Most of you probably know that I play Eldar in Warhammer 40K. I only started playing this game just over a year ago. The group I played with at the beginning was very competetive and very unforgiving, playing only the power lists. Since then, I have honed my skills, and now I consider myself a pretty descent player, but only through necessity :) I have won Best General at the last three tournaments I've played at that had such a position. I am very passionate about my Eldar, but I have been left wondering lately if Eldar are still competetive. I mean, if you take nothing but the hammer of any army, you can probably do well, and that is what I have done with the Eldar. Its all Falcons and Seer Councils on bikes for the most part, which while very effective, leaves a lot of the flavour of the Eldar behind. Where are the Banshees, where are the Scorpions? When was the last time you saw Warp Spiders? I have never seen them, and I don't own any. Last July at a tournament in Edmonton (Out of the Basement), the second most prevelant army there was the Eldar (7 Armies), and I played two other Eldar players during my 6 games. While no one had an army kitted for the win like mine, it was an odd scene. The thing about the Eldar, which makes them so appealing, is that there is a "hope" for something unique and interesting in the army, but this last codex combined with the 5th edition rules, has left all of that behind, if you choose to be competetive. Just my thoughts though.
I really don't like them matched up against IG. Do you use Warwalkers?
ReplyDeleteThe hardest of the hard IG lists do pose a problem for the Eldar, I will admit that. That's not to say that Eldar are dead against IG, infact, in every tournament game that I have played against IG, I have won, but I will also admit that most the IG players I've played haven't played to their lists potential, or their list was sub-par. The big concern out there, of course, is playing against lists similar to the "leaf blower" that won the last Hard Boys, but I have played it and won. I'll make a post about my lists later today. I do not play War Walkers in a competetive environment because they lack mobility, and with hordes of bugs in your face 2nd turn will just tie the walkers up forever. For sure, you can't beat the Walkers for shear firepower, but they are relatively immobile. As the Eldar codex approaches antiquity, one of our last best advantages is our mobility... I just can't sacrifice that advantage.
ReplyDeleteWhat about using them as scouts vs nids or drop pods?
ReplyDeleteIf you load up Walkers with two Shuriken Cannons, bringing their point total to 40, then they are always worth bringing, especially since outflanking with them you can usually get them somewhere where 24" guns can hit something. Loading them out with anything more expensive and you're throwing your points away. If you are trying to throw a distraction in your opponents face, forcing them to deal with something in the outfield, then sure, they have a use. In my upcoming tournament season list, I am bringing a squadron of three war walkers kitted with Cannons to do exactly that. They are going to outflank (where it makes sense to) and force the enemy to deal with them. They are going to die, but that's what they are there for. That is the part of the army that I feed to my opponent so they feel like they are accomplishing something while the rest of my army does what it does best, survive.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm....now i may find a way for nids to eat you!
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