld Eldar is closely linked with the Exodites.

Both the Elves and Eldar share some deities. The bloody-handed God Khaine is a recurring entity for both the Elves (High and Dark Elves) and Craftworld Eldar. For instance, Aenarion drew the Sword of Khaine to defeat the First Chaos Invasion, while Prince Yriel used the Spear of Twilight to repel Hive Fleet Kraken from the Iyanden Craftworld. The Brides of Khaine, commonly known as the Witch Elves, are one of the forces in the ranks of the Dark Elves; while the Craftworld Eldar can summon the Avatar of Khaine.