Last Stand - Farseer

The Farseer is the Last Stand Hero of the Eldar.

Overview

The Eldar Farseer is simultaneously one of the strongest and weakest heroes; she has, perhaps more than any other hero, the ability to completely warp an entire battle's progression for her team's favor, and she has remarkably high survivability for a character who tends to focus on abilities like she does. Indeed, many who are more familiar with her Chaos counterpart are usually more than a bit surprised by how survivable she is in contrast to the (at first) abhorrently bad survivability of the Sorcerer.

What makes the Farseer powerful is her ability to influence the battle indirectly. Her abilities can cause more pandemonium and disruption to the enemy than is probably healthy, and enable her to seriously reduce the threat enemies pose to her teammates. She also boasts some offensive abilities, though these aren't as potent as their counterparts. In trained hands, she's absolutely terrifying, since she can easily flow between different types of support as the battle and her wargear merit.

In truth, however, the Eldar Farseer's biggest weakness is honestly damage output. She gets a number of very powerful skills in Eldritch Bolt and Eldritch Storm, and these can be (and are) remarkably powerful, but are nowhere near as good as comparable abilities used by the Chaos Sorcerer, Mekboy, or Tau Commander offensively. She actually has only modestly good mobility; indeed, hers is the dead-center middle - ahead of the Tyrant and Lord General, but behind the Sorcerer, Mekboy, Tau Commander, and Space Marine Captain.

Armor

• Farseer Armor - Default
  • Armor Rating: 16
    • Default Armor. It fails at everything and should never be used.

• Armor of Vaul - Level 1
  • Armor Rating: 184
  • Trait: Fearless (Immune to Suppression)
    • This initial armor boasts absolutely gigantic defense for a caster, as well as the fearless trait - an incredibly powerful combination, to say the least. Right out the gate, the Farseer boasts very high survivability specifically because of this, and this armor remains useful for quite some time due to its heavy armor and Fearless trait.

• Rune Armor - Level 6
  • Armor Rating: 68
  • +50 Energy
    • This armor is more in-line with the Chaos Sorcerer's armors: Modest defense, but an ability specifically-designed to support a caster. In this case, one might immediately see the Rune Armor's vastly lower defense and immediately ignore it, but that does the armor a huge disservice; the Rune Armor gives a massive amount of secondary energy, and since the Farseer relies so heavily on her skills to do much of anything, this boon is absolutely gigantic and thusly not to be underestimated. It tends to lose its sparkle as the game goes on, however.

• Ghosthelm - Level 13
  • Armor Rating: 44
  • +1 Energy Regeneration
    • Like the Rune Armor, this lower-defense armor is easy to overlook - especially with access to another suit of armor on this list. On the other hand, +1 Energy Regeneration, for a character like the Farseer, is fucking huge. It dramatically improves her peformance and ability to stay in the fight by simple virtue of letting her cast far more often, and that's a particularly handy advantage to have, especially when one considers that it can be stacked with her other abilities for a veritable font of energy regeneration that lets her throw out spells in a barrage.

• Armor of Eldanesh - Level 18
  • Armor Rating: 132
  • Ability: Psychic Shield (Raise a psychic shield which halves incoming damage and causes it to reduce Energy instead of Health.)
    • Yet another overlooked armor, but this one has a few defenders owning to its heavy defense and access to Psychic Shield. Though often an avoided ability, the Armor of Eldanesh giving the Farseer a means to resist damage means that it makes a good survival option, especially if the Farseer gets overwhelmed. The drawback of course is that the Farseer is an immensely energy-reliant hero; burning off energy from her pool can leave you short of it in a bad situation.

• Mantle of Malan'tai - Achievement Unlock: Revive 75 Allies as the Eldar farseer
  • Armor Rating: 165
  • Trait: +0.5 Energy Regeneration
    • This unlockable armor frequently is seen as the better version of the Ghosthelm armor, due to the fact that it has much heavier armor; On the other hand, however, the energy regen boost is only half as strong. Whilst at a glance, this means the Mantle of Malan'tai is much stronger, the energy regeneration rate boost available from the Ghosthelm is infinitely better for many builds. It is still a very effective armor, however, and one of the most commonly used.

