Editing Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Kill Team(8E) Xenos (section)

==Eldar==
===Why Play Eldar===
*'''Pros'''
** [[Creed| You are sneaky enough to bring a heavy weapons platform on a stealth mission.]]
** You like to run fast and still hit your targets.
** You want a reasonable balance between infantry quality and quantity.
** You have hard-hitting special weaponry, with the occasional AP-3 "crit" on the basic shuriken guns, meaning even a lowly Guardian can dish out the pain.
** Your Dire Avenger, Howling Banshee and Striking Scorpion Exarchs are excellent candidates to be your Leader. All of them have rather flexible loadouts (for Eldar, at least) so that they can either shore up your weaker areas or double down on your Kill Team's focus.
** Your Wraithblades, Howling Banshees and Striking Scorpions are very strong choices for a melee-focused list and can even go toe-to-toe with formerly untouchable combat armies.
** Three of your four commanders are psykers, all of which offer a wide array of support powers to further enhance your specialists beyond the norm. This is particularly notable in a game where most factions have maybe one or two (if they're lucky) available psyker units at all.
*'''Cons'''
** Pretty brittle. Your "standard" Guardians have a measly T3 with a 5+, which is only a slightly better 4+ on your Dire Avengers. Staying obscured is crucial for survival. Your Wraith units are a unique exception, but they have their share of drawbacks to compensate.
** Atrocious average range on their standard weaponry, arguably the worst in the game. The Heavy Weapon Platform and Ranger Long Rifles offset this a little, though your standard Shuriken guns have an effective half-range of only 6". Dire Avengers get a ''slightly'' better 9" on their guns, though that's still easily in charge/rapidfire range for most other armies.
** Though your wraith units are built like trucks and hit like them too, they suffer the same subpar range the eldar are known for without the benefit of their signature mobility. They also lack Battle Focus, making them rather inaccurate if they must advance to get in range. Wraithblades on the otherhand are completely helpless at range and will likely need to tank a few hits before they can make it into combat.
** Almost all of your heavy/special weapon choices suffer one major drawback that hinders how effective they are compared to other armies. While your Wraithguard/blades can still be specialists, they can't gain any experience past the initial level nor can they really benefit from being in a Fireteam. Your Heavy Weapon Platform on the other hand cannot become a specialist or part of a fireteam at all and also require a Guardian Defender babysitter to do anything.

===ELD Special Rules===
*'''Battle Focus:''' Like in vanilla 40k, the Eldar ignore any to-hit penalties incurred when firing their weapons after moving and/or advancing (Heavy weapons are excluded from this rule). Since almost all of your weapons will be assault-class, there is almost no reason to not advance your troops every single turn to maximize your Guardian Defenders' and Dire Avengers' threat range. 
*'''Ancient Doom:''' Re-roll failed hit rolls in the Fight phase if charging or being charged by a model with the {{W40Kkeyword|Slaanesh}} keyword. However, being within 3" of one adds 1 to Nerve tests. This is primarily a fluff rule, since currently there's only one faction that ''can'' be {{W40Kkeyword|Slaanesh}}; specifically Chaos Space Marines choosing Slaneesh for their Mark of Chaos. Seeing as how ''ideally'', you wouldn't willingly engage MEQ targets in hand-to-hand combat with Storm Guardians, it's unlikely this rule will really come into play.
*'''Crewed Weapon:''' Heavy Weapons Platforms can only take actions (move, shoot, etc.) if a non-shaken Guardian Defender is within 3" of it.  If it shoots, one such Guardian Defender is unable to shoot that phase. Heavy Weapons Platforms cannot charge, do not gain experience, and can never be specialists or join a Fire Team. This is something of a handicap for any Asuryani looking for advanced long-ranged firepower, since other factions have access to Heavy/Demolition Specialists who ''don't'' have to effectively pay for two models shooting only one gun between them and can actually benefit from Specialist status.
*'''Ghost Warrior:''' Applied to your Wraithguard and Wraithblades, this rule prevents them from gaining experience. For one-and-done games, not an issue. For campaigns, however, this sucks pretty bad. Thankfully your Wraith units are strong enough on their own that they can still contend against the other factions in spite of this handicap.

===ELD Faction Attributes===
*'''Alaitoc - Fieldcraft:''' Your units are considered obscured if targeted by enemies further than 12" away from them.
**On one hand, this is very useful for your dudes on the approach; your squishier Guardians need all the help they can get to slip into range without getting shot off the board. Rangers of course benefit from this immensely, as they are able to set up in more exposed areas without being penalized for doing so. Once your Guardians and Wraithguard are in range, however, this attribute won't keep them any safer than usual. This rings especially true for your melee focused units like your Howling Banshees and Striking Scorpions.
***But how often are more than 12" away and aren't obscured by something anyway? Even when it is in play, its barely a benefit. Take something else.
*'''Biel-Tan - Swordwind:''' Your Dire Avengers, Howling Banshees and Striking Scorpions gain +1 to their Leadership and all Shuriken weapons re-roll hit rolls of 1.
**A great choice for fluffy Aspect Warrior focused lists where individual leadership matters so much more. Dire Avengers and Guardian Defenders love the free re-roll support on their main weapons in particular.
*'''Iyanden - Stoic Endurance:''' Roll a D3 for Nerve Tests instead of a D6.
**A decent defensive perk, this'll help keep your dudes in the fight if your opponent's backing you into a corner. Guardian units, being your most cowardly, definitely appreciate this perk more than your braver Aspect Warriors and Wraith units do.
*'''Saim-Hann - Wild Rider:''' All units can re-roll failed charge rolls.
**For melee focused lists involving lots of Storm Guardians, Striking Scorpions, Wraithblades, Combat Exarchs and Autarchs, this is fantastic for them. Sadly, Howling Banshees gain nothing from this list since their reworked Acrobatics rule grants them re-rollable charges anyways.
*'''Ulthwé - Foresight of the Damned:''' Grants all of your units a 6+ FNP.
**Situational, but also arguably the best perk for more general lists. Nothing can argue with the benefit of potentially ignoring a wound, especially since each one matters so much more in a game like kill teams.

