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Hey guys, Im looking to create an Eldar list that isn't complete cheese to the point you know you will win every game. Im just looking for a list that has cool synergies between units and models within the list. If it doesn't win every time, thats ok. As long as it feels like you made meaningful decisions that helped you win, Ill like it. On a side note, I probably should just play harlequins. Thanks guys.

What kind of theme are you thinking about? There are quite a lot of ways to play Eldar without using cheese. I'll list a few interesting themes that can still be competitive here to get your brain cogs turning with ideas.

- Guardian Spam: 20 man blobs with Avatar Support for Fearless. Could potentially throw a Seer Council formation as well. This works best in a Craftworld Warhost because it allows you to take multiple Avatars, and guarantees a 6 inch run. If you're into Forgeworld you can get a cheaper core choice with a Pale Courts host and get more heavy weapons per squad.

- Mechdar: Eldar vehicles are pretty great. Tons of different possibilities here. 1) Falcon Bombs allow you to no-scatter deep strike a bunch of models onto the table. Take an Autarch to have them come in on a 2+. Deep Striking 3 squads of Fire Dragons on with the Falcons allows you to reach virtually the entire table with melta weapons on turn 2. 2) War Walker spam gives you tons and tons of long range dakka. They have scout and battle focus so you can outflank with them, and pop them in/out of cover or LoS while you shoot. Very annoying. 3) Tank spam is still somewhat viable. Serpents have been nerfed, but are by no means "bad". Since you can take all vehicles in squadrons now you can fit more damagy tanks in the list and have fewer Serpents as tax. 4) Forgeworld Hornets are like a mix of Vypers and War Walkers. They're pretty incredible, especially when fitted with pulse lasers.

- Aspect Hosts: Forego a CAD or Warhost entirely and just take a few Aspect Hosts. Entire armies of BS5 shooting is pretty awesome. Dark Reapers, Swooping Hawks, and Warp Spiders really shine in Aspect Hosts. Depending on how your group interprets the rules, you can potentially get BS5 Wave Serpents in the list as well.

- Monstrous Creature Spam: in 1500 points you can get a crazy number of Wraithlords, Avatars, and Wraithknights (maybe pass on the Wraithknights) in a list. A double CAD will let you take ObSec bikes and let your MCs focus on charging into your opponent's face, or you can take a Craftworld Warhost loaded up with Wraith Construct auxiliarys and Living Legends Command choices for guaranteed 6 inch run moves, but no objective secured.

- Close Combat Eldar: Mostly based on death stars, and not as good as dakka since 7th edition is all about shooting, but still doable. Lots of Howling Banshees can cross the table quickly. Throw Jain Zar in there somewhere for sure. Striking Scorpions infiltrating. Wraithlords with Ghostglaives, Avatars, maybe a squad of shining spears for cleanup. There's some potential there, and you definitely won't get yelled at for cheesing. Multiple units is important here.


From the wording in your post, I'm thinking either Guardian Spam or Aspect Hosts would be preferable for you. Guardians synergize very well with psychic support and Fearless bubbles from Avatars. Aspect Hosts are filled with specialized units that all have specific roles, so they work REALLY well together, but aren't very great alone.

Hope this helps!

Bojazz wrote:
- Aspect Hosts: Forego a CAD or Warhost entirely and just take a few Aspect Hosts. Entire armies of BS5 shooting is pretty awesome. Dark Reapers, Swooping Hawks, and Warp Spiders really shine in Aspect Hosts. Depending on how your group interprets the rules, you can potentially get BS5 Wave Serpents in the list as well.

I've been running this for a few months now, and it's definitely solid 2nd level tier.

I'm still losing to streamlined 1st tier lists in the hands of extremely competent players, but in my local league and against 2nd tier armies it cleans the clock.

IE - I don't plan to take it to NOVA and expect to be in the top 10, but it's should make it into the top 50.

Thanks for the replies guys. Honestly think I would like to try all of the areas you mentioned. I know I said I didn't want to cheese (I don't) but I know I'll eventually get a wraithknight, just too cool. I like the idea of guardian spam and avatars, but I'm worried that it will get shredded in the meta I play in (heavy in monstrous creatures - Tau and heavy in vehicles - IG and Space marines mostly, every so often necrons come out). The fire dragons deep striking seemed like a cool idea and pretty fun but I'll probably try to avoid that route as I already have a small grey knight faction that is deep strike heavy, nothing against the idea just want to try something new. I am going to look in to the aspect host idea, not really sure what it is but it sounds really cool. Especially liked what labmouse42 said about it being a good army, but not a tier 1 list. Again guys, thanks for all the help, this was exactly what I was looking for. So cool to see the Eldar can go so many different ways.


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On a side note though. What do you guys know about Shadow Spectres and Corsairs? I don't really know anything about them and am having a hard time finding info about them. The models just seem really cool thats why I was wondering.

The guardian spam can deal with necrons fairly well due to the huge number of shuriken shots. I have fielded it against tau many times, and it's averagely effective against casual lists. It's fun, and not terrible, but the Aspect Host is definitely a better list, competitively. If your opponent is going tryhard mode with stormsurges and whatnot you'll likely have a bad time with anything that's not traditional competitive. scatbikes, wraith units, etc.


