The only source of transport for the Eldar (except of course the Webway network), a Falcon is a valuable tool in both defence and assaults, and has a variety of weaponry to add extra firepower to an attack. Excellent for transporting such units as Fire Dragons into an enemy base to wreak havoc, a Falcon can provide cover and protection from enemy squads while the Dragons take down buildings. Furthermore, able to transport two squads (except Fire Dragons), a Falcon loaded with two Reaper squads can form a tight and hard hitting anti infantry attack force, that is able to surprise enemy squads from multiple angles. Not only does the Falcon have good firepower and troop carrying capabilities, it also has great mobility with two jumps and can be used to quickly save troops under heavy fire or make lightening strikes into enemy bases.
Statistics
Available at tier two after construction of the soul shrine and support portal, a Falcon requires no add on stone unlike the other Eldar vehicles and is available straight away. Its standard weapons are the Brightlance, Shuriken Catapult and Scatter laser (can only be fired when stationary). Here is its statistical breakdown taken from Relic Wiki:
Build Cost 150/150/3 Build Time 20 seconds Built From Support Portal Unit Size 1 Requires Nothing Limit None Hitpoints 1860 Armour Vehicle Medium Unit Mass 50 Move Speed 36 Sight Radius 30 (Cannot detect)
From this we can see that the Falcon has brilliant move speed at 36 and with a double jump it becomes one of the fastest vehicles in the game, able to cover the whole map in little time. Compared to other transports this gives the Falcon a significant advantage speed wise, and it outstrips both Rhino variants, the Chimera and the Devilfish by a decent amount. The only transport that is faster, is the Ork Wartruck (capable of moving at 54 speed with its boost), however with the Falcons jumps the Truck is roughly on par.
With 1860 health points of Vehicle medium armour the Falcon can withstand a fair amount of damage, however under concentrated fire it will be taken down so use it carefully. Compared to the other transports a Falcon has more HP than the Devilfish and Chimera; however the Rhino variants and Wartruck all have more HP. Once the Falcon gains the Holo field research from the support portal it outstrips all other transports by roughly 100 HP.
The cost of the Falcon may seem steep for a transport and compared to the other vehicles it costs a lot more (except the Wartruck) in both requisition and power. However it has more weaponry and mobility than the other transports so the cost is justified. Taking up three spaces of your vehicle population cap, always consider the implications a Falcon will have on the rest of your vehicle options later in the game. It is advisable to use Falcons firstly for infantry support at the start of tier two and then in later tiers for transporting your infantry especially Fire Dragons; using Falcons as the main part of your force is not an option as Wraithlords and Vypers to a much better job.
Upgrades/Abilities
Transport
A Falcon has two troop slots and can carry any Eldar infantry unit (except the Avatar). Note that only one Fire Dragon squad can be carried as it takes up two slots. Always remember that the Falcon can carry squads as it is very useful for guardian weakened troops or protecting squads that are heavily under fire. You can also use the transport function to perform quick attack on weak structure like listening posts and generators; once the building is destroyed your troops can jump back in.
Warp Spiders can jump out of a Falcon transport using their teleport packs in the middle of a jump; this can be used to an Eldar player’s advantage to attack from two points at once. The Warp Spider jump out half way to pick off any infantry, while the Falcon jumps the whole way to attack from a different position.
Vehicle Holo-field research
This research is available as soon as the support portal is built and once researched; boost all vehicles health points by a certain amount. The bonus it gives a Falcon is shown below:
- Increases Falcon health by 17.5%
This boosts the Falcon transport to 2186, making it the toughest transport once researched. If you are planning on using a lot of vehicles it is a good idea to buy this research as it only costs 75/125.
Strategies/General Tips
Race Specifics – Necron: against Necron especially when facing mass flayed ones, a couple of Falcons can be a great way to take them down and keep your troops safe. Some people build Harlequins, however these get taken down fairly easily and a Falcon is much more mobile and able to avoid the Flayed melee. Furthermore if your troops are loosing morale, you can put them inside the Falcon and jump away to keep them boosted. Use the Falcons mobility against the relatively slow Necrons; you can quickly enter a Necron base with a Falcon loaded with a Dragon squad and take out some generators.
Race Specifics – Ork: When facing an Ork, especially massed Shootas, a Falcon loaded with a couple of Harlequins can do wonders. The Falcon can quickly jump in while soaking up the Ork ranged damage while the Harlequins jump out and perform their dance of death/Harlequins kiss abilities which will greatly disrupt the Ork squads. When the abilities have been performed and if the Falcon is still alive you can load the Harlequins back into the transport and jump away.