===ELD Ranged Weapons===
*'''Aeldari Missile Launcher:''' The biggest boom with the most range that points can buy, the AML can either really ruin someone's day with one hell of a hit (Heavy 1 S8 AP-2 D6) or a flurry of hits (Heavy D6 S4 AP-1 1D). At 48" either way, it's the single longest ranged weapon you can bring, though bringing it will effectively take up a fifth of your team (20p between the AML, HWP and Guardian Defender crewing it).
*'''Avenger Shuriken Catapult:''' Standard stock for the average Dire Avenger. Functionally the exact same as a Shuriken Catapult, but with slightly further range (18" Assault 2 S4 AP0, AP-3 on a 6+ 1D). The Dire Avenger Exarch is allowed to take two of these, which seeing as they're free, should always be done by the ranged Exarchs out there.
*'''Brightlance:''' A long ranged murder machine, Brightlances fire S8 AP-4 shots 36" down wind for D6 damage a pop. This can be quite fantastic for dealing with heavily armored characters, or ensuring that you take that target out of action.
*'''Flamer:''' Really basic at 8" Assault D6 S4 AP0 1D, flamers make up for their subpar range by autohitting their targets regardless of the countless to-hit penalties that can debuff your dudes. Pretty handy on your super-mobile Storm Guardian Gunners, who can advance up to 13", torch an enemy, then possibly Fire and Fade 7" back to cover.
** Counterpoint: in a game as combat focused as KT, camping an objective and being able to overwatch at 8" against units like Orks can completely ruin their day.
*'''Fusion Gun:''' Where the Flamer does its work through volume of saves, the Fusion Gun simply ensures that whatever shot lands hurts. A lot. At S8 and AP-4, pretty much any standard squaddie isn't getting a save and is all but guaranteed a few wounds (particularly if they're within half range!). As an Assault Weapon, your Storm Guardian Gunners can take full advantage of Battle Focus to make every shot hit as hard and accurately as possible.
**'''Fusion Pistol:''' Same deal as the main gun, only exclusive to your Autarch with half the effective range. In melee, this thing is nightmarish. Outside of melee, not so much.
*'''Ranger Long Rifle:''' Exclusive to your Rangers, these let them bip enemy models at maximum range for no additional penalties (so long as they're not obscured), and can plant a Mortal Wound on a wound roll of 6+ on top of any other damage. Reliable, but their Heavy typing means your Rangers can't take advantage of Battle Focus if they need to move anywhere.
*'''Scatter Laser:''' A satisfying source of dakka, the Scatter Laser churns out 4 respectably long ranged shots at S6, easily ensuring a at least a few wounds get planted on an enemy model. Reasonably priced, this may be the go-to weapon for more flexibly inclined teams.
*'''Shuriken Cannon:''' The default gun on your Heavy Weapon Platform, it makes up for its slightly shorter 24" range with the Assault 3 profile at S6, letting Guardians stay accurate ''and'' fast as needed. The AP-3 on 6+ wound rolls can potentially make short work of MEQ targets, though you shouldn't rely on that alone
*'''Shuriken Catapult:''' The basic gun given out to your Guardian Defenders, this Assault 2 S4 AP0, AP-3 on a 6+ 1D gun is pretty much the golden standard for Craftworld weaponry.
**'''Shuriken Pistol:''' Identical to the Catapult, only having an Assault 1 profile instead. Your Rangers, Farseer and Warlock can sidearm these if the situation calls for it, [[Not as Planned | though ideally they won't ever be using them.]] This is also the ranged weapon on your standard Storm Guardians, Howling Banshees and Striking Scorpions, where it is moderately more useful since it can contribute to melee combat as well.
*'''Starcannon:''' A reliable in-between gun that fires 2 S6 AP-3 shots doing D3 a bip. This makes them excellent anti-MEQ guns that can be quite effective mid-field. 
*'''Plasma Grenade:''' Dire Avengers also come stock with some S4 AP-1 grenades, which are extremely handy both on the offense or countering enemy charges (Dire Avengers overwatch on a 5+, take advantage of this!).
*'''Wraithcannon:''' Choice one of two for your Wraithguard, fires one S10(!) shot at AP-4 that does D6 damage. Almost everything in the game is going to be wounded on a 2+, bar a select few exceptions, and only invulnerable saves offer any real resistance. It's major shortcoming is pretty much the usual; at a max range of 12", your Wraithguard is going to have to get especially close to their target to reliably hit. This task is made harder by their slower movement speed and lack of Battle Focus.
**'''D-Scythe:''' Choice two of two. Sharing the same absurd S10 AP-4 as the Wraithcannon, this flamer trades 4" of maximum range and D6 damage for a D3 shot auto-hitting flamer that only does a single point of damage per hit. More expensive, but arguably worth it; advancing no longer penalizes your accuracy and against most targets the D6 damage the Wraithcannon does is a bit too much overkill.

===ELD Melee Weapons===
*'''Aeldari Blade:''' A user-strength butterknife with no AP. Relatively unimpressive, given the S3 Storm Guardians waving it around, but since it re-rolls misses, it's at least all but guaranteed to hit. Now, whether or not that hit actually hurts them...
*'''Chainsword:''' S User (S3) AP0 chainsword, which grants an additional attack. A little better than the Aeldari Blade, but the Storm Guardian using it will still need to pray to Khaine that it'll do more than scuff up that Space Marine's paint job.
*'''Diresword:''' While it's only S User (S3), the AP-2 helps it punch through any armor that might resist the hit. Additionally, if you crit on the wound roll (Roll a 6+), the defending model takes an additional Mortal Wound along with any other damage dealt. Slightly more expensive and less reliable than the Glaive, but that extra damage could possibly make a hell of a difference.
*'''Power Glaive:''' A surprisingly solid choice for your Exarch, S+1 (S4) with AP -2 means he stands a solid chance at slicing up MEQs, and can easily deal with GEQs tryin' to mess up his sweet hat. Aside its statline, it doesn't have anything else special about it, though you can either take it with a Shuriken Pistol for more of an offensive loadout, or a Shimmershield to help keep his fighty buddies safe.
**'''Shimmershield:''' This is more of an accessory to the Power Glaive (an expensive one at that), but if you plan to have a couple Dire Avengers posse up with your Exarch, it ''can'' ensure that your Dire Avengers always get a save from anything bar Mortal Wounds. While this sounds nice, keep in mind that most standard weapons have little to no AP, making your Avengers' natural armor saves better (4+ vs a 5++). The Shimmershield also only applies this effect to strictly Dire Avengers within 2" of the Exarch. This means if you're going for diversity, or planning on splitting up your forces, the Shimmershield provides absolutely no benefit. Long and short, if you're taking the Shimmershield, you'll need to effectively build your list to take advantage of it. Otherwise, you're wasting points on a useless upgrade.
*'''Power Sword:''' For Autarchs and Howling Banshees. While you're still swinging this around at a sad S3, the AP-3 virtually erases any armor saves your opponents might get ''if'' you hurt them with this.
*'''Mirror Swords:''' Howling Banshee Exarch option B, sacrifice a point of AP for an extra attack and re-rolls to hit. Unless you're hurting for heavy hitting attacks, this should be your lady's go to choice.
*'''Executioner:''' Option C for your HB Exarch, this is what she brings when she wants to put down MEQ targets. A very attractive choice if you want a fairly hard-hitting melee specialist but don't want to pay Wraithblade prices for one.
*'''Scorpion Chainsword:''' S+1 AP0 chainsword, standard issue for your Striking Scorpions. In kill teams this is actually very useful since many (if not most) of your targets are T3, the extra point of strength makes your Scorpions quite potent against them and enables them to more easily go toe-to-toe against MEQs. Comes with a Shuriken Pistol for a bit of ranged firepower.
*'''Scorpion's Claw:''' A hybrid ranged/melee weapon for your Striking Scorpion Exarch that uses the profile for a Shuriken Catapult for ranged attacks and a Sx2 (S6) AP-3 DD3 melee profile. You will almost exclusively be using this in melee over the regular chainsword for obvious reasons. A special note is that this weapon also benefits from Biel-Tan's Swordwind attribute.
*'''Biting Blade:''' An upscaled Scorpion Chainsword that grants S+2 at AP-1 and a flat D2 per swing. The only real reason to use this over the Scorpion's Claw is the ''slightly'' more consistent damage output compared to the variable D3 the claw brings. Outside that aspect, the Claw's effective S6 and good armor penetration lets your Exarch engage foes that would otherwise be very challenging to deal with in melee (like Death Guard or many MEQ armies in general).
**'''Alternate take:'''  Its four(4!) points cheaper than a Scorpions Claw and not that much worse (you'll still be wounding MEQs on 3+s), and with so many attacks your getting a few swings are bound to get through most saves.  
*'''Ghost Swords:''' A S+1 (S6) AP-2 dual-wield weapon that grants your Wraithblades an extra attack. Very nice, as it gives your undead statues 4 heavy hitting attacks on the charge, more than enough to slaughter most foes in short order.
*'''Ghost Axe:''' This singular blade is a S+2 (S7) AP-2 DD3 beatstick that sacrifices a touch of accuracy (-1 to hit enemies) to deliver hard-hitting spanks against virtually everything in the game. Bumps up the price of the Wraithblade by a fair penny and is objectively worse than just sticking with the cheaper ghost swords since it'll be wounding everything under T6 with the exact same 2+/3+ rolls anyways. But you're not taking this for its killing power, you're taking this for the accessory it comes with.
**'''Forceshield:''' Complimentary to the ghost axe Wraithblades, this gives them a 4++ save and makes them one of the most durable units in the game. This can be further enhanced with the Protect power to an unholy 3++ save usually reserved for Storm Shield terminators, but even they don't have T6 under that shield. That said, due to this Wraithblade variant's price point, you'll probably only want to bring this against armies such as the Custodes or Grey Knights where they ''might'' be able to take them down ''if'' they manage to charge them first. Anything softer than that can arguably be dealt with more easily with your ghost sword variants.
*'''Witchblade:''' Exclusive to your Farseer and Warlock Commanders, these blades are extremely handy in that they always wound on a 2+, making up for the otherwise pitiful S3 your dudes have. With the relatively low average armor on most models involved in Kill Teams, these are actually really handy combat weapons. Still less than advised against MEQ targets given their lack of AP.
**'''Singing Spear:''' An upgraded Witchblade that, aside an additional 12" Assault 1 shooting profile, does exactly the same thing as its free counterpart. If you have the points to spare, it's definitely recommended.
*'''Star Glaive:''' The Autarch's default weapon, this beaut hits at a juicy S6 with AP-3 and D3 damage, making it exceptional at gimping GEQ and even MEQ targets with relative ease. Its only downside is the -1 to hit it imposes on the Autarch, though swinging at a 3+ is still pretty reliable.

