Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team (HoR)/Tactics/Eldar(8E)

Within Heralds of Ruin, the Eldar manage to retain the majority of their prime tools (speed, guns, psykers), but the shrinking of the scale also sees the frailties of the Craftworlders become more visible, forcing players to play a lot smarter than before. However, the small scale also helps them because you can bring Aspect Warriors as troops (provided you bring the proper Exarch).

The vital tool for victory is to play a suitable intermediate between your good dakka and your combat weapons, as your room for models is very limited, especially compared to large-scale Warhams. Each model you get is absolutely vital for their job, and thus, you need to keep them protected because of their crap armor.

Your common keywords are Aeldari, Asuryani, <Craftworld>.

Rules

• Craftworld Attributes: While you can indeed keep the basic ones from the Codex, there are alternatives present. Alternatively, you could also just forgo the Craftworlds nonsense and gain a free TP.
  • Saim-Hann: Wild Host (Revised) - A more defensive variation, this lets your bikers and skyrunners charge after falling back instead of shooting. You lack the means to bring it to the enemy extra-hard, but now you can fall back and go again whenever you wish.
  • Biel-Tan: The Fractured - This allows your models to arrive at a randomized table edge, rolling a d6 to determine which. Never go for a 6, because then your enemy can throw you wherever they want.
  • Ulthwe: The Unblinking Eye - Your powers now cover anything within 4" of a target, which is helpful. The bigger grab, though, is your re-roll to sieze against Chaos.
  • Alaitoc: The Parallel Paths - You add +1 to any Aspect Warrior caps. Your rangers can also use their Appear Unbidden rule at the start of the second round instead.
  • Iyanden: The Vengeful Dead - Your Wraithguard/Wraithblades all add +1 attack when within a Spiritseer's IP, doubling if against enemies from Hive Fleet Kraken.
  • Altansar: The Whispering Outcasts - Your leader's IP range is reduced by 1", but their leadership skyrockets to 11. Quite hefty a boost.
  • Il-Kaithe: The Greater Foe - You can grab one Imperium or Drukhari model from one other opus as Core for each Special model you take, though they'll never benefit from IP. It has a lot of potential for variety, though the most obvious is bringing in Marines for a mobile meatslab.
  • Lugganath: The Labyrinth Striders - You can always pick which DZ you want to deploy from, which can be narratively...interesting. You can also force your enemy to re-roll one reserve roll per game, potentially robbing them of a vital asset.
  • Yme-Loc: The Crucible - Bans you from taking more than two Wraith Host models, but you can take up to two Vypers and up to two Heavy Weapons Platforms per ten guardians. These models also gain a 6+ save-after-save, making sure your big guns will last.
  • Iybraesil: The Crone's Wisdom - If you take a Howling Banshee Exarch, boost the range of their IP and War Cry by +3".
  • Mymeara: The Enemy Revealed - The good: Your Aspect Warrior and Warhost models rob enemies of their cover save. The bad? Neither side can hide from an enemy within 9", which means that you need to strike first and strike harder.
  • Malan'tai (Pre-Doom): Fly Before Fate - You can seize the initiative on a 5+. If you score the first turn, your models all gain +2" movement for the turn.
  • Malan'tai (Doomed): The Shattered Survivors - You can select Special choices from the Kroot opus (and the Exodites opus, but that's out of date), though this restricts you to 0-3 on both Aspect Warrior and Wraith Host models.
• Swooping Hawk Grenade Pack: Yeah, I'm sure you guessed that the Swooping Hawks won't get infinite grenades. However, theirs return without cost if you play campaigns.
• Smite: Smite works at it's HoR gimped self as normal, though anything with Destructor defers to that instead with respect to the HoR targeting rules. Truth be told, it's kinda sad to see Warlocks so nerfed.
• Ancient Doom: Revised so that you can re-roll all hit rolls in melee against Slaanesh models. However, if any model's within the IP of a Slaanesh leader, add +1 to any Rout tests.

Wargear

• Runes of Deception: A tool from Last Stand, this grants a model within 6" (and anyone within 3" of this target) Shrouded. Portable cover is always a plus.
• Runes of Sight: Night Vision isn't such a hoot. What is, though, is the ability to reveal anyone within 12" of you.
• Runes of Vigour: A very assault-based tool, this gives a model immunity to Blind, Concussive, and Strikedown. For models like the Banshees, this is a godsend.
• Runes of the Spider: Meant for models that have to move around a lot, this gives a model re-rolls when climbing or jumping.
• Runes of Accuracy: Like a slightly better Gitfinda, models that don't move while using this re-roll to-hit when shooting.
• Skyburst Grenade: This grenade is a mighty 24" S4 AP4 Cover-Ignoring Blast. Only use when you need to pressure someone.

