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Author Topic: The Almighty Footdar: Unit Discussion  (Read 2895 times)

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Offline Tweedz

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The Almighty Footdar: Unit Discussion
« on: August 15, 2017, 12:22:16 PM »
I would like to start up a discussion about what units will work, what won't work, and what is 'meh' in an 8th edition footdar list. I am somewhat of  purest and usually end up running pure footdar or pure mechdar rather mixed lists. So far this edition I have been doing mainly mechdar and it is time to start exploring my options.

To get us started, here are a few of my opinions:

Two units I am convinced will not work in a footdar list are Banshees and Firedragons. Both of these units are too vulnerable to getting shot before they can make it to their targets. Harlequin troupes have much better defenses for bring fusion and amazing CC to the enemy on foot. Wraithguard can do a dragons job and are many times more resilient. Scorpions have a much better chance of getting in charge range alive than banshees. I can't think of any conceivable reason to use banshees or dragons in a footdar list, given other options.

In terms of HQ options, I think the Avatar is among the best if you have an Aeldari detachment. If you properly screen him, he will absolutely rip apart almost anything he makes it into combat with. In addition his aura is very for whatever you are screening him with.

I will personally be including a CC Knight in almost every footdar list I plan. That thing is disgustingly resilient and packs a huge punch. Paired with a fortune-seer, I can imagine him being quite the monster.

I think reapers are our most effective anti-vehicle unit outside of our own vehicles and dragons (which I already don't think will work in footdar). Paired with Ynnari and Yvraine's WotP, reapers can put out a hefty amount of damage.


Those are some of my initial thoughts on units for footdar. What have you all experienced with units on foot?

Offline magenb

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Re: The Almighty Footdar: Unit Discussion
« Reply #1 on: August 17, 2017, 06:32:58 PM »
Scorpions are great for footdar, speed, solid saves, good damage output, good speed and has a nice special rule for deployment, their pistol and grenadies come in handy and I like to army the exarch with biting blade. Incubi are another great option here.

Harlies troupes on foot are fantastic, just tool them up with a caress, a unit of 9 took down Magnus the other night in two rounds of melee combat. Susceptible to volume of fire, so make use of their speed to keep them out of rapid fire range. Upgrading the pistols is not needed, you want them to be punching things rather than shooting anyway.

Poor Banshee's, just too squishy and they need Jain Zar to avoid overwatch, only really useful against T3 armies.


Shadow Spectres, so far they have been more of a distraction unit, with the enemies sending lots of fire their way, but a squad of fast moving heavy flamers is going to be high on target priority.

Reaper are still the bomb and don't marine players know it lol, these guys are champs, and are an auto-include in my lists.

Rangers, basically just a screening unit for Illic, too many autohit things floating around, mostly useful against Guardsmen to pick off characters.

Swooping hawks, solid options against T3 armies, but you want them as a cleanup crew and shooting first, Horde of conscripts will just take the damage and send a lot of shots back at them.

Dire Avengers are a great unit, but they need to be the unit that finishes something off, their armour save will not stand up to high volume of fire at AP 0, let alone an inferno boltgun. Just really squishy given their point costs.

WraithLords, these guys just get shot, very quickly, no invul save, can't be screened, degrade, so if you don't get them into CC they just become average.

Avatar of Khaine, small enough to be screened, has an invul save, good armour save, tears stuff up, but lots and lots of points, the screen unit will get shot, a lot, so you need a lot of bodies around him.

I wouldn't mind trying out Avatar+Asurmen+2 full squads of DA's.
« Last Edit: August 17, 2017, 07:37:14 PM by magenb »

Offline Fenris

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Re: The Almighty Footdar: Unit Discussion
« Reply #2 on: August 18, 2017, 09:23:15 AM »
I can't say I have much experience with pure footdar in 8th ed.
But the Avatar of Khaine would be my first pick, good aura and good in CC.
He will of course need some screening units, but to get advantage of the aura you should probable have that anyway.
As for Banshees and Dragons, I agree there are much better options.
Frankly I wouldn't bother with most aspect warriors.
Neither scorpions nor reapers are durable enough IMO.

I think wraithguard/blades will do best, since they can just keep on coming, and they have a small footprint in comparison to their power, which will make them easier to maneuver and easier to keep within the Auras of your characters.

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Offline Tweedz

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Re: The Almighty Footdar: Unit Discussion
« Reply #3 on: August 19, 2017, 12:31:03 AM »
We all seem to agree that the avatar needs to be screened... what would you screen him with. My initial thought would be a cheap battalion of guardians. They are very inexpensive and would make good use of his aura. The other option I like is wraith, but they are much more expensive.

I like your idea, magenb, of Asurmen/Avatar/DAs but I just struggle to justify bringing DAs for their current point cost. Maybe the fearless bubble and invulnerable save auras will be enough defensive boost to justify cost?

Offline magenb

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Re: The Almighty Footdar: Unit Discussion
« Reply #4 on: August 19, 2017, 03:41:50 AM »
I like your idea, magenb, of Asurmen/Avatar/DAs but I just struggle to justify bringing DAs for their current point cost. Maybe the fearless bubble and invulnerable save auras will be enough defensive boost to justify cost?

Yeah point cost is rather painful and I wouldn't bother with them with out Asurmen. The last couple of games I've had I've faced volumes of AP-2, the heavy weapons platform will not take many hits from those attacks and then the guardians will just fall over rather quickly. Then again for the same point cost of PL+DA's you can probably take 5 x 10 man squad with HWP, Eldar HORDE lol.


