Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hey Dakka, I am moving from Daemons to Eldar, anyone got any advice on Eldar?

Also what would be a good start to Eldar?

I recently also started playing Eldar. You really have two options, Fully Mech or Footslog.

You need to decide if you like playing the transport game or having a field of sloggers walking up to the enemy. Each list fields some very different models so thats the first choice you need to make.

I just started Eldar not long ago, I'm mech (Avengers and Dragons in Serpents, a Fire Prism, and Walkers) with two squads of footsloggers (infiltrating Pathfinders and outflanking Scorpions) in a 1,500-point list. Not sure if that makes me "hybrid" or what.

phyrephly wrote:I recently also started playing Eldar. You really have two options, Fully Mech or Footslog.

A common misunderstanding. There are more ways to build a successful Eldar force than the two mentioned above. I've yet to loose with my mixed (half-and-half mech/on foot) eldar and I play against competitive players with GT-built lists. So imo there is nothing wrong with considering mixed-eldar also.

Dragons are the best elites. The assaulty ones are ok if they can survive but go with dragons

And dire avengers is a solid troop. Farseer with doom really helps them out

A solid base for a mech list is 2 units of 10 Avengers, with exarch, duel shuriken catapults and bladestorm (in wave serpents) and a Doom/Fortune Farseer.

For foot sloggers an Avatar is your 1st choice HQ and some Wraithlords are the best starting point.

When we know what sort of list you want or which craftword you are going for, we can help you in more detail

D'Ork is definitely playing Mech with some other elements and it works. Semi-hybrid style. I play full-mech but also use Warp Spiders.

I would say that the above poster saying there are only 2 competitive builds is semi-correct, but that doesn't mean you can't use other elements. Footslogger lists can still use a Wave Serpent and be foot, and Mech can use pathfinders or scorpions and still be Mech. When it's more 60/40-50/50 foot/mech and you're using some mobile and some slow elements, that's a 'hybrid' list. Those lists can be effective as long as all the parts involved complement each other. Hybrid lists are harder to build because you have to make that synergy work and every unit has to perform a function other than taking up space.

Mech and Foot are a little easier because you're focusing on a pretty obvious strategy.

Ok well these are the figures that I like, so can you tell me if they are a good start or not?


- Eldar Farseer and Warlock Bodyguard

-Eldar Fire Dragon Squad

-Eldar Rangers

You have to run dragons and warlock squads in Wave Serpents OR use jetbikes on the warlocks. All those units are good to have if you're looking for purchases, but you really need to decide if you are going to go vehicle-borne or not, if you're not being competitive at ALL, then just buy the units you like. Every unit in the codex can be used effectively (some would argue against weapon support platforms with vibro-cannons or 3x squads of Swooping Hawks) but in general as long as you theme your army around a strategy and match units / vehicles to that strategy, you can make it work.

So, can I get basicly any figure I want and use it?

And I probx wont be getting a viechle!

Zain60 wrote:D'Ork is definitely playing Mech with some other elements and it works. Semi-hybrid style. I play full-mech but also use Warp Spiders.

I would say that the above poster saying there are only 2 competitive builds is semi-correct, but that doesn't mean you can't use other elements.

I never used the term competitive. It's just easier when focusing on one of the two aspects(foot or mech). Eldar is not the easiest army to play and managing a hybrid that will punish you for your mistakes will make the army less enjoyable overall.

@OP

In a foot list there are a couple of must-haves and some fun-to-have-and-can-be-in-the-foot-list units.

Must haves:

Eldar Avatar
Wraith Lords

Others:

Harlequins - Great counter attack cover providing assault unit
Wratiguard - Expensive, but when taken at max points makes for a very good scoring unit that can kill MC's and Tanks
Guardians - Cheap scoring units that become fearless thanks to the avatar
Rangers/Pathfinders - Good suppressing pinning fire to allow your sloggers to walk up to the opposing army. Can also hold a home objective.
Dire Avengers - These guys are good at shooting stuff, or if confingured with defend they can make a pretty good tarpit for hordes/low strength opposing units
Howling Banshees - Good assaulty unit that can kill groups of smaller units, excellent if backed up by some Harlequins

This does not mean that the above list of units are all you can choose. Try to avoid any kind of tank in this build, you will be using wraithlords to fill up your heavy support choices. Try to avoid any fast attack units since they will have some trouble being backed up by the rest of your guys if they get there too fast.

Most importantly, love the list you run, not just the power level.

The Eldar codex is really starting to show its age, there aren't many terrible units in the codex which you should avoid/never use (Support Weapons, Swooping Hawks and some of the Phoenix Lord are the most obvious ones), but the majority of the codex is overpriced or below par. This is probably the main reason you should go either fully mech or fully foot based, lists do better if they are focused and Eldar don't have much room to work with to get to something resembling a competitive list.

@Feforfar. If you aren't planning on getting any vehicles then you are stuck with running a foot list in any case. Should probably point out that foot lists in general are less forgiving to play, and Eldar foot lists even more so, pretty much everything is incredibly fragile. They aren't an army I would recommend a new/inexperience player use.

