Tactics: The Eldar Guide to Vehicle Weaponry
Scribed by: The Hive Custodian

Shuriken Catapult, Twin-Linked Shuriken Catapult, Flamer (Small Arms)

While vehicles are most famous for carrying heavy weapons, many of the lighter vehicles carry a small weapon for defense. Even the heavier ones often carry one of these “small arms” for support. However, they are just that: “small arms”. If you have a choice between moving and firing your small arms, ALWAYS move.

The Twin-Linked Shuriken Catapult is the ubiquitous defensive weapon. It is found on just about anything that hovers that isn’t a weapons platform. However, unless you have a squadron of jetbikes with these, they aren’t going to do much. With its two twin-linked shots, it will do 1.5 hits on average, barely higher than the performance of a single Dire Avenger. When mounted on massed jetbikes, they can dish out some damage while flying around on a mobile, albeit expensive, platform. However, as noted before, it is more important to move than to fire these weapons.

The normal Shuriken Catapult and the Flamer are both found on the Wraithlord. While not technically a vehicle, the Wraithlord shares many of the vehicular weapons systems. On the Wraithlord, you get a Shuriken Catapult or a Flamer on each arm. Which one to choose? They both have the same Strength and AP. The Shuriken Catapult has a 12” range, versus the 6.75” inch length of the flamer template. The Flamer automatically hits and ignores cover saves, while the Shuriken Catapult only hits .67 of the time, getting 1.33 hits over its two shots. However, the Flamer has an area of effect. I don’t know about you, but I’m going with the Flamer.

Shuriken Cannon

The Shuriken Cannon occupies a lower role as far as Eldar weapons go. It’s not a small arm, but not heavy enough to be truly impressive. Its main advantage is its low cost.

The poor AP of the Shuriken Cannon makes it an anti-infantry weapon. Therefore, let’s compare it to the slightly more expensive Scatter Laser, a popular infantry-killer. While the Shuriken Cannon has poor AP, the Scatter Laser has even worse AP. Not a huge difference, but this means the Shuriken Cannon will get 50% more kills against, say, Guardsmen, or Tyranid Raveners. The Scatter Laser gets 3.5 shots on average, a slight advantage that helps to offset its slightly higher cost. However, the biggest advantage of the Scatter Laser that I think makes it a much better choice is its greater range. Mounted on a fast vehicle, you can pummel the enemy’s Boltgun-toting Marines or whatever without getting shot at. Similarly, a greater range keeps the enemy from doing the same to you.

Also, most vehicles that sport Twin-Linked Shuriken Catapults say that you may replace them with a Shuriken Cannon. Do not do this. First, the Cannon is unlikely to see any real service, as you’ll want to keep moving. Second, the Shuriken Cannon is not that great of the weapon. Third, according to VDR, you just threw away 6 points!

Scatter Laser and Starcannon

Both have impressive rate of fire. Both have good Strength. Both of them have the same range. Very similar, no? Obviously the Starcannon pays more for its improved AP, making it better against heavily armored infantry. But how heavy is heavy?

Against no armor, or a 6+ save, the Scatter Laser will make 7 kills for each of the Starcannon’s 6.

Against 5+, the Scatter Laser will do 14 for every 18 of the Starcannon. However, the Starcannon costs 40-50% more. Therefore, the Scatter Laser is still better in most situations against this save.

Against 4+, the Scatter Laser does 7 for 12. The Starcannon becomes superior, even accounting for its cost, at this point.

Pulse Laser, Starcannon, and Bright Lance

Again, very similar here, and AP. The Starcannon and Bright Lance share the same cost and range, while the Bright Lance and the Pulse Laser share the same Strength.

First, let’s compare the Starcannon to the Bright Lance. As they share the same range, AP, and cost, a simple comparison can be drawn. One shot from each weapon will have the same effect as the other against Toughness values of 3 or less: .83 wounds per hit. However, the Starcannon fires much faster. Therefore, it is three times as good here. Against Toughness 4, the Bright Lance auto-kills, but the Starcannon does not. Both still do .83 wounds per hit. However, the Starcannon’s three shots means that the victim of the Bright Lance must have three wounds for the Bright Lance to break even, and at least four to beat the Starcannon. Anyone with four wounds is most likely a Monstrous Creature. Monstrous Creatures tend to have a Toughness of higher than 4. Therefore, you can pretty much eliminate the Bright Lance’s auto-kill advantage here. Above this, neither weapon auto-kills, making things a bit simpler.

