Farseer - Runes of Warding, Singing Spear, Doom [98]

TROOPSRangers x 5 [95]Rangers x 5 [95]Dire Avengers x 9 [108]Wave Serpant w/ Bright Lance, Spirit Stones [145]

HEAVY SUPPORTWraithlord w/ Eldar Missile Launcher & Bright Lance [155]------------------------------

Farseer w/ Spirit Stones, Singing Spear, Doom, Fortune

ELITE8 x Striking Scorpions inc. Exarch w/ Biting Blade, Shadowstrike, Stalker

TROOPS5 x Rangers5 x Rangers10 x Dire Avengers inc. Exarch w/ Power Weapon & Shimmershield, Bladestorm, Defend in a Wave Serpant w/ Twin-Linked Bright Lances and Spirit Stones

HEAVY SUPPORT3 x War Walker w/ Scatter Lasers in a Squadron

-----------------------------

HQ

Illic Nightspear-140

Autarch-95uldanorethi rifle

Troops

Pathfindersx5-125

Pathfindersx5-125

Rangersx10-120

Rangersx10-120

---------------------------------

Alaitoc Army 1849pts

Illic Nightspear

Autarch

-Warp jump generator-Banshee mask-Scorpion chainsword-Soulshrive (replaces scorpion chainsword)

Rangers-7 Rangers

Alaitoc Pathfinders-7 Rangers-Alaitoc Pathfinders

Windrider Jetbike Squad-3 Windrider Guardians-Shuriken cannonWindrider Jetbike Squad-3 Windrider Guardians-Shuriken cannonWindrider Jetbike Squad-3 Windrider Guardians-Shuriken cannon

Striking Scorpions-6 Striking Scorpions-Exarch-Scorpion�s claw-Crushing BlowStriking Scorpions

War Walkers

-3 War walkers-6 Bright lances

------------------

Hq:Illic nightspear 140Farseer with spear 105

Troops:5 pathfinders 1254x5 rangers 240

2x5 dire avengers 1302x Wave serpents with SL and holofields 270

Heavy support:3 War walkers with star cannons and SL 2102 war walkers with lances 1402 war walkers with star cannons and SL 140

So here it is. Illic will go with pathfinders, farseer will go with lance war walker squadron.

------------------------

HQ

Farseer+ Runes Witnessing+ Spirit stones+ Doom+ Fortune

+ Mind War180 points

Farseer+ Runes Witnessing+ Spirit stones

Warlock Bodyguard+ Singing Spear+ 3 x Destructor268 points

Elites

Harlequin Troupe+ 7x Harlequin's Kiss+ Shadowseer Upgrade+ Troupe Master Upgrade+ Death Jester Upgrade242 points

Wave Serpent Dedicated Transport+ Twin linked Starcannons+ Spirit Stones135 points

Troops

Rangers+ 5 x Pathfinder upgrade120 points

Rangers+ 5 x Pathfinder upgrade120 points

Rangers+ 5 x Pathfinder upgrade120 points

Heavy Support

Fire Prism+ Holo-fields+ Spirit Stone160 points

FalconScatter Laser+ Holo-fields+ Spirit Stone175 points

Total: 1496 points

This is my themed army that I will fielding against space marines tomorrow.

1 Farseer rides with the harlequins1 Farseer rides in the Falcon with body guard killing squads that target my path finders.

Any advise welcome, especially what people would do tatically as well as improvements to army selection.

Should I deploy the path finders as 3 squads or 1 squad of 10 as the Farseer will be able to guide 10 rather than 5?

This list is in response to my thread on themed/competitive armies.--------------------------

HQFarseer: Singing Spear, R.o.Warding, Spirit Stones, Fortune, Doom. 148pts

Elite8 Harlequins: 1x fusion pistol, 1x fusion pistol & kiss, 3x kisses, 1x ccw; Shadowseer; Troupe master w/ power weapon. 230pts

6 Fire Dragons. 96pts

10 Striking Scorpions: Exarch w/ Shadowstrike, Stalker, and Chainsabres; Wave Serpent w/ Brightlances and spirit stones. 347pts

Troops8 Pathfinders. 192pts

8 Pathfinders. 192pts

7 Rangers. 133pts

5 Dire Avengers: DAVU. 60pts

Heavy SupportFalcon: Holo-field, Spirit Stones, Scatter Laser. 175pts

Falcon: Holo-field, Spirit Stones, Scatter Laser. 175pts

Total points: 1748Model Count: 56

Been a while since I've look at an eldar list tactically, but here we go.

Pathfinders and rangers will infiltrate into cover either on objectives or with proper fire lanes to be able to support any push made to them. Dire Avengers and Farseer get into one of the Falcons, giving fortune to the harlequins as they advance up a flank. Fire Dragons are in the other Falcon for big game tank hunting.

