The Night Spinner is an Aeldari grav-tank that lobs monofilament webs over enemy lines. It’s one of the strangest and nastiest bits of Eldar artillery in Warhammer 40k, and it’s feared out of all proportion to its size.
What the Night Spinner actually does
It’s a mobile artillery piece built on the Falcon grav-tank chassis. Instead of a big gun, it carries twin-linked Doomweavers that fire a huge net of monofilament wire high into the air.
The web drifts down and shreds anything underneath it. Tanks, infantry, whatever’s caught. Once it lands, the threads settle into a barrier that can cut anyone walking through it, though it eventually goes inert and can be crossed safely.
Eldar call the threads the Chain of Vaul, after the bonds that held Vaul to his anvil during the War in Heaven. Imperial troops reportedly find the sight of a Night Spinner’s web more unsettling than conventional bombardment, partly because it usually means an Eldar attack is about to hit.
Why it matters on the tabletop
In 10th edition the Night Spinner is a fast, tough harassment unit for Aeldari armies. It moves 14 inches, has Toughness 9, 12 wounds, a 3+ save and Objective Control 3, so it can sit on an objective or dart around the backfield while it works.
Its Doomweaver ignores line of sight, which is the whole point. You can park it out of view and still drop monofilament on units the rest of your army can’t reach. It’s the kind of unit that punishes opponents who clump up or hide behind terrain.
Construction and crew
Like all Aeldari vehicles, it’s grown rather than built. Bonesingers sing Wraithbone and psycho-plastics into shape, which lets the crew steer and fire with their minds as much as their hands. That’s also why nobody else can copy or pilot one.
A typical crew is one driver and one gunner. It also carries twin-linked shuriken catapults or a shuriken cannon for close defence, and can be fitted with vectored engines, star engines, holo-fields and spirit stones.
Doomweaver or Night Spinner?
You’ll see both names, and it’s not a mistake. Different Bonesinger design schools produce slightly different-looking Night Spinners with the same weapons and stats.
Imperial scholars used to think the older-looking variant was a separate vehicle called the Doomweaver. They’ve since worked out it’s the same thing. The name confusion goes back to Epic, where the vehicle appeared under the Doomweaver label before 40k used Night Spinner.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Length | 11.25m |
| Height | 5.62m |
| Wingspan | 7.31m |
| Estimated weight | 11.5 tonnes |
| Combat speed | 80 kph |
| Estimated max speed | 290 kph |
| Crew | 1 driver, 1 gunner |
Key facts
- Aeldari grav-tank built on the Falcon chassis, used for indirect fire support.
- Armed with twin-linked Doomweavers that fire monofilament webs, plus shuriken weapons.
- The threads are called the Chain of Vaul by the Eldar.
- Constructed from Wraithbone by Bonesingers, so only Aeldari can crew it.
- In 10th edition: M14″, T9, Sv3+, W12, OC3.
- Also known historically as the Doomweaver.
FAQ
Is the Night Spinner the same as the Doomweaver?
Yes. Doomweaver was an older name used for one design variant, and Imperial scholars now treat both as the Night Spinner. The Doomweaver name also refers to the weapon the tank carries.
Can other factions use a Night Spinner?
No. It’s Wraithbone, sung into being by Bonesingers, and only Aeldari crews can control it. Other races can’t replicate or operate it.
What makes the Night Spinner different from a Fire Prism?
The Fire Prism is a direct-fire tank killer. The Night Spinner is indirect artillery that ignores line of sight, so it hits things the rest of your army can’t see.