Got the Eldar Codex, first impressions

[Charon]

Because every unit always is alone on its own...
There are a lot of options in a lot of books that are medicore at best when only used on their own but get way stronger through synergies.

A properly used (and that means Detachment) Guardian Squad comes at 90 points, always runs 6" and gets a free heavy weapon (with relentless) ranging from a skyfire Missile launcher down to another multi shot weapon with Bladestorm. For another 35 points it can sit down and enjoy a 3+ or even 2+ cover save and probably another minor benefit.
Or you just add a Serpent (which is still good and the only reason why the other Aspects are good - or would you argue that footslogging firedrakes are any good?) and get them close to blast away.
While they are surely not anywhere near the top ranking of all armies they are still a decent choice. It is just that DA and Windriders are better. The former because of their galore of special rules, the later because they are extremely undercosted.

[Power Klawz]

Look at the applications of guardians and then compare the other units in the codex that can accomplish that application.

For one, holding an objective in your starting area. For another, fire support.

For holding an objective, they are quite good for a number of reasons. These are:

1: Comparable survival rates to more expensive alternatives.: As troops, they are only really competing with Dire Avengers for early objective camping. If you pay for jetbikes to sit on easily reachable objectives you're doing it wrong. Dire Avengers are better in basically every way, but substantially more expensive and most definitely more suited to the fire support role in an attacking capacity. Yes, guardians wear flimsy jumpsuits they bought at lululemon to do yoga in, but when you're camping in cover and going to ground this becomes a moot point. You get more wounds than avengers that will take the same number of bullets each to get rid of.

2: Comparable killing power to more expensive alternatives: The number of bodies they make is about the same as dire avengers. Yes, they are very limited in range for their main armament, but as a defensive unit this isn't much of a hindrance. They are used as opportunistic ambushers for units that wonder too close to their objective, or as a stern deterrence to an advancing enemy. If you get within the standard 12 inch rapid fire range of guardians in cover, you're going to lose unless you're using an assault unit. They will outshoot most everything in a 12 inch firefight.

3: Greater versatility than comparable units: They can take weapons platforms. This will not only allow them to threaten targets further away than 12 inches, but to threaten a wider variety of targets as well. If nothing wicked this way comes, they can take a few pot shots at flyers, vehicles etc. Obviously this isn't a game breaking amount of firepower, but it can be used to good effect and, again, makes guardians the superior objective campers since they can still have an impact on the wider battle while staying safely within the confines of good cover. Avengers can't do that.

Now none of this is to say that guardians are some sort of all-killy force of ultimate destruction. There are some very obvious counters to them, but of course these counters are still effective against any alternatives in the eldar list, and in fact are generally more effective due to the cheapness of guardian wounds. yes flamers are bad for guardians, and drop podding flamer bros will ruin your day, but that does little to diminish the overall efficacy of guardians. Killing things in this game is inherently easier than surviving, its a design element. You counter flamer usage by having a lot of bodies on important objectives, having fast response support available, by proper spacing of your unit when you suspect template weapons are inbound, and by shooting the offending unit off the table in the ensuing round.

Certain units are designed as counters to objective campers, and if your opponent had the providence or wherewithal to pick the proper application of rock, paper or flamer in your current contest then he's going to perform well against your units. This is not a unique weakness to eldar or guardians, so I don't feel it can be used to formulate a cogent argument against their efficacy.

The second application for guardians is in a fire support role. Now obviously other units in the eldar list do this better, but guardians still remain a cheaper option that still allows access to the best transport/main battle tank in the game. They make a serviceable response force when held in reserves, can move forward with the support of other units, take an objective in the enemies territory and install themselves, at which point they becomes quite good, as I have previously explained. Sure if you've got the points take avengers for this role, but guardians can still do it and for cheaper.

