Heh, looks like everyone is out to beat the system these days. Well, it's easy enough if you know the sort of stuff I look for; specific unit builds don't guarantee high marks but making valid justifications for choices will take you a long way. So, let's look at Ulthwe, through the usual lens!
Gutstikk's 5/5 Rating System for Army List ReviewBackground: .5All right, the setup here is pretty good - you've outlined why you're building this army list the way you are, and describe where you're gonna use it; you own up to some potential shortcomings but you're looking to force yourself to think, so that's fine. Playing with a handicap is something I suggest everybody try at least once, and whenever games start to get stale.
You've done enough work to get good marks, but if you are considering campaign play, I would like to hear a bit about how you think the campaign might shape up. This list feels very much like an Ulthwe Strike Force, with the large number of mobile units it contains, so it would be good if this sort of army list makes sense given the scope of the campaign. For instance, if the Eldar faction has to play as beleagured defenders staving off an invasion of their craftworld, it might be hard to make the army "play" to the narrative. Of course, it's quite possible that there's no background for the campaign yet, but I mention this as something to consider. Campaigns are a lot more fun when the lists selected "feel" right for the missions. Also, any background material about your detachment and generals is almost a must for campaign battles.
Finally, as a minor point, you've missed the cost of your Vyper. Of course I know how much it costs, but I review how well the list is presented in this section, and it is something to correct.
Composition: 1You've got a great distribution of units across the FOC with good attention given to your troops choices. You have a good number of units in place to cover all bases; some solid anti-horde firepower, some good AT, and a few shots that could hurt some MEQ armies, though a bit more support here might do some good depending on your environment. Your vulnerability is to enemy CC units and this weakens the overall power of the list, but in this case it is a good move because it helps force you to think harder about each move - which is exactly what you were going for. With care, your units should be able to pull through for you, but you will need to play extremely efficiently, and not take too many return hits as you avoid getting cornered.
Utility: 1Most of your units have been selected with upgrades kept to a minimum, keeping things nice and efficient. So I'll focus on the two squads that I think steered a little bit wrong: You've got two odd-sized units, the jetbikes and the spiders. The extra bike is not helping you for scoring unit size though it does help for leadership; on the other hand, the 7 spiders doesn't help for either. You may want to do a swap, as they cost the same, and bring the bikes up to 6 models or bring the spiders up to 8 models. The second approach would be better, I think, as you have a CC oriented upgrade and the spiders are better equipped to handle combat via Withdraw, whereas the jetbikes tend to get locked and then killed or run off. Other than that, you've done a pretty good job of keeping things efficient; normally I'd question 3 d-cannons but with a farseer casting guide it's not as much of an issue.
Flexibility: .5The simple inclusion of Warlocks makes most of your units [with the exception of the wave serpent] capable of damaging pretty much any enemy unit, and each of your squads can be reassigned to a special mission in a pinch. For example, should you lose the prism and wraithlord you still have plenty of spears/wychblades to jam into vehicles, and enemy with higher toughness is not so great a deal [though feel no pain will probably ruin your day, as will Crons with WBB]. Most of your units are pretty mobile as well. You will need to look out for the 5+ end of your army; it's nice to have complimented it with some MEQ units but if you get hard it's gonna be broken bones rather than black eyes. The vehicles actually help lift some of this weakness by providing a different kind of target. In short, there shouldn't be many games where you can't do anything, unless things get to combat real quick [and then you're probably done for]. A bit more of a CC presence would help to boost this score, but it's intentional on your part, so just be careful.
Ingenuity: .5You give a good account of your units, how they will be used together and why you've selected them. Additionally, you own up to potential vulnerabilities and the general underpowered-ness of your army. The problem here is that, while you admit to these weak points, you do not analyze them. Another player picking this army up might have a good idea as to how to field it on the table but may encounter several difficult situations which you haven't given an account of [how to avoid combat, what to do in combat, how to deal with FNP/WBB units, how to punch through TMCs efficiently, etc.]. Because this list has openings that can be exploited, it's important to consider those weak points and how to patch them up without the need to alter the list.
Total Score: 3.5, for a solid army list [given the criteria about playing with a handicap]. This list would offer a nice challenge to higher-tier generals who are looking to change up the game and add a new level of tactical awareness. Not a list for beginners, so the post would do with a bit more explanation of how to handle bad situations.
And I'm so not rating any more lists till the end of the week; I'm starving and I've forgotten what sun looks like.