I’ve been playing with eldar army lists. Despite the fact I will never get an army fully painted for A Small Matter of Honour in May, I have still been toying with a few ideas of how to run my pixies.
Over the past few years, 1750 points seems to have become the standard for many tournaments, and as ASMOH uses this, it is probably a good place to start.
So, what is the plan?
The first thing to consider is normally troops. These are key for objective based scenarios and those are usually two-thirds of the missions played. In this case, I’ve gone for a mix of units that can hold objectives (Dire Avengers/Rangers), and quickly claim objectives (Jetbikes). I’m also fully intending to use the Rangers as wildcards with the outflanking rule.
The next thing to make sure that I can at least threaten anything my opponent begins. Unfortunately, I don’t think eldar can out gun anyone, however they are fast so the aim is to focus on one thing until it is very, very, dead. To this end, I need some anti-tank capability (Fire Dragons, Fire Prism, witchblades when things get desperate) and anti-infantry capability (which is everything else, especially the stuff with strength 6 weapons).
Next up is my Death Star unit. This is the thing that will deal out the damage, or more likely, just look really scary. This is where my Seer Council and Mr Phoenix Lord come in. Witchblades might not scare marines, but add in a number of Strength 6 power weapon attacks into the mix…
The final category are the tricky things, the units that cause shenanigans. Here I am looking at Warp Spiders, the Night Spinner and anything that can outflank. Actually, I’m liking the Night Spinner more every time I read the rules for it. Creating difficult and dangerous terrain? Oh yes please!
Putting this all through the Eldar Codex, it looks like this…
| Farseer (runes of warding, fortune, singing spear) | 103 |
| Warlock Bodyguard, Warlock, 2 Warlocks (destructor), Warlock (embolden), Wave Serpent (shuriken cannons, star engines) | 240 |
| Maugan Ra | 195 |
| Fire Dragons, 5 Fire Dragons, Wave Serpent (shuriken cannons) | 180 |
| Rangers, 5 Rangers | 85 |
| Jetbike Squadron, 3 Jetbikes, Jetbike (shuriken cannon), Warlock (destructor) | 153 |
| Dire Avengers, 9 Dire Avengers, Exarch (defend, diresword & shuriken pistol), Wave Serpent (shuriken cannons) |
257 |
| Warp Spiders, 4 Warp Spiders, Exarch (powerblades, additional death spinner, withdraw) | 152 |
| Night Spinner | 115 |
| Fire Prism | 115 |
| 3 War Walkers (shuriken cannon, scatter laser) | 150 |
| 1745 |
I have no idea if it will work and it will probably change, however it will make a handy ‘to do’ list as I start assembling and painting stuff.
Anything Worth Doing... 
January 29, 2012 at 4:18 pm
3 Jetbikes are “only” 134pts (3@22pts = 66pts +10pts Shuricannon + 45pts Jetbike Warlock + 10pts Destructor + 3pts Singing Spear). Great to nail tanks or to Hvy Flamer a horde, and then grab an Objective on last turn… but as fragile as 3 Assault Marines.
Wraiths “whips” reduce your Initiative to 1 and their 3 attacks at Str6 eat Jetbikes and Walkers.
Night Spinner creating Dangerous terrain should help delay fast moving combat units Necron Wraiths or Assault Marines etc (1/6 chance to wound – IF they fail to save)
Or else two Fire Prisms combine for one Large Blast template at Strength6 and AP3.
600pts Jetbikes inc 2 War Walkers and 1 Vyper Scatterlaser+ShuriCannon got eaten/shot by Str6 Necron Wraiths and Immortals 24″ range Str5 Tesla/Gauss Blasters.
I guess you need long-range firepower (Tau Fire Warriors 30″ = Necron Range24″ + 6″ foot move, or use Eldar 36″ range weapons).
Perhaps EML for AP3 against Immortals, and Str8 for “Instant Death” on 2 wounds Necron Wraiths (IF Wraiths fail their 3+ invulnerable save). BS=3 takes 2 EML per hit.
(Str6 does cause “Instant Death” to 3 wounds Tuf=3 Scarabs “swarm”, or Templates cause double-hits on “swarm”).
For War Walkers perhaps 2 ScatterLaser or 2 EML for extra range as ADR10 is fragile.
Outflanking Rangers are your trademark that I’ve never seen anyone else use well !
Maugan Ra or Jain Zar Strength6 Power Weapon are a very nice idea (or Yriel with “Spear of Twilight” 2+ to wound Power Weapon, or else Howling Banshees with “Executioner” Exarch 2 attacks at Strenth=5). OK Yriel or Banshees are fragile Tuf=3.
Nice ideas,
Caesar
February 1, 2012 at 8:43 am
I have to admit, I like the idea of the Night Spinner. Against MEQs it is ok, but not fab, however forcing a dangerous terrain test on a mob of 30 Orks, should mean 5 dead greenskins.
And often hordes tend to end up with intermingled units, so on two 30 strong units, that’s 10 dead Orks. And that’s on top of the weapon’s direct effect (strength 6 and rending).
Against Necrons I will have challenges. With the amount of strength 6 weapons, scrabs do not concern me (at least at 1750 points), but Necron vehicles will be an issue.
I personally think EMLs are over pointed unless you can get a reroll to hit. The obvious solution would be to put them on the wave serpents which was one of my initial ideas. However this list is pretty tight on points!
My other thought, given the large number of strength 8 weapons in the game and the moment, is to move away from wave serpents and use one or more Falcons with holo fields. Unfortunately that means this will go from a five tank list, to four tanks, and I would probably have to lose the war walkers if I wanted a Fire Prism.
February 5, 2012 at 5:30 pm
I hadn’t allowed for Night Spinner Large Blast at Str6 AP5 ADDED to the 1/6 chance “Dangerous Terrain” – Nice. You’re right 2 Fire Prism for AP3 pie plate in the face only really bother Marines and Necron Immortals etc, and 2 Prisms cost 2 out of the 3 Heavy Support slots.
Necron ADR13 is 6+ to Penetrate with 20pts EML or 5+ to Penetrate with 35pts Bright Lance. If you face Land Raider overload then you need Bright Lance or Fire Prism or Melta.
Your call whether Singing Spear or Witchblades help more (I usually choose one 12″ range 3+ to hit over 2 attacks at 4+ or 6+ to hit vehicles).
You could put EML or BL onto War Walkers (especially with “Guide”) – cheap firepower, but cardboard cutout resilience if shot at. “Reserves” have 5/6 chance to walk on in Turn 3 (plus Autarch bonus if bought)…
…but Turn 3 is very late, and given the cost of Farseer Guide + Autarch, maybe cheaper to just buy more resilient units and shoot on Turn 1 ! (Jetbikes can turn up late from off-board safety as Reserves, but firepower units are usually needed earlier).
Walkers ScatterLasers Str6 + Warp Spiders Str6 + Dire Avengers should give infantry a headache, while Str6 can trash some non-Necron ADR11 Transports – hopefully before any Melee-monster passenger units de-bus.
Current popular Codexes seem to be Necrons, Grey Knights, Blood Angels or Space Wolves, Orks, perhaps hand-heavy Imperial Guard. “Rankings HQ” Armies page lists Dark Eldar instead of Necrons among their top 6, but Necrons Codex is new so I’d guess my 6 likely to be popular at ASMOH 2012 but you know enough ASMOH attendees to guess what they’ll bring !