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Offline bebe

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1250 Iyanden 5th edition review
« on: May 15, 2009, 10:33:14 AM »
Craftworld Gro-Galdr

After the Tyranid invasion of their craftworld, the Iyanden gathered to seek revenge. Whatever aspect warriors survived joined their new craftworld augmented by the souls of the dead. The Shrine of Asurmen was located on Iyanden. Many Dire Avengers joined their frigates as they fled their homeworld. Wandering groups of traveling Harlequins in the webway are always welcomed and often join the craftworld in battle.

Thus Craftworld Gro-Galdr came to be formed. Their frigate ship flies the Warp on a two fold mission; restore the dead and destroy the Tyranids.

The Craftworld Gro-Galdr Farseer could sense the spirit of their dead warriors even within the Infinity Circuit and believed that he could restore an Eldar soul to a spiritstone pulling it from the depths of the Warp. So they search the Warp looking for fallen comrades but they also hunt their sworn enemy - The Hive Mind.

The Iyanden Spirit hosts avoid battle unless threatened but not these Ghost warriors. Whenever Tyranids are near they hurl themselves into battle. They do not abandon their goal of replenishing their ranks with retrieved souls. Their Farseers have developed a process to accomplish this and even from many miles away they can sense the dead souls and begin the restoration.

Craftworld Gro-Galdr uses Avatars even at the cost of an Eldar life as the combat monster has his role when hunting Tyranids. Combat is something that an Iyanden army seeks to avoid. Not so this force. They will search and kill any Nid force they can find to revenge themselves on Hive Fleet Kraken. They trust their Farseers to restore the dead souls.




Iyanden 1250 points

Farseer, Fortune 85

Farseer, Fortune, Spear 88

5 Wraithguard 295
1 Wave Serpent, TL Shuriken Cannons, Shuriken Cannon, Spirit Stones

10 Wraithguard, 399
1 Spiritseer, Spear, Conceal

7 Dire Avengers, 268
1 Exarch, Dual Avenger SCs, Bladestorm
1 Wave Serpent, TL Missile Launchers, Shuriken Cannon, Spirit Stones

Wraithlord, Missile Launcher, 2x flamers 115

1250

Models 29

KP 8

Main Opposition: SM, CSM, Tau

Fluff: Iyanden wraithwall





This is by far my favorite list to play. I need one squad of DA coming out of reserves or sitting back until they need to capture an objective. It is a straightforward Iyanden list with an advancing wall and flanking WG and DA. Overall it is tough for my opponent as I'm pretty sure to capture one objective and I have the Serpents to go after another. It has low KPs but is short on numbers. Despite that it hard as nails.

The core of the list is the Wraithwall. I have found after playing many games that A fortuned Sear, an EML Wraithlord and a full squad of Wraithguard are the best configuration at this level.  Now I want to remain true to the fluff of my craftworld so some choices were made with that in mind. My Dire Avenger squad is really around to try and take a late objective and just add a little extra horde control to the list. there is no dedicated cc squad here.

So how do I balance the lack of cc punch? My Farseers accompany the Wraithguard squads ( the spear with the smaller squad ) so I cannot rely on them for cc punch at all. This list is all about range. It leaves little room for mistakes. Bladestorm your Dire Avengers too hastily and they will get assaulted and go down. They require another close by squad to be effective. They need to wortk in tandem with the Wraithguard. You have to consider at all times where you want to park your squads and how close you are to being assaulted. This is a tricky. If you keep your wall intact though there is little at 1250 points that will run through it.

It's other obvious weakness is the minimal scoring units. Two scoring units at 1250 points leaves you exposed to some disappointing draws and losses at times if you let your troops get tied up by sacrificial squads. You really need to be aware of protecting those Dire Avengers until late game and you have to use your serpents to contest objectives. It can be problematic against horde armies. My main opponents though are SM, CSM and Tau. Against these armies the force fares quite well. Small mistakes on my opponents part will often leave them open to devastating return fire and I have more than once tabled an opponent. Playing this list is all about table control. You need to focus on your objectives and avoid getting pulled into untenable positions.