Leaders Only

• Runes of War: A good tool for ranged and support Leaders, this allows models within 6" re-roll morale. Nice use for gunlines.
• Runes of Wrath: More focused for melee, this grants all models within 6" Hatred. This is not so great for your forces unless you have something along the lines of Banshees and Scorpions.

Warlocks Only

• Spirit Stones of Windfall: A potentially lethal tool. Each Assault Phase, you roll d6, the result becomes your AP value for your melee weapon. When you have luck on your side, this can become the godkiller.
• Runes of Witnessing: Same as before, these allow a Warlock to re-roll a failed Psychic Test.
• Runes of Warding: Similar to before, this lets a Warlock gain a 2+ bonus on their Deny test once. Useful against units with a clutch unit like Prescience on Centurions or Hammerhand.
• Spirit Stones of Dampening: A tool that should have been in the basic codex, these give your Warlock an analog to the Psychic Hoods the Imperium has, letting them deny for their allies.
• Spirit Stones of the Warp: These are your basic teleporter; move 2d6" in any direction, can't assault afterward.

Exarchs Only

• Force Buckler: A modest shield, this allows all Exarchs to grab a 5++. If you have a Dire Avenger with a Shimmershield, don't bother, you have the exact same bonus.
• Armour of Vaul: A re-rollable 3+. Fukken sweet.
• Armour of Isha: Grants FNP. Always welcome.
• Armour of Eldanesh: Grants Preferred Enemy. Pretty good, especially if you don't plan to strike from the front.

Unit Analysis

Your FOC is as follows

• 1 Leader
• 1-20 Core
• 0-5 Special

Leaders

• Warlock: With Farseers out of the Picture, the Warlock becomes the chief combat psyker of the entire list. In terms of armaments, he can only grab a Singing Spear to replace his Witchblade and the armoury. Without a council, they're quite vulnerable and thus are best suited to supporting with their powers. Fortunately, they can either pick one battle from Runes of Battle and Smite or pick two powers from Battle.
  • Warlock Skyrunner: 25 points for a bike? Shit, this is pretty extreme. Yes, this is the great deterrent from spamming jetseers.
• Spiriseer: 10 points over the Warlock makes you someone better-geared to working with Wraith-units. In particular, you can now grab a Wraithguard or Wraithblade as a Core model (Two if Iyanden), which slightly alleviates your slot choices.
• Ranger Farstrider: Ranger equivalent of exarch. These guys have all the fun sneaking and sniping properties. While you can keep the pistol to ensure that you're shooting on the move, you could also buy a chainsword, blade, or power sword so you can hold up in melee.
• Exarch: The real combat HQ. As opposed to last edition, each Exarch is their own choice with little else in common aside from base stats. However, they all make their aspect shrines core, which is always important.
  • Dire Avengers: One of the cheapest exarchs, these guys are pretty much as they are in the codex. Their versatility makes them a very useful unit if you don't intend on spamming psykers, especially considering their loadouts. In addition, Shimmershield allows your exarch to protect anyone within 3", which is a good benefit.
  • Howling Banshees: Still on the cheap side, these are meant for heavy assault, so make use of the Core Banshees. They remain the frighteningly-fast glass cannons and with the limitations of anti-infantry, you're bound to fare at least better. Remember that your War Shout is now limited to any enemies within 3" of the exarch. You have all the options you normally do in the codex, though you also get the Index-only Triskele for additional shooty.
  • Striking Scorpions: Expensive as hell, but you are a heavily-armored scout with a chainsword. Take a damn fine weapon to kill the enemy with. Just be sure to make the most out of your cover, because that is where you operate best from.
  • Fire Dragons: As cheap as the Dire Avengers exarch. The mother of all tank-killers, they still remain a potent force in the frontlines. You definitely want to keep the Fire Pikes in most cases, as Assured destruction is dead weight. Flamers thus are only useful to deter any charges, and that's better serviced by some overwatching guardians with their own flamers.
  • Swooping Hawks: You get to jump around and spew doom where you see fit, though you do need to keep an eye on your grenades since they're limited. You can buy the Hawk's Talon if you really want to hate on an enemy directly, or take the Sunrifle from the Index, now inflicting its penalty to hit until the end of the round, thus giving you protection from any return fire or any charges.
  • Warp Spiders: You know how they run, you know why you love them. Remember to beware Flickerjump because you have no protection for a lost leader and your Iron Resolve gives an army-wide re-roll on rout tests, which is king.
  • Shining Spears: Still a threat to all they rush, though they're the most expensive of the exarchs. Paragon Saber remains as useless as ever, so only grab the Star Lance if you plan on more shooty.
  • Dark Reapers: Now modestly expensive, these guys are the centerpoint for a team made for shooting and only shooting. They get their fancy variety of guns, so focus on which enemy you want to die fastest.