The Striking Scorpions were a late addition, but the idea is for them to be in the wave serpent and outflank (as the game demands naturally). With the speed of the serpent even if they are placed on the wrong side of the board they can still reliably make it to where I need them within a turn or two.

-----------------------------------Farseer w, Doom/Guide/Stones/ROW/Shining Spear 138goes with10 Dire Avengers, Exarch w/PW,SS and Defend 162Wave Serpent, Spirit stones, Brightlance 145

6 Fire Dragons 96Wave Serpent, Spirit Stones, Scatter Laser 125

10 Storm Guardians, Destructor Warlock, x2 Flamers 127Wave Serpent, Spirit stones, Brightlance 145

8 Striking Scorpions, Exarch w/Claw + Shadowstrike/Stalker 180

5 Pathfinders 120

5 Pathfinders 120

3 War walkers w/x2 Scatter lasers 180

3 War walkers w/x2 EML 210

1748 in Total.

--------------------

HQ

Autarchswooping hawk wingsbanshee maskfusion gunpower weapon

ELITES

10 Striking Scorpionsexarchscorpion's clawstalkershadow strike

TROOPS

5 Pathfinders

5 Pathfinders

5 Pathfinders

5 Pathfinders

5 Rangers

FAST ATTACK

10 Swooping Hawksexarchsunrifleskyleapintercept

Vyper Jetbikeeldar missile launcherspirit stones

Vyper Jetbikeeldar missile launcher

spirit stones

HEAVY SUPPORT

3 War Walkers2x eldar missile launcherspirit stones

3 War Walkers2x scatter laserspirit stones

Total: 1747pts

Tactics

The general idea is to saturate the table with too many targets for the enemy to be able to focus them down effectively. Fairly small ranger squads mean that the enemy will most likely need to waste a lot of their firepower on a small squad in heavy cover. The army in itself is fast, mobile and pretty flexible, having options to deal with almost everything and adapt to the changing situation on the field. It can tackle both infantry and armour, has a good tarpit/counter-assault melee unit in form of scorpions. Practically everything has at least one of the key features: speed, infiltration, deep strike, outflank etc. I believe I managed to capture the Alaitoc feel pretty well with this one, while creating a list that might be actually quite fun to play and effective at that.There is no pre-set strategy for this army. It is flexible enough to accomodate many various scenarios. Specific units can perform their roles alone or in unison with others. The flexibility of this army is also its downside as it requires a good commander behind it who can read the battle well and adapt his strategy to specific foe and situation, utilising units to the limit of their ability and applying just the right pressure when necessary. Considering that practically the entire army can be either fielded from the get go or kept in reserve presents a lot of opportunity to annoy your opponent. Possible heavy field saturation is also going to stress the enemy a lot and force him to make hard decisions in directing his firepower and a lot of caution in movement. Transports can be popped fairly easily with 8 launchers, leaving any units they transport open to fire by 25 sniper rifles and a storm of shots from Swooping Hawks and scatter lasers. Tougher armour can be dealt with by Swooping Hawks.The biggest problem for this army would be high saturation of tough armour and/or flamers, but at the same time, this heavy armour is going to be much less effective in dealing with this force, flamers are an issue, but something that can be anticipated and circumvented with proper placement and movement.

------------------------------

HQAutarch: WJG, chainsword, Fusion Gun- 110

Troops5 Pathfinders- 120

5 Pathfinders- 120

6 Guardian Jetbikes: 2x Cannons- 152- Warlock: embolden, spear- 53

6 Guardian Jetbikes: 2x Cannons- 152- Warlock: embolden, spear- 53

9 Dire Avengers- 108- Wave Serpent: TL EML, shuricannon- 130

Elite7 Striking Scorpions: stalker, shadowstrike, claw- 164

5 Fire Dragon- 80

Fast5 Warp Spiders: spinnerette- 127

HeavyFalcon: shuricannon- 120

2 Walkers: EML/EML- 140

2 Walkers: Scatter Laser/Scatter Laser- 120

Total: 1748

Here is a fast, pesky list, capable of full reserve but still packs enough punch to face most enemies. Tactically flexible with multiple units capable of filling multiple rolls. I think the best explanation would be a unit by unit description.

2x 5 Pathfinders will sit close to objectives and target elite infantry and MCs. I like two small groups as opposed to one larger group to avoid one heavy flamer ruining my day. Also, they can target multiple units with the possibility of pinning both (though unlikely). If necessary, I can reserve and outflank them into better position.