Race Specifics – Chaos: When facing Chaos in tier two, in most cases they will have Bezerkers and a Sorcerer; if that is the situation then a Falcon or two can be extremely useful to take down the Bezerkers or keep your ranged troops safe from melee. This has the added effect of slowing down the chaos tech speed also as they will have to invest in Horrors to take down the Falcons. Be careful when using them however as if a couple of Bezerker squads engage in melee with a Falcon, they will destroy it eventually.
When using Falcons make sure that you utilise their jump capabilities; remember gaps that normal infantry cannot pass without walking round: such as the jungle on battle marshes, the base cliffs of Fata Morga or the river on Kasyr Luiten. A Falcon can easily jump over these pieces of impassable terrain and allow for quick attacks into the enemy base or vital points on the map. This can be used in team games also; a Falcon can be used as a scouting unit, allowing your allies to Deepstrike such units as Dreadnoughts or Obliterators straight into the enemy base.
When choosing Falcons weaponry you first have to sum up you current force composition as well as your enemies; of you have a large amount of anti infantry then you may as well keep the Brightlance for use against vehicles. Whereas if you are short on anti infantry, and your enemy has a large amount then the Starcannon is preferable. I final thing about the Falcons weapons is that the Brightlance is much less effective than that of a Grav platform and the Wraithlord; in most cases it is more beneficial to equip the Falcon with a Starcannon regardless of your enemies units.
Micro – An important micro tip for Falcons is that their Scatter Laser only fires when stationary; to maximise their firepower make sure that your transport had stopped moving. Furthermore a Falcon has the tendency to fire at several different targets if it is left to shoot of its own accord; to stop this, and to make the Falcon fire all its weapons on one target simply click the desired target again.
This post has been edited by GW_Fingolfin: Sep 13 2007, 07:14 AM
A fragile but devastating unit when used right, the Vyper is a light armoured skimmer, armed with the deadly Missile launcher and Shuriken catapult. Capable of quick movement and able to jump over impassable terrain, a Vyper has excellent mobility making it a formidable hit and run unit for eco harassment and generator destruction. Furthermore its missile launcher disrupts enemy infantry in a wide radius and when used in conjunction with Reapers or Warp Spiders, a Vyper is a great support unit for infantry fights. Possibly its strongest point is its building damage; when used in packs of three, Vypers can quickly level enemy structures and then jump away when under fire, to attack again from a different position. Good Eldar players will utilise the Vyper as it is a cheap way to harass your enemy early on in tier two, while being able to disrupt troops and do decent damage against vehicles too.
Statistics
Available at tier two after construction of the Soul Shrine and Support Portal, a Vyper additionally requires the Vyper Stone add on which costs 50 requisition. Equipped as standard (there are no upgrades/weapon changes available either) with a Shuriken catapult and Missile launcher, once brought a Vyper is ready to fight. Here is its statistics taken from Relic Wiki:
Build Cost 115/95/2 Build Time 14 seconds Built From Support Portal Unit Size 1 Requires Vyper Stone add on Limit None Hitpoints 1200 Armour Vehicle Medium Unit Mass 40 Move Speed 36 Sight Radius 30 (Cannot detect)
From these statistics we can gain several useful points; firstly the Vyper costs only 115/95. If you have a decent economy and a good sized force, and Eldar player can easily build 3 or four Vypers without taking much of a blow to their resources. A Vyper costs less than a Land Speeder (120/90), and considering what a Vyper can do compared to a Speeder, the cost seems even more favourable; A Vyper can be used for base bashing, as well as unit disruption, whereas a Speeder can only really be used for anti infantry.
Secondly it has a speed of 36 (the same as a Falcon) and two jumps; this makes it one of the most mobile vehicles in the game and makes it so much more deadly when used to its full potential. To make use of its speed an Eldar player should use the Vyper jumps to overcome impassable terrain that infantry and other vehicles would have to walk around as well as performing quick attacks on vulnerable enemy positions and jumping out again when under fire.
An important aspect of the Vyper you must consider is its health points; with only 1200 HP of vehicle medium armour, a Vyper although hardy, will succumb to concentrated fire and should always be taken care of when in a fight. A single Vyper on its own will not be able to take down several infantry squads, even if they have no anti vehicle weapons; the damage a Vyper does is not significant enough to kill the squads. When used as a support unit to your infantry, a Vypers health becomes less of an issue and the disruption it causes means that the enemy infantry will not have much chance to shoot it anyway. When facing anti vehicle units, the best advice is to simply run away! Missiles and lascannons etc will simply waste a Vyper in a few shots and it is advisable to make use of the Vyper Jump to make a quick get away.
