40k Eldar List: Falcons? Falcons? We don't need no stinkin' Falcons!

"Where does he get those wonderful toys?"
- The Joker

My last list had a ~350 point unit: A Falcon with six Harlequins inside it. Gotta love it, right? With the change to Spirit Stones, Falcons have gone from 'nigh unkillable' to 'just plain unkillable'. I'm good enough at the game (measuring ranges, etc) that I rarely make mistakes and I can get away with having some fun in my list. So instead of a 350 point unit that is really nothing more than an assault squad, here is my new army for my next games.

While initially disapointed, I really do love the new Eldar book. Taking away the tank hunting from the Striking Scorpions was a shame, but you can't have everything. The Warlock Bodyguard, Harlequins and Wraithguard squads of less then 5 models more than make up for it.

Avatar

Striking Scorpions (infiltrating) (10 models)

Dire Avengers w/ all upgrades including Shimmershield (10 models)
Guardians w/ Scatterlaser and Conceal (14 models)
Guardians w/ Scatterlaser and Conceal (14 models)

Swooping Hawks (6 models)
Vyper w/ Eldar Missile Launcher
Vyper w/ Eldar Missile Launcher

Comes to 1155 points. Which gives us lots of room in 2000.

We can then make additions. Variety is mostly dependant on Heavy Support.

Pretty balanced list.
Avatar
Autarch w/ Power Weapon and Shuriken Catapult (goes with Dire Avengers)

Striking Scorpions (infiltrating)
Wraithguard (3 models)

Dire Avengers w/ all upgrades including Shimmershield
Guardians w/ Scatterlaser and Conceal
Guardians w/ Scatterlaser and Conceal
Guardians w/ Scatterlaser and Conceal

Swooping Hawks
Vyper w/ Eldar Missile Launcher x2
Warp Spiders (6 models)

D-Cannon (battery of two cannons)
D-Cannon (battery of two cannons)
Wraithlord w/ Wraithsword and Starcannon

Another Good List.
Avatar
Autarch w/ Power Weapon and Shuriken Catapult (goes with Dire Avengers)

Striking Scorpions (infiltrating)
Wraithguard (3 models)

Guardians w/ Scatterlaser and Conceal
Guardians w/ Scatterlaser and Conceal
Dire Avengers w/ all upgrades including Shimmershield
Guardians w/ Scatterlaser and Conceal
Pathfinders (5 models)

Swooping Hawks
Vyper w/ Eldar Missile Launcher x2
Warp Spiders (6 models)

Fire Prism
Fire Prism
Dark Reapers w/ Missile Launcher and Fast Shot (4 models)

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The biggest change in these two lists from the original one is the removal of the Falcon and the addition of the Warp Spider unit. Freeing up a Heavy Support selection gives us some room to add the Dark Reapers or have some fun with two units of D-Cannons. The Falcon + Harlequin combo is something that you can't go wrong with when you're designing your list. But there's more than way to win, and mixing things up keeps an opponent on their toes.

This is the 'D-Cannon' List. You can guide D-Cannons, giving a re-roll on the scatter dice. Brutal. With the change from S10 AP2 to having the same rules as Wraithcannon, the D-Cannon can still pop vehicles without having to have the center of the blast template landing on the vehicle. Brutal. Note that while I've listed six D-Cannons just for the sake of things, I actually only own five models (thank you Mr. Ebay). This is more of a fire base type of army, with some assault units for counter charge rather than acting as shock troops.

Avatar
Eldrad ('Farseer Tilithas', Battle-Seer of Craftworld Jailinth)

Striking Scorpions (infiltrating)

Guardians w/ Scatterlaser and Conceal
Guardians w/ Scatterlaser and Conceal
Dire Avengers w/ all upgrades including Shimmershield
Guardians w/ Scatterlaser and Conceal (20 models)

Swooping Hawks
Vyper w/ Eldar Missile Launcher
Vyper w/ Eldar Missile Launcher

D-Cannons (battery of 3 guns)
D-Cannons (battery of 3 guns)
Wraithlord w/ Wraithsword and Starcannon

This list could probably use some tweaking. If we got rid of the Avatar, we have another 'core' army to build lists around.

Eldrad ('Farseer Tilithas', Battle-Seer of Craftworld Jailinth)

Dire Avengers w/ all upgrades including Shimmershield (10 models)
Guardians w/ Scatterlaser and Embolden (14 models)
Guardians w/ Scatterlaser and Embolden (14 models)
Guardians w/ Scatterlaser and Conceal (20 models)

Swooping Hawks (6 models)
Vyper w/ Eldar Missile Launcher
Vyper w/ Eldar Missile Launcher

D-Cannons (battery of 3 guns) w/ Embolden
D-Cannons (battery of 3 guns) w/ Embolden

Comes to 1555 points. With a Heavy Support and 3 Elites choices free. Lots of room to add assault troops, long range supporting fire or flanking units such as Warp Spiders. The addition of each thereby changing the feel of the army and how it's used. There's even enough room to add a Falcon full of Harlequins, which would be a very useful addition -- not to mention fluffy, if it's taken to be an Ulthwe army.

