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So, played a game in the 'ard boys tournament before going to a friend's bbq just to try a list out and one of the units I used was a unit of 5 dark reapers with exarch with tempest launcher and crack shot... That is SO devestating! One squad took out singlehandedly the majority of a full warp spider squad, striking scorpion squad, fire dragon squad, ranger squad and maybe something else which I don't remember.

I never took them before but now I seriously can't justify not taking that setup! My only regret is that I only took 1 such squad =/. Anyone think taking 2 squads in 1750 or so is cheese?

No such thing as cheese. Stick to the rules and you are ok.
Having said that I must add that when playing against newly started players I have been known to consider some things "cheese" or "not really helping in having a fun game, that will suck this guy into the hobby I enjoy so much".

Stick with 1 squad, however 2 squads of dark reapers in 1750 is not considered cheese here, where we do believe in cheese.

Dark Reapers vs other Eldar.

Here we have a mismatch, eldar are generally short ranged, though you were facing Rangers in that battle.

Against many other armies Dark Reapers are prey.

Spending 217 pts on T3 marines is cheese? Okay.

So what about devastator squads w/ 4 plasma cannons?

ewww.
4 plasma cannon dev's?
rather take 4 HB or 4 lascannon.


and no such thing as cheese
just be carefull, 217 points and T3 means they are a nice target for a multi shot weapon, something like an autocannon or HB isnt good for them.

Well, the dark reaper squad can take out tat devestator squad in 1 round of shooting, not so much with the devestator squad...Seriously, having 6-8 or so models hit and wounded on average and dying witout any saves (since crackshot ignores cover and lets you re-roll wounds) really adds up fast-and that is ONLY from the exarch alone =/. (they also have a 3+ save and might as well fortune and guide them).

Conversley, you can take a cheap 3 man squad and hide them out of LOS since the reaper launcher is a barrage weapon. That is kind of nifty imo!

My reaper exarch has been my MVP in every 5th edition game I've brought him to (which has been all but 3). The crack shot tempest launcher is devistating. I've wiped out whole 8 or 9 man MEQ squads whith just him alone. The only down side to the unit is that its expensive. All in all though, the fact that its a long range unit with 3+ saves that's going to be in cover all the time means that they tend to last quite a while. In general, they wipe out a squad a turn (so long as they are shooting at 10ish man squads that are not in a super dispirsed formation). And remember, if you fire the tempest launcher and roll a "hit" result on the second shot, you can place it anywhere touching the first template...including directly on top of it (effectivly doubling your hits from the first shot). That combined with the BS5 of the exarch makes for some really accurate killing.