Time to revisit my Eldar Rangers and their place in 6th edition. In most of my lists they work as a troop choice for my harlequins and they are the primary troop choice, but this doesn’t really hold up in a generic Eldar warhost list.
As always my observations are based on where I play, and the games I play…
Rangers and by default pathfinder discussion starts off with the fact that one now needs six troop choices fully filled out as standard for 6th edition. I say this from the following observations- more objectives to take, reduced cover saves so space elves die faster, and that fact that more guys seem to be shifting to infantry and allies over mass tank spam (although still seeing lots of tanks!) means two or three Eldar troop choices just don’t last as long as they do.
Rangers are a troop choice but I think we should think of them more as elites or a heavy support- something to enhance your warhost and not as the base troops for capturing objectives. Rangers need cover to survive, and they also need to work in isolated places on the table where they will get hit with single shots or only three or four a turn due to their range. If a unit can rapid fire on them, then they die, even if they have the 2+ cover save.
The problem with taking them as your primary troop choice is that in 2000 point games or higher there is literally nowhere to hide and be isolated from enemy attack- the entire opposing side of the table is full of units- rangers are in the line of fire everywhere and they are to fragile and expensive for this. Mass ranger armies just don’t have the terrain and range to hide to make them viable troop spam choices- of course if you are playing a “themed” list and don’t care about competition then that is different of course.
Does this make sense?
So for “troop” choices I’ve been using a mix of guardians and dire avengers. Guardians to sit on the back objectives and spray and pray with the weapon platforms, while farseer supported dire avengers forage ahead to mid field objectives. (3 guardian + 2 dire avengers)
My final troop choice is a group of pathfinders since I have the points to pay for them in a 2+ plus game. Ten strong they try to sit on an objective if they can, or if not they take to tall terrain and use the range and sniper rifles to support the dire avenger advance.
I take ten of them so I can maximize the odds of getting a 5+ for the AP 1 hit, and for the 6 to hit to assign to models- trying to literally snipe away troublesome guys. More pathfinders gives me more weight of dice- this is what I mean by thinking of them as heavy support units- they sit and shoot, not go out and get objectives actively mid field.
End of game, if needed they start to move on any back field objectives if they are not there already.
This is the primary way I use them- secondary options are not great, but they are there…
Depending on the army I face and the situation the ability to infiltrate with a large cover augmented unit is nice- get to that mid field gun emplacement or building quicker. Control the center terrain piece and soak up shots as a sacrifice/place holder unit so the rest of my warhost can advance.
Perhaps even outflank for the linebraker bonus point?
Other options to keep in mind, although again not exactly optimal with how I want to use 20+ point models.
Is it worth having a Guided Farseer in the group to help capitalise on the AP1 and Precision hits, or too expensive?
ReplyDeleteDon't know if you've seen but someone pointed out on YTTH that with the current new rules due to an interaction between the base rules and eldar codex rules, Farseers and Warlocks on bikes gain +1 toughness twice which is quite cool.
ReplyDeleteWaiting for a FAQ to fix it, but till then it helps keep them worth their cost.
So the "aim at secondary points and at denying your opponent the primary mission points (for which you don't need many troops)"-thing didn't work out or why have you now joined the "take as many troop choices as possible"-crowd, Fritz?
ReplyDeleteI was hoping secondary points would allow to play minimum troops and more elite and fast attack heavy armies again.
Ive been told that at warhammer world that the Eldar case was empty. This is a good sign that Eldar will be next army released not chaos. Fingers crossed
ReplyDelete@ knightyc: (Couldn't reply directly to your post for some reason.)
ReplyDeleteWhat is "the Eldar case at warhammer world" and why is its emptiness an indicator for anything?
Whatever the answer is, your conclusion or suspicion still seems highly unlikely. It seems pretty much certain that CSM will be the next codex, which is surprising enough because it isn't a loyalist Marine codex as usually and it is pretty much confirmed that Dark Angels vs Chaos SM will make up the starter set. There are no rumors or indicators other than what you just wrote that Eldar could get the first codex in 6th edition.
I'd be glad too, but it just seems extremely unlikely.
I have been REALLY focusing my Eldar these days for 6th edition....
ReplyDeleteBasically three ways to play them, and it depends on both the army and the guy playing it across from me- fluff Vs WAAC Vs something in the middle.
I can play to win the primary objectives which means three guardians two dire avengers and a pathfinder unit on average. I can play to stall/tie the primary objectives and then "win" on the secondary objectives- how my saim-hann are functioning these days- and then there are just certain situations vs. certain builds where I can't win no matter how good a tabletop general I am since I hit against the limitations of a vastly outdated book vs current codexes + maxed out with all the rules tweaks for 6th.
When I play guys like this, who know I can't win, then it is about frustrating their army as much as possible, but not in a I'm trying to be a jerk way.
I'll be posting more in the upcoming week once I get back from Games Day with regard to building lists for Eldar like this.
Oh, and as for the next codex- I would love Eldar also, but I think we can say 99.99% it is Chaos SM followed by Dark Angels...
Which is OK, I/We have waited half way through 4th edition, all the way through 5th edition and now probably a year and a half to come in sixth, we can wait some more...
Plus there is some smug satisfaction in beating guys with such and old and outdate codex that makes the win all the batter- maybe Slannesh calling my Eldar sould?
@TrangleC
ReplyDeleteUsusaly In warhammer world the armys cabinet is empty it means that the army is being redone. Im not sure if you knew what warhammer world was but its the place in england kind of like a big gw store with a museum and stuff attached. and when they empty a cabinate means the army is about to be re released. They did it with necrons, Dark Eldar and grey knights so hopefuly eldar will soon be getting codex
Finding the Pathfinders teamed up with a "Doom" Farseer works far better... Guide gets you re-rolls on your 1's and 2's while you still by and large wound on 4+... Re-rolling the AP 1 shots is a very good thing... But still I see so much cover on our local tables that the 4+ or 3+ cover save is what they face.... Catch someone in the open, or focus fire there, and surprise someone, force pin checks, etc... OTOH, I am also thinking they will be manning my Aegis gun line for the 2+ cover save and the AAA/Interceptor shots...
ReplyDelete