Average performance per two turns at Ballistic Skill 3:

Toughness 5: Starcannon 2, Bright Lance .83

Toughness 6: Starcannon 1.5, Bright Lance .83

Toughness 7: Starcannon 1, Bright Lance .67

Toughness 8: Starcannon .5, Bright Lance .5

Toughness 9: Starcannon .5, Bright Lance .33

Toughness 10: Starcannon 0, Bright Lance .17

Notice how the Starcannon outperforms the Bright Lance until they’re even at Toughness 8 and beats it at 9 before 10 renders it ineffective. Therefore, the Starcannon is more effective compared to the Bright Lance at Toughness 9 then at 8. Strange, but that’s the way the rules work.

But wait! The Bright Lance costs the same as the Starcannon! How can it be worse? The answer, of course, is that it isn’t:

Average performance per twelve turns at Ballistic Skill 3:

G=Glancing, P=Penetrating

Armor Value 9: Starcannon 3G, 9P; Bright Lance 1G, 5P

Armor Value 10: Starcannon 3G, 6P; Bright Lance 1G, 4P

Armor Value 11: Starcannon 3G, 3P; Bright Lance 1G, 3P

Armor Value 12: Starcannon 3G; Bright Lance 1G, 2P

Armor Value 13 or 14: Starcannon 0; Bright Lance 1G, 2P

As you can see, the Bright Lance is superior against Armor Values of 12 or higher. Therefore, against tank-heavy armies (besides Rhinos, Chimeras, Razorbacks, and their ilk), use the Bright Lance. Otherwise, use the Starcannon.

Now, let’s compare the Bright Lance to the Pulse Laser. Against non-armored targets, this is a no-brainer: the Pulse Laser’s 1d3 shots are superior. Against armor:

Average performance per twelve turns at Ballistic Skill 3:

G=Glancing, P=Penetrating

Armor Value 9: Pulse Laser 2G, 10P; Bright Lance 1G, 5P

Armor Value 10: Pulse Laser 2G, 8P; Bright Lance 1G, 4P

Armor Value 11: Pulse Laser 2G, 6P; Bright Lance 1G, 3P

Armor Value 12: Pulse Laser 2G, 4P; Bright Lance 1G, 2P

Armor Value 13: Pulse Laser 2G, 2P; Bright Lance 1G, 2P

Armor Value 14: Pulse Laser 2G, Bright Lance 1G, 2P

So, the Bright Lance is only better at Armor Value 14 and with slightly lower range. However, the Pulse Laser is found only on the Falcon.

Finally, we have Starcannon vs. Pulse Laser. Looking at the tables above, the Pulse Laser is superior against vehicles. Against infantry and bikes, the Pulse Laser is twice as good as a Bright Lance. At Toughness values of 3 or less, the Starcannon is still better. The Pulse Laser is better against Toughness 4 creatures with more than one wound; otherwise, the Starcannon is the better choice. At Toughness 5 and 6, the Starcannon is still better, but the Pulse Laser wins out beyond that. Of course, the Pulse Laser has superior range.

So here you have it: Use the Scatter Laser against enemies with a 5+ save or worse and a Toughness of 9 or lower, or an Armor Value of 11 or lower. Use the Starcannon against enemies with a 4+ or better save and a Toughness of 9 or lower. Finally, use the Bright Lance against enemies with Toughness 10 or an armor value of more than 11.

Can you see why the Starcannon is so popular?

Eldar Missile Launcher and Prism Cannon

Ah, everyone’s favorite pastime: blasting a target from extreme ranges. Two vehicular guns best satisfy your craving for big explosions: the Eldar Missile Launcher and the Prism Cannon. Their great range makes comparisons to shorter-ranged, more efficient weapons less useful.

