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So, I posted my Warp Spider exarch in a painting forum, and several people were interested in how I run my warp spiders. I'm going to start off by saying that they are not a super-unit by any means. A 3 saving throw doesn't mean much when you're T3. Str 6 shooting is much weaker against important vehicles (rhinos, the sides of chimeras, etc) when it is AP-.

However, their speed, and their large volume of high-strength shooting can make them very reliable damage dealers, if you have other units in your army to break your opponent's transports, or if your opponent is not playing a mechanized list (the fool!).

So, a note about their speed: they are the fastest non-star-engine-skimmer in the game. They can jump 12", ignoring terrain, run d6", ignoring terrain, and then jump again up to 2d6" in the assault phase, also ignoring terrain. This gives them a single-turn movement potential of 15-30", but of course all of the movement does not need to be in a single direction, so they can play games with range that other units can't.

Because they have a 3+ save, they are an ideal candidate for fortune. One of my favorite tactics is for the warp spiders to start the turn behind the farseer's wave serpent for cover, get fortuned, jump forward, run, and warp jump to catch up with the flat-out serpent. This gives them an element of protection even if they are a non-vehicle unit in a primarily mechanized eldar list. They can also jump forward to shoot an enemy unit, then use the warp jump to jump back to the farseer so they can be fortuned again the next turn.

However, warp jumping is dangerous: if a double is rolled for the distance, then you lose a model. When you combine this with dangerous terrain rolls for jumping into/out-of terrain, then you can see that all this flitting about is risky business. Therefore, if you use warp spiders, I suggest using larger squad sizes. I'd say about 6 times at OFCC, at least one of my two five-man warp spider units took enough casualties just from jumping around to have morale tests forced, and then failed and fell back off the table.

So, my experience is that you should stick to 7+ models. This also means that the exarch power withdraw will be more cost efficient, and one use of Fortune will affect a larger percentage of your army. It also reduces the chance of your exarch dying early due to wound allocation rules.

So, we reach the exarch. How should he be equipped, and what exarch powers should he have? I am a big fan of the double deathspinners. For 34 points of exarch and 5 points of wargear, you get twice the firepower of a single 22 point warp spider, but at BS5, so you're getting more than twice the effectiveness of shooting for less than twice the cost. I also like the powerblades upgrade. For 10 points you take the unit from almost-no assault capability to being able to win somewhat consistently against units like tactical squads and IG veterans. 4 WS5 str 3 power weapon attacks on the charge is actually just as good as a tactical sergeant's power weapon against WS4, T4 targets, but is even better when combined with Doom. If the warp spider squad is also fortuned it means that you can often win combats through combat resolution.

What about withdraw? Is it worth 15 points? Many times it is. If your warp spiders go up against CC specialist units, they're not going to have enough models left at the end of two combat phases to make leaving combat a useful ability: they will most likely be dead or broken. However, against aforementioned targets such as tactical squads, often times your warp spiders don't have enough punch to kill them all, but at the same time their 3+ save and the powerblades exarch may keep the combats stale-mated pretty well. If you use hit and run at the end of your opponent's CC phase, then your squad will be ready to move and shoot again on your own turn, and you also open up the enemy unit to be the target of your other units.

Something I often seen on lists with warp spiders is purchasing the exarch Surprise Assault. Don't do it!! All jump infantry may deep strike in current rules, and often times if you want to keep them save and expect your opponent to be approaching you anyways, then simply putting them into reserves is better, as they will be able to be in a better formation when they come on the table, and can actually assault on the turn they arrive if you need them to.

As far as deepstriking goes, I advise against it unless you have a very specific mission for them. While they can warp jump on the turn they come down to try to get out of range of enemy rapid fire and assault, they often won't come down exactly where you want them, and because the warp jump rules specify that you move them in a straight line you can't get them out of the "hey blast me!" formation unless you string them out (as the rules don't specify you have to move them all the distance rolled, or even the same distance). Every time I have deepstriked my warp spiders it has been a mistake.