Pictures are on page 11 of the Eldar gallery


« Last Edit: May 23, 2009, 11:21:09 PM by bebe »
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Offline moc065

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Re: 1250 Iyanden 5th edition review
« Reply #1 on: May 15, 2009, 10:56:48 AM »
I got your request for rating, and it will be done... but I am not as active as I used to be, so I have asked Starrakatt to do the rating since he is the POC Iyanden leader, and has a lot more expereince in this regard.

If you would Starky, I would appreciate it, and I will set up the links, etc in the Big List of Eldar Lists when its apropriate with you named for the scoring.. (using any scoring system you like, and thanks).

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Offline Starrakatt

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Re: 1250 Iyanden 5th edition review
« Reply #2 on: May 15, 2009, 05:24:25 PM »
Craftworld Gro-Galdr - Iyanden 1250 points

HQ:
Farseer, Fortune 85

Farseer, Fortune, Spear 88

ELITE:
5 Wraithguard 295
1 Wave Serpent, TL Shuriken Cannons, Shuriken Cannon, Spirit Stones

TROOP:
10 Wraithguard, 399
1 Spiritseer, Spear, Conceal

7 Dire Avengers, 268
1 Exarch, Dual Avenger SCs, Bladestorm
1 Wave Serpent, TL Missile Launchers, Shuriken Cannon, Spirit Stones

HEAVY:
Wraithlord, Missile Launcher, 2x flamers 115

TOTAL: 1250
Models: 29
KP: 8

Main Opposition: SM, CSM, Tau

So there it is, Starky's moc-Score

1.. Anti-tank potential: All the units bar the Avengers are Armor slayers in some way, either by shooting or CC or both, Excellent - 1.0
2.. Anti-MEQ potential: Again, most of the Army can slay MEQs like there's no tommorrow... in Shooting. The very limited CC MEQ killing potential limit the Score to Good - 0.8
3.. Anti-Horde potential: There's the second major weakness in the list, although assaulting Wraithguard shouldn't be underestimated, they have too few attacks to make a huge dent in big hordish units and the shooting is a bit scarce in that regard, so Slightly Below Average - 0.5
4.. Ranged Firepower potential: There's a reasonable mix of long, medium and short ranged weapons in the list (emphasis on short), but the use of transports help mitigate this, but ROF is a big drawback, Average - 0.6
5.. Assault potential: That's the main weakness of the List, with no dedicated CC unit, very low numbers of Attacks overall, so easily bogged down in combat, the only model ignoring saves at all is the Wraithlord. However, Holding Power is very strong, although there is still place for amelioration even there, but at 1250 pts there's few armies that can easily destroy such a resilient force, I rate this Slightly Below Average - 0.5
6.. Scoring Units / point level: Two Scoring units at that level is good since one of those is (Fortuned) Wraithguard, almost worthing two lesser units in resilience, so Above Average - 0.7
7.. Durability or Resilience: Ah-ah-ah.... TWP squads of Fortuned Wraithguard, the entire army almost basic weaponry proof, yes... Very Good - 0.9
8.. Flexability: While the list does have fast elements, the very nature of the force limits it's effectiveness at reacting to a broad range of opponents, so I rate it Average - 0.6
9.. Mission Capabiliy: The lack of assault capability is what cripple this army, as it is very difficult to dislodge an entrenched enemy without a serious assault. On the other hand, the list excels in KP and Holding Objective(s), so Above Average - 0.7
10. Dynamics and/or Theme: Theme is great (of course 8) ), clearly defined and efforts have been made to create interesting background. While the army lacks in CC punch the overall synergy isn't bad, with two fast Hammer units and a very solid Anvil. Also, the main advantages/disadvantages of the list is known to the OP and he is clearly no amateur at using Wraith units, thus I rate it Good - 0.8

Rating = 7.1/10 Others may score it differently; I see this list a well themed, hard to manage efficiently, but rewarding list when you pull Victories. All in all a good list for fun play, competitive against CC weak armies and well able to stand it's own, unless the opponent bring forth a dedicated list to destroy it.

