Too many darned Dark Reapers 2001 pt. Eldar Craftworld list

[Captain Bubonicus]

Hey, y'all!

Trying to get an old, old 2nd/3rd edition Eldar force back on the tabletop after a long hiatus. I have a about a ZILLION Dark Reapers (I compulsively bought up secondhand 2nd ed. models over the intervening years) and thought it might be fun to field 'em "en masse."

2000pt. Eldar Craftworld Army (Battleforged)

*Formation: Seer Council (490) *edited*
1 Eldrad Uthulran
1 Farseer
Warlock Council (5 Warlocks, 4 w/Singing Spear)

*Combined Arms Detachment (753) *edited*
Illic Nightspear
10 Guardian Defenders + Bright Lance
10 Guardian Defenders + Bright Lance
10 Rangers
4 Windriders (4xScatter Laser)
4 Windriders (4XScatter Laser)
4 Windriders (4XShuriken Cannon)

*Formation: Aspect Host(369)
3 Dark Reapers + Dark Reaper Exarch w/starshot missiles
3 Dark Reapers + Dark Reaper Exarch w/starshot missiles
3 Dark Reapers + Dark Reaper Exarch w/starshot missiles

*Formation: Aspect Host(369)
3 Dark Reapers + Dark Reaper Exarch w/starshot missiles
3 Dark Reapers + Dark Reaper Exarch w/starshot missiles
3 Dark Reapers + Dark Reaper Exarch w/starshot missiles

Total: 1981 pts (19 points left to play with)

No real tricks here...shooty, shooty, shooty with as much psychic assistance in the form of re-rolls as the Seer Council can provide. Illic is mainly there as the mandatory HQ choice for the Combined Arms Detachment - I chose him because he synergizes well with the Rangers. Windriders add mobile firepower and can contest or take objectives late-game.

Obvious weaknesses: no close combat ability, period. Hopefully, lots and lots of long-range shooting will mean that not many close combat types make it into charge range. Another weakness is that it's not very mobile, except for the Windrider squads.

Whadd'ya think? Any tweaks (or suggestions that I trash the whole idea and start over, even) would be greatly appreciated.

[Sonikgav]

Im really leaning towards turning this into a Battlehost and making that CAD into one of the Guardian Formations.

You kinda have a half and half going right now and although i know you dont NEED another Farseer, it cant hurt right

If you drop the static portion of the CAD, Keep the Windriders and add...
- Bike Farseer
- Bike Warlock with a Spear
- Vyper (or two, or three) with Double ShuriCannons

You get a strong mobile force which doesnt have to worry about combat because it shouldnt get caught. Also, Id also give all your Bikes Shuriken Cannons for this due to that Shred Bonus rule the formation gives.

Or, you can keep the static portion of the list and go...
- Guardians now get Heavy Weapons for free so double up those Lances or take 2 of the Expensive EML's for nothing!
- Another Static Farseer but this one doesnt need to be on a bike
- Warwalkers and Vypers, both decent Heavy Weapons platforms
- Vauls Wrath Battery with Weavers to thin out Horde lists.

Each of those formations when fully formed come out about the same points cost as your CAD, possibly a little cheaper leaving you more to play with.

[Captain Bubonicus]

I hear ya - both of those suggestions would save me some points, but the problem is that I'm trying to avoid buying new models right now cause I'm poor as hell (I'd have to buy a Vyper, Windrider Farseer and Windrider Warlock to field the Windrider Host, or a D-Cannon and Viper to field a Guardian Battlehost.)

[Djbz]

Hey, y'all!

Trying to get an old, old 2nd/3rd edition Eldar force back on the tabletop after a long hiatus. I have a about a ZILLION Dark Reapers (I compulsively bought up secondhand 2nd ed. models over the intervening years) and thought it might be fun to field 'em "en masse."

2001pt. Eldar Craftworld Army (Battleforged)

*Formation: Seer Council (330)
1 Eldrad Uthulran
1 Farseer
Warlock Council (1 Warlock)

Your Seer Council needs more Warlocks.
Formation is 5 minimum size

[Captain Bubonicus]

D'oh - you're right. Thanks, nice catch.

*edit*

OK, cut the guardian squads in half and used the points savings to add 4 more Singing Spear-armed Warlocks to the Seer Council to make it legal.

[Sonikgav]

Fair enough.

For reference though, if it were me id end up with something like...

