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Intro: I put this together for anyone who might make use of it, it is also useful to people who face off against Eldar as it explains the weaknesses as well as the strong points of each unit. I tried to keep my "voice" out of it and make it as impartial as it can be but sometimes you can't help it. If you have a idea or disagree with a statement for a specific reason and would like it changed send me a PM and we can work to make this a better thread for everyone. Note: For various Copyright and typical forum rules reasons, I have not posted the unit statblock or the individual point cost for items. The Eldar, more than any other army, should not only look at the output of each unit individually, but the synergy of multiple units together and their role in the force as a whole. - Fable Wise warriors are mightier than strong ones, and those who have knowledge mightier than those who have strength; for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory. Proverbs 24: 5 & 6 Army setup: These are most of the ones I see around, others might be off shoots but still trace fighting styles back to the parent example. Hammer and Anvil : A classic setup this army focuses on having a tough resolute center with a mobile hard hitting attack force. This works for many types of armies and some do it better than others but for Eldar we have a unique advantage in certain units. The Avatar is perfect for this setup often couples with other fast and dangerous CC units like Harlies or rarely Shining Spears. Reserve Army : Gaining in popularity, 100% of this army stays in reserve to either walk onto the table or Deepstrike in somewhere, typically a Glass hammer as it can destroy large swathes of your opponent on turn 2 but can’t really take a hit. As a bonus you “win initiative” regardless of who goes first. Elite and Fast Attack are in demand here. Dual Arutachs are almost mandatory for a controlled arrival. Horde List : These types of Eldar armies use a lot of Guardian (usually Storm Guardians) as its backbone with a Avatar to bump up its reliability. Add on a Warlock with Enhance and they are as brutal as Orks in CC. This type of army has numerous Troop slots taken up and does not mind losing large numbers of models…otherwise known as the “IG Syndrome” Ranged Superiority: This type of army (by far the most common) focuses on the ranged aspect of the Eldar to decimate enemies from afar. These types of lists usually include War Walkers and Falcons/Fire Prisms, Heavy Support choices are in competition with each other more so than normal. Expect to see 1- 2 Farseers with Guide. Mech Army: By far the most recognizable setup as nearly every army can mimic it. This army includes many Wave Serpents and Falcons/Prisms and sometimes includes troops that can move 12+ inches in one turn (Swooping Hawks or Jetbikes) Expect to face many vehicles laden with Close Combat troops, and many Main Battle Tanks. This are is especially dangerous in Eldar's hands due to all of our vehicles moving anywhere between 1-24 inches and possessing such effective weaponry. De-clawing a Mechdar army takes a lot of patience and the ability to determine target priority.

Eldar tactica

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Page 1: Eldar tactica

Intro: I put this together for anyone who might make use of it, it is also useful to people who face offagainst Eldar as it explains the weaknesses as well as the strong points of each unit. I tried to keep my"voice" out of it and make it as impartial as it can be but sometimes you can't help it. If you have a ideaor disagree with a statement for a specific reason and would like it changed send me a PM and we canwork to make this a better thread for everyone. Note: For various Copyright and typical forum rulesreasons, I have not posted the unit statblock or the individual point cost for items.

The Eldar, more than any other army, should not only look at the output of each unit individually, butthe synergy of multiple units together and their role in the force as a whole. - Fable

Wise warriors are mightier than strong ones, and those who have knowledge mightier than those whohave strength; for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there isvictory.Proverbs 24: 5 & 6

Army setup: These are most of the ones I see around, others might be off shoots but still trace fightingstyles back to the parent example.

Hammer and Anvil : A classic setup this army focuses on having a tough resolute center with a mobilehard hitting attack force. This works for many types of armies and some do it better than others but forEldar we have a unique advantage in certain units. The Avatar is perfect for this setup often couples withother fast and dangerous CC units like Harlies or rarely Shining Spears.

Reserve Army : Gaining in popularity, 100% of this army stays in reserve to either walk onto the table orDeepstrike in somewhere, typically a Glass hammer as it can destroy large swathes of your opponent onturn 2 but can’t really take a hit. As a bonus you “win initiative” regardless of who goes first. Elite andFast Attack are in demand here. Dual Arutachs are almost mandatory for a controlled arrival.

Horde List : These types of Eldar armies use a lot of Guardian (usually Storm Guardians) as its backbonewith a Avatar to bump up its reliability. Add on a Warlock with Enhance and they are as brutal as Orks inCC. This type of army has numerous Troop slots taken up and does not mind losing large numbers ofmodels…otherwise known as the “IG Syndrome”

Ranged Superiority: This type of army (by far the most common) focuses on the ranged aspect of theEldar to decimate enemies from afar. These types of lists usually include War Walkers and Falcons/FirePrisms, Heavy Support choices are in competition with each other more so than normal. Expect to see 1-2 Farseers with Guide.

Mech Army: By far the most recognizable setup as nearly every army can mimic it. This army includesmany Wave Serpents and Falcons/Prisms and sometimes includes troops that can move 12+ inches inone turn (Swooping Hawks or Jetbikes) Expect to face many vehicles laden with Close Combat troops,and many Main Battle Tanks. This are is especially dangerous in Eldar's hands due to all of our vehiclesmoving anywhere between 1-24 inches and possessing such effective weaponry. De-clawing a Mechdararmy takes a lot of patience and the ability to determine target priority.

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Close Combat: This list you see every now and then and usually hits very hard, this type of army hassome of the hardest hitting units in CC either due to special rules (Yirel / Howling Banshees) or becausethey are generally tough (Avatar / Seer Council). Expect a far number of Wave Serpents and tough ,supported, units. However generally low on the ranged anti tank.

Elite Army: The rarest due to relying heavily on player skill this type of army has a low model count ( 20-30) filled with a few, expensive, units that need to be supported. In these lists you see builds like ‘Jetseer” or the misguided Iyanden Host. Typically fields two special characters as HQ’s and is extremelyunforgiving should you mess up. It can however utterly decimate your opponent, usually wiping themfrom the table, typically very low on troops.

HQ Setup: Note* The Eldar have around 12 HQ choices only 3 of which are not a special character, mostarmies will have both slots filled and never feel bad about taking a named person….use them or losethem.

Dual Artuachs : This option is mainly useful to two types of armies, either the Reserve Army or theHorde army. The varying load outs on Arutachs not only make them some of the Cheapest HQ’s (excepta Farseers w/one power ;( but of course the most versatile. Mainly taken due to the +1 on reserves roll(that stacks) they sometimes show up to add some bulk to small unit counts like Shinning Spears or addsome flexibility to units like Warp Spiders. Don’t be fooled by their crazy stats the Toughness of 3 is not amisprint and this makes them no more survivable than a Sister of Battle. Send them out alone and theywon’t live as long as any other HQ in the Codex.

Seer Council: As yes the infamous seer council, most people have run into these over the years for anumber of reasons, mainly however due to their durability and versatility. A properly built unit will makea squad of Nob Bikers cry due to 4++ saves (thanks to fortune). A Farseer with Fortune is >Mandatory<on this unit, otherwise don’t waste your time fielding all those warlocks they will die just faster than aunit of Dire Avengers (expect in certain circumstances) Due to how powerful they are consider them tobe Priority #1 for your enemy, and should you lose them you most likely lost the game. Often fieldalongside Yirel.

Dynamic Duo: A term I use for Eldrad and The Avatar, putting these two together for the entirety of thegame means big trouble for your opponent. With the CC godliness of the Avatar and the Extremesurvivability of Eldrad coupled with his support powers these two units can threaten anything youropponent could field.

Dual Farseers w/out Warlocks: Taken for their support nature any non-specialized Eldar list will benefitfrom having these included. From Fortune to Guide to Mind war these guys can help you fill up holesand shore your defenses. Most often seen in a Ranged Superiority list.

Phoenix Lords : These guys took a big hit when they came out due to how much more they costed andthe lack of a invul save. However these are the power houses of the Codex in terms of ability and specialrules. By themselves they amount to little ( a idea that holds true for 99% of the codex) stick them withother squads however and they start to shine. Deadly in CC and most are a threat at range these unitsare most often seen in Horde Armies, Close Combat armies, and Elite armies. Durable and powerfuloften with 5+ attacks these guys will murder large numbers of your enemies forces.

Yirel + (X): Yirel is a magic swiss army knife, able to fit any number of roles in nearly any army more and

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more people are using him to help fill weak spots in their army. Good vs. Hordes/Tank/MC’s/MEQ’s/ andgoes at the same time vs. a Brood lord this guy is a powerhouse....excep t when you fail a save vs. a Str 6weapon. T3 simple kills this guy (no pun intended) which means he will almost always run withsomething else (Seer council anyone?) go on a suicide mission to use his lolwtf bomb.

Unit Breakdowns:

Headquarters: > With some of the best HQ selection in the game (except maybe now the new marines)we offer a manly 12 choices. Be careful what you pick as these guys will decide what direction your armyis heading in.

Farseer: A all around effective support choice, don’t be fooled by that price tag of 55 points. He canquickly go as high as 220! Normally averaging around 150. His powers make him useful and combinedwith a Witch Blade and a 4+ Invul save he can survive some enemy attention. Don’t let him run aroundby himself or expect him to die, however in his intended role this is more of a “point and click” HQ,typically casting the same power every turn and doing not much else.

Arutachs: Mostly covered above he is extremely versatile but wont find a place in most armies. Able topack a punch in CC due to his high volume of attacks or able to lend a hand with some accurate rangedfirepower he will be busy most of the game. He is most certainly not one of those “point fillers”, youalways need to take him with a >very< specific purpose in mind. Same as the Farseer don’t let him runaround by himself. Another thing worth noting is the Autarch gains access to any/all Exarch powers ofthe squad he joins, granting him a greater versatility than other HQ's.

Avatar of the Bloody Handed God : Holy snap this guy used to suck so much, unlike his Eldar brethren heis big, tough, and a powerhouse in CC. Even boasting a high damage and accurate ranged attack. Themost often encountered problem is he is “slow” moving only 6 inches a turn not including run. He canand will survive multiple rounds of high STR fire from your enemy, even more so with a Farseer forsupport. The literal boogey man under the sisters of battle’s bed, this guy even boasts some immunitiesto a wide variety of flame based weapons. For 155 points a very reasonably priced HQ IMO

Eldrad Uthran the Farseer of Ulthwe : AH yes… Eldrad. This bad boy has many a player cry due to howuseful he is. Don’t be fooled by his stat page Eldrad is a very old man, and should not be up at the frontfighting Abbadon. He (like all Farseers) is best at support and BOY does he support well with a whopping3 powers a turn and a 3+ invul save he almost always survives the entire game. He is also able to put thehurt on the enemy in CC due to his attacks with his special staff ignoring armor saves. Not to mentionDivination really bring out your armies potential and helps you get back on track if you messed up duringdeployment.

