[That Phyco Guy]

Now I'm going to start plain and simple. Lately Ive been going completely crazy over these 3 army choices: Orks, Eldar, and Tyranids, but Ive decided hopefully to rest on eldar. My choices of army will be either Iyanden, purely for simple reasons there troop choice are over powered grotesque monsters which can mash anything, and the great wraithguard which can instant kill anything, or Ulthwe with there wicked fluff and physic usage. Please i would appreciate anyone who can spread this out for me and open my eyes more. Thankyou.

[whitestar333]

Well I can speak for the Iyanden. It's an incredibly powerful but EXPENSIVE (for your wallet). At $15 per wraithguard model, this army isn't exactly cheap. However, if you can manage to get your hands on some wraithguard models, they are one of the toughest troop choices in the game.

Straight-up Iyanden is frightening to many armies but require a much different use of tactics than other eldar armies. You rely on your toughness and powerful weapons to destroy heavily armored opponents, but things like hidden powerfists, rending weapons, and plasma guns can cause some serious hurt for your wraithguard.
Two common variants which I use involve using two wraithlords with a shuriken cannon and scatter laser each (cheap dakka for managing hordes), 20 wraithguard, eldrad ulthran, and 10 harlies on foot with a shadowseer, all in about 1500 points.

The spiritseers I usually give either conceal or enhance. I have discovered that if you can manage to stay in cover enough, enhance is the way to go, because WS 5, S5, T6, I5 with a 3+ save is DEVASTATING in close combat - especially in combination with eldrad's fortune ability. If cover is scarce, or you need to march into the open often, then the conceal is useful for that fortuned cover save! Either way, wraithguard are tough for any opponent to take down, save maybe genestealers or armored company.

I went against a necron player, however, and all I lost were my harlequins (veil of darkness = evil). Otherwise I slaughtered them. If you play against lots of power armor, this army might really upset some people. If you play against lots of orks, IG, or tyranids, however, you'll find tough matches and your opponents will be a little friendlier to your army choice.

If these 5th edition rumors are true, then the Iyanden army will really begin to shine, and will be favored over the massive numbers of eldar skimmers due to its reliability and if wraithguard can run, then everyone should be scared. Anyway that's just something else to consider.

[redbeard]

Don't worry about which is the "better" army, because with 4th ed eldar, you can field anything in any craftworld colours.

Instead, consider which theme you prefer? Ulthwe are mostly about guardians, psykers, and dark reapers. Iyanden is about undead constructs, and the utter desperation of a dying craftworld.

That doesn't mean that Ulthwe can't field wraith constructs, or that Iyanden can't run guardians + farseers. So pick the one that you like the story behind, or the colour scheme of, because in the long run, gameplay wise, you can do anything with either.

[Oak_Prince]

I can't help but recommend that you take your painting skills and the time you want to invest in painting into account. Black/Bone is simpler to paint than Yellow/Blue, that's for sure.

The Wraithlord is a pretty solid, hard to kill gun platform. The Wraithguard I'm not as fond of - I leave them at home for big games. The problem with insta-death is that many of the things you'd actually want to insta-death are immune, like big Tyranids and Greater Daemons.

Anyways, as the other poster said, you don't have to go overboard on craftworld theme. (Especially as neither the guardian swarm nor Wraith-based army is particularly stellar on the battlefield). Have fun, play around with different units.

[That Phyco Guy]

Well now i got a good paying job and i can afford what i need i will probably have to go with Iyanden, Ive always been a fan but like you said whitestar very pricey! And with the new foundation paint Iyanden darksun that should not be a problem. By the way i just bought an eldar codex and I'm fixing up an army list soon thankyou guys.

[Esque]

Post it here for comments before you make your investments. Its not fun to actually buy more than you need!

[That Phyco Guy]

This is my first list, just had a quick skim threw the codex it equals exactly 1750pts the limit I usually play what you do you think?


HQ

Farseer, Doom, eldritch strom, x4 warlocks, x1 enhance, x1 spirit seer. 201pts

Elites

x10 wraithguard x1 spiritseer, conceal. 395pts.

Troops

x10 dire avengers, x1 exarch, x1 bladstorm. 147pts

A bit more punch for my infantry

x10 guardians, x1 bright lance. 110pts

x10 guardians, x1 bright lance. 110pts

Fast Attack

x8 Swooping hawks x1 exarch, sunrifle, skyleap. 210pts

x8 Swooping hawks x1 exarch, sunrifle, skyleap. 210pts

Love both of these units very quick acting and serious all round power.

Heavy support

Wraithlord, scatter laser shuriken cannon. 120pts

Wraithlord, scatter laser shuriken cannon. 120pts

Wraithlord, bright lance. 130pts

1747pts

[redbeard]

Looks ok. I think you run the risk of being out maneuvered, as you have very little that can adjust to an enemy in a hurry. You're also risking being outranged. I think a stand&shoot guard army would ruin your day, if played competently (leman russes go after wraithguard, guardsmen go for guardians)

I'd consider trading one of the 10-strong wraithguard squads for 5 in a wave serpent.

[Guitardian]

all those guardians... looks too cumbersome to get around. They really aren't much good other than as meat for the heavy weapon, and they don't fire it well either. Wraithguard are sick sick sick good and tough to take out, but if you want to stay with a theme but still have a mean army why not drop off a couple guardian squads and replace them with some nasty aspect like scorps or spiders... every craftworld has them somewhere hanging in the background waiting for their turn.

As far as painting goes... Yellow is hard to do well. multiple washed out coats. the pigment in yellow paint is nowhere near as thick as it is in red or blue. If you got the time I say go for it but Most yellow models i have seen have been a bit shabby with the brush marks because the painter just gets tired of doing so many layers of it. That's why I don't like Iyanden. Ulthwe is kind of easier I think because black is very easy to fake even if you dont paint well... just a mop and a drybrush and a splodge of yellow on the head looks like Ulthwe. But I have my own craftworld that I reign supreme on so I dont bother with GW color schemes. Why not invent your own? there are plenty of undiscovered craftworlds still surviving and floating around hoping to remain undiscovered while they heal and make pottery or poetry or whatever.

[That Phyco Guy]

I reedited my list again this time a bit more fast reacting units, Ive still got the Iyanden feel to it which is good. I hope this is still ok? And no i dont want any tanks so sick of them blasted contructions. Hahahaha sorry centurion im to in love with the already existing craftworlds and iyanden are truly rare to see upon a battlefield maybe they might be already dead?