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I play Tau, but I'm planning to ally in Eldar due to the fact I want to start a new army (without getting rid of my Tau) and because Tau are terrible during the Psychic Phase.

What models do you recommend I get to start my Eldar army? I would like to gear it around Eldrad Ulthran, with a Warlock Council as well.

Well are you looking to be competitive? If yes focus on scat bikes, seer on jetbike, warp spiders and a wraithknight. This is the cheese cream of the eldar.

After that you can get whatever you want depending on your playing style and current Tau army list.

Eldrad is a fun IC to run, but may I suggest jetbike seers instead of the foot-sloggers? The bike gives them a 3+ armor save, so they are less fragile, and the bike makes them way more mobile. I generally run 4 or 7 warlocks. Then if models die, you can chuck whatever power you genned but did not particularly want/need.

Otherwise, how do you run your Tau? And are you looking to Eldar just for Psychic or to fill abother gap as well?

If you want melee, there are a decent number of units that can fill that void: Banshees for "fast" MEQ wrecking, Wraithblades for tougher models that have options for wrecking MEQ or TEQ, Shining Spears for Monstrous Creature hunting, Striking Scorpions for higher wound output (but no ability to take away saves).

If you can spare enough points, getting a Jet Seer Council is maybe the best option, it can solve the two major problem Tau have: psychic and close combat, a buffed up Jetseer Council is horrifing in assault.

Neophyte2012 wrote:
If you can spare enough points, getting a Jet Seer Council is maybe the best option, it can solve the two major problem Tau have: psychic and close combat, a buffed up Jetseer Council is horrifing in assault.

But unfortunately the minimum seer council (on jetbikes) is 505pts, doesn't have Hit & Run and even allows Orks to make armour saves. Please pass on this.

The best place to start is a JetSeer for HQ and 2x 3 Scatterbikes. Total 277pts, gives you 2 fast ObSec units and more long ranged firepower. After that add what you like

Well what I have found to work wonders in assault for my eldar regarding units that try to catch my bikes is a unit of 3 or 4 shinning spears+ an exarch along with an Autarch who is carrying a Starlance and a Banshee mask. They well wreck anything but termis on assault and if you add a jetbikes seer with fortune they are really tough since they have a +4 cover save due to acrobatic grace all the time.

My Tau are generally gunline, and I was going to use the Eldar to fill in the close combat and psychic gaps. I'm not really aiming for cheese, but instead perhaps a fluffy army with a bit of lore. Maybe the Tau saved this particular band of Eldar from annihilation and now they fight for the Tau, similar to the Kroot.

 d00mspire wrote:
My Tau are generally gunline, and I was going to use the Eldar to fill in the close combat and psychic gaps. I'm not really aiming for cheese, but instead perhaps a fluffy army with a bit of lore. Maybe the Tau saved this particular band of Eldar from annihilation and now they fight for the Tau, similar to the Kroot.

I would definitely skip the bikes then. You're casters won't be nearly as strong, but it will make you less "cheesy" in the eyes of others. If you want casters and CC, might I suggest Wraithblades (with axe and shield for a 4++) and Spiritseers. These two units fit together extremely well thematically, and are not going to break the bank in terms of being over powered. Additionally you could add a Wraithlord for flavor, but I find that they die incredibly fast due to no invulnerable save.

mokoshkana wrote:

 d00mspire wrote:
My Tau are generally gunline, and I was going to use the Eldar to fill in the close combat and psychic gaps. I'm not really aiming for cheese, but instead perhaps a fluffy army with a bit of lore. Maybe the Tau saved this particular band of Eldar from annihilation and now they fight for the Tau, similar to the Kroot.

I would definitely skip the bikes then. You're casters won't be nearly as strong, but it will make you less "cheesy" in the eyes of others. If you want casters and CC, might I suggest Wraithblades (with axe and shield for a 4++) and Spiritseers. These two units fit together extremely well thematically, and are not going to break the bank in terms of being over powered. Additionally you could add a Wraithlord for flavor, but I find that they die incredibly fast due to no invulnerable save.

Thanks for the help. I probably wouldn't have gone with bikes anyway - aesthetically, they don't appeal to me. Farseers and Spiritseers are nice models, and I want to field many. Wraithblades are a good idea. Again, thanks for the help.

 Capamaru wrote:
Well what I have found to work wonders in assault for my eldar regarding units that try to catch my bikes is a unit of 3 or 4 shinning spears+ an exarch along with an Autarch who is carrying a Starlance and a Banshee mask. They well wreck anything but termis on assault and if you add a jetbikes seer with fortune they are really tough since they have a +4 cover save due to acrobatic grace all the time.

That is a very interesting idea, I've never thought about these or seen them used. I'll look into this.

I'm also looking for a good addition to my Tau gunline. But unlike the OP, i'm looking for a super competitive solution that isn't too many points. Seer council is a bit expensive on points.

As mentioned above, farseer on bike, scatter bikes, wraithknight and aspect warriors - and warp spiders are by far the best of these.

At 1500pts, this is the army I took to the UK indy GT finals in March. Came 7th, and got best sport award, if you can believe that

Eldar CAD
Farseer on jetbike
2x3 scatter bikes
Wraithknight

Tau allied detachment
Farsight commander with fusion blades, drone controller and 2 marker drones
2 crisis suits (troops) with missile pods, target locks and 4 marker drones.

Riptide wing, 3x1 riptides. One of the riptides had HBC, interceptor and velocity tracker. The others just had ion accelerators and interceptor.

There were a few other upgrades scattered around and there's no point listing all.

The army did fairly well. I only lost one game, to a Tau guy with the insane piranha formation and 13 of them - as well as 5 riptides. Amusingly my fusion blade commander got into combat with 3 riptides and proceeded to break them and run them down. But he had last turn and was able to fly piranhas onto objectives, which I couldn't get near as they were swarmed with drones.