Warlocks: These are your all purpose killing machines, only able to be taken if you have a Farseer in thearmy (and you do don't you?) these guys can dish it and take it. One of the main problems I see withthem is for a hefty 25 point price tag they have only 1 wound and a 4+ save. This is why you always needfortune on them so they can take a beating and keep on kicking. As far as I am concerned taking twowarlocks with Enhance and Embolden are mandatory and the rest can be filled up by Destructor.Conceal is a trap and not to ever be taken due to the copious amounts of cover in 5th edition. These areyour shock troops use them well.

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Prince Yirel : Mostly covered above this guy excels at anything you want him to do. A Space Marines wetdream this guy is a great Jack of All trades. Once again I must drive home the fact he is toughness 3, usehim with caution or pack him tight near some ablative wounds.

Phoenix Lords:

Asurman : This guy is geared towards CC which he does fairly well. However he is way too expensive forwhat he DOES do, another HQ like Yirel or The Avatar is much better at that intended role and costsalmost 100 points less. Basically unless you are running a themed army there are a few better optionyou could take, don't get me wrong however as the only Lord with a Invul save he can walk the walk. Beaware that Asurman has the same problems as most Space Marine HQ's he has a bunch of neat itemsand rules but is only Str 4, which limits his usefulness. Without the ability to kill tanks and only passableat killing MC's this guy is intended to kill infantry...but IMO the Eldar have plenty of other options forcreating a meat grinder.

Zain Zar : Cheapest of all the Lords and much better in CC than Asurman she is well worth the points(and Str 6!). Since a lot of people run Howling banshees she can make them much more deadly andefficient at their intended role. She has a ranged attack you won't use that much but she will leave youropponents squad a smoking ruin if she makes it to them. Can even play on even footing with Slanneshdeamons striking with her Int 10, remember though she does not have a Invul save so be careful whereyou send her.

Baharroth : Well since he is a Swooping Hawks he does everything they do and plays roughly the sameway. Imagine a swooping hawk that is a bit tougher and fearless and you basically got Baharroth. He isdecent in CC (as all lords are) and his gun isn't really anything to write home about, so if you take him itsmost likely because you invested a large amount of points into a Unit of Swooping Hawks and want togive them some durability...Baharr oth is one exception for fielding a Phoenix Lord going solo. He canuse his extreme mobility to stay out of LOS, before launching pinpoint assaults against specific targets.He's good for taking out Crisis Teams, Broadsides, Devastator Squads, under-strength Lootas and/orBurnas, isolated IG heavy weapon squads, etc.

Karandras : Watch out for this guy because he will murder you! Gets like 6-7 attacks on the Charge ateither Str 5 and Int 7 or 7-8 attacks at Str 8 and Int 1. He can drop tanks in their tracks or chew throughGene stealers before they get to go. Add in infiltrating and Move through cover and you have a verydeadly little CC beast. Infiltrate him alone (its easy to hide 1 model) and have him assault 1st turn!Fighting some IG who has a annoying weapons battery set up? He can take them out also don't forgethe has fleet giving him a 18' charge range, he does what the Eversor assassin wishes he could do. Wordto the wise, he DOES has stealth and getting through a 3+ cover save on a multiwound model is enoughto make most enemies focus a lot of firepower possibly needed elsewhere. I don't know about you buthaving this guy infiltrate 12.1111 inches away from me will force me to pay attention to him.

Fuegan : Personally I like what Fuegan brings to the table, a nice gun out to 18' and a Str 5 powerweapon in CC. Tack on Feel no pain and its a winner! However the things that ignore his 2+ savetypically ignore FNP so it almost seems like you are paying for a ability you will never use ;( Meaning youare only really buying him for the Str 5 power weapon and the 18' Melta. He however doesn't belong inCC (not that he can't fight!) but shooting down tanks. Sadly a unit of Dragons with a Serpent cost lessand kill more than him.

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Maugan Ra : Mr. Ra does not wear a Skull motif armor because it makes him feel pretty. This guy cankick some major ass in Shooting or CC< At Str 6 and Int 7 with a power weapon he will eat though a HiveTyrant or even maybe Abbadon (assuming he fails his Invul saves) and with a Assault 5 Rending 36'cannon (fast shot) he can put the hurt on light tanks and enemy troops easy. Tack on the ability toIgnore cover saves and you have yourself a winner. Not that it will ever come up but he also has AcuteSense which can help in Dawn of War. Definitely a Lord you can run solo, but best used with a Unit ofHarlies to benefit from Veil of Tears, talk about a counter charge unit!

Elites: > The Elites sections offers a variety of (mainly CC) options to flesh out any Eldar army. We havesome good ones so pay attention.

Striking Scorpions : These are your main horde killers right here, if you are playing Orcs take these badboys. 3-4 attacks at Str 4 and Int 5 they will typically go before most targets and with a 3+ armor savethey can stick around. However like nearly all Eldar they have T3 and so tend to suffer a lot of returnwounds which will force you to roll plenty of saves. The Exarch with the Power fist adds some versilitybut remember he is at Str 6 with it and due to P-Fist rules it wastes his High INT. Unless you need thespecial weapons or a specific Exarch power I would suggest skipping the Exarch on this squad, you arelooking for volume of attacks and for the cost of 1 Exarch + gear you can typically get 3 or moreScorpions....

Howling Banshees: 2-3 Attacks at Int 10...Yes please ill take 2! These dangerous girls seems great at firstglance but it quickly becomes apparent that T3 and a 4+ armor save means they won't be making it intoCC much (without a transport) and whatever survives your opponent's shooting phase(s) wont do much.These girls needs to be supported by a Farseer more so than any other Elite choice and benefit greatlyfrom having a Exarch. If the Striking Scorpions are the Hammer these girls are the Scalpel.

Fire Dragons: Yay! Str 8 AP 1 guns for practically nothing! That's what Fire Dragons really are...walkingGuns. Try not to think of them as anymore than that since they usually wont survive the turn they showup. These guys are typically high priority targets and since a lot of people take them in small squad sizescombined with T3 and 4+ saves means they will die in droves. Just remember they will kill most of whatthey shoot at, which is why making sure they hit is vitally important. Pro Tip : Multiple melta gun shotsmake vehicle squadrons cry (I'm looking at you IG!) Taking the Exarch is a bit iffy, on one hand you canget a free Heavy Flamer, on the other the powers only affect the Exarch. However a Heavy Flamer withre-rolls to wound (thanks to crack shot) IS very appealing. I suggest to just beef up the squad and call it aday you'll thank me for the saved points later.

Wraith Guard : These guys seem great on paper but ITS A LIE! Wraith sight is really not all that bad, infact you don't even have to run a psyker with them as it will almost never come up, what makes thisAwesome unit merely average is the fact they cost 35 points each. Remember the Wraith Cannon? Yesof course you do that IS why you are taking them right? Well with a BS of 4 a good chuck of them willmiss only doing light to moderate damage to whatever they shot at...and then get promptly stuck in CCwhere their T6 and St5 3+ save will only prolong their agony. This is a tough unit don't get me wrong butthey Seriously need support like from Yirel. If you stick Yirel in a squad of these guys he shores up theirmajor weakness (Close combat) and they shore up his (Toughness 3) Everyone is happy! It is worthnoting however that a 10 man unit w/ a Lock is counted as a Troop choice and a full squad sitting on aobjective is bloody difficult to remove not to mention intimidating.. This will generally capture you 1objective guaranteed, however since the unit is so expensive you shouldn't take more than one as thiswill draw resources from the rest of your army weakening it overall.

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Harlequins : The famous "wonder unit" from 4th edition got hit with the nerf bat seriously hard with thechanges to rending...or did they? Nothing else changed about this unit, they still keep all the neat littlespecial rules and are vulnerable to all the same stuff. They still throw out a ton of high Int Str 4 attackson the charge and can get some power weapon goodness with a Troupe Master. I have seen plenty ofpeople stop giving them Kisses and use the left over points for a Troupe Master and never blink a eye.With a Shadow seer attachment these guys will make anyone nervous and you can even attachIndependent characters to them and suddenly they are immune to long distance shooting! They are stillweak on the defense however so don't send them in without a plan or prepare to lose your unit. This isthe perfect "problem solver" unit, able to go just about anywhere and engage just about any target.

What do you mean there is something funnier than all my Dark Reapers hitting and wounding yourassault squad?

Troops: Frankly Eldar’s troops selections suck (from my perpespective), Only the Avengers or the Jetbikesare really worth it in 2/3 of the mission types and since I like to spend my points elsewhere Jetbikes it is!

Special Note: The Avatar has ridiculous synergy with all the eldar troop choices due to his 12' fearlessbubble. Its highly suggested you combine the avatar with any number of the options below. One thing toremember is that none of the Eldar troops are deal with CC very well, in most cases taking some No-Retreat wounds (and possible saves) are a much better alternative than having the squad run down. Italso provides a solid defense to other Morale based effects.

Dire Avengers : These guys are pretty decent being able to do all sorts of things. Of course their mainfocus is shooting but can hold their own in CC if properly upgraded. However that's all they will ever dois "hold", just like a Wraith lord in 4th once in CC they will be either 1) stuck there all game or 2) beannihilated. Upgrading them for CC takes a lot of points I would rather put elsewhere, otherwise a solidkiting unit.

Rangers: These guys must be secretly fat under their cloaks or something since they typically nevermove once placed. I find in 5th that their sniper rifles are a mixed blessing, back in the day it was all "GoPathfinders or Go home" I am not so sure that is the case anymore. I have seen people use these guys torun all across the board hunting down objectives and with their special rules they do a damn good job ofit, however without cover they are no more survivable than a Guardian or a Termagant. Soo... be carefulwith them. Another thing to note is due to the long range and the special rules they perform very wellat killing say..squads of Plague marines and even Nob Bikers. In Many cases you leave them with only acover save and the Ap 1 and 2 shots ignore the FNP and Armor saves. Against a Sniper rifle the hightoughness is nothing.

Guardians (Defender): /sigh...I don't know about you but the thought of Musicians and Craftsman dyingin droves is not what I call fun when I think of Eldar. Guardian Defenders took a huge hit in 5th due tothe orgy of cover that is everywhere. Their special platforms are no longer as useful and since you HAVEto take one then..yea.. With a BS of 3 only the scatter laser is worth it. Never purposely put them into CCunless you need a speed bump or like the idea of losing your men. It IS worth noting however that alarge number of Guardian Defenders can just chew up enemy hordes to the HIGH volume of Shuricat firethey produce. As a example a squad of 20 guardians fire out 40 shots!