2x 6 Jetbikes will provide primarily anti-light tank and transport duty. Using speed to get to rear armor, the spear is great here. They can also take pot shots at infantry with their cannons once armor is destroyed or against horde armies. Turbo boost objective steal/contest.

9 DA/Wave provides a little tank support to the army. Gives the enemy something to shoot at other than my walkers. DA are good infantry thinning units. Good all rounder unit that scores.

7 Scorpions no comment necessary here. Great anti-infantry unit but also capable of scrapping a tank and flexible deployment options.

5 Spiders roll with Autarch with primary goal to pop tanks and mid-heavy infantry. Will likely deepstrike but has enough speed to not have to.

Falcon/5 Fire Dragons if necessary turbo boost to heaviest tank and take it out in subsequent turn. Falcon can then target infantry and light/medium tanks.

2 Walkers/EMLs- start on board to quickly take out tanks and transports.

2 Walkers/Scatter Lasers- outflank and take out infantry or remaining tanks.

-----------

CDX - Phonix Lord Karandras:

155 - Striking Scorpions [8]: Exarch, Scorpion's Claw

175 - Striking Scorpions [8]: Exarch, Scorpion's Claw, Shadowstrike

184 - Harlequin Troupe [6]: Shadowseer, Death Jester, 2x Kiss + Fusion Pistol, 2x Kiss

144 � Pathfinders [6]:

120 � Pathfinders [5]:

152 - GJS [6]: 2x Shuiken Cannon

152 � GJS [6] 2x Shuriken Cannon

180 - Falcon: Bright Lance, Holo-Field

160 - Fire Prism: Shuriken Cannon, Holo-Field

110 - War Walker Squadron [2]: (A) 2x Shuirken Cannon, (B) 2x Eldar Missile Launcher

1747 � Total

Tactics:

Karandras joins the first unit of Scorpions. The Scorpions set up in an aggressive forward position. If the enemy moves forward, they should be in assault range kind of idea. Their aim is to assault transported units, or to stop the transport itself if need be.

The Harlies start embarked in the falcon, which will likely move forward slowly, shooting as it goes. The GJS's will stay nearby, providing fire support and avoiding assault.

Pathfinders set up at home with the Prism for support.

War Walkers outflank, hoping to fire into softer side arcs of vehicles upon arrival. Doubling the weapons instead of splitting them allows me to choose the most effective weapon to keep if one is destroyed. Both weapons can deal with AV 11 or less fairly well, both are effective against infantry, and against AV 12+ I have a walker that can get lucky or take a hit for the team. :)

I felt �Holo� tanks were ok, since they are pretty much invisible, whereas Serpents aren't.

------------------------

Background thoughtsAlaitoc is the Craftworld clinging most strictly to the "Path". War is avoided / foreseen by the Farseers, fought by the Aspect Warriors, with Rangers doing the field recon. The Craftworld is involved in several prolonged battles with mankind and in Warrior nature only second to Biel-Tan. But instead of close combat like our green-white brethren we focus on firefights.In a conflict environment I imagine Alaitoc to send out a reinforced combat patrol that can take care of itself and relies on fast support sent in quickly against armoured encounters.

Game mechanics thoughts

The reliance on Avengers and Rangers limits our Anti-Tank resources, found in Guardians, their support platforms and tanks. This must be overcome with dedic

ated AT personell. If they only carry close range weapons, they must be made very mobile. The Eldar tanks are the most expensive transports for their abilities. Whereas marines send in two Razorbacks for the prize of a Serpent the latter one can be made inefficient by a single shot but still dealing less damage. We must focus on the mobility aspect therefore as there are no true roadblocks for an Antigrav-Tank. Limiting the tanks to the minimum necessary we can free up more points for the damage dealing units. Equipping them with Scatterlasers let them stay out of trouble of favourite AT wargear most of the time. To get the most out of Warwalkers a Guide Seer is mandatory. But the seers are also good at fortuning dug-in Avengers or Harlequins. And they can damage vehicles. Therefore I dismiss the reserve approach with Autarchs and go in for full Farseer Support. I don't want to bring an Ulthwe close combat council while focusing on ranged attacks. So I choose a mounted mini-council with spears for tank-hunting and heavy flamers for infantry, small enough not to enter Saim-Hann sphere, while the Ulthwe old-ones would shudder at the thoughts on mounting such a quick and dangerous device. Harlequins are in for CC protection and finishing off weakened units. By withdrawing CC in the opponents phase they can relocate surprisingly quickly and threaten areas thought safe.