Abilities/Upgrades
Vehicle Holo-field research
This research is available as soon as the support portal is built and once researched; boost all vehicles health points (except the Grav platforms) by a certain amount. The bonus it gives a Vyper is shown below:
- Increases Vyper health by 17.5%
This boosts the Vyper Jetbike to 1410, making it that little bit tougher and able to withstand more firepower. This upgrade is extremely useful when an Eldar player is fighting Orks and they need Vypers to stay alive longer to inflict more damage on the Ork waagh banners and strategic points.
Strategies/General Tips
Race Specifics – Ork: Vypers against Orks are absolutely lethal, their building damage to the fairly weak waagh banners and Ork buildings makes them brilliant base bashing units. Infantry units such as Fire Dragons are not suited for base bashing against Ork, as the building guns will inflict casualties; Vypers however will take longer to bring down due to their vehicle armour. When tier two, a support portal should be built as soon as possible and three of four Vypers quickly built to make attacks on the Ork economy and banners; use their jumps to quickly get into the Ork base. The Ork buildings will fall really quickly and hopefully you will set him back a good way in both economy and tech speed.
Race Specifics – Necron: Fairly useful against a Necron; Vypers can utilise their speed against the fairly slow moving Necrons to make strikes on generators and other structures such as the summoning core. Use the Vypers jumps to quickly get into the Necron base and target generators; with three or so Vypers, Necron generators will be taken out quickly. Be careful for Immortals or units being recalled to the monolith however as even the basic Necron Warrior will make short work of Vypers.
Race Specifics – Space marine: When facing a marine player who has a solid tactical marine mass (3+ squads), several Vypers will work wonders for disrupting the squads and stopping them using their heavy weapons (missile launcher, heavy bolter) effectively. This will allow your own ranged troops; Warp Spiders/Reapers etc, to inflict damage on the disrupted squads and hopefully take less damage. Be wary of missiles however as they outrange the Missile launcher of a Vyper and will take it down in a few shots.
When using Vypers in conjunction with your ranged infantry make sure your squads are as far away from the enemy units you are shooting as the Vyper disruption will throw your own troops around too. This is especially important for Warp Spiders as they have a shorter range than the other Eldar infantry and will most likely be closer to the enemy squads. Never use Vypers when you have Howling banshees or a seer council; the knock back will make it really hard for the melee troops to do any damage, when you have melee troops it is advisable to use your Vypers to harass the enemy economy.
When choosing a unit for base bashing/eco harassment (either fire dragons/Wraithlords or Vypers), an Eldar player should sum up the current game situation, the enemy they are facing, and what would be the best choice. If it’s a large map with spread out points then Vypers are more preferable due to their fast movement and jump ability. Whereas if it is a smaller map, Wraithlords could quickly get into an enemy base where their melee attacks can take down larger buildings quicker than a Vyper could. Against such races as Chaos, again Vypers would make a better choice as Fire Dragons and Wraithlords can be tied up in combat with such units as cultists.
This post has been edited by GW_Fingolfin: Sep 13 2007, 09:33 AM
The Wraithlord is a giant construct created from wraithbone and piloted by the soul of a fallen Eldar warrior. Striding across the battlefield, it brings a much needed hard hitting aspect to the fairly fragile Eldar army. Armed with the Anti infantry star cannon, two heavy flamers and the optional Brightlance, a Wraithlord can lay down a hail of fire against all types of unit, as well as having two power firsts to deal significant damage in close combat. A Wraithlord is an important aspect of any Eldar army and can be used to perform harassment on an enemy base due to its good building damage, or it can be used to combat enemy vehicles with its Brightlance, or to tie up enemy ranged infantry allowing your own ranged squads to fire at will. When reaching tier two and with a sufficient anti infantry force, an Eldar player will use a Wraithlord to add some extra punch to an attack or to distract the enemy by harassing their base. A really useful Eldar unit, a Wraithlord should always be considered and a couple of these tanking constructs can soon change the tide of a battle.
Statistics
A Wraithlord is available at tier two after construction of the Soul Shrine and Support Portal. On construction of the support portal a further Aspect stone add on is required that costs 50 requisition and takes 15 seconds to research. As a Walker unit, the Wraithlord comes standard with 2x power fists, each with a heavy flamer and a Starcannon. Once created there is the optional Brightlance for anti armour purposes. Here is the Wraithlords statistics taken from Relic Wiki:
Build Cost 100/250/3 Build Time 20 Seconds Built From Support Portal Unit Size 1 Requires Wraithlord Stone Limit None Hitpoints 2950 Armour Vehicle Medium Unit Mass 80 Move Speed 20 Sight Radius 35 (Cannot Detect)
From the statistics we can see that firstly, a Wraithlord’s cost for what it can do is very reasonable; for 100/250 an Eldar player can get a hard hitting walker, capable of ripping apart infantry and buildings. Compared to the other Walkers the Wraithlord is the cheapest, coming in at 10 less power than the Defiler and 50/60 less than the Killer Kan and Dreadnought. This makes it easier on the fairly power hungry Eldar force composition and gives Eldar players a slight advantage when using vehicles cost wise. For three population cap, a Wraithlord can be built straight away from the Support portal, however if an Eldar player wants more than one, then a Webway gate needs to be constructed.