Guardians (Storm) : Storm Guardians are MUCH better in 5th than they were in 4th, don't

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underestimate these guys as they are just as numerous as orks and tack on a Warlock with Enhance andthey can make Marines sweat. They certainly have the advantage with numbers (which nearly all of thecodex lacks) and with the proper support can put the hurt on your enemy. Just like a Nob with aPowerKlaw a attached warlock can even tie down say...Dreadnaughts.

Guardian Jetbikes: My personal fav in 5th ed. These guys are just so useful due to their speed. They areas tough as a space marine and much faster, however a small squad size hurts when the enemy looks atthem funny (which is all the time since they are scoring) Add on a Shurican and they can JsJ with the bestof them. As a added bonus you can give them a Jetbike mounted Warlock for some added LD, not tomention the powers he can bring and the Singing Spear you can use for Tank hunting. All in all VERYuseful.

Fast Attack: The often overlooked FOC slot these units can add a nice little 1 – 2 punch to any list.

Shining Spears : This often overlooked unit is considered a little to pricy for what they can do and thusnot many people have experienced them. Great on the offensive and fast springs to mind almostinstantly, tack on as survivable as any marine you have a neat little unit. One of the main failings is thatafter the first round of combat these guys are worthless…no more effective that a Storm Guardian witha Enhance Warlock. However the Storm guardians have one awesome benefit that the Shining spearlacks…numbers. At a max of 5 units (and you should ALWAYS take 5) they simple cannot take a hit,however add on 1-2 Artauchs or even a Farseer on a Jetbike (with Fortune) and they start to really shine.Most often included in a Elite Army or Hammer and Anvil. The Str 8 lance for the Exarch I have seenused with Mixed results, also never send these guys at a unit which numbers more than 10, and Hit andRun is a must or they will get stuck in a protracted combat they cannot win.

Warp Spiders : These little buggers (no pun intended) have gotten a new lease on life with the advent of5th. Able to Deepstrike for free and able to Penetrate vehicles. Add on that Volume of shots is a assetdue to all around over saves and these guys are well worth their 22 point price tag. Not to mention thatthey are fast with a second Warp in the Assault phase. They suffer the same limitations of StrikingScorpions with the added benefit they can tele behind LOS blocking effects. Do not get them stuck inCC..THE POWER BLADES ON THE EXARCH ARE A DAMN DIRTY LIE!! Never take them as once again youare sending Guardian equivalents into CC , which is never a good thing, making Hit and Run (if they getcaught) a must. Great in Reserve Armies and useful in a Hammer and Anvil list.

Vypers : Don’t Take them

…Just kidding…no seriously not worth it. I used to like these guys and in 3rd+4th they were actuallyuseful. Combined with a neat looking model added with a attractive looking price tag of a base 40 youthink they would be great? No Sadly due to now being Open Topped combined with the lacklusterVehicle Squad rules (which only Flecchette Piranhas seem to benefit from) these guys will not survive (atleast in good shape) a TAC marines squad firing at them. One useful tactic I have seen however is toequip them with a EML and keep them FAR away from the action, using the Krak or Plasma shot asneeded. In terms of keeping them alive beyond turn 2 it works, but as to winning their points back…notso much. These are acceptable point fillers if you just cannot seem to spend 50ish points, Most seen inMech armies.

Swooping Hawks : "Fast" is what most people think of when thinking of swooping hawks, that and 21

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points most people think they aren't really worth it. These guys can throw out a TON of las fire and tackon the awesome that is a Sun rifle and you got a winner. I've seen them just rape a 30 man Ork squad,just like Howling Banshees however they really need Doom to make their shots count. These guys canalso put the hurt on a tank and the funny thing is you cannot run from these guys. A 12' move combinedwith Fleet and a 6 inch assault move means they WILL catch their target. Sky leap is also so annoying it'snot even funny. Basically this is a very useful unit but just like most Eldar they are fragile so be carefulwith them. A good tactic is to toss in a Jet seer with Doom/Fortune and have him ride with them. Ohanything you have heard about the Exarch having a power weapon is false and frankly unsettling. Theseguys do not belong in CC so don't waste points giving them something for it.

Heavy Support: > Ah if the HQ’s are the heart of the Eldar then the HS choices are the meat of any Eldarlist.. Just like HQ’s we have plenty of great choices which complete for each slot endlessly which forcesevery choice to be considered carefully.

Falcon : Who doesn’t remember the good ol days of the God Falcons? Sadly those times are behind usbut not really gone, like Obi-Wan Kenobi they still can help in the tightest of spots of offer a glimmer ofhope when you just REALLY need to kill something. Still Fast, Still Furious, and Still Pricey the Falcon isthe Eldar’s jack of all trade vehicle and it does it well. With many options for weapon load outs and theusefulness of the Eldar vehicle upgrades this bad boy has a place in Any List. A neat little trick I haveseen people do is Equip a EML on the turret, move 12, and fire the Pulse Laser along with the EML with aPlasma shot. At Str 4 it counts as a defensive weapon and can keep this Nice looking tank moving everyturn. A lot of people enjoy using it as a command tank by putting the Farseer inside and using the extrabulk of the tank (powers are measured from the hull) to buff units otherwise out of reach. Still goodalthough it can get a bit pricey with all the bells and whistles.

Fire Prism : This Tank is Awesome…. Seriously this tank is one of the more useful items in 5th edition.With the two firing modes (Dispersed or Focused) this has a answer to anything your enemy might use(at BS 4!). Tack on the ability to move 12 inches every turn with a beefy 60’ range AND the extra optionfor a Cannon at Bs 4 makes this nice model very attractive. Sadly you won’t always use the Cannon dueto the MASSIVE range of the main gun. I enjoy giving my Prisms Star Engines so when their gun getsblown off (it doesn’t happen THAT often) you can now send a STR 10 Ramming hit vs. any vehicle within36’. Or just use it to Tank shock multiple units, this bad boy never stops being useful. The ability to linkthe shots between tanks also gives these guys another boost to versatility. A lot of people like to fieldthem in pairs to make use of the marine killing power. Most often mainly included in RangedSuperiority, and Mech armies but has a place everywhere.

Wraith Lord : /sigh...GW didn't really need to give this guy Wraith sight, AND to take one of his CCattacks away. At BS 4 he can go tank hunting with a Bright Lance or EML and hit when it counts. Givinghim anti horde weapons (except flamers!) is a waste of his potential IMO. He sadly performs horribly inCC against any unit bigger than 5. At Str 10 he is perfect for squashing IC's and elite units like Termiesand MC's. However the units he performs best with typically kick his ass without even trying. Don't runone of these, run them in pairs if at all. He is however intimidating and basic Str4 fire has no effect onhim. He is the very definition of tough with T8, 3 wounds, and a 3+ save. The wraith sword is a trap,don't do it!. Typically included in CC, Horde, and Elite armies.

Support Weapons: (I have never understood why these anti-grav platforms can't move and shoot)

D-Cannon : On paper this bad boy looks amazing...on paper that is. Once people learn what it does they

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will blow it up so fast it's not even funny and with a 24' range its only really good for Area denial , whichit only does so well. If it gets within range of something...it's GOING to kill/maim the target. Being aindirect fire weapon its good for taking cover away from where it hits, but with the changes to LOSblocking terrain in 5th every platform can count its lifespan on one finger.

Vibro Cannon : This used to be good, back when glancing hits could destroy vehicles, and it only does so-so at killing hordes (since its Ap is -) It's still USEFUL just NOT AS MUCH. Out of the three availableplatforms the Vibro Cannon is still the best IMO, but not as good as other HS choices.

Shadow Weaver : No that is not a misprint it has a small blast. IF it had a Large Blast this would be afreaking awesome gun, otherwise it's pretty bad and there are PLENTY of other STR 6 weapons availableto the Eldar, definitely not worth a HS slot. The range is very good though.

The biggest problem with these units is that they are crewed by Guardian Defenders. Remember howthese units suck...yea.... These units are typically fielded in Horde armies.

War Walkers : These got so good when 5th came out it's not even funny. IMHO always outflank withthese guys, and always choose double of the same weapon. Mixing weapons on this unit is A Very BadThing. I personally always put 6 Scatter Lasers in a unit of 3 and just murder everything. I don't reallyrecommend Bright Lances as they got WAY to expensive, but EML's do the same job and have the optionof shooting Plasma missiles. Great unit overall due to special rules and weapons available, however!They are Av 10 and due to how gimpy the vehicle squadron rules they a won't survive to long if thewrong thing looks at them. Always pick these guys with a plan and they won't fail you. Has uses in alltypes of armies, a centerpiece in Ranged superiority lists.

Dark Reapers : These guys Look Cool, Kill Stuff, Are Expensive. Be very...VERY careful about where youplace this unit, Where they are put has a direction relation to HOW LONG THEY LIVE>! Same buffs andpenalties as Shinning Spears these guys never fail to just kill stuff every turn. Give the Exarch a EML andyou have a awesome versatile unit that can win you the game. The bad stuff? They can't move and firetheir guns and cannot fight in CC to save their lives. Don't ever give the Exarch a Tempest Launcher Imean honestly guys, I have seen people argue this to death but WHY would you give the Exarch ashorter ranged gun that is indirect? If you DO make use of the indirect gun the other units can't fire, andif you are not making use of the indirect fire then either the EML: or the basic Launcher works betterand is cheaper. Mainly used in Horde, Ranged superiority, and Elite armies.

Transport: We have one transport that is expensive and also awesome.

Wave Serpent : I don't know about you but my Wave Serpents perform the role of crewed missile everygame. I normal buy 1-3 for a unit that will never use it, and SLAM them into other tanks / squads via StarEngines. Its really a helpful tactic to releave pressure for Anti Tank weaponry elsewhere. If you decide touse them at their intended role (which like 99% of players do) then it won't let you down, typical of CCarmies these tanks can deliver a 2nd turn charge, and provide some anti-Horde or Tank depending onweapon load out (twin-linked helps). Why didn't GW give them the ability to use holo fields? BecauseGW Hates Eldar Most likely it was a issue of game balance since it already has a Energy Field but I stillcan wish../sigh. Can be seen in any list, just be sure to buy it for a specific purpose.

Originally Posted by SOURCLAMSThe general consensus at my store is that 5e is far more open and fun than 4e. Except for the Eldar

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players, of course, they think it's stupid that they don't just show up and win anymore.

