Might start Aeldari - need some advice

[TheDreadfulSagittary]

Greetings!

I'm pretty new here on these parts of the universe, as I'm mostly an imperial collector/player, but was always intrigued by the "eldar" (still uncomfortable with the extra a...). I loved the bright colours and the specialized units. 

As 11th edition seems to be on the corner, and I haven't played since... 8th???... I'm considering to start a small new army for the new edition. Although I love Space Marines (especially the Blood Angels and the Space Wolves of 40k), but I have a huge pile of Heresy Marines, and I want to do something completely new. Also something exciting as a hobby and painting project! So Aeldari would be up for the challenge.

 

I know, that it is early, and nobody knows how the army will be played in the new edition, but what would you recommend getting? Things, with which I couldn't miss. What characters or units should be fine?

 

Thanks for the advices!

 

P.S. Somehow I managed to get a Striking Scorpion units   I know... but these models called for me since forever, and I had the chance to get them for a great price. 
There are not many options for them, but how would you build the exarch? 

 

[Karhedron]

10 hours ago, TheDreadfulSagittary said:

I know, that it is early, and nobody knows how the army will be played in the new edition, but what would you recommend getting? Things, with which I couldn't miss. What characters or units should be fine?

 

The current rumour is that 11th edition will be a refinement of 10th edition rather than a complete revision. This means that the current Codex should be valid for a while yet (rather like the way 8th edition codices remained valid in 9th edition).

 

A lot of successful lists at the moment seem to lean heavily on Aspect Warriors and most of these along with their respective Pheonix Lords are a good choice. The Aspect Detachment is good for boosting these units and is also relatively easy to pilot, simply pick rerolls of 1 to Hit or Wound each time you attack with an Aspect Warrior unit.

 

You will need some heavier support to back these guys up and Falcons, Fire Prisms and Wave Serpents are all pretty good in their respective roles of IFV, MBT and APC.

 

You may want a couple of Battleline units, unfortunately I find Guardians pretty weak outside of their specialised Detachment. Some players take a squad or two of Corsair Voidreavers as they are cheap, compact and good for doing Actions. We know that some new Corsair models and Prince Yriel are coming soon so you might want to put off deciding what Battleline units to get until after you see the new models.

 

Rangers are decent cheap Infiltrators and can be used to screen your midfield, nab Objectives and perform Actions. They probably won't kill very much but they can make a nuisance of themselves. They pair well with Scorpions as you can Infiltrate a lot of bodies. Speaking of Scorpions, I would take either the Claw or Biting Blade on the Exarch as the Chainsabres are a bit weak. Sadly Scorpions don't have a Phoenix Lord at the moment (outside of Legends), apparently he was so stealthy that they couldn't find him for the release. An Autarch makes a good alternative Leader for them and the Aspect of Murder Enhancement turns him into quite a formidable melee threat.

 

Scorpions are a good melee threat against lighter infantry but will struggle against other tougher than Marines so this is probably where you want to focus you firepower. I have put together a suggested 1000 point list below. This will give you decent threats into a range of targets and will give a good core that you can later expand upon.

 

Aspect Host Detachment

110 Autarch with Aspect of Murder Enhancement

150 10 Striking Scorpions

 

120 5 Fire Dragons

95  Howling Banshees

125 Wave Serpent

 

95 Swooping Hawks

105 5 Warp Spiders

90 5 Dark Reapers

 

890 Total

 

This list leaves 110 points free for Battleline which could 10 Guardians or Corsairs depending on your preference. The Autarch leads the striking Scorpions and can Infiltrate with them. The Howling Banshees and Fire Dragons can share a ride in the Wave Serpent as they both benefit from protection to get close to the enemy. Remember to disembark the Banshees before the Serpent moves on the turn you want them to charge as if they wait until afterward it moves, they cannot charge. The Warp Spiders and Swopping Hawks both operate on the flanks as fast skirmishing units, they can zip in, harass the enemy with shooting and use Agile Manoeuvres to avoid the worst retribution. The Dark Reapers can simply park themselves on your backfield Objective and blaze away all game.

