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I adopted an abandoned army, and I'm assembling a new Wave Serpent for it. I'm not really looking to magnetize every single weapon option. Is there an optimum loadout currently?

Generally speaking, two shuriken cannons and an underslung twin shuriken catapult is considered the best loadout.

I know you say you dont want to... But I strongly recommend magentizing.

We simply dont know what the weapons will be like once the 9th edition codex drops.

Currently I would say twin star cannon seems to be solid but arguments can be made for any twin weapon really (apart from scatter lazors as they currently suck)

They are actualy quite easy to magentize. You can get 3mm diameter magnets to slot intot he round catch holes and stick magents to the turret itself and the overlapping "armor" bits.

In 8th I was running mainly bright lances but switched up whenever pints were an issue.

 Argive wrote:


They are actualy quite easy to magentize. You can get 3mm diameter magnets to slot intot he round catch holes and stick magents to the turret itself and the overlapping "armor" bits.

I've got magnets, and I magnetize where possible, but the kit doesn't come with enough of the armor housing bits for the side. Looks like it only has 2.

 Jimsolo wrote:

 Argive wrote:


They are actualy quite easy to magentize. You can get 3mm diameter magnets to slot intot he round catch holes and stick magents to the turret itself and the overlapping "armor" bits.

I've got magnets, and I magnetize where possible, but the kit doesn't come with enough of the armor housing bits for the side. Looks like it only has 2.

It’s been a while, but from memory:

The guns on a WS have a 2mm hole, and are just about 2mm wide. Stuff a 2 stack of magnets in there.
The armored guards have a 2mm hole for the peg, stuff a magnet in there. I don’t recall if you need a little ball of GS in the bottom to keep the magnet from going in too deep.
Cut the pegs off the turret. Glue a magnet to the spot it was.

Make sure everything is pointing the right direction, so it doesn’t mater if you have a gun on the left/right side.

For the chin guns I found flat thumbtacks that fit perfectly in the hole the guns plug into. Glue that in, and then sink magnets into the gun mountings as normal. Or use spare ones from the bikes.

That's how I did it.
Use the armour panel to hold on the weapon. Don't magnetise the weapons at all.

Well, sort of. I stuffed a 1mm magnet into the 2mm pole.
Chinguns got a washer glued onto the hull, and a small magnet into the under-turret.

In my opinion, Twin Shuriken Cannon or Twin Aeldari Missile Launcher.

There is a case for Twin Starcannon in a heavy marine meta.

EDIT-->> Oh and magnets all the way. Editions change so ideal weaponry will change. Magnets make you edition proof.

The common build in 8th was twin starcannons, that hasn't changed due to marine meta in 9th and the common upgrades added are vectored engines for the -1 to hit when advancing and the crystal targeting matrix to advance and still fire (albeit at a -1 to hit). This is the best loadout when coupled with masterful shots and expert crafters, and will likely still be the best unless they bring back laser lock from 6th edition.

Cheap and cheerful serpents are always decent, especially at lower points games where the square law impacts it, with twin shuriken catapults and an underslung cannon, but it has low damage output and inconsistent AP.

AML serpents were a good shout last edition but with the fact that hordes have fallen by the wayside a little bit, and them being overcosted because they have blast, they're not good enough to compete against starcannons.

The viability of a given weapon will change as the rules change and as your likely opponents change. If you don't want to magnetize your weapons there are two standout choices:

1) Missile launchers. The choice of missile types means they will be able to engage any target. Most of my Wave Serpents use missile launchers and they've been useful for 6 editions and counting.

2) Shuriken cannon. This is (more or less) the cheapest option. Choose this for Wave Serpents that are charging right at the enemy and probably won't survive. They'll get into range with their shuriken weapons and, since they're cheap(er), it won't hurt as much when they they die.

A final consideration is to pick a weapon that compliments the rest of your army. For example, if you know the rest of your collection will be lacking in anti-tank weapons then glue some bright lances on to that turret.

Wave Serpents cost alot of points, especially if you take more than 1 or 2, and especially if you take the upgrades. Keep them cheap but effective with Twin SC and underslung SC imo. I am using Beil-Tan though, so get to re roll 1's so im a little biased.

I'd normally go for the cheapest, twin shuriken cannon/catapult version.
They're transports, you could maybe go for starcannons but I'd be tempted to spend those points on vectored engines to help with keeping it alive to deliver its payload. If you want a gun platform craftworlds have better options.
The point is you need something worth transporting to take serpents in my opinion so the points should go into the contents of the serpent not the serpent itself.

Well, I usually played mine as Biel-Tan with three shuricannons. Thus each Serpent has 9 shots, S6, AP0, D1 with rerolls of 1 to hit.
So with each Serpent you have 7 or 8 hits.
In a concert of 4 or 5 Serpents slowly approaching the enemy and supporting fire from Dark Reapers this was a force to reckon with.
The Serpent load has been DA and FD in a mix.
In this way it has been possible to deal also with enemy units coming close.
Frankly, I played this army at the beginning of the 8th and won all games (no tourneys),
but skipped the army with the announcement of the 2nd SM codex.

 Argive wrote:
I know you say you dont want to... But I strongly recommend magentizing.

As someone who has owned Wave Serpents since 5th edition boy,.. for Eldar this has never been more rock solid a comment.

Every edition it changes for Wave Serpents, Warwalkers, Wraithlords, as great to good choices. Not even talking about Wraithknights or Falcons.

Dual Scatter laser, dual Scatter and shuriken, triple Shuriken,

right now the argument for Missile or Starcannons isn't bad either.