Eldar Avatar Thoughts?
Playing around with my elfzilla list has me considering throwing in an avatar since I am already getting tanked on sportsmanship points by showing up with three wraithlords. First question is- what avatar to pick up? Forgeworld is sexy and pricey but what I am really looking for is the height of the model- forgeworld, vs. current avatar, vs. 1st edition avatar. Why you ask? Well it is a monstrous creature so to get a cover save I need to get at least ½ of the model covered from LOS. The smaller the model the better- if there is a big enough difference. Bending the rules a bit, maybe, but perfectly legal, and needed- ask any chaos player running a daemon prince.
14 comments:
There is the older, first edition Avatar if you can scare one up on eBay. It's on a 25mm slottabase and is about as tall as most modern Exarchs. If line of sight is your concern, I don't know if dropping the big bucks on the FW model is the way to go. Here's a pic of the baby Avatar:
http://usuarios.lycos.es/baharrtainn/warhammer40k/catalogo/eldar4.jpg
The thing is, the Avatar has a 4 up invulnerable anyways. Unless you're trying to hide it behind fortifications, which doesn't seem like the best use of the Avatar, then he could be standing in the open and get a save just as good as an infantryman in woods. The only weapons (that I know of) that would take away an invulnerable are either close combat weapons or of a lower ap than the Avatar's normal 3 up save. I'm failing to see a reason to try and get him cover saves.
I can, however, see going for the smaller model so you can hide it completely, and not get shot at all.
Personally, I'd go for the awesome forge world model. I couldn't consciously field that dinky old model, and the current GW one is hard enough to hide anyways. Might as well go for the intimidation factor.
Ben has the best point, unless you are fighting Necrons, or Inquisition, you are always going to get that invulnerable save.
As far as the coolness factor, I'm not overly fond of the normal Avatar, my girlfriend started eldar a while ago and I spent the cash to get the forgeworld avatar with the spear, she was miffed I spent so much, but she loves the model, and says it was well worth the purchase. Size wise, it's on the shelf and it's easily as tall as a defiler with the pointy horned helmet almost half again as tall as a Carnifex.
On a side note, she modeled it with the spear extending down behind the avatar and the tip pointed up and away, it looks quite sharp, and could be ridiculously awesome with a few small conversions that she wasn't wanting to do because of inexperience and the fragile nature of the resin.
Score the old Avatar on eBay, and form a unit with one of your Wraithlords.
When they take fire, wounds are scored against the Wraithlords T 10, and if you can get the tiny Avatar into cover, they both can take the cover save.
If you're going to get dinged on Sportsmanship for your dirty tricks, you may as well go all out. :)
Sorry, the Wraithguard is T 8, not 10.
Even if you dropped 1 wraithlord there will likely still be a lot of players of moaning making 'comments' and deducting sportsmanship points, since about you still using 2.
If you also try to get the smallest Avatar you can, then again you face the problem of some players for "sportsmanship points".
IMHO: sportsmanship points are misused at times, and you likely cannot fix the problem with another player's mindset. Someone needs to be able to justify the deductions... maybe record the games and use the recording as proof :-P
If you fancey a change, go for it :-)
and form a unit with one of your Wraithlords
Eldar Codex, page 24 or 61: The Avatar is a Monstrous Creature and not an Independent Character. Thus he cannot be joined to ANY unit.
@Fritz: If you're already running Wraithzilla, then you might as well add in the 4th MC. It's no worse than Nidzilla or Land Raider Spam and just as themeatic
I want to take a moment and laugh at the thought of people bitching about dealing with Wraithlords.
They die to the same stuff that kills tanks, and if you can get a powerfist into 'em with enough pads, they're gone. Poison? Wraithlords CRY when Plaguebearers hit the field.
that aside, I'd take say size matters only in their ability to potentially give a Wraithlord a cover save. The Wraithlord models are just gorgeous, but a bit tall, and it's going to take an Avatar or Wraithlord to give a Lord cover.
With that in mind, I'd just as soon e-bay a regular Avatar. I think I scored TWO for under $30 quite by accident; one for $10 and one in a pack with Eldrad and a Warlock.
Then again, the Forge World one is damned beautiful.
Cover doesn't matter anyway because you're 3+/4+; I spent a couple turns looking for cover and then realized the Avatar brought his own with the 4+ invulnerable. Then the Wraithlords started hiding behind him...
As for the army...I'd take the Avatar if you need melee support, and could use him to pump up the MC population to 4.
Eldar Codex, page 24 or 61: The Avatar is a Monstrous Creature and not an Independent Character. Thus he cannot be joined to ANY unit.
You are correct. For some reason, I thought that MCs could join up with other MCs.
So with that, I say go for the Forgeworld Avatar. It looks super badass, and he already has a 4+ save, which you can't make better by going to ground. 4+ is the best he's gonna get, so get the cooler model.
Having a model that impressive may actually deter opponents from docking your sportsmanship score.
What the heck is this about deducting points for sportsmanship? I don't play the public scene *at all* and this is the first I've heard of it. I know it's a naive viewpoint, but if it's legal in the codex why be penalized?
And you know, you keep mentioning the FW model...it *is* beautiful, and it could be one heck of a centerpiece for your army!
1st Edition models are legal, and easy to completely hide. They're also unimpressive in appearance, but if you are building to win 1st edition Avatars are good stuff.
I have an original Orc on Wyvern for Fantasy, who can be almost completely hidden behind normal Orcs. God bless the tiny small-blister models, if for nothing else but a good laugh.
Fritz since your running this avatar with your clowns why not convert an avatar to be an avatar of the laughing god... but use the norm avatar rules it would fit well with your army. also modelling ideas for this get the necron deciver model convert it a little with some avatar parts and some harlequin parts and your good to go
If size is the issue, get the ol' epic sized model. It's plenty small.
modern one, not FW. Portrays the MC status better than oop one, yet has (lack-of) height disadvantage of FW.
Friend's Elfzilla is 2x WL, Avatar, Seer (foot) or Eldrad. Mobbed up w/ Storm Guardians (foot - Warlocks would be better but pricier) in center. Race across, running (firing WL guns on the way), and fortuning the Avatar along the way. Don't fortune WL - if something CAN hurt it, it probably ALSO negates the 3+ save (can't re-roll something you can't roll in the first place).
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