===ELD Psychic Powers===
====Runes of Fate====
Exclusive to the Farseer
*'''[Commanders] Guide (Warp Charge 6):''' A friendly model within 12" can reroll failed hits for their ranged weapons until the next psychic phase. There are two main advantages this has over the other re-roll options you have; as a psychic power, this costs no CP, letting you spam it every turn without affecting your Stratagem availability. Additionally, you may re-roll ''all'' misses, not just hit rolls of 1. And yes, this applies to all shots, including Overwatch. This is extremely useful on specialists or HWPs with Flesh Wounds, due to their drastically reduced accuracy.
*'''[Commanders] Fortune (Warp Charge 6):''' When cast on a friendly model within 12", it gives them a 5+ FNP. Can be a helpful bit of insurance on someone like a Combat Exarch or other Specialist who you're a bit concerned about getting focused down.
*'''[Commanders] Will of Asuryan (Warp Charge 5):''' When cast on a friendly unit within 6" of your Farseer, they auto-pass nerve tests. Additionally, this adds 1 to any Deny the Witch tests until your next Psychic Phase. A very useful defensive buff if you're getting backed into a corner, or fighting enemy psykers and need the extra help making sure they don't cast anything particularly damning.

====Runes of Battle====
Exclusive to the Warlock and the Spiritseer
*'''[Commanders] Conceal/Reveal (Warp Charge 5):''' Use on a model within 12" of the Warlock. If the target is friendly, enemies trying to attack it with ranged weapons subtract 1 from their hit rolls until the next psychic phase. If the target is an enemy, it loses any bonuses it might have from being obscured until the next psychic phase. Conceal's usefulness compared to its standard 40k counterpart is a bit more conditional, given that 6's always hit in Kill Teams, but can still be quite handy in close quarters. Keep in mind flamer-type weapons and melee units don't give a damn about these sort of debuffs, however. Reveal is actually quite handy, especially against units like Rangers or Lictors who gain multiple to-hit debuffs from being in cover.
*'''[Commanders] Protect/Jinx (Warp Charge 6):''' A buffed friendly model adds 1 to their save, a debuffed enemy model subtracts 1 from theirs. This is particularly fantastic, as it one of the few ways to lower enemy Invulnerable saves! Alternatively, a buffed Exarch gets a fairly reliable 3++.
*'''[Commanders] Empower/Enervate (Warp Charge 5):''' Buffed Friendly models add 1 to any wound rolls in melee, while enemies subtract 1 from theirs. The buff side of this is a bit more conditional; the only one who'd really appreciate the buff would be a Combat-oriented Exarch. Wounding MEQ targets on a 3+ at AP-2 is actually quite reliable. Buffing basic Storm Guardians can help them against GEQ targets, but with their pitiful melee statline and armor saves, buffing them or debuffing their targets is kind of an... inefficient use of your Warlock's one cast per turn. Enervating any S3 target who engages your Wraithblades can make them immune to any and all damage received in combat. This is also a potential recommended power to use against Custodes; if you tie them up with a ghost axe Wraithblade, reducing incoming wound rolls may help your statues hold the line.

