El Testudo: A Slow Read

Okay, I'm slow, in more sense than one. So I'm creeping toward a foot-list. I may be a bit masochistic as well. I've been tinkering with a Footdar list (not finished yet), but I had a new idea last night that I wanted to air out, likely to be shot down as quickly and easily as the infantry referred to on said list. But first:


I. Ignoring annihilation missions, but considering other missions, deployment types, and then whether you place your objective(s) first or second, there are only 24 game types to consider. Assuming you always place the objective closely (because you don't have fast, outflanking, or deepstriking units) and that the opponent will always screw you during placement by spreading objectives, then there are only 4 out of 24 scenarios where the objective placement is disadvantageous to a foot army.


The question then is are there times when objective placement can be disadvantageous to a mechanized army? The answer is yes, in a few situations. One would be where the foot army has many squads with a decent chance to succeed on a death or glory bid, thereby mitigating the effectivenss of someone tank shocking their way in to contest an objective. (This isn't so much an advantage coming from objective PLACEMENT as it is from the fact that there are objectives at all, which will force the enemy to risk his vehicle by attempting to drive through squads of dangerous infantry.) Another situation where the foot list has the advantage is when the terrain and objectives are placed such that abundant vehicles start failing difficult terrain tests. Yet another situation which favors foot armies is any table that includes second and third stories in the buildings and ruins: a tank/transport can't drive up and contest/claim an elevated object. I'm sure there are other situations that can benefit infantry, but basically I'm satisfied that mech doesn't have an automatic advantage over foot just through objective placement; the 4 out of 24 scenarios that allow the faster army to screw the slower army through object placement are balanced out by other considerations.


II. One viable strategy for a Foot army is to camp out on/between objectives and hunker down. This makes sense for a tough army or one with a large body count. It doesn't sound like the best idea for Footdar. But if I were going to try it, basic tactics would be:


Find cover (including intervening models), go to ground, make use of Fortune as available, don't fail morale checks (use Avatar and embolden), and rotate the front line of meat shields as necessary. Also, can't let my "horde" get stretch too thin chasing tempting targets. So far as I know, a foot army has to sit and take a beating unless it has far reaching guns or a lot more models than Eldar can muster. Finally, as mentioned above, going for elevated objectives works more for me than a meched list.


III. Eldar ranged Anti-Tank is much less effective than that wielded within 12" or in CC. Several times more effective in fact. So this list includes almost no ranged AT weaponry (my "real" Footdar list is striving to be more balanced). Monstrous Creatures, Witchblades, Wraithcannons, fusion guns, Haywire grenades, Harlequin kisses, and star lances are much deadlier than Bright Lances or even combined Prism Fire. And the squads in this should be able to handle themselves (for a while) in close combat.

The main problem I see is the model count is only 111--Eldar are expensive. So would a true horde (Ork or Tyranid) overrun me? Will gunner armies (Guard and Tau) be able to shoot my 66 troops dead from a distance?

As I've said, this was a thought experiment, an extreme list meant to list all of one type in one place, but I am curious what people might think are worthy elements to include in a viable Eldar list.

Note: Except for the Guardians, everything in this list has a good chance of DESTROYING a Land Raider. Also, remember that 10 Wraithguard is a squad of troops. Finally, this list (accidentally) maxed out every slot of the force organization chart. Weird.

So here the list. If you are still awake, what do you think of it? (As you can see, I've buddied squads up to support each other. And yes, some of them will probably end up being suicide squads.) :(


2500 Pts - Eldar Roster - Footdar

1 Avatar @ 155 pts (Unit Type: Monstrous Creature; Fearless; Daemon; Inspiring; Molten Body; Wailing Doom; (pp.24 & 61 Eldar))

1 Eldrad Ulthran @ 210 pts (Psyker; Doom ; Eldritch Storm ; Fortune ; Guide ; Mind War ; Divination; Independent Character; Ghosthelm; Rune Armour; Runes of Warding; Runes of Witnessing; Spirit Stones; Shuriken Pistol; Witchblade; Staff of Ulthamar; (pp.50-51 & 61 Eldar))

10 Wraithguard @ 396 pts (Fearless; Wraithsight; Wraithcannon x10; (pp.46 & 62 Eldar))
1 Spiritseer (Warlock) (Psyker; Enhance ; Fleet; Spiritseer Upgrade; Rune Armour; Shuriken Pistol; Witchblade; (p.27-28 & p.60 Eldar))


