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Hi!

I'm building up an eldar jetbike army currently free of aspect warriors and wraith units. The former because I have not yet fallen for any (finecast being a reason) and the latter because people have an easier time accepting scatterbike spam if you avoid the D. Currently I own 30 bikes, 6 hornets and 2 fire prisms, as well as 4 skyrunner warlocks/farseers. All options are magnetized, but the plan for now is to run the prisms stock, scatter lasers on the bikes and pulse lasers on the hornets. This gives me plenty of S6 and S8ap2 as well as some ranged anti-tank, but I've found that I'd want a couple of counter-charge units in the list that could provide some flanking AT if needed.

Both DE and Harlequins can provide this with Reavers or Skyweavers, so now I'm wondering which choice would be preferable? The loadouts I'm considering are the following:
3 Skyweavers w. Haywire cannons and Zephyrglaives 195pts
6 Reavers w. 2 heat lances, 2 cluster caltrops 146pts

The skyweavers would come as 2 units in a Faolchu's Blade formation meaning they would re-roll jink. The reavers would be two units in a DE detachment. The 'quins come with a voidweaver tax of 80pts which could be of some use, while the DE can either buy in on a minimum detachment (2 warrior squads and a minimum Court) for 90 pts or expand to provide more supporting elements. The Skyweavers provide secure ap2 hits and a re-rollable 4+ cover is better than the reavers 3+, and their built in invul. means they survive longer vs ignores cover weaponry. The reavers instead have weight of attacks (all the HoW hits plus normal attacks), skilled rider for increased mobility and an advantage vs S8+ weaponry due to ID. Heat lances are shorter range but have a higher damage potential vs vehicles than haywire cannons.

Considering a points level of 2000pts, which would you prefer and why? And how would you handle the DE "tax" if you prefer the reavers?

Reavers are by FAR the better choice.

not only do they have a 3+ jink, but they do not have to pay for the heavy weapons that come standard on the Skyweavers. The Skyweavers are paying too many points to do too much. They will never get to do all of it. Plus you have to buy the worthless Voidweaver for the formation.

Since you already have plenty of shooting and need the counter-assault unit, Reavers are the better choice.

As for the DE "tax", since you are not fielding any Aspects or WG, you don't need a WWP character, so you have 2 good choices:
---10pt Lhamaen HQ + 40pt Warrior Troop
OR
---Lhamaean & 4 Sslyth HQ in a Venom (which is another great counter assault unit) + 1-2 Warrior units with a Blaster in Venoms
------------------------
It just depends on whether you what to treat them as a "tax" or get some actual work out of them. I personally like the 2nd option, since it is the only DE HQ I use. I had a unit of 20 Ork boyz charge and the 4 Sslyth turned them into green stains


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No love for shining spears?

If shining spears had Hit & Run, they could be a choice worth considering. As it is, they do not

Agreed, the spears are sadly sub-par. They cost too much for little gain, as they don't hit hard enough on the charge despite their lances, seen to their points cost.

I am leaning towards Reavers as well. My only bother is the tax. Your suggestions are great (the Lahmian+4 slyth council seems fun and useful) but my only concern is that the venom is a 65 point gunboat which puts out 12 4+ poisoned shots which is quite sub-par compared to just adding more jetbikes for more S6 shooting. The venom only becomes superior vs T7+ units which aren't GCs, and for those I have other tools. So two 5-man warrior squads in reserves seems like the best choice just because C:ECW spends the points better.

None. I'd add more variety.

TompiQ wrote:
Agreed, the spears are sadly sub-par. They cost too much for little gain, as they don't hit hard enough on the charge despite their lances, seen to their points cost.

I am leaning towards Reavers as well. My only bother is the tax. Your suggestions are great (the Lahmian+4 slyth council seems fun and useful) but my only concern is that the venom is a 65 point gunboat which puts out 12 4+ poisoned shots which is quite sub-par compared to just adding more jetbikes for more S6 shooting. The venom only becomes superior vs T7+ units which aren't GCs, and for those I have other tools. So two 5-man warrior squads in reserves seems like the best choice just because C:ECW spends the points better.

Then take 5 warriors with a blaster in a raider with a dark lance. A few extra S8 AP2 lance shots threatens that AV13 and AV14, and the raider provides good cover for your jet bikes.
And those warriors and raiders are objective secure.
Now your opponent is torn between killing those scatterbikes or taking out the objective secure.

-Matt

 Galef wrote:
Reavers are by FAR the better choice.

not only do they have a 3+ jink, but they do not have to pay for the heavy weapons that come standard on the Skyweavers. The Skyweavers are paying too many points to do too much. They will never get to do all of it. Plus you have to buy the worthless Voidweaver for the formation.

Since you already have plenty of shooting and need the counter-assault unit, Reavers are the better choice.

As for the DE "tax", since you are not fielding any Aspects or WG, you don't need a WWP character, so you have 2 good choices:
---10pt Lhamaen HQ + 40pt Warrior Troop
OR
---Lhamaean & 4 Sslyth HQ in a Venom (which is another great counter assault unit) + 1-2 Warrior units with a Blaster in Venoms
------------------------
It just depends on whether you what to treat them as a "tax" or get some actual work out of them. I personally like the 2nd option, since it is the only DE HQ I use. I had a unit of 20 Ork boyz charge and the 4 Sslyth turned them into green stains
-

Also, as reavers are an assault choice. They dont really care if they jink every single turn. They are there for the HoW hits.

reavers will be your melee force, while the windreavers take shots from afar

skyweavers... meh

I think Skyweavers do more anti-tank damage, but Reavers are much cheaper and more survivable.

I find Sky weavers to be pretty decent. Just give them the melee upgrade and they really hurt on the charge, and even after that.

Its what I use anyway. They arent great, but they arent bad.

I'll be running a list similar to yours

Crimson hunter
Hemlock
Void raven bomber

2 farseer on jetbike with spear
2 min size scat bike squad with warlocks

9 man reaver squad with caltrops and 2 blaster, 1 heat lance

Archon, armour of misery, wwp, phantasm grenade launcher
20 kabalites, 2 blasters, syrabite with phantasm grenade launcher

This is in the 1750+ range

The kabalites and archon make a great pressure unit. They threaten non fearless/atsknf tremendously, espec with wraithfighter support. And if they die, your bikes live.

Cwe bikes are super flexible with the farseer.

Reavers are great vs everything.

Each flyer Is pretty multi-role.