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I've decided to start an Eldar army and I'm looking for some advice on a core (maybe around the 750 - 1k mark) that I can start with. I currently have no models, so it's proper carte blanche time...

I'm thinking about a fluffy(ish) Iyanden force, as I want to try paining yellow for a change! I don't have the supplement, but the consensus of opinion I've gleaned from the interwebs suggests it's a waste of time & money in any case, as the new rules are few... I'm aware that to be in line with fluff etc spiritseers and wraithguads/blades are pretty much a given, but how to build on that?

My main (read only!) opponent is on a SW tip at the mo, so anything geared towards fighting power armour would be helpful.

Thanks in advance...

Its been a while, but I believe starcannons are still the go-to space marine killers...

Also if you want a fun and fluffy iyanden force, check out the forgeworld wraithseer. Its a cool model, cool rules, and you get a spiritseer wraithlord HQ so y'know...

Other than that... squads of wraithguard in wave serpents, couple wraithlords, and I'd say a squad or two of eldar jetbikes and that's gonna be 1000pts of your basic iyanden. (well, jetbikes arent standard iyanden, but I'd say its fluffier to have fewer elite troops, than big mobs of guardians).

Well, if you go the path of Iyanden, get 10 Wraithguard with D scythes and mount them into Serpents.
Add a Spiritseer and one stock Wraithknight.

To complement the army add on or two Windrider Jetbikes, a Jetseer, and Guardians in Serpents.

Wraith lords are meh. They are too slow and have a low damage output.

 wuestenfux wrote:
Well, if you go the path of Iyanden, get 10 Wraithguard with D scythes and mount them into Serpents.
Add a Spiritseer and one stock Wraithknight.

To complement the army add on or two Windrider Jetbikes, a Jetseer, and Guardians in Serpents.

Wraith lords are meh. They are too slow and have a low damage output.

but their models are cool.

Hmm...

Well there will be the discussion about wave serpents and whatnot, but realistically, here's what you need to know:


Eldar are a symphony. It's an overwhelming wall of force when orchestrated well, but start picking off instruments and the music loses focus and falls to pieces.

Unlike space marines, basically a chain mailed fist, where you can blow off a finger or two and it can still punch you in the face, Eldar require the support of their fellow units to act efficiently.


First, you're going to need to decide what it is you're looking for: Durability, maneuverability, or psychic dominance. These are not mutually exclusive, but rather a focus to show you how you'll need to assemble the core of your force and then how you'll need to support it.

Example: Durability

HQ
Spirit Seer

Troops
2x 5 wraithguard

Additional support required
long range supporting firepower.


With T6 and fearless, Wraithguard are a great bulwark against damage. They wield fearsome guns which can either hose *any* other troops out of fortifications or off objectives with AP2 distortion flamers, or can blast the living hell out of any individual target with a s10 AP2 distort cannon. Furthermore, taking a spirit seer makes them troops, an awesome objsec unit. Their fallbacks however are they are slow and have exceptionally short range weapons. Additionally they're not amazing, or in my experience even average, at extricating themselves from CC.

Thus, they need to be supported either via a transport, long range weaponry to cover them as they advance, or preferably both.


As you've said you're looking for Iyanden, consider the following:

2x spirit seers, one for each wraithguard squad, in a wave serpent with scatter lasers, shuriken cannon and holofields. Support these with a wraithknight to keep up with the serpents and outfit the knight with wraith cannons to give some high str weaponry to compliment the wave serpent's ability to saturate the field with Str6/7 firepower.

you're looking at 450 for the wraith guard with dscythes, 240 for the knight, and 140 for the two spirit seers. An additional 300ish for the wave serpents. That's 1130 points, not a bad start for a 1250 list.

If you're looking to go lower, drop a wraithguard and serpent and pick up something a bit more mobile, like a jetbike squad or maybe a guardian squad in a serpent.


There are tons, literally TONS of options you can mix and match just inside the Eldar Codex. I play Ulthwe so I run Guardian heavy, psyker heavy armies personally. You can be fluffy and competitive without resorting to 7 Fire dragon squads inside 7 wave serpents.

Thanks for the advice, plenty to work with there...I think a couple spiritseers and wraithguard will be the initial purchase andI'll go from there...

I'm liking the idea of jetbikes/shining spears as a fast option/last turn objective grabbing unit

From the lack of mentions I'm taking it that wraithblades are surplus to requirement? And d-scythes are preferred over wraithcannon for WG? Or is it purely situational/personal preference?

It's a choice of what they're doing.

Anti tank/high toughness models? d cannons might be better. Especially if AV14 or superheavy hunting.

D-Scythes are great for infantry though, and both options can instant death/auto pen on a 6 to wound/pen.

Personally? I like wraithblades, but I'd only really consider taking them with Dark Eldar allies due to a lack of an assault transport in the Eldar codex, or taking a 10 man unit of them with axes and blades, sticking Eldrad in there, and pointing them towards the point at the edge of the opponent's deployment I don't want him to be stationary on.

Make sure to take wave serpents for any wraithguard to ride in. Serpents are about as durable as landraiders and cost half the price.

Make sure to take holofields and a scatter laser.

A couple of warlocks to hand out shrouded and avoid any of the pheonix lords (they are not terribly fluffy and even less competitive)

Id lean towards flamers on the wraithguard since it discourages charges and because fire.dragons can really do the same job as the cannons at a cheaper price. The last thing you want is some bike riding chapter master charging in with his power fist and punching out all your expensive cannon wraiths in one swing (sure he can charge some chaff in to eat the overwatch but that takes a bit of planning on his part).