1 Wraithlord @ 100 pts (Unit Type: Monstrous Creature; Fearless; Wraithsight; Flamer x2; Wraithsword; (pp.47 & 66 Eldar))
1 Wraithlord @ 100 pts (Unit Type: Monstrous Creature; Fearless; Wraithsight; Flamer x2; Wraithsword; (pp.47 & 66 Eldar))
1 Wraithlord @ 100 pts (Unit Type: Monstrous Creature; Fearless; Wraithsight; Flamer x2; Wraithsword; (pp.47 & 66 Eldar))

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10 Guardians @ 135 pts (Fleet; Shuriken Catapult x10; (p.39 & p.64 Eldar))
1 Warlock (Psyker; Conceal ; Fleet; Rune Armour; Shuriken Pistol; Witchblade; (p.27-28 & p.60 Eldar))
1 WP Conceal
1 Weapon Platform (Scatter Laser)


14 Storm Guardians @ 167 pts (Fleet; Close Combat Weapon; Shuriken Pistol; Fusion Gun x2; (p.39 & p.64 Eldar))
1 Warlock (Psyker; Enhance ; Fleet; Rune Armour; Shuriken Pistol; Singing Spear; (p.27-28 & p.60 Eldar))

5 Fire Dragons @ 80 pts (Fleet; Fusion Gun; Melta Bombs; (pp.32 & 62 Eldar))

4 Swooping Hawks @ 122 pts (Unit Type: Jump Infantry; Fleet; S-Hawk Wings; Lasblaster; Haywire Grenades; Plasma Grenades; S-Hawk Grenade Pack; (pp.35 & 65 Eldar))
1 Swooping Hawk Exarch (Unit Type: Jump Infantry; Fleet; Intercept ; S-Hawk Wings; Lasblaster; Haywire Grenades; Plasma Grenades; S-Hawk Grenade Pack)

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10 Guardians @ 135 pts (Fleet; Shuriken Catapult x10; (p.39 & p.64 Eldar))
1 Warlock (Psyker; Conceal ; Fleet; Rune Armour; Shuriken Pistol; Witchblade; (p.27-28 & p.60 Eldar))
1 WP Conceal
1 Weapon Platform (Scatter Laser)


14 Storm Guardians @ 167 pts (Fleet; Close Combat Weapon; Shuriken Pistol; Fusion Gun x2; (p.39 & p.64 Eldar))
1 Warlock (Psyker; Enhance ; Fleet; Rune Armour; Shuriken Pistol; Singing Spear; (p.27-28 & p.60 Eldar))

5 Fire Dragons @ 80 pts (Fleet; Fusion Gun; Melta Bombs; (pp.32 & 62 Eldar))

4 Swooping Hawks @ 122 pts (Unit Type: Jump Infantry; Fleet; S-Hawk Wings; Lasblaster; Haywire Grenades; Plasma Grenades; S-Hawk Grenade Pack; (pp.35 & 65 Eldar))
1 Swooping Hawk Exarch (Unit Type: Jump Infantry; Fleet; Intercept ; S-Hawk Wings; Lasblaster; Haywire Grenades; Plasma Grenades; S-Hawk Grenade Pack)

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14 Storm Guardians @ 167 pts (Fleet; Close Combat Weapon; Shuriken Pistol; Fusion Gun x2; (p.39 & p.64 Eldar))
1 Warlock (Psyker; Enhance ; Fleet; Rune Armour; Shuriken Pistol; Singing Spear; (p.27-28 & p.60 Eldar))

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5 Harlequin Troupe @ 130 pts (Fleet; Flip Belts; Furious Charge; Hit & Run; Holo-Suit; Harlequins Kiss x5; Fusion Pistol; Fusion Pistol; Shuriken Pistol x3; (pp.48-49 & 63 Eldar))

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2 Shining Spears @ 132 pts (Unit Type: Jetbike Infantry; Turbo-boosters; Eldar Jetbike; Laser Lance; TL Shuriken Catapults x2; (pp.37 & 65 Eldar))
1 Shining Spears Exarch (Unit Type: Jetbike Infantry; Turbo-boosters; Eldar Jetbike; Star Lance; TL Shuriken Catapults x1)