Editing Warhammer 40,000/8th Edition Tactics/Eldar (section)

===={{W40kKeyword|Spirit Host}}==== 

*'''Wraithblades''': Angry Ghost Elves. Expensive and reassuringly scary Heavy Shock Troops that clock in at 35 points per model. Like other Wraith units, they are extremely durable by Eldar standards, but will draw a lot of fire. Massed lasgun or bolter fire ''will'' bring them down, and the Drukhari just see your T6 as adorable (as is tradition in WH40K, constructs like Wraith and Necrons are still vulnerable to poison, even though walker vehicles aren't). Like their ranged brethren, you want to put the unit into a Double Cannon Wave Serpent with a character to support, then drop them next to a high value target, charge in the transport to soak up Overwatch, and watch the carnage unfold.
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'''Weapon Loadout Options:''' Wraithblades have exactly two different melee weapon choices depending on if you want to kit them out offensively or defensively.
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*'''Ghostswords'''
**The offensive loadout, as well as your cheapest wraith unit, ghostswords grant an additional attack per model (3 base, 4 on the charge) at S6. Designed to overwhelm enemy units in a flurry of attacks, ghostswords excel at slaughtering any and all infantry they're sent up against and, if supported with a Spiritseer, can even put a dent in lighter vehicles through the sheer volume of saves they'll need to make. Wraithblades with ghostswords ''need'' a Wave Serpent to cart them around if you plan to get them into combat by your second turn, as they cannot afford to take fire while they slowly footslog it across the field. If points are extra tight, you can attempt to ''Webway Strike'' them into a position to charge backline infantry, though the likelyhood of making that charge immediately after deepstriking them is rather low.
*'''Ghostaxes'''
**Your defensive and most expensive wraith infantry unit, ghostaxe Wraithblades hit harder for potentially more damage per swing than their ghostsword variants. Why does this make them defensive instead of offensive? The extra strength conferred by the axe isn't quite enough to give it any higher likelyhood of wounding targets outside the T6/7 range than the swords do and the lowered melee accuracy coupled with fewer attacks per model make it challenging for ghostaxes to compete with the swords without extensive psychic support. In exchange, the Wraithblade does enjoy a very nice 4++ invuln save that can be boosted with Protect for a 2+/3++ T6 unit with 3 wounds per model. Outside very heavy focused fire or mortal wound spam, not much will break even an MSU squad of ghostaxe Wraithblades. While they can stand to risk running across the field a little more than their ghostsword kin can, using a Wave Serpent is still highly recommended to get them into position. Wave Serpents also let you more safely cart along the Spiritseer(s) needed to supplement your Wraithblades' slightly worse combat skills where the odd sniper might be able to sneak a shot in on them otherwise.
*** Try a setup of 10 Wraithblades with Ghostaxes, a Spiritseer with Quicken, two Warlocks with Protect and Enhance, one Farseer with Fortune and whatever you like as a second power, garnished with an Avatar of Khaine. Best served as Alaitoc in order to protect them on their approach. It will be absurdly difficult for your enemy to get rid of that unit, which will still demolish everything in close combat even after losing half of its strength. Although definitely not cost effective (around 1000 points) and not recommended for tournaments, it is massive fun to play. With in total 4 movements, 2 advances and a rerollable charge chances are pretty high that you reach close combat in turn 2.
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*'''Wraithguard:''' Still as powerful as 7th edition rules with pretty much the same points cost. Clocking in at 38-43 points per model with T6 and 3 wounds, these guys are very tough and have a metric crapton of firepower to boot. Their movement is pretty slow, coming in at 5" and ''lacking'' '''Battle Focus''', and their weapons have very short ranges, so get a Wave Serpent for them to ride in. Add in a Spiritseer/Autarch if you're taking wraithcannons and you've got a pretty nice little combo. They also have quite decent melee ability at S5 AP-1 D1d3, though only A1.
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'''Weapon Loadout Options:''' Just like the Wraithblades, Wraithguard squads can equip one of two guns to deal with opponents at close range.
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*'''Wraithcannons'''
**At Assault 1 S10 AP-4 D1d6, they are murder against heavy enemies and strip wounds from Vehicles like crazy. However, remember that Fire Dragons are cheaper, fit into Transports better, and have much the same role, so they do face some competition if you are tight on points. Alternatively, Wraithguard equipped with wraithcannons are fantastic candidates for a ''Webway Strike'', being able to drop in on a key target and unleash a salvo on important backline targets. Having a Spiritseer, Autarch,  or Farseer around to help make sure the shots hit home is always recommended. When in doubt, the default wraithcannon will serve you well.  Notably, unlike the Dragons, these guys are not only durable, but can Fall Back and then Shoot; this is typically not a concern against the things they're good at murdering, but see below.
*'''D-Scythes'''
**Pay 5 more points per model to turn the wraithcannon into a flamer: Assault 1d3 auto-hit, but only D1, and only 8".  The net effect on damage out is that you go from 2.33 (after accuracy and rolling for damage) to 2; switched to a more standard roll once per model with the Codex, so variance is now less of an issue, but you can no longer re-roll the entire unit for a single command point.  The damage difference is fantastic against Quantum Shielding, where they actually do far more wounds per point, and the rate of fire increase is easily worth it against hordes, but again, Dragons have better damage out per point (here, you'd always take a Heavy Flamer on the Exarch to compete); the reason to field Wraith is that you can back out of a fight and shoot anyway, which is where D-Scythes really shine, since it's usually hordes who try to stop you this way. 5/10/15 "shots" on a Conscript or Boys blob doesn't sound like much until you realize that it's an average of 4.17/8.33/12.50 dead infantry plus the additional casualties inflicted in the Morale phase. Depending on leadership (4 for Conscripts, 6 for Guardsmen) you can end up causing a significant chunk of damage in the Morale phase, or force your opponent to burn some CP.
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