Footdar - what goes into a good list.

[Kasrkar]

Yes, footdar have acted for me in a similar way that orks would. The thing is, in the average 1500 point game, I'll lose about 5-7 models on avg. I've had 4 games now where I haven't had to remove a single model.
The guardians, which are the majority of my models, rarely get shot at. This is because there are scarier things on my enemy's mind. 90% of the time this is either the avatar or the war walkers. These are the most effective units to bait with, because of that.
Basically, for mech heavy, or heavy armor, it relies completely on unit placement. I've played a 500 point game where I had nothing over S6 and I was facing 2 vindicators. With some decent baiting and placement, both were dead by turn 3.
As I said above, unit placement is key. Last time I played against IG, he took 2 russes at 1k. I managed to bait the russes with my war walkers while the fire dragons ran up and flanked them through cover. Normally, I would leave stuff like russes and land raiders to the avatar, but taking eldrad and the avatar in 1k would have been rough.
I have killed both land raiders and russes with my footdar without much problem. The thing that is so potent about the army is the amount of synergy possible with all of the eldar infantry.
As far as wraithlords go, they just don't dazzle me as much anymore. There are better places to spend 120+ points.
For support weapons, I say maybe. I've tried out both D-cannons and vibro cannons, and vibro cannons are meh at best. D-cannons have a lot of kill potential, but I'm still a little put off by their lack of durability.

[Kasrkar]

Oh yeah, and harlequins are a no-no for me.
I've tried harlies, but 270-310 points for a squad really limits what else you can put in the army. 300 is almost twice as much as the banshees. For comparable durability, comparable kill-power (depending on what you're up against), and the lack of a few rules, the banshees save me about 150 points.
Harlequins are great, but they take up too much of my army for a simple 10 man. Yes, I could try 5-8 man, but it just doesn't feel right.
I've also toyed with a small seer council and some wraithguard, but bare banshees or scorpions work best in my experience.
I also play IG (my first army), and with the new codex, a rule implanted itsself into my brain for building army lists. That rule is 'Keep it cheap'.

[DarkLink]

Incidentally, I just played and beat a footdar army in a tournament. The trick is, you need to damage or neutralize a few key components of the army, then strip away the bubble wrap and tie up as much of the army in combat as possible. Against my opponent, that meant shooting his wraithlords and fire dragons, and drawing off the avatar with my Grand Master. The avatar eventually won combat, and the fire dragons managed to kill one of my two Land Raiders, but I kept him off my objective and the other Land Raider dumped a Gk squad onto his objective and tied up several units on top of it.

[KenStorm989]

Thanks for this discussion folks...new Eldar player here, really liked these tips!

[Da Gargoyle]

Late post here. I have been an eldar for a couple of years and my army has a core of footdar. Usually guardians with a warlock and scatter laser, a sqd of rangers upgraded to pathfinder and a storm guardian sqd with warlock and two fusion guns, unless its orks or nids. Then I go for the flamers.

I always carry a cc unit, usually scorpions because I am gaming mostly IG and orks at the moment. Though I kept them for a game against SM night lords. He fielded his squads in 5 man units so I thought it would be fun to chop em up. I field Dragons and an Autarch. The autarch either joins the scorpions or the dragons

I use two wave serpents with missiles or one of them with a bright lance. Upgrade the defensive weaponry to a cannon and there is a bit of anti infantry. These carry the dragons and cc troops accross the battle field to do the nasty on the other side. They really are the best value for vehicles.

I have dark reapers who become fire magnets for any oppo facing me. I did field a sqd of 10 wraithguard but lost the roll off and lost the unit first turn. Primarily because we were using table quarters and the marine chose the quarter with cover. (Cover independantly set up so no skullduggery there). Mind you, while everything hit the wraiths 1st turn, I was left with a lot of return fire power that I focussed on the infantry.

I am not used to psykers and have not successfully used one. Keep losing to perils of the warp on the limited games I have played them in. Though mind war seems to be a very strategical type of attack as you get to choose the victim.