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As most of you have probably noticed, the forums have kind of been exploding with anti-eldar sentiment after the new book came out. Having played a few games with it, however, I feel that the problem really isn't related to the rules in the new book (for the most part) so much as the points pricing. A lot of our units got powerful, flavorful new rules without a points increase or a drawback. The rules themselves are largely very fun, and most units behave the way I've wanted them to for a while now. They're also very cheap for what you get. Our new book does a great job of making our units feel like they're a cut above in terms of ability, but does it also make us feel like a small, elite force that's fighting extinction. I think not, especially with the new emphasis on guardians.

So, my question for the eldar players out there is how would you feel about our codex with an adjustment to the pricing of units to make things more expensive? Maybe a flat X% increase to the cost of all units? It's not a a perfect solution. The wraith knight would probably still be very cheap for what you get, but you'd have fewer points for him after you built up the rest of your army. Scatter bikes are ridiculous for their cost, but up that by, say, 25% and they become much more daunting an investment.

Right now, a squad of spiders costs me around 100 points. I feel like I could probably pay closer to 130 or even 150 and still feel like I was getting a competitive option. What do you think?

you could agree with an opponent to pay a little more for a scatter laser on a bike. Or perhaps 350 for a WK.

 ColonelFazackerley wrote:
you could agree with an opponent to pay a little more for a scatter laser on a bike. Or perhaps 350 for a WK.

Quoted for Truth.

 ColonelFazackerley wrote:
you could agree with an opponent to pay a little more for a scatter laser on a bike. Or perhaps 350 for a WK.

Well, I personally don't actually use jetbikes or wraith knights. Even things like my swooping hawks and warp spiders got new abilities without going up in price. So this price increase is meant to address that and the potency of some of the formations rather than be direct fixes for the main problems (wraith knights and scatter bikes).

After a good amount of playtesting, you could go through and adjust each unit.

It's generally agreeable that the WK should cost a tad more than an imperial knight, since each WK loadout beats a knight with similar loadout. (IE melee WK's beat gallants, wraithcannon WK's beat crusaders, and so on.)

Another issue is the formations. I teamed up with a somewhat tame eldar army in a team tourney, and he had some units sorted into a WS/BS 5 formation. That seemed a bit OTT in all the matches, but wouldn't have been so bad if they were BS 4.

Wraithknights.

There should simply be a number cap on the amount of strength D weapons available. If the cap is suitably low Eldar wont be able to take all the toys.

Wraithknights are appalingly balanced, but if you cant spam D in your army they are fine.
You can also self police and take the suncannon variant.

Scatterbikes.

Again its a self policing issue, they should really be heavy bike squads, not Hs slots, just the heavy weapons selection of the troops portion. So for all the bikesuads you have you take 1 heavy weapon in three, excerpt for one squad, which must be the smallest, where you can have as many as you like.

I dont begrudge cheap scatterbikes in a Saim Hann list, even if points are mishandled, so long as 0-1 squadron of bikes is outfitted this way, and the rest use the old rules.

Cheesing out an Eldar list is not mandatory. Time to break out my guardians backed up by Shadow weavers. Take gak like that and I deserve a few scatterbikes on the side. It's when you make a whole army of them you get problems.

Don't increase the point cost, decrease your army points. Achieves the same effect with less maths

The problem is, not every unit in C:EC is at the same power level, nor can you assume they are always taking the best option. For instance giving a Wraithlord a cost increase where it needs a decrease worsens balance. Take the Wraithknight, at a cost increase which makes many of the Eldar choices appropriate it'll still be grossly undercosted.

Here is a Balance Errata I'm working on meant to address both the internal and external balance of the Codex. It's still a work in progress, but fixes the biggest problems and rebalances many choices. It may be what you are looking for. It's part of a larger project, but the Eldar fix alone will make them appropriate for casual play with friends. Check it out.

Eldar Balance Errata