Hey guys, Cavalier checking in, commission painter for Frontline Gaming and co-host of Splintermind: The Dark Eldar Podcast back with a look at Asuryani and their redeployment shenanigans post-FAQ.
Deployment Shenangians
One of the most enjoyable aspects of playing Eldar in 8th edition (and frustrating for players of the lesser races) is the tremendous amount of flexibility during deployment, which stands alongside movement as the two most important phases of the game.
A combination of Rangers “Appear Unbidden”, Webway Strike/Cloudstrike, the Shroudshift of Alansairr and the Phantasm stratagem, Asuryani players had a bewildering array of reserve and deployment manipulation. The FAQ has definitely impacted negatively from an Asuryani player’s perspective but certainly not to a crippling degree.
Rangers
Rangers who have been my go-to troop choice for my Asuryani definitely took a hit with the release of the FAQ. Their pre-turn 1 redeploy has been changed to a deepstrike move. The first thing lost is the “phantom drop” where you just chuck them into reserves which often meant forcing your opponent to put units on the table enabling you to counter-deploy them. The bigger loss however is the redeploy before the first turn begins. This gave you immense flexibility, as either a screen or as character hunters. I primarily used this for screening purposes in conjunction with a big unit of Dark Reapers, a Farseer and Spirit Seer who I’d use Phantasm to re-deploy if it looks like I had placed my fire base in a bad spot. With my usual battalion of Rangers I’d be redeploying 6 units for only 2 command points which was immensely useful.
Tactical Reserves
No longer being able to deepstrike Turn 1 is also a blow to suite of tricks up Eldar players sleeves. This was most often used defensively either keeping units such as Dark Reapers and Crimson Hunters out of harms way T1 and then unleashing hell on your opponents from the safety of their own deployment zone. This to me is arguably the biggest impact as its damage denial was 100% guaranteed.
The Work Around
Redeployment- While these changes definitely make Eldar players’ job a bit harder, its hardly reason to despair. Eldar have excellent stratagems and unit options to achieve the same goals, it simply requires a bit more cunning and CP expenditure to replicate the effects.
My go-to solution is the Phantasm stratagem which allows you to redeploy 3 units before T1. Whether it be a unit of say 10 Rangers, a big unit of Guardians I’ll be pairing them with the Reapers and the Spirit Seer and then giving the Shiftshroud of Alanssair to my Farseer which still allows me to deepstrike at the end of my first movement so I can very much replicate what I was doing before the FAQ.
Deepstrike Conundrum
The workaround for deepstriking is a bit more troublesome, especially for their long range shooting options. If you run into opponents without “barrage” or artillery units that ignore LOS and have great terrain you should be able to hide units like Dark Reapers out of LOS and again use Phantasm to your advantage. However if either of those threats are in play, you’ll most likely have to rely on Lightning Fast Reactions (for vehicles and infantry) and Wave Serpents for infantry specifically, both of which are not insignificant in terms of CP’s or points. That being said, combined with the Craftworld traits such as Alaitoc famous elusiveness, Spirit Stone Wave Serpents, those options are very solid and when used in conjunction with smart deployment using terrain to your advantage.
Conclusion
So while the FAQ certainly deals a blow to Asuryani suite of deployment tricks, its hardly crippling. What tools remain are excellent and would be hotly coveted by any other faction as they covet all aspects of Eldar greatness!
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Great article.
For me is the biggest blow to Rangers that I can’t longer deploy them 9″ from Gallants, grotesques, Genestealers etc to prevent them from move far up the board.
I hear you brother. I did the same thing myself. Probably going to have to resort to some counter attacking strategies. It reminds me of the old 7th edition days where I started using Scorpions as counter-attackers for all the bikes I was facing. They absolute annihilated the bikes (the exarch). Obviously they wont do the trick now…. Crazy as it sounds, Wraithblades could do the trick. Protect+Fortune use the Psytronome of Iyanden? Could work. Just some outside the box thoughts
Yeah maybe but wraith blades are expensive and few models so not so sure they are a good screen.
I guess you have to use the old school screening method and put units around your deploymentzone.
Alternatively flyers could be useful to box units in.
Yeah I meant using Wraithblades as counter attackers not screens. FLyers are great for screens too. Especially Alaitoc ones
Deploying rangers in deep-strike is still a “phantom drop” if I get it right. In the designer’s commentary it says deep-striking units still counts as a drop I would swear.
It does count as a drop for sure, however since deepstriking them is really disadvantageous as a screen, or to utilize their offense its really not worth it. As someone whose played Rangers in almost every game I know I wont be doing it. Not the end of the world though at all
How sure are we the shiftshroud still works at all? It doesn’t seem to give a specific exemption to the tactical reserves rules especially since the character wasn’t on the board during deployment. Seems like normal reserves to me.
Now obviously it either should work as written or they should have errata’d it like the rangers. Just feels like an overlooked grey area.
Point well taken. Could see it get errated. But where we stand right now I’d say its legal. Relics often give exceptions to the normal rules
Other interesting question. Before when the rule was just that you had to appear in your own deployment zone did you abide by the rule then?
TBH I stopped using the relic because the mobile screen and phantasm was all I needed