===ELD Units===
*'''Guardian Defenders (Leader, Comms, Medic, Scout, Veteran):''' Your basic cheap as chips guardians are simple, but effective. You aren't the toughest, you aren't shiny, you ain't special, but you are fast, reliably accurate and at 7 points a dude, they're excellent for filling out infantry-heavy lists. Take a bunch with a souped up Dire Avenger Exarch as your leader, and go to town with a horde of citizen soldiers trying to be a professional army.
**'''Heavy Weapon Platform (1):''' Unlike many other armies, who'll often just carry their special weapons themselves, Guardian Defenders need to plant them on a separate model and babysit them if they want to actually use it. This makes them somewhat expensive and inefficient as vectors for heavy firepower compared to everyone else. This is exacerbated by the fact that you can only take one, it can't be a specialist, gain experience or be part of a fireteam. This doesn't necessarily mean it's bad, though. Shuricannons and Scatter Lasers can rinse through GEQ models reliably enough, while Starcannons and Bright Lances can tear through MEQ and multi-wound models fairly easily. Plus, its higher wound count and better armor save means that it'll take a modest amount of firepower to bring it down. Plant your Comms specialist behind it to ensure you get the most out of your shots.
*'''Storm Guardians :''' Your melee skirmishers, armed with Shuriken Pistols and some rather pitiful beatsticks. They are your cheapest choice, but they'll likely struggle against armored enemies, anything particularly shooty or anything that actually knows how to make a fist. What they can do is ideally swarm a specialist/leader and try to bury them in melee saves. They can perform decently enough against units like Tau, Guardsman, or even other flavors of Eldar (within reason), though regular Guardian Defenders will likely outperform them against almost everybody else.
**'''Storm Guardian Gunners (2):''' These guys are your special weapons bearers. Fusion guns are a nice counterpart to the Shuriken spam, and with battle focus you can run up and blast apart models at full BS. Bonus points if you make them comm specialists for a speedy  +2 to hit delete button. If you'd rather try to drown your opponent in saves, you can also equip them with a flamer to auto-toast peeps before you go in for the charge.
*'''Rangers (Leader, Comms, Medic, Scout, Sniper):''' Just like in the full 40k game, Rangers serve as your snipers. They don't suffer any penalties for firing at their weapon's full range, and can plant a Mortal Wound on any unlucky sop on a wound roll of 6+. Dealing with these cloaked bastards at range can be particularly daunting as well; they get an additional -1 to-hit modifier if they're obscured. This makes them fantastically durable, as anyone shooting at them from half-range or further could be dealing with a frustrating -3 modifier! At 11 points a model, they're your most expensive ''standard'' unit. All that said, they're still reasonably priced support units, though as they don't really benefit from Battle Focus (Ranger Long Rifles are Heavy Weapons) and are practically helpless at melee, they are not ideal for contesting mid or cross field objectives. And while 11 points per dude isn't terribly expensive, they start to eat into your maximum body count quite quickly. Use a few of them to harrass/assassinate key enemy units or to heavily discourage enemies from entering certain areas of the map.
*'''Dire Avengers (Leader (Exarch only), Combat, Comms, Medic, Sniper, Veteran) :''' A Dire Avenger may be three points more than a Guardian Defender, but for that you get an extra six inches of range (Wouldn't you pay 3 points for an extra six inches wink wink), a slightly better armor save, better overwatch (5+), grenades and better leadership. Depending on what specialists you wish to take, these guys can serve fantastically, though they'll definitely be a premium compared to your other options.
**'''Dire Avenger Exarch (1):''' A Dire Avenger Exarch makes a fantastic leader for any kill team, and is flexible enough to accommodate any kind of focus you're gearing your team for. Shooty Exarchs can take one or two Avenger Shuriken Catapults (since they're free, you should ''always'' take two) for run-and-gun teams. Fighty Exarchs can be kitted out with a Power Glaive or Dire Sword for glorious combat, each of which can take a Shuriken Pistol for little potshots here and there. Exarchs have a built in 4++ Invuln covering 2 wounds, making them slightly harder to drop than the rest of the dudes he's leading. That said, Power Glaive Exarchs can support fellow Dire Avengers by using the Shimmershield to confer a 5++ Invuln to any of other Dire Avengers within 2". Respectably cheap, an Exarch's all but required for your kill team and makes for a good centerpiece to base your composition around.
*'''Striking Scorpion (Leader (Exarch Only), Combat, Demolitions, Scout, Veteran, Zealot):''' The most flexible of your elite choices, your Scorpions are your strongest standard, non-wraith unit. An effective S4 courtesy of their Scorpion Chainswords lets them punch down GEQ targets moderately well. While the standard Scorpion lacks any real way to punch through armor directly, each one is equipped with Mandiblasters that can potentially put a Mortal Wound on a foe just before the combat phase begins. One of the main selling points of the Striking Scorpions, however, is their bonus to hit targets currently in cover in the fight phase. In a game where being obscured is such a major defensive aspect for many of the factions, this makes it fairly easy for your Scorpions to force players out into the open lest they give your elf ninjas the advantage in a fist fight. Take caution though, even though your Striking Scorpions are your only non-Wraith/Commander units to have a 3+ save, they're still a measly T3 elf. Don't get reckless with their positioning.
**'''Striking Scorpion Exarch (1):''' For when you want to tear apart those pesky power armored mon-keigh but can't afford a wraithblade. On top of all of the standard Striking Scorpion rules, your Exarch gains extra attacks in the fight phase whenever he hits on a 6+, potentially giving him a ludicrous number of swings. Apart from the standard Scorpion gear, your Exarch can take either a Biting Blade (for when you're strapped for points but feel like -1 AP is better than zero) or a Scorpions Claw (for when you don't want your enemies to walk away from a CQC encounter with you while being decently shooty). While both options have their place, even a bare-bones Exarch can still potentially bury MEQ/TEQ under saves.
*'''Howling Banshee (Leader (Exarch Only), Combat, Comms, Veteran, Zealot):''' Your sword-swinging ladies serve as your anti-armor melee specialists. A minimum movement speed of 8" makes it very easy for them to close the distance to their targets, especially when combined with their ability to re-roll charges. If that in itself wasn't enough, their Banshee Masks disable ''all'' enemy reactions to the charge (no overwatch, no falling back), letting them truly get the jump on exposed enemies. Even though their Power Swords don't particularly care too much about armor saves, the Banshees lackluster strength stat makes it somewhat challenging for them to deal with MEQ or TEQ targets outside of swarming them with models.
**'''Howling Banshee Exarch (1):''' A touch more durable than the regular Banshees, your Exarch has a couple things going for her that make her very appealing to take. Unlike her basic underlings, your Exarch defensively benefits from a -1 to-hit debuff hindering enemies from retaliating against her in combat in addition to the natural Acrobatics and Banshee Mask available to her kin. Offensively, she has access to a couple of extra tools perfect for carving up the MEQ/TEQ targets in the form of the Executioner, or she can opt to maximize her attack output through the Mirrorswords she can take. Second option sadly sacrifices her Shuriken Pistol, but it's a small price to pay.
*'''Wraithguard (Demolitions, Heavy, Veteran):''' Your heavy hitters and the only unit you have that can be a Heavy or Demolition specialist. Wraithguard have access to two of the strongest ranged weapons in the game, both hitting at a (frankly sickening) S10 AP-4. Yep, these will wound even Death Guard and Custodes on a 2+. They themselves have resilience to rival those two factions: T6 with 3 wounds apiece means that it will require a concentrated effort on your opponent's part to down one of these. The bad news? Wraithguard are slow, expensive (indeed, you can purchase 5-6 Guardians for one of these) and have terrible range for their guns. Faster armies, like other space elves for example, can generally outpace your Wraithguard and prevent them from reliably landing any shots on them. The Heavy and Demolitions specializations can help offset this problem, though keep in mind that they cannot level up in extended campaigns.
*'''Wraithblade (Combat, Veteran, Zealot):''' Your choppy wraiths, as their name implies. Exclusively melee units, Wraithblades can find it somewhat difficult to engage faster armies such as other flavors of Eldar or Tyranids, but they are terrifying to behold once they get into combat. Hitting at a minimum of 2 attacks at S6 and AP-2, GEQ armies are effortless prey to the Wraithblades. In turn, at the same T6 and 3 wounds as their ranged variants, they are nigh indestructible against many of the standard S3 melee attacks they would receive in turn. If you so desire, an Empower/Enervate Warlock/Spiritseer may make it literally impossible for any melee attacks at S3 to wound them at all.

