The HQ unit is actually a pretty big backbone force of the army. Sure, I'm almost always outnumbered, but if you leave that squad alone it will put the hurt on. Any tank it assaults is dead. Any unit it assaults is eventually dead. If you don't want to leave the squad alone, it takes firepower. Lots and lots of concentrated firepower.
If my army were to be likened to a chess set, the mounted council would be the queen. It's capable of a great deal of hurt, and at the very least, a great deal of worry.
The squad's only weakness is power armor, but that's a weakness for my entire army. Which brings me to a point: frozen leaves is right, the list is kinda weak to the 3+ save. That's why I'm such a "bring the force to bear at once" army. I have undeniable short range power, and for it to be most effective, it needs to be used with precision and focus.
Against Tau, the list is ten different kinds of murder. It's use is to assault the closest, most expensive, or most inconvenient unit they can catch up with. You can't shoot through close combat, and I use the mounted council (or sometimes just a regular jetbike squad) to block line of sight down choice firelanes, allowing me to define the battlefield to suit my needs. Any combat they get involved in is rarely over before two or three rounds is up, so the terrain is there for a while. Usually, once the mounted HQ gets into combat with Tau, the game is over. I control the board.
Against Orks, it's a maximum power counterstike unit capable of standing it's ground against 20 boyz with a nob and a warboss. Tested and proven. Given that I only play against speedfreaks, which rarely come in mobs of greater than 10, they can destroy any sqaud that comes too close to troubling me.
For Iyanden, they assault Wraithlords and Wraithguard. It's scary how easy these units crumble against a 2+ wounding unit.
Space Marines are different. For space marines, the use of the mounted council changes according to the need. Sometimes, they are the best tank hunters in the galaxy. Sometimes, they are the key to tying up that devastator squad before I park my tanks in their firing lane. Sometimes, they are the most expensive and effective speedbump available in game. This last use is the most dangerous, but sometimes the most effective.
The HQ charges Marine Unit X, killing about 5 after the shooting and assault phase, losing none. When a space marine player catches up to a 370 point mounted eldar unit, they want to kill it. They want to kill it bad. A close combat marine player who's been unable to catch anything in assault all game is surprisingly vengeful on the first thing within pummelling range. And then they find that they can't kill it, not with one squad. Nine times out of ten, they will back up the original assault squad with another instead of being content to have tied up a unit of greater value. Sometimes, several squads will engage in the combat as back up.
Soon, there is a superior chunk of the opponent's infantry wailing on the council, and they die after 1-2 turns, having taken out a few additional marines by that time.
And 1600 points of eldar are waiting to punish the survivors, arranged in a neat semicircle. It's been done, folks.
The biggest or most dangerous squad is Doomed. There's a Space Wolves troop unit that can come in blocks of 20, that's a good example for a target. Bladestorming Dire Avengers knock out 5 marines, then assault for 2 more. Two squads of jetbikes knock out 2-3 apiece. Banshees assault; Versus normal marines, banshees knock out 6-7, versus doomed marines, they knock out an easy 10-11. Warp Spiders, 3 marines. Wave Serpents, 2 marines. Falcon has better things to shoot at, but for giggles, 2 marines. Fire Dragons, 3 marines.
I mean, this is all assuming that I've managed to reach the front lines and set this up unmolested, but if even part of the forces available come to bear, it adds up. Avengers, Banshees, and Jetbikes are all pretty reliable for this. If movement and line of sight is handled well, they will all be ready.
On another topic, thanks for all the suggestions sofar. I'm unsure about the mirrorswords on the exarch, because I feel like having a S5 powerweapon in the squad lets me do additional things I couldn't otherwise be capable of.
I agree that destructor would be a good addition to some of the warlocks. The ones attached to the jetbike squad need their embolden, however. Those units are just too costly to go running after they take a couple of casualties from fire. I added the warlocks when I realized my jetbikes were folding under very small amounts of fire with most of their strength (the shuricannons) still attached.
I agree that it would be great to have a squad of shining spears. I may fit them in place of the squad of 8 spiders, and leech points out from elsewhere as well. It would definitely fit my old instassault battle plan better if I had more fast power-charging assault squads. For the same reason, I'm considering a squad of harlequins, but I'm not sure if they would be able to keep up, and the falcon only has room for the dragons (which I think are much more necessary than harlies. My list only has 2 or 3 options to blow up heavier tanks).
I got to thinking about using eldrad, but I tend to play on pretty big boards (8x6 feet) against fairly fast armies (mobile tau, speedfreaks, 13 company) so deployment isn't that big of a factor. That's really the only thing he's got going for him in my army. The farseers I have do everything I need them to do better than Eldrad could do it.
