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After a long time of collecting and playing Guard and Space Wolves, I've decided to splurge and start an Eldar army. I bought the codex and the battleforce, but I can tell just through flipping through the codex that playing Eldar will be a challenge. So, I have a few questions for you guys

1. The exarch powers in the codex.... Are they constantly in play? Or is it similar to Guard orders, where you have to activate them during a certain phase....

2. How can one play using the eldar battleforce as an allied detachment to a non-mech infantry guard list (which is what I play), against orks? What tanks/units/weapons that the eldar can use work against huge mobs of boyz?

1. Depends on the power, Bladestorm for Dire Avengers is one you have to activate, but Tank hunters for fire dragons is always on (until the exarch dies).

2. War walker with scatter lasers is a good start, lots of them

Yeah, I'm equipping most of my units with scatter lasers (they seem a good way to inflict hurt on orks) but I equipped my war walker with a star cannon and scatter laser so it can crack open the battle wagons and trukks my opponent fields... Good idea?

The starcannon is only really for TEQ's. The only difference between that and a scatterlaser is it gets +1 on the damage table and two less shots.
So it'd be better to have the extra shots from the scatterlaser.

Personally I'd take an eml/scatterlaser. For blob squads use the plasma missile, for armour, use krak missiles. It also add's 12" range so you can allocate wounds from the scatterlaser more efficiently.

So, a scatter laser and a EML for the war walker... From most of the articles I've researched, the five man DA squad provided in the battleforce is a tad small, should I look at expanding it? I want to base the army around DAs since they seem to be a solid troops choice.

I've been talking about starting eldar on here that last couple of days, and the battle force if definitely a good way to go and is a viable starting army if you add in a farseer.

I'm really glad it included a troop transport in the form of the wave serpent... It was a bummer that the IG battleforces didn't include chimeras, that would be fantastic.

 Vortrey wrote:
So, a scatter laser and a EML for the war walker... From most of the articles I've researched, the five man DA squad provided in the battleforce is a tad small, should I look at expanding it? I want to base the army around DAs since they seem to be a solid troops choice.

If you want to base it around Dire Avengers fill your squads and take bladestorm. On average, thats 27 str4 ap5 shots.
(allowing for the fact the exarch could've gone rule of cool and taken a powerweapon and no catapult - mine does . He's also beaten terminator sergeants in challenges. He really shouldn't be able to, but hey, he's cool))

Take a farseer with doom+fortune. Guide isn't as important with dire avengers as they're bs4 and hit on 3's, but with most (meq's at least etc) troops being t4, you'll only hurt on 4's. Choose your re-rolls wisely.

Look at things like the warp hunter (forgeworld) or the fire prism. Both enable you to put pie plates down on hordes.
you can take three war walkers, so I'd look at adding 2 warwalkers. You can never have too many scatterlasers

Wave serpants aren't great at the moment, but if you're going against hordes, then take chin shuriken cannons and scatterlaser on the top. MOAR strength 6!

As PredaKhaine mentioned Guide doesn't help a whole lot when it come to Dire Avengers. It does pay off a lot when used on War Walkers, though.

Take Eldrad. Guide/Doom whatever you like

Thank you very much!

Eldar player, huh? I personally say spam the Pathfinders. Maybe not spam, but take at least one. Maybe even two. A full squad or Dire Avengers is good- I give my Exarch the dual catapults.

Wouldn't get Eldrad at first, especially if starting out. Get a squad of Striking Scorpions. That'll pay off, especially the Exarch with Shadowstrike.

BolterUnlimited wrote:
Eldar player, huh? I personally say spam the Pathfinders. Maybe not spam, but take at least one. Maybe even two. A full squad or Dire Avengers is good- I give my Exarch the dual catapults.

Wouldn't get Eldrad at first, especially if starting out. Get a squad of Striking Scorpions. That'll pay off, especially the Exarch with Shadowstrike.

I LOVE DA PATHFINDERS

The scorpions are such a painful diversion, they will generally get beat but will draw tons of fire from opponents...

Lets you move Dire Avengers in striking range of most units.

