A recent battle against a fellow Eldar player has me rethinking dire avengers in my list. Ten strong with blade storm really puts out a lot of shots but what I was really over looking was the assault nature of the avenger catapults and that dire avengers are I 5.
Nine 'avengers plus an exarch with blade storm, a diresword, and a shimmer shield is a really versatile unit. Add fleet of foot and a 4+ save and one has a strong unit with a pretty cheap cost in points for Eldar. Surprisingly dire avengers both assault and shoot equally well- on the charge it is 10 I 5 attacks and 3 I 6 attacks for the exarch who has a power weapon. Add in a shimmer shield any you will do pretty well against hidden power fist/weapon units or dedicated assault troops, and other then independent characters, genestealers, and the few with furious charge you are going first. The only drawback really is their strength of three.
I'm going to try and work in a squad of them for my 5th edition list playing them as a counter attack unit using fleet to plug any holes and either straight up shoot it out or hold an assault.
Nine 'avengers plus an exarch with blade storm, a diresword, and a shimmer shield is a really versatile unit. Add fleet of foot and a 4+ save and one has a strong unit with a pretty cheap cost in points for Eldar. Surprisingly dire avengers both assault and shoot equally well- on the charge it is 10 I 5 attacks and 3 I 6 attacks for the exarch who has a power weapon. Add in a shimmer shield any you will do pretty well against hidden power fist/weapon units or dedicated assault troops, and other then independent characters, genestealers, and the few with furious charge you are going first. The only drawback really is their strength of three.
I'm going to try and work in a squad of them for my 5th edition list playing them as a counter attack unit using fleet to plug any holes and either straight up shoot it out or hold an assault.
6 comments:
Unfortunately you can't have a diresword and a shimmershield. Either a power weapon and shimmershield, or a diresword and pistol! Great blog btw
Hmm, I missed that, dire word or shimmer shield and a power weapon. Still the power weapon going at I 6 isn't that bad even with a S of 3.
My list will consist at least one squad as I often go against IG. The last game I had against IG, I brought along 2 10 men squad of DA and almost annihilated everything that was on foot. Another game before that, I totally wiped out a platoon of conscript before turn 3.
I almost convinced a friend observing the battle to collect eldar just by demonstrating bladestorm.
The fact that their shuriken catapult has a extended range of 18' makes so much difference with the new codex.
I don't normally use them for assault. I would just keep them shooty and behind the serpent they deployed to keep a distance from the enemy. And because they can't shoot the next round, I'll just have them hop back in the serpent and move to the next target and repeat the bladestorm.
Avoiding assault, I would just go for the cheapest exarch upgrade of extra shurikat, with that BS, he is definitely making some kills.
As this is getting all the attention of the opponent, he would probably forget about the jetbike coming around the corner to hit some unfortunate isolated units...
I play a lot of Hords in my gaming club so giving them bladestorm is a must, although I do not mount them in wave serpents and so will usually give the exarch defend and the power weapon/shimmershield because if you bladestorm and then assault with a difference of two attacks (you plus one for charging and them minus one for defend) you can wipe out even space marine tactical squads and stuff. Assault if they are assaulted they don't do too shabby
Wouldn't Scorpions be better suited for what you are trying to use them for? I know they don't fleet and are elites (so may not be able to score in 5th ed.), but they get a 3+ sv and 4 atx on the charge (str 4) for only 4 pts more than Dires. Not to mention they have plasma grenades and the Exarch can have a variety of CC choices.
They only drawback in comparison is the lack of Bladestorm awesomeness and fleet of foot, but why not just put them in a Serpent.
In my opinion though, Scorpions are the CC equivalent of Dires in the shooting phase anyway
-Hive Fleet Red Locust
I've considered scorpions but their non scoring status in 5th is holding me back even with them performing better then the dire avengers. Of course once 5th comes out and the new rules are set in stone then maybe if the scoring units are different.
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