"CHEESE!" is the battlecry of the unprepared - Chaplin Swordwind

Dirty/Useful Tips and Tricks:

1) Swooping Hawks can Land, Drop their grenades and Sky leap back up to safety in the same turn, a minsized units works best for this (do not equip the exarch with anything!). You can also Skyleap out of aassault if you are somehow still alive on your next turn.

2) You can Hide IC's (yes even Phoenix Lords) inside a Harlies squad with a Shadow seer and watch themtaunt the enemy long range weaponry.

3) Weave troops between each other to gain a 4+ cover saves, everyone can do this but Eldar get thebest benefit with Guardians and Rangers, nothing says HA! than 10 Rangers with a 2+ in the open.

4) Give the Striking Scorpions Infiltrate...give them a Wave Serpent...watch them outflank in a tank, veryuseful for getting behind lines.

5) You can cast all your most useful Powers from the safety of a tank (Doom, Fortune, Guide) withextended range.

6) I heard a nasty rumor that in the German FAQ that Tanks with a Star Engine equipped cannot ram inthe shooting phase but never actually found it. Unless it gets FAQ'd you can either perform 2 rams aturn, or have one super long one...and remember kids the STR tally's up ALL previous movement in thesame Turn.

7) Mind War uses the MODEL's unmodified Leadership value not the UNIT's value. This has been arguedto death but the words speak plainly, Mind War those pesky Nobs or any other model that has itsleadership value modified (except those damn sisters and their dirty book), it IS worth noting that as a"shooting attack" that causes wounds Mind War does allow the target to take cover or invul saves.

8 ) Perils of the Warp and a Fortuned Farseer only roll his save twice, in essence regardless of if youpass/fail Fortune and the Perils rules cancel each other out.

9) Runes of Warding work even if the Seer is inside a building/tank

10) Its being argued heavily but my opinion on it is if a unit is fortuned with a IC (such as a Farseer orYirel) if that unit leaves the squad it keeps the buff. Similar to how in MMO's if a party gets buffed andsomeone leaves later they keep the Buff. If Squad/IC was/is a valid target for Fortune/Guide/Doomwhen it was cast then there is no reason that it should lose it. As always until it gets FAQ'd check withyour opponent.

11) 8 models seems to be the best unit size for Aspect Warriors. This knowledge ,of course, has beengleamed through heavy play testing. The ONLY exceptions to this are the 3-5 man squads (ShinningSpears, Dark Reapers, and Guardian Jetbikes) play with 8 models and you will find you have plenty ofextra points without sacrificing the impact of the unit.

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12) If a broken unit is falling back and it becomes fearless somehow (PL or Avatar) it automatically rallysand stays rallied even if the source of fearlessness leaves.

13) Just like Perils, a Null Zone toting Space Marine player will have Null Zone and Fortune cancelthemselves out. If you pass the first time you re-roll, if you fail the first time you re-roll.

14) Eldar vehicles are fast and long, use their size and maneuverability to block fire/charge lanes fromthe enemy. Positioning is Key

15) You do not need to give a Warlock a power, use this to save points and allocate wounds.

16) Units behind a unit of Harlies that are under the power "Veil of Tears" still gain a 4+ cover save since

the enemy is shooting through a unit

17) The new Space Marine Psychic hood (and possibly the Space Wolves staff) only function when amodel within 24' casts a power. If you place your Psykers into a tank (such as a Falcon) then the Psyker isno longer on the table and as such not a "model" when casting. The hood can only target the tank(which is not casting a power) thus granting you complete immunity to the hood until you disembark. **The Deamonhunters Hood is worded differently and works since it only cares about if a power was usedsomewhere, but strangely enough only gets to BE USED when a >model< casts a power. So enjoy yourcomplete immunity all around, at least until you get shot out of the tank.

18) Stealth ,incidentally against all common sense, applies to the whole unit if at least one member hasit. Sticking say Kahandras into a squad of Harlies in cover can all but guarantee their survival if yousomehow mess up and get into rapid fire range (a 3+ to 2+ cover save is always nice)

19) As mentioned previously our Fast/Skimmer/Tanks can get up to Str 10 when ramming, use this toyour favor if you find yourself in a bad situation that needs to be fixed quick (Monolith, Land Raider noLances, weapon blown off etc.)

20) Due to a huge and fatal mistake between editions Banshee Masks do >Not< count as grenades in5th. Be very careful charging your girls into cover, they will shoot up to Int 10 and then promptly streakdown to Int 1 due to taking a difficult terrain test. Don't believe me? Go read the Banshee Masks entryvery carefully... notice how they "remove the benefit of cover the enemy gets" that is a hold over from3rd and 4th when the unit you charged struck at Int 10. Sadly now this means any unit in cover theycharge magically becomes a serious deadly threat, soften them up with shooting first or find anothertarget.

21) You can Turbo-Boost a Jet-Council AND get fortune cast on them without leaving the Farseer off tothe side. Simply stagger your deployment and turbo-boost the warlocks, leaving the last one in the line13.11 inches away from the Farseer's starting position, then simply move him 12 and end within 2' thusattaching the Farseer to the squad and keeping your 3+ (now re-roll able) cover save. (No HE doesn't geta 3+ cover save, be careful how you allocate)

A Note on CraftWorld army Lists : I have seen many a bright eyed, newly minted Eldar player say tohimself (Insert Craftworld) is COOL! As such these poor misguided individuals start to collect models thatgo towards a particular theme. Iyanden, and Aliotic being among the top offenders. If you get nothingelse from this thread PLEASE remember every single craftworld uses every unit in the Codex (Some more

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than others). Yes even Harlies can show up in any army as they travel the webway. Be very cautiousabout spamming a certain type of unit (Wraithguard) when you might only need one to maintainappearance and especially if there are better units elsewhere that fit the intended role much moreefficiently. When your choice to take 2 units of maxed out Wraithguard or 6 Units of Pathfinders costsyou the game you will only become disenchanted with the army as a whole

Sample Lists

This list (known as a Jet-Seer List) is very unique to the Eldar, similar at first glance to a Nob Biker list thisarmy requires a very steady hand to play. Many things can go wrong with it if you do not pay attention,this list is scores a A+ in nearly all aspects of the game and controls 2 1/2 of the games phases. Due topoints and monetary costs you will not see this very often but the possibilities for conversions can makeeven the most hardened modeler drool.

Craftworld Arcadia's Psi-Riders

HQ - Farseer [ Eldar Jetbike, Witch Blade, Spirit Stones, Mind War, Fortune, Runes of Warding, ShurikenPistol, Ghost Helm, Twin-Linked Shuriken Catapult, Rune Armor] = 170 points

HQ- Farseer [ Eldar Jetbike, Witch Blade, Spirit Stones, Mind War, Fortune, Shuriken Pistol, Ghost Helm,Twin-Linked Shuriken Catapult, Rune Armor] = 155 points

HQ- Warlock Squad x10 [ Eldar Jetbike x10, Singing Spear x5, Destructor x8, Witch Blade x5, Embolden,Enhance, Shuriken Pistol x10, Twin-Linked Shuriken Catapult x10, Rune Armor x10] = 550 points

HQ- Warlock Squad x10 [ Eldar Jetbike x10, Singing Spear x5, Destructor x8, Witch Blade x5, Embolden,Enhance, Shuriken Pistol x10, Twin-Linked Shuriken Catapult x10, Rune Armor x10] = 550 points

Troop- Guardian Jetbike x4 [ Twin-Linked Shuriken Catapult x3, Shuriken Cannon] = 98 points

Troop- Guardian Jetbike x4 [ Twin-Linked Shuriken Catapult x3, Shuriken Cannon] = 98 points

Troop- Guardian Jetbike x4 [ Twin-Linked Shuriken Catapult x3, Shuriken Cannon] = 98 points

Troop- Guardian Jetbike x4 [ Twin-Linked Shuriken Catapult x3, Shuriken Cannon] = 98 points

Total = 1817

This list can be played at 1850, 1750, 1500 easily by just switching around some of the wargear andreducing the number of guardian jetbikes on the table. This list is strong vs all lists but tends to struggleslightly to say..a Deathwing army. A plethora of 2+ saves will protract combat, but FEAR NOT! You canstill win by forcing dozens of saves per turn. Another great thing about this army the main units have a3+ Armor Save, a 4+ Invul Save, and at your option a 3+ Cover save (when boosting) all can be made re-rollable with Fortune.

Tactics: Casting fortune every turn on the 2 seer councils are pritoity #1, chances are if you forget to dothis the person you are playing will make sure you never forget agian.

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Hand to Hand combat is where you belong but this army also does great in the shooting phase, with aeffective range of 24-30 inches per bike you can lay the hurt down on Hordes and even MEQ. Not tomention the 16 Heavy Flamer templates you will lay down every turn or so. Psycannons, which are thenatural enemy of a Seer Council, are impotent against this list. Every model has a 3++ armor save thatthe Psycannon cannot ignore.

No tank is safe vs dozens of STR 9 hits a turn, and no Squad Leader / Independent Character is safe fromthe dual Mind Wars. With 4 Squads of Guardian Jetbikes you can work on playing defensively tocapture/contest objectives. However most of the time the enemy will be focused on the two large flyingseer councils to worry about 4 squads with a Shuri-Cannon JsJing.

I have seen just ONE 11 man Bike Council take out 90+ orks in ONE round. I've seen 3 Land Raiders goPOOF turn 2, I've also seen the Night Bringer dropped HARD. Nothing is really safe and it has a answerfor anything. Use with caution however one wrong move will cost you the game.

Sample List : #2 Reserves Style

Version 3.4 Eldar Riposte Host

HQ: Yitrel of Iyaden (155)

HQ: Arutach w/ Fusion Gun, Power Weapon, Mandiblaster (100)

Elites: Fire Dragons x7 w/ Exarch + Tank Hunters (139)

Dedicated Transport : Wave Serpent w/ Twin Linked Shuri-Can’s + Star Engines + Vectored Engines (135)

Troops: Guardian Jetbike x3 w/ Shuri-Can (66)

Troops: Guardian Jetbike x3 w/ Shuri-Can (66)

Fast Attack: Warp Spiders x9 w/ Exarch + Dual Spinners (215)

Fast Attack: Warp Spiders x9 w/ Exarch + Dual Spinners (215)

Fast Attack: Warp Spiders x9 w/ Exarch + Dual Spinners (215)

Heavy Support: War Walkers x3 each w/ Dual Scatter Lasers (180)

Heavy Support: War Walkers x3 each w/ Dual Scatter Lasers (180)

Heavy Support: War Walkers x3 each w/ Dual Scatter Lasers (180)

Total Points : 1846

Tactics and Setup:

All units should start in reserve, War Walkers (If Needed!!) will Outflank, and the Warp Spiders will

choose to Deepstrike. Because of the 2+ Reserve roll everything should show up second turn barring any

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crappy 1’s. This allows you to dictate where you will attack and throw your opponent into disarray due

to having nothing to focus on.