In 6th, 2K points, I tend to run 1 10 man shooty DA squad and 3-4 5 man DA squads with no exarchs in the small groups. I back them up with 2-4 pathfinder squads and a couple 10 man guardian squads...
Orks are typically the only thing that can overwhelm it...I run double death spinner tanks to counter hordes

I've heard night spinners are particularly good for taking down hordes of orks, and i was thinking of backing up War Walker scatterlaser squadrons with one or two night spinners. Shoot them down in droves before driving in and capturing an objective or two. However, he does use Ghazghkull, any tips on taking him down?

I don't think Pathfinders are a good anti-Ork option at all. Dire avengers or Eldar Jetbikes are a pretty good options as they get lots of S4 shots and are maneuverable, meaning you can move between between targets as you deem necessary.
Striking Scorpions are a good idea too. You can infiltrate them where you want and they get 4 attacks on the charge, hit first, and get pretty good armor.
3 War Walkers + Scatter lasers.
A Wave Serpent with 5 Dire Avengers in it and just try and kite Ork Boyz. you can move up to 30", meaning you just fly over their heads and they either have to turn around and chase you or you can start claiming backfield objectives of theirs.

As for using what the Battleforce box gives you, proxy 5 Guardians as Dire avengers and use them with a Farseer armed with Doom + Guide + Spirit stones and you'll CRUSH some ork boyz.

However, if you're having trouble fighting Green Tide orks... you already have the ultimate army for that! 3 Griffons are only 225 points and they'll obliterate Orks!
Platoon Command Squad + 4 Flamers in a Chimera with a Hull Heavy Flamer? Not only will they make Boyz crunchy, when the remaining Boyz try to charge you get to overwatch them from the vehicle.
You know a REALLY fun tactic? One Scout Sentinel. Make sure you get the charge on a squad of ork boys. They can't do anything to you because of their S3 and can't break off because they're Fearless.

I know those are all idea that use Mech elements... but they're REALLY good.

EMLs, star cannons, and scatters are not going to crack battlewagons. You need fire dragons or lances for that. Fire dragons can go in the serpent. You can put lances on the serpent, walkers, or guardian platforms, but they're horribly expensive that way. Wraithlords are the best thing to put a lance on because of BS4, but it's still not very efficient.

Might sounds weird at first, but a unit of jetbikes with a spear warlock is pretty good for armour.
Singing spears have armour and flesh bane, and are counted as S9 against a vehicle.
So S9 and 2D6 armour pen.

Seems like a pretty reliable way of removing armour, mixed with the speed of a jetbike it means you can hunt armour early on.

 Arschbombe wrote:
EMLs, star cannons, and scatters are not going to crack battlewagons. You need fire dragons or lances for that. Fire dragons can go in the serpent. You can put lances on the serpent, walkers, or guardian platforms, but they're horribly expensive that way. Wraithlords are the best thing to put a lance on because of BS4, but it's still not very efficient.

False. Those will all crump Battlewagons. You're in one of the most mobile armies around, why would you be content with hitting front armor? Outflank War Walkers and you should be able to get rear armor on those giant moving targets!

You won't get rear shots. You'll get side at best and without Guide you'll average 2 glances. Woop de do.

Warlock on a bike with a spear along with his retinue of 3 bikes - one with a starcannon.... 3 S6 shots and 4 TL S4 shots into the back of a battlewagon and toss the S9 spear... it should smoke that battlewagon and pour out all the goodies inside.

Or if you prefer 5 Warp Spiders with Dual Spinnertt Exarc... Should average around 9 ot 10 S6 hits... that should glance it to death.

 Arschbombe wrote:
You won't get rear shots. You'll get side at best and without Guide you'll average 2 glances. Woop de do.

Luckily Battlewagons are usually moving forward and rarely smackdab in the middle of the board, I've done it plenty of times. Especially with Hammer and Anvil deployment you're gonna be able to decimate them with that

If your taking something like a wagon, then your going to have a roller on it.
So your wont be sat back with it


However, i still swear by jetlocks, dragons and wraith guard for armour.

 Jackal wrote:
Singing spears have armour and flesh bane, and are counted as S9 against a vehicle.
So S9 and 2D6 armour pen.

Singing spears do not have the armourbane or fleshbane special rules. They wound on a 2+ and have an armour pen of 9 + D6.