So there you have it, that's pretty much everything I can think of that I commonly do with my warp spiders. If you have any questions go ahead and ask. Oh, and go vote on my exarch by clicking the picature

As warp spiders are not fleet, you cannot run and than make the assault-phase jump, as it is made instead of assaulting. Likewise, you cannot make an assault-phase warp jump in the same turn you deep-striked, as it is made instead of an assault move - not being able to assault, they cannot make this move either.

By that logic you can also not use the assault phase jump if you are not within 6" of an enemy unit. However, this is wrong as it is not a replacement for assaulting, but something that you may do in the assault phase, but you can't assault and make the warp jump in the same turn.

Gwyidion wrote:As warp spiders are not fleet, you cannot run and than make the assault-phase jump, as it is made instead of assaulting. Likewise, you cannot make an assault-phase warp jump in the same turn you deep-striked, as it is made instead of an assault move - not being able to assault, they cannot make this move either.

But as you run instead of shoot, how can models without ranged weapons run? Hence genestealers fleet is pretty useless no?

So yeah I agree with willydstyle.

Voted. Thanks for the tactics, willydstyle

I don’t particularly like Warp Spiders, but this is a great Tactica.
Why? Because it’s balanced.
It offers both pros and cons, isn’t ranting or praise like crazy. Levelheaded and informative.

Combat spiders: a last resort. It’s not ‘bad’ when you factor in shooting, using the assault to clean things up.
Thought the fortune theme is a bit…eh. I’m loathe to fortune them as something else is without it, a heavy opportunity cost IMO.

Good points there willydstyle.
I would like to include warp spiders in my eldar army but it's the models themselves that make me reject them. Warp spider squad of 5 including an exarch with double spinners deep striking is great at killing tanks if you feel lucky with scatter rolls (you really need to aim at rear). According to my math hammer double death spinners are better than a spinneret rifle against av10. Add in an autarch (autarch+wings or warp jump generator OR autarch+exarch power surprise assault) armed with a fusion gun makes it even better. Also if the squad survives the next player round remember that you have just transported an autarch to the enemy lines! Enjoy.

Edit: oh yeah, ork stormboyz are just as fast as spiders because they can move up to 18" if they roll a 6 in the movement phase. After running you can even assault if you waagh!

Zaephyr wrote:Edit: oh yeah, ork stormboyz are just as fast as spiders because they can move up to 18" if they roll a 6 in the movement phase. After running you can even assault if you waagh!

I think it says only the infantry can waagh! but I might be wrong.

O'shovah wrote:

Zaephyr wrote:Edit: oh yeah, ork stormboyz are just as fast as spiders because they can move up to 18" if they roll a 6 in the movement phase. After running you can even assault if you waagh!

I think it says only the infantry can waagh! but I might be wrong.

I just checked it and it turns out that you are right. They do not have the special rule "waagh". Thanks for correcting me

What is the ruling on warpspiders jumping after dsing?

also, where is it that all jump infantry can deep strike?


Personally I love warp spiders the best unit to use them with though is one that people really do not.


Guided War Walkers w/ Scatter lasers


The big advantage is that for I think 224 You get 20 shots at STR6 at BS 4 then throw in another 24 shots.


They are also similar in cost.


1 Warwalker squadron
2 Fire Prisms
2 9 man WarpSpider Squads

Is Incredibly hilarious.


Moving around with 20 STR6 shots that are highly mobile then having a "killzone" for your warwalkers is fantastic.

I thought fire prisms were anti tank?!

Fire Prisms are antitank in the way a single shot lascannon is antitank i guess


Yous hould be using other stuff for antitank.


Also two Fire Prisms a Squad of 3 war walkers and 2 squads of Spiders is around 1000 points which leaves gives a good solid core.

Id say a lascannon was anti tank since I wouldnt really use them to kill orks ect

What is the ruling on warpspiders jumping after dsing?

GW website, FAQs and Errata-
"Q. Can a unit of warp spiders, which just entered by deepstrike, move with their warp jump generator during the assault phase?
A. Yes."

also, where is it that all jump infantry can deep strike?

Warhammer 40,000 rule book, page 52, jump infantry>movement
"All jump infantry units may enter the battle by 'deep strike' as explained on page 95."




Automatically Appended Next Post:
And one more... this one was nagging at me...

