[Yriel of Iyanden]

Hi folks,

My brother and I are planning on attending a team tournament next month, and well, this is like the holy grail for me.

I've won my share of single player tournaments, but have never been able to win a 2 on 2 tourney. I think part of it is because I'm a bad team player .

Anyway- another chance at the "grail", and I'm a bit rusty from not having had a game in a while. Here's the scoop: 1500pts/player, and I would assume a 3 round, RTT format (missions, comp, painting, sportsmanship).

It's clear that I will be playing my Craftworld Eldar, but my brother and I are discussing what he should play. Part of the problem seems is that we can't get our tactical preferences to "gel", I'm more of a mech/agressive style compared to his defensive/trap tactics. He is most comfortable with IG, followed by Tau, then it's Space Marines/Sisters, but he seems to be willing to play anything.

I am given the task of developing the overall strategic scheme and lists for us both, but am looking for direction from you folks.

So- a quick breakdown of potential pairings:

Eldar/Tau: This set can be pure mech, or assault/hybrid. My brother tends to favor lots of firewarriors and skimmers, but always includes suits and stealth teams. This setup would allow us to "mirror" one another in terms of functionality (with me being more geared towards objectives and counter-assault), but my worry is crowding the board with too many skimmers and redundant units.

Eldar/IG: My army shifts more towards objectives/elites, relying on a solid, static IG line with a pair of Lemans and a load of firepower. My concern with this setup is how clumsy the lines will be to manage, as well as having enough mobility for late round scoring, but it does sound very fun.

Eldar/Space Marines: Historically, this is the combo that wins many of the team tournies I have gone to, particularly if the Space Marine player sticks to only speeders for vehicles and uses a lot of tactical squads. You get the same gunline feel from IG, but now you have a more mobile, versatile scrimmage (as well as a librarian for the best 2 man defensive psyker combo).

What do you guys think? What scheme do you thnk will work best?

-Yriel

[Nightwing]

space marines because their increased strength and toughness will do a good job of offsetting the eldar frailty.

[Evil_Toast]

Not having a massive love/experience of 2 vs 2 games , my vote will be a Tau/Eldar "invisible" army .

Eldar - Pathfinders , Jetbikes , Spiders , Falcon/s with Ninja Death Clowns , Jetbike 'seer .

Tau - Lots of Suits .......

Lots of JSJ to annoy your opponents , with the Clowns dealing the killing blow .

[Xyster]

I teamed up with a Tau player and it worked well. He did what tau dose best: shooty, so i was able to field all my HtH units Scorps / Banshees / Harlequins, threw them in waveserpents and left the harlies in a falcon and threw in some Vibro cannons..and some other stuff... Followed my Banshees with the Doomseer on jetbike..lots o fun

[SanJuan]

I seems like you have a wonderful opportunity to make a genuine IG gunline. In my experiance, these lists tend to be comprimised by the need for mobility but with an eldar force more than cabale in this department, this contriction has been lifted.

Two quick things to consider, the most useful aspect IG can offer in this partnership is indirect fire. Rather than a pair of Russes consider a pair of basalisks and maybe a mortar squad or two. Given the powerful yet fragile nature of many eldar units, most opponents will attempt to draw them into the open while protecting their own powerul units for a counter. Indirect fire will allow you to target the real threats decreasing the risks to delicate units like harlequins etc

Second, despite your inspirational success with the build, an Iyanden themed army will not complement the IG. Allow IG to field the slow powerful units and keep the eldar focused on mobility and anti-infantry (catapults are far more effective than lasguns ). I was thinking mostly mounted avengers along with the compulsory clown cars.

Finally (and in direct contradition to my two point proposal), don't underestimate Rough Riders - they are perhaps the best point for point counter assault in the game. Leave them back to guard your gunline and you will be pleasantly surprised what 55 points can do (averages just over four dead MEQ)

[Yaifrog]

I'd say go with the Tau, and make a massively mobile army. The Tau skimmers can shield your more fragile Eldar close combat units.

[Commander_Vimes]

I think Tau could function very well. I'd suggest you focus more on close range firepower and assault and leave the long range to him. Harlequins, Falcons, Warp Spiders, and Shining Spears. I think the Siam Hann lists you've used in some of your battle reports, with the long ranged units removed, would do well. For the Tau, Broadsides, lots of Deathrain suits, Hammerheads, and infiltrating kroot.

A pure SIGAFH could also compliment a fast Eldar list well. Mass as many heavy weapons teams and as many bodies as you can and then go toe to toe with any shooting army, with Eldar speed to disrupt the attacks of assault armies, and counter-assault anything that reaches the Guard.

[Yriel of Iyanden]

Thanks for the feedback so far guys! There's still a lot to consider.

The last pair of guys that won a team tourney in my area played Eldar + Blood Angels (3rd ed codex). They both adopted a "sit and shoot" mentality for the most part, and the lists sort of looked like:

Eldar
1 Guideseer
1 Doomseer
8 Fire Dragons in a Brightlance Serpent
8 Rangers
2 x 10 Guardians w/ Brightlance
Scatter Laser/Shuricannon Falcon with NO Transport (???)
3x Warwalkers with dual scatter lasers
5 Reapers, 1 Exarch w/ Tempest Launcher and Crack/Fast Shot

Blood Angels
3 wound Chappy + Death Company
6 Terminators w/ 2x Assault cannon
6 Tactical squads with combinations of Las/Plas or Missile Launcher/Plas
1 Assault squad
3 Landspeeders with Assault Cannon/HB

Like I said, both armies were designed for shooting, with a counter-assault built in.

-Yriel

[Floobosaurus]

Me and Derf made a pretty sick combo the last time we put our two mech armies together.

We deployed evenly, causing our static/shooty opponents to do the same. However, I used my SMS and long range guns to open up my side, while Derf's speed allowed him to zoom in from his side to assault the opened flank while I covered. Once I piled in behind his units, we just rolled over the remaining half of our opponents' forces one by one, since they were out of position to fight back effectively. Derf lost a few units, but only because I messed up our original plan, which was in fact to attack from Derf's side!

Eldar + Tau is definately a solid combo. Eldar can do the assault and scatterlaser stuff, while the Tau can handle all the tanks and such with Missile Pods & Railguns!

[Farseer_Emlyn]

Yriel,
From a purely pragmatic standpoint, I'd say Eldar / Space Marines mainly to exploit the Marines' hardiness and the mobility of the Eldar. They seem to compliment each other. That said, I'm really liking the idea of the JSJ list with Jetbikes and Crisis Suits. I'm thinking that it would be a terribly fun list to play and could be very frustrating to many opponents (and right up your alley, methinks).

Best of luck,
Em