[Azezel]

I have a small all-Jetbike Eldar Army.

I like them, they're fluffy and I think Jetbikes are cool, but I was also pretty sure, going in, that an all-Jetbike army would be a liability on the table.

Over the last few weeks I've been gamely reassesing that - I won't deny, I have to work hard, but somehow, it actually does fairly well.

No-one I've played against has been the WAAC power-gamer type, I grant you. all the same, I've been pleasently surprised.

My Autarch (Laser Lance, Reaper Launcher, Maniblasters, Shuriken Pistol) is utterly brutal. Her Jetbike allows her to use her reaper Launcher without penalty and with 6 STR 6 power weapon attacks on the charge she has been known to eliminate Marine combat sqauds in a single stroke.

I am (and have been for a few weeks) halfway through painting a squad of Shining spears to acompany her.

My Farseer has been getting moderately good results with Mind War, which is not on the face of it a brilliant power. However, with the Jetbike, she can zoom in close enough to use it, and then dodge back behind cover afterwards. Her singing Spear is also nasty using the same tactic Vs light-medium armour.

I recently aquired the parts necessary to convert up a three-strong Seer Council for her, which conventional wisdom claims is a potent unit.

I'm not completely sure what I'm trying to say - I think it might be 'try something fun, it may turn out not to suck'. or something.

 

[Cocakoala]

Yeah I also love the all jetbike army allthough mine turns out a bit more hybrid. If anyone hasnt allready then check out Fritz 40K. He has some really good tactics with his all bike army.

I just wish they would bring out the new jetbike model we have seen.

 

[Tim/Steve]

I was wanting to try an all jetbike 2k eldar army, I came up with a list that I thought could just about hold its own (and be a lot of fun to use), but then I found out the cost... I would still dearly love to make it but there is just no way I could afford it.
Instead I do have a necron army though- the amount of detroyer body units I can get in that is enough to still my jetbike need for now

 

[Bubblematrix]

I have had a similar experience, Guardian jetbikes are an excellent troop choice.

Shining spears are also good - but as with alot of Eldar units overcosted for what they can do. Put the Autarch with them and you have a good tank busting squad.

What do you use in heavy support? Fireprims are one of my favourites.

 

[Tim/Steve]

What do you use in heavy support? Fireprims are one of my favourites.

Thats not a jetbike... and the OP has an all jetbike army.

The list I wanted to do was something like:
2* Farseer+council
6* 6 guardian jetbikes
3* 3 Shining spears

Unfortunately there arent any jetbike heavy support options so if you plan to stay fluffy you have to rely on combat or the shiruken cannons to get the job done. Although the farseers might help for that (spinning a tank to face a random direction may well give you rear armour shots with S6 cannons if you have multiple units near the tank...

 

[jaws900]

In my opion you need a few things for a Eldar bike army to work;

Autarch - You need this best for the combat since he's the ONLY effective comabt HQ who can be mounted of jetbike. Tho you have a Farseer too she has a completly diffrent role.
Farseer - Fortune, Doom and somewhat Guide are also very useful. Guide not as much as in a Bike army most weaposn are twin linked but fortuner will keep Spears and Warlocks alive longer. She also allows you to take Tank busters on bikes...i mean warlocks.
Warlocks - Any tank army will hate a unit of 5 Warlocks with 3 atytacks each with S9 weapons.
Wave Serpents/Falcons/Prims/Weavers - You need some sort of armour'd tank to run along side them as anti armour can be hard to combat so a twin Brightlance wave serpent with fire dragons x2 will make your oppoent fear them.

Othyer than that everything else is matter of prefrance and points l;ike the spears. Also i find that Banshees, Harliquins and Assault Guardian useless due to not being able to assult out of the transport, however Scorpions cna outflank in Wave serpents so they give a very good tactical advantage so they are worht considering. Personly i would try and have the following.

:hq:
Autarch w/ Laser lance, Bike, Mandiblasters, Reaper launcher - 155pts
Farseer w/ Singing spear, bike, Fartune - 118pts
5 Warlocks w/ x4 Singing spears, Bikes, Desructor, Enbolden, Enhance - 267pts
:elites:
5 Fire dragons + Waveserpent w/ Bright lance & Stones - 225pts
5 Fire dragons + Waveserpent w/ Bright lance & Stones - 225pts
:troops:
6 Jetbikes w/ 2 Cannons - 152pts
6 Jetbikes w/ 2 Cannons - 152pts
6 Jetbikes w/ 2 Cannons - 152pts
:fa:
5 Shinning spears w/ Exarch, Star lance, Withdraw - 227pts
:hs:
Fire Prism w/ Hol-fields, Cannon - 160pts
Fire Prism w/ Hol-fields, Cannon - 160pts

Total - 1993pts

 

[Cocakoala]

And you can also use vypers remember. Give them missile launchers and either use then to harrass side and rear armour of tanks or to thin out swarms. Keep them at 36 inches to stop those bolters downing you and use plasma to negate the crap BS.