The Eldar Missile Launcher is at the high end of the swappable vehicle weapons. It has the greatest range and two types of missiles. Unfortunately, it also has the highest cost and neither missile can match the power of less versatile and shorter-ranged weapons.

Krak or Frag, uh, I mean Plasma? Well, the AP 3 of the Krak missile means that unless you can catch more than 5 Space Marines, 4 Battle Sisters, or 7 Nurgle Marines in the blast, you’re better off using the Krak missile.

However, against any other armor value, they both pierce the armor or fail to do so. Therefore, here’s the number of people you need to catch under the blast of the Plasma missile to beat the Krak, rounded up to the nearest .5 (remember that models partially covered are only hit half the time:

Toughness 1: 1

Toughness 2: 1

Toughness 3: 1.5

Toughness 4: 2

Toughness 5: 3

Toughness 6: 5.5

Toughness 7: 5.5

Toughness 8 or more: Target not affected by Plasma missile.

Of course, if you catch a T3/T4 commander out in the open…

As for the Prism Cannon: It is the longest range, second to most powerful, and the most expensive weapon the Eldar possess in the codex. And it has a blast, to boot! To demonstrate this, this is the table for the number of enemies you need under the blast of a Ballistic Skill 3 Prism Cannon to beat a Ballistic Skill 4 Starcannon, rounded up to the nearest .5:

Toughness 1: 4.5

Toughness 2: 4.5

Toughness 3: 4.5

Toughness 4: 4.5 (but Prism Cannon auto-kills)

Toughness 5: 3.5

Toughness 6: 2.5

Toughness 7: 2

Toughness 8: 1

Toughness 9: 1.5

Toughness 10: Starcannon has no effect.

Sure, the Starcannon has the advantage against smaller mon-keigh, but the bigger ones are asking for a Prism Cannon. As are the T4 Space Marine commanders, if they’re not careful. And don’t forget the Prism Cannon’s range!

D-Cannon, Vibro-Cannon, Shadow Weaver (Support Weapons)

Finally, we have the support weapons. While difficult to compare, you can see why these aren’t the most popular weapons. A Starcannon delivers about the same damage as the Shadow Weaver at about the same cost, with less range, but with more reliability and much better AP. The D-Cannon has excellent damage but its range limits its usefulness. Finally, the Vibro-Cannon, while more accurate, does not have great Strength and has a high cost. Its auto-glancing can be useful, but the Bright Lance is often more effective.

However, there are some uses for these weapons. The Vibro-Cannon, when mounted in batteries, can cause pinning easily, and three together can auto-kill the average human or Ripper Swarm. And ways can be used to improve the accuracy of the Guess weapons. With a laser pointer, a protractor, a scientific calculator, and some knowledge of geometry, you can triangulate the coordinates of any model! Okay, so the other people at the table aren’t going to like that...

Tactics: The Eldar Guide to Vehicles
Scribed by: Bonesinger Sandman

The Eldar are gifted with sleek lightning fast machines. And when equipped correctly, can pack a wallop, and yet not get a scratch from enemy fire. Many don’t realize this, but Eldar tanks are what make Eldar so feared. Of course, we have our fearsome Aspect warriors and our uncharacteristically large Guardian battalions, but our true strength lies in the vehicles. For example, those Aspect Warriors may be feared in close combat, but it wouldn’t matter if they never actually reach assault range. This modest little guide will help ease your battlefield pains and maximize your army’s potential. All right, I’ll be brief. [I’m actually supposed to be in bed as I write this ;)]

First let's start with the upgrades:

Crystal Targeting Matrix: Ok, there is NOT ONE GOOD REASON WHY YOU SHOULD NOT TAKE THIS!!! *Puff**Puff* Unless of course, you enjoy using your vehicles as cannon fodder O_o. This upgrade allows you to move, shoot, and move again all in the movement phase. Very useful. Why, you ask? Simple, put your oh-so-expensive Falcon out of sight behind, say a building. Move it six inches out into the open. Blast the enemy with a nice barrage. MOVE BACK INTO COVER. Done correctly, the enemy will never land a shot on your tank! Do yourself a favor, get this upgrade and a bunch of good-sized terrain. You’ll increase your lifetime. Trust me.

