Topic: 1500 pts competition list: Iyanden Ghost Warriors

[Blazinghand]

Iyanden Ynarri Ghost Warriors
1496 points of Ynarri Eldar
Detachments: 1x Spearhead of Aeldari Ynarri

Army List
++HQ++ - 66 pts
Spiritseer

++ELITE++ - 400 pts
5 Wraithguard with D-Scythes
5 Wraithblades with Ghostswords

++HEAVY SUPPORT++ - 513 pts
Wraithlord with 2 Flamers, 2 Bright Lances, Ghostglaive
Wraithlord with 2 Flamers, 2 Bright Lances, Ghostglaive
Wraithlord with 2 Flamers, 2 Bright Lances, Ghostglaive

++FLYERS++ - 211 pts
Hemlock Wraithfighter

++DEDICATED TRANSPORTS++ - 306 pts
Wave Serpent with 1 Shuriken Cannon, 1 Twin Shuriken Cannon, Spirit Stones
Wave Serpent with 1 Shuriken Cannon, 1 Twin Shuriken Cannon, Spirit Stones


--

Death is no respite from war.

In times of dire need, the Eldar may call upon their fallen to walk again. Spiritseers reach out into the Infinity Matrix and guide the souls of mighty warriors back to their spirit stones, to be removed from their well-earned rest and sent into battle in mighty constructs of wraithbone. These Ghost Warriors experience the battle as half dream, half reality, and do in death as they did in life, defending their Craftworld and their fellow Eldar. This dreadful process of Necromancy must be tolerated when the need is great. Iyanden, following its great losses at the hands of the Tyranid Hive Fleet Kraken, barely survives, relying heavily on their ghost warriors to fight alongside them.

This force consists almost entirely of ghost warriors or Spiritseers. A Spiritseer leads 5 Wraithguard, 5 Wraithblades, and 3 Wraithlords into battle. A second Spiritseer flies a Hemlock Wraithfighter which is itself a wraithbone construct controlled by a the spirit stone of a dead Eldar warrior. The two hover tanks accompanying this force are manned by Eldar warriors, but they too are partially controlled by the Eldar dead.

Tactics

For the most part, the Wave Serpents are there to be tanks as well as transports, able to act as a mobile element to the army or just fire Shuriken Cannons. With careful positioning and movement, these Serpents should be able to deliver quite a punch. Anti-tank comes in the form of 6 Bright Lances, though various other things like the Heavy D-Scythes on the Hemlock Wraithfighter or the D-scythes on the Wraithguard can be repurposed. The list also has plenty of anti-horde via the D-scythes and the flamers.

The Wave Serpents can transport the Wraithguard and Wraithblades as well as the Spirit Seer, if the need arises for a force that gets in the enemy's face right away, or to move units around quickly in combat. This also allows for deployment in 6 moves (the 3 wraithlords, the Helmock Wraithfighter, then the two Serpents containing all the elites+hq), meaning this army should get to move first in most games.

The Spirit Seer will probably advance in the middle of the Wraith units, giving them those crucial rerolls to help a bit with the problems of moving and shooting heavy weapons.

This list shows another, more durable side to Eldar armies, and will likely surprise in how well it shrugs off small arms fire. Ynarri/Soulburst is basically a no-brainer given that this list does not benefit from Battle Focus.

[volatilegaz]

I'd definitely try and get some flamers on those wraithlords.

It's a common problem with wraithlists, but horde armies are looking like a real nemesis build for this list.

How would you handle claiming objectives? Are you banking on the serpents surviving, or would you look to peel off a wraithlord or two to camp on objectives?

[Blazinghand]

I'd definitely try and get some flamers on those wraithlords.

It's a common problem with wraithlists, but horde armies are looking like a real nemesis build for this list.

How would you handle claiming objectives? Are you banking on the serpents surviving, or would you look to peel off a wraithlord or two to camp on objectives?

Hmm, so taking objectives would depend entirely on the scenario and map. For example, I might be rushing forward with the Serps, or using them basically as tanks in the back. With 2 serps, 3 WLs, and a bunch of wraithguard/blades, I'm presenting a lot of potential targets for high-strength weaponry. I think it is somewhat likely my opponent's AT won't be able to take down all thei high toughness things.

[Partninja]

Keep in mind, that claiming an objective now means you need to have more models on it that your opponent. With so many "big" models this might prove difficult.

[Blazinghand]

Yeah this sort of "claiming" is probably going to involve killing the enemies. Your opponent can't claim any objectives if he doesn't have any models.

I might run a single squad of guardians or something, but I was hoping to go with wraiths-only for this list.

[Tweedz]

You could always remove the transports. Wraith are surprisingly fast when you are advancing, and can hold up under fire pretty well (So long as your lords and hemlock handle the major threats to their survival). Also more wraith= more soulbursting goodness.

[Blazinghand]

You could always remove the transports. Wraith are surprisingly fast when you are advancing, and can hold up under fire pretty well (So long as your lords and hemlock handle the major threats to their survival). Also more wraith= more soulbursting goodness.

Hmm, I was planning to operate these as Aeldari-Asuryani-Iyanden rather than Aeldari-Ynnari. Is it worth giving up the Asuryani advantages for Soulburst, you think?

[Tweedz]

You could always remove the transports. Wraith are surprisingly fast when you are advancing, and can hold up under fire pretty well (So long as your lords and hemlock handle the major threats to their survival). Also more wraith= more soulbursting goodness.

Hmm, I was planning to operate these as Aeldari-Asuryani-Iyanden rather than Aeldari-Ynnari. Is it worth giving up the Asuryani advantages for Soulburst, you think?

By the looks of it right now, only the one unit of basic wraithguard are getting any benefit from being Asuryani. As Ynnari, the blades could get some benefits as well. Also, if you decide to upgrade the guard to scythes, then nothing in your army gets a benefit from being Asuryani.

[Blazinghand]

OK, here's an updated version of the list:

Iyanden Ynarri Ghost Warriors
1496 points of Craftworld Eldar
Detachments: 1x Spearhead of Aeldari Ynarri

Army List
++HQ++ - 66 pts
Spiritseer

++ELITE++ - 400 pts
5 Wraithguard with D-Scythes
5 Wraithblades with Ghostswords

++HEAVY SUPPORT++ - 513 pts
Wraithlord with 2 Flamers, 2 Bright Lances, Ghostglaive
Wraithlord with 2 Flamers, 2 Bright Lances, Ghostglaive
Wraithlord with 2 Flamers, 2 Bright Lances, Ghostglaive

++FLYERS++ - 211 pts
Hemlock Wraithfighter

++DEDICATED TRANSPORTS++ - 306 pts
Wave Serpent with 1 Shuriken Cannon, 1 Twin Shuriken Cannon, Spirit Stones
Wave Serpent with 1 Shuriken Cannon, 1 Twin Shuriken Cannon, Spirit Stones


--

The changes I made were stripping down the Wave Serpents to have 3 Shuriken Cannons and Spirit Stones only, putting flamers on the wraithlords, and D-scythes on the Wraithguard. This army list is now capable of significantly more anti-horde while still retaining 6 bright lances and a few other forms of decent anti-tank. I also will be running this as an Ynarri list. I think this is probably as good as it's going to get, this list is pretty tight. Any other suggestions?