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Re: The Almighty Footdar: Unit Discussion
« Reply #5 on: August 19, 2017, 09:05:35 AM »
Ever thought about those HWS (Heavy Weapon Supports)?

Think about it, it's cheap and especially the Vibrocannon x3 can kill probably around 4 marines per turn let alone make them Ynnari,  ;D.

I shouldn't call them cheap, but for points cost I am sure it will make up in the field.
« Last Edit: August 19, 2017, 09:06:40 AM by haunt »
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Offline magenb

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Re: The Almighty Footdar: Unit Discussion
« Reply #6 on: August 19, 2017, 10:09:04 AM »
Ever thought about those HWS (Heavy Weapon Supports)?

Think about it, it's cheap and especially the Vibrocannon x3 can kill probably around 4 marines per turn let alone make them Ynnari,  ;D.

I shouldn't call them cheap, but for points cost I am sure it will make up in the field.

Its a heavy weapon that has a high point cost, ordinary armour save, no invul save and can be taken out in a single (not unreasonably lucky) shot by a Marine carrying a lascannon for half the points.

3 heavy platforms is about he same as 30 Guardians with 3 Shuriken Cannons, for some reason GW nerfed them and seriously pushed the points cost up.



Offline Tweedz

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Re: The Almighty Footdar: Unit Discussion
« Reply #7 on: August 20, 2017, 04:48:13 PM »
Yeah, hopefully the codex brings the HWS into a better place because I just can justify bringing them right now.


How do you guys feel about jetbikes? I personally think footdar means boot literally on the ground, but bike to feel like mech in my mind either so my poor bikes are in a weird place.

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Re: The Almighty Footdar: Unit Discussion
« Reply #8 on: August 20, 2017, 05:17:38 PM »
Jetbikes are not part of an Eldar infantry army.  The moment that they are included, it becomes a mixed list, so I would stick with leaving them out of this discussion if you want to stick to the original criteria.
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Offline Lord of Winter and War

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Re: The Almighty Footdar: Unit Discussion
« Reply #9 on: August 20, 2017, 07:07:02 PM »
From my experience in 8th, a foot army really would get a lot of benefit from warlocks with conceal. 

Also, running ynnari and msu foot eldar would give you benefit when your units inevitably die.

If not ynnari, I think the avatar is crucial. Maybe even asurman for the inv save.

This also depends on how competitive you want to go. In this meta, foot based eldar will not do well. Unless ynnari.
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Offline Tweedz

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Re: The Almighty Footdar: Unit Discussion
« Reply #10 on: August 20, 2017, 07:26:00 PM »
From my experience in 8th, a foot army really would get a lot of benefit from warlocks with conceal. 

Also, running ynnari and msu foot eldar would give you benefit when your units inevitably die.

If not ynnari, I think the avatar is crucial. Maybe even asurman for the inv save.

This also depends on how competitive you want to go. In this meta, foot based eldar will not do well. Unless ynnari.

Yeah I personally think either the Avatar or the Yncarne (depending on Ynnari or not) would make excellent leaders for footdar as they both provide fearless bubbles and are amazing in CC. There are very few times (mainly low points games) that I would consider running a foot list without one of these two in play.

Offline magenb

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Re: The Almighty Footdar: Unit Discussion
« Reply #11 on: August 21, 2017, 01:11:43 AM »
I don't like the Yncarne's mechanic to get on the board, there is a good chance it will appear with out a screening unit.

Offline Dageran

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Re: The Almighty Footdar: Unit Discussion
« Reply #12 on: August 22, 2017, 11:08:41 AM »
I don't like the Yncarne's mechanic to get on the board, there is a good chance it will appear with out a screening unit.

The "Inevitable Death" special rule says that you "MAY set up the Yncarne as close as possible to the position of that unit." That, vs. the "you MUST set the Yncarne up in waiting" makes it sound like you can always elect not to spawn it.

I've been playing the Yncarne instead of my Wraithknight the last few games, and it's been a blast to use! There's a ton of interesting / tricky ways to utilize it, and it's out-valued the WK 2 to 1 every time.

It's beastly in melee against most everything, and tanky enough to absorb some damage then fall back into your lines to heal up from casualties. I've been using it to protect my footslogging Wraithguard, and it works wonders.

Typically I can spawn it by charging past an enemy unit, evaporating them with focused fire, then spawning the Yncarne in with the Wraithguard as a screen. Barring that- it usually spawns comfortably in my mid-field line if my opponent focuses down a tank or Wraithlord.
« Last Edit: August 22, 2017, 11:12:07 AM by Dageran »

Offline Lord of Winter and War

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Re: The Almighty Footdar: Unit Discussion
« Reply #13 on: August 22, 2017, 12:10:56 PM »
From the last tournament I went to, the Yncarne is easily one of the best models in the Alderi line. Holyamphetamine parrot it's good.
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Offline haunt

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Re: The Almighty Footdar: Unit Discussion
« Reply #14 on: August 22, 2017, 06:04:27 PM »
From the last tournament I went to, the Yncarne is easily one of the best models in the Alderi line. Holyamphetamine parrot it's good.

Lol, it's the big reason I try not to use it, due to many folks complaining how OP the model, when it is on the battlefield and got close to an enemy unit. Once, it does that backline is open season and your opponent has to rethink position and control.
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