I believe that bringing the list to the 1500 pts level could mean adding some well needed anti-horde/CC punch for the army to really shine, I'd be curious to hear bebe's take on this.

   Starky
« Last Edit: May 29, 2009, 08:56:57 AM by Starrakatt »

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Offline Gutstikk

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Re: 1250 Iyanden 5th edition review
« Reply #3 on: May 15, 2009, 06:06:59 PM »
Army list rating:

Background: 1
Theme has been covered in detail with a nice accompanying back story, making good use of the Iyanden craftworld material while justifying some breaks from doctrine where needed. The opponents and general goals of the army and units have been described. It appears that this list is aimed more at friendly play than at tournament play, however it is made clear that the list aims to be competitive as well as thematic. Nicely done.

Composition: .5
A fairly nice showing of FOC slots and allocation. Unit variation is alright but not excellent. This is compensated for by kitting the units to different roles so that they are not overly duplicated. KPs are nice at 8, but could use an extra scoring unit. Thematic lists tend to suffer a bit in this department as they can force some tough decisions. I think you've managed to diversify units where multiples have been selected quite nicely.

Utility: .75
You've managed to keep unnecessary upgrades down, which is essential to any Iyanden themed list. You've described a general battleplan but haven't pegged down the primary function of each unit. Units selected are mostly fearless; morale generally won't be an issue though you may find a 9th Avenger to be useful since they are not led by an IC. Most of these units should be able to complete the sorts of tasks you mention within a single round, though spelling out their main focus is helpful in this regard.

Flexibility: .5
You have managed to back up each unit with another unit capable of performing the same or similar task. Only one unit in this force [the avengers] has targets against which it may be totally ineffective. Secondary roles haven't been adressed outside of the general plan of battle; it would be nice to see how the wraithwall adapts to hordes, for instance. You managed to account for deployment and movement options quite well given the point-intensive units selected here; nicely done. You have stuck primarily to quality shooting and foregone numbers and assault pretty much entirely, which, against certain builds, may come back to haunt you. While it'd be unfair to mention nob bikers as a threat since they aren't listed as your main opposition, it wouldn't be unfair to mention dual-lash demon princes and a few oblits hitting your wraithwall. Would make for an interesting matchup.

Ingenuity: .75
You've managed to include a decent general battle plan. Some sort of turn/goal dynamics would be nice to see. You do discuss your weak points and how you cope with them, something I think is of paramount importance when composing a finished list which others may try out. As for newness, it's not often I see an Iyanden force at the lower points levels, lacking Eldrad [or any of the other farseer staples like Runes of Warding, second powers etc]. Dire Avengers fit the theme quite nicely and abandoning CC altogether in favor of striving for a tight positional firefight is a nice change from cc oriented 5th ed lists. I'm glad to hear it's working out for you.

Total score: 3.5

A little bit more clarity in the specific roles of some of your units would go a long way. Lacking CC is not an issue when you are clear on how you handle combats, etc. I think this may have been a 4.0 list that's missing a few words here and there.
« Last Edit: May 20, 2009, 11:20:47 PM by Gutstikk »

Offline bebe

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Re: 1250 Iyanden 5th edition review
« Reply #4 on: May 20, 2009, 05:42:09 PM »
Well, once he has submitted his rating you will have him. Glad both of you are willing. Thanks.
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Offline stezerok

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Re: 1250 Iyanden 5th edition review
« Reply #5 on: May 20, 2009, 10:29:58 PM »
Space Reserved for Rating

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Offline bebe

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Re: 1250 Iyanden 5th edition review
« Reply #6 on: May 21, 2009, 08:28:52 AM »
Your assessment is spot on Gutstikk. I did early in my playing days have the old Harlequin army (which was legal at the time) and loved the cc punch. Even my 4th edition lists featured my old Harlies and lots of cc (Karandras w/ Scorps, Banshees, etc.). I do still have all the parts for an aggressive cc Eldar list but I'm pretty much all Iyanden these days. I've fallen for the WG.

