2000 pts 2-Point-Defence Eldar

Pic courtesy of Panic on DakkaDakka

Hi all,

This list relates directly to the 2-point defence strategy I talked about here

So if the Theme is 2-point defence, then we need to start with 2 "Bunkers." As the article points out, they need to be survivable, and have a large threat range. That leaves us with a few options:

Support Weapon Platforms. With a Warlock, these can be pretty tough- however, I'd favour D-cannons for their ability to shoot without Line of Sight (LoS), the problem being that they are short-ranged. However, worth baring in mind.

Wraithlords are pretty tough, and with 36" range weapons fit into the needs quite neatly.

Rangers (Pathfinders) in cover are incredibly tough to winkle out, short of Flamers or Whirlwinds. Baring in mind that there's 3 "Army Groups" protecting them, then they are passable.

Guardians in large numbers with a Warlock and Conceal can be quite durable. Including a Support Weapon gives them an (albeit limited) extended threat range.

That's it! well, it is an Eldar army- this isn't exactly what they're meant to be good at :) So, what's going into the list?

5 Pathfinders
5 Pathfinders
Wraithlord- Missile Launcher, Wraithsword
Wraithlord- Missile Launcher, Wraithsword
(1 group each of Pathfinders and Wraithlord)

It's Eldar, they're expensive, so that'll have to do- we're at 490 points, leaving 1510 for the 3 mobile groups which are going to keep these groups alive.

The key focus here is Mobility and Effectiveness. If a group shoots at or assaults a target, that target has to die. Being quick is something Eldar excel at, but effectiveness- well, let's see :)

Farseers increase the power of nearby Eldar units through their Psychics- but Psychic powers are less reliable in 5th Ed than they were.

Autarchs open up the option of reliable Reserves, and have a decent amount of damage output in the right place. In fact, leading Aspects or Guardians, they can effectively tip unit from "not bad" to "good!" Plus of course, this list still needs an HQ.

Fire Dragons murder enemy elites and tanks in short order- they are, as in all Eldar armies, pretty much compulsory.

Guardian Jetbikes with Shuriken Cannons fulfil both roles, and even better they are Troops so can Turbo-boost to grab objectives, or re-deploy to cover a retreat, force the enemy to slow down etc. In fact, in this kind of list, they are amazing.

Warp Spiders have good saves, and the 2d6" assault move can come in handy, but a 12" range might limit their effectiveness here- still, worthy of consideration.

Vyper Jetbikes have good damage output, and can keep up with the Guardian Jetbikes. They are, however, fragile unless they are made hellish expensive.

Fire Prisms with Holo-fields fit the list perfectly- but 2 Heavy Support slots are already taken for the bunkers,l so only one would be available.

Night Spinners are amazing in this list- the ability to shut off areas of the battlefield and stay mobile is incredibly powerful. However, 1 of them by itself will quickly become a target.

So- those are the options. Let's see what can be done- each army group can comfortably spend 500 points, so there's room to play around a little.

8 Fire Dragons
Wave Serpent- Twin Eldar Missile Launchers, Spirit Stones
8 Fire Dragons
Wave Serpent- Twin Eldar Missile Launchers, Spirit Stones
Autarch- Fusion Gun, Power Weapon
6 Jetbikes- 2 Shuriken Cannon
6 Jetbikes- 2 Shuriken Cannon
6 Jetbikes- 2 Shuriken Cannon
6 Jetbikes- 2 Shuriken Cannon
Night Spinner- Holo-field, Spirit Stones

That brings the Army Groups up to 1374 points, for a total of 1864. Heavy Support and Troops are full, there's nothing else in Elites or HQ that would be useful (other than another Autarch?!?- don't fancy it) so Fast Attack is the plum spot. Looking at the list above, there's only Warp Spiders and Vypers to consider.

Warp Spiders are good (I'm a big fan of them), but an effective unit of them would eat up more points than are available, so they are (unfortunately) out. Leaving us with:

Vyper Jetbike- Shuriken Cannon, Spirit Stones
Vyper Jetbike- Shuriken Cannon, Spirit Stones

120 points for the pair- giving a total of 1984 points. This means that the Autarch can afford Mandi-blasters, and the list is done. Here it is:

Bunker 1- 245 points

5 Pathfinders
Wraithlord: Wraithsword, Missile Launcher

Bunker 2- 245 points

5 Pathfinders
Wraithlord: Wraithsword, Missile Launcher

Army Group 1- 510 points

8 Fire Dragons
Autarch- Mandiblasters, Fusion Gun, Power Weapon
Wave Serpent- Twin Missile Launchers, Spirit-Stones
6 Jetbikes- 2 Shuriken Cannon

Army Group 2- 410 points

8 Fire Dragons

Wave Serpent- Twin Missile Launchers, Spirit-Stones

6 Jetbikes- 2 Shuriken Cannon

Army Group 3- 584 points

6 Jetbikes- 2 Shuriken Cannon
6 Jetbikes- 2 Shuriken Cannon
Vyper- Shuriken Cannon, Spirit Stone
Vyper- Shuriken Cannon, Spirit Stone
Night Spinner- Holo-field, Spirit Stone.

Total- 1994 points

Here's a deployment map (can you tell I'm playing with my new Vassal toy at the moment? :) )

So there's a large group in the centre, and two reasonably strong flanks. Usually, the first move will push into the enemies forward units and annihilate them- at this point, the Jetbikes need to use their move to get back and block the LoS to the Bunkers. Doing this, the WraithlordJetbikes around- if they are keeping the bunkers alive, they are doing their job.

Also note that the 2 Jetbike units in the centre can either fire off 12 S6 shots at an enemy (plus Catapults) or peel off to either flank, to support a thrust or cover a re-deployment (Eldar never retreat!)

Here's an example:

Well, that's all for this list. 

Comments, as always, are welcome