With the new codex out, I see a lot of potential army lists but I am not settled on what a good list will generally look like. Ultimately, we will need to play a lot of games and figure out what works and doesn't work for us as Eldar players so this post is going to explore an army list using our new Vehicles and Flyers.
First off, there is a 1500 tournament coming up tomorrow where I expect to face some decent competition with a wide range of armies. This seems to be the ideal environment to put some units through the ringer. Also, from various people, I've heard mixed results about the Flyers and such but virtually everyone has been praising the changes made to the Wave Serpents, therefore I know I want to try a list with some of the new Flyers and Wave Serpents to see for myself. With that in mind, this is the list I came up with:
Eldar 1500:
HQ: 150
-Autarch:145
70(base)+15(Bike)+10(Fusion)+10(Laser Lance)+40(Mantle of Laughing god)+5(Banshee Mask)=150
Explanation: An Autarch is not a bad buy for a Mech army to help modify reserve rolls and this set-up offer's some utility with a re-rollable 2+ Cover save, Hit & Run, Fusion gun and Laser Lance...Survivable, good tank and unit hunting ability. Might be a bit risky since Slay the Warlord and First Blood will be up for grabs with this guy but when properly hidden he should be fine.
Troops: 600
-3xDire Avengers: 195
13(base)*5=65
-3xWave Serpent: 405
115(base)+5(Scatter Laser)+15(Holo Fields)=135
Explanation: Davu squads from the old codex, essentially. I am going to try and see how viable this unit is along with if Holo Fields are necessary for Serpents and how effective the Serpents can be at just hanging back and shooting things.
Fast Attack: 340
Crimson Hunter Exarch: 180
160(base)+20(Exarch)=180
Crimson Hunter: 160
160(base)
Explanation: I got 2 of these guys and I want to try them out...The model is so cool I just hope they don't suck. Already I am thinking about ways to ensure their survivability/utility and I know that things like the Quad Gun must die first ASAP and then the Flyers will need to be maneuvered/positioned effectively to avoid enemy fire. These guys are Hunters, not Fighters it seems so let them hunt vulnerable targets...I know I could probably drop them for a lot more troops but this is an experiment, after all.
Heavy Support: 410
2xFire Prism: 270
125(base)+10(Spirit Stones)=135
Night Spinner: 140
115(base)+25(Crystal Targeting Matrix)=140
Explanation: Fire Prisms were always solid tanks and now that they don't need to be used as a pair to make a more powerful shot it is almost like each new Prism is worth 2 of the old ones. I like the idea of their S9 Lance shot so I want to give them a go and see how useful they are while the Night Spinner has been revamped and I think it deserves a shot as well. I'm mainly looking forward to keeping Night Spinner in reserves or well hidden, moving 30" in a turn and using the Crystal Targeting Matrix to use the Torrent weapon on a vulnerable enemy position...Like say a wall of Chimeras or something (considering it will be S8).
So that's the list I'm working with. This list is an experiment in (1) seeing how survivable the new tanks are; (2) How effective our new flyers are; (3) how useful Crystal Targeting Matrix is; (4) how useful an IC with the Mantle might be; (5) how useful the new Fire Prisms/Night Spinners are and last but not least; (6) if Davu is still viable. Any comment and feedback on the list along with personal experiences with the above units or loadouts is greatly welcome!