Core

• Guardian Defender: Cheap and efficient. These guys have to keep running if they want to survive. Guns are too short to make ranged warfare a major option, but they're too flimsy in combat. Think about them as eldar version of conscripts. Conscripts with shotguns. You should only take them when you want...
  • Heavy Weapons Platform: You can select one platform per ten Defenders/Storm Guardians. While it's your cheaper heavy weapons on a non-Exarch list, these things require Defenders (and defenders only) to crew it. You can't expect the enemy to ignore it either, as it won't overwatch and while it can't take nerve tests, breaking it will account as normal for routing purposes.
• Storm Guardian: Two points cheaper than a Defender, but only a bit better in close range. Each 1 per 5 can grab a Power Sword and another can grab flamers or Fusion Guns. In most cases, the flamer is a nicer idea for some cheap overwatch.
• Ranger: Rangers remain your fast snipers, given only pistols if they advance or are caught in combat. Never keep them in the open for that to happen. Ever.
• Dire Avenger: The balanced infantry choice, they benefit here from having a respectable armor save as well has having weapons to hold their own in any battle they find themselves in. Always worth considering regardless of how you kit the team.
• 0-3 Windrider: Your average Guardian with a bike. Each 1 per 2 can grab Shuriken Cannons or Scatter Lasers for their bikes, though Saim-Hann drops that restriction.
• 0-5 Swooping Hawk: These guys have the ability to jump wherever they want. Make use of it. As a lone unit, he won't do much, but with some backup (Especially when you have the Exarch), they become more threatening.

Special

• 0-5 Howling Banshee: The ability to ignore overwatch on the charge makes these ladies a truly incredible purchase. Even if you don't grab their exarch, you can select one or two to make a beeline and slash up a particularly annoying gunner.
• 0-5 Striking Scorpion: In a small scale, these guys have to rely more on sneaking around to help whittle down numbers. With all their neato weapons, they won't struggle much with taking most troops down.

• 0-5 Shining Spear: Like Windriders, these guys are great for quick attacks but they get better in combat thanks to their Laser Lances. Keep them firing when possible, because these make short work of terminators.
• 0-5 Warp Spider: You know them. You love them. Short range, but their spinners turn heavy armor into tissue paper. Jump in, tear them up, jump out before they splat you.
• 0-5 Fire Dragon: Their guns are meant to ruin all tanks and other heavy troops. Take them only when you know this, because you only have 5 choices.
• 0-5 Dark Reaper: These guys have some deadly firepower, but it is lacking by itself. Make sure to support it with other models, because there is no defense here.
• 0-3 Wraithguard: These boys become almost godlike in HoR due to their S10 AP-4 guns. That also means that they'll be even more of a target. Protect them at all costs, as these are really expensive.
• 0-3 Wraithblade: The option for either swords or axe and shield makes this already formidable force of terror even worse, as they have much less to oppose them. They are still a drain upon your points (actually, even worse on that!), so do not rely on these as your only choice for melee.
• Bonesinger: Wait, why in the flying fuck is this guy EVEN STRONGER than in bighammer? Stack that with all of his statline rules and one has to wonder why the hell you didn't take one the moment you picked a wratih list...and then you see the 70 point statline and remember that's fucking insane if you plan on doing anything more.
• 0-1 Vyper: These are no longer bikers, but they remain the most mobile weapons platform available to the craftworlds. Since you lack the option for multiple vypers (unless taking Iybraesil), you get a smaller but incremental movement boost for any nearby bikers or other Vypers.