====ELD Commanders====
*'''Autarch (Ferocity, Leadership, Logistics, Melee, Shooting, Stealth, Strategist):''' Your all-rounder Commander at 55p base, Autarchs can serve as excellent close quarter combat commanders. With their 3+/4++ string of saves, access to a Power Sword, Fusion Pistol, Mandi-Blasters and Swooping Hawk wings, Autarchs can put Harlequins to shame with their frankly disgusting melee potential. Their unique Path of Command stratagem can help support nearby troops with re-roll support on their shots, though clumping up your units to abuse it can make them vulnerable to multi-hitting weapons such as Flamers or Grenades. As far as the Autarch's specializations go, it is the most flexible of your commanders and can fill a variety of roles the rest of your army might be lacking.
*'''Farseer (Leadership, Logistics, Psyker, Strategist):''' Arguably the most reliable Psyker in the entirety of Kill Teams, not only are Farseers able to freely re-roll any number of dice used for manifesting powers once per phase, but can avoid Perils of the Warp on an effective 2+ (Regular Mortal Wounds on a 5+). They can also know 2 of the 3 powers available to them and cast both of them in the same turn, making them very effective buff vectors for the rest of your army. While Farseers can indeed participate in melee/shooting to a modest degree (WS/BS of a 2+ with melee weapons that always wound on a 2+ ''is'' pretty damn good after all), they lack the specializations and skills to excel at it like your Autarch can. As such, Farseers should primarily be regulated to supporting your specialists or primary forces.
*'''Warlock (Logistics, Melee, Psyker, Shooting):''' The "poor man's" Commander starting at 20p baseline, the Warlock is the cheapest and weakest commander available to you. With only 2 wounds to his name, you'll definitely want to keep this guy out of line of sight at all costs if you want to keep his Psychic buffs/debuffs in play. Additionally, you'll want to keep at least one CP in your pocket for any accidental Perils you may cast with him; it's quite possible for your Warlock to just blow himself up trying to protect your dudes. However, his psychic versatility is unmatched among other commanders, making him ideal for flexible lists.
*'''Spiritseer (Elites) (Leadership, Melee, Psyker, Stealth, Strategist):''' Your Spiritseer appropriately makes his entrance onto the kill teams scene alongside your wraith units. It should come as no surprise that he offers his unique brand of exclusive support to them through his Spirit Mark stratagem in addition to the Runes of Battle support he can provide to your army as a whole. With twice the number of wounds as your Warlock, he's not remotely as afraid of being up close and personal as the Warlock is; kind of a necessary aspect if you plan to use him to support Wraith units. A WS/BS of 2+ combined with his Witchstaff makes him shockingly effective in melee, though his T3 and 4++ makes him somewhat easy to retaliate against both in combat and at range.
** At first blush he comes of poorly in comparison to the otherwise comparable Farseer. An almost identical statline, but with worse weapons, fewer wounds, only 1 psychic manifestation per round, only 1 deny the witch, no Ghosthelm and no psychic reroll. All while being 6pts MORE expensive. The question you have to ask is "Are the Stealth or Melee specialisms, trading access to Runes of Fate for Runes of Battle or his Aura tactic really worth all you lose?".
*'''Amallyn Shadowguide (Stealth):''' Now available as a Commander! Starting at 30 points base, Amallyn has a reasonable price point for what she offers; a Ballistic Skill of 2+ coupled with her great range means she can pick off enemy models down field while remaining a frustrating target herself due to her innate -1 to hit modifiers and buffed saves while obscured. What's more, is that her ability to ignore terrain and models for her movement means that she can be extremely challenging to pin down, with her power blade making her significantly more dangerous to engage in Melee than any of your Rangers would be. While Amallyn is unfortunately limited strictly to the Stealth specialization, it does actually compliment her skill set rather well, both for defensive and offensive purposes. She does suffer from two major shortcomings worth noting, however. Amallyn only comes stock with 3 base wounds at the same GEQ statline as her kin, making her the second frailest commander available to you. Additionally, Amallyn doesn't really offer any real support for the rest of her team, making her something of a "lone wolf" commander. While this means that your overall team won't really suffer if you lose her, it's not really gaining anything from taking her over a Farseer or Warlock either.
*'''Illic Nightspear (Elites) (Level 3 Legendary Hunter):''' Your famous Alaitoc-born ranger is a genuine force to be feared in a gametype as infantry focused as Kill Teams. His unique rifle is absurdly strong; a 48" range weapon that ignores range-based penalties that always wounds on a 2+ is good on its own. But the AP-3 and flat 3 damage? This runs a very real chance of straight up killing many of the standard units most armies can field with a single shot. Even enemy commanders with 4 or more wounds can't afford to be caught downwind of this guy. He also rerolls 1s to hit and to wound against Necrons, which is situational but useful.
**With the new Dev Commentary he's now not an option in Matched Play at all, as they've made it mandatory that all commanders be taken at Level 1 going against their own rules in the Commanders book.

===ELD Tactics===
*'''[Core] Phantasm (2 CP):''' At the beginning of the first battle round, pick a unit and set it up again anywhere in the deployment zone. The usefulness of this tactic is questionable; it's rather high cost and limit to one model can possibly cripple your kill team early in the game, though it can serve as an emergency get-away for your leader or a specialist caught with their pants down during deployment.
*'''[Core] Asurmen's Blessing (1 CP):''' When a {{W40kKeyword|Dire Avenger}} shoots in the Shooting phase, re-roll failed hit rolls until the end of the phase. 
**On a twin-Avenger Shuriken Catapult Exarch, this is fantastic. Given the penalties for firing at range, this can significantly improve your chances of scoring a hit. Of course, regular Dire Avengers can take advantage of this as well, it's just literally half as useful comparatively.
*'''[Core] Feigned Retreat (1 CP):''' After a model in your Kill-Team falls back, it can still shoot in the following shooting phase. 
**On an Exarch or Specialist, this can come quite in handy; particularly if said specialist happens to be wielding a flamer/fusion gun. That said, aside your Exarch and ''maybe'' your Storm Guardians, you ideally won't be in melee combat all that much (willingly, at least).
*'''[Core] Matchless Agility (1 CP):''' Instead of rolling for advance distance, a model simply adds 6" to its movement for a phase. Combined with Battle Focus, this can be particularly nasty with a Fusion Gun Storm Guardian. Alternatively, a great way to get out of dodge. 
*'''[Core] Fire and Fade (1 CP):''' After a model in your kill-team shoots in the shooting phase, it can make a normal move up to 7" as if it was the movement phase. This is again, quite fantastic for your eldar, as all your weapons have garbage range, and the units holding them have garbage armor. Suffice to say, they'll need all the help they can get to keep distance between them and whatever they just shot at.
*'''[Core] Rune of Ynnead (2 CP):''' When a model in your kill-team is taken out of action, roll a d6; on a 4+ that model takes a flesh wound instead. Expensive, but a potential life-saver for a specialist or Exarch you really don't want to lose.
*'''[Elites] Masters of Stealth (Reserve) (1 CP):''' Take up to 3 {{W40kKeyword|Striking Scorpion}} models out of reserve and set them up anywhere more than 5" from an enemy.
*'''[Elites] Appear Unbidden (Reserve) (1 CP):''' Take up to 3 {{W40kKeyword|Ranger}} models out of reserve and set them up anywhere more than 9" from an enemy.
*'''[Annual2019] Bring Forth the Torch (1 CP):''' Use this at the start of the Shooting Phase. When rolling the number of shots for any flamer that phase, results of 1 or 2 are instead treated as 3.
*'''[Annual2019] Celestial Shield (2 CP):''' Give a guardian defender a 4++ for the shooting phase, starting from when he is first chosen as a target.
*'''[Annual2019] Warriors of the Webway (Reserve) (2 CP):''' Set up 3 models from Reserves anywhere that is more than 5" away from enemy models. All models must also be within 2" of the first model you set up.
*'''[Annual2019] The Great Enemy (1 CP):''' Reroll wound rolls for attacks against enemies with the {{W40kKeyword|Slaannesh}} keyword in the Fight phase.
*'''[Annual2019] Supreme Disdain (1 CP):''' +1 attack for every UNMODIFIED hit roll of 6 in the fight phase. These attacks cannot generate any further attacks and must target the same enemy with the same weapon. 
**Note that depending on circumstances this could be either a superior or inferior version of the very similar Lvl 1 Zealot tactic Killing Frenzy. If you have any penalties to hit but no bonuses, then the Zealot tactic will never proc. But if you do have bonuses, then the Zealot tactic is more likely to hit. They are the same price, so something to keep in mind as you use either.
*'''[Annual2019] Our Time of Need (1 CP):''' A Heavy Weapon Platform can reroll Hit rolls for the shooting phase.