Anyways, the only units I would consider an auto pick in Foot based list are Harlies and Wraithlords. Apart from the incredibly expensive Wraithguard (who admittedly often end up as troops anyway) Harlies are the only Eldar Elites choice which can realistically expect to stay alive for any real length of time thanks to Veil of Tears. Banshees and Dragons will get crushed very quickly and even Scorpions won't last long. Harlies are also one of the few ways you can get melta into a Footdar list, admittedly its very short range but Dragons are obvious targets and Storm Guardians are BS3 and are also easy targets.
Wraithlords are basically the only way you can get accurate anti tank firepower into a Foot list, I still wouldn't expect them to last long (mostly as finding them cover is very difficult) but the alternative is War Walkers, who fall over in a stiff breeze. The only other unit which is almost compulsory is a Farseer, you need an HQ choice for one thing and rerolls can help out any Eldar list. Many people use Eldrad in foot based lists due to his added abilities.

You should probably take multiple Guardian units for Troops, they won't last long (so take plenty of units) but at least can help out with some heavy weapon fire from range. Rangers run into major issues as they are completely static and are just waiting for a flamer to land on them, they don't put out enough damage to stop advancing attackers either. Avengers are usable, they can stick around a bit longer than Guardians but I find the heavy weapon on the Guardians is much more helpful than additional anti infantry firepower in close.

The Avatar is a good choice, but I wouldn't consider him compulsory. He gives you a powerful assault threat out in front of your army and gives you that Fearless bubble. A Farseer is probably more helpful as your first HQ choice though, Ld8 (potentially with Embolden) is not terrible for Troops (who I find tend to die so fast it makes little difference) so the Fearless bubble isn't always needed. In any case its quite possible to lose an Avatar quickly if you don't have Fortune on him, so the Farseer/Eldrad is probably more important imo.

Warp Spiders are great for Foot Based lists actually, they are (relatively) durable and put out S6 shots in a wide threat area. You can also Deep Strike them in to keep them alive longer and get them where they need to be. Their ability to jump again in the assault phase means they can chase down units and then jump back to avoid being picked off (or jump forwards to stop fleeing units from rallying).

Harlequins - Great counter attack cover providing assault unit
Wratiguard - Expensive, but when taken at max points makes for a very good scoring unit that can kill MC's and Tanks
Guardians - Cheap scoring units that become fearless thanks to the avatar
Rangers/Pathfinders - Good suppressing pinning fire to allow your sloggers to walk up to the opposing army. Can also hold a home objective.
Dire Avengers - These guys are good at shooting stuff, or if confingured with defend they can make a pretty good tarpit for hordes/low strength opposing units
Howling Banshees - Good assaulty unit that can kill groups of smaller units, excellent if backed up by some Harlequins

So, I take it that Eldar is for players that actually know the rules and all that stuff?????
Even though I've been doing Daemons for a while, I've always been fond of Eldar and wanted to collect it so thats why I did Daemons for a start.

And if I was to start would you suggest those figures (at the top of the page)?

Common list choices:

Maxed out Dire Avengers with a bladestorm exarch in a Waveserpent w/ stones

6x fire dragons-no exarch in Waveserpent

3x Walkers with 2x Scatterlasers each

All of the above will melt face, especially 2x of the DA squads on a single target. The walkers are my first target if avaliable, they are very nasty and have good range to boot. Add in a Doomseer and watch badguys fall down.

Ok, so are you saying having those units would be good????

Also for Christmas I was hoping to get Eldar Farseer and Warlock Bodyguard and some rangers!

Warlock Squads are mediocre in a wave serpent, and good on jetbikes. One needs to watch out for psychic defense, as a single psychic hood can devastate your council if fortune fails to go off.

Fire Dragons need to be in a wave serpent, or they will very rarely find their targets due to their short range, frailty, and massive aggro

Rangers are OK. As pathfinders they have a 2+ cover save, and souped up sniper rifles. since about 2/3s of all matches involve objectives, these are good traits to have. on the other hand, assaulting armies are now faster than ever and flamers are increasingly common, Rangers/finders cost a bucket load of points per model, and even with upgraded sniper rifles do not cause enough damage to come close to justifying the price tag.

The units Smarteye posted are common for a reason. But they are best used together. Generally units mounted in wave serpents compliment units mounted in wave serpents. At higher points I've heard its better to phase war walkers out for vypers, as mobility starts to become an issue. Also a pair of fire prisms is always a good addition to a mechanized force.

What you should be doing is figuring out what play style you want. And build around that.

Do you want to fly circles around your opponents with jetlock councils, Avengers/Dragons/Storm Guardians in Wave Serpents, Guardian Jetbike Squads, Warp Spiders, Vypers and Fire Prisms?

or do you want to march up the battlefield in a mighty phalanx lead by an Avatar, Eldrad, 10 Wraithguard, Wraithlords, Harlequins, and a swarm of guardians supported by Rangers and Scorpions?

Its possible to make a good list combining elements of the two, but that is much harder to pull off, and I wouldn't recommend it until you have some experience with most of the units you plan on using.

Well, actually I'm not sure, I was thinking abit of everything or something like that!

If you've ever played Daemons you would know, you normally use a bit of each theme!