The list:I come from the tourney scene so please forgive me, if this does not meet anyone's perception of fluff, but honestly, who does? ;) I am fielding a two way approach:The patrol consists of Rangers leading the way for the core or reaching and occupying key areas. They prefer staying in cover and going in for the objectives lategame, eager not to draw attention early. In case of need a Serpent can relocate them midgame. Dire Avengers as core, capable of holding their ground for a while (see defend, fortune) and Warwalkers as heavy weapon platforms. Harlequins act as counterattack for locked down units in close combat, agile enough to stay out of (weapon) sight and cope with difficult terrain. Warwalkers, Guideseer, Avengers and Harlies stay close together for most of the time, going for objectives lategame with the Rangers.

Fire Dragons can be kept in reserve and threaten vehicles closing in for the core units within 26". Similar defensive behaviour for the Jebtike squad which should go for LOS blockers at the beginning. If it's about to defend the own objective and contesting the opponent's, these units go the aggressive way focussing on slowing down the approach via transports first, then threatening his homebase.

Not being seen is the theme for killpoint missions together with focussed fire from a defensive position. Here again the Jetbikes are the unit fielded most aggressively.

*************** 2 HQ ***************

Farseer- Guide - - - > 75 Points

Farseer- Spear- Jetbike- Fortune - - - > 118 Points

4 Warlocks- 4 x Spear- Eldar-Jetbikes- 2 x Destructor- 1 x Embolden- 1 x Enhance - - - > 232 Points

*************** 3 Elite ***************

5 Fire Dragons+ Serpent - Scatterlaser - Spirits Stones - - - > 205 Points

5 Fire Dragons+ Serpent - Scatterlaser - Spirits Stones - - - > 205 Points

8 Harlequins- 7 x Harlequinpeitsche- Schicksalsleser - - - > 202 Punkte

*************** 3 Troops ***************

5 Ranger - - - > 95 Points

5 Ranger - - - > 95 Points

10 Dire Avenger- Exarch- Powerweapon & Shimmershield- Defend - - - > 162 Points

*************** 2 Heavy Support ***************

3 Warwalker- 6 x Scatterlaser - - - > 180 Points

3 Warwalker- 6 x Scatterlaser - - - > 180 Points

Total Points Eldar : 1749

--------------------

HQ

Maugan Ra (195)Karandras (215)

EliteHarlequin Troupe A3 Harlequins w/ 2x fusion pistols + Death Jester + Shadowseer (150)

Harlequin Troupe B9 Harlequins w/ kisses + Shadowseer (246)

Striking Scorpions9 Scorpions + Exrach w/ scorpion's claw (197)

TroopsRangers x 5 (95)Rangers x 5 (95)Rangers x 5 (95)Rangers x 5 (95)

Fast AttackWarp Spiders x 9 + Exarch w/ additional death spinner & surprise assualt (247)

HeavyWar Walkers x3 w/ x2 Shuriken Cannon (120)

Total 1750

Setup your rangers in ideal firing positions using infiltrate. The rangers are supported by the Harlequin group B that will be placed equidistant from all the squads and within range to make a mad 1 turn dash for close combat support if any of the firing positions are threatened.

Similar to a layout below:

X X BX X

The rangers placement is determined my terrain placement and if suitable support cannot be given by harlie unit B then the striking scorpion unit with Karandras attached an share the body guard duties. The scorpions take advantage of the Phoenix Lords Stealth ability for cover saves and the harlies rely on the Veil of Tears to avoid fire. If the are not needed for initial CC support, they can be held in reserve, especially against gunline armies.

Harlequin group A will be joined by Maugan Ra and will be a steadily advance fire force. Both the Death Jester and Maugan Ra can move and fire their high strength, pinning weapons and if any army gets close enough they can be melted with the fusion guns by the rest of the troupe. The squad was kept small to concentrate on the squads shooting priorities and not to waste points on having kisses waiting in the back field with nothing to do. The squad will be supported by the scorpions and harlie group B for CC support, as well as take advantage of the VoT for cover.

Warp Spiders are a late game drop and armed with surprise assault to ensure deep striking. Lots of high strength shots that can be used at opportune times and into the underbellies of the enemies armour. Also great for low armoured infantry.

The War Walkers are another late game addition that is aimed to take out more re

ar armour and gunlines. Shuriken cannons give shorter range and 2 less shots per models, but the spam of shots is still significant and when outflank they should be able to get quite close to the rear flanks of the enemy.