 

This is not definitive by any means but hopefully it will give you some ideas to get started. 

[Bouargh]

Aeldari have a lot of units to select from and can be as such declined in various set ups. Some are competitive, other are less efficient. I dunno if there are better built than others but generaly speaking Karhedron hints are a (very) good starting point.

I have no experience under the recent Codex, more with the Index.

 

Yet I still can share some findings that are probably still true:

- Windriders are not worth it as Shroudrunners do the same or better.

- Guardians are in a bad position for unit selection and are even weirder now that they can get a support platform attached to their squad too. I used to have a big block of 2 guardians defenders and 2 strom guardians units in the past but I am not that sure I will maintain this structure except for big games (3000pts and beyond). For the same reasons as Karhedron explained, I moved toward Corsairs instead of Guardians even before codex being released. And they Scout, so it is ideal for agressive strategies.

- Wraith construct rocks, especially wraithguards in a Serpent or wraithblades (in serpents). 

- You can field knights and vehicles and infantery in proportions that only Orks can outmatch, and without suffering the penalties of Freeblades for Imperials. This is a great tooling option when army size expand.

- I play Ynnari but I am not sure it is an advisable way to go, except for adding a lot of deepstriking units and their transports. But pointy ears are so fragile...

- Singing spears are a must have if you field Warlocks in Guardian units. It gives you a big add on at shooting big or tough stuff. As a conclave used as a retinue for a Seer, it means up to 5 spears: devastating against tanks and Titanics, but also worth it against MEQ elites. And without any extra dime to be paid. In a Falcon you deepstrike this death tolling unit.

- Warwalkers are all or nothing. It is 50/50 percent chance of big wins or doing nothing (because they might die early). Pointy ears are so fragile.

- Vypers are not that attractive as they are outgunned. Do rather opt for the Harlequin version as first choice. When your 3 slots are filled, then add Vypers.

- Dire Avengers are... just like Guardians, but worse.

 

[Xenith]

Good advice here so far - I'll just add that rules wise, Eldar are typically good to very strong, and pretty much all units are playable and decent in friendly games, with none leaving you with feels bad. 

 

With that in mind, you can take pick your favourite units and go to town. I have found that Eldar are not so good at scoring primary as they lack durability, so plenty of small, mobile units to get your secondary points, like spiders, rangers etc, will be a help. 

[Xenith]

I should qualify that with some experience, playing against Eldar can be frustrating for opponents as they are fast and can stay hidden well - I'm not amazing but often have to pull punches, which might affect your own gaming experience - this all depends on your local meta.

[Karhedron]

On 1/13/2026 at 12:10 PM, Bouargh said:

- Wraith construct rocks, especially wraithguards in a Serpent or wraithblades (in serpents). 

 

Yes, in an army of glass hammers, these guys can be your anvils. It is worth considering how you use them as they do not interact with the Faction rule so cannot use Agile Manoeuvres (except in their specialised detachment). Also they normally hit on 4+ for most of their attacks so you may want to consider a Spiritseer or two to babysit them which can make them more expensive than they initially appear.

 

However each version is tough as nails and excels in their own area. If you want to dabble without committing too much then Wraithguard with D-Scythes are a great option. Their weapons are Torrent and hit automatically making their low ballistic skill irrelevant. They can shred all sorts of infantry and even threaten vehicles at a pinch. They are also a great target for the Overwatch stratagem.

[TheDreadfulSagittary]

You are all AMAZING, thank you for the support and the thourough advices! 

I stand only at the beginning of a path - wasn't sure to take it - but your positive feedback helps a lot! If I'm about to join fully in the way of the Aeldari, I will be in an amazing community. 

 

On 1/13/2026 at 10:06 AM, Karhedron said:

 

The current rumour is that 11th edition will be a refinement of 10th edition rather than a complete revision. This means that the current Codex should be valid for a while yet (rather like the way 8th edition codices remained valid in 9th edition).