1) Yirel will attach to the Fire Dragons in the serpent and possibly leave the squad after disembarking to

either wipe a squad of troops (AOE CC Blast) or go tank hunt hunting (Singing Spear), it all depends on

the circumstances.

2) The Other Arutach will attach to a squad of Fire Dragons in the transport.

3) Assuming there are some good targets, vehicle wise, then after disembarking (using when they come

on the serpent will move 24 inches) Yirel will go after a tank or troops as mentioned above. If you feel

confident then the regular Arutach will go after another one with his fusion gun, and the firedragons

themselves will pick another target. After dropping its cargo the Wave Serpent can either maneuver to

shield your troops from return fire or charge. If there is no immediate threat then try and tank shock as

many units as you can or RAM with it for a possible total of 4 dead vehicles.

4) Depending on if you want to shoot the walkers or Warp Spiders first it will dictate where you deep

strike your spiders. Either way you will want to pick a target and deep strike them 7 inches exactly (to

help reduce risk of fatal scatter) if they scatter away from your target 6+ inches use their second jump to

escape to safety

5) Depending on setup and what enemy force you are fighting against you might need to use the

spiders to perform some anti-tank (Guard come to mind) in this situation they have STR 6 guns so Back

Armor and Side Armor are preferable. Please note that in 5th Ed AP – weapons CAN Pen a vehicle just

with a -1.

6) Part of the beauty of this list is that ALL AT ONCE it gives your enemy tons of things to focus on,

usually this tactic can win you the game. Be sure to play up the shock value.

Sample List 3 : Close Combat Style with a touch of Horde

Craftworld Iyandan's Fleeting Specters

Headquarters - Both these units will attach to other squads so both the squad and the character will be

synergistic with each other. In the case of Karandras he will go with the SS squad that does not have a

Exarch. Yirel will attach to the Harlequins and walk up the middle.

Karandras : The Shadow Hunter (215)

Prince Yirel : Corsair of Iyanden (155)

Troops - With 4 squads of guardians you have enough models to that you can afford to lose some to

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shooting/CC and can capture table objectives. Especially in annihilation missions you will want to

interweave these units to gain a 4+ cover save vs shooting, thereby extending their lifespan with 33

attacks on the charge at WS 4 and Int 5 they can handle themselves if the going gets tough.

Storm Guardians x10 w/ Warlock + Enhance (120)

Storm Guardians x10 w/ Warlock + Enhance (120)

Storm Guardians x10 w/ Warlock + Enhance (120)

Storm Guardians x10 w/ Warlock + Enhance (120)

Elites - The elite choices in this army serve a very specific purpose of disrupting your enemy's battle

plans. Both the SS squads will outflank in their transports and with a +1 to the rolls from Yirel you stand a

great chance of them coming out when you need them. Even if they show up on the other side of the

board with a 24 inch flat out move they can quickly get back into the fray. The Harlies will serve as a

Mystic Shield for Yirel and will help escort the Storm Guardians and Wraithlords protecting them from

combats they cannot win.

Striking Scorpions x8 w/ Wave Serpent with Shuricannons (228)

Striking Scorpions x8 w/ Exarch + Shadowstrike w/ Wave Serpent with Shuricannons (276)

Harlequins - x8 (Harlie's Kiss x2) w/ Troupe Master (power weapon) and Shadowseer (202)

Heavy Support - Carrying with the theme of Close Combat we have some excellent anti-tank in this army,

mainly concentrated with the Headquarter units the Dual Wraith lords can help perform some long

ranged anti-tank. Both weapons can damage just about any vehicle and the Bright Lance is especially

useful taking down Landraiders. With their STR 10 and Yirel's Str 9 they can even take out Monoliths

should the need arise...not to mention high STR Rams from the Wave Serpents. Flamers and plasma

missile also give this army a nice "icing on the cake" vs. Horde lists.

Wraithlord w/ Brightlance and EML and Dual Flamers(155)

Wraithlord w/ Brightlance and EML and Dual Flamers(155)

Total 1850

This list can be played at 1750 and 1500 with some modifications to the number of Guardian Squads and

how many Harlies are present on the field.

Sample List 4: Mech (Mechdar) with a dash of Ranged Superiority

Head Quarters : Eldrad and the Farseer (+Locks) go into the Falcon which will be the Command tank

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throughout the battle. From inside the Falcon the Eldar player will use Guide x3 to cast on the Squad of

Vypers, Falcon, and one of the Prisims. The warlocks can exit the tank should the need arise to perform

some Counter assault.

Eldrad (210)

Farseer w/ Guide (75)

Warlocks x4 w/ Witch Blade x4, Embolden, Enhance (120)

Troops : These units will stay inside their transports WAY in the back table edge until CC units get close

(Assualt Marines, Genestealers etc etc) Using Blade storm these guys are your effective counter assult

unit. When needed the Wave Serpents can use their 24' range to capture objectives with the troops safe

inside. Be sure to have Eldrad Doom whatever wanders to close to make full use of the massed STR 4 fire.

Dire Avengers x10 w/ Exarch w/ Dual Shuricats and Bladestorm (152)

Dire Avengers x10 w/ Exarch w/ Dual Shuricats and Bladestorm (152)

Dire Avengers x8 w/ Exarch w/ Dual Shuricats and Bladestorm (128)

Heavy Support : With the Falcon in the middle with its 48' range these tanks will punish the enemy at

range. Of course priotiy targets are any enemy long range Anti-Tank. All 3 units can perform anti-troops

duties and perform it well. The enemy will lose a lot of units running into your guns.

Falcon w/ Holofield, Spirit Stone, Eldar Missle Launcher, ShuriCannon(185)

Fire Prisim w/ Star Engines (130)

Fire Prisim w/ Star Engines (130)

Fast Attack : These units sit back near the Falcon and (while guided) and pummel enemy tanks/MC's.

With a effective range of 48-60 inches they should be able to stay out of the enemy's main attack force.

You can even drop some templates on troops if they get to close (remember plasma is pinning!)

Vyper x3 w/ EML (195)

Tansport: These units are here to provide some more ranged anti-tank and to keep your troops safe. The

one tank with a Cannon goes with the 8 man squad. You will use this as a speed bump should enemy

forces get to close.

Wave Serpent w/ Twin-Linked Bright Lance (135)

Wave Serpent w/ Twin-Linked Bright Lance (135)

Wave Serpent w/ ShuriCannon (100)

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Total = 1847

Your overall strategy is to sit back and form a gunline to kill your enemy dead. When stuff starts getting

close use your superior mobility to redeploy your forces to a optimal position. This aspect is only

enhanced with Eldrad Divination ability, this list performs well against a variety of units and is mobile to

boot. At lower point games (1500, 1750) remove the squad of Vypers and maybe the Warlocks.

Eldar Psychic Powers:

Farseer Power – Never take a Farseer without at least one power. The power(s) that people are taking

will dictate the roll they see their army in. It’s worth nothing that Eldar players can cast

Fortune/Guide/Doom without needing LOS, while locked in combat, and while inside a vehicle.

Fortune: This is a staple power that turns most enemies green with jealously. I, personally, love failing a

save...pausing for a second... (Just to let it sink in I failed it) and then go “Oh, I get a re-roll because of

fortune”. People just HATE that, but then again its part of the powers charm. I promise you a skilled

player will be paying very close attention to see if you remember to cast it or not, forgetting to cast this

on a unit has killed more Eldar than any unskilled player.

Guide: Another great power that does not annoy people so much, this in effect allows all of your ranged

attacks to be twin linked. Due to the plethora of common units with BS 3 (War Walkers) and important

weapons, makes this almost mandatory in a Ranged Superiority list.

Doom: This power makes people who run Howling Banshees cry with joy, and making people who run

Plague Marines cry foul. That’s right kids this power allows you to “Re-Roll” the “To-Wound” roll. If the

Imperial Guard somehow gets this ability in the new codex what a powerhouse they will be. Until then

we enjoy this benefit able to target any unit and pound them with now-reliable STR 3 and 4 firepower.

Tack on a 24’ range this power can really reach out and touch someone.

Mind War: Ah yes Mind War this power is singularly useful in the fact you can target a specific model

and nuke it. Hidden Power fists, Synapse Creatures, Squad Leaders, HQ’s in a retinue etc etc the list

goes on and on. Back when Ulthwe had the Warlock Power Augment, this power was BRUTAL with a 36’

in range. Even with a 18’ range it’s more than enough to insta-gib a model. Best used against low

leadership models.

Eldritch Storm: What can I say? This is a STR 3 AP – Large blast, pinning attack. As such it’s mainly useful

against Hordes but not much else…unless you tag teamed it with Doom. Again with a 18’ range this can

actually scatter (i] I know weird right [/i]). It’s also worth nothing that it roll’s 2d6+3 vs. vehicles giving

you a CHANCE to even pen a Land Raider or Monolith….I have never once seen it happen. Also spins the

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vehicles making it a good setup power to target back and side armor.

Warlock Powers: Almost useful all the time describes Warlock powers…well except Conceal. A Warlock

never has to make a test to use their powers and thus ignore anti-psychic power tactics (Runes, Hood,

and Shadow)

Conceal: I used to think this power was all that and a bag of chips…back in the older codex. Back when

Low-A/p weapons were everywhere and a Fortuned Conceal roll was the difference between life and

death vs. a Psycannon. Now you literally trip over 4+ saves it should not even be considered as a valid

power. Also one of the most costly powers, incidentally when you DO see this it’s most often on a squad

of Wraithguard.

Embolden: If you took a Seer Council you took Embolden right? I sure hope you did since Embolden

allows you to re-roll your LD vs. morale effects. Not only will this keep you around when you got

maimed in combat but it also helps a Farseer pass a psychic test.

Enhance: Almost mandatory if you are taking Warlocks as shock troops, this will gives +1 WS and +1 INT

to whatever unit the warlock is attactched to. Best used with a Seer Council and Storm Guardians.

Sometimes used to good effect with Wraithguard.

Destructor: Who wants a heavy Flamer...I do! Who wants 1-10 Heavy Flamers…/head explode. That’s

right especially with the new template rules you can REALLY put the hurt on units. Considering you can

take up to 10 (8 is the magic number since you will have Enhance and Embolden) you will latterly toast

whatever you shoot at. Well worth the points and a bargain for what it does cost.