• Armor of Idranel - DLC
  • Armor Rating: 165
  • +100 Health
  • Trait: Unshakable (Immune to Knockdown), Foresight (All melee damage reduced by 50%)
    • An almost bizarrely powerful armor that is undeniably the most-commonly-used, by simple virtue of its massive health boost and strong armor rating. Just as strong as the Mantle of Malan'tai defensively, the huge health buff it gives is what pushes it over; 100 extra health plus that level of armor means an incredible level of survivability, but when it has Unshakable as well, that's just outstanding. The Foresight buff is just icing on the cake- halving all melee damage makes the Farseer an extremely effective melee tank, and when paired with the Debilitating Witchblade only the most dangerous melee fighters will be able to hurt her in close combat. Perhaps more than any other Farseer armor, this one is the hardest to justify not using, since its massive upsides eclipse almost anything the other armors can do, though many players eschew it in favor of the other armors, either for Fearless (Armor of Vaul), Energy Boosting (Ghosthelm, Rune Armor, Mantle of Malan'tai), or access to Psychic Shield (Armor of Eldanesh). Or just because they don't want to pony up for it.

Weapons

• Witchblade - Default
  • One-handed Melee Weapon
  • 7.0 DPS
    • Stereotypical default weapon that stereotypically sucks.

• Shuriken Pistol - Default
  • One-handed Ranged Weapon
  • 2.6 DPS
    • Bizarrely, the default pistol is just as effective as the other pistols in terms of damage output. Draw your own conclusions.

• Pistol of the Warseer - Level 1
  • One-handed Ranged Weapon
  • 2.6 DPS
  • Traits: Combat Expert (+30% Melee and Ranged Damage), Swift (+25% Movement Speed)
    • The Pistol of the Warseer's damage output is barely higher than the Shuriken Pistol (and even then that's due to Combat Expert), but the fact that it grants 2 of the most useful traits in the game make this one hell of an early game wargear. Do note, however, that it takes up an extremely contended-for slot; if you take the Pistol of the Warseer, the only damaging ability you get to take advantage of the Combat Expert trait is Eldritch Storm (which can actually be remarkably powerful with both the pistol and runes of war). On the other hand, Swift is amazingly useful, and stacks with the other speed boosts the Farseer can get, which massively increases survivability.

• Pistol of the Doomseer - Level 1
  • One-handed Ranged Weapon
  • 2.6 DPS
  • Ability: Eldritch Bolt (15 Energy, Fires a roiling blast of psychic energy at the target)
    • Pistol of the Doomseer gives you your first legitimately good offensive spell, and indeed one of only three that the Farseer can use. It's actually remarkably cost-effective and fairly useful, though it needs Runes of War to get the most out of. If you're planning to go direct combat, Pistol of the Doomseer is a must.

• Witchblade of the Crone - Level 1
  • One-handed Melee Weapon
  • 20.0 DPS
    • The Witchblade of the Crone has high DPS and.... That's literally it. Whilst it's brutally effective against softer targets, it lacks armor piercing and isn't anywhere near as good against tougher foes unless heavily bolstered by Combat Expert/Mastery. If you're planning to engage in close-combat, consider taking this along; otherwise, shelve it for the other melee weapons.

• Singing Spear - Level 4
  • Two-handed Melee Weapon
  • 19.0 DPS
  • Traits: Unshakable (Immune to knockback)
    • The singing spear looks abhorrently bad on paper: 2 hands for a weapon barely as good as the Witchblade of the Crone and with a trait easily-accessible from a piece of wargear that renders it largely irrelevant. So, worst weapon for the Farseer, right? Wrong. Singing Spear does damage in bigger chunks than the Witchblade of the Crone, has better reach, and a higher special attack rating, all in all resulting in better damage overall unless the Witchblade's paired with the Pistol of the Warseer. The Singing Spear is thus much better than it initially appears, and is especially good when stacked with the Armor of Vaul.