===ELD Commander Tactics===
*'''[Commanders] The Path of Command (Aura) (1 CP):''' Use at the start of the battle round if you have a non-shaken {{W40kKeyword|Autarch}} in your Kill-Team. All models within 6" of the Autarch re-roll 1s to hit until the next round. This ability has two primary advantages over just using the Guide psychic power; it works for both ranged and melee attacks, and as stated, can include any and all friendly models within range. This can be particularly helpful if you're running a large number of Storm Guardians with Chainswords, though you'll need to beware multi-shot profile weapons before you clump up too much.
*'''[Elites] Spirit Mark (Aura) (1 CP):''' All of your {{W40kKeyword|Spirit Host}} (i.e. Wraith) units may re-roll hit rolls of 1 when targeting all enemy units within 6" of the {{W40kKeyword|Spiritseer}} who used this. A little risky for your Spiritseer; 6" is in normal striking distance even for other eldar and getting charged is a very real possibility. But, if you keep a screen of Wraith units with you, they will appreciate the extra help in murdering those targets who get too close.
*'''[Elites] Wayforger (2 CP):''' At the start of your shooting phase, assuming Illic Nightspear isn't shaken, he is immediately readied and considered to have not moved during his movement phase. Yikes. Though somewhat expensive, this gives Illic a disgusting amount of mobility.
*'''[Annual2019] Psychic Bond (1 CP):''' +1 to Psychic Tests made by your Commander for each non-shaken friendly model within 3".
*'''[Annual2019] Divine the Future (3 CP):''' Enemies within 6" of your non-shaken {{W40kKeyword|FARSEER}} cannot be chosen to fight in the Hammer of Wrath section of the fight phase. They can be chosen in the Fight for your Lives section though.
*'''[Annual2019] Forewarned (3 CP):''' Ready all friendly models that didn't advance, charge or fall back and that are within 6" of your non-shaken {{W40kKeyword|FARSEER}} at the end of the Movement phase.

===ELD Strategies===
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'''Specialist Recommendations:'''
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*'''Leader:''' The ''Dire Avenger Exarch'' is tailor made for this position. Even though technically any unit qualifies for the Leader specialization, none of them offer the flexibility or durability that your Exarch can bring to the table. Unless you are explicitly trying to shave points to maximize your body count, or wanting to spec your Exarch under a different specialization, there's really no reason not to stick with the Exarch. The ''Howling Banshee Exarch'' and ''Striking Scorpion Exarch'' are also perfect in this role, though they are considerably more specialized in what they can do than your Dire Avenger Exarch is. Otherwise, a ''Ranger'' camping in the back of your deployment zone can be extremely frustrating to bring down, and is a good way to ensure you generate CP every turn.
*'''Combat:''' Your best choice for this specialization is by far your ''Wraithblades''. The extra attack they gain works wonders on them while the ability to interrupt an enemy during the fight phase can prove invaluable against more dangerous melee targets like the Custodes or Grey Knights. ''Howling Banshees'' and ''Striking Scorpions'' are also fantastic for this job and are much cheaper than your wraith units are, for lists that want the extra bodies. For vanilla kill teams, ''Storm Guardians'' technically can be this specialization. They hardly offer anything to really take advantage of it, but it is an option. ''Dire Avengers'' and their ''Exarch'' can also fill this niche, the Exarch in particular being fairly potent in his own right at it. That said, for any kill teams involving elites, he is pretty outclassed by his fellow aspect warriors and wraith units.
*'''Comms:''' ''Guardian Defenders'' or ''Dire Avengers'' make ideal Comms specialists; they typically will be in fairly close proximity with other friendly models (particularly if you are bringing a Heavy Weapons Platform into play), and while their range is still relatively crap, they'll still be encouraged to keep a safer distance between themselves and enemies trying to hunt them down. ''Storm Guardian Gunners'' can also use the +1 to-hit buff on themselves, letting them operate more independently and all but ensuring their Fusion Gun hits their target.
*'''Demolitions:''' ''Striking Scorpions'' honestly have the most synergy with this specialization of the two units who can take it. It stacks rather well with their innate ability to bully targets attempting to abuse cover, though a fair number of the more advanced perks are useless to them. ''Wraithguard'' technically can be Demolitions specialists, but as they cannot level up, there is literally no reason to take them as one since they wound almost every target in the game on a 2+ with either of their weapons anyways.
*'''Heavy:''' Wraithguard exclusive, and arguably the best choice for them. This helps mitigate their mobility issues since they effectively gain Battle Focus with their Wraithcannons and the extra shot provided by their level 1 stratagem can make a massive difference against priority targets. The D-Scythe also somewhat from the increased volume of shots, though the ability to advance without penalty is fairly meaningless since the weapon auto-hits regardless.
*'''Medic:''' Honestly, ''Guardian Defenders'' probably benefit the most from being a Medic. Dire Avengers have slightly higher leadership, and are encouraged to stay close to their Exarch (assuming it's a Shimmershield Exarch), so this can be an effective way to keep your slightly more cowardly citizens in check. Alternatively, a ''Dire Avenger'' Medic can improve a Combat Exarch by giving them an additional attack during the fight phase, and will benefit from said Shimmershield due to his proximity.
*'''Scout:''' A ''Storm Guardian Gunner'' with a Fusion Gun (for all but guaranteeing the removal of practically any one model) can be particularly devastating. With re-rollable advances, the Scout can spend either a Command Point to boost their standard move by 2", or to trigger the "Fire and Fade" Stratagem to get in close, hit hard, then duck out of any possible retaliation. For someone literally overflowing with CP, one could spend 3 in one turn; Boost the Scout's movement to 9", auto-advance an additional 6", blow something fancy up then retreat 7" behind cover. Expensive and impractical? Maybe. Spectacular and hilarious results? Real likely.
*'''Sniper:''' Literally only your ''Ranger'' is eligible for this spec, so whether or not you even want a ranger is the question. That said, it isn't really that hard a question to answer. Given the abysmal range on almost everyone else's weaponry, having at least one Ranger on your kill team is advised to deal with enemy units camping in their deployment zone, or to help take down a particular threat to your team as a whole. Making said Ranger a Sniper helps them do that a little better.
*'''Veteran:''' This one is a bit more flexible than the others. Having a ''Storm Guardian Gunner'' or ''Guardian Defender'' HWP Baby-Sitter Veteran can come in handy if they come under fire often, as it'll help shore up their mediocre leadership so that they can keep doing their jobs effectively. Campaigns that let you level up your Veterans can be particularly useful for your SGGs, letting you move up and get the jump on enemy specialists with heavy-hitting weaponry. ''Dire Avengers'', ''Howling Banshees'' and ''Striking Scorpions'' if nothing else, can also make use of the spec decently enough, though they don't really offer anything quite as significant as the prior two. ''Wraithguard'' and ''Wraithblades'' only gain any use from the one-time movement stratagem at the beginning of the game and nothing else.
*'''Zealot:''' ''Wraithblades'' in particular are fantastic choices for this specialization. Their Fires of Wrath stacks very nicely with the attack and charge bonus this spec provides and the level 1 stratagem can let them deliver a truly staggering number of high strength attacks on an enemy model. ''Howling Banshees'' and their ''Exarch'' are great discount options for this role as well. They won't offer the sheer brute force your Wraithblades do, but they'll be much more likely to make it into combat on their own and can perform very admirably if provided with enough support.
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'''Faction Strategies:'''
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*'''Space Marines:''' When fighting a kill team of the Imperium's mascots, it's generally advised to avoid close combat like the plague; only a melee oriented Exarch will perform adequately against them, while even an unspecialized Space Marine can simply flick your average Storm Guardian's head to remove it from existence. Let's not even mention the things Primaris Marines will do to your Guardians if they get close enough. Reliably, one or two Storm Guardian Gunners with Fusion Guns can rush any average MEQ target and incinerate even their Primaris battle-brothers with one all-consuming shot. A Bright Lance fitted HWP can perform much the same role on the field with much less of a ride-or-die attitude compared to your S.G Gunners. In a pinch, you can swarm Marines with basic Guardian Defenders; Shuriken Catapults might have garbage range, but their penchant for AP-3 crits makes them quite effective.


