Eldar Codex Review - Part 30: Falcons

Dakka

The Review -

Now here's a tank which breaks the mould for Eldar. It's still a fast skimmer (tank) with AV12/12/10 and BS3 but (!) comes with multiple heavy weapon systems + the chin shuriken cannon option and has a transport capacity. Best of both worlds thank you very much! That being said, the options for the heavy weapons are more limited compared to say the War Walkers or Hornets - the Falcon automatically comes with one pulse laser and the upgrade point for the chin cannon - this leaves the player with only one heavy weapon option and you get the usual array of choices here as well.

Eldar Codex Review - Part 29: Warp Spiders

The Review -

Ah the standard Eldar Aspect with the slightly better armor than normal and improved movement fun. Warp Spiders have the usual good offensive stats with poor defensive stats though this is shored up with a 3+ save (still T3 though). They come with Warp Generators,  (aka Jump Packs) for good mobility which also allows them to make a 2nd move during the assault phase. This is a 2D6" based jump however so not as reliable as a set 6" (thought at least it's 2D6 so you've got a nice bell curve). They also carry rapid fire assault 2 S6 guns! Clearly they must be awesome...

Eldar Codex Review - Part 28: Warp Hunters

40kO

So another re-do of a post due to Forgeworld being silly with their rule updates and not telling me...because I'm the first one who should be told! Here's the old post where a couple of rules were gotten wrong due to changes. BS4 instead of 3, D-Cannon has better chance of damaging vehicles and is a large blast. Without these we were looking at the Prism and Warp Hunter as relatively comparable but with these changes... well let's see shall we?

Eldar Codex Review - Part 28: Warp Hunters

CMON

This was requested so it's going into the review as well :P.

The Review -

First things first, the Warp Hunter is IA only so unless that is allowed at tournaments, it's not part and parcel of the standard Eldar army. It's got the standard heavy tank lay-out as well - AV12 side and front with rear AV10, BS3, fast, tank and skimmer with two weapon systems - one heavy & one twin-linked catapult. The defining feature is it's big old gun - D-cannon on steroids with special rules - which of course brings comparisons to the Fire Prism.

At 36" it's a lot shorter ranged than the Fire Prism but fits in with the general theme of the Eldar army but outside of anything AV10/11, it's the weakest platform around for Eldar so loses a bit of durability there. Beyond that, well the gun is pretty lethal against infantry with always wounding on 2's, instant death on 6's and an AP2 (which is actually good because the D-Cannon is a barrage blast). This is exemplified by having a template option which can be fired like a hellhound up to 6" away from the Hunter - aka more reliable infantry death.

Discussion: Fixing one gun tanks (again)

We've done this a few times and the fact of the matter is the point is moot (or was always moot since Games Workshop doesn't listen) as 6th edition is printed and ready but it's a fun intellectual and design exercise (and if 6th ed is just that bad...). Anyway, how to fix one gun tanks without completely changing them? For the most part, the majority of tanks have a major gun just some of them have one really big gun and little to nothing else (Exorcist, Vindicator, Fire Prism, etc.). This is an issue because that tank can become relatively worthless more so compared to their multi-gun compatriots (i.e. a single weapon destroyed result).

Eldar Codex Review - Part 27: Fire Prisms

Dakka

The REAL Fire Prisms review.

The Review -

Like all other 'heavy' Eldar tanks, Fire Prisms are a fast tank with skimmer status with AV12/12/10 - i.e. pretty durable, mobile and capable of shooting whilst on the move. They come with a very big gun which has two firing modes - high strength/low ap small blasts or middling strength/middling AP large blast which works best when there are two Fire Prisms around as their shots get even better and come with twin-linked.

Eldar Codex Review - Part 26: Dark Reapers

LO

The Review -

Dark Reapers are the poster boy of what not to be in 5th edition. Immobile, medicore durability through squad size and an ability they pay through the nose for which has minimal impact within the current ruleset (AP3). Everything you could want for a 35 point infantry model! These serious negatives have really seen the downfall of Dark Reapers despite being in an edition when the most common enemy is what they are designed to obliterate - Marines. The simple fact is, cover is too easy to get to half the effectiveness of Dark Reapers and Dark Reapers are too expensive to suffer such a blow to really be viable options.