• Witchblade of Isha - Level 9
  • One-handed Melee Weapon
  • 10.2 DPS
  • +0.3 Energy Regeneration, +25 Energy
    • It may be weaker than the Witchblade of the Crone, but this wasn't taken for its damage (which is still acceptable). Instead, you take it for the increased energy regen and capacity, all of which are great things for any caster. The ability to fire off another Confuse or Eldritch Bolt is always beneficial, and this weapon pays for itself in short order specifically because of this.

• Pistol of the Skyseer - Level 14
  • One-handed Ranged Weapon
  • 2.6 DPS
  • Ability: Levitation Field (15 Energy, lifts enemies in the air and then tosses around for knockback damage)
    • This Pistol has a hilariously useful ability that enables the Farseer to quickly deal with enemies that cluster up, throwing them all over the place thereafter. The damage tends to vary wildly, from doing barely any whatsoever to doing quite a bit if enemies collide with one another during the throw. The primary benefit isn't the damage, however; it's disabling enemies and launching them away from you. This even works on dopplegangers, but it will fail against any that happen to have the Unshakable Trait.

• Warp Spear - Level 19
  • Two-handed Melee Weapon
  • 12.2 DPS
  • Ability: Warp Pull (5 Energy, pulls enemies toward the Farseer)
  • Trait: Pitiless (Farseer has a 10% chance to cause 200 bonus damage on striking)
    • A utility weapon through and through, whose mediocre DPS hides its real potential. On its own, its damage is pretty bad considering it eschews the use of a pistol, but it has a 1-in-10 chance of triggering a massive damage strike that is capable of one-shotting most targets, making it comparable to (but weaker than) the Chaos Sorcerer's Staff of Fate. The Warp Spear compensates, however, by coming with Warp Pull, which is an amazing control ability. You can drag enemies into close combat, pull them away from vulnerable allies, or pull them into the firing arc of teammates. The numerous applications of the Warp Spear make it surprisingly useful, so don't underestimate it!

• Laughing Stave - Achievement Unlock: Earn a Score Multiplier of 275 as the Farseer
  • Two-handed Ranged Weapon
  • 11.1 DPS
  • Traits: Knockback (Enemies hit by this weapon will be knocked back), Laughing Runes (-25% Energy Cost), Unshakable (Immune to Knockback)
    • There are three reasons to take the laughing stave, and any of them, on their own, are good reasons, but when together, they turn this weapon into an oft-unappreciated powerhouse. First, it's the only exclusively ranged weapon the Farseer gets, and it's a damned good one, offering a more-than-4-fold damage increase over the Shuriken Pistols. Second, it has knockback, which means it's actually very good for keeping the Farseer out of trouble - both in close-combat, and from afar. But it's the last advantage it has that's the most glaring: a 25% reduction in energy costs means that literally everything you cast is orders of magnitude easier to use - even the likes of Eldritch Storm will only cost 37 energy under this upgrade, allowing your average energy-focused Farseer to cast it twice with a full energy bar. It bolsters all your other abilities, too, making it a solid choice that should used for a great many builds.

This weapon grants Unshakable and has the same melee dps as Witchblade of the Crone. It is not exclusively ranged.

• Debilitating Witchblade - DLC
  • One-handed Melee Weapon
  • 7.1 DPS
  • Traits: Sap (Reduces an enemy's melee damage by 50% for 5 seconds), Energy Leech (Restores 10 Energy when this weapon kills an enemy)
    • This useful weapon is actually extremely good if paired with mobility enhancement via the Pistol of the Warseer and/or Runes of Fleetness. It can be used to weaken tougher foes, rendering them much less dangerous, and thus renders the Farseer's escapes much more managable. It's also a decent weapon on its own, reliably cutting down mooks fairly effectively. Used here, it works very much like the Mekboy's Big Choppa, letting the Farseer restore energy quickly by taking a sword to the likes of a Guardsman or Hormagaunt.

Accessories

• Runes of Warding - Level 1
  • Ability: Ward (25 Energy, grants ally temporary invulnerability)
    • This is a lifesaver for the Farseer, as this can be the difference between saving your ally or dying and failing a run. Just beware when fighting your Wave 16 doppelganger as the enemy will use this with impunity against you. Especially if they're going for that Tau Efficiency achievement.