2000pt. Eldar Craftworld Army (Battleforged)

Formation: Seer Council (490)
1 Eldrad Ulthran
1 Farseer
Warlocks x5, Singing Spear x4

Formation: Guardian Windrider Host (709)
Windrider Farseer - Spirit Stone
Windrider Warlock - Singing Spear
4 Windriders (4xShuriken Cannon)
4 Windriders (4XShuriken Cannon)
4 Windriders (4XShuriken Cannon)
3 Vypers (Double Shuriken Cannons)

Formation: Outcasts (60)
Rangers x5

Formation: Aspect Host (369)
3 Dark Reapers + Dark Reaper Exarch w/starshot missiles
3 Dark Reapers + Dark Reaper Exarch w/starshot missiles
3 Dark Reapers + Dark Reaper Exarch w/starshot missiles

Formation: Aspect Host (369)
3 Dark Reapers + Dark Reaper Exarch w/starshot missiles
3 Dark Reapers + Dark Reaper Exarch w/starshot missiles
3 Dark Reapers + Dark Reaper Exarch w/starshot missiles


Total: 1997 pts

*Edited in the changes id make with the points available.

[Captain Bubonicus]

I gotta say I like that list - Illic was wasted points, I'm afraid. Leaving him out doesn't really take much away from the original list.

How about this: if I ditch the Rangers and throw an Autarch into the mix, I can field this old-school "Swordwind" Aspect Warrior force:

Formation: Seer Council (490)
(HQ) Eldrad Uthran
(HQ) Farseer
(HQ) Warlock Council (5 Warlocks w/4XSinging Spears)

Combined Arms Detatchment (378)
(HQ)Autarch w/Swooping Hawk Wings, lasblaster, Power weapon
(Troops)Windriders(4Windriders w/4Xscatter laser)
(Troops)Windriders(4Windriders w/4Xscatter laser)
(Troops)Windriders(4Windriders w/4Xshuriken cannon)

Formation(Aspect Host) (394)
(Fast Attack) Swooping Hawks(9 Swooping Hawks +Swooping Hawk Exarch)
(Fast Attack) Warp Spiders(6 Warp Spiders+Warp Spider Exarch w/2linked death spinner, Powerblades)
(Troops) Dire Avengers(4 Dire Avengers +Dire Avenger Exarch w/Power weap.+shimmershield)

Formation(Aspect Host) (369)
(Heavy Support)Dark Reapers(3 Dark Reapers + Dark Reaper Exarch w/starshot missiles
(Heavy Support)Dark Reapers(3 Dark Reapers + Dark Reaper Exarch w/starshot missiles
(Heavy Support)Dark Reapers(3 Dark Reapers + Dark Reaper Exarch w/starshot missiles

Formation(Aspect Host) (369)
(Heavy Support)Dark Reapers(3 Dark Reapers + Dark Reaper Exarch w/starshot missiles
(Heavy Support)Dark Reapers(3 Dark Reapers + Dark Reaper Exarch w/starshot missiles
(Heavy Support)Dark Reapers(3 Dark Reapers + Dark Reaper Exarch w/starshot missiles

Army total: 2000pts

Play is pretty much the same as before - lots of Reaper shooting with highly mobile Windrider and Swooping Hawk firepower with as many re-rolls as the Seer Council can muster. Dire Avengers and Singing Spear Warlocks play backstop for any assault threats that break through the shooting. Windriders have Objective Secured, so they can snag objectives on the fly with assistance from the aspect warriors.

[Sonikgav]

I like it though im not a fan of the Autarch.

Dont get me wrong, i like them, and i use them but that setup doesnt really do much other than let you fiddle the reserve roll for.... 1, maybe 2 units? Id also drop 1 or two Hawks to upgrade the Dire Avengers. Im not a fan of 5 DA's when you already have a strong static force. You could get a second unit of Hawks, ANOTHER unit of Reapers etc, guess it comes down to the models you have.

If im honest i prefer your first list over this one (with the Guardians) though maybe look for an alternative for Illic. Maugan Ra perhaps since the Theme?

[Captain Bubonicus]

Oh, yeah. If I had a Maugan Ra model I'd include him automatically...but sadly, I don't.

The Autarch mostly helps the Swooping Hawks auto-jump back into the action (and dump another large-template grenade attack) as much as possible - I couldn't figure out another build I could make that would use his close-combat focused skills as well.

You like the "camping" first list more than the "attacking" second list? Second one is a lot more mobile - I figured that meant I could get firepower downfield on enemy targets a lot faster than I could with the 12" range of a shuriken catapult. But I guess if I'm squatting on two or three objectives, they gotta come to me, eh?

[Sonikgav]

Just so you know, the Swooping Hawk wings dont give him the Grenade Pack rule, just the movement. Same as how he doesnt get Flickerjump from the Jump Generator or the 4+ Shining Spear save from the Jetbike.

I wouldnt worry about Combat. The Autarch isn't specifically a Melee character, he's just better at it than an average Eldar. In a build like yours, with no Melee backup id stick to range. Stick him on a Bike, give him a reaper launcher. Want him with Wings? Then give him a Fusion Gun and let him go tank hunting on his own etc.

Theres very few times you want to be rolling a Solo-Charging Melee Autarch and he needs SERIOUS investment from the Relics to do it well.