Eldar Codex Review - Part 25: War Walkers

CMON

War Walkers are the other half which make up the Hornet (the former being the Vyper) but unlike the Vyper, there is no simple fix to differentiate the two (Vypers could become light transports). Their roles are effectively the same - cheap heavy fire support but the Hornets is more mobile, more accurate and more durable for only a moderate increase in points. War Walkers do take up a different Force Organisation slot so it's less of an issue but with other good options already in Heavy Support (and more to hopefully come), they'd likely only see use with a specific build (i.e. Hornets + War Walkers). The trick here will be to make them stand-out in some way.

Eldar Codex Review - Part 24: Hornets

Fawcett Avenue Conscripts

So I'm re-doing this post as I had an older version of the rules last time around. *facepalm*

The Review & Uses -

Hornets are a combination of Vypers and War Walkers...on crack. Not only do you get two weapon systems, Scout and a fast vehicle chassis but you're also getting free star engines, BS4 - something not seen on Eldar vehicles, Aerial Assault (the ability to move 12" and fire all your weapons) and AV11 on the front & side. And the chassis itself is relatively cheap coming in at 65 points with two Shuriken Cannons (so five points more than a Vyper with all those bonuses). The only bad thing one could say is none of the guns are turrets so if you have a solo Hornet who gets immobilised, their field of fire is limited. Oh and they don't come in the codex standard.

Eldar Codex Review - Part 24: Hornets

Dakka

The Review -

Hornets are simply put, what Vypers want to be and if they see entrance into the mainstream codex, as discussed in the Vyper review, they will need some sort of role change to differentiate themselves from Hornets to be worthwhile (much like the Piranha variants for Tau). So remember currently, Hornets are Imperial Armor and therefore not mainstream at this current time.

Eldar Codex Review - Part 23: Shining Spears

CMON

Cavalry on jet bikes with laser lances - what's not to love?

The Review -

Shining Spears can hit hard on the turn they charge. That's really the list of good things for them... They are an improved Eldar statline thanks to the Jetbike they ride - T3(4)/3+ makes them as durable as a Marine and with the usual Aspect offensive statline of WS/BS4 and Initiative 5, they can hit what they want and often before the opponent. The Jetbike gives them excellent mobility and the with their charging potential and Jetbikes, they can play around with JSJ and shooting or to get into combat and away again. The issue is here, well when you win combat you're left out high and dry to be shot but when Shining Spears get engaged in protracted combats, they are just plain bad and at 35 points each, they are pretty expensive to be improved Jetbikes with combat ability.

Eldar Codex Review - Part 22: Swooping Hawks

CMON

Swooping Hawks were pretty awesome in 4th edition because any unit could score. In 5th edition...not so much. Let's look at why.

The Review -

Swooping Hawks bring the usual assortment of weak Eldar defensive statistics (T3/4+) with good offensive availability (BS/WS4, I5) and combined with Fleet, wings (jump packs) and the option to play around with deep-strike, they are quite mobile. Beyond this though, well they are quite expensive for light jump infantry and don't really pack a punch. They can make a mess of Guardsmen like infantry caught in the open with their guns but without getting larger squads, they don't pack the number of shots to deal with larger squads, anything in cover or tougher targets (i.e. Marines) reliably. However, they do come with a couple grenade options which are nice.

Eldar Codex Review - Part 21: Vypers

Bitzbox

The Review -

The weakest vehicle of the Eldar army isn't even the cheapest at base cost but it comes with a potential two heavy weapon systems, fast skimmer status and can come in squads. They aren't the cheapest but they can still be damn cheap which they need to be when you're running around at AV10 open-topped.

The two heavy weapons are limited though, like most Eldar tanks. The second weapons is simply an option to upgrade twin-linked catapults to a shuriken cannon, often a steal at 10 points but without the flexibility of most turret heavy weapon slots. The turret weapon slot has every available Eldar weapon open to it though due to BS3 and the high cost of the one shot weapons such as the Bright Lance and Missile Launcher, these aren't often a good bet. Even the over-priced Starcannon is outshined but its cheaper and shootier cousins the Scatter Laser and Shuriken Cannon.

Eldar Codex Review Part 20: Pathfinders & Rangers

CMON

It's been a while since I've touched this project...so I'm back to finish it off ^^. We've got mostly the Fast Attack and Heavy Support choices and then anything people want reviewed from Forgeworld books (which have not already been done) I'll lend a post to as well. Before we get to that though, let's finish off the Troops with the last choice not covered - Rangers.