 

A lot of successful lists at the moment seem to lean heavily on Aspect Warriors and most of these along with their respective Pheonix Lords are a good choice. The Aspect Detachment is good for boosting these units and is also relatively easy to pilot, simply pick rerolls of 1 to Hit or Wound each time you attack with an Aspect Warrior unit.

 

You will need some heavier support to back these guys up and Falcons, Fire Prisms and Wave Serpents are all pretty good in their respective roles of IFV, MBT and APC.

 

You may want a couple of Battleline units, unfortunately I find Guardians pretty weak outside of their specialised Detachment. Some players take a squad or two of Corsair Voidreavers as they are cheap, compact and good for doing Actions. We know that some new Corsair models and Prince Yriel are coming soon so you might want to put off deciding what Battleline units to get until after you see the new models.

 

Rangers are decent cheap Infiltrators and can be used to screen your midfield, nab Objectives and perform Actions. They probably won't kill very much but they can make a nuisance of themselves. They pair well with Scorpions as you can Infiltrate a lot of bodies. Speaking of Scorpions, I would take either the Claw or Biting Blade on the Exarch as the Chainsabres are a bit weak. Sadly Scorpions don't have a Phoenix Lord at the moment (outside of Legends), apparently he was so stealthy that they couldn't find him for the release. An Autarch makes a good alternative Leader for them and the Aspect of Murder Enhancement turns him into quite a formidable melee threat.

 

Scorpions are a good melee threat against lighter infantry but will struggle against other tougher than Marines so this is probably where you want to focus you firepower. I have put together a suggested 1000 point list below. This will give you decent threats into a range of targets and will give a good core that you can later expand upon.

 

Aspect Host Detachment

110 Autarch with Aspect of Murder Enhancement

150 10 Striking Scorpions

 

120 5 Fire Dragons

95  Howling Banshees

125 Wave Serpent

 

95 Swooping Hawks

105 5 Warp Spiders

90 5 Dark Reapers

 

890 Total

 

This list leaves 110 points free for Battleline which could 10 Guardians or Corsairs depending on your preference. The Autarch leads the striking Scorpions and can Infiltrate with them. The Howling Banshees and Fire Dragons can share a ride in the Wave Serpent as they both benefit from protection to get close to the enemy. Remember to disembark the Banshees before the Serpent moves on the turn you want them to charge as if they wait until afterward it moves, they cannot charge. The Warp Spiders and Swopping Hawks both operate on the flanks as fast skirmishing units, they can zip in, harass the enemy with shooting and use Agile Manoeuvres to avoid the worst retribution. The Dark Reapers can simply park themselves on your backfield Objective and blaze away all game.

 

This is not definitive by any means but hopefully it will give you some ideas to get started. 

 

That list looks really fun! A I haven't played any 40k since the beginning of 8th edition - you do not need Troop choices anymore in your list? I'm feeling really-really old 
The Scorpions come in 10s, but the other aspects tend to come with fewer models. Do they still hold ground or you need to bulk them up later? 

 

 

On 1/13/2026 at 1:10 PM, Bouargh said:

Aeldari have a lot of units to select from and can be as such declined in various set ups. Some are competitive, other are less efficient. I dunno if there are better built than others but generaly speaking Karhedron hints are a (very) good starting point.

I have no experience under the recent Codex, more with the Index.

 

Yet I still can share some findings that are probably still true:

- Windriders are not worth it as Shroudrunners do the same or better.

- Guardians are in a bad position for unit selection and are even weirder now that they can get a support platform attached to their squad too. I used to have a big block of 2 guardians defenders and 2 strom guardians units in the past but I am not that sure I will maintain this structure except for big games (3000pts and beyond). For the same reasons as Karhedron explained, I moved toward Corsairs instead of Guardians even before codex being released. And they Scout, so it is ideal for agressive strategies.

- Wraith construct rocks, especially wraithguards in a Serpent or wraithblades (in serpents). 

