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I was recently talking to a friend of mine who just had his first game versus Eldar with his Tyranids. He did lose the game and explained a lot of what happened, especially that psyker and re-rollable 2+ was the main issue.

After reading through the new data slate the Assassins seem like they could really be added to tear apart an Eldar force taking out the psykers with ease. Especially with the Vindicare who ignores cover and the psychic eating Culexus.

Has anyone else looked these over yet?

The 2+ armor, or the 2+ cover? Or stacking both?

(Fairly sure there is no 2+ invuln)

I played a game against an Assassins and GK force with the last Eldar codex, and the assassins probably won him the game. Not to detract from the other units, but having them all deploy so close, and then have no Psychic as a result of the Culexus really hurt

Bharring wrote:
The 2+ armor, or the 2+ cover? Or stacking both?

(Fairly sure there is no 2+ invuln)

2++ is DE shadow field more than likely

The reroll is probably fortune

the combo is pretty old.

as to the assassins?

Having a clux near by is always nice but you still need to burn through the 2++

Since the DE 'Dex, the Shadow field is on foot, so the unit can only move 6". It can play some footprint games, but the one guy on foot really slows it down.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
(I do think Assassins are going to do wonders to many Eldar lists)

 statu wrote:
I played a game against an Assassins and GK force with the last Eldar codex, and the assassins probably won him the game. Not to detract from the other units, but having them all deploy so close, and then have no Psychic as a result of the Culexus really hurt

Ya know that Culexus Assassin cuts both ways, right? It's ALL Psykers within 12" of him, and as every GK is a Psyker... this should have hurt you just as much as the Eldar player.

If you use the Assassinorum Execution Force, that's 570 points locked up in 4 models, and it's not a Death Star (all the Assassins have Independent Operative- can't join or be joined by anyone). In terms of effectiveness, well, for that many points, I hope they do well.

I don't think they are the answer to Eldar though. Consider the Mathhammer behind say, 3 Eldar Jet Bikes with Scatter Lasers shooting at one of the Assassins (doesn't really matter which one). That's 12 shots at 36" BS4. Out of those 12 shots, 9 hit. They are S6 vs. T4- that's 7 wounds. Assassins have a 4++ save, so they save 3-4 of those wounds, leaving them with 3 wounds to take. They have no Feel no Pain, or anything like that, so... one dead Assassin. Eldar player paid 81 points for that unit. The cheapest assassin? 135 points.

Army composition, table set up, the mission/scenario, and player skill all contribute to the effectiveness of an army, unit, or model, and sometimes just plain old luck. The assassins are just another tool for a player to take, but some Eldar armies will just ignore them, some will be very frightened by them, and others will just laugh at them. They are not the Silver Bullet against the Eldar.

Any assassin except the psyker eater, who forces you to BS1 when shooting at him making your 12 shots into 2 hits, which then translates to about 1.6 wounds so rounding up he takes a single wound from the shooting after the invul save.

 Melcavuk wrote:
Any assassin except the psyker eater, who forces you to BS1 when shooting at him making your 12 shots into 2 hits, which then translates to about 1.6 wounds so rounding up he takes a single wound from the shooting after the invul save.

Which is leaves a still breathing and pissed off assassin with another turn to work his magic.

 Tamwulf wrote:

 statu wrote:
I played a game against an Assassins and GK force with the last Eldar codex, and the assassins probably won him the game. Not to detract from the other units, but having them all deploy so close, and then have no Psychic as a result of the Culexus really hurt

Ya know that Culexus Assassin cuts both ways, right? It's ALL Psykers within 12" of him, and as every GK is a Psyker... this should have hurt you just as much as the Eldar player.

I was the Eldar player, but that is what hurt me, as all his Psykers were out of range of that bastard due to how he set them up etc, so while I was struggling to do anything against the three Assassins that were in my face, the rest of his army could slowly advance and start sitting on objectives fairly safely.

 Vash108 wrote:

 Melcavuk wrote:
Any assassin except the psyker eater, who forces you to BS1 when shooting at him making your 12 shots into 2 hits, which then translates to about 1.6 wounds so rounding up he takes a single wound from the shooting after the invul save.

Which is leaves a still breathing and pissed off assassin with another turn to work his magic.

But its the psycher eater that is to be believed to be the most disruptive. And he gets pasted the easiest. I'm no sure how much beyond turn one he will still be around.

 Jayden63 wrote:

 Vash108 wrote:

 Melcavuk wrote:
Any assassin except the psyker eater, who forces you to BS1 when shooting at him making your 12 shots into 2 hits, which then translates to about 1.6 wounds so rounding up he takes a single wound from the shooting after the invul save.

Which is leaves a still breathing and pissed off assassin with another turn to work his magic.

But its the psycher eater that is to be believed to be the most disruptive. And he gets pasted the easiest. I'm no sure how much beyond turn one he will still be around.

If anyone sends him off on his own he probably deserves it. Personally I would have it sitting in a mob of other models or infiltrate him next to others. I know they cannot join units but they can hide behind them.

Culexus isn't much use against a Farseer Skyrunner.

Sure, if you bring him down with something like a Drop Pod, he'll get to pop some shots on the squad, and cause a Perils (which the Farseer can negate). Then the Farseer will simply move 12" away, allowing it to cast its powers again. If it really wants to get the hell away, turbo boost another 36" away. There goes the Culexus effectiveness.

Best case scenario is the Farseer's squad fails a morale check and falls back. Not guaranteed to kill the unit, particularly with the Farseer's LD, and not disabling enough to truly screw it over.

 Vash108 wrote:
I would have it sitting in a mob of other models

For what, the 5+ cover save? He has a 4++ already.

 derpyhooves72 wrote:
Culexus isn't much use against a Farseer Skyrunner.

