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Okay, so after having my first real 40k game for about a year yesterday I realised how good pathfinders really are.

I played a 1000 point game, in which my pathfinders deployed in a building in my deployment zone. My 5 pathfinders took care of 4 terminators and 4 marines in my opponents command squad. On one particular turn I used doom on the terminator unit, which worked to great effect. Combined with their 2+ cover save in the building these guys single handedly won me the game.

I had a fairly balanced list, with 2 units of dire avengers, a farseer, 6 fire dragons in a serpent, a bright lance toting wraithlord and 6 banshees. I kept the wraithlord near the pathfinders in order to protect them from assaults, which never came in the end.

So my question is this.

How viable is a 1500 point army that consists of around 15-20 pathfinders? I would take wraithlords and or banshees to shelter them from charges, as well as 2 farseers to cast doom. Would this be overkill though?
What sort of tactics would you use?

Off topic. It really was a fun game, funnily enough my head wasn't working and first turn my serpent with my dragons got shot down which crippled them massively. I was impressed with the banshees however, who when combined with doom rocks my socks. Oh, and modelling my exarch with mirrorswords instead of an executiuoner was a massive mistake lol.

Cheers for looking

If you are running only 6 dragons you probably should stuff them into a falcon. Other then that pathfinders are wonderful in cover but stuffers against closecombat or templates, so dont over do them.

So in 1500 what would be considered over doing it?

Maybe go with 2 units of 5 pathfinders and 1 unit of rangers?

Don't take rangers. The pathfinder upgrade is ludicrously cheap for the extra benefits you get.

At 1500, take no more than 2x 8-man squads (and even this is indulging, 2x 5-man or 6-man squads is better). They can dish out punishment and are very hard to kill with normal shooting, but they get munched in CC and one well placed template will kill them all.

Never, ever, rely on them if you are playing IG with hellhounds or Sisters.

2x6 or 2x8 is what I would prefer too, pathfinders not rangers. Having some close support is essential as not to be assulted to easily.

If your playgroup has BA or DA players, do not get in the habit of always playing rangers/pathfinders. If you do, the DA/BA player will start to bring whirlwinds with incendiary missiles and you will be sorry. The thing I like best about the Eldar codex is that almost every unit in it is good and fun to play. Mix up your list.

Darrian

Id go with a maximum of 2x5. Hiding 2 n 4+ cover is no longer a problem. Holding two backfield objectives with units basicly immune to most shooting is great. But thats it. Bigger units mostly waste points, because Pathfinders die to assault or templates, almost no matter what number they are. Also smaller squads are better for shooting to prevent overkilling or stacked hits on the same allready dead model, as well as maximising pinning tests.

Allways bring Doom. Think of it as your third unit. And put pressure on the opponent with assaults of your own.

Pathfinders + Doom + The rest of your army == Godly.

Kk, thanks for all your help guys.

I picked up some striking scorpions and a wave serpent tonight. I quite like the idea having 2 units of pathfinders sitting back holding my deployment zone, while I send off the scorps and banshees into his troops supported by a farseer. Obviously scorps for hordes, banshees MEQ's.

It seems like a decent idea to me.

Agreed with all the others- Pathfinders are a useful element of combined arms, but not a backbone for your forces. They should be used in small numbers to restrict the damage from killers sent to remove the major annoyance (ie your 2+ save snipers).

As for Pathfinders to hold your zone while the Elites go forwards, remember that you will often need some troops to hold objectives out there. Either jetbikes to grab or a unit of Guardians to grab and distract are a good addition to the force that you describe. I lean towards presenting lots of targets of the same kind, so Avengers might also be a good idea (distract weapons otherwise whooting your other 4+ save troops).

10 pathfinders
10 pathfinders
10 harlies with everything
10 harlies with everything
5 reapers
5 reapers
elrad
farseer
fire prism for anti tank

2000 points


If you doom/fortune guide with the reapers your whole army is pretty invincible at range and the harlies hold their own if they get close.

FunkyFresh wrote:10 pathfinders
10 pathfinders
10 harlies with everything
10 harlies with everything
5 reapers
5 reapers
elrad
farseer
fire prism for anti tank

2000 points


If you doom/fortune guide with the reapers your whole army is pretty invincible at range and the harlies hold their own if they get close.

I haven't played 5th Ed yet however I can say with some certainty that as much of a good firebase as it will give you, you've only 2 troop choices (which are very important in 5th).

You wont be able to take any objectives outwith your own deployment zone for fear of losing those 2 very important troops.

1 Fireprism for anti tank at 2000pts?

I think this list would struggle against most builds from most armies.

Just MHO.

Isn't that basically the same list Stelek posted a week or two ago which got torn to shreds by people?

Pretty much the same list.

Darrian

I don't think it could beat many lists at all.

Everything I think of would tear it a new one.

I did this a week or two ago, thought it might have bearing on the discussion- mathhammer, guide, doom, and pathfinders.

http://www.40konline.com/community/index.php?topic=165073.0

Ignore the nazi locking- I'd been playing for weeks but they still didn't want 5th threads. /shakes head.