If you had 3 war walkers?

I had already been considering the jetbike farseer with guardian jetbikes for some time, I just haven't seen any models cheap enough to actually purchase. Instead I have accidentally accumulated 3 war walkers with bright lances (as well as 2 good sized guardian units, a swooping hawk unit, and a weapons platform). These are the old-school metal ones which I am not likely to part with anyway, but I was curious if anyone has enjoyed any success with them as an ally. I searched the forum for war walkers and got no hits.

The main question is how to arm and run them. The walkers themselves are dirt cheap at 30 points per but they are only av10 with 2 hp, and you must arm them for a separate cost.

As a former ork player, the obvious choice to me is a dreadnought wall with Taloi followed by 3 war walkers. It's a slow press but I doubt anyone would expect it from a DE army. Sadly that doesn't mean they won't be prepared for it anyway. This strategy would require weapons on the walkers that would compliment the splinter cannons on the taloi, meaning long range and the potential to threaten vehicles. Filling all my heavy slots would also prevent me from bringing any flyers (which is fine as I have none anyway), but I would like to try to fill the anti-flyer role with the walkers.

So basically my options to replace their weapons are....

3 walkers + 6 shuriken cannons = 18 strength 6 ap5 shots at range 24" for 120 points? or
3 walkers + 6 scatter lasers = 24 strength 6 ap6 shots at 36" range for 180 points? or
3 walkers + 6 eldar missile launchers = 6 strength 4 ap4 pinning blast or 6 strength 8 ap3 shots at 48 range for 210 points?

Do you think any of these options could present a deterrent to flyers or vehicles in general? The only flyers I've faced so far were av11 front armor, meaning 24 scatter lasers shots landing on average 4 hits would glance on a 5 and only penetrate on a 6. That doesn't seem very scary.

I wish GW would hurry up and give eldar missile launchers the skyfire option, as it would this a very different unit.

In reality I just want the potential long range threat to be there. It doesn't have to actually materialize. The real threats would likely be the usual sources of blasterborn, reavers, or possibly even scourges.

Also is there perhaps a more effective way to exploit their mobility? They do have the scout rule, which means 6" re-deployment on a unit which could fire up to 48", or the outflank rule if they come in from reserve instead. I've never really used scouts.

As always, just writing this stuff out helps to clear up my thinking.

War Walkers are the most common Eldar Ally Heavy Choice from what I've seen. Typically they're armed with two Scatter Lasers.

Personally I would go for scatter lasers, the volume of shots should mean they at least hit flyers and that might force evasive manoeuvres. Scatter lasers are also great for popping open transports so that the splinter cannons can rip up the their contents for pain tokens.

Hope that helps.

I play both Eldar and DE and have a lot of experience with Warwalkers. I take two scatter lasers everyday, twice on Sunday DE's lack of S6 shooting (major strength of the Eldar army) lets our DL's concentrate on heavier targets rather than wasting those dark light shots on lighter vehicles and transports.

Thanks for all the quick and knowledgeable responses. I guess I'm off to find 4 more scatter lasers!

Double Shurikens make them really cheap (Scatterlasers are a little better, but I'm not sure the extra shot and slight range increase is worth three times the price of the Shuricannon). Outflank and hit enemy rear armour or infantry with loads of s6 fire.

i go with scatter lasers and guide on ajetbike seer hiding behind them pure weight of fire does wonders for those of us who cant roll well on demand and the rerolls are great!

or what you can do for lots of points is 2 starcannons on each this is what i always want to take but have a hard time justifying the points for.

3 warwalkers with 2 starcannons each is 240pts with 12 s6 ap2 shots you really want guide here because you are paying so much for those shots dont want to be missing

helvexis wrote:

3 warwalkers with 2 starcannons each is 240pts with 12 s6 ap2 shots

You're paying twice as many points for that as you are for the shuriken cannon and I'm not sure that the AP2 is worth that cost.

Vs MEQ
Starcannon = 12 shots, 6 hits, 5 wounds = 5 unsaved wounds, 48 points per kill
Shuriken Cannon = 18 shots, 9 hits, 7.5 wounds, 2.5 unsaved wounds, 48 points per kill

On the face of it they are equal in terms of points per kill but when you factor in any sort of cover the shuriken cannon comes out on top.

Vs MEQ in 5+ cover
Starcannon = 12 shots, 6 hits, 5 wounds = 3.33 unsaved wounds, 72 points per kill
Shuriken Cannon = 18 shots, 9 hits, 7.5 wounds, 2.5 unsaved wounds, 48 points per kill

At this stage the Scatter Laser also overtakes the Starcannon (54 points per kil)

The Starcannon is slightly better vs vehicles due to AP2 but the Shuriken Cannon and Sactter Laser will probably wreck vehicles due to Hull Points rather than damage rolls and they will obviously have more chance oftaking HP off due to increased numbers of shots.

If you factor in rerolls to hit from a Farseer (Runes of Warding, Guide and Jetbike = 120 points) you get

Vs MEQ
Starcannon = 12 shots, 9 hits, 7.5 wounds = 7.5 unsaved wounds, 48 points per kill
Shuriken Cannon = 18 shots, 13.5 hits, 11.25 wounds, 3.75 unsaved wounds, 64 points per kill

Again though, when cover is taken into account:

Vs MEQ
Starcannon = 12 shots, 9 hits, 7.5 wounds = 5 unsaved wounds, 72 points per kill
Shuriken Cannon = 18 shots, 13.5 hits, 11.25 wounds, 3.75 unsaved wounds, 64 points per kill
Scatter Laser = 24 shots, 18 hits, 15 wounds, 5 unsaved wounds, 60 points per kill

yeah its not points effective absolutely in agreement but it does worry people more for the ap2 bit

personally I would stick them cheap at 120 with all surri cannons. Scatters are very nice if you have the points left over, but adding 1/2 your points total for only 5 more shots and 12" more range is debatable... Although if you want them to sit back and shoot, scatters might seem to be the way to go

Though I always take the dual scatter lasers, I could justify taking dual shuriken cannons if you were to use their outflank move where the reduced range doesn't hurt as much. (I don't always use outflank with them)