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.

Okay. So looking through my codex and army, I think I would like to make an eldrad based army. I have a couple of personal caveats to my army builds. I have some center piece models I will be using, and I'm not a fan of spamming units. I like to limit myself to one of any particular unit. E.G. One wave serpent with a scatter laser.

So what units will best take advantage of eldrad a abilities.

The static list:
HQ
Eldrad ulthran..................................205

Fast attack
Nightwing.........................................145
Hornet, 2x pulse lasers, holo field.....90

Heavy
Fire prism, holo fields......................140
Wraithknight, sun cannon, scatter...300

The fluid lists:

Spirit seer:
HQ............275
Eldrad..........................................205
Spirit seer......................................70

Troops.........760
Wraith blades...............................160
Wraith guard.................................160
D-scythe guard.............................210
Wave serpent, scatter, shuricannon,
Holo fields....................................145
Jet bikes (5)...................................85

Fast attack..............235
Hornet, pulse lasers, holo field......90
Nightwing....................................145

Heavy............530
Wraithknight................................300
Fire prism, holo fields.................140
Shadow weavers (3)....................90

Aegis w/las cannon......................85

I believe that leaves me fifty points. I might trade out the fire prism for dark reapers after all, or I would throw a fire dragon squad in there somewhere.

Umm, if you plan on just taking 1 of any unit don't bother spending money on this game, because you will lose every game horribly. There is nothing wrong with repetition, if you don't want to spam, take 4 or less serpents and only 1 or 2 knights, no one will care.

As for a list that makes good use of eldrad, guardian blobs with warlocks are good for mid field, add some CH, and WK for offensive power and your on the right track.

Well, casting from inside a vehicle is difficult.
I'd build the list around the core troops.

Id build it around wave serpents for the guranteed 2+ cover save when i flat out them first turn. Makes for a nasty alpha strike with crystal targeting matrix

One of the best uses for eldrad is his default warlord trait and redeploy. He makes good use of gunlines, and anything capable of getting a jink save. The problem is that he needs to be on foot to cast powers, and somewhere he can be safe from shooting.

I like him with a battery of shadow weavers(or maybe vibro cannons but I think your fine on AT). He provides leadership 10 and psychic goodies, while they provide T7 ablative wounds. He is also decent enough in CC to ward off any casual assaults. You may also want a warlock with the battery, or a spiritseer. You ideally want protect for 2+ saves on the guns, but shrouded is always nice for a 3+ cover save(park the batteries in cover). With redeploy, the battery will always be in a good spot.

A 20 man guardian blob with 2 guns is also a good place to put eldrad,but there is a lot of ignore cover shooting that can easily waste them and Eldrad in turn.

If you want a mobile deathstar eldrad, put him with 10 wraithguard(cannons) or blades(axes and shields). Then take a spiritseer with the unit. They are very hard to shift, T6 majority, and decent in combat. Eldrad can move around and throw out buffs as needed.

Most buffs have a decent range, but mobile units may soon be out of his range. Consider some backfield guardians with a heavy weapon, or dire avengers if you go gunline eldrad. A wave serpent with some mobile scoring units, jetbikes or outflanking rangers are always good to capture late game objectives.

For powers,it is always worth it to roll once on fate, hoping for doom or fortune. Eldritch storm is OK against certain foes as well. Divination has misfortune, forwarning and maybe perfect timing, as well as prescience. Telepathy has invisibility, hallucination, puppet master and psychic shriek. Roll according to your needs for your list.

@dr sterling.

Thank you for the well thought out suggestions. I've been a fan of the eldar artillery already, so tht is an easy one to build around. I think I will go with the shadow weavers. I'm thinking of two builds to try out. A spirit seer with wraith troops, and a more aggressive hq option.

For more anti air, I'm thinking an aegis and a scatter serpent. Lets try a first list.

Your list looks pretty good. I would combine those wraithguard squads on foot into one big squad of stuff. Blades with axes or shields, probably. Consider using the iyanden supplement for a Wraithknight warlord, and voice of twilight. The guardian helm is great if you are going to hide Eldrad and a spiritseer in the unit, and voice of twilight makes wraithblades instagib T4 on the charge(plus battle focus to help you upfield).

Maybe cut the bikes down to 3 and try to sneak another hornet in? A warlock for the weavers is always welcome.

If I were using the iyanden supplement and had a wraithknight as warlord, wouldn't that put three hq units out there? Three different squads have very specific jobs. He wraith blades are camping and counter charging. D-scythes if I have fortune tend to fly up the board in their serpent and template a big great in turn two. Wraithguard walk up the board to middling objectives, and finally the bikes zip in for far board objectives. I like five because generally an opponent takes two turns to kill them, while only three can die in a single turn.

To stick with my no copies I would have to run a second hornet with different guns. At which point there are often better 90 point units. Say warp spiders?

I usually like to have either a fire Dragon or dark reaper exarch firing the Icarus, but that would have to remove a heavy, or come up with serious points.

Having the wraithknight be your warlord doesnt make him an hq, just the warlord

Another version of the list I think I will try. A little less wraith although I feel like the spirit seer is a very good co-hq with eldrad.

HQ
Spirit seer...............................................70
Eldrad...................................................205

Troops
Wraith guard.........................................160
Wave serpent, cannon, holo fields. 140
Rangers (5)............................................60
Jet bikes (5)...........................................85
Dire avengers (10)...............................130


Fast attack
Nightwing............................................145
Hornet, pulse lasers, holo field.............90

Heavy
Wraithknight, suncannon, scatter..........300
Shadow weavers (3)...............................90
Dark reapers (4), exarch, fast tempest.164

Adl, Icarus las cannon..........................85

Your WG and spiritseer in WS are the hardest hitting unit in this army, with the WK coming second, I would put more fast units in this list to keep the pressure on. The shadow weavers are cool, but warp spiders would do more, while costing the same amount of points. You can drop the SL from the knight saving you 20pts, eldrad can guide/prescience him and lets you be over 36" away. With points saved you can turn las cannon into squad gun. And consider breaking the avengers into 2 x5 man units for more objective holding.