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It's been a long time since I played my Eldar, probably early 6th edition days... So I'm just trying to catch up on a few things.

1) Rangers - Pathfinders upgrade. Is this ever worth it? I know they get a few more precision hits, but seeing as most of the high-value targets will end up being saved by "look out sir" these will only really be used to take out specific heavy weapon upgrades... which is good, but is it worth an extra 13pts per model? Plus I think you need to also take Illic as a character, so theres that particular "tax" to pay as well.
And if Pathfinders aren't worth it.. are Rangers? I like my ranger models, and I'd love to be able to make some decent use out of them. If they are usable in an effective scenario.

2) Warlock councils. I know these are usually fielded with jetbikes and a farseer (and I do have the best part of a jet-council made up already) but I also have a bunch of the nice warlock and farseer standing models... and I was wondering if theres ever a good use for a seer-council on foot.

3) Wraithguard. 5 in a serpent with a spiritseer, or a big blob of 10 on foot. Do these have decent use these days? I used to have an iyanden list, but that was a long time ago...

Well, Rangers should suffice as a unit to hold an objective. Pathfinders are more durable, there are several cover ignoring weapons out there. Watch out for them.

A council on foot is not worth it. Not mobile enough, not durable enough unless you're lucky and get fortune or invisibility.

I can see some use for Wraithguard with D scytheses mounted in a Serpent.
It's a shock and awe unit.

 wuestenfux wrote:
Well, Rangers should suffice as a unit to hold an objective. Pathfinders are more durable, there are several cover ignoring weapons out there. Watch out for them.

A council on foot is not worth it. Not mobile enough, not durable enough unless you're lucky and get fortune or invisibility.

I can see some use for Wraithguard with D scytheses mounted in a Serpent.
It's a shock and awe unit.

Ah, maybe I should elaborate on the seer council - They don't need to be "on foot" per se, I just meant not on jetbikes. So they could still have a transport.

Rangers aren't worth it unless you plant them on Objectives, but, Jetbikes can do that better, are more flexible and can actually perform a combat role for one point more.

Pathfinders CAN be useful but only if you build a list around the idea of sniping. Illic is needed to make them, but I recently came across the idea on Dakka of Dark Reapers with Illic in the squad, providing Shrouded, he gets Split Fire and typical Dark Reaper goodies on them. Good way to buff the units that otherwise wouldn't be that good and I'm looking forward to trying it.

A good way that I've found for Pathfinders is to include a Crimson Hunter Exarch with Marksman's eye, a squad or two of Pathfinders, a Vindicare Assassin and obviously Illic along with Vypers, Wave Serpents and Dark Eldar Reavers and Raiders. The idea is to 'declaw' the enemy army. The Vindicare can knock out pretty much anything it looks at when it comes to Sergeants and HQs while everything else focuses on the heavier or special weapons. Meanwhile, cheap and fast units with a high output of shots cleans up the squads without special weapons with much less risk. Vypers are particularly good with Scatter Lasers and Cannons in pairs. Throw in some dedicated anti-tank like Bright Lance War Walkers and there ya go.

Outside of a strict list like that, I've had almost zero luck unless I'm against a slow force, inexperienced player AND playing the long table. It's not a good build or competitive but it is fun to see the pieces come together.

Precision doesn't do well at trying to drop that SM captain. It does, however, do a decent job of dropping the Heavy Bolter in the squad. Which, for footdar, is a much more critical task.