• Runes of Herlequin - Level 1
  • Ability: Confuse (15 Energy, confuses the target, forcing it to attack anything nearby for a while.)
    • This is more situational than it looks, as if you use it at the wrong time, this will sic the squad right back at you, which may or may not be what you intended. On the other hand, the doppelganger can't use it and it can interrupt their resurrection attempts.

• Runes of Fleetness - Level 2
  • Ability: Fleet of Foot (5 Energy, grants the Farseer a speed boost at the cost of her damage output)
    • If you really want to work support as a Farseer, then this will be your go-to tool for making those quick saves. Take care though, as this is not a triggered ability, but a temporary one.

• Runes of War - Level 4
  • Traits: Combat Master (+40% Melee and Ranged Damage)
    • If you play a combat Farseer, then this will be an auto-include, as it will make you much more of a threat than everyone would expect.

• Runes of Deception - Level 7
  • Ability: Conceal (20 Energy, grants invisibility to allies within the field)
    • This is a bit more situational than other abilities, as this won't make much difference when you're being chased by swarms or Banshees, but it can let you make a Cyrus-style stealth save.

• Runes of Fortune - Level 8
  • Ability: Fortune (10 Energy, grants ally a substantial defense bonus)

• Runes of Wrath - Level 10
  • Trait: Second Strike (Delayed psychic strikes follow each time the Farseer attacks in melee)
    • Stack with the Runes or War to make your Farseer a bunch more deadly as and assault character.

• Runes of the Warp - Level 11
  • Ability: Group Teleport (15 Energy, teleport all nearby allies to a targeted location)
    • Where a Sorcerer would teleport to gt into combat, you have a teleport to get away from the ruckus. This can definitely help make shenanigans happen, especially against slower enemies or shooty prey. It can also be useful in getting near a fallen ally and rescuing them.

• Runes of Vigour - Level 12
  • +0.3 Energy Regeneration
    • This is not a useful thing, as it takes up a slot better used for neater powers.

• Runes of Evasion - Level 16
  • Traits: Evasive (All attacks made at the Farseer have a 30% chance of missing)
    • Whatever your role, you can never go wrong with some extra evasion to go along with it. Unless you're at Bloodied Coliseum, where your doppelganger will be just as annoying to kill.

• Runes of the Spider - Level 17
  • Ability: Entangle (15 Energy, ensnares an enemy, making them unable to move, but able to attack)
    • This is a lifesaver when dealing with Banshees or other agile targets, as they will hound your ass at every opportunity. This can give your team the time it needs to wipe them out.

Commander Items

• Spirit Stone of Eldritch Might - Level 5
  • Ability: Eldritch Storm (50 Energy, Unleash a large psychic storm, disrupting and damaging enemies in a large radius. While channeling this powerful spell, the caster will be immune to damage but not regenerate energy)
    • Curiously, whilst most classes get their big ol' nuke spell at the end of their careers, the Farseer and Mekboy get theirs early. The Farseer's is one of the weaker nukes; it immobilizes her during it, has a strange hitbox, and its damage buildup can be finicky. On the other hand, it's still a nuke spell and absolutely awesome at killing mooks in a substantial radius... Or at softening up harder enemies for further assaults. Bear in mind its high energy costs and weaknesses, and it's absolutely devastating.

• Spirit Stone of Illusion - Level 15
  • Ability: Veil of Tears (50 Energy, Confuses half the enemies on screen and makes them attack the nearest target regardless of alliance)
    • This mass confuse spell is no less finicky than the damage on Eldritch Storm, and it's just as expensive, to boot, but it's potentially even more game-changing. The pandemonium it can cause can completely turn the tide of a fight, provided the thing the enemies target isn't you - just bear in mind that the enemies WILL if you're the closest thing in range. Used properly, it can quickly deal with swarms of foes.