In summary:

Anti MEQ and Anti TEQ: x4 rangers units with rending sniper shots, x1 CC Harlequin unit with rending attacksAnti Armour: x2 fusion guns, large deep striking warp spider unit, outflanking war walkers with shuriken cannons, scorpion clawAnti Horde: Maugan Ra high strength pinning, Death Jester high strength pinning, shuriken cannon spam, death spinner spam

--------------------------------

- Farseer + Spirit Stones + Doom + Guide + Runes of Witnessing = 130 pts- 10x Dire Avengers, incl. Exarch + Dual Shuricats + Bladestorm = 152 points- Wave Serpent + Twin-Linked EML's + Shuriken Cannon + Spirit Stones = 140 pts- 5x Rangers = 95 pts- 5x Rangers = 95 pts- 5x Rangers = 95 pts- 8x Warp Spiders, incl. Exarch + Additional Death Spinner = 193 pts- Vyper with Shuriken Cannon = 50 pts- Vyper with Shuriken Cannon = 50 pts

Total = 1,000 points

The Farseer will obviously accompany the Dire Avengers in the Wave Serpent, which will in turn be accompanied by the Vypers and the Spiders. With the number of strength 6 shots coming from the Spiders and Vypers I should be able to take down most vehicles by hitting their rear and side armour, if the Serpent can't do it with its EML's. Only Monoliths and Landraiders would be a problem, but I don't expect to face either much (especially at 1,000 points).I gave the Farseer the RoWit simply because I had 10 points to fill. If possible I would like to keep the Spiders in the army. The biggest problem I can forsee is the lack of close combat troops. I could swap the Dire Avengers for Striking Scorpions, but would that be worthwhile?Advice and criticism welcome!

------------------------ALAITOC RANGER FORCEHQ1 Farseer w/ singing spear, s. pistol, fortune, runes of witnessing, ghosthelm 99ptsTroops(5) 10 ranger squads 950pts(1) 5 ranger squads 95pts2 war walker lancia splendente scatter laser Elites(3) 5 path finder squads 360ptsTOTAL 2004pts

-----------------------------

HQ:

Eldrad 210

Farseer 120

Doom, Fortune, Spirit Stones

Troops:

10 Dire Avengers 162 (Eldrad)Exarch, Bladestorm, Power Weapon And Shimmershield

10 Dire Avengers 157 (Farseer)Exarch, Bladestorm, A4 Catapault

8 Rangers 150

Elites:

10 Striking Scorpions 207Exarch, Claw, Shadowstrike

5 Fire Dragons 215Wave Serpent, TL Bright Lance

Heavy:

Wraithlord 140Wraithsword, Bright Lance

Wraithlord 130Wraithsword, Stacannon

Tactics For This List:

Eldrad And Farseer Will Go With 2 DA Squads, Casting Fortune To Give Them Re-Roll Saves And Doom To Re-Roll Wounds (Also Guide For Eldrad). Turn When They Can Assault I Will Move, Cast Doom and Fortune Then Bladestorm into the enemies (32 S4 AP5 Shots For Farseer's Unit, Re-rolling Wounds, 28 S4 AP5 Shots For Eldrad's Unit, Re-rolling hits and wounds.) In Combat Both Units will get Re-rolls to wound and their saves and as a bonus eldrad's unit will get to re-roll 5+ inv saves against those annoying power weapon units (such as Incubi).

Now I Know They Could Easily Get Blasted By Vindicator Shells And A Wave Serpent Should Be Used, But I Could Shield The Avengers With The Wraithlords, seeing as they work in their prime in the range of a farseer and this would give my guys a 4+ cover save

Rangers Will Camp Back (on an obj if take and hold or C&C) and hopefully most units (other than outflankers and templaters) shouldnt be a problem to them.

Striking Scorpions will outflank and hopefully assault in the turn they come in, meaning the full strength squad should do alot of damage, and then lastly you have the claw to deal extra wounds.

Fire Dragons will use WS to go forward, first turn move 12", second turn move 12" again, then get out and spam at a tank (or even a Terminator squadron, seeing as they have meltas) Moving 12" also means i get to fire the TL bright lance.

With the Wraithlords i know that the starcannon is the best option, i just needed more AT so chose one with a bright lance, it could always blow up a land raider.

------------------------Illic Nightspear, The Walker of the Hidden Path - Where Yriel marshals the defen

ce of a dying host, and Eldrad guides all living beings with a a flicker of his mind, Illic is a wanderer that seeks some unknowable goal and appears without any perceivable rhyme or reason. That he hails from Craftworld Alaitoc is obvious; he is a sniper without compare, and the thousands of years he has spent walking the Path of the Outcast has only honed his skills as a predator. He comes stock with a pre-defined Warlord Trait, the Mark of the Incomparable Hunter, which allows him to Split Fire; a useful trait depending on what unit he is paired with. Using this to your advantage if you are protecting him or using his defensive rules for the unit is invaluable; Wraithguard may want to deal with the nearby Dreadnought, but Illic would be much better suited to ridding a Tactical Squad of their plasma gunner. As he only bears a 5+ armour save with no invulnerable save, he is quite fragile in a melee; from ranged attacks, however, he has the Shrouded special rule which incidentally is conferred on to a unit he joins. For similar reasons to Tau players using Shadowsun, Illic can be joined up with any unit that you feel needs a defensive boost and grant them a hefty +2 bonus to any cover saves they would have. As it stands, he isn't too much of a push-over in an assault either, with a minimum of four attacks at Strength three with an AP of three owing to his power sword and two combat weapons; though unlikely to worry a Space Marine Captain or character of that type, he can reliably deal with most squad sergeants should the need be there. His Weapon Skill and Initiative of six are particularly advantageous here, though on a somewhat disappointing note, he lacks Hit and Run to truly embody the vision of a sniper that disappears and reappears almost impossibly.