I'll send you a PM regarding the Aspect Hosts and Shadow Spectres as it is against forum tenets for us to quote rules in their entirety.

cwalt wrote:
Thanks for the replies guys. Honestly think I would like to try all of the areas you mentioned. I know I said I didn't want to cheese (I don't) but I know I'll eventually get a wraithknight, just too cool. I like the idea of guardian spam and avatars

Avengers and an avatar spam much better than guardians.

They are more durable, have a longer ranged weapon, and some great special rules. In an dire avenger host or even aspect host formation, they can put some serious pain downstream.


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cwalt 682241 8496864 nul wrote:Automatically Appended Next Post:
On a side note though. What do you guys know about Shadow Spectres and Corsairs? I don't really know anything about them and am having a hard time finding info about them. The models just seem really cool thats why I was wondering.

I tried proxying Shadow Spectres, and I was not impressed with them. Warp spiders do everything shadow spectres do, but better.
If you are going with a 'fear' list, you might be able to take advantage of them -- but that is a one trick pony I would not want to ride.

Corsairs seem really cool for their flexibility. Be prepared to do a lot of modding/customizing to make them work.

I just take what I fancy at the time and my lists never seem to fit in either "box", but I have fun win or lose.

I love taking Reapers, Fire Dragons and Spiders in a Aspect formation, 2+ to hit is awesome.

I prefer the Avatar to WK as it makes the game a bit fairer. He does smash face, now his Sword finally gives him buffs in CC not just granting the melta shot (never made sense for a sword). I've killed an Imperial Knight in cc each time I've used him. He does die in the resulting explosion, but what a way to go.

I take war walkers, which aren't that popular, but 24 ST6 shots (preferably guided) does make a mess. That's great for clearing small squads like scouts out of cover.

Wraithguard with D-Scythes really made a mess of a terminator heavy GK list, plus the standard d-cannons are great at destroying vehicles/MC's etc

I haven't played a lot of 7th ed, but from reading the codex I think that everything is usable and no terrible units (I'm sure people will correct me if I'm wrong).

Gapow wrote:
I haven't played a lot of 7th ed, but from reading the codex I think that everything is usable and no terrible units (I'm sure people will correct me if I'm wrong).

Storm guardians are rather dud. Vypers are meh. Rangers are sad. All the phenoix lords are very situation.
Other than that, yes, I've found uses for everything else in the codex.

I forgot Storm Guardians were a thing tbh, the only thing I don't own in codex........simply because they cost too much money and rules have always been pants.

I used to love my rangers in 5th ed, think I have 15 of them, but sadly got hit with the nerf stick

I do dabble with the Phoenix Lords every now and then, Karandras and Fuegan are my faves. Awesome if dated models

Odd for an Eldar player but I don't own any jetbikes! I was waiting for that new sculpt to come out since 2007, then my friends cried when Scatbikes were unleashed so didn't bother picking any up.

DE ally shenanigans are fun. A squad of Firedragons in a raider with Archon and webway portal, deep striking without scatter hilarious.............possibly a bit cheesy though

Yeah I haven't even begun to look through the DE codex and see what kinds of things I could pull off. I have looked into Harlequins for what it's worth but don't think they are that great. I put together an aspect host based list but don't feel like it offers enough

CAD HQ: Farseer Skyrunner -115

Troop:
5x Scat Bike - 135
5x Scat Bike - 135

Aspect Host +1 BS
5x Fire Dragons w/exarch and wave serpent - 267
5x Fire Dragons w/exarch and wave serpent - 267
5x Swooping Hawks w/exarch - 121

Aspect Host +1 BS
5x Swooping Hawk w/exarch - 121
3x Death Reaper w/exarch - 159
3x Death Reaper w/exarch - 159

Total: 1395

Couple things, obviously this list is incomplete. I want it to be 1500 but I'm not sure what direction to take it. First off, I want to know if the way I am setting up my aspect hosts is adequate. Second, I want to know what kind of upgrades to give to the exarchs. Third, does the list seem too small or have a blatant weakness (my meta currently consists of a lot of tank and big monstrous tau creatures)? And lastly, what would you guys do to make it a better list? Thanks a ton for all of the feedback guys!

Make your hawks 6 man squads. Going form a small blast template to a large blast template with the gernade packs is a big boost.
It's the difference between hitting 3 GEQ and hitting 9.

Since your exarch with her BS 6 will be tossing the grenade, you will rarely deviate far.

Yeah definitely go with the 6 man hawk squads like labmouse said.

I had a Harlequin troupe and Death Jester, they're just going to gather dust now. I never really used them when I could take them as elites, and hard to get them in a decent list these days.

I was going to say flyers would be a weakness, but the hawks can attack them.

I'd possibly increase size of one reaper squad, then drop the other for Spiders. You can get 5 cheaper than 3 reapers, and they are so much fun to use. They can nip into vehicle back armour arcs, their ST6 weapons can hurt Monstrous creatures. I even managed to take the final wound off an Imperial Knight (their biggest claim to fame). Reapers are hilarious against space marines out in the open. My friend takes legion of the damned now though, so gets a 3++