Intel Gathering: Eldar "Defend" ability

[ShinyRhino]

I return again with anotyher one of my Intel Gathering posts.

This time I need Intel on the Eldar.

What in the name of the God Emperor is the Eldar "Defend" ability? From my basic understanding, it reduces the number of melee attacks your models get by 1 when they attack an Eldar unit with it.

What are the limitations on this? Is it only when the unit is charged, or for the entire duration of the close combat?

Ming and I teamed up against an Eldar player last night, and man was this Defend thing annoying. Made the dire avenger squad that had it into a MASSIVE tarpit in close combat. It took forever to smash these guys down with bolter-butts and kicks to the face.

Thanks!

[Cypher 102]

Enemies directing attacks at the exarch's squad lose one attack down to a minimum of one attack during every attack phase.

[Iron_Chaos_Brute]

And yes, it does turn Avengers into Tarpits.

[eyescrossed]

It's WAY too underpriced at 15 points for what it can do - I charged a squad of Bloodletters into them.

They lost.

[ShinyRhino]

It's WAY too underpriced at 15 points for what it can do - I charged a squad of Bloodletters into them.

They lost.

 

Wow, only 15 points? Sheesh. It basically reduced my tacticals to even-footing with the stinky Elves. Very frustrating.

[Ming]

Bring a Chaplain, and at least you can get re-rolls on the charging turn. Overall, since they (the eldar unit in question) cannot reduce you below 1 attack, not much of an impact after the first CC phase.

 

PS - get that sergeant a power weapon or fist ASAP. Until we have a house rule that chain swords are rending (as they should be in a better world), you need the extra damage that a power weapon causes...

[ShinyRhino]

PS - get that sergeant a power weapon or fist ASAP. Until we have a house rule that chain swords are rending (as they should be in a better world), you need the extra damage that a power weapon causes...

 

Didn't have the points that game. I have just one Vet Sergeant model completed at the moment, and he usually proxies in for a libby!

[xXwarsmithXx]

It is more expensive than 15 points. To get the ability you have to have any where from 5 to 10 dire avengers. They each cost 12 points. Then you have to elect one of them as an exarch for a cost of 12 points. The ability then costs an additional 15 points, with the exarchs gear ranging from 0 - 15 points for the upgrades. Seems like a decent deal as a fully kitted squad comes to laround 170 points. But, to give you an idea of what they can throw, they can get a twenty man squad of storm guardians, the storm guards can have 4 attacks on the charge, and two can be given flamers for a total of 172 points. The best thing to do is templates or vehicles i think, as the DA do not have any grenades, and cannot hurt even dark eldar vehicles. Drop pies on them, and they will go down. They are deadly as they posses an assault two weapon with a range of eighteen inches. Word of Caution: The Eldar player can buy bladestorm instead of defend which will let each model shoot an extra shot and forgo the next shooting phase. Think, 50% more bullets coming at you.

[ShinyRhino]

Word of Caution: The Eldar player can buy bladestorm instead of defend which will let each model shoot an extra shot and forgo the next shooting phase. Think, 50% more bullets coming at you.

 

That's interesting, because the player we faced had BOTH on that unit. The only reason he mixed it up in CC was because he had emptied his guns via Bladestorm the turn before.

[Seahawk]

Well, since and Eldar player can indeed have both powers, your opponent was just fine. It could be even worse yet; they could have a 5+ invulnerable in close combat too...

 

As for the Storm Guardians, how are they getting 4 attacks each? 1 base + 1 for two weapons + 1 for charging is still only 3.

[eyescrossed]

It is more expensive than 15 points. To get the ability you have to have any where from 5 to 10 dire avengers. They each cost 12 points. Then you have to elect one of them as an exarch for a cost of 12 points. The ability then costs an additional 15 points, with the exarchs gear ranging from 0 - 15 points for the upgrades. Seems like a decent deal as a fully kitted squad comes to laround 170 points. But, to give you an idea of what they can throw, they can get a twenty man squad of storm guardians, the storm guards can have 4 attacks on the charge, and two can be given flamers for a total of 172 points. The best thing to do is templates or vehicles i think, as the DA do not have any grenades, and cannot hurt even dark eldar vehicles. Drop pies on them, and they will go down. They are deadly as they posses an assault two weapon with a range of eighteen inches. Word of Caution: The Eldar player can buy bladestorm instead of defend which will let each model shoot an extra shot and forgo the next shooting phase. Think, 50% more bullets coming at you.

You're incorrect on a few things. I'll point them out, as I'm an Eldar player myself.

I know to actually get Defend costs more than 15 points, but I was talking about the power itself.

Storm guardians don't have 4 attacks on the charge, but Striking Scorpions do.

They can harm Dark Eldar vehicles - more than 20 Strangth 4 shots would easily take apart a Raider.

Dire Avengers can take BOTH Exarch powers, not just one.

[xXwarsmithXx]

Well, my bad. My codex is three hundred miles away, so that was off the top of my head. And as far as not harming DE, it was the heavier vehicle, so that could be why. When I said instead, I didnt think anyone would take both abilities, at least i wouldnt, but I stand corrected. I guess I thought that you got one attack for each weapon in cc, 1 more for two single handed weps, and 1 for charge. You have to realize that I am still fairly new and that was my interpretation.

[eyescrossed]

But there are a lot more raiders than ravagers, and they could still harm it on the rear armour.

[Seahawk]

Ah, well no harm then. You'll learn eventually young grasshopper. As for taking both abilities, I always would if I had Dire Avengers, but as I play Ulthwé, they are decidedly rare. My friend does take both, and it's quite annoyingly effective. I actually don't know who wouldn't take both powers, other than to save points. They're a nice generalist unit.

[Mordekiem]

It's WAY too underpriced at 15 points for what it can do - I charged a squad of Bloodletters into them.

They lost.

 

Wow, only 15 points? Sheesh. It basically reduced my tacticals to even-footing with the stinky Elves. Very frustrating.

Um, your tacticals still have higher str, toughness and better armor. And ATSKNF.

 

The common tactic is to lock a unit or two in CC with the avengers and then bring in your dedicated CC unit to wipe the enemy out one at a time. In the meantime the other non-eldar units will not be able to counterattack the fragile harlies/banshees/etc because they are tarpitted by the avengers. So if you play against this tactic you want to be careful how you engage those eldar.