Of course, the best part about a Pathfinder special character is that they are darned good at range, and I do feel that Illic doesn't disappoint in this area - at least with the rules that they intended, but more on that later. His unique longrifle, the Voidbringer, functions like any other Sniper save that it is AP two, it has a range of forty-eight inches, and it has the nasty Distort special rule. While it still needs to wound on a fixed dice roll of a 4+, there is no doubt that the potential for death dealing is there; that it is AP two all of the time means there is little need for Rending, allowing him to reliably snipe out special weapon holders and the like. The Distort special rule is the really juicy aspect of this weapon though, as any to wound roll of a six inflicts instant death; see that potentially problematic Nemesis Dreadknight moving up the board to you? Give it something to think about and, paired either with Doom or just some luck, roll a six to wound and see it evaporate in one fell sweep. Unlike other sniper rifles, it also stands a strong chance against well armoured vehicles; on an armour penetration roll of a six, it counts as an automatic penetrating hit regardless of whether the weapon would usually be able to or not. With an AP of two, some luck could see you destroying Monoliths or Soul Grinders in the early rounds of the game. Owing to his Sharpshot special rule, all of his shots count as Precision Shots, meaning he can allocate them wherever he wants; unfortunately, as I mentioned earlier, this doesn't function perhaps as the rules writers intended as it means that any character can claim a Look Out Sir save against it. There is nothing more disheartening than hitting a kitted out Terminator-armoured character in a squad of Veterans, rolling a six to wound that inflicts instant death, and watch it palmed off on to a regular squad member. It is a shame, and it does reduce Illic's value, but it is nonetheless a handy option for singling out non-character members of a unit; striking a Riptide and not its shield drones, or fileting a gunner wielding a heavy bolter is still helpful to your efforts. It is also prudent to note that Illic has some extra luck against Necrons, with his Hatred and Preferred Enemy of the skeletal husks maximising his damage somewhat - even, ludicrously, hitting on a 2+ with re-rolls owing to his crazy Ballistic Skill of nine.

Illic also has a neat and fluffy special rule that allows him to Infiltrate normally, or do a special one alone; he can be placed anywhere, regardless of enemy proximity, on the board if you so choose. There have been some rather ridiculous uses of this rule so far, but for a Toughness three and three-wound character t

hat is quite costly, it would likely be best not to make too outlandish a move here. The key benefit, perhaps, is that any Rangers or Pathfinders that Outflank can "deep strike" to his location, provided the first model "lands" within six inches of Illic. Still, many may rather deploy their snipers with the master hunter himself, as conferring Shrouded on to a unit that already has Stealth (Rangers) who in turn give it back to their 'Phoenix Lord' - as he has been described by some - is highly useful and makes for a nasty and tough scoring unit. He is a capable Warlord that perhaps needs some clearing up in regards to Precision Shots and Look Out Sir to be made even more useful, but for now, he is a great boon for Infiltrators looking for a defensive boost and, depending on whether you play the rules this way, granting Infiltrate to a short-ranged or melee unit that particularly needs it. That he also allows Pathfinders to be taken as an upgrade to Rangers is nice for themed army lists and if you have a specific plan in mind.

-----------------

Karandras, The Shadow Hunter - A veiled figure that strikes with a brutal swiftness, Karandras is a particularly adept melee character that provides a host of benefits to your forces. As the Phoenix Lord of the Striking Scorpions, Karandras fits very well with his Aspect; he can Infiltrate - and confer it on to a unit, depending on how you play it - he provides both Stealth and Night Vision, and he can Move Through Cover that, with Fleet and Battle Focus, make him very fast. Unlike some Phoenix Lords - including Asurmen and Jain Zar - he is equipped with plasma grenades and thus has little to worry about if he charges into cover, though he lacks the defences of those Phoenix Lords to compensate. His guaranteed Warlord Trait, the Ambush of Blades, allowing he and friendly Eldar units within twelve inches to re-roll to wound rolls of a one in a single shooting or assault phase, particularly helpful for ensuring both his high Strength attacks and that of his forces cleave through enemy defences. The real meat behind Karandras' value is his melee capabilities, and I would be lying if I didn't say he is possibly the most brutal of the Phoenix Lords for sheer damage capabilities against a wide range of targets. Owing to the Scorpion Claw being a power fist that strikes at Initiative order, and with two melee weapons to boot, Karandras has a staggering six Weapon Skill seven, Initiative seven, Strength eight attacks on the charge at AP two. From vehicles, walkers, monstrous creatures, characters and units, almost any such unit will be crushed in spectacular fashion before they have even a chance to strike, and against all but some foes, he can hide behind his 2+ armour save afterwards too on the rare chance that the target survived.