Holo Field: Another useful upgrade. Increases your tank’s ability to survive. But then again, if you have CTM, this shouldn’t be a factor anyway. However, you might want to give this upgrade to transports, as they will likely be exposed to more fire as they unload your troops.

Scythes: A very cheap, very useless upgrade. You could take it, but why? In the event that you are that close [why?!?!?] it is highly unlikely it will have any effect anyway. Not only that, the enemy can still make an armor save!

Spirit Stones: Performs a similar job as Holo field, except it only cushions your crew from being stunned or shaken. Again, I would give this only to transports or vehicles that are exposed to a lot of firepower.

Star Engines: What? 24 inches a turn isn’t good enough for you? I wouldn’t, if I were you. It might help if you trying to get to a target objective really fast though.

Vectored Engines: It is somewhat useful, but if you find yourself taking a terrain check every turn, you’re doing something wrong.

Now on to the vehicles:

Wave Serpent: The Eldar claim to fame. [No, NOT the Wraithlord.] Everyone should have one. The Wave Serpent is arguably the best transport in the galaxy. It has everything a transport needs: Speed [it can go 24 inches!], mobility [It’s a skimmer! It ignores terrain!], good firepower [a twin linked heavy weapon of your choice], a large cargo space [10 troopers or 5 Wraithguard and a Warlock], and good protection [a very high tech energy field, that dampens the power of meltaweapons, and turns highly destructive weapons fire to a mere pattering.] For weapons, I suggest a starcannon, brightlance, or a missile launcher.

Vypers: A very fast mobile weapons platform. Like many fragile things, they work better in groups. However, do NOT put them in the same squadron, as it is possible for weapons fire to down them all! I find them useful for anti tank units and general hit and run harassment. This is the vehicle where CTM truly shines, as the vehicle itself is so fragile it simply cannot take any hits. It is imperative you keep it out of sight, as even the lowly bolter can bring it down. A CTM is the only upgrade you need.

Falcon: The Eldar general-purpose tank. It can transport a small squad, and has weapons to worry most tanks and infantry. This vehicle is best described as a jack of all trades…and master of none. Like all vehicles, it is very fragile. Fragile enough to warrant more upgrades, namely CTM, holo field, and spirit stones. The Pulse Laser, while hard hitting, lacks the power to hurt larger tanks. That can be helped by giving it a brightlance. The low number and highly erratic fire rate of the Pulse Laser can cleave through highly armored infantry…or merely give them a light show. A starcannon helps. For practical purposes, I feel that scatterlasers, missile launchers, and shuriken cannons are wasted on this vehicle.

Fire Prism: A Fire Prism tank is basically a big gun strapped to a fast vehicle. With a gunner who couldn’t be counted on to shoot the sky. The Prism cannon is an incredibly long ranged single shot weapon with enough power to take out even the largest of targets. Unfortunately, the gunners low BS means you’ll be hard pressed to hit the target, no matter how large it is. This can be helped by keeping a Farseer nearby, and periodically casting guide on it. As it should be out of range, the only upgrade you’ll ever need is CTM. And even then, you may not even need that either.

War Walkers: First thing you should realize is that while WW are vehicles, they cannot take upgrades. A pity, as they are likely the ones who would benefit the most from them. They are incredibly fragile walkers that just happen to carry the firepower of a god. An interesting trade off. They carry enough firepower to equal or even surpass the Dark Reapers. They can be taken in squads of three, but they are horribly vulnerable. [My friends and I have a house rule that says if a vehicle has moved less than 6 inches, it may be screened by an appropriate sized model.] This unit is the only unit where I’d actually seriously consider scatterlasers. The immense number of shots means that SOMETHING has to give. Just about any weapon system will work, barring the useless shuriken cannon. Just make sure you take the same weapon system on each walker. Don’t mix up your weapons! You should always take advantage of the WW’s ability to move and fire both weapons. With some luck, you can always keep the enemy from coming too close. Worse comes to worst, you can always charge them into close combat. Strength 4 is needed to even begin to hurt them, so your walkers should be able to tie up the enemy for a while. Just realize against most weapons, they will fall like grass.

I hope this helped you guys. Rock on my brethren, and praise Ynnead while you’re at it!