Secondly, we can see that a Wraithlord has rather low health compared to the other walkers; at 2950 it has the least health of all the other walkers (except the sentinel which isn’t really the same class) being easily outstripped by the Defiler (3300), Killer Kan (3000) and Dreadnought (4780). However, with vehicle medium armour it can still withstand a fair amount of damage and it will survive for a long time against basic infantry. With the Holo field upgrade the Wraithlord against a 33% health increase (3950) which gives it the second highest Hitpoints, making it much more durable.
When considering its speed and unit mass, the Wraithlord is fairly mobile and sturdy. Its unit mass is 80 which compares to a squiggoth and other walkers; this basically means it will not get knocked down or thrown around by anything. With a unit speed of 20, a Wraithlord is the fastest walker (except the Sentinel at 32) and over its competitors it has a good advantage; The Defiler (16 Speed), Dreadnought (18 Speed, and Killer Kan (14 Speed). During games this basically means it can arrive at critical points quicker, and will be able to chase fleeing units more effectively. A final point to notice is the Wraithlord’s sight radius; at 35 the Wraithlord can use all its weapons at maximum range including the Brightlance (35 Range).
Abilities/Upgrades
Vehicle Holo Field Research
This upgrade increases the health of all Eldar Vehicles (except the Brightlance and Shuriken grav platforms). This upgrade gives a significant health bonus to the Wraithlord that is permanent once researched. The bonus it gives is stated below:
- Increases Wraithlord health by 1000HP to 3950
This is roughly a 33% bonus which is double that the other Eldar vehicles receive and makes the Wraithlord one of the toughest walkers available. When using several Wraiths and if you have any spare Requisition/power then it is a good idea to buy this upgrade as it makes your Wraithlord’s much more durable.
Strategies/General Tips
When facing other walkers, the Wraithlord will be beaten by a Dreadnought and Killer Kan, and should never be left alone to fight a 1on1 battle with any of the walkers; its lower health means that even if it does win the fight, it will be left with severely reduced health. Leave Walkers to dedicated anti armour units such as Fire Dragons, and concentrate your Wraithlord’s on infantry and base bashing. Indecently, a Wraithlord with the Holo field upgrade will perform much better against Walkers due to its 33% health increase.
If low armour vehicles are present then an Eldar player should upgrade any Wraithlord’s they have with the Brightlance. The Wraiths Brightlance is much more powerful than the Falcon’s and Grav Platforms and does brilliant damage against low armour vehicles such as chimeras and Devilfish; it can take out vehicles like this in a couple of shots and it is much more effective to use the Wraithlord on Ranged than chasing the vehicle in melee. This applies to building damage also, A Wraithlord using its Brightlance, can take down low armour buildings such as generators and listening posts in a few shots; when entering a base with upgraded listening posts or turrets, a Wraithlord can take them down with the Brightlance without taking damage, rather than entering combat with the building and taking shots from its guns.
When using your Wraithlord’s to fight infantry, it is important that you try and tie up any squads that have weapons with set up times such as Fire warriors or Heavy Bolter squads; this will keep them moving and make their firing much less effective. Alternatively an Eldar player should use their Wraithlord’s to tie up powerful units that can harm your ranged infantry such as melee specialists like Bezerkers or ranged specialists like Flash Gitz. When using your Wraithlord’s to destroy buildings, you need to consider your current force and the force your enemy has; if your enemy has a large force that your own force can barely deal with then your Wraithlord’s should destroy unit producing buildings first. Whereas if your enemy has a smaller force, you should destroy generators and listening posts to impede his ability to keep his army reinforced.
Race Specifics – Space Marine: against Space Marines, Wraithlord’s are deadly and due to the Marines fairly inadequate anti vehicle, Wraithlord’s can cause much damage to the space Marine army. They are specifically good against Marines as their only source of powerful anti tank is tactical squads with missile launches; a Wraithlord can simply tie up these squads and negate their anti armour power allowing your infantry to pick them off. The Marines alternative is to counter a Wraithlord with a Dreadnought; this is costly and will set back a Marines tech speed and economy.
