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Hey all long time no post. I've been playing my Space Marines as Iron Hands for a bit and I've been really happy with their durability and formations. (I really like using the storm-lance with librarius conclave so I can spread out the FNP buffs and hopping in and out of transports to cast psychic powers is great) And I know this is probably typical but I also use the dreaded "Smash-father" and LC/PF & SS Command Squad.

I really enjoy how durable this unit is but I recently played a game against a friend who plays Eldar and even nerfed the unit just a bit(by taking it as a CAD) but it was still too hard for him to kill. While we still had a fun game (4001pts a side, I was allied with a friend who was trying out his Imp Guard for the first time) He's expressed that he feels he doesn't have any way to kill the unit. While I love playing a durable unit like this I am wondering how are some ways I can tone the unit down or what is a good HQ choice that is still fun to play and has some flavor to it? Or what could I suggest to my friend as a means to stop the unit? He's got a Wraith Knight with Wraith Cannons, four wave serpents, a fire prism, a TONNE of jetbikes, wraith guard & wraith blades, 4 vypers. I feel like he has the tools, but even so if anyone has some thoughts on reconfiguring an HQ to distribute some of the power to where I don't just get stomped but he also feels like he's got a fair shot. This would also help at the FLGS for pickup games.

TLDR: Help me walk back my HQ for the sake of fun?

The normal answer to not being able to handle deathstars is to play keep away and play to the mission. Or spam D weapons a/o magic at it, which an Eldar should be able to do. A fully tricked out HQ and command squad like that should be eating up the bulk of your points. It can only be in one place at a time, killing one thing.

If you want to downplay, there are a ton of options for you. One of the advantages of softening up a list is you can take fluffy and fun options you would otherwise pass on.

One simple thing would be just to not max out the captain. No relics, just a basic weapon or two, artificer armor. Still a reasonable foe, but not the smash* that could be.

You could replace him with a chaplain. Keeps the slot filled in the formation, buffs the command squad. Unit is still going to be nasty, but removing the giant beatstick character tones it down.

If going with a CAD, so you have more options, a techmarine is not a bad character. No invuln (but could LoS! as needed to the SSs in the squad) but a 2+ and some nice wargear. Very fluffy for IH armies.

Librarians are never a bad choice.

Those are all great suggestions Nevelon! Thanks! I'll definitely look into a Chaplain that still gives them a nice buff in combat. A tech marine might also be a fun option. I wish they made a bike chaplain/techmarine model!

I was also thinking of running them without bikes in a land raider but I feel like I'll really miss the ability to move quickly around the board and he has a plethora of St 8 Lance weapons available.

LRs are in an odd spot vs. Eldar. They are immune to scatbikes, but vs. lance/D they are very fragile for their points, as you pay a hefty price for that AV14. They can still be fun, but generally only are going to get their cargo to one target.

I can’t help much with ideas on bike chaplains; mine’s the old metal one that’s been OOP for a while now. Might be some cool bits in the DA range that could be poached to fancy up a kit-bash.

I’ve actually got a bike tech working his way across my workbench now. Mostly built from the vehicle accessory sprue, not sure where the axe is from. The servo arm is the loader from an old ML backpack. I also cobbled together a c-beamer from a HK missile and the little radar dish from the vehicle sprue (magnetized swap for the arm).

I like it, I'll have to see if I can't find a spare ML backpack and tech-type Helmet. It would be so much better to have a tech biker in any case to quickly rush around repairing things.

I thought of a few alternate options
I think what I may do if I want to maintain the Bike unit is to change the chapter tactics over to Ultra Marines. While I prefer Iron Hands I feel like they would still offer a good punch.

I could take my Captain in Cataphracti Armor with a squad of Devastators in a Land Raider or Drop Pod. Since I don't want to be super spammy with Grav maybe I'll do two GC and two MM with a couple body guards and a librarian. This seems like a fun tough unit.

I was also thinking of Taking the Chaplain in a squad of Centurion Assaults for Zealous Centurions!