Sure, if you bring him down with something like a Drop Pod, he'll get to pop some shots on the squad, and cause a Perils (which the Farseer can negate). Then the Farseer will simply move 12" away, allowing it to cast its powers again. If it really wants to get the hell away, turbo boost another 36" away. There goes the Culexus effectiveness.

Best case scenario is the Farseer's squad fails a morale check and falls back. Not guaranteed to kill the unit, particularly with the Farseer's LD, and not disabling enough to truly screw it over.

I'm pretty sure the farseer can't negate perils cause the WC pool is emptied at the start of your shooting phase.

 koooaei wrote:

 derpyhooves72 wrote:
Culexus isn't much use against a Farseer Skyrunner.

Sure, if you bring him down with something like a Drop Pod, he'll get to pop some shots on the squad, and cause a Perils (which the Farseer can negate). Then the Farseer will simply move 12" away, allowing it to cast its powers again. If it really wants to get the hell away, turbo boost another 36" away. There goes the Culexus effectiveness.

Best case scenario is the Farseer's squad fails a morale check and falls back. Not guaranteed to kill the unit, particularly with the Farseer's LD, and not disabling enough to truly screw it over.

I'm pretty sure the farseer can't negate perils cause the WC pool is emptied at the start of your shooting phase.

The Farseer's army still receives D6 warp charges that is rolled for at the start of every psychic phase. Those charges can't be prevented.

You're causing perils in the shooting phase, no?

 statu wrote:

 Tamwulf wrote:

 statu wrote:
I played a game against an Assassins and GK force with the last Eldar codex, and the assassins probably won him the game. Not to detract from the other units, but having them all deploy so close, and then have no Psychic as a result of the Culexus really hurt

Ya know that Culexus Assassin cuts both ways, right? It's ALL Psykers within 12" of him, and as every GK is a Psyker... this should have hurt you just as much as the Eldar player.

I was the Eldar player, but that is what hurt me, as all his Psykers were out of range of that bastard due to how he set them up etc, so while I was struggling to do anything against the three Assassins that were in my face, the rest of his army could slowly advance and start sitting on objectives fairly safely.

The Culexus should be a first-priority target.
I'd take Jetseers and not psykers on foot since they can circumvent footslogging enemy psykers if necessary.

 koooaei wrote:
You're causing perils in the shooting phase, no?

No, the Animus Speculum is fired in the Psychic Phase.

Still, it's only the wound that is negated, not being sucked off the table or the explosion wounds to the rest of the unit.

Twin linked las cannon = dead assassin. Assassins blow chode .Except vidicare. He can earn his points back in single turn and if allowed to live past that he will most certainly get his points back.

At the end of the day, Assassins are too squishy to disrupt Eldar battle plans.

Culexus on Jetbike to chase after that darned Farseer! Now that would be sweet.

 Quanar wrote:

 koooaei wrote:
You're causing perils in the shooting phase, no?

No, the Animus Speculum is fired in the Psychic Phase.

Still, it's only the wound that is negated, not being sucked off the table or the explosion wounds to the rest of the unit.

But psyk-out grenades - the weapon that causes Psy-Shock - aren't.

 derpyhooves72 wrote:
Culexus isn't much use against a Farseer Skyrunner.

Sure, if you bring him down with something like a Drop Pod, he'll get to pop some shots on the squad, and cause a Perils (which the Farseer can negate). Then the Farseer will simply move 12" away, allowing it to cast its powers again. If it really wants to get the hell away, turbo boost another 36" away. There goes the Culexus effectiveness.

Best case scenario is the Farseer's squad fails a morale check and falls back. Not guaranteed to kill the unit, particularly with the Farseer's LD, and not disabling enough to truly screw it over.

Which also can be put to use as board denial. He will want to stay right the hell out of that area and possibly make him move to another part of the board where you are purposely wanting him to go.

 Quanar wrote:

 koooaei wrote:
You're causing perils in the shooting phase, no?

No, the Animus Speculum is fired in the Psychic Phase.

Still, it's only the wound that is negated, not being sucked off the table or the explosion wounds to the rest of the unit.

Throw the psychout grenade (unless that changed too)

 Quanar wrote:

 koooaei wrote:
You're causing perils in the shooting phase, no?

No, the Animus Speculum is fired in the Psychic Phase.

Still, it's only the wound that is negated, not being sucked off the table or the explosion wounds to the rest of the unit.

That's a good point, thank you.

 Tamwulf wrote:

 statu wrote:
I played a game against an Assassins and GK force with the last Eldar codex, and the assassins probably won him the game. Not to detract from the other units, but having them all deploy so close, and then have no Psychic as a result of the Culexus really hurt

Ya know that Culexus Assassin cuts both ways, right? It's ALL Psykers within 12" of him, and as every GK is a Psyker... this should have hurt you just as much as the Eldar player.

As a grey knight player, I will use him from time to time. There is synergy between the grey knights and the culexus that shocks people when you use it. depending on deployment and moving, yes, he can hamstring the grey knights.
but the grey knights use his powers in 2 ways.

1. to dominate the psyker phase. Grey knights are good against psykers, but he can completely shut down psykers. we can't stop blessings (which is the most commonly used power), he can. fluffy! stop those blessings on those greater demon princes.

2. become an ap2 dakka machine. grey knights struggle with 2+ armor. we don't have many weapons for it. so, if you position correctly, you can give all your warp dice to the assassin. I drop 12 str 5 ap2 shots at BS 8 pretty commonly with him. i dont always have a use for the grey knight powers, and sometimes it is nice to fuel his shooting with my dice.

he drops our leadership though to 7 on our HQ, 6 on our justicar and 5 on everyone else. need to beware of this. ATSKNF helps but its nice not to give ground away. but other leadership tests can hurt.