Race Specifics – Ork: against Orks, Wraithlord’s can be very useful base bashers; Fire Dragons will take a lot of damage from the Ork building guns, however a Wraithlord can stand up to more punishment and will be able to deal out more damage to the Waagh banners, generators and Ork buildings than a weakened Fire Dragon Squad. When choosing Vypers or Wraithlord’s, sum up the size of the map (Vypers are better on larger maps to utilize their speed), the size of your enemy force (use Vypers to disrupt mass infantry, while Wraithlord’s harass the Ork base).
Micro – When using Wraithlord’s remember to switch stances if you plan to use their ranged weaponry. A Wraithlord on Melee stance will use its weapons while on the move and their accuracy will be greatly reduced. It is much more effective to put the Wraith on shooting stance as it will stop to fire, thus improving its accuracy and damage output. Furthermore, if you wish to demoralize an enemy squad, you can switch the Wraithlord to shooting stance at close range to use its flamers; once the squad is broken you can change to melee to finish them off.
This post has been edited by GW_Fingolfin: Sep 13 2007, 09:38 AM
The Brightlance Grav platform is based on the standard Eldar gravitational weapons platform often used for mobile support and defence of the Craftworlds. Small, fast and armed with the deadly Brightlance, a Grav Platform can be a great support unit for any Eldar force and with its long ranged and special damage increasing ability; it can boost your force firepower allowing you to take down single units or structures much faster. Built from the Webway gate, a Brightlance can be produced at the same time as any unit from the support portal; this allows an Eldar player to build multiple vehicles without clogging up their build que from one structure. Compared to the Wraithlord Brightlance, the Grav platforms weapons lacks greatly and the damage it does to vehicles, structures and infantry alike is mediocre. The real benefit is from the 75% damage increase that any single unit/structure takes when under fire from the Grav platforms weapon. A fragile unit, if an Eldar player uses the Grav platforms, they should use them extremely carefully as their vehicle low armour will easily be taken down by any dedicated anti vehicle units or concentrated fire.
Statistics
Build Cost 125/75/1 Build Time 30 seconds Built From Webway Gate Unit Size 1 Requires Mobilize for war Research Limit 3 Hitpoints 1100 Armour Vehicle Low Unit Mass 30 Move Speed 24 Sight Radius 35 (Cannot detect)
Available at tier three after the Mobilise for War research is finished from the HQ, a Brightlance Grav Platform can be built from any Webway gate. For just 125 requisition and 75 power, the three limit of Brightlance platforms can be built cheaply and at the same time as vehicles from the support Portal. An Eldar player should always consider buying these units as they can be a great addition to any Eldar force. Do not overlook the Platforms, many Eldar players forget about them as they are concentrating on Warp Spiders etc, however Platforms can bolster your force and provide greater numbers.
With only 1100 Hitpoints of vehicle low armour, a Brightlance platform is very fragile and any anti armour units will quickly dispatch them. With roughly the same health as a Land Speeder and the same armour type, an Eldar player can expect a Platform to take roughly the same damage. Massed infantry fire will take down a platform, as will a single shot from a Broadside Railgun or Imperial guard Sentinel. When using Platforms it is a good idea to deal with any anti armour units beforehand to give them extra survivability.
A Brightlance platform moves at 24 speed, this is roughly the same speed as jump troop and faster than most standard vehicles; it can cover ground fairly quickly, however it is much slower than such vehicles as Falcons and Land Speeders. Basically, a Brightlance is quick enough to keep up with the Eldar troops using Fleet of Foot thus making it a good support unit. With a hard cap of 3, and taking up just 1 vehicle space, an Eldar player can easily add some Brightlance Platforms to their force and still have space for other such vehicles as Wraithlords and Falcons.
Strategies/General Tips
At tier three, Brightlance platforms should be brought ASAP if an Eldar Player has spare requisition and a good enough sized force to cope with what the enemy is throwing at them. There is little point in spending money on platforms if you have no army; they do not do enough damage on their own and will be taken down really quickly to concentrated fire. So make sure you have a sizeable force, such as Warp Spiders, Seer Council and Some Fire Dragons/ Wraithlords before buying you Brightlance platforms. Furthermore remember to set the waypoint for your Webway gate and keep track of which Webway you are building your platforms from; your platforms could be stood idle not contributing at secluded Webway gates.
When choosing which Webway to build your Platforms from, an Eldar player should consider the following: the location of their force, the position of the Webway gate, and any obstacles a platform has to navigate. Building platforms from a Webway that is no where near your force can waste valuable time and you should always create your platforms from the closest possible gate. Gates that are in tight spaces or that have obstacles near should be avoided as the Platforms could have pathing issues or take longer to get round things rather than a straight path. Utilise your builders teleport function and the fact that you can place Webways anywhere on the map; an Eldar player can quickly put up a Webway to launch a surprise attack with platforms and any units inside the Webway gates.