Its also fair to point out that not every army is swaddled in power armor and rocking HUEG BICEPS. There are weedier, shootier armies out there and guardians can give a lot of them a run for their money in a dust up. Guardsmen, other varieties of eldar (excluding harlequins of course, who will do unspeakable yet artistic things to them) tau, cultists. Obviously shooty guardians probably shouldn't be looking at a "punch first" strategy from the onset, but when the chips are down and if they've got the numbers (or even better, a warlock) they'll at least get to hit first and hope they do enough damage to cripple the unit before it hits back. The fact that they just filled the unit full of holes in the shooting phase will also help in this endeavor.

[Erik Setzer]

I feel like even in a vacuum, Guardians aren't bad. They can put out some nice firepower, and while it might be short-ranged, they can move 6+D6" in a turn in order to get in range. They might seem easy to kill, but you can get a Warlock to give them Conceal and make them a lot tougher to move off an area, especially ruins.

But then you start looking at them in an Eldar War Host. Suddenly it's 6"+6" in a turn they can move. Their heavy weapon becomes free. They can get close to a nasty target that might be ignoring them thinking they can't hurt it... and then they end up giving the Vaul's Support Battery hanging out elsewhere Preferred Enemy when firing at that target. Putting them in a Wave Serpent makes it easier to get them close to such a target, especially as the vehicle can move 6", they can disembark 6", and then run 6"... though if they have a weapon platform, that means no Warlock (but does hold their cost down quite a bit).

And if your opponent ignores them, they aren't dying. If he notices this relatively inexpensive unit has some potent firepower close to his line *and* is allowing artillery to hit him harder, he'll likely turn his attention to them, which then allows other units to work with less harassment.

They're not a straightforward point-them-at-the-enemy-and-bludgeon-him unit, but they certainly have some solid uses, and I have no problem taking Guardians in my army.

[Thaldin]

Not sure if I missed it or not, but I haven't seen one thing mentioned that helps make guardian squads amazing objective holders. The fact they can take a warlock. Conceal, plus cover or going to ground gives them some durability. Combined with a weapon platform, they can contribute to helping soften up enemy squads. No, they are not front line assault units, but they are excellent objective holders, which lines up kind of with the concept of taking them in desperate situations.

-- edit --
Fixed an auto-correct and a term

[Mr Mystery]

Yep.

And anyone going after them in said cover has to pull it off, because the consequences of fluffing it are effing hideous.

The only things nekkid Guardians can't freely knack are tanks. Bright lance platform upgrade, and there's nothing they cannot threaten. That's a rare flexibility within the Eldar army, where things tend to do one thing incredibly well, but are bobbins at anything else.

[40kGamer]

Look at the applications of guardians and then compare the other units in the codex that can accomplish that application.

Very nice summary. +1

- - - Updated - - -

While they are surely not anywhere near the top ranking of all armies they are still a decent choice. It is just that DA and Windriders are better. The former because of their galore of special rules, the later because they are extremely undercosted.

I would definitely argue the bikes are the best overall troops choice by a safe margin. They are so cheap for what they can do!

[Hal]

Don't have the codex yet but I'm looking at some blurry pictures and it seems that swooping hawks can do their intercept move on fliers and FMCs regardless if they are zooming or not... Not sure if it was intended or not, but that makes it even better. Am I missing something?

[Charon]

Nope you are not missing something. But to be fair the intercept move is pretty worthless against FMC. What makes it strong against flyers is the haywire rule. Against FMC it is a single attack on a 4+ with S4 and AP-. Not game breaking.

[Hal]

It says "a model with this special rule can make one attack"... Since all of them have the rule it means a full squad could have 10 attacks.. That could do some damage..
Now when I look at it, this is actually stupid good.. No flyer can survive that... :-/

[Power Klawz]

Wow that's cray cray. Also, landing a bunch of flying jump kicks on a Bloodthirster is basically the best thing ever.

The one thing I am pretty depressed about is that I have been waiting since the last codex for new aspect plastics. I bought the old codex the day it was released and have been basically standing outside my FLGS with a fist full of dollars waiting. A new codex and still nothing. I am a sad panda.