Veil of Tears: This is taken by the Shadow Seer for the Harlequins, but functions the same as a Warlock

Power. This will cause your opponent to pull hair out when trying to target the unit, makes all weapons

shooting at them have a 2-24 inch range. (Models with a null rod ignore it)

Exarch Powers: These abilities often grant a great boon, but with the downside is it can make the unit

super expensive.

Blade storm: Bladestorm is often hailed as the best thing since sliced bread. Able to add +1 to the

number of shots is brutal against any unit vulnerable to STR 4 firepower. It does give a “recharge” time

to the unit though so don’t use it unless you can account for the unit not shooting for a turn.

Defend: Used to be SO much better than its current incarnation; this is again mandatory when using a

Dire Avengers squad to tar pit a unit. Being able to give -1 attacks is part of the reason why they can

survive against otherwise impossible odds; I mean just ask a Necron Lord with a Gaze of Flame.

War Shout: Dropping a opponents WS to 1 for a turn is dangerous in the hands of a Howling Banshees

squad. Making just about everything hit them on a 5+ (damn you Kharn!) this makes the unit extremely

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durable due to the drastically reduced amount of return hits.

Acrobatic: Giving the squad Counter-Attack is a MAYBE, +1 attacks is attractive but due to needing a INT

test it can fail when you need it most. However due to these ladies having STR 3 it can be the difference

between life and death.

Tank Hunters: This ability is so totally worth it, combined with a AP 1 weapon Fire Dragons can down a

monolith faster than white on rice. If you are seriously considering taking Fire Dragons then go ahead

and tack this ability on.

Crack Shot: Yea….on Fire dragons this ability would be SO much better if it affected the entire squad as

such its usefulness is restricted to a Firepike…and even then it’s questionable. Only really worth taking if

you grab the Dragons Breath Flamer and only then to re-roll the wound roll.

Shadow Strike: This power grants Infiltrate and obviously it’s useful. One of the best uses of this is giving

them a tank and having the squad outflank. If you lack the points for another Wave Serpent or Falcon

then this will allow the enemy get into CC quicker and receive less fire than they would walking down

the field.

Stalker: Situational at best, but if you are infiltrating behind cover this can be used to make sure the

squad reached its target. I don’t really recommend this power since it costs so much, and it’s only useful

some of the time.

Fast Shot: For Dark Reapers this is a great ability! Until you see it only works on the Exarch, combined

with a EML this is a dangerous power. It’s so/so with a Tempest Launcher but you are not taking one of

those right? Even with a Basic Reaper launcher it is still useful, overall a must have power.

Crack Shot: For a Dark Reaper’s Exarch this power is much more useful than on a Fire Dragon. With a

EML you can pop tanks or troops with Plasma. Once again the usefulness combined with a Tempest

Launcher is questionable at best. Since a Tempest Launcher is a barrage weapon it ignores cover from

the center of the blast, only the re-roll to wound is useful.

Sky leap – YES PLEASE, mainly covered above this power is very useful when you need to get out of

dodge fast. Can save you from CC and allow you to spam the grenade pie plates.

Intercept: This power was, at a time, amazing. Perfect for killing skimmers and other randomness now

most of the time you only need a 4+ to hit everything. The rare times something moves 7+ inches then it

can be useful, otherwise not really worth it anymore.

Surprise Assault: worthless in 5th don’t ever take it as Warp Spiders get it for free now.

Withdraw: Can be useful if the squad gets caught in Cc and does not die off. However due to the second

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jump they shouldn’t get caught in CC anyway. If you take it that’s because you plan to use it. Never grab

it if you just need a point filler.

Skilled Rider: Kinda worth it on Shinning Spears as they are not only expensive but few in number. If you

plan to be ending your move in cover a lot then grab it.

Withdraw: Absolutely mandatory in every Shinning Spears unit, this allows them to re-charge on your

turn. Always use Hit and Run at the end of your opponent’s combat phase…not on yours.

Phoenix Lords – It’s worth noting if you take a PL then it grants another useful ability to the Aspect

squad.

Asurman – Nothing

Jain Zar – Nothing

Baharroth – Hit and Run

Karandras – Stealth

Feugan – Nothing

Maugan Ra - Acute Senses

Vehicle Upgrades: The elder have some of the most “cheatery” pieces of vehicle upgrades throughout all

the armies, use them well.

Holo-Field: Besides Fortune nothing has caused more consternation in opponents than the Holo-Field.

This Forces the enemy to roll 2 dice on the vehicle damage chart and take the lowest result. Part of the

reason why the term “God Falcons” became so widespread. On a fire Prism it’s a mixed blessing since

most of the time if you have a huge distance between it and the enemy, it won’t be used much.

However if you plan on getting close this is almost mandatory.

Spirit Stones: A much more fluffy piece of wargear than the Imperium’s Extra Armor, this allows you to

downgrade a Stunning result down to Shaken. Don’t ever bother putting these on Warwalkers or Vypers

in a squadron, almost required on a Wave Serpent, and can be useful on a Falcon depending on how you

want to use it. Not to useful on a Fire Prism.

Star Engines: Mandatory on Wave Serpents this allows you to not shoot in the shooting phase and get

another 12 inches of movement. Now infamous because it allows you to Ram or Tank Shock twice, this

neat little upgrade can also allow a turn 2 charge.

Vectored Engines: Now nearly completely worthless since skimmers don’t crash when immobilized, this

is only useful if you constantly plan on going Flat Out. If you plan on turning your tanks into crewed

missiles then this is also useful because a glancing hit can still immobilize you causing you to crash. This

at least will make sure you don’t die when that happens.

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Wargear: The Eldar does not have a armory like the other races, but the items we do have can be

devastating when put to the right use. Just like a Aspect Squad you take certain items for certain units,

the day you can master this is the day you will start winning more.

Rune Armor: Perhaps one of the most useful pieces of wargear this goes on two of the most important

units in the Codex. I am talking about a Farseer and a Warlock. Not only does this look cool its standard

issue on the aforementioned units. A 4+ invul save is nothing to sneeze at.

Ghosthelm: Back when Perils of the warp was a STR 6 hit, this little piece of wargear turned into a Save

or Die effect. You better pass the save…or else. Now it adds a second line of defense for Perils which

quite frankly with a LD of 10, Runes of Witnessing and most likely a Embolden warlock nearby you

hopefully should never have to use it. It’s treated like a Feel No Pain roll so no re-rolls with Fortune.

Runes of Warding: This piece of wargear should always be taken…unless you feel like getting pummeled

by powers like Null Field. A very handy defense vs. enemy psychic powers, this is a passive effect and

requires no effort on your part. Very useful against Dual Lash, this option REALLY shines when you face

enemy psykers that cast multiple powers a turn; they run a excellent chance of making their heads

explode.

Runes of Witnessing: With so many options to make sure your psychic powers make it through I see

people more and more often save the points and spend them elsewhere. If you want to make sure your

power goes through then takes this. As a added note GW has stated that Shadow of the Warp and Runes

of Witnessing cancel each other out, a great defense.

Witch Blade: One of the BEST pieces of wargear IMO it gets rid of one of the weaknesses of the Eldar

Army…STR 3. Allowing you to wound on 2+ regardless of your target (and being one handed!!) makes

this extremely attractive. Tack on the ability to TRIPLE your users STR (Str 9) vs. any vehicle and any unit

with this becomes a power house. Incidentally all the units that use this use Rune armor, which is why

Warlocks are so dangerous.

Singing Spear: Same as above except it is a 2H weapon reducing the models number of attacks by 1, this

spear now has the ability to be thrown 12’ with all of the same effects. Many people seem agree that

the ability to be thrown is worth the -1 attacks. Great for Anti-Tank duty.

Force shield: Only a Autarch has this, it grants a 4+ invul save, as well as making a fashion statement.

Avenger Shuriken Catapults: A basic gun of the Eldar army but with a 18’ range makes Avengers great for

kiting units

Shuriken Catapult: High Volume of shots at short range, a staple of the Eldar army

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Dire sword: IT’S A TRAP! Seriously though you shouldn’t be taking this, the Avengers are built for ranged

combat and when you kite them out for close combat the idea is to tar pit a unit. With Str 3 you will

almost never hit to use the neat little Insta-Gib ability. In 11+ years of playing Eldar I think I have only

seen this happen once.

Shimmer Shield: Mandatory when using Avengers as a tar pit unit, this allows them to have staying

power vs. units that would just eat through their 4+ save. Best combined with Fortune or they won’t last

too long.

Banshee Mask: You get these for free on howling Banshees. Use it, Love it. It allows you to always go

first regardless of other factors during the initial round of assault. After that you are stuck with your bad

ass INT of 5 (6 for Exarch)

Executioner: Gives +2 STR making it to where your Exarch wounds more often. It’s nice and all but it’s

more of a preference for the person. If you are running without Doom grab it. It IS a two handed

weapon so you will lose 1 attack.

Mirror Swords: Grants +2 attacks instead of +1 for having a CC weapon. COMPLETELY worth it if you

have Doom, otherwise maybe the Executioner is better.

Triskle : Never take this when you have the option to take a Executioner or Mirror Swords, it grants a

multi hit ranged attack…at STR 3. However it IS at AP 2 so you will find use with it vs. Terminators. In

effect it grants 3 more attacks to the Exarch just out of combat

Fusion Gun: STR 8, AP 1….yea. Oh and it’s a Melta

Dragons Breath Flamer: IMO you should always take this (it’s free!) if you want to grant the squad a bit

more versatility. A Heavy Flamer is never a bad thing and at STR 5 it can even damage Light Vehicles.

You DID take Tank Hunter didn’t you?

Fire Pike: Yea not so useful in 5th (and even in 4th) all it is a Fusion gun with a 18’ range. This does mean

you get the Melta rule at 9’ instead of 6’, but really it’s not worth the points.

Mandi Blasters: Gives +1 Attacks for Striking Scorpions, mandatory if you take a CC Autarch.

Scorpions Chain swords: This is what makes the SS such good Horde Killers. Because of this wargear they

get +1 STR upping them to a manlier STR 4.

Chain Sabers: A Exarch with these gets stupid number of attacks (6 on the charge) that re-roll all failed

to hit and wounds rolls. This sounds amazing at first glance but you have to understand he makes all

these attacks at STR 3. I don’t see these too often but I am sorely tempted to take them.

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Biting Blade: This is a two handed weapon so it will reduce the number of attacks, but it retains the +1

STR. However as a very nice bonus every hit the Exarch gets it will increase his STR by +1, so as a

example if he hits 5 times, he is at STR 9 to resolve those attacks. Sadly it still allows armor saves.