When using the Brightlance an Eldar player has to utilise the weapons special ability. When firing, the Brightlance makes the targeted squad member or vehicle/structure take 75% more damage for a duration of 3 seconds. Considering the Brightlance reload time is 3 seconds, you can effectively keep the target taking 75% more damage providing the Brightlance hits constantly. This ability is wasted on medium and light armour infantry squads as the bonus it provides only works on one squad member at a time. It is much better used on Heavy armour units such as terminators, structures and of course single squad units like heroes and vehicles. A very effective tactic is to combine Fire Dragons with Brightlance Platforms; the damage bonus will greatly increase the Fie Dragons damage when firing at enemy structures and vehicles, making them extremely dangerous as base bashing tools.
An Eldar player should make use of the Brightlance long range; the Platforms weapon outstrips the Wraithlords Brightlance by 5 and has a range of 40. This means it can outshoot such units as heavy bolter squads and tier two Firewarriors. However it has the same range as Broadsides, so be careful when fighting Tau or your Platforms could be eliminated for nothing. Furthermore, a Brightlance platform cannot fire on the move; it has to be stationary and has a re-fire rate of 3 seconds; it is a good idea to set a position for your platforms to fire from so they can maximise their range.
This post has been edited by GW_Fingolfin: Sep 13 2007, 09:59 AM
The Shuriken Grav platform is based on the standard Eldar gravitational weapons platform often used for mobile support and defence of the Craftworlds. Small, fast and armed with the anti infantry Shuriken Cannon, a Grav Platform can be a great support unit for any Eldar force and with its decent range and special ability that reduces targeted squads moving speed; it can allow your other ranged units to take down fleeing squads easily or slow down advancing melee squads from engaging your squads. Built from the Webway gate, a Shuriken Platform can be produced at the same time as any unit from the support portal; this allows an Eldar player to build multiple vehicles without clogging up their build que from one structure. Damage wise, the Shuriken Platforms face values are fairly low, however it does an area of effect damage and can hurt multiple squads at the same time; combine this with the movement penalty for targeted squads and the Shuriken Platform can slow down and damage multiple squads all at once. A fragile unit, if an Eldar player uses the Grav platforms, they should use them extremely carefully as their vehicle low armour will easily be taken down by any dedicated anti vehicle units or concentrated fire.
Statistics
Build Cost 140/60/1 Build Time 50 seconds Built From Webway Gate Unit Size 1 Requires Mobilize for war Research Limit 3 Hitpoints 800 Armour Vehicle Low Unit Mass 30 Move Speed 24 Sight Radius 35 (Cannot detect)
Available at tier three after the Mobilise for War research is finished from the HQ, a Shuriken Grav Platform can be built from any Webway gate. For just 140 requisition and 60 power, the three limit of Shuriken platforms can be built cheaply and at the same time as vehicles from the support Portal; a point to note is that the Shuriken costs more than its Brightlance brother and also has a 20 second longer build time. An Eldar player should always consider buying these units as they can be a great addition to any Eldar force. Do not overlook the Platforms, many Eldar players forget about them as they are concentrating on Warp Spiders etc, however Platforms can bolster your force and provide greater numbers.
With only 800 Hitpoints of vehicle low armour, a Shuriken platform is extremely vulnerable to concentrated fire, so much more than a Brightlance that has 1100. With less health as a Land Speeder and the same armour type, an Eldar player can expect a Platform to be shot down fairly easily from ranged fire and melee. Massed infantry fire will take down a platform, as will a single shot from a Broadside Railgun or Imperial guard Sentinel. When using a Shuriken platform it is a good idea to group it with infantry squads as its shorter range compared to the Brightlance means that it is more susceptible.
A Shuriken platform moves at 24 speed, this is roughly the same speed as jump troops and faster than most standard vehicles; it can cover ground fairly quickly, however it is much slower than such vehicles as Falcons and Land Speeders. Basically, a Shuriken is quick enough to keep up with the Eldar troops using Fleet of Foot thus making it a good support unit. With a hard cap of 3, and taking up just 1 vehicle space, an Eldar player can easily add some Shuriken Platforms to their force and still have space for other such vehicles as Wraithlords and Falcons.
