Hi - im looking to start 40K and am tempted by eldar. I need help on an initial 750 or 1000pts list based on the start collecting box. Ideally I am looking for something that is:
* forgiving to play (but also fun to play)
* shooty
* mainly vehicles (inc. bikes)
Hopefully that is not too specific! I was also thinking of going for either a yellow or red colourscheme - whether that pushes me towards a particular eldar faction. Any advice would be great.
thanks!!!
Eldar are mostly an army of specialists, this means you can make them as unforgiving or as straight forward as you like
This makes them one of the most fun armies to play over the years as swapping over a single unit can change how you play. The fact we have the best looking models alos doesn't hurt
Unlike the Space Marin factions, the Eldar ones are non-existant in the current game system. Even if they did have some difference, you don't have to stick with their colour scheme, so paint them up however you like. If you get stuck for idea's check out the project section of the forums or this sticky (Your Eldar Army.), there is alot of great work to get some idea's from.
The new starter sets really are a good way to kick an Eldar army off and are cheaper than buying them seperately, I'd even consider buying two of them if I was start out again.
I'm going to politely disagree with you on a few points, magenb.
While we certainly used to be a specialist army, I'm not sure that's entirely true. Many of our previously specialized units now actually fulfill a variety of roles. Dragons can go after MCs, vehicles, superheavies, and terminators with equal ease. Spiders can hunt light vehicles, MCs, or infantry. Scorpions are mostly anti-infantry, but the scorpion's claw makes them half decent monster and vehicle hunters. Spears are mostly MC hunters, but they'll do some damage to terminators, heavy infantry, vehicles, etc. Reapers murder bikes and marines, but they'll deal with MCs and vehicles quite well with starshot missiles. Jetbikers with heavy weapons can take on anything short of heavy armor. Hawks are good AT (assuming you don't use the recent, not yet official FAQ for them) and good harassment as well as being highly mobile. Farseers can be anything from force multipliers to psychic artillery depending on how you load them out.
As much as I like the idea of "specialists," most of our army is probably pretty solidly in the "generalist" category these days.
Regarding space marine factions, you can absolutely use a given chapter tactic without painting your marines the "appropriate" color scheme. My Blood Angels successors use White Scar tactics because I feel it fits their highly mobile, jump-heavy fighting style better.
Regarding eldar factions, I'd argue they are absolutely existent within the current rules if one is inclined to pursue them. Want to play Ulthwe? Take a storm guardian core detachment with a seer council. Saim-Hann? Take jetbikes and skimmers. Biel-Tan? Aspect hosts and avenger shrines are your friends. Even some of the more obscure craftworlds are pretty well represented by the Pale Court detachment from Forgeworld. For instance, Iybraesil is well represented by taking a pale court that uses banshees in place of guardians.
We may not have "craftworld tactics," but it's certainly possible to play an existing faction fluffily if you are so inclined.
Absolutley agree about the starter sets. Especially considering that the OP seems to want to run something in the vein of Saim-Hann's playstyle.