DAMN SPESS ELFS - What to with Eldar

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Hello friends!

For 6th edition I am looking to start Eldar, I don't have a lot of experience with them I'll admit. Can anyone advise me of particular unit combos?
How would you rate the special characters?
Any units in particular that MUST be taken?

I'd like to build a semi-competitive list, nothing too pro. (I doubt Eldar can claim pro just yet)

Thanks

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

As an addendum, I know that I want a Farseer and at least 1 unit of Guardians. I want it to be a Craftworld, not an Aspect spam.

[gresha]

Eldar are a little tricky and personally I hate Guardians but i'll give you some of my favorites.

Rangers: With the new rules in 6E, Rangers are great now. I've always loved them but now they are just pure nasty. I've never taken them without the Pathfinder upgrade. +2 to cover save instead of +1, AP 1 on To Hits of 5 and 6(6's also give you the ability to pick a target as per 6E), and can Rend on 6's for To Wound rolls.

Farseer: Only psycher in the game with protection against Perils. If i run a regular Farseer I generally go with RoWit, RoWard, SS, Doom, and Fortune for around a buck and a half. Not terrible really. RoWard also isn't necessarily needed if you know who your going against. Necron, Tau, Dark Eldar, and Black Templar you can do without it but really everyone else you need it. With ally rules in play however you might be better off taking it JIC. They also keep the Wraith units in line.

Eldrad: Trying to create a standard Farseer to compare is hard. A Farseer with RoWit, RoWard, Spirit Stones, Doom, Fortune, Guide, and Mind War is 195 points. For 15 points you get a 1 better Invul Save, +1 T, 3rd power a turn which can be one you already casted, AP3 Witchblade, and can redeploy some units. The only thing Lord of the Eldar doesn't have is Fleet which can slow down a unit a little. I always take Eldrad in 2000+ points games.

Avatar: Still awesome and honestly I think you need to run one if you plan on running a lot of Guardians. Fearless no longer has a downside and he gives it to nearby units (I believe 12"). Guardians will be an annoyance to take out if they will never run away. Avatar also has a meltagun built into his sword and can't be hurt by Flame or Melta weapons. His 3+/4++ isn't the greatest but he's WS10 (most things will need 5+ to hit) and is Toughness 6. Avoid force weapons and you should be ok. Teaming him up with a Wraithlord was always fun in 5E but I haven't tried it in 6E.

Nightspinner: Can be a ton of fun against lists with orks and nids (as long as its swarm) but now people get a save for moving through Dangerous Terrain and failing so I'm not sure how useful it'll be.

Fire Prism: Nice buff that Blast weapons are always full Str against Vehicles as long as the template touches it. S9 hits on tanks can be fun especially if you can scoot around Rhinos and things like that.

Dark Reapers: Very expensive but very deadly. 6-10 Str5 ap3 shots a turn can really tear apart a unit of marines. The Tempest Launcher the Exarch can take is S4, AP3, Heavy 2 Blast, Pinning. Combine that with Crack Shot and you also reroll to wound and ignore cover. 217 points for 4 Reapers + 1 Exarch with Temp Launch and Crack Shot is expensive but you'll be taking out almost a unit a turn. Throw Guide on them and you'll be sure to rack up some more hits to the point of overkill.

Other Random Tips:
Starcannons are bad. Don't pick them. They were worth it 7 years ago when they were Heavy 3 but not it's not worth that many points.

Fire Dragons can be your best friends. Their anti-everything.

Support Batteries are a little more interesting now but since i've never used them I can't tell you how they function.

War Walkers can pore 24 str 6 shots a turn into a unit if you take them with 2 Scatter Lasers each.


Hope this helps a little bit.

[Diagnosis Ninja]

Draft in better "Guardians" using Dark Eldar :P

Special character:
Eldrad. There are no others. Just imagine some of the combos he can pull off if you swap 4 powers for Telepathy and Divination powers. And you still have the 5th power.

Guardians: Take a git blob of them and chuck them into an Eldar version of an Aegis Defence Line. Cheap as chips for what it does. Warlock for Embolden, challenge lolz, and BS4 on a Skyfire weapon. I won't try to discourage you because I like them, regardless of what others say.

Normal unit for me would look like:

10 Guardians
Starcannon
Warlock
Embolden
Aegis Defence line
Icarus

Comes to about 200 points, has AP 2 for a bit extra stress, and can sit on top of an objective with a 4+ cover save while dealing with vehicles.

As for others: I'm looking at Vypers, to add to my DE. Scorpions look much better, Harlequins look much better, and except for Banshees and Shining Spears I'd say everyone works better.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Yeah, that helps a bunch. Thank you very much.

I'll have a mull over that tonight.

EDIT: And thanks to you Ninja, I'll think about that too.

[DrLove42]

Agree with a lot of these points.

Use Eldrad or a Farseer and the Avatar for HQ
Decide what you'll do with physic powers and build around that. If you're going to swap them, buy the cheaper, crappy powers to save points. And make sure you use Runes of Warding! Those things are incredible

War Walkers can throw out a horrific amount of damage.

Pathfinders are great now, particularly if guided and fortuned....

Wraithlords are your highest BS platforms, and now with hull points, they damn hardy as well. And with impact hits...just fear DE... Decide what role they're in as well. Hunting armour? Lance and a EML. Hunting light armour/multipurpose? EML and Scatter laser. Combat? Shuri Cannon, 2 flamers and a sword.

Support batteries may actually get a look in now, that they're T7, and you have to roll against that T value, not majority. Cosider D cannons for anti terminators, or vibrocannons to offset the BS3.

Jetbikes are a bit better now, always counting as T4. And damn fast too. And they (unlike DE bikes) can score!

Harlequins aren't techincally craftworld, but are pretty damn good now

If you're club allows FW, use Warp Hunters. And Hornets.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Yes, my GW lets us use Forge World.

Do Wraithlords have hull points?

[DrLove42]

No Wraiths are Monstrous Creatures

T8, S10, 3 Wounds, WS, BS and I 4, Fearless and 2 A basic. With a 3+ save

So most stuff can't hurt you reliably (even melta guns need a 4+). You can turn nearly everything into paste and ID most characters.

Changes to fearless and giving him an impact hit makes them much better. Hes also a character so can challenge and be challenged

If you use FW, you can take a Wriathseer. His powers include the ability to make Wraithlords fleet, or have FNP. Also any wraithlord with a distance of him (think its 6") counts enemy cover saves as one less (so a Jink save is only 6+ for example)

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Wraithlords are your highest BS platforms, and now with hull points, they damn hardy as well. And with impact hits...just fear DE... Decide what role they're in as well. Hunting armour? Lance and a EML. Hunting light armour/multipurpose? EML and Scatter laser. Combat? Shuri Cannon, 2 flamers and a sword.

I get what you mean now, I was just a bit confused. xD

Thanks for the current responses, it's good to get the feedback.

[celestialatc]

Yes, my GW lets us use Forge World.

Do Wraithlords have hull points?

Pretty sure that is a no since they are monstrous creatures and will have wounds.