As warp spiders are not fleet, you cannot run and than make the assault-phase jump, as it is made instead of assaulting. Likewise, you cannot make an assault-phase warp jump in the same turn you deep-striked, as it is made instead of an assault move - not being able to assault, they cannot make this move either.

GW website, FAQs and Errata-
"Q. The warp jump generator description says warp spiders may make an extra move 'instead of assaulting.' Does this mean they can make their extra move during the assault phase only if they are in a position where they could assault or can they do it anyway?"
A. This move can be made in any assault phase during which the warp spiders are not assaulting or fighting in an assault."

I used Warp Spiders at several occasions.
From my experience, always take a 10 men unit led by an Exarch with withdraw.
One can make crazy things with them.
Once, I battled Nids and after the Nids reached my front ranks,
the Warp Spiders stepped forward moving 12'' inside of the Nids swarm,
shooting the Warriors, and then moving 2D6'' behind the swarm into a building.
My Nids opponent got nuts.

Falconlance wrote:

What is the ruling on warpspiders jumping after dsing?

GW website, FAQs and Errata-
"Q. Can a unit of warp spiders, which just entered by deepstrike, move with their warp jump generator during the assault phase?
A. Yes."

also, where is it that all jump infantry can deep strike?

Warhammer 40,000 rule book, page 52, jump infantry>movement
"All jump infantry units may enter the battle by 'deep strike' as explained on page 95."




Automatically Appended Next Post:
And one more... this one was nagging at me...

As warp spiders are not fleet, you cannot run and than make the assault-phase jump, as it is made instead of assaulting. Likewise, you cannot make an assault-phase warp jump in the same turn you deep-striked, as it is made instead of an assault move - not being able to assault, they cannot make this move either.

GW website, FAQs and Errata-
"Q. The warp jump generator description says warp spiders may make an extra move 'instead of assaulting.' Does this mean they can make their extra move during the assault phase only if they are in a position where they could assault or can they do it anyway?"
A. This move can be made in any assault phase during which the warp spiders are not assaulting or fighting in an assault."

Thanks for doing my work for my Falconlance. Yes, the plain English rule for "instead of assaulting" would mean that you can't warp jump after deep striking or running... or if you're not within 6" of the enemy. Reading the rule in this way makes the rules break down. GW has shown through multiple FAQs that when they say "instead of" something, you do not have to meet the prerequisites for doing that thing to do the "instead of." For example: infantry with no ranged weapons or BS0 may still run "instead of" shooting, even though they may not shoot.

does that mean they can run and jump?

can they jump during opponents turn

If gw didnt keep updating the main rules before the codexes then problems like this would never arise.

Hollismason wrote:does that mean they can run and jump?

can they jump during opponents turn

Yes, they can run and jump.

No, they cannot jump during their opponent's turn. If you look at the FAQ answer outside of the context of a greater body of rules, then it would appear that they can, but the rules are written primarily from a perspective of what you can do on your own turn.

One thing to remember when thinking about sending spiders after armor is that while they are str6 they are ap -. So glancing hits are really not likely to do too much, its very important to use the spiders speed to get shots at the weakest armor possible. I know willy mentioned this but it bears repeating.

As wuestenfux showed, spiders can be a lot of fun against a horde player since the spiders can so easily get behind the charging units and make life very complicated for them. I love drawing off orks with a bit of spider flim flam.

Excellent tactics post on a unit that a lot of people dont really know all that much about.



Sliggoth

As wuestenfux showed, spiders can be a lot of fun against a horde player since the spiders can so easily get behind the charging units and make life very complicated for them. I love drawing off orks with a bit of spider flim flam.

Well, I used Spiders also to hunt down flying Daemon Princes,
since Spiders are slightly faster.

Yes, spiders absolutely wreck 3+ save MCs.

I think over all they are very underused.

They basically can have the same or similar firepower from a warwalker squadron with dual scatter lasers and the same point cost.


Personally i think they have a little bit more survivability in regards to the Warwalkers.


They work well with a Farseer Fortuning them as well.

Of course the war walkers have far superior range and can penetrate vehicles: two large bonuses.

On the upside, warp spiders don't take HS slots, and are much more mobile. I have used them to win objective missions with last-turn desperation charges