The Review -

Rangers, and Pathfinders, are essentially the Scouts of the Eldar army. They have the usual assortment of infiltrate, stealth, move through cover and scout special rules which makes them great at finding locations outside of your usual deployment zone, sitting in cover and being hard to remove. Because they are Troops this also means they are scoring and with the ability to go to ground for an effective 2+ cover save, they aren't exactly easy to remove considering their points cost. Beware of flamers though!

Eldar Codex Review - Part 18: Guardian Jetbikes

CMON

Guardians, on Jetbikes - yay! GJB nullify some of the issues one sees with Guardians whilst adding some extra dimensions but at almost triple the cost.

The Review -

GJB are literally Guardians on a bike so they have the same crappy statline but with an improved save (3+) and toughness (T3(4)). This provides a nice array of abilities which can improve upon the rather weak Guardians (i.e. tougher to kill) but this doesn't make them great. Jetbikes are a fast and mobile scoring unit effective at anti-infantry but have limited utility against tanks, are poor in combat and not cheap. With a 12" move and 6" assault move no matter what (jump shoot jump), Jetbikes can make more effective use of their 12" guns but are still vulnerable to assault and will only find maximum benefit if with their assault move if they can hide behind terrain (hard for larger units with bigger footprints). They are also twin-linked so can overcome the average BS of the Guardians without Farseer support.

Eldar Codex Review - Part 17: Dire Avengers

The Review -

Dire Avengers are the most common Aspect Warrior and for all intents and purposes are Guardians with better guns and a better statline. An important distinction however is they lack heavy weapons which means by themselves, they are not good rear objective holders. That being said, in today's game Dire Avengers are basically used as a 'scoring upgrade' to a Wave Serpent or Falcon which is due in part to their cheapness (25 points cheaper than your cheapest Guardian squad) due to squad sizes of five and their complete lack of heavy or special weapons.

Eldar Codex Review: Part 16 - Storm Guardians

CMON

The close combat, special weapon versions of Guardian Defenders!

The Review -

Storm Guardians have the exact same statline as Guardian Defenders. The major difference is they cannot take heavy weapon platforms but rather can take up to two special weapons and instead of shuriken catapults, they have pistols and close combat weapons. This means their ranged ability is virtually non-existent and whilst Defenders themselves aren't flash hot at range (one BS3 heavy weapon), they at least can put out a lot of shots up close. Storm Guardians cannot and rather rely on close combat attacks or special weapons (i.e. flamers) to deal with enemy infantry.

Eldar Codex Review - Part 15: Guardian Defenders

Dakka via TKE

Guardians are the Guardsmen of Eldar minus the cheapness and access to cheap heavy and special weapons.

The Review -

At 8 points a model, Guardians are very expensive (relatively speaking). Consider they have the same defensive statline as a Dark Eldar Warrior but lower WS, BS and initiative, have a worse weapon beyond 12", only one heavy weapon per squad, no specials, no possible improvement for Ld and much more expensive transports. Yay? Guardian Defender's main issue is their lack of multiple heavy weapons and the ranges on their guns. They are too squishy to get up close to blast the opponent with mass shuriken fire (which is very efficient but very short-ranged) and aren't providing enough (nor at a cheap cost) at range. Heavy weapons are quite expensive and due to BS3, the one shot guns are expensive and unreliable leading to the stock-standard Scatter Laser being the most efficient bet with 36" and four S6 shots. Requiring a minimum squad of 10 + having expensive heavy weapons also hinders their use - though squads of five would have crap durability and would be a pretty poor form of MSU.

Eldar Codex Review - Part 14: Wraithguard

Warseer

The cute little Wraithlords! Wraithguard are the tall guys little brothers and are similar in many respects.

The Review -

Wraithguard are renowned for their durability - with T6/3+ and Eldar psychic powers such as Fortune and Conceal, Wraithguard are a tough nut to crack. Unfortunately, that's about all they have going for them and if you can bring lots of low AP weapons to them in the open, disable their psychic buffs (specifically fortune) or catch them in combat, Wraithguard are very underwhelming for their points. Their guns are pretty powerful when you compare them to really tough, expensive targets such as Land Raiders or Paladins with their ability to inflict instant death and complete disregard for AV level.

Tyranid Codex Update: Beta Version, discussion and 1.01.

New version available.

Additions and alterations:

-Paroxysm is back to 12" range. I think it was a bit strong before.

-Onslaught cannot target the caster's unit.

-Barbed Strangler made to be Barrage, same as Stranglethorn Cannon.

-Price on Armored Shell and Wings increased slightly for Hive Tyrant.

-Swarmlord altered significantly (BS3, S6, 3+ save, 6" aura.)