Scorpions Claw: It acts as a power fist with a Shuriken Catapult inside, and can be used as both in the

same phase. Just keep in mind you only go to STR 6, and lower the INT 6 down to a 1.

Reaper Launcher: The basic weapons of the Dark Reaper these things are Marines killers. Ap 3 coupled

with a nice STR and a high rate of fire it will mow down MEQ’s like a hot knife through butter. Oh and it

has the same range as a EML. Practice yelling WHERE IS YOUR EMPEROR NOW! as you remove squad

after squad from the table.

Tempest Launcher: I believe I have stated the “usefulness” of this item previously, your mileage may

vary.

Eldar Missile Launcher: A Dark Reapers Exarch can take this baby and has BS 5 to boot!

LasBlaster: A very decent gun overall, at STR 3 it won’t kill everything but with the amount of shots you

get you can cut swathes of enemy infantry with ease. The Imperial Guard WISHES they had these.

Swooping Hawks Wings: Makes the unit Jump Infantry and allows them to Deep Strike

Swooping Hawk Grenade Pack: A free Pie plate with the stats of a Bolter only scatters 1d6 too! (not -BS)

A nice bonus, only works when you deep strike the unit though.

Haywire Grenades: These are why Swooping Hawks kill vehicles so well, so useful even against a

monolith as no vehicle can get away from these guys.

Hawks Talon: At STR 5 and with 3 shots this weapon is totally worth it, not to mention the Exarch has BS

5.

Sun Rifle: My new love this bad boy has 6 shots (6!) and causes pinning. Combine this with Doom and go

to town, only downside is it is STR 3.

Death Spinner : 2 STR 6 shots, and you will almost never miss the lack of Ap. Due to the high volume of

shots a typical squad can pump out you can just bludgeon something to death.

Warp Jump Generator: Makes them Jump Infantry and Allows them to deep Strike, as a added bonus

they get second move of 2d6. If you roll good and/or with good terrain/units in the way these guys

should get never assaulted.

Spinneret Rifle: I personally like this weapon, it will almost always hit and is absolutely lethal…the only

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problem is it is a 1 shot weapon. Why take this when you could take another Death Spinner and get 4

attacks.

Dual Death Spinner: Makes the Exarch have a Assault 4 weapon at BS 5. Always Worth it, all the Time

Power Blades: Never, ever, EVER take this if you have the option to take something else. The Exarch

maybe gets like 4 attacks on the charge at WS 5, but he is only STR 3 and his squad is most certainly NOT

made to be fighting in CC and so cannot support him. However it IS a great point’s filler.

Laser Lance : This piece of wargear is completely awesome, not only does it give the squad STR 6 power

weapons (on the first turn only) but it gives a STR 6 AP 4 shot before you charge in. Completely useless

in the following rounds however.

Star Lance: Same as above but STR 8, I have seen mixed results, better to spend points elsewhere IMO.

Ranger Long Rifle: A Sniper Rifle on crack, combine this with Doom and practice yelling out BOOM

HEADSHOT in a loud and condescending voice. Without Doom however you only have 50% chance to

hurt something and combined with the Rending you can even damage AV 12 vehicles….but only when

you are desperate.

Guardian Heavy Weapons Platform: Can have a mix of Heavy Weapons from the Lowly Shuriken Cannon,

to the beefy Bright Lance….fired at BS 3 however… It DOES allow the squad to move and shoot through.

The most often used gun being the Scatter Laser due to the Amount of shots.

Eldar Jet bike: Completely awesome, and gives another 6’ move in the assault phase if unengaged.

Worth it every time if you have the points.

Pulse laser: The mainstay of the Falcon this is a awesome weapon, High STR, Low AP, and 2 shots.

Prism Cannon: The mainstay of the Fire Prism, this gun is a Lascannon on crack and combined with the

Link ability and two firing modes it has something for anyone.

Wraith Cannon: This weapon is why people take Wraithguard, this gun will wound anything on a 2+, has

a Haywire grenade effect on vehicles, and can cause Instant Death with a roll of a 6. All with Ap2,

however you need to buy the Wraithguard to use this and combined with their 6’ move you won’t

always get to fire them.

Wraith Blade: allows the Warithlord to re-roll to hit…..since he only has two attacks it makes these seem

like a very attractive option. However as I detailed before it is indeed a trap and he is better served

being a mobile fire platform.

Flip-Belts : Allows the Harlequins to ignore all terrain when moving, this is part of the reason why they

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are so feared because you just cannot get away from these guys when they pick a victim.

Holo-Suit: Gives Harlies a 5+ invul save.

Harlequins Kiss: Gives the unit rending for a handful of points more per model, can still be useful even

with the changes to rending. However due to how rending has changed it’s a mixed blessing.

Fusion Pistol: Same as a Fusion Gun with a 6 inch range, not entirely worth it since of all the units in the

codex one has BS 3, and the other prefers to fleet ensuring you almost never fire with it. Mileage may

vary

Hallucinogen Grenades: This is a upgrade for the Shadow Seer, allows the entire unit to strike into cover

as if they used grenades.

Shrieker Cannon: This weapon is actually very decent but because of the CC focus the squad has not a

lot of people get it, but when it works it works nice.

Staff of Ultramar: This allows Eldrad to ignore armor saves in CC, and is what allows him to cast 3 powers

a turn. The verdict is still out if it counts as a CC weapon. He DOES have a witch blade after all.

The Spear of Twilight: This is what makes Yirel such a bad ass. Same stats as a Singing Spear but all his

attacks ignore Armor Saves.

Phoenix Lords Wargear:

The Sword of Asur – Is a Dire sword that allows missed hits to be rerolled, unlike the Dire Avenger

Exarch, Asurman knows how to use this one.

The Silent Death – A Triskle with STR 5

Scorpions Bite – A Uber Mandi-Blaster that gives +2 attacks instead of 1

Fire Axe – Gives +1 STR and strikes as a Monstrous Creature

The Maugatar – Mr. Ra’s badass weapon, a ShuriCannon with a 36 inch range and is a Assault weapon

instead of Heavy…oh and it has rending with a inbuilt executioner

Heavy Weapons : You will see these as upgrades on Vehicles and the Wraithlord, these are the mainstay

of the Eldar.

Eldar Missile Launcher: With two firing modes that can cover anti-troop duty or anti-tank this is one of

the most used weapons. Not to mention the Plasma shot causes Pinning

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Bright Lance: This is the iconic weapon of the Eldar (Dark Eldar use the Dark Lance go figure) Str 8 with

Ap 2 and lowers all armor values above 12 to 12. Useless against a Land Raider with Blessed hull or a

Monolith.

Scatter Laser: This used to be such a unpredictable weapon no one used it, how with 4 shots this

weapon is seen everywhere and is a highly valued addition in 5th.

Shuriken Cannon: Most often used as a support weapon this has only 1 shot less than the scatter laser

but has 1 better Ap. Only “bad thing” is that it is 24’

Star Cannon: Not worth it anymore, back when it was Heavy 3, this thing was awesome. Now due to the

high points cost and the plethora of 4+ cover saves I almost never see it used anymore…I mean >I<

wouldn’t use it.

Disclaimer: Once again this is just a quick helping hand to those who may lack it, not meant tobe a end all user guide.

Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a thousand battles without disaster.'" -The Art of War

If you ask ten people what makes a competitive army competitive, you will receive 10 differentanswers, obviously the goal is to “win” but how can that be achieved in 40k consistently. Surethere are a few “top” armies such as the Nob Bikers or the Land Raider Spam that seem to juststeamroll their opponents consistently. This , I believe, is simply because the person who gotsteamrolled did not take that army into account, not because the army is “too powerful” or“cheesy” as Chaplin Swordwind is fond of saying “CHEESE! is the battle cry of the unprepared”

In the last few days I circulated a few different army setups (all for Eldar) to a few people whoconsistently amaze me with their insight. To quote one person “ WOW Rage! This army isinsane I can’t see it losing especially with a seasoned general behind it, Good job on theversatility”, take this Exact Same Army and allow me to quote someone else “ I don’t Like it, itdoesn’t seem to know what's it's doing, is it Anti-GEQ? Anti-MEQ? I don’t even think it wouldperform well in CC since you only have 2 units in the entire army remotely capable in it. I thinkyou should think back on what you did and get back to me when you actually get a good idea”

Thinking Ahead

Basically any army can be good no matter what the setup, throw in the random dice chances andyou can win big or lose hard. What it really comes down to is experience, and a naturalunderstanding of Tactics and what your army is capable of. Take myself for example, I can lookat a setup for any army and immediately tell how it is supposed to be played and what armies ittruly shines against. I can also take a look at a list and go ‘If this is changed to this, then it will

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work”. I am the type of person who can beat you with your own list if you took over runningmine, while this all sounds well and good what happens when I run across someone with theexact same ability…perhaps with it much more refined than myself?

In this instance it becomes like a chess match, just by moving this tank “Here” or that unit“There” we can be exchanging numerous imagined attacks, invisible to the naked eye. Theability to see where a certain path will take you is invaluable in this game. It also, incidentally, isnot nearly as hard as you would like to imagine. It can be as simple as looking one turn aheadand going “If I move my Wave Serpent next to that hill I will be in range of three Las Cannons,with the hill as cover I believe I can make it” It can also be as complicated as “By moving myStriking Scorpions on this objective, I can contest it for the next three turns with only a few shotsheading their way. As long as I go to ground, I can make sure they will be in fighting conditionwhen those Assault marines charge me turn 4 after killing my Guardian Defenders”

Everyone can do this to one degree or another, the trick is being able to “see” farther than youropponent. Then you have the gifted individuals who don’t even need to do this, these people“play it by ear” reacting only after you have made your move, typically the “prize” for themchanges turn by turn to whatever poses the most threat. These are the hardest to play againstbecause they are generally very skilled and put together their army with the precision of a brainsurgeon. It's worth noting that these types are players are either very good, or very bad. I haveseen little middle ground, the very bad players are usually the ones who just started out, nothaving confidence in their skill and not knowing what your army does. You could tell them theOrk KFF gives a 4+ cover save with a +1 bonus if the unit is in cover and they will believe you!The Very good player might chuckle and insist you take your 5+ save while sending 30+ shotsinto it.

