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Ok, so I'm wanting to start an Eldar army and I will be playing out majority of my games against my two mates who play Space Marines and Tau (they are both heavily focused on Firepower).

I'm thinking I want to be able to use the maneuverability and all-round effectiveness of the Eldar to be able to perform adequately in all mission types.

So, what units should I grab? I'm aware Guardians are rubbish in most circumstances and that DA are the Troop choice to go, but I've heard a few good things about Pathfinders.

I have a good understanding of Eldar I'm just not very experienced with them when it comes to the tabletop.

So, anyone got some helpful advice or tips for me? They would be greatly appreciated.

What point level do you play at?

You can't go wrong with...

x2 units of Dire Avengers
- Exarch with Dual shiriken catapults and Bladestorm
- Wave Serpent with TL Scatterlasers

Eldrad

... for starters.

Thanks for the help! Usually running 1250 point battles at the moment, although that is increasing.

If you don't have to worry about being assaulted pathfinders are great. I'd do a few transports. If you want to match shooty for shooty then Take a falcon or a fire prism. Probably the fire prism.

Cheers man, I've heard the Fire Prisms are the way to go.

Pathfinders are gay. there 24 pts each hit on 3+ ( 5+ ap1 ) wound on +4 (rend +6 )
so you take 9 for 216pts
an average is 6 hits
3 will be normal hits and 1 will normal wound and .5 will rend
3 AP1 the average again is then 1.5
total wound 2 AP1 and a 1 wound with save.
It will take 5 turns to kill 12 tau fire warriors

12 fire warriors is 120pts hit on
12 shots hit on 4+ so 6
wound on 2+ so 5 wounds
you will be dead turn 2

next, units of Dire Avengers with an Exarch with Shimmershield and power weapon for additional close combat defence Wave Serpent with TL Scatterlasers. total 297pts but now you have 28 Str 4 shots and 4 Str 6

That will kill the tau fire warriors.

Now Guardians are great there cheap at 8pts there gun is gay being 12" but you can make it work. they also get a platform so they can move and fire a Scatterlasers
total 95pts 20 str 4 shots and 4 Str 6

the other big thing is the Avatars of Kaela Mensha Khaine
it makes everything with in 12" fearless and is maybe the best monstrous creature ever +3sv +4 inv he even has a melta gun with BS 5
total 155

yorkskargrimironklaw wrote:Pathfinders are gay. there 24 pts each hit on 3+ ( 5+ ap1 ) wound on +4 (rend +6 )
so you take 9 for 216pts
an average is 6 hits
3 will be normal hits and 1 will normal wound and .5 will rend
3 AP1 the average again is then 1.5
total wound 2 AP1 and a 1 wound with save.
It will take 5 turns to kill 12 tau fire warriors

What does this have to do with the Pathfinders' sexual preference? Now, back on topic - you can do mathhammer all you like - but if you're using Pathfinders to shoot at Fire Warriors, you're not doing it eliminate them. Snipers are not there to kill entire squads of fire warriors. They're there to kill crisis suits, stealth teams, etc. The only reason I would shoot at fire warriors is if I didn't have a better target or I wanted to pin them for two turns.

yorkskargrimironklaw wrote:12 fire warriors is 120pts hit on
12 shots hit on 4+ so 6
wound on 2+ so 5 wounds
you will be dead turn 2

More mathhammer. I see you didn't take into account the 2+ save that Pathfinders get whilst in cover (which they always are). So, with your 5 wounds, the save percentage would be 83%, meaning you would lose 1. So, huh, look at that - it would take the fire warriors 5 turns to kill the Pathfinders too.

Pathfinders are not the anchors of an army. They are there to hold objectives in cover with their amazing save and snipe high priority enemies. The enemy should be dealing with the Fire Dragons/Scorpions/Banshees/Avengers that have zipped up the field in their Wave Serpents and not as concerned about the snipers that are holding down a forest.

If I'm playing against Tau and I see my opponent getting ready to launch a fire warrior volley into my Pathfinders, I smile a bit on the inside, knowing that I probably will only lose 1, if even that. For 240 points, I can get 2 units of 5 Pathfinders that the enemy has to choose to go after - which most don't because of their 2+ save. Now, that frees up my Avengers + Eldrad + Asurmen to go after their objective.

Hmm, 1250 pts?

Farseer w/ both runes, doom - 105

Dire Avengers incl Exarch w/ blade storm, dual cat - 152
Serpent w/ scatter laser, stones - 125

Dire Avengers incl Exarch w/ blade storm, dual cat - 152
Serpent w/ scatter laser, stones - 125

5 Pathfinders - 120

Fire Prism - 115

Fire Prism - 115

Fire Dragons - 96
Serpent w/ shuricannon, stones - 110

Total: 1215 pts

I would say 4 grav tanks in 1000pt,6 grav tanks in 2000pt,and add lot more in apoc
Grav tanks are all that I care

Tony the guardsman wrote:I would say 4 grav tanks in 1000pt,6 grav tanks in 2000pt,and add lot more in apoc
Grav tanks are all that I care

Wow, really? I run 3 Serpents (kitted out) and one Falcon in a 2K.

puma713 wrote:

Tony the guardsman wrote:I would say 4 grav tanks in 1000pt,6 grav tanks in 2000pt,and add lot more in apoc
Grav tanks are all that I care

Wow, really? I run 3 Serpents (kitted out) and one Falcon in a 2K.

I guess if 2 of your tanks are Fire Prisms it's pretty easy to do 6. In 2,000 pts I've recently started doing 4 serpents and a DAVU Falcon, the latter containing one of my Farseers/Eldrad to hang back til turn 5 and Guide the War Walkers and/or the Falcon itself (Pulse Laser + EML).

I play an Eldar army of similar size.
but (due to money reasons) I only have a falcon and i still kick ass.
If your playing marines and tau take a six woman squad of banshees in a falcon with holofeilds and zoom it up the board behind some cover keep tha banshees in the tank next turn disembark, move fleet and assualt your enimies prized unit.
Yes and I agree with the pathfinder statement.
As marines and tau both frequent 3+ saves take a squad of Dark Reapers. full squad of 5 shots 10 shots 0f S5 AP3 death. 3+ to hit, 3+ to wound, dead.
Dire avengers are a must. They are the masters of the short range firefight. bladestorm with them and assault in the same turn and as your in combat your next turn them not firing doesnt matter!
Farsseers are personnal chioce, I take a winged autarch with mandiblasters, power sword, fusion gun and wings. easily takes out most enemy HQs.
Just what I do though.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I play an Eldar army of similar size.
but (due to money reasons) I only have 1 falcon and i still kick ass.
If your playing marines and tau take a six woman squad of banshees in a falcon with holofeilds and zoom it up the board behind some cover keep tha banshees in the tank next turn disembark, move fleet and assualt your enimies prized unit.
Yes and I agree with the pathfinder statement.
As marines and tau both frequent 3+ saves take a squad of Dark Reapers. full squad of 5 shots 10 shots 0f S5 AP3 death. 3+ to hit, 3+ to wound, dead.
Dire avengers are a must. They are the masters of the short range firefight. bladestorm with them and assault in the same turn and as your in combat your next turn them not firing doesnt matter!
Farsseers are personnal chioce, I take a winged autarch with mandiblasters, power sword, fusion gun and wings. easily takes out most enemy HQs.
Just what I do though.

Cheers again for the help guys!

I like the idea of using the Pathfinders so I'll most likely include them in my list but by the sounds of things I'm almost certainly going to take the Avengers with the Serpents and definitely the Fire Prisms.

Also most likely going to take the Farseer to help the Avengers get their job done.