*'''Grey Knights:''' A particularly daunting foe, Close Combat is a death sentence for most of your units hapless enough to get caught in with any of these tanks. What's worse, is that with Storm Bolters, you're ''always'' going to be getting pelted by an unholy number of shots at even the maximum range on your Guardian's Shuriken Catapults. They're also one of two factions in the entirety of Kill Teams whose vanilla units have access to the Psyker phase, so there's that to consider as well. Thankfully, you do have a ''few'' advantages. You are guaranteed to outnumber your foe, and where the loss of one or two Guardians might sting a bit, the loss of a single Grey Knight can very likely throw your opponent's plans into disarray. Utilize high AP weaponry such as the Bright Lance and Fusion Gun to your advantage, with the Starcannon striking a nice medium for volume of fire, strength, damage and AP for the cautious player. A few Rangers can also go a long way; the potential mortal wounds they provide isn't something to under-estimate on a faction with as few models as the Grey Knights. With the elites expansion adding Wraithguard and Wraithblades, you do have some options that can potentially handle them in close quarters, but this cuts into your body count quite drastically.


*'''Adeptus Custodes:''' The good news is that virtually any list you take will outnumber whatever list the Custodes player is bringing. The bad news is that they are the single most durable models in the game, bar a couple commanders. Melee is a death sentence for virtually all of your units, though your Wraithblades ''can'' potentially hold their own if they're equipped with Scattershields and supported appropriately. Ideally, you'll endeavor to overwhelm them in volume of fire. Custodes are limited to the number of dudes they can kill a turn and if you play your cards right, you can field a good number of bodies. Dance in and out of cover with your superior mobility whenever possible and focus down one model at a time. You can opt to attempt to run a Bright Lance/AML HWP, Fusion Gunner Storm Guardians or wraithcannon Wraithguard to simply annihilate them with one or two all consuming shots from their powerful guns, but such units rather drastically cut into your available points and you have among the fewest field-able carriers for these guns. This is also disregarding how much luck plays a factor in your damage rolls. Games involving commanders can attempt to use Jinx to tip the odds a bit more in your favor, but keep in mind that the Custodes have a pocket Deny the Witch they can use if they have the CP for it (any sane Custodes player will keep it on standby if they see you fielding a psyker). Farseers higher number of casts can let them guarantee at least one power does go off and can potentially exploit the Custodes general weakness to Mortal Wounds by abusing Psybolt.


*'''Imperial Guard:''' One of the precious few factions your standard Storm Guardians might perform decently enough against, a CC Exarch will have a field day against the average guardsman. While your units may indeed be more accurate than the Imperial's finest in a firefight, your range is extraordinarily pathetic compared even to their flashlights; weapons that actually pose a significant threat due to your pitiful toughness and armor. Taking advantage of cover and rushing in for melee combat with Storm Guardians against the average Guardsman may ultimately be more reliable than attempting to trade fire. Rangers in your backline would also be advised; their hit modifiers can make them extraordinarily frustrating to hit, while they conversely are reliably accurate and can snipe priority targets that may threaten your Storm Guardians on the approach. The addition of Howling Banshees, Striking Scorpions and Wraithblades lets you truly take advantage of their weakness to melee, with Howling Banshees in particular being ideal due to their cost, speed and ability to shut down reactions on the charge.


*'''Adeptus Mechanicus:''' Due to their weird cobble of flexible units, playing against Adeptus Mechanicus can be a bit tricky, depending on what they're bringing. While Storm Guardians can put up a good fight against ''their'' rangers, you generally don't want to be in melee combat with their Vanguard, and you ''really'' don't want to be in combat with their Infiltrators or Ruststalkers. Their guns are also a nasty combination of accurate and shooty with particularly brutal special weapons available to them (their sniper can practically one-shot any of your dudes if the shot lands true). You'll want to out-maneuver their infantry and focus down any specialists/special guns that they've brought to the table; Storm Guardians can reliably tie down anyone with the sniper if you can sneak them close enough. Depending on your formation primarily, you also might be able to secure a slight numerical advantage on them as well.


*'''Death Guard:''' These veritable bricks of pus and puke will be particularly daunting to take down due to their toughness and armor, making the only reliable means of taking them down heavy weapons fire. Fusion Guns, Bright Lance/Star Cannon HWP and massed Shuriken Volleys.


*'''Thousand Sons:''' The other Psychic faction, and the only one with access to an effective 2+ armor save. Multi-wound weapons will be your friend against Rubric Marines, but beware the hell out of their Inferno Bolters; they'll insta-gib your Guardians and very likely your Dire Avengers as well.


*'''Asuryani:''' Aside the obvious "anything you can do, they can do" stchick, it really comes down to outmaneuvering your foe. Don't bog down your points by bringing expensive heavy weapons, even a standard Shuriken shot stands a solid chance at dropping Dire Avengers, much less any Guardian pedestrians holding said Avenger's tailcoats. If you know what kind of build your opponent is going for, try to tailor your list to counter it. Rangers will be borderline untouchable for a fair few turns in a Guardian heavy list, though Ranger Heavy lists can only drop so many targets a turn. If your opponent fields a HWP for some reason, you can easily ensure it turns into dead weight by sniping any Defenders who try to make use of it. Though in all honesty, match-ups like this can often end up boiling down to a literal coin toss.


*'''Drukhari:''' Your less than ethical kin have two advantages on you; they have a slightly better average range on their slightly shootier weapons, and they're more proficient at melee combat compared to you. Fortunately, they're also just as, if not more brittle than you are (if you can believe it), and you are slightly more accurate when on the move comparatively. Dire Avengers will match their Shard Carbine range, and are slightly more durable than the rest of your army, making it easier to tank shots on them (though you shouldn't ''attempt'' to ''tank'', if possible). Alternatively, Rangers will be a chore and a half to deal with due to the D. Eldar's own mediocre range, and stand pretty good odds on planting normal wounds on them due to their equally garbage armor. For Dark Eldar lists running kabalites, avoid taking wraith units if possible; poison weaponry takes away a significant portion of their durability and they absolutely will overwhelm them with volume of fire.


