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I was wodering what is the wave serpent spam tactic? How do you play/use it?

thanks

Quite simple, really. Put lots of units into Wave Serpents. There are a number of benefits - the Serpent Shield means that the units inside are very safe. Then there's the weaponry the Serpent itself carries. Lastly, when your contents have disembarked and you're not too worried about the Serpent itself, the Shield's firing mode is quite brutal.

It's particularly effective when used in combination with Eldar units that have a strong close-range punch but have issues getting that close on their own (Wraithguard and Fire Dragons for instance).

would having 3 wave serpents (with 3 units inside) be sufficient enough?

Not quite spamm at that point. For spam you need ~6 serpents and another 1-3 AV12 hulls. 3 is a few, you have to exceed a few before it is spam. Double a few is definitely spam.

Not that 3 serpents is not the start of a good eldar army.

Not sufficient to be called spam, as ansacs mentioned. As to whether having 3 is useful for your army, we'd need to know what else you already have, or intend to get soon.

I suppose I should ask this too - why the keen interest? You already seem set on using this spam tactic without even knowing what it is or how it works to begin with. An army list from the Internet does not a decent player make...
If you're having problems using Eldar we can definitely help. But if you're looking for something to field for an easy win, I wouldn't bother - not knowing how to run a particular list will still cost you games.

I was just wondering what it was.
i already wrote an eldar list i intend to buy and try out when i get back from my holiday. here it is:

Iyanden Eldar 1850 list

2 spiritseers

3 jetbikes
3 jetbikes
5 wraithguard with d-scythes in a wave serpent with scatter laser, shuriken cannon, holo fields and spirit stones
5 wraithguard with wraithcannons in a wave serpent with scatter laser, shuriken cannon and holo fields
5 wraithguard with wraithcannons in a wave serpent with scatter laser, shuriken cannon and holo fields

wraithknight with suncannon, scattershield and scatter laser (warlord)
wraithlord with BL, scatter laser, ghostglaive and 2 flamers
wraithlord with BL, scatter laser, ghostglaive and 2 flamers

That list looks great. Wraithguard's only real drawback (aside from points cost) is that they need to get close to be effective, and the Wave Serpent is the perfect way of doing just that.

What you have isn't exactly Serpent Spam, but it should work well nevertheless.

I take it the list is written under the normal Eldar rules - if you get the Iyanden supplement, that lets you take the 2 spiritseers as a single HQ choice. If you want to push up to 2000 points, you could do worse than putting a Farseer in too. It also means your Wraithguard would then be Troops, so if the jetbikes are only there as Troops filler, you could put those points elsewhere (though I wouldn't suggest it - jetbikes are so good under the new Codex it's not even funny...)

I am using the iyanden suppliement for this list

I know it isn't exactly the topic of the thread, but I'd change the two Wraithlord for another stock Wraithknight, and drop the Serpent Cannons and a Spiritseer to get a Farseer.

It's a great list though IMO.

I second Godless-Mimicry's suggestion.

A Wraithknight is always better than 2 Wraithlords and quite a bit cheaper if you go stock, which you should. Problem with WLs in this kind of a list is that it's slow and the rest of your list is not.

If you take a 2nd WK and take them both stock, you should have enough points for a Farseer on a jetbike with Mantle of the Laughing God, for an almost unkillable warlord and a great force multiplier.

So something like this:

Farseer(Warlord): EJB, Mantle, Singing Spear - 160

1 Spiritseer: Wraithforge stone - 100

3x2 WRJ with Shuriken Cannons - 122

5 WG with D-scythes in a Wave Serpent with Scatterlasers, Holofields and Shuriken Cannon - 355

5 WG with Wraithcannons in a Wave Serpent with Scatterlasers, Holofields and Shuriken Cannon - 315

5 WG with Wraithcannons in a Wave Serpent with Scatterlasers, Holofields and Shuriken Cannon - 315

Wraithknight - 240

Wraithknight - 240

Total: 1847

+1

Damn, now I wanna buy some Wraithknights.

i think for now i will stick to my list and play with it, and see what works and what doesnt. i also quite like the wraithlords over wraithknights (theyre really nice models). also im a bit tight on money so i cant really afford 2 wraithknights over 2 wraithlords and a wraithknight


Automatically Appended Next Post:
but thatnks for the help. i'll keep your list in mind in case mine doesnt work

 Araenion wrote:
I second Godless-Mimicry's suggestion.

A Wraithknight is always better than 2 Wraithlords and quite a bit cheaper if you go stock, which you should. Problem with WLs in this kind of a list is that it's slow and the rest of your list is not.

If you take a 2nd WK and take them both stock, you should have enough points for a Farseer on a jetbike with Mantle of the Laughing God, for an almost unkillable warlord and a great force multiplier.

So something like this:

Farseer(Warlord): EJB, Mantle, Singing Spear - 160

1 Spiritseer: Wraithforge stone - 100

3x2 WRJ with Shuriken Cannons - 122

5 WG with D-scythes in a Wave Serpent with Scatterlasers, Holofields and Shuriken Cannon - 355

5 WG with Wraithcannons in a Wave Serpent with Scatterlasers, Holofields and Shuriken Cannon - 315

5 WG with Wraithcannons in a Wave Serpent with Scatterlasers, Holofields and Shuriken Cannon - 315

Wraithknight - 240

Wraithknight - 240

Total: 1847

Your close, but your normal wraithguard units are 10 points more than they should but, with that being taken into account you drop the cannons on the bikes and the wraithforge stone and you get a 2nd spiritseer so you can cast the iyanden bubble in two directions.

2nd Spiritseer could be good, yes. But I wouldn't drop the cannons on bikes. It gives them some tactical firepower that isn't easily shut down. 3 BS4 S6 shots might not be that much, but for 10 points, it's a steal. Especially as this list is struggling against hordes. And the Wraithforge stone is stupidly good.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 DrCactus wrote:
i think for now i will stick to my list and play with it, and see what works and what doesnt. i also quite like the wraithlords over wraithknights (theyre really nice models). also im a bit tight on money so i cant really afford 2 wraithknights over 2 wraithlords and a wraithknight


Automatically Appended Next Post:
but thatnks for the help. i'll keep your list in mind in case mine doesnt work

Shouldn't 2 WLs be more expensive than a Wraithknight? In any case, your list is by no means bad, mine is just a suggestion and yours will most likely do very well against most opponents. If you like your WLs, then by all means, play them.

Shouldn't 2 WLs be more expensive than a Wraithknight? In any case, your list is by no means bad, mine is just a suggestion and yours will most likely do very well against most opponents. If you like your WLs, then by all means, play them.

thanks

i'll let you guys know how my list will do in games. also please chech out my blog http://thewarsword.blogspot.com i will be posting pictures of how my eldar army is coming along. it doesnt have much yet, but it will have more things posted when i get back from my holiday

It depends on how you view bikes, i view them as last turn objective holders/grabbers therefore i keep them out of LOS the entire game.

If you get within 24 + 2d6 range of anything with 36 inch guns your going to get your objective grabbing troops killed.

Well, the number of Serpents should linearly increase with the point level. At the 1500 pt level, you could run already 5 Serpents and 3 Warwalkers.