Strategies/General Tips
At tier three, Shuriken platforms should be brought if an Eldar Player has spare requisition and a good enough sized force to cope with what the enemy is throwing at them, not as vital as brightlances, Shuriken Platforms are generally best used when you are lacking anti infantry support. There is little point in spending money on platforms if you have no army; they do not do enough damage on their own and will be taken down really quickly to concentrated fire. So make sure you have a sizeable force, such as Warp Spiders, Seer Council and Some Fire Dragons/ Wraithlords before buying you Shuriken platforms. Furthermore remember to set the waypoint for your Webway gate and keep track of which Webway you are building your platforms from; your platforms could be stood idle not contributing at secluded Webway gates.
When choosing which Webway to build your Platforms from, an Eldar player should consider the following: the location of their force, the position of the Webway gate, and any obstacles a platform has to navigate. Building platforms from a Webway that is no where near your force can waste valuable time and you should always create your platforms from the closest possible gate. Gates that are in tight spaces or that have obstacles near should be avoided as the Platforms could have pathing issues or take longer to get round things rather than a straight path. Utilise your builders teleport function and the fact that you can place Webways anywhere on the map; an Eldar player can quickly put up a Webway to launch a surprise attack with platforms and any units inside the Webway gates.
When using a Shuriken platform an Eldar player should have infantry ranged support from Reapers and Warp Spiders to make the best use of the slowing effect of the platforms weapon. The targeted squad’s movement speed is reduced by 25% for 1.5 seconds, so a Shuriken platform can keep several squads at a reduced move speed permanently as long as its Shuriken Cannon hits. Using a single Shuriken platform on its own will not reap much benefit and it will most likely be taken down easily, the Platforms power is best used in the full group of three. Three Shuriken platforms can lay down a wide range of suppressing fire on enemy squads, damaging and slowing all I their area of effect; this gives time for your more powerful ranged units to move in and finish them off. With poor building damage, Shuriken platforms should never be used in an anti-armour role and generally they should be used separately to brightlances. It is tempting to use all 6 platforms as one attacking group, however this would be a waste of requisition and the damage the platforms would dish out would be minimal.
With 800 Hitpoints it is vital that a Shuriken platform is used with other squads to shield it and protect it. Never use a group of Shuriken platforms as a stand alone group; they are a support unit and a complementary unit to your more hard hitting and hardy Eldar troops. It is not advisable to always buy Shuriken platforms as you could struggle to make the cost back and in the game situation it is most likely that you will have more powerful anti infantry units available.
This post has been edited by GW_Fingolfin: Sep 13 2007, 07:10 AM
The ultimate Eldar heavy grav tank, a Fire Prism uses the basic Falcon chassis, but with heavier armour and greater Firepower. Combining speed and damage, a Fire Prism is the Eldar’s most deadly unit except the Avatar and can cause great damage to infantry, vehicles and buildings alike. Armed with the deadly Prism Cannon and anti infantry Shuriken Catapult, a Fire prism can deal with all targets; furthermore the Prism cannon have an area of effect and disrupt infantry, making it good for upsetting defensive position and units with weapon set up times. Although lesser armed and armored than such tanks as the Predator tank, the Fire Prism has much greater mobility as a grav vehicle and also has the ability to jump over impassable terrain; this means Eldar players can use them for surprise attacks on enemy bases or to quickly jump in to disrupt enemy infantry. When used in conjunction with Eldar infantry such as Warp Spiders, a Fire prism can be a really useful tool in heavy fights; it will draw firepower from enemy squads as well as causing disruption. If an Eldar player has the Requisition and power available then they should always go to tier 4 to use these deadly vehicles; although only limited to two Prisms, combined with the rest of your force or used as a counter harassing unit, Fire Prisms are a must have Eldar unit in protracted battles.
Statistics
Available at tier four after Annihilate the Enemy has been researched from the Soul Shrine, A Fire Prism requires a further research from the Support Portal; the Fire prism aspect stone costs 100 requisition and 50 power, and takes 30 seconds to research. Bear this in mind when building Fire prisms as the research time of the aspect stone could hinder the production of other units. Here are the Fire prism’s statistics taken from Relic Wiki:
Build Cost 150/315/5 Build Time 45 Seconds Built From Support Portal Unit Size 1 Requires Webway Assembly, Soul Shrine, Fire Prism Aspect stone Limit 2 Hitpoints 5285 Armour Vehicle Medium Unit Mass 50 Move Speed 36 Sight Radius 35 (cannot detect)
The first thing we can see is the Fire Prisms build cost; at 150/315 the Prism is fairly power hungry, however it costs less than the Marine and Chaos Predators and does not require any upgrades (i.e. Predator Lascannon). Costing 5 vehicle support cap, two Fire prisms will take up nearly half of your vehicles slots and only a couple more vehicles can be used at the same time. Bear this in mind and always have enough Webways constructed to allow for the Fire Prisms construction. With a aspect stone research time of 30 seconds and a build time of 45 seconds, the Fire prism does take a while to construct, and if you need vehicles quickly then it is advisable to have a second support portal or build Wraithlord’s/Falcons or Vypers first.
