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Hey guys, i tried doing a search for this topic and couldnt find anything. So if there is one, let me know and we wont have to have this thread.

So, I was just wondering what the best load out for wave serpents are.

Right now I am running 2x Dire Avengers, and Fire Dragons each in Serpents. Right now I have Bright Lances on the Dire Avenger Serpents and I didn't build the Fire Dragons Serpent. Thanks for helping me out.

The Serpent fills a supporting role, and you need to understand what it is supporting. My personal serpent load-outs are as follows:

Fire Dragon Serpent - Suriken Cannons
This is the cheapest upgrade for a tank that is almost guaranteed to be destroyed after delivering it's cargo.

Dire Avengers Serpent - Shuri Cannons, EML, Scatter Lasers
I swap between these weapons depending on what role my da's will be performing. If they are moving out to capture an enemy objective, it will most likely have shuri-cannons. Midfield objectives scatter lasers and haning back with a scoring troop EML.

I never choose BL's since i feel they are overcosted and with FD's and FP's I have enough AT in my list.

I try not to tailor lists to my opponent, so I like making all comers lists if at all possible.

I am also running 2 fire prisms so I do have decent AT. Ill prob be decking out my Fire Dragons with the cheapest load out, because your right, the serpent will get popped as soon as the dragons do their work.

I'm thinking scatter lasers for the Dire Avengers. It may give me some more versatility in the list.

I like scatters, but the EML does wonders, especially since the S4 blast is counted as defensive.

Bright Lances on the Dire Avenger Serpents is fine but is obviously going to depend how many Fire Dragon units you have (and the points limit). Certainly better to put them there than on the Fire Dragon Serpents as that would put all your anti tank firepower in one place.

For Fire Dragons I normally take Scatters as I like the extra range (so I can stand off if I want to), but would never take anything more expensive than than. Fire Dragon Serpents are the most likely to die (and die early) and the most likely to be moving 24" to get into position, so spending too many points on the weapon doesn't make much sense. Its the one place I would consider taking the T/L Shuriken Cannons, they keep the Serpent as cheap as possible but as mentioned I find having the Scatters very useful. YMMV.

For scoring Serpents (i.e Avengers) I tend to take either Scatters or Bright Lances. I tend to avoid EML as Scatters are better at popping AV11 and trimming down MEQ units. If I want an anti tank weapon I take the Bright Lance and if I want an anti infantry weapon I take the Scatters, the EML is somewhere in between but not as good as either one. The only place the EML is useful is against bunched up GEQ (but cover and spreading out ruins it) and AV12, anything higher you should and usually do use Bright Lances and Fire Dragons to deal with as they are much more effective. AV12 doesn't show up that much aside from the front armour of Guard Chimeras (and other Serpents/Falcons I guess) and you should have the mobility to get to the side armour anyway.

The difference between the Scatters and the EML is the versatility part of the EML. Depending on how much moving you are forced to do, the EML starts being better. But i always have a healthy mix:

Mostly 2 Shuri, 2 Scatter Lasers, 1 EML.

The lances are too expensive imo, but I do like the EML

Thank you guys so much for your input. I'm going to play test a game with all Scatter Lasers, since my newer list has 3 Prisms, and a squad of Fire Dragons, I think it may be wise to have the extra anti infantry/Light transport.

I would drop the 3rd FP and try to fit another WS and 5 man FD in. FP are so fragile. The FD are there to crack AV14 and EML for transports, then your FP can serve up some AP2 cupcakes. For AV14 FD in WS are tougher (Energy field) and more reliable (spirit stones )(5 shots) then AV 12 (no field) and scatter dice. While WS EML is so much better on light transports w/ twin linked S8 (no template) and if you need them for infantry pinning s4 ap4 templates rock.

I run 3 WS EML (DA), 2 WS SC (FD) ,2 FP, 1 NS, 2 Vypers SC, jetseer council and Avatar all at 2000pts.

Thats something to look into. The only reason im running the three prisms is for the STR 7 AP 2 Large Blast. That sounds truly devastating when it comes to Termies and other deathstar type units.

Ill have to do some play testing and see what works out. The next thing i'm getting is another squad of fire dragons, but at 1250 points, 1 squad seems to be enough.

You are almost always better off firing 3 S9 AP2 small blasts than combining all 3 Prisms to get 1 large blast (that would be S8 AP2 if you combine them all). With the number of transports you have you can always tank shock them into a bunch if the small blasts aren't hitting enough per shot. The main thing to remember is that Prisms are not great for anti tank, they certainly don't replace Fire Dragons in that regard. There main strength is their flexibility, they can take on medium vehicles and infantry pretty well and if you have to provide a decent long ranged option against AV14.

Having said that with Eldar at 1250pts no matter what you do you can't fit all the stuff you need to make a balanced/all comers list in, and 1 Fire Dragon unit is probably enough. The Prisms are definitely going to be a better bet if you are on a 6' x 4' table.

And remember the link range is unlimited so you can cover the entire board with 3 and 95% of the board with 2 of themm

Well, my Serpents carry Dire Avengers and Storm Guardians (with scatter lasers), and Fire Dragons and a Seer Councils (with shuricannons).
That is, shorter range weapons (shuricannons) for units to get close and longer range weapons (scatter lasers) for troops.

wuestenfux wrote: and Storm Guardians (with scatter lasers

Going to assume Defender Guardians

I have never thought about the fact that based on the Serpents Contents, tha range of the equipped weapon should theoretically match. Thanks Wuest.

I'm pretty sure he means his Storm Guardians are carried in Serpents with Scatters, not that the Guardians themselves have them. For Serpents there is absolutely no need for the range of the squad inside to match the range of the Serpent's weapons, there are no fire points so you have to be outside it to fire anyway. No one in their right mind would take Defenders in a Serpent, you have to pay for the platform and it is wasted inside the Serpent, plus dropping Defenders off in close is a total waste of time.

The reason to match the range on the Serpent and it's contents is that you want to have the contents shoot the maximum distance. If your serpent is 36" away from a target and gets canned, the contents cannot shoot at a target for 2 turns hypothetically. And if you are going to deliver the contents close to the enemy, the weapon range on it is missed. The idea is good, not needed but good.