- You can field knights and vehicles and infantery in proportions that only Orks can outmatch, and without suffering the penalties of Freeblades for Imperials. This is a great tooling option when army size expand.

- I play Ynnari but I am not sure it is an advisable way to go, except for adding a lot of deepstriking units and their transports. But pointy ears are so fragile...

- Singing spears are a must have if you field Warlocks in Guardian units. It gives you a big add on at shooting big or tough stuff. As a conclave used as a retinue for a Seer, it means up to 5 spears: devastating against tanks and Titanics, but also worth it against MEQ elites. And without any extra dime to be paid. In a Falcon you deepstrike this death tolling unit.

- Warwalkers are all or nothing. It is 50/50 percent chance of big wins or doing nothing (because they might die early). Pointy ears are so fragile.

- Vypers are not that attractive as they are outgunned. Do rather opt for the Harlequin version as first choice. When your 3 slots are filled, then add Vypers.

- Dire Avengers are... just like Guardians, but worse.

 

 

I remember, that there where (nearly) full bike lists back in the day. Then they are not that viable anymore? I don't know what to think about them. They are iconic aeldari units.

 

What do you think about their Combat Patrol?

 

 

[Bouargh]

On 1/14/2026 at 6:02 PM, TheDreadfulSagittary said:

 

I remember, that there where (nearly) full bike lists back in the day. Then they are not that viable anymore? I don't know what to think about them. They are iconic aeldari units.

 

What do you think about their Combat Patrol?

 

I do not consider full bike army to be viable anymore. Loss of bike autarch (to Legends), Windriders mainly reduced to anti infanteyr Fire support role only (and last minute objective grabbers)  and under weaponized Vypers hinder seriously any mounted only force. A shame as the Harlequin bikes are good, as well as their Vyper equivalent gun platform. Mounted aspect (Shining spears) are also Ok. And Ynnari gives you access to Venom (and the embarked mounted battleline kabalites) and gladiatorized Reaver jet bikes. All these units are individaully good but the mixed grill does not taste that good anymore. (EDIT: and I forgot the Shroudrunners that do the same as Windriders but better, and, as such, steal the lead role).

The key factor here is the dowgrade of the traditionnal units that used to be the core of a 100% jetbike army. Restoring a battleline role for Windriders and some "mounted infantery" options might be what is missing to make a come back. And the Vyper needs a second HW option to swap with the twin shurikat. It is not that much but it is key. Otherwise biles are limited to the role of supporting units. 
 

Considering the patrol box now… It is a shame it has Dire Avengers. IMHO, it limits the attractivity and reduces the impact of the bargain offer as a starting point for a collection. I would pass if it is a first purchase. Yet as reinforcements for an existing collection of say 1 to 2k pts it might be a good product; but again you have to deal with the Avengers and their average rating.

 

But again, I did not play with the codex rules yet, so this is theory hammer only.

 

EDTI 2: Post Reveals.

Last WE we've got the New Year reveals, inc. the new Vyper and the StarFang. Hard to tell how they can shift a little bit the full bike thematic army option, as it will depend of the reworked datasheet (will Vyper loose the 2 for 1 (squadron) option, how will be included the Corsairs in the Aeldarii armies?...). We already know that the Vyper will have 2 HW, at least a shurikannon and maybe a missile pod (?), and the gunner weapons look like they stay BL, Scatter and stracannon (? - even if it remiand me a little bit more of a D-scythe, a little bit at least). So nothing too fancy but may be enough to revitalise the machine (although it is likely to stay inferior to the Harlequin VoidReaver except if you still can spam it). The StarFang shall in contrast receive more than just Dark Eldar weapons (after choosing between Bright or Dark Lance is not that a choice, and Blasters or Shredders or Disintegrators or whatever also have close counter parts in the Aeldarii arsenal, even if not necesarilly mounted on the Vyper chassis. But... who knows). I just hope it will not be a series of cosmetic options only.

 

Edited January 19 by Bouargh
Edit1: Unit names and typos; Edit 2: Post New Year Reveal