White Dwarf #53 Review - Harlequins and Rogue Trader...?

The Harlequins have had a chequered past (Oh - boom boom - unintentional pun!) as off-shoots from the Eldar to bad guys to mercenaries to potential allies to Space Marines and Imperial Guard. They haverun the gamut of the 40K universe. In fact I think pretty much all of us thought they were a thing of the past - until the rumours started about a month ago.
Well the time is upon us and the fancy-pants Eldar are here to cause chaos... I mean not literally because that would be the polar opposite of what Harlequins are all about!
Anyway, in this week's White Dwarf we get a solid look at the Harlequins, including a tribute to their Rogue Trader past, there's a lengthy Paint Splatter to help you get those colours right, the winner of Golden Demon 2014 gets a run, there's also some rules, some new books and a whole lot of Eldar fluff. Tempted? Come have a look inside...
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So this is it - your Harlequin troop choice (or "troupe" choice if you prefer). Each figure is elevated off the ground on a piece of Eldar ruin to show them mid-dance. With a tonne of weapon options and 13 masks to pick from it's pretty obvious this is made to buy multiples of! Really great to see that flexibility put into this kit.
Also, thanks to these sprue shits from the GW website we can see that each figure is truly multi-part providing ultimate flexibility with other Eldar and Dark Eldar kits. Great work GW!

Meanwhile the Solitaire model, brilliant as it is has absolutely no alternate parts and is obviously meant to be made in one pose. Bit of a shame that! Even his head is attached... 
From the brilliantly conceived to a serious lack of imagination. Won't be on my to-buy list! 
For gamers however - have a look at his movement stat! You may be impressed!

Books and books this week! Tallarn: Executioner gets a run in paperback with one of my favourite Horus Heresy covers (now removed from the site for some reason - but here's the video)
There's also a new Dark Eldar book, somewhat overshadowed by a Harlequins re-release. 
Where's the Dark Eldar love??

Thank God we get a get a Golden Demon picture without the horrible yellow filter they usually get in Warhammer: Visions. This is a brilliant model - and from a Beardy none the less! Have a look at that White Dwarf #120-inspired colour scheme. That freehand Legio Gryphonicus symbol is amazing!

Harlequin background etc etc. There's some good info in here if Harlequins are new to you - have a look!

Paint Splatter this week is quite long and provides good information on how to paint your Harlequins. Interesting to see that the diamond patterns aren't moulded onto the miniatures - this will be a challenge to painters of all ilks! There is also a colour wheel in here to give you colour theory tips too. Very handy.

The obligatory data cards are here too, with weapon stats and the usual information. Interestingly a Troupe can have up to 12 models! That's a lot of close combat killing power...

Also in this issue, Codex Apocrypha looks at the Greenskins little (and not so little) offsiders the Squigs and there's two models from 'Eavy Metal.

The Nod To Rogue Trader

I mentioned earlier the nod to Rogue Trader and here it is. One of the weapons included in the Harlequins kit is the Neuro Disruptor, and archaic looking pistol that first appeared back in WH40K 1st edition - Rogue Trader. Really cool to have it in the kit. I've included the stats so you can check it out.
These little nods to the old universe are really great. There is some love for the Beardys out there after all!

Verdict

If you're a 40K player or fan - you should get this issue. See what's coming to a table near you via the Webway. 
The background makes good reading too, even if the whole fall of the Eldar makes for depressing stuff.