Shining Spears, apparently knights still slay dragons...

When I first read the shining spear entry in the new codex I was under whelmed. Every unit in the Eldar codex should have a purpose to fulfill and the spears seem worst than the other fast attack choices in every way. Then I looked at them a new way.

Shining Spears exist to occupy and slay dragons! (Ok, monstrous creatures, but dragons sounds cooler...)

High strength low AP weapons and outflank with the option for monster hunter, hit and run plus a Starlance makes them really nasty against MCs. Lets take a unit of five with an Exarch equipped with a starlance hit and run plus monster hunter, a cool 165 points, against a riptide. On the charge an exarch fires his starlance at BS 5 for a fairly certain hit at AP 2 strength 8 with reroll to wound, against most MCs the rest of the squad would usually fire their lances as well, but against a 2+ save their twin-linked catapults are probably a better bet, (remember they have both a reroll to hit because of twin-linked and a reroll to wound because of monster hunter which is really nasty with bladestorm.)

Then the Exarch hits with three strength 8 ap 2 lance attacks (which again reroll to wound) then the rest of the squad thunks it with their 8 strength 6 AP 3 attacks with reroll to wound. If that doesn't kill it they have hit and run so just rinse repeat as much as needed. Even if you don't kill it you have a monstrous creature toed down for a turn.

It's worth noting that the Exarch also has access to disarm which is rather handy against character MCs.

That's how I see them being used personally. An Autarch with a bike, fusion gun, mask, and lance (all for 120 points) really boost the killing power as well.

Am I totally off base here or is this a viable use for our jet bike riding elven space knights?

Possibly. Depends on the Creature. The Riptide is a poor example due to Armour Save 2... our own Talos however would be sweating heavily if faced with a squad of Shining Spears as the Doctor is prescribing pain.

My take is they are MEQ killers. Their weapon stats are perfect for the job, absolutely perfect. A squad of five will wipe out a squad of ten stupid enough to get caught in the open just like that. A squad of five is actually a completely acceptable exchange for a squad of ten, particularly if some live to cause further trouble. They'll hurt light tanks too. In fact... I was thinking of them like Reavers. That's a mistake. Think of them as slightly less hardcore, but more flexible and innately quicker, Incubi.

Also don't forget hammer of wrath it might only be S3, but 6 auto hits against a T6 MC is still on average a wound so it still forces a save.

Mushkilla wrote:

Also don't forget hammer of wrath it might only be S3, but 6 auto hits against a T6 MC is still on average a wound so it still forces a save.

You're right mush! Good spot