It really is amazing how destructive that many Strength eight, armour ignoring attacks with such a ridiculous profile can be, but they are even more ludicrous when paired up with his Exarch Powers. Monster Hunter allows Karandras to re-roll to wound against monstrous creatures, ensuring that he slays them in short order, while the Stalker power forces a dice-off roll similar to Jain Zar's Disarming Strike, save that the bonuses are tested against Initiative and thus even more likely to be in the Phoenix Lords' favour; the result is that Karandras re-rolls to wound if he wins or draws. On top of all that, Karandras bears the Scorpion's Bite; like a regular mandiblaster, it inflicts a single automatic hit on an enemy unit in base contact with Karandras - similar to Hammer of Wrath, save that it works in each combat phase and not just on the charge - but it is instead resolved at Strength six. As if the lord cloaked by darkness wasn't already brutal enough in a melee. The only real detriment to Karandras' use is his exorbitant cost, solidifying his position as the most expensive Phoenix Lord by a small, and probably reasonable margin. Karandras will slaughter most foes - truly, even a Trygon needs to be very cautious - before they strike and provides natural defensive boosts to his unit, and though he lacks such benefits himself and will likely fall to massed armour-ignoring attacks, he is nonetheless an incredibly strong character and one that you would remiss not to test.

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Maugan Ra, The Harvester of Souls - We often speak amongst ourselves of a dark entity that pervades the spirit and mind, a reaper that waits with a skeletal vice to take us to the other world; the Grim Reaper. Many have attempted to mimic the primal image of Death, but few have done so as successfully as Maugan Ra, Phoenix Lord of the Dark Reapers. If his model alone wasn't reason enough to use him, you should be pleased to know that, despite differing somewhat majorly to his students, he is a powerful character with a balance of strong firepower and melee capabilities. His guaranteed Warlord Trait, the Mark of the Incomparable Hunter, gives him the useful Split Fire rule that, considering the gun he has, is quite useful when paired up with his own aspect who prefer to shoot at other targets. Maugan Ra's signature weapon is the aptly named Maugetar, a weapon with two profiles; the first is at range - thirty-six inches, specifically - firing four Strength six AP five shots with the Rending and Pinning special rules. Effectively an assault cannon with one worse AP but the addition of Pinning, it is a handy tool that, owing to his Marksman's Eye allowing Precision Shots on a 5+, can be used against a wide range of targets or to single out enemy characters and special weapon carriers. In melee, it is very much a relic blade, boosting the Harvester's Strength by two with an AP of three; a pretty nasty melee weapon that, with four attacks base, are sure to put on some hurt. Between a Weapon Skill, Ballistic Skill and Initiative of seven, Maugan is a skilled and dangerous Phoenix Lord both at long range and up close, adding a lot of punch at a low price to almost any unit. His Fast Shot and Night Vision both give his Maugetar an extra shot and allow both he and his unit to ignore cover saves provided by Night Fighting, both handy tools for a very useful character. Much like Baharroth, Maugan Ra may not necessarily be a combat monster, but he is definitely a character that can be used in almost any situation and perform very reliably.