Army groundwork

How do you build your army? If you are like me it goes something like this…

1) HQ2) Heavy Support3) Troops4) Fast attack5) Elites

As you can see I start with selecting my HQ’s first as This will decide (for me) in what directionmy army goes, followed quickly with Heavy Support, and then the minimum 2 troops I need tomake it legal. After that I look at fast attack and then if I have any points left delve into Elites(Typically Fire Dragons) to finish up any weak spots I may perceive.A good friend of mine constantly calls me crazy since he builds his army

1) Troops2) Elites3) HQ4) Fast Attack

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5) Heavy Support

He plays Necron BTW , My never ending goal is simply to wipe my opponent from the tableand for this reason I need my Crazy HQ’s and my Powerful Heavy Support, this however doesn’talways work in 5th. I am pretty absent minded getting distracted easily and its sometimes thebottom of turn 4 when I realize I have over extended myself and for me these games end in aDraw. Figuring out what type of setup you usually go for when building a army is IMHO vitalwhen considering what you want to do with it.

It is worth noting "redundancy", ever heard the phrase "Two heads are better than one"? This isvery true and useful in 40k. Having one squad that focuses on Anti-Tank, only to have itkilled/gimped turn 1 can seriously put the hurt on your game plan. However if you have morethan one suddenly it does not become that bad. Careful though as Redundancy can quickly turninto Overkill, which is a waste of points and talent in a army not designed around it. This is alsopartly why 'Spam" lists are so good, give your opponent a overwhelming number of high prioritytargets (or a bunch of low) and watch his head explode due to Target Saturation. Keeping a coolhead and knowing what your "real" targets are is the key to overcoming these lists.

Target Priority

Another thing that can simply ruin a game is Target priority, the Eldar are blessed with a varietyof powerful long range weapons. Knowing what to shoot at (or charge) is very important to yoursurvival. If you are playing a completely Mech army against a railgun heavy Tau force andchoose to shoot at the Fire Warriors because “They are scoring” then you deserve the utter defeatyou will experience in about 2 turnsKnowing what affects your army setup the most and looking out for it can win you the game farmore often than building a “invincible setup”. To this end I highly suggest you go and read up onthe other armies codex’s. You don’t need to memorize them, just being aware that a Obliteratercan Fire a Heavy flamer can be the difference between winning and losing. Next time you seethem you will know to keep your valuable 4+ armor aspect warriors away from them. A greatexample is how a knowledgeable Ork Horde player will simply Laugh at the 27 Dark Lances thatDark Eldar player is fielding, but will think twice if they were 27 Disenigrators.

So you have built yourself the “perfect” army and based on the possibilities you have runthrough your head it can beat just about anything, before you even bought the models you arepositive this will win hands down. Don’t take this the wrong way but you are not nearly as smartas you think you are, you see that guy across the table? Chances are he has considered a possiblyyou never even dreamed of and will make you pay for failing to do so. My heartfelt suggestion isto take your army and play it at LEAST 10 times, against a minimum of 4 different armies. Thiswill empower you to see how your army truly plays out against a variety of opponents and allowyou to notice a small detail you maybe missed when you thought up your strategy. Maybe youforget by including Eldrad in that squad of Banshees they loose the ability to Fleet, or that ifAsurman joins the Harlequins they cannot go through cover nearly as effectively as before .These little things can make or break you, which is why I suggest you try it out before hand.

Thinking outside the Box

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Cleverness…this is also something that can play a huge factor in winning a game. When I look atmy Wave Serpent/ Falcon/ Fire Prism I see a possible STR 10 ramming hit against a vehicle Ineed dead. If someone else looks at them they might see a invaluable tank that they need to keepalive at all costs. That’s right, I am talking about unit Attachment. In its simplest form this can besomething innocent like naming the Exarch running your squad, “Mr. Fantastic here has survivedthe last 3 games even killing a Hive Warrior all by himself” or it can be a bit more extreme like “You CAN’T use your Wave serpent as a guided missile! Not only is this against the fluff but itssomething the Eldar would never do /hiss”These type of attachments can seriously hinder the way you play, I am not talking aboutbecoming a unfeeling Necron Warrior who only cares about winning and will sacrifice hisunique named character so Faceless soldier # 409589078 can capture that objective. I am simplysaying that you need to keep your options open and be aware of what you can do with cretinunits and not be afraid to get the job done should the need arise. Did you know I have killed 3Land Raiders turn 1 no less then 4 times by simply slamming my 125 point transports into themfrom across the board? Once I was even lucky enough to get a destroyed result on my tank whichallowed me to Melta down a nearby Land Raider with the Fire Dragons that popped out. It wasquite simply the most beautiful thing I had ever seen!

Being Clever and being Aware of what your units can do can turn a seemingly impossiblesituation into a Win/Win. Being Clever however can take different forms, did you know that bybuying 5 Dire Avengers (for less than 3 Jetbikes!) you can stick them inside of a Falcon therebygranting incredible resilience, immunity to things like Lash of Submission, and turns your HeavySupport choice into a scoring unit. Well I didn’t until two days ago!~ I was floored…Why hadn't>I< thought of that! Not only does this give you more points to spend elsewhere it also makesyour Falcon into a Priority target, drawing fire from other, vulnerable, units.

Army refinement

One thing I see a lot is people saying "That would never fly in a GT" or something along thoselines. In these cases the people have been to a few and have been playing a long time, Isometimes get the feeling they are reading from a textbook on how to paint a beautiful picture,but never actually get around to the painting! What I am trying to say is instead of going out andbuying a "Winning Setup" you can simply make a few adjustments to a list you already have. 9out of 10 times you can play a list you built better than someone copying you. This gives you aunique perspective and instead of copy/pasting something else try going off of what you built.Here is a example...

HQ -Farseer w/ Guide and Runes of Warding = 90Farseer w/ Guide =75Warlocks x5 w/ Spears x5 =140Warlocks x5 w/ Spears x5 =140

Elites -

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Fire Dragons x8 w/ Exarch + Tank Hunter = 155

Troops -Storm Guardians x10 w/ Flamer x2 (or Fusion Gun) = 92Storm Guardians x10 w/ Flamer x2 (or Fusion Gun) = 92Storm Guardians x10 w/ Flamer x2 (or Fusion Gun) = 92

Heavy Support -Fire Prism w/ Holo Field = 150Falcon w/ EML + Holo Field = 185Falcon w/ EML + Holo Field = 185

Transport -Wave Serpent w/ TL Scatter Laser + Shurican =115Wave Serpent w/ TL Scatter Laser + Shurican =115Wave Serpent w/ TL Scatter Laser + Shurican =115Wave Serpent w/ TL Shurican + Star Engines = 115

= 1850

Can be played at1750Subtract...Fire Dragon x1Star EnginesWarlock x1Flamer x1

I thought to myself, what could I build quickly that deviates from the way I normally think, Ineed sometimes obviously "good" but not Tourney "good". This army will have to have thecapability to be good with just a few minor changes to the overall structure.Hence the above army was born, something capable of handling a variety of opponents' withanti-MEG/GEQ being at the top of the list. This list ,I believed, would be the perfect exampleand so sent it out to a few people. Out of around 6ish I got into a conversation with 3 about life,the universe, and everything that did not actually focus on the army at hand but the rest helpedme out wonderfully and this is what came out.

QuoteRemove the guardians and replace them all with Dire Avengers x5 (x3) this comes out to adecent point savings we can turn around and get... Bright Lance x3 on the Wave serpents. Thiswill enable you to not rely on the Fire Dragons for everything and not suicide (lol) your tanksinto enemy armor. I believe this is a waste so let's see...we are still a few points shy so...take offthe two Shrunken Cannons on the serpents as the Fire Prisms can deal with Hordes well enough,this will give us enough points. Your Warlocks seem very confused as to their purpose in life, Iassume you want them to go tank hunting with the spears? Try taking the spears away and thetwo Holo-fields on the Prisms this will allow you to have 7 Heavy Flamers against Hordes and aEmbolden for your Farseer. Much more useful than relying on the Serpents to provide back up.

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You don't actually need the H. Fields on the Prisms (or two falcons) as I have found that peopleare much more likely to pay attention to the other tanks running at them than worry aboutsomething 48+ inches away from them. Even when its killing them lol!Take out the two Farseers and put in Eldrad, Remove a falcon and put in a naked Prism, reducethe Warlock size to 8..and BAM you get..

HQ-EldradWarlocks x8 w/ Destructor x7, Embolden x1

Troops-Dire Avengers x5 (Serpent)Dire Avengers x5 (Serpent)Dire Avengers x5 (Falcon)

Heavy Support-Fire PrismFire PrismFalcon w/ EML + Holo-Fields + Stones

Elites-Fire Dragons x8 w/ Exarch + Tank Hunter

Transport-Wave Serpent x3 w/ TL-Bright LanceWave Serpent x1 w/ TL-Shurican (Dragons)

Note: This is just a sample of upgrading, not intended to say its a perfect Tourney list.

QuoteThis grabs you 1750 exactly, and doesn't stray too far from the play style I got when looking atthe list. It's a little more "Hit and Run" than the previous list but still provides a large amount ofvehicles to focus on and deals with Hordes MUCH better, while still being versatile on the Anti-Tank...and yes you can Ram if you need to. Just be careful about Nob Bikers, use the Locks as aSpeed bump while focusing on one squad at a time and you should be fine.

Knowing what does what in your army is useful for making informed decisions. Why a Bright

Lance and not a Eldar Missile Launcher I asked (even knowing the answer) "well with the

prevalence of 2+ saves nowadays and of course Land Raiders, I believe it was a better choice

even though the EML is cheaper and has a second firing mode. Good for those Tyrants and

Terminators alike, remember they can't always be in cover, and even a 4+ is better than a 2+"

Be Prepared

A lot of times I see arguments because one or all of the people involved do not actually know the

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rules. This happened a lot to me when 5th came out because I am the type of person that reads

something once or twice and goes off of memory after that. Because of this the 4th ed rules and

the 5th ed rules kind of blended together and caused me a lot of problems until I started putting

tabs in my rulebook to remind me. A good suggestions is to print all the up to date FAQ's, get the

Rulebook and Codex's you need, and make sure you have plenty of paper for notes. This will not

only help the game flow much smoother but in a tourney setting where you need a ruling NOW<

it can make all the difference when time is running out.

Keeping Quiet

All warfare is based on deception - The Art of War

Another thing to remember when heading into a competitive environment is no one is your

friend. Remember (Insert Friend name here) who helped you build your army and is playing

(Insert Army here) at the same Tourney...yea...he did you no favors. He now most likely holds

the key to your defeat. I personally, when someo0ne messes up, will inform them of the mistake.

"No you can't target the Harlequins from 30 inches out, but you can still choose another target if

you like" other people will just smile and let them roll before informing them of the Veilf of

Tears and how it works exactly. This type of mindset is prevalent in Tourneys, I mean after all if

you even CAME then its assumed you KNOW the rules after all. They are not going to be giving

you any favors while crushing you utterly at the same time. Be aware and try practicing it

yourself, as it can also be the difference between winning or losing.