 

[jaws900]

And you can also use vypers remember. Give them missile launchers and either use then to harrass side and rear armour of tanks or to thin out swarms. Keep them at 36 inches to stop those bolters downing you and use plasma to negate the crap BS.

you might as well take wet paper armour while your at it. Vypers are quite bad and if you want a cheap missile launcher take a guardian squad and even then you get 10+ troops with it for hold objective. Vypers don't work well.

 

[Cocakoala]

They may not work well but they are fluffier. And if you know how to use them right then they arent too terrible.

 

[Azezel]

I have a pair of vypers - magentized weapons but I've only ever run Scatter Laser & Shuriken Cannon.

They pop Rhinos on a good day and can usually make a nusance of themselves - I like it when the bad guys shoot at my Vypers, it means they aren't shooting at other stuff.

No-one's claiming they are good, but they can work, and they are fluffy, which is more important to me.

I would not trust an EDL to any unit with BS3 - not unless I have my Farseer following to make sure they shoot straight - and she's got better stuff to do.

 

[Bubblematrix]

Thats not a jetbike... and the OP has an all jetbike army.

Ok, it may not be a jetbike, but in every "jetbike" army I have ever seen there have been fireprisms and as they make it playable I think it may be a given that these are included.

I was interested as some people choose Falcons over them and we do now have Nightspinners as an option, I was interested in finding out if an alternative heavy support option was being tried out and whether it was successful

 

[Azezel]

I did recently experiment with including a Fire Prism.

It arrived from reserves on turn five - killed two marines over the next two turns, and that was that.

I drew that game - essentially, I drew despite having a 140 point handicap (the Prism accomplished nothing, so I may as well not have had it) - I'm not saying Prisms aren't good - far from it. Fire Prisms are ace (I just rolled badly for this one).

I'm just saying that I don't appear to need heavy support at the low points-value I am playing at with my bikes.

I would like some sort of Jetbike HS option - My Autarch has a Reaper Launcher under-slung on her bike and it's lovely - just imagine what a squad of bike-mounted Dark Reapers (or similar) could do!

Or Jetbikes equipped with Pulse Lasers would also be a cool HS unit...

Ah, wishlisting.


EDIT - Oh, and Bubblmatrix - I did once read your how-to for jetbikes w/ Shuriken cannon - but I went a different path. I used some bits of sprue and green stuff to mount the Shuriken Cannon behind and to the right of the rider. The end result is supposed to look like a mini-vyper.

 

[Bubblematrix]

I would very much like to see the rear mount s.cannon, please post a picture as I like to see different builds on Eldar models (so I can steal the best ones, but keep it quiet)

As for FP, always pair them up - they are utter shite in singular and the nuts in doubles, but low points won't let you take 2.

Dark reapers or pulsars on jetbikes would make the crys of eldar cheese even higher, but I like the idea

It just seems so alien to not use HS in an Eldar army, though if Vypers were more sensibly costed we would have a good HS option in FA. If you do take 1 HS slot option try the Nightspinner out as it will keep units moving slowly away from your bikes - this might be quite a nice option, but test it and let us know how it goes.

Overall, a full jetbike army is a novel and noble aproach, but with the options Eldar has (pre the IA10 book we have to hope includes new jetbikes) full jetbike armies will have a hard time above 500pts - under 500pts you could really own as nobody is having a good time and you can bring some really nasty and fast units to the table!

 

[Azezel]

I'd be willing to pay appropriate points for my suggested HS bikes - fair's fair.

I never claimed that Jetbikes were perfect, either - just non-terrible. And I'm actually pleased to find that a Prism is not absolutely necessary (much as I love the new model - the night spinner is ugly as sin, though).

I'll see about snapping some pictures of my shuricannon bikes. They are very much 'tabletop quality' but I like them - and it's impossible to mistake them for regular bikes.

I do have some pics of my Farseer, Istari. (I have neatened up the paintjob since these pictures were taken...)

And 500-750 is the points value I'm working to - 1k if you push it.

 

[jaws900]

that is a really nice conversion. I might have to do one now too.

 

[Bubblematrix]

Nice seer

Im working on some custom bikes and riders for my council, I grew fed up of waiting for the new style jetbike and so am modelling my own including leaning forward "charrrrge" style riders.

Have you converted your Autarch too?

 

[Azezel]

Thank you kindly.

The 'new' (and serriously, GW, how many years ago was it that they were unveiled?) style Jetbikes are cool - but, as a cruiser man myself, I do like the current easy-rider Jetbikes. I like both and would field both in my army if I could.

I have converted my Autarch - She's got Guardian legs, a Dire Avenger head and the right arm from a Shining Spear, her torso, waist and a few other parts are Green Stuff. This is problematic as that Shining Spear arm is metal and nothing else is, she will fall off her bike given the slightist nudge. One of these days I'm going to put a magnet up her bum and another in her saddle.

Oh, and if you like converted Jetbikes, get a load of this:

I need hardly add - that's not mine.

 

[Azezel]

As requested, here's Alecto, my Autarch w/ Jetbike, Laser Lance and under-slung Reaper launcher - accompanied by a pair of Shuriken Cannon armed escorts.

 

[Bubblematrix]

Nice work, I like the idea. I do hope that when the codex is updated we get the option to fit other weapons to jetbikes.

Hopefully I will get some pictures of my Eldar up at some point.