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Hey all, last weekend I attended in tournament and I was inspired by my opponents eldar army, and I've made my own version from it. It has alot of tricks, but I'd like to hear your opinion about it.

*** NEW LIST IN THE COMMENTS***

Asuryani Arks of omen detachment (ulthwe)

-hq- eldrad ulthran 145 (warlord: fate reader, powers: guide, fateful divergence, focus will)
-hq- farseer skyrunner 135 (relic: ghosthelm of alishazier, powers: doom, executioner, ghostwalk)

-troop- rangers (5) 65
-troop- rangers (5) 65

-elite- dire avengers (5) 65
-elite- dire avengers (5) 65
-elite- warlocks (2) 50 (seer council, powers: quicken/restrain)

-compulsory fast- shining spears (6) 210
-compulsory fast- shroud runners (3) 90
-compulsory fast- shroud runners (3) 90
-fast- warp spiders (5, powerblades) 120
-fast- warp spiders (5, powerblades) 120
-fast- swooping hawks (10) 250

-heavy- night spinner (crystal targeting matrix) 150
-heavy- fire prism (vectored engines, shuriken cannon) 190
-heavy- fire prism (vectored engines, shuriken cannon) 190

Total 2000 / starting cp 3

Secondaries (I've included an alternative option depending on scenarios) ;
- warp ritual / psychic interrogation
- retrieve battlefield data / scout the enemy
- engage on all fronts / behind enemy lines

Potential stratagems;
- lightning fast reactions
- bladestorm
- multifaceted mind
- linked fire
- feigned retreat
- forewarned
- fire and fade
- phantasm
- wireweave grenades
- grenade pack

Tactics; my plan is to hide units as much as possible, and use battle focus to shoot and hide again. Night spinner and dire avengers hold backfield objectives, rangers and shroudrunners deploy and move forward, warpspiders are in deep strike, shining spears and swooping hawks are reactive units to counter threats, fire prisms try to counter heavy targets, psykers provide buffs and use quicken to move back in safety after casting psychic action.

I like how many assets are in the list, Secondaries should be relatively easy, and the list does not leak many points for opponent. I'm still debating on two things, the relic and executioner power, probably the will of asuryan is better than the executioner since I dont have much obsec. The stratagems are great toolbox, a plenty to choose from, and there's alot of tricks to try.

I dig the Vectored Engines on the fire prisms.

1. The CTM on the night spinner, if you fire indirect that's not a modifier to the to hit roll, its a modifier to your BS skill.

2. What do you have in mind for the warp spiders? I've abused them, but I'm not seeing much other than Deepstrike, shoot, and die.

3. Also the rangers.... a unit of 10 dire avengers costs the same and its a much greater threat. If you keep them you should have the wireweave on each unit. Its super annoying.

4. Your unit of 6 Shining Spears.... I'd run the star lance, and an exarch trait before I'd have a 6th model in the squad.

5. I don't think you have a good need for ghostwalk, but what I do see is a need for crushing orb.... smite, executioner, orb... something is going to have a very bad day.

6. Do you need the warlocks on foot? If eldrad is going to focus will the farseer, that's a +2 on everything, and he isn't likely to fail a 6+ on his other casts. I'm not seeing a big need. So instead you could get a warlock on a jetbike with sunstorm and capture objectives. And keep the enliven, that's nice.

7. *Who is doing the psychic actions.. eldrad or the farseer with 3 powers... neither one will want that duty. you need a third volunteer

Hey, thanks for the reply

1. I didnt even realize that, that is a good call. I might have to think about it and maybe change it for support weapons with shadow weaver.

2. I'd play them as a harrasment unit, they can do some work against light infantry and maybe even melee low threats. I'd also use warpjump to get behind los blocking terrain.

3. Rangers are a key unit in this list, they dont offer much of a threat but they can start scoring Secondaries early on. I'd like to keep them in this list, as I already have the models, but unfortunately I dont have wireweave.

4. I like the expert lancers, but I'd also like to keep max sized unit as they are essentially my counter against melee threats. If I'd change the night spinner for support weapons (shadow weaver) and leave shuriken cannon from fire prism, I would have points for the expert lancers.

5. The ghostwalk was my choice only because the relic gives one psychic power from fortune discipline.

6. My psykers have order of operations;
- skyrunner moves within 6" of the center of battlefield and casts warp ritual. Then use multifaceted mind stratagem to cast doom.
- eldrad casts focus will on warlocks, then guide on swooping hawks and finally fateful divergence for extra cp.
- warlocks cast quicken for skyrunner to move him back behind los blocking terrain.

