Why even have weapon platform models?

[Heiromyo]

Well a heavy weapon is quite heavy and probably not suited for a simple Gaurdian to lift its weight around the battlefeild, unlike those superhuman marines. Dark Eldar do hold heavy weapons in this manner but they also use different technologies. Also it's an important justicfication to why an Eldar Gaurdian can move and shoot a heavy weapon, which would normally be impossible when trying to lug the weapon around by hand then try and aim. Plus it's a cool and unique idea IMO.

So erm yeh, mainly fluff reasons I suppose.

[Toonces]

Well, easy answer is Games Workshop wants you to have more stuff... but since the platforms come with guardians, that's not quite the best answer.

I see it as a plus. If I'm playing a strictly WYSIWYG game, my opponent needs to see what my troops have. If I loved big burly men with elephantitis of the hand and played space marines to live out certain closet fantasies, I'd need to make sure my tac squads had launchers, flamers, etc. to represent all my stuff. I'd probably have marines with different armament that I'd have to swap out from game to game to show the right weapons.

With my guardian squad, I just swap out the weapon placeholder instead of swapping out the troop carrying the weapon.

I guess it's not a huge deal one way or the other. It's a rule that's there mostly, I think to keep old heavy weapon platforms useful (so they can argue "our new edition doesn't make stuff obsolete") but moreover, it's there to reduce disputes at tournament-level play. I know my casual group of friends and I don't adhere to WYSIWYG but when you're playing with strange buttertrolls that emerged from their mom's basement to roll dice, you want the weapon platform there, on the board, so they have one less reason to magically have a different weapon for their guaridan.

Or maybe it's to sell more models...

[xinsanityx]

it says under the platform rules that the gun platform has to remain in coherency with an operator. It doesn't say what penalty happens if you accidently get the platform and operators out of coherency with one another though

I've had times where i've misplaced my gunners and they haven't been in coherency with the gun and i don't shoot it until i get back into coherency. I don't know if this is the way its supposed to work, but its the way i do it.(i figure if it says they have to be in coherency there should be a penalty if they wander off out of coherency)

Maybe they want to keep us eldar players on our toes. I've made the tips of my gunners backpack antennas yellow now so they stick out and i remember to keep them close to the platform.

[Frankmaneldar]

Its the same reason eldar still have warwalkers when skimmers abound, and artillery that is short ranged to complement a "mobility" army...they've been selling stuff to people for a long time.

My banshees carry laspistols, I have a squad of guardians with lasguns, and my scatterlasers look like a gatling gun from the 80's flick "Young Guns"...and I ain't buying crap to replace them.

Sooo, they changed the rules but don't want us old farts complaining about making their models obsolete.

That's also why they made many of the other changes we got this round of codex.

The other guy's reasons work too.

Oh, and I had a wraithlord (formerly eldar dreadnaught) with a D-gun on its shoulders that is now a "starcannon", but I traded it for some jetbikes.

cheers

[Asurmen]

the eldar cannons are made out of wraithbone wich is much lighter than metal so I dont think its so ridculus