Eldar Warp Spiders

[HarlekissofDeath]

Alright everyone,

My question now is about Warp Spiders, do you use them, how effective are they? I really like them, and I am planning on running them in various sized groups depending on the size of the battle.

But what are your thoughts on them? How do you play them?

Thanks

[murrburger]

Warp Spiders aren't very good in 5th edition because their defined role in 4th was destroying things with back AV 10, and shooting at Space Marines. Because of the changes to the glancing hit 'table', how expensive/fragile they are, how they're harder to conceal with TLoS, and lots of mech showing up... Warp Spiders are a tough sell.

If you really want to use them, it'll be a hard road to follow. I'd use them to try and take out lightly armoured and isolated units in shooting or CC. Be warned that they're incredibly expensive for what they are capable of.

[addamsfamily36]

I disagree. Warp spiders are really nice. fast, 3+ save, move close hit hard with shooting, then retreat in the assault phase

win win win

[Chexmix282]

Warp Spiders are good, but they are incredibly fragile and a few points overcosted. I always run mine as 8 including Exarch w/ Additional Death Spinner, and i always run this unit in pairs. If you use them in tandem with each other they can neutralize most marine squads in a single round of shooting. The key here is to not expose them to too much return fire, and never let them get assaulted.

[addamsfamily36]

nd never let them get assaulted.

i love throwing them into the fray!

[joescalise]

Warp Spiders aren't very good in 5th edition because their defined role in 4th was destroying things with back AV 10, and shooting at Space Marines. Because of the changes to the glancing hit 'table', how expensive/fragile they are, how they're harder to conceal with TLoS, and lots of mech showing up... Warp Spiders are a tough sell.

If you really want to use them, it'll be a hard road to follow. I'd use them to try and take out lightly armoured and isolated units in shooting or CC. Be warned that they're incredibly expensive for what they are capable of.

Everything in Eldar is incredibly expensive, they need a new codex.

[murrburger]

Yeah, they do. It's easy to say "X race needs a new codex. I would argue that Dark Angels, The Inquisition, Black Templars, Necrons, Dark Eldar, and Tau need one more.

I think we'll be using this book for a while, so let's try and get the most out of it.

[Freefall945]

I always liked warpspiders, but they're a mixed bag like anything else.

Biggest problem is that while they're more survivable than other eldar, because most Take-All-Comers lists are designed to deal with a Rhino full of Marines, Warp Spiders become a no-brainer for anti MEQ weaponry you'll see in most lists and they whither beneath plasma like anything else.

Scratch that- that's the second biggest problem. The BIGGEST problem is that their weapons are 12" range and so if you intend to use them to deep-strike in to ambush your opponent it is definitionally necessary for you to deploy them within Danger-range for the scatter, and you'll probably want them around 7, 8 inches away from your target so they can afford to scatter slightly in one direction or the other. There's nothing you can do to mitigate this. If they land into of your enemy and die, you just gotta suck it up, kiss that 200+ points goodbye and move on.

Conversely, their weapons are nonetheless fantastic - That many strength six shots is an excellent way to massacre light infantry or put a dent in the heavy by volume.

If you do choose to deep strike, you have the rare privileged of being able to jump in the assault phase and so disperse your expensive models out of the otherwise convenient battle-cannon template shape.

I always run my little hoppers with the tooled up Exarch - Withdraw, Powerblades, Twin Spinners. They rarely let me down.

[DarkLink]

If they weren't ap - and could actually hurt vehicles, they'd be great. Lacking that ability hurts them a lot, I think.

[Judge]

Warp Spiders can hurt Orks by shooting high cost low armour save targets and hitting light vehicles. If you go absolutely mad with terrain they can sneak through to hit rear armour / heavy weapon squads for IG / Tau. Effective at shooting Genestealers (but hey, what isn't?). Overall, not effective for cost due to poor durability in spite of armour save and lack of AP (as higher toughness models often have good armour saves).

Pity, too, since they were amazing in 2nd edition.

[HarlekissofDeath]

I have heard lots of good things about them. Alot of Eldar players swear by them, and I have heard that most take a squad of 8 with exarch and extra spinner and powerblades.
I have heard mix reviews on the powers, some say deep strik is a must, others say no, i have heard withdraw is a must, but i think that depends on whether you want them to assualt. personally I was thinking about taking an Autarch with jump pack, power weapon, mandiblasters, and fusion gun (for more armor busting). sounds like a good mix, and the added power weapon can help to tear it up in the assualt.

[Freefall945]

The good news is you don't have to buy the Deep-Strike power - since 5th ed, they can Deepstrike for free simply because they're jump infantry.

As for Withdraw, I've found it fantastically useful. There will be times - many times - when it behooves your warpspiders to jump up, fire, and charge rather than wait to be shot or charged themselves. If you can manage to hit them with Fortune before they enter the grist mill, all the better, but the point is a Warpspider unit locked in combat is a Warpspider unit defeated. The Exarch, while admirable in his willingness to flail with his strength 3 attacks against enemies to save his incompetent spider brood, will never do as much damage as the squad could by shooting. Withdraw is a small investment to make sure that you don't have to spend a single shooting phase without your spiders getting up in someone's grill and filling that grill with a lacerating storm of monofiliment.