Eventually I'll be playing Eldar main with Tau and CSM being secondary. So when I look at your list I try to see what threatens my Tau.
So I look at the Fire Prisms FIRST (especially with CTM) then Shining Spears (because a large unit) and/or the Swooping Hawks.

1. Maybe CTM on night spinner. But you already got the Fire Prisms, so maybe overkill. Deepstriking D-cannon platforms are hot right now too.
2. Windriders are a harassment unit. Long enough range to be a threat, but don't have to get so close they can't get away from their target and half the cost. So maybe 1 unit of this and 1 unit of warp spiders.
3. Rangers... find the points for wireweave. I play against my friend a lot and its super annoying... therefore it must be good.
4. A large unit of shining spears is fine, but it signals to your opponent that it must be dealt with, and with 6 models blast becomes slightly relevant.
5. Crushing Orb is also fortune discipline. But doesn't sound like you really need the ghosthelm at all. So what about warlock skyrunners, 3rd character isnt a bad thing anymore.

1. I'm thinking about dropping the CTM from the night spinner, or dropping it completely, and shuriken cannons from fire prisms. That would save me 20pts to buy expert lancers.
2. What weapon loadout would you suggest on windriders? I've already got 9 models with weapons magnetized.
3. I'm currently building updated list with wireweave upgrade, it seems appealing.
4. I prefer max sized unit because its the only unit in this that can do properly melee. I'm also thinking about adding another warlock, which can cast empower on them. With the combination of empower, doom and expert lancers, they are able to take down a knight.
5. I'm leaning towards weeping stones, instead of ghosthelm, although the relic is not necessary.

1. Agreed on night spinner. Expert Lancers or Heart Strike (mortals are nice against everything).

2.WIndriders since all the upgrade weapons cost points, I'd stick with Shuriken Catapults.

I just bought some shroudrunners, for the points they are better than windriders by a small bit, so that's an idea too.

3. Appeal away :-)
4. What if the spears get nailed somehow... whats your back up plan? My own list doesn't have a back up atm (so same boat for me too)
5. Is fate reader and weeping stones worth 2cp? Vs say command reroll opportunities.. I don't have an answer, but I ran my last game without a craftworld or relics and felt I only needed command reroll, and ended the game with a couple CP. I think strands of fate on its own its pretty good. You got 2 rerolls already for free.

Here's my updated list, I had to drop the night spinner, because points are really tight. Also added warlock skyrunners, which can cast empower on shining spears, and act as a windriders unit.

Asuryani Arks of omen detachment (ulthwe)

-hq- eldrad ulthran 145 (warlord: fate reader, powers: guide, fateful divergence, focus will)
-hq- farseer skyrunner 135 (relic: weeping stones, powers: doom, will of asuryan)

-troop- rangers (5, wireweave net) 75
-troop- rangers (5, wireweave net) 75

-elite- dire avengers (5) 65
-elite- dire avengers (5) 65
-no slot- warlock skyrunners (2) 80 (seer council, power: quicken/restrain)
-no slot- warlock skyrunners (2) 80 (power: empower/enervate)

-compulsory fast- shining spears (6, expert lancers) 230
-compulsory fast- shroudrunners (3) 90
-compulsory fast- shroudrunners (3) 90
-fast- swooping hawks (10) 250
-fast- warp spiders (5, powerblades) 120
-fast- warp spiders (5, powerblades) 120

-heavy- fire prism (vectored engines, shuriken cannon) 190
-heavy- fire prism (vectored engines, shuriken cannon) 190

Total 2000 / 3 starting cp

I dont actually have a proper backup plan for melee threats, the warp spiders can do some deterrent against low threats, and psykers are last line of defence.
Probably I could out-manouver melee threats.
The fate dice are very useful in this list, advance and charge rolls can mean survival for some units and shining spears with reliable charge can turn the game. Auto-six for cast can also be a game-changer, and auto-hit/auto-wound with high value shots (fire prism) saves cp rerolls. Finally, the sixes for saving throws come handy with ulthwe invulnerable save.

I might go with a 3 warlock skyrunner seer council, when you get 3 models you can cast and deny 2 spells.

And take the empower warlock back on foot since he's just following the shining spears on foot anyhow.

33% more warlock psyckerness :-)


I did some math on the shining spears, they can not take down a knight on their own.

15 attacks hitting 5/6 with rerolls, doom and empower, wounding 3/6 with rerollls, vs rotating sheilds (gotta know they won't make it easy).. that's 10.9 wounds. The exarch adds another 4.3 wounds so total 15.2 wounds. That's a pissed of knight, with fire prisms support that's 25.9 wounds, so I think kills most knights.

Otherwise ship it!