Codex: Craftworld Eldar is the latest Warhammer 40,000 army book detailing the members of the alien Eldar race. There are many different Eldar craftworlds scattered throughout the galaxy, each one with its own social structure, history, culture, traditions and different approaches to war. The Biel-Tan craftworld, for example, follows the Path of the Warrior and its Swordwind armies are predominantly made up of Aspect Warriors. To represent this, most Aspect Warrior squads are available as Troop choices. The Iyanden craftworld on the other hand includes many Wraithguard and Wraithlords in its armies due to its small number of living Eldar.

Most of these five craftworlds also have new troops types available to them. Ulthwé, for example, have the Black Guardians and a Seer Council, Saim-Hann have Wild Riders, and Alaitoc have Pathfinders.

All this makes for a huge variety of choices for an Eldar player. Each craftworld has its own style of fighting and requires different tactics to use it well. What works for one craftworld may not necessarily work for another.

The Codex also contains several pages showing examples of the colour schemes of the different craftworlds and includes tips on how to paint your own Eldar army.

Dark Reapers provide the Eldar forces with deadly covering fire.

Mike Major: The most effective combination of troops I've seen is a unit of four or five Dark Reapers behind two Eldar Guardian squads each with bright lance weapons platforms. By keeping the Farseer near these units, his Guide psychic power allows one of the squads to re-roll its misses. These squads used in such a combination have the potential to devastate most enemies at range. Against power-armoured Space Marines or light vehicles, the Dark Reapers can do the job with their Reaper missile launchers. Against charging hordes of infantry, the shuriken catapults of the Guardians are a healthy deterrent and the bright lance weapons platforms can bring down the most heavily armoured of foes. The Farseer should always use Guide on the squad that you need to succeed the most each turn. In addition, the Guardian screen can greatly extend the lives of your Reaper units. The best place for this formation is along the front of a wood where all models can also gain cover from possible ordnance fire.

Tuomas Lahdeoja: I often play against Eldar armies, and Otso, one of my regular opponents, usually uses the following to maim my Space Marines army:

Two Wraithlords and an Avatar form a loose defensive line (with about 8" or so between them, the Wraithlords slightly nearer the enemy than the Avatar). There are very few assault troops that can actually kill a Wraithlord, especially if it gets support from the Avatar and Aspect Warrior squads on the next turn.

A large squad of Banshees with an Exarch (fully kitted out) in a Wave Serpent is quite nasty. This is kept back to either plug the gaps in the battle line or take the fight to the enemy, dealing death to Devastators and suchlike. The same goes for Fire Dragons in a Falcon or Wave Serpent as they will be able to move 12" and still fire the twin linked starcannon (or single starcannon, in the case of the Falcon) plus a firepike and a few fusion guns. All of the Aspect Warriors in Falcons or Wave Serpents are effectively the fast reserve squads, able to adapt to the enemy's movements.

Tuomas has been on the receiving end of a squad of Howling Banshees often enough to know to fear them.

A squad of Striking Scorpions could be used in place of the Fire Dragons as they are more useful against lightly armoured infantry where Fire Dragons would be overkill.

Two largish squads of ten or more Guardians with starcannon platforms hiding well behind the main defensive battle line provide some extra firepower. These squads also keep the army break point up in tournament games. Support weapons can be placed with them too as they will be better defended than if placed out on their own. By keeping the Avatar in the centre of the battle line, he can be in the best position to confer fearlessness on his troops and keep the battle line from falling apart.

Basically, this whole battle plan relies on the Wraithlords' ability to hold just about anything for a while, the ability to shoot any transport vehicles to bits so that the Wraithlords can charge the troops inside, and the high speed of the close combat squads. The Guardians and the support weapons bolster the army and provide some heavy support. However, this type of army is vulnerable to enemies laden with heavy weapons who can destroy the Wraithguard and Avatar by shooting.

Next: Phil Kelly and Gav Thorpe