*'''Harlequins:''' I'll be frank, you're at a significant disadvantage with these guys. Their ability to simply pass through intervening terrain and models and their particularly terrifying melee prowess means there's precious little you can do to slow down their advance, and with your terrible range on your weapons, keeping them at a safe distance simply isn't an option. In the early game, Rangers can attempt to pick one or two of them off before they barrel down on your side of the field. Weapons that rely on volume of fire will prove more useful, so a dual-ASC Exarch, Scatter lasers and a large clump of Guardians will prove modestly effective at picking off Harlequins on the approach. Special mention goes to flamer-wielding Storm Guardian Gunners, who will be significantly less tempting to charge due to their nasty auto-hitting overwatches. Dire Avengers, while more expensive, can out range your Guardians (and the Harlequin's effective pistol range) and between their better overwatches and grenades, will also be more of a challenge to take down. For the suicidal eldar, mobbing a single Harlequin Player with several Storm Guardians can actually stand a decent enough chance to down it; you will have a numbers advantage after all, and Harlequins are still T3 underneath that invuln save. This isn't necessarily advised though, because should that or a nearby Player survive the assault, they will eviscerate your S.Guardians in such laughably short order that you'll wonder what the hell you were thinking would happen.


*'''Orks:''' Yet another faction where close combat is to be avoided at all costs, Orks can be reliably kited using your superior movement and accuracy. Their average accuracy is pretty bad, so barring any fielded Burna's, keeping your distance is the best way to avoid taking any losses.


*'''Necrons:''' Treat these guys in a manner similar to Space Marines; AP heavy weapons will breach their armor easily enough, though you'll need to watch out for their potential Reanimation Protocols rolls. Thankfully, this is another army you can outnumber if you play your cards right, so don't be afraid to focus fire as needed. Wraithguard (namely D-Scythe variants) and Wraithblades are ideal for carving through their toughness and armor without maximizing their Reanimation Protocols the way your other heavy weapons do.


*'''T'au:''' Probably the ''best'' faction to use Storm Guardians against, in an ideal world. Don't even try to one-up the T'au's shooting game, it will result in a pretty quick and painful match. That said, Rangers are certainly a welcome asset against Firewarriors and Pathfinders; making use of a few of them can potentially pin down the enemy while you advance a CQC Exarch and his Storm Guardian buddies downfield. Flamers and Shuriken weaponry should more than suffice against most of their units, though a Fusion Gun would be recommended if the forecast calls for Stealth Battlesuits in the field. Howling Banshees excel against the T'au due to their ability to cross the field and shut down their gunlines with startling speed, though take a care if there are Crisis Battlesuits on the field; use Wraithguard to destroy them whenever possible.


*'''Tyranids:''' A likely much swarmier army than yours (unless your opponent is going for the "four-lictor" or warrior heavy lists), their unit selection allows Tyranids a high degree of build flexibility that can be challenging to plan for. Thankfully, no matter their build, volume of fire can prove quite reliable at dealing with most of their units, with multi-wound weapons such as the Fusion Gun, Starcannon and Bright Lance being particularly effective against Warriors and Lictors. Melee combat is arguably the biggest mistake you could make (by electing to participate in it, or allowing it to happen), because be it through numbers of units or attacks, Tyranids and their Genestealer buddies will outperform you in every regard. This is not as much of a problem for games involving your elite units, though even your Wraithblades mustn't charge in recklessly against them. Obviously, focus down any Synapse units you can before turning your attention towards any of the smaller gibblies.


*'''Genestealer Cult:''' These guys will behave in a similar manner to Imp. Guard, but just because Storm Guardians work against the Emperor's faithful doesn't mean using them against the Genestealer Cultists is a good idea. Again, close combat is probably the worst approach you can take when combating them, though Guardian Defenders and Dire Avengers will perform quite admirably against them in the ranged game. Rangers are also quite effective early game, though like with many fighty armies, their effectiveness wanes when the distance between them and their target dissipates. 
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'''Counterplay:'''
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Strategies for playing against this faction go here
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===ELD Example Teams===
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'''Standard Kill Teams'''
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*'''Balanced Ranged Team (11 Models, 100pts):''' A fairly versatile team with an emphasis on flexibility, this particular team I personally found to strike a nice balance for engaging both GEQ and MEQ targets. With the Comms specialist supporting the HWP, it becomes a shockingly accurate infantry gibber that can become a borderline [[DISTRACTION CARNIFEX]] for your enemies. It is also quite effective at locking down particular zones on the map with its impressive range, letting you discourage foes from recklessly charging any objectives down its sights. The veteran SGG with the Flamer can make excellent use of the post-deployment move to take a forward position to also discourage the enemy from advancing too quickly in a given area. Campaigns that allow you to level them up can also let them Ready ''after'' moving, potentially letting you get the drop on an unsuspecting backline unit with D6 auto-hits. The Scout SGG offers an extremely speedy unit who can very quickly cross the battlefield and easily pile wounds on even the sturdiest of models, though using it in this way can be quite CP intensive (Level 1 Scout tactic, Matchless Agility, Fire and Fade as well as a potential CP re-roll for hitting/wounding). Lastly, Dire Avengers are decently durable (for GEQ standards, anyways) with workable range on their base weapons, letting them engage targets at safer distances compared to their Guardian kin. This list does have a general aversion to melee-based opponents, so do what you can to kite your opponent using your (likely) superior mobility. With Battle Focus, there's almost no reason ''not'' to advance any and all of your units to keep them just outside charging range.
**''Leader:'' Dire Avenger Exarch with two Avenger Shuriken Catapults
**''Comms:'' Guardian Defender
**''Veteran:'' Storm Guardian Gunner with Flamer
**''Scout:'' Storm Guardian Gunner with Fusion Gun
**''Fireteam:'' Dire Avengers (x6)
**''Misc:'' Heavy Weapon Platform with Starcannon
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'''Commanders Kill Teams'''
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''For When Commanders Cost Points''
*'''Balanced Ranged Team (13 Models, 200pts):''' Virtually identical to the standard version, the only difference in this set up is a level 3 Farseer. I personally take him as a Strategist; Many of the Leadership abilities are relatively useless, given Farseers lack aura based abilities, or are conditional at best for a Farseer. The Logistics and Psyker specializations can be useful, if specced offensively, though many abilities between the two aren't particularly appealing for Farseer use. Strategists allow you to gain more CP per round while simultaneously reducing CP cost for all of your tactics (Asuryani or general), allowing you to get extremely tactical with your engagements. The powers recommended are Guide and Fortune, Guide being particularly handy on your HWP and Fortune can serve as a decent insurance policy for any of your specialists in particular. Outside campaigns, this arrangement is recommended:
**''Commander:'' Level 3 Strategist Farseer with Singing Spear
**''Leader:'' Dire Avenger Exarch with two Avenger Shuriken Catapults
**''Comms:'' Guardian Defender
**''Veteran:'' Storm Guardian Gunner with Flamer
**''Scout:'' Storm Guardian Gunner with Fusion Gun
**''Fireteam:'' Dire Avengers (x7)
**''Misc:'' Heavy Weapon Platform with Starcannon
''For When Commanders Cost Nothing''

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