Hordes Everblight List: Rise of the Prophet

I love Hordes and I love Thagrosh.

Thagrosh
Carnivean
Teraph
Seraph
Nephilim Soldier
Harrier
2x Shredder

Every Warbeast save the Angelus and a pair of Shredders: 500 points even. I just thought that was fun. Thagrosh only has 7 fury; what you want to do is have one turn where the Carnivean, Teraph, Nephilim and Shredders attack and burn all their fury all at once. Thagrosh has a defensive feat so after they're stuck in it's a question of seizing opportunity and having Thagrosh laying down the beat-stick.

I'd say this is going to be my core army for my next few games

Thagrosh
Carnivean
Teraph
Nephilim Soldier
2x Shredders //389

I'm not real big on the Seraph just because I think it's cheap and I prefer melee when I play Hordes. Harriers are great for wacking high def targets but taking a 31 point model just for one job seems lame to me. meh.

I love Swordsmen. I like to stagger them and use them as a flank/reserve. The idea being the first few are in base-to-base, get killed, and then the subsequent turn another two or three get a charge w/ 4d6 on the damage roll. Sweet unit. You don't run away from Swordsmen. MAT 7/8 + 2 and 4d6 on the free strike. *wipes tear*. They took out a Cannoneer almost single handedly for me the other day. Someday I'm going to have to suck it up and charge Pretorians with them but I'm justifiably worried about the counter-attack. Did I mention they're Fearless? XD

I like this one, this will probably be my next list
Thagrosh
Carnivean
Teraph
Nephilim Soldier
3x Shredder
6x Swordsmen
Forsaken // 496

Probabably a bit more practical, Fury-wise. And I want to see what the Forsaken can do against my dreaded foes the Pretorians.

40k Army List Design: The Imperial Guard

I have a tendency to get bored with things, and while I love my Eldar army sometimes I wish I had something different. This concept of 'design' -- be it wargaming army lists, RPG parties or other -- is something that I consider to have a certain aesthetic beauty.

I have an interest in a new army. These are the design priorities.

1) Cost.
2) Variability.
3) Emphasis on shooting over close combat.

What I've decided is that while I'm painting my Eldar and Everblight I'm going to have a long term plan of converting and painting an Imperial Guard force that can represent either a semi-radical Inquisition force or a recently converted Chaos force. I can intermix a number of "extra chaosy" guard troops to add enough flavour.

This is the core, around 1000 points. The doctrines are Jungle Fighters, Sanctioned Psykers, Special Weapon Squads, Close Order Drill and probably Iron Discipline. Light Infantry is a possibility over Jungle Fighters but we tend to play with forests. I could replace the Mortars with Heavy Bolters (I think the Mortars are fun, and any serious infantry regiment needs artillery) and medics, storm bolters etc are optional in Command Squads.

Command Squad, 'Field Marshal': Heroic Senior Officer, Mortar, Standard
2x Heavy Weapons, 'Anti-armour': 3x Lascannons
2x Special Weapons, 'Auxillary': 1x Demo Charge + 2x Sniper Rifles w/ Jungle Fighters
Optional 1x Heavy, 'Covering Fire': 3x Heavy Bolters w/ Jungle Fighters

5x Sanctioned Psykers

Infantry Platoon Command Squad, 'First Lieutenant': Junior Officer, Mortar
3x Infantry Squad, 'Line Troops': Autocannon, Grenade Launcher

Infantry Platoon Command Squad, 'The Dude aka Charlie Sheen aka John Rambo': Honorifica Imperialis, Heavy Flamer, Flamer, Medic w/ Jungle Fighters, CCW and Frag Grenades
2x Infantry Squad, 'Commandos': Missile Launcher, Plasma Gun w/ Jungle Fighters

1 or 2x Sentinel: Multi Laser or Heavy Flamer w/ Smoke Launchers

Russ: Heavy Bolters (why not?) and defensive upgrades

It comes to about 1000 points. If I buy Cadian and Catachan Battle Forces w/ a box or two of Cadians and maybe a box of Catachans I have more than enough heavy weapons and infantry. After that I have a squad of Grey Knights and I could add whatever Inquistion Troops I wanted. After having collected enough Inquisition I could field a largely Witchhunters force (the Penitent Engines are sweet models). The Chaos Megaforce is a sweet deal money-wise and gives enough models to easily field a sizeable chaos force. I have some random Space Marines to mix and match including bikes and lascannons. I was thinking of buying 1 and only 1 sprue of a variety of Warhammer Fantasy plastic kits to make mutants (Beastmen, Mauraders, Orcs, Skaven etc). I love conversions so it should be fun.