• Spirit Stone of Vigour - Level 20
  • Traits: Invigorating Leadership (+0.3 Energy Regeneration for all nearby allies)
    • Bizarrely, this is one of the weakest commander items, giving a tiny energy regeneration boost. It's of barely any use to the Farseer on her own, precludes the use of both Eldritch Storm and Veil of Tears, and boasting the same energy regen boost as another piece of wargear that's often best not taken. Unlike that one though, there are some benefits to the Stone of Vigour that make it worth using. For one, it removes the ability of the Wave 16/20 doppleganger to use your abilities against you. For another, it gives the energy boost to nearby teammates as well, which means this can actually be fairly useful to back up the likes of the Lord General or Chaos Sorcerer.

Tactics and Strategy

• On Achievements:
  • Grab Me the Paddles (Which unlocks the Mantle of Malan'Tai) is accomplished by reviving allies. If you use the Pistol of the Warseer and/or Runes of Swiftness or Runes of the Warp, this is a rather easy task as you'll be able to extricate yourself from the situation if it gets too hectic.
  • Advanced Multiplication (Which unlocks the Laughing Stave) requires both control over the Power Nodes and the ability to manage your allies. Since you need a multiplier of 275, you'll need to kill enemies quickly, protect your allies, and control the nodes just long enough to get that high.

Builds

BUILD 1 - DECEIVER-RUNNER

Gear you need: Pistol of the Warseer, Witchblade of Isha, Armor of Idranel, Runes of the Harlequin, Runes of Evasion, Runes of Fleetness, Spirit Stone of Vigor

Maps: Anvil of Khorne, Bloodied Colosseum

Explanation: The most Eldar build ever, the idea of this build is to keep yourself out of the fight while you make the enemy do all the dirty work (sounds familiar to you? Yeah, you get the idea), keep casting Confuse on your enemies so they kill each other and Fleet of Foot whenever you see they are closing on to you (you are unshakable by the way, and the witchblade of Isha gives you a lot of energy), prioritize larger targets whenever you can as they can one-hit other units, watch how wraithlords, carnifexes, Juggernauts, dreads and dreffs decimate their own armies. Oh, and remember wave 16 at Bloodied Colosseum? If you see a clone trying to resurrect another clone cast confuse, this will disrupt him, and don't worry about your clone SHE CANT CAST CONFUSE.

BUILD 2 - RESURRECTER-RUNNER

Gear you need: Pistol of the Warseer, Witchblade of Isha, Armor of Idranel, Runes of the Harlequin, Runes of Warding, Runes of Fleetness, Spirit Stone of Vigor

Maps: Anvil of Khorne

Explanation: A variant of the DECEIVER-RUNNER, the RESURRECTER is built to keep your allies alive, you just stay out of the fight as much as possible as you need yourself alive, then, everytime you see an allied die run to him with Fleet of Foot, cast yourself Ward and resurrect him, tell your allies to fight, no matter if they are going to die again, as long as you stay alive you can resurrect them, while a bit tedious this strategy is great whenever you end in a team of newcomers or low hp nukers, as in the long run they will decimate the wave.

BUILD 3 - ...AND LET THE MON-KEIGH TAKE CARE OF LARGE GROUPS

Gear you need: Pistol of the Warseer, Witchblade of Isha, Armor of Idranel, Runes of the Harlequin, Runes of Fortune, Runes of Wrath, Spirit Stone of Vigor

Explanation: At first glance, this build seems little different than the others, but it provides a number of advantages. Fortune reduces all damage taken by the target by 50%; when you cast Fortune on yourself, your damage reduction approaches 90% (88.5%, to be exact). Fortune is also much cheaper and easier to spam than Ward, and you can maintain it on multiple targets at once, allowing you to keep your team in the fight rather than simply resurrecting them when they fall. Runes of Wrath gives you excellent single-target damage (against large groups of weak models, try attacking one model, moving away, and letting the second strike do its work before moving in again), and the combination of the Witchblade of Isha and the Spirit Stone of Vigor means that you generally have enough energy to cast Confuse when necessary and Fortune at all times. This build has three weaknesses: it cannot deal with large groups of mobs on its own; it is not Unshakeable; and it has no real way to recover lost health without support.

The heroes of Last Stand
Space Marine Captain - Chaos Sorcerer - Eldar Farseer - Hive Tyrant Lord General - Ork Mekboy - Tau Commander - Necron Overlord