Eldar Dark Reapers + Farseer. What is the best setup and most competitive setup?

What do people think is the most cost effective and competitive build for an allied unit of reapers with a Farseer? Are they a competitive option at all?

It seems 2 with starshot missiles + an Exarch with an EML and fast shot looks good to me. Cheap and quite effective against a lot of things at 136 points. What is a better build? Is the tempest launcher worth it?

I plan to run them as a place for my Farseer to hang out while he twinlinks a couple of Ravagers/or a Ravager + Dark Reapers. I used to run him with either the eldar jetbikes or my Reavers but I like to start both of those in reserve and he needs to be on the table casting powers.

What are everyone else's thoughts? Any other non ADL tactics for them?

I played an 1850 game with Eldar allies and used a Bare Farseer with Guide, Prescience, and got misfortune. Added to a Unit of 5 Reapers with Starshot Missles. The Exarch had Fast Shot, EML with Flakk. They were placed behind the line manning a Icarus Cannon.

The Farseer Guided the unit. And the Exarch