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I'm intending to start an eldar army (Wraithzilla on foot w/ Wraithguard and Harlies + Elrad) and just got my first Wraithlord. However, I've hit a little snag on the weapons loadout.

There really won't be any other long range anti tank in the army. The obvious answer would be BL + EML, but the Scatter Cannon is starting to look better and better against transports and other low AV's. Then again, enemies being closer is probably a good thing.

So: What have you used, and what are your experiences or even opinions on these weapons?

Brightlances and EML's are your only real anti-tank options. If you have points for it, take the lance. If you can do both then do both.

Scatter laser against tanks is only effective on War Walkers which outflank and get behind tanks. By the time your Wraithlord is close enough to hit sides (assuming a competent opponent) you'll be charging him and wrecking in combat.

I'd get both BL and EML it its going to be you only AT. Wraithlords are just awesome with their high BS and survivability.

The thing is though that the scatter laser is better AV 12 and down. Taking down Lemans at range is important, but so are the chimeras or artillery

AV 12 will only be glanced by S6. You'll need to immobilise, weapon destroyed all weapons, and then glance again just to wreck the vehicle. Even then you're only doing anything on 6's.

I'm not arguing that Scatter lasers can't be effective, I'm just saying that if you have the points the actual anti-tank weapons will be more effective in most situations against tanks.

war walkers with missle launchers work pretty good, they have a nice long range so you can keep them back out of alot of stuff that can kill them, replace one of you wraith lords with a couple of them and put some scatter lasers on the wl. It still has the "zilla feel with 2 or 3 walkers. If eldrad put guide on them 2 walkers will usually hit with 3 or 4 missles, thats good out put for 140 points, just gotta keep them well back. With scout and eldrads re-deploy ability you should have no problem keeping them fairly safe, plus you have the option to outflank. 3 or 4 missles hitting a rhino will usually do the trick even with cover saves, you could always throw in a cheap walker with shurikan cannons to soak up hit, plus that would be handy if the enemy is trying to assult them.

Hmm good idea, but what if do you think of Vipers with double shuriken cannons? That way I could keep my 3 wraithlords and fill FA with multiple small targets that can quickly engage light armor?

I'm always happy to see my opponent fielding vypers with dual shuriken cannons. One tiny volley of assault cannon or rifleman dreadnought fire will take out the whole squadron. If a vyper survives, some bolt pistols or whatever I have left over will finish it off.

The usual wraithlord antitank configuration is brightlance & EML. But a fire prism or falcon does a better job all around for the points.

Fire Prism, probably, Falcon, I doubt it.

And you shooting at the vipers means you aren't shooting at the big guys. BL and EML on wraithlords should make them enough of a threat to force you to engage them, while the vypers are either distractions or tear into weaker tanks. What I'm still not sure on is the BL + EML config. Scatter Laser + BL seems significantly better against low AV , while the ELM does not add much against av 14. I think I'll be seeing more >12 AV than AV 13

Fire prisms are the best anti tank

Yes, I am quite aware of that. They also compete with Wraithlords for slots. I wish to use Wraithlords for a theme, at least 2. You need a minimum of 2 Fire Prisms for full effect. 3 HS slots. Do the math. Also, I'm going for primarily foot eldar, so no Fire Dragons in Wave Serpent either.

Irdiumstern wrote:Fire Prism, probably, Falcon, I doubt it.

And you shooting at the vipers means you aren't shooting at the big guys. BL and EML on wraithlords should make them enough of a threat to force you to engage them, while the vypers are either distractions or tear into weaker tanks. What I'm still not sure on is the BL + EML config. Scatter Laser + BL seems significantly better against low AV , while the ELM does not add much against av 14. I think I'll be seeing more >12 AV than AV 13

The problem with this idea is that different weapons are effective against the vypers than against the wraithlords. This just gives something for your opponents anti-infantry stuff to shoot at instead of bouncing harmlessly off of re-rollable 3+ wraithguard saves.

Hmm yes you've got a point. However, War Walkers are no better in that regard.
I have FA, E, and T open. Any other ideas? Rangers hoping for rends? AP 1 could help I guess.

If your set on 3 wl's then squadrons of vipers with duel shuricans is not bad, for what they have potental, now for target saturation since you have your fast attack options open, go with 2 squadrons of 2 vipers, that way one round from one unit will not take out all your vipers, depending how you work your points, the problem with vipers is that they have to get close to shoot and will get shot, but they are cheap and will usually require somthing other than non rapid firing bolters to take them out. Or if you only have points for 3 of them just make 3 single squadrons, since your slots are open, makes it alot harder to take out all 3, and forces your opponent to dump fire power from one unit or vehile on only one viper at a time.

Well I'm considering replacing one of the Wraithlords with the War Walkers, but they are also AV Tinfoil. As Willydstyle pointed out, they'd die just as quick, and I don't particularly want to use suicidal outflankers.

Yeah I think you get more milage out of them if you just put eml's on them and stick them way back out of range of most enemy fire power.

farseer1010 wrote:Yeah I think you get more milage out of them if you just put eml's on them and stick them way back out of range of most enemy fire power.

But then you're spending tons of points on a unit in an army that's already short on points to go around. I've used EML walkers many times, and they can be devastating given the right circumstances, but I'm not sure if I can really advocate them in a "wraithzilla" army.

Shas'O Mont'yr wrote:Fire prisms are the best anti tank

I am curious why people think this. What part about 'strength 9 small blast' says 'good at killing tanks.' The fact that it's a blast can hurt your chances of actually hitting small vehicles, and you have to roll a 6 to penetrate AV 14 vehicles. Linking 2 of them improves your chances of hitting and penetrating and destroying, but even if you hit dead on with the shot you still only have about a 19% chance to destroy AV 14, and that cost you at least 230 points. A single bright lance hit OTOH has an 11% chance to destroy AV 14, and you can have several for 230 points. Against AV 12 a linked prism hit has a 33% chance to destroy a vehicle. A non-linked prism that actually hits only has a 17% chance for a hit to destroy AV 12.

Personally I like the falcon as an AV12 killer, especially with psychic support (guided.) Then you're talking 3 strength 8 shots that are all more likely to hit than a fire prism's blast thanks to guide. If they do all hit then there's a 33% chance to destroy an AV 12 vehicle, the same as 2 linked fire prisms who hit. Against AV 11 or lower a falcon with shuriken cannon and scatter laser really shines. Excepting scatter laser war walkers there's nothing else that kills light armor at range quite as well.

Shas'O Mont'yr wrote:Fire Dragons are the best anti tank

Fixed

Thanks for all of the tips i really appreciate it.