Switching to Iyanden and trying to work within the confinements of my self imposed fluff have indeed led to restrictions. The list is pushed by hordes. I need to be less aggressive and strive to hold one objective and just contest any other. I essentially castle up and dig in and send out the serpenyts when needed. I have often had the larger WG squad borrow a serpent to get onto an objective away from the castle and let my DA, five WG and WL defend the position.

With a list like Iyanden it is difficult to give specifics on how I intend to deal with all the specific units I might face. So much depends on how my opponent deploys, what the mission is, where objectives are placed and how the in game mechanics are working ( we have all had lousy dice rolls that force us to adopt our tactics). In general against bikers and lash princes you need to mechanize your Wraithguard and go after the main threats quickly and play a bit more aggressively.  Against hordes it is all about keeping your range and whittling down the numbers with positional firepower. But everything can change if you have a savvy opponent who counters your plans. You need to be flexible and focus on your main objectives always.

Iyanden lists are not for beginners (I hate to say this) and are very tough to play below 1500 points as your model count and number of scoring troops can be a liability that you need to overcome with precise movement and a good strategy. Still the 1250 point level is really a fun level to play at.

I would suggest that new players begin with a list t5hat is a bit more forgiving perhaps switching out the elite WG for Harlies or Scorps and perhaps adding in another troop choice with the points saved. I will often pull out my Harlies for smaller games and they can be quite useful against certain armies as can Yriel.

I do have other 1250 lists. I sometimes use Yriel. This list might suit some better but I stick to the original most often.

Yriel 155

Farseer, Fortune, Spear 88

5 Wraithguard 315
1 Wave Serpent, TL Missile Launchers, Shuriken Cannon, Spirit Stones

10 Wraithguard, 399
  1 Spiritseer, Spear, Conceal

5 Dire Avengers 170
1 Wave Serpent, TL Shuriken Cannons, Shuriken Catapults, Spirit Stones

Wraithlord, Scatterlaser, Wraithsword, 2x flamers 120

1247
Models: 26
KP: 8

This list uses a scatterlaser on the WL and the Yriel bomb to take out some of the hordes and my DA come in from reserves and sit on an objective. I would rather not use any characters though so I generally leave Yriel out of my lists until at least 1750 points where he is less game altering and not so much of a crutch - which can sometimes cloud your judgment.

What I have found playing Iyanden is that fifteen WG at 1250 points can be quite intimidating. They just eat up the dakka like candy. They are not indestructible, but they might be the next best thing.
« Last Edit: May 23, 2009, 11:56:31 PM by bebe »
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Offline bebe

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Re: 1250 Iyanden 5th edition review
« Reply #7 on: May 24, 2009, 11:57:54 AM »
Quote
I believe that bringing the list to the 1500 pts level could mean adding some well needed anti-horde/CC punch for the army to really shine, I'd be curious to hear bebe's take on this.

I agree. This is a tough list to play for those unfamiliar with Iyanden. It certainly does lack cc punch and at 1500 points we need to adress this. There are two obvious answers - Yriel and Harlies. Both would be used with the WG as a strong counter charging element for the list. As well we would need to add one more scoring unit at 1500 - probably more DA as they can also help with hordes. That we be for competitive play, of course but as you can see I'm not about to go overboard and drop any of the Iyanden elements. I find I do best at over 1500 points actually where a few cc squads and another WS are easily added while sticking to the theme.

If you read my comments to Gutstikk you will see where I'm coming from in an attempt to stick closely to my Craftworld's fluff. Playing as a purist certainly has its limitations but the rewards are even greater. Looking at each component of a Wraithguard list can lead to a hasty conclusion that you will be easily overun but it is not so in practice. Careful placement and using all the elements of the list in harmony will mitigate most of its shortcomings. 

It is important to note that the you have the capability to go semi-mech and consequently the ranged firepower assessmernt is a bit misleading. I can comfortably target anything on the board fairly fast if I use both transports for my guard when needed. WG are pretty effective AT at 1250 points.

I appreciate the time and effort spent on examining the list ...

Bebe
« Last Edit: May 24, 2009, 01:26:09 PM by bebe »
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