eldar question

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**azgrim**

I am wanting to start eldar and love the wraithlord/guard models.Is there a way to run these guys competitively ?

**MechaEmperor7000**

Wraithguards themselves are pretty self-sufficent. You can do horrible damage to anything if you have a 10 man squad (especially with a Destructor-armed Warlock, since then even hordes are not safe from you), and their high toughness + 3+ armor save means that they'll be really, really hard to put down without any sort of ordinance-style weapon (namely, the battlecannon will make ass of their day). Their problems are largely the cost of the models themselves (they are REALLY expensive for rank-and-file models) and that they have pathetically short ranges (you'll probably only ever get one shot off at any given enemy before they charge you). Wraithlords, however, are fantastic if you run them in triplicate. Remember they can fire two weapons, and a Eldar EML + Brightlance is probably one of the best loadouts for them (you can mess up tanks with a Krak missile + Lance, or destroy hordes with the Wraithlord's built-in flamer and Plasma Missile). Charge into combat whenever you can, to avoid being shot at by AP3 weaponry. Plus, your Toughness 8 means that only Powerfists will ever hope to harm you.

**blackshark121**

This would be devilishly expensive, but a farseer with a seer council, all spears, 8 with destructor, 1 with conceal, 1 with enhance, and 1 given spiritseer, and the farseer is attached to the wraithguard. That way, you've got 21 units, with 8 S5 AP 4 templates and 3 spears, or 11 spears; and 10 2+ AP 2 weapons. They can take out hordes with destructor, vehicles and MCs with spears and wraithcannons. They would be pretty good at melee, what with 11 spears, but wraithguard would be just sitting through the melee.

EDIT: I put a theoretical list together on battlescribe, it would be 11 warlocks total, because one needs to be included in the squad of warlocks. So yeah, I need to see if this works. It all rings in at 1874 points.

**akaean**

Wraithguard are the type of unit that you really need to base your entire army around to succeed.

the general rule of thumb is to have an Avatar, Eldrad, a squad of 10 wraithguard with a conceal warlock as troops, at least 10 guardians, at least 2 wraithlords, harlequins for counter charge, and then other bells and whistles to taste.

The resident expert on Wraithwall at Dakka would have to be Blackmoor. You should check out some of the advice he gives. I've quoted a bit that i think is particularly useful.

Blackmoor wrote:
Brother Bartius wrote:Hi folks.

Here is my 1750pts Footslogging Eldar list for an upcoming tournament.

As a foot eldar player here are my thoughts...

HQ
Eldrad - You know his cost
Avatar - You know his cost

The best HQs available for a foot eldar list.

Elites
8 Harlequins inc shadowseer all with kisses (cover for the wraithguard) - 206

I run a troupe leader with a power weapon, but what you have is fine. I like the power weapon for things like terminators and Blood Angels with FNP because they are power weapons attacks that I can count on. If you charge something you will do only 3.5 rends (about 5 with doom) so I like the reliability of the troupe leader's power weapon. But your tactic of running them in front of your wraithguard will be a major problem. Harlequins are very fragile, and once they lose some numbers are very feeble in assault so you need to protect them. A rhino racing up and dumping out marines to rapid-fire them, or anything with a flamers with BBQ them, Dark Eldar with Venoms, Fire Warriors out of a devil fish, etc. Every army has something that can wipe them out without working up a sweat. You need to keep them back behind the wraithguard and counter attack anything that gets into assault with you.

Troops
10 wraithguard - 350

A good tar pit wall to hold units in combat so the harlequins can counter-assault. You need a Warlock with Conceal because you are not going to have the Harlies to screen you. Also in assault he takes some wounds because you should have fortune going for a re-rollable 4++ save.

10 Dire Avengers inc Exarch + 2 x shuricats - 137

Quality troop unit.

10 Guardians + Bright Lance + Warlock + Embolden + Singing Spear + Embolden = 143
10 Guardians + Bright Lance + Warlock + Embolden + Singing Spear + Embolden = 143

I like guardians because not only do the have a heavy weapon that can move and shoot, but they can step up and with the help of guide and doom can do some short range damage. But I do not understand the use of the warlocks. The first thing is that the Avatar makes you fearless. The second is who shoots at guardians? If my opponent is shooting at guardians I am glad because he is not shooting at the other units. Also if you want to you can screen the wraithguard with them, because again, no one wants to bother shooting at them, and they are a cheap unit that you can throw away if you want to. Take one warlock and add it to the wraithguard unit, and take the other one off and upgrade your wraithlords.

Heavy Support
3 War Walkers + 6 Scatter Lasers = 180

Great unit.

1 Wraithlord + EML + Wraithsword = 125
1 Wraithlord + Wraithsword = 100

I like wraithlords in foot lists because they compliment them very well. They have long range BS4 heavy weapons that a foot list needs, they have flamers for anti-horde, and are even good in assault when needed. Here is the problem with your army and your wraithlords: I have seen wraithswords used, but only in foot armies that do not have the harlequins where they need the extra assault for counter attacks. Since you have the harlies you don't need the swords, and can take what your army really is in desperate need of is ranged anti-tank. You should equip them with Brightlance and Missile Launchers combination. You really need them in your army because otherwise you have no answer for anything with a hint of Mech in their army.

I had some tactics above but here are some more.

Every turn you need to cast fortune on the wraithguards and the Avatar.

You should keep Eldrad with the Wraithguard. You need to keep them alive in assault and he and the Warlock can eat some power weapons and still be ok as long as you have fortune, and then move in the Avatar and Harlequins to finish off whatever charged you.

Remember Wraithguard aren't really a unit that you can just throw onto the field in any old list. You really need to emphasize their strongpoints and compliment them with other units.

Also remember that these days Foot Eldar is strictly speaking not quite as competitive as Mechanized Eldar. That said you can still put a very solid and competitive list if you go about building a good wraithwall.

I hope this helps you determine if this is the direction you want to go.

**Macok**

Well short answer is no..
Wraithlords are OK, wraithguards are not.
While wraithlords can be taken out by missile and lascannon fire they still can pack a punch and if you by some miracle put them in cover (they are huge) they can last a while.
Run them cheap with sword only or missile/brightlance combo.
Unfortunately wraithguard is not a good unit. One shot at 12" and 1 attack means that most of the time they won't do enough damage to be useful. Being 12" from enemy means almost sure charge or massed fire - they are 1W and 3+ save only.
Fire dragons will be a better choice 95% of the time.

Everything that of course depends on people who you are going to play with. If everybody makes more fun and weaker armies - you're good to go.
Also the models (IMHO) are beautiful so if that is important to you - get them.