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.

So as you can see I have no HQ or troop choices selected...the only things I really need. What I did was chose the units I really liked and made the units at my initial reaction to descriptions.

I basically don't know what HQ would compliment this and how eldar hold objectives well with what troops.

I would like...more wavge serpents and might even change a falcon to a night spinner, war walker or weapons battery squad (the weapons battery doesnt seem smart...just cool)

help anyone?

ELITE
-9 Striking Scorpions
-1 Striking Scorpion Exarch (Shadowstrike; Stalker; Scorpion Claw)
---1 Wave Serpent (Spirit Stones; Shuriken Cannon; TL Bright Lances)

-5 Fire Dragons
---1 Wave Serpent (Spirit Stones; Shuriken Cannon; TL Bright Lances)

FAST
-9 Warp Spiders
---1 Warp Spider Exarch (Withdraw; Powerblades; Spinneret Rifle)

HEAVY
-Falcon (Holo-Field; Spirit Stones; Bright Lance; Shuriken Cannon)

-Falcon (Holo-Field; Spirit Stones; Bright Lance; Shuriken Cannon)

1264/2000

first ever eldar list by the way...

for reference...I don't want to use banshees because I think theyre ugly and I like the unit types i have here...i want this to be my core

First off welcome to Eldar and big kudos for giving such a clear vision of your core and where you want to go from here.

The first obvious choice is 2 sets of 5 Dire Avengers for your Falcons. These turn those gunboats into scoring gunboats. From there your options open up a bit, but you'll want guide for those falcons and at least 4 troop choices.

- 5x DA 60pts
- 5x DA 60pts

Next up you will want a serpented DA unit for more armored Troop speed

- 5x DA in a Serpent with TL Scatter Lasers 175pts

To mix things up a bit you'll want a very fast small profile troop that can pop tanks and harass the enemy.

- 3 Guardian Jetbikes w/ S Cannon + Warlock w/ Spear and Embolden 129pts

Since you have 2 Falcons that need guiding and he is never a bad choice... Eldrad

Eldrad 210

This brings you up to 1898 with the above, but not done there

A major flaw I see with your setup is you have a lot of pricey upgrades that aren't really needed and too much invested in high AV anti tank. You have a squad of dragons to deal with high Armor vehicles then 2 Bright Lances and BL on the falcons. Remember taht it isn't the high str single shots that pop light vehicles that you will see a lot of, it's value shots of the appropriate level.

If you downgrade the Bright lances on the Serpents to scatters that will save 40 pts.
Also you will want to changes out the Falcons to EMLs to have matching distance and str weapons, while also giving the option to move 6-12" and fire 2str8+s4 blast. That swap will save you another 20 points.
Underslug Cannons are a personal preference for most, but personally slowing myself down to max 6" to fire 3 S6 shots at non-TL BS3 is a liability for 10pts more. The Falcon it is a little more viable since you will be moving slow to fire both mainguns anyway, but with those you have a 48", why move into 24"

With these optimizations in place here is a very solid 2k you could look at:

Eldrad (Falcon)

9x Scorps + Exarch w/ Claw, Shadowstrike, Stalker
Wave Serpent w/ Scatter Lasers

5x Fire Dragons
Wave Serpent w/ Scatter Lasers, Stones

5x Dire Avenger (falcon)
5x Dire Avenger (falcon)

5x Dire Avenger
Serpent w/ TL BL (stones)

3x Guardian Jetbikes w/ S Cannon + Warlock w/ Spear, Embolden

Falcon w/ EML, Stones, Holofield
Falcon w/ EML, Stones, Holofield
Night Spinner w/ Stones, Holofield

1998pts

4 Troops, Eldrad, Solid Anti-Tank, Night Spinner blast, and fits your core guidelines. It won't be cheap... but like 40k ever is lol.

To build up the list I suggest ebay as your friend. You can get 4 jetbikes pretty cheap on ebay and then turn to chapterhouse studios for their warlock jetbiker kit.

I agree with BlueDagger, especially on the point of Eldrad, as he is a must in an effective Eldar army IMHO, and the Jetbikes are useful for some last minute shenanigans.

What I find though which people may disagree with me upon is that Pathfinder Rangers a an excellent way to hold objectives. Plonk your objective in cover, and then Pathfinders get +2 to their cover save because they're special, and as most cover in the game at the minute gives a 4+ save, they effectively have a 2+ cover save, which is not too shaby.

The major problems with Pathfinders are:

#1 Their weapon is pretty aweful for their point cost. The armor ignore features are nice, but a 50% chance to fail to wound coupled with the fact taht everything has cover nowadays is lackluster.

#2 They are a stand and shoot unit and with the speed of todays units they will be flamered or assaulted VERY fast.