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Eldrad Ulthran, High Farseer of Ulthwe - The most iconic of all Eldar, and the Warhammer 40000 counterpart to Teclis - they even share the same basic pose! - Eldrad is a master psyker that comfortably sits at the top of a very distinguished selection of special characters. As the High Farseer of Ulthwe, Eldrad is a master of the art of divining the future; affording him a pre-selected Warlord Trait that, once per game, grants Stealth to both himself and all friendly Eldar units within twelve inches during an enemy shooting phase. For what is very much a support character in an army that features highly mobile and durable skimmer tanks as well as dangerous yet fragile Infantry, this is a great boon and eases the pain of rolling on a random chart and hoping for the best. His age and experience have seen him crafted or granted unique wargear that can have a significant impact on the game; most notable of which is his Staff of Ulthamar, an AP three force weapon with the Fleshbane special rule. With but two attacks, owing to bearing two melee weapons, and three on the charge, he isn't a great melee character, but he can nonetheless be a scary proposition for monstrous creatures and power-armoured or worse characters alike - his Weapon Skill and Initiative of five are also quite useful here. The really interesting aspect of the Staff is the Spiritlink special rule; after each successful psychic test, Eldrad regains a warp charge point. Given that psychic powers cannot be cast more than once in the same turn, this may not seem like it is very useful; that is until one takes into account both Eldrad's Ghosthelm, allowing him to ignore Perils of the Warp by expending a warp charge point, and the sheer number of Mastery Level two spells in both the Runes of Fate and Telepathy psychic disciplines. It is very much defensive in nature, and should allow Eldrad to, on average, spend five warp charge points in each turn for any number of differing purposes. As a mastery level four psyker, Eldrad has few equals when manifesting the eldritch powers; generating four spells from each of the powerful lores available to him, including Divination, is incredible and, in conjunction with both the Ghosthelm and the Staff of Ulthamar, should lead to him dominating the psychic aspect of a game.

Of course, one might wonder whether a stock Farseer would be a better investment than Eldrad; after all, one can feasibly purchase two Farseers for marginally less than the High Farseer, attaining two mastery level three psykers to spread around. While this is certainly true, it fails to recognise the amazing advantages that Eldrad brings to the table compared to a regular Farseer that make him incredibly cost-effective. As well as the Staff's capabilities and his guaranteed Warlord Trait, Eldrad allows the player to react to the opposing player in a manner that can change the game; typically, the advantage to going second is that the player can counter what the opponent does through smart deployment. If an army featuring Eldrad deploys first, however, this advantage is quickly lost; after both sides have deployed, but before Scout moves, Eldrad's force can redeploy D3+1 units - with a few restrictions, such as not bringing reserves on to the field - to negate the tactics of the opponent. Imagine a squad of Dire Avengers holding an objective are set down on a flank, and they are soon faced by an unassailable Land Raider that aims to sweep them aside and bunker down on that objective while attacking the exposed rear of the Eldar forces. Employing Eldrad, the Eldar player reacts and switches a Wraithknight armed with Heavy Wraithcannons, as well as a Wave Serpent bearing a squad of Fire Dragons, to counter the threat and ensure that the opponent cannot achieve victory on that front. Despite weakening their forces elsewhere, the Eldar player can smash an expensive transport and the unit inside with little difficulty, and focus the rest of their attention on the lesser forces elsewhere. While this is a rather extreme example, it nonetheless serves to give the Eldar player a very fluid approach to any game; set up first and proceed to counter the enemy deployment with Eldrad, or do so anyway by deploying second. It is a fantastic ability that should be used wherever it is needed; even if you deploy second, but feel you made a mistake, you can employ it to ease your doubts and sway the game.

For what is such a strong character, one would expect his defences to be fitting of the price tag. And indeed they are, as he has not only a Toughness of four - highly irregular for an Eldar on foot that doesn't bear the title of Phoenix Lord - but an invulnerable save of 3+. Combined with strong melee weapons, an amazing array of psychic powers from Divination, Telepathy and the Runes of Fate that can allow him to re-roll saving throws or boost the cover saves of his unit, as well as his higher than average Toughness, Eldrad is very difficult to kill provided he is not used rashly. His Ghosthelm also provides him a natural defence against Perils of the Warp, an advantage that neither Ahriman or Fateweaver possess. Bearing both the Runes of Warding, for a one time 2+ Deny the Witch save against a particularly nasty psychic power, and the Runes of Witnessing, for ensuring his psychic powers on Leadership ten are successful in one turn, Eldrad is amazingly cost-effective and what he pays for his boosted abilities is negligible when directly contrasted with a Farseer. He is an incredible character for his points that, while already a favourite amongst competitive players, managed to become even stronger and cheaper than his previous incarnation. His support oriented nature, ability to hide in a unit, defensive upgrades that allow him to ignore the problematic Perils of the Warp for a high level psyker, nasty melee weapon, and redeployment ability all add up to what may very well prove to be the game's most useful mastery level four psyker. Ahriman and Fateweaver have their own advantages, to be sure, but for his cost and considering the psychic lores available to him, I feel that Eldrad has kept his place as Warhammer 40000's premier psyker.

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Un esercito di Erranti avrà: un Autarca con arma da distanza (Lanciamissili Mietitore il migliore) e un Veggente come QG (non Eldrad e senza Concilio), più Cercavia possibili, niente Guardiani, pochissimi Aspetti Guerrieri (tranne i Tetri Mietitori)e Spettroguerrieri, Veicoli armati leggermente e tutti con capacità di trasporto, Arlecchini quanto vuoi.