As far as the Guard army is concerned, leadership is an issue. I think the 'Commando' squads will get Vets and the other three will have to make do. It's thematic but it may end that all five infantry squads will get Vets in the end. Vox Casters are a rip altho the Master-Vox could be worth it in a l-a-r-g-e guard army. Which this isn't. I love Iron Discipline. Only reason to ditch the Rambo squad would be to get better use of the ld9 and Iron Discipline. It can always hang back a bit for a turn regardless. Being able to bring a squad back (with both its Heavy and Special weapon) is a god-send. Mortars in the Command Squads make them a low level threat while still giving them something fun to do.

40k Eldar Strategy: No Battle Plan Survives First Contact With the Enemy

"No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy."
"All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved."
- Sun Tzu

I've been playing Warhammer 40,000 for a number of years now. I know, I'm too old for pleasant diversions that keep my mind sharp. Somewhere along the line I went from 'what's an organizational chart again' to 'beardy veteran of death and glory'. I have a number of tactical, statistical and design concepts I want to discuss: first I will discuss my own method for winning Eldar army list design, as well as how and why it works. Presumably this is written for people who are involved in the hobby.

Fluff-wise -- and in theory -- the Eldar list is supposed to be the most tactical list, behind the Tau. They certainly have the most specialized units (not to mention imo varied and fun) of any other army. Another Sun Tzu maxim, their biggest strength is their ability to concentrate firepower and hit hard where it is needed. According to the fluff, their strength is their ability to conduct hit and run raids and overcome their opponent with their advanced technology and fearless arrogance.

In practice their concentration of firepower comes in four forms: mobile heavy weapons and fast vehicles; devastating assault squads, Eldar Farseers and the not-so-humble shuriken catapult. The idea is that if you're playing a 2000 points game you want to set it up so say 650 of your own points (say guardians or a tricked out Falcon) are in his face taking hits while the rest of your army is positioned to completely take out 500 of his points. After the smoke settles he should be down say 800 points and you're down maybe 350 points. After that you should hopefully pull off a victory. Note that because Eldar are designed to be _good_ at this, they have other weaknesses and victory is by no means certain.

The problem is of course -- your opponent gets to shoot back. Space Marine HQ are 150 to 200 points of single base concentrated firepower goodness. Any experienced Eldar (or Tau) player has a 'what is this shit' story as one jump-pack-wearing, master-crafted-weapon-wielding 25 mm base blew a massive gaping hole in their battle line. We don't get that. It might sound obvious, but a winning Eldar general (Autarch?) has to avoid turning his army into an 'upside down pyramid' relying on one favorite unit.

Here's a list I used against an opponent for a pair of games last time he was in town.

Avatar 155

Scorpions 212
Wraithguard 140
Harlequins + Falcon 335

2x Guardians 159 and 165
Dire Avengers 177
Pathfinders 120

2x Vyper (EML) 65 each
Swooping Hawks 173

2x Fire Prism 115 each

I included the point costs, because with the exception of the Harlequins and the Falcon everything is ~150 to 200 points. Your opponent can only shoot so much in one turn and if one squad is removed from play the rest of the army is positioned. The only expensive unit is the most resilient tank in the game. And every shot at a Falcon is one less shot at the Avatar making the army fearless or those beautiful 2006 Codex Fire Prisms with their AP3 pie plate. Or even the Wraithguard, which always have their uses in a balanced list even if they rarely get their points back.

According to the fluff, Eldar units are specialized, and they are an aggressive race. This is true at least. Each unit has a purpose and it needs to live up to it. Guardians have an assault weapon for a reason. Get them stuck in. They might get wiped out 2 turns later but the opposing squad was denied the charge. They were going to attack anyway.

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The important thing to notice here is that every unit has its job and your enemy gets to attack too. 40k isn't chess. It's a skirmishing game where movement is very free flowing and there are lots of long range weapons that can take your squads out from a distance. 'Guardians suck!'? They're not the greatest. Lacking ATSKNF they have a tendency to get cut down in close combat for one. Embolden or an Avatar can mitigate this. But their job is to get stuck in combat and shoot something with shuriken catapults. It's not a question of whether a unit 'gets its points back' -- altho that's a good measuring stick -- victory goes to the player who positions and plays his units such that the army as a whole is guaranteed victory.