#3 Their point cost the same as a Wave Serpent

If the meta switch to more monsterous creatures or high tough models then they will have a better role... but sadly the craptastic rules for sniper rifles mixed with 5th edition "you have 4+ cover if you toe is behind a rock" makes them a little lackluster for the point cost.

Yeah, fair enough, I just find it hilarious when your enemy pours shooting at them and really struggles to shift them. And I would definately agree that craptastic is the word to use when describing Sniper rules.

So I tried improving on my list after learning a bit more from you.

Don't want to get tied to Eldrad but it seems like a good starting point.

My friend runs an all jetbike list and as fun as they seem...I want to stay off his bandwagon...ha.

HQ
-Eldrad Ulthran

ELITE
-9 Striking Scorpions
---1 Striking Scorpion Exarch (Shadowstrike; Stalker; Scorpion Claw
-----1 Wave Serpent (Spirit Stones; TL Scatter Lasers)

-5 Fire Dragons
---1 Wave Serpent (Spirit Stones; TL Scatter Lasers)

TROOP
-5 Dire Avengers

-5 Dire Avengers

-5 Dire Avengers
---1 Wave Serpent (Spirit Stones; TL Scatter Lasers)

-10 Storm Guardians (Fusion Gun x2)
---1 Wave Serpent (Spirit Stones; TL Scatter Lasers)

FAST
-7 Warp Spiders
---1 Warp Spider Exarch (Withdraw)

HEAVY
-Falcon (Holo-Field; Spirit Stones; Missile Launcher)

-Falcon (Holo-Field; Spirit Stones; Missile Launcher)

-Night Spinner (Holo-Field; Spirit Stones)

1997/2000

Just another option...

Get the 2nd unit of Fire Dragons and place them in a wave serpent.

Convert the night spinner into a 3rd falcon to carry your 3rd DA squad.

Holofields are nice but expensive. Perhaps use the 3rd falcon less aggressively and forego the holo-field on it.

Another joy of the eldar is looking at fielding one unit of vypers or warwalkers. Vypers with scatter laser and shuriken cannon, walkers with two scatter lasers. 21 to 24 S6 shots nicely guided by eldrad will ruin most people's day.

Not taking Holofiled on a Falcon is a very bad idea. A falcon is a pricey investment that needs protection and in combination with DA and Stones it become a scoring fast vehicle that is a nightmare to stop.

Duct I love that list, but definitely tweak the storm guardian unit to 2 flamers and a warlock with destructor. Meltas on the storm guadians will usually only net you a bunch of dead guardians from the explosion to their face lol. Tri-Flamer storm guardians can be rather leathal, I just don't care for their expendable nature.

You can easily get the 35 pts needed for the Warlock with destructor by dropping spirit stones from all the Wave Serpents.

On a side note I only, personally, condone Spirit Stones on Holofielded vehicles. The increase percentages of stunned results makes them worth it but not some much on Wave Serpents. The stone I put in my recommended list was just because I didn't have anyplace better for the 20pts.

Go go Dire avengers, my list is pretty similar. FD SS with some vehicle support. I like pathfinders, I own some but it's pretty rare they get fielded. The points tend to not justify including them but they can be fun. Agree with all the above comments on DA's though. For their points they are great. Not trying trying to disagree with any of those comments but while a lot of people tend like bypassing armor saves, there's something to be said about volume of fire. I know I use DA's as the primary workhorse in my Eldar they can pump out a lot of shots on the move, and for their points are pretty hard to kill. You enemy is bound to fail a lot of armor saves if you throw enough shots at him.

I see the value in just running them as 5 man squads in falcons for the scoring units in competitive play. But if you're just looking to round out the army, I usually run 3 footslogging squads of 8 DA out in front of my army. Aside from small mounted DA units. 2 with storm and one with the melee defensive to throw out front and absorb the first charge. hopefully they survive but really they are just there to hopefully bait my opponent wasting his charge bonus on a cheap unit thats in position to be counter charged by a cpl of my more expensive HtH units. And if they try to be careful and dont fall for it, DA's do a decent job of just making squads a few models smaller each turn and surviving.

Probably take this lightly tho, the group of guys I play with for the most part play pretty themed armies, and most of us tend to favor infantry heavy lists. nobody likes painting vehicles more then infantry .

If you don't like how that list plays but still like mechdar, try putting full squads of DA's with a farseer and some firedragons in serpents. Full squads have alot more hitting power.

I run tyranid horde and infantry GK (since they were DH) and this NEEDS to be my mech army.

Always wanted a mech army but I wanted one where they vehicles didn't die easy

Holofields are nice but when the choice comes down to holofields or another vehicle, I will tend to lean on the extra vehicle.

The problem with eldar mech is the cost of the unit + vehicle. Also the fact that generally you don't get out of the vehicle so we are talking @ 200 pts for 1 TL weapon shooting. Tough to kill but also not a lot of firepower.