With 5285 Hitpoints of Vehicle medium armour, a Fire Prism will only be taken down by heavy anti vehicle fire and normal ranged infantry will not be able to take them down. Compared to the other tier four vehicles, the Prism is the second heaviest armored tank beside the Space Marine predator (5820), and easily outstrips the Chaos predator (4000), Looted Lehman (4585), Hammerhead (4000) and Lehman Russ (5200). With the Holo field upgrade (researched from the Soul Shrine), a Fire prism is boosted to 6210 Hitpoints making it the toughest vehicle (beside the Baneblade, Restored Monolith and Land Raider) in the game.
With a move speed of 36, the Fire prism has a large advantage over other tier four vehicles and outstrips its competitors easily; The Marine and Chaos Predators, Looted Lehman, Lehman Russ and hammerhead Gunship all move at only 24 speed and have no special abilities to increase their movement. The Fire prism however can move quickly and will not be affected by heavy or negative terrain due to its skimmer type class. Furthermore, the Fire prism can use the Jump ability to quickly move across the map or into tight situations. It is important to remember that the Fire Prism only has one jump that takes a full 90 seconds to recharge so use it carefully and at the optimum time.
Abilities/Upgrades
Vehicle Holo-field research
This research is available as soon as the support portal is built and once researched; boost all vehicles health points by a certain amount. The bonus it gives a Fire Prism is shown below:
- Increases Fire Prism health by 17.5%
This boosts all Fire Prism’s to 6210, making it the toughest vehicle medium armored tank in the game. If you are planning on using a lot of vehicles it is a good idea to buy this research as it only costs 75/125. Note that it is advisable to research this from a separate portal from the one you are producing vehicles.
Strategies/General Tips
Firstly an Eldar player has to consider the benefits of teching up to Fire Prisms. For 400/400, Annihilate the enemy is fairly costly and does take up your Soul Shrine. An Eldar player should make sure that they have a sufficient enough force to deal with the enemy before teching up to tier four. Make sure the tier three Armour and Optics upgrades have been brought for your infantry as well as the Seer Council before moving on to tier four. If you then have enough money then you should immediately start the research. Once this has finished, research the Fire prism aspect stone and then overwatch them. However if you have enough req building up, it is advisable to build the Avatar first.
When using the Fire Prism remember that its area of effect does half morale damage to friendly squads and it does knock back friendly squads also, however it does no physical damage to friendly units. Make sure that your own units are out of the prisms range and try to keep such melee units as the Seer Council or Banshees out of the Prisms way when firing on enemy squads. The Prism cannon itself has a range of 37 so a Fire Prism can outrange most infantry units and vehicles. If you wish to use its Shuriken Catapult then you have to be slightly closer as it only has a 35 range.
There are two ways you can use Fire Prisms in battle; the first is to support your main force and provide heavy firepower and mass disruption against infantry units. The Prism cannon has a wide area of effect and is perfect for disrupting units like Space Marine squads with missile launchers or other squads with set up times. Against vehicles the Fire Prism can quickly take down lightly armored tanks such as hellhounds or Devilfish in a couple of shots, and against heavier vehicles it can hold its own fairly well. It is advisable to keep a couple of Bonsinger’s near your Fire Prism however when fighting such heavy tanks as the Predator armed with Lascannons to make quick repairs. When targeting squads make sure you click until both the shuriken catapult and Prism cannon are targeting the same unit, as sometimes the weapons will target separate units.
The second way is as a mobile harassment force separate to your main fighting army. A single Fire Prism or two together are really mobile and can strike in enemy bases to destroy the economy and use their jumps to hit vulnerable positions. The prism cannon’s building damage is decent and it will take down such structures as generators and listening posts in a short amount of time. You can also accompany a Prism with a Falcon with a Fire Dragon or Reaper squad in for extra firepower and protection. Although this tactic is useful, it is in most cases more prudent to keep your Prisms with your main force, as the likely battlefield situation will require their presence if your enemy has teched up at the same pace.
This post has been edited by GW_Fingolfin: Sep 13 2007, 16:50 PM
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A Guide by GW_Fingolfin
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Tier Two Vehicles
Falcon Grav Tank
Vyper Jetbike
Wraithlord
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Tier Three Vehicles
Brightlance Grav Platform
Shuriken Grav Platform
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Tier Four Vehicles
Fire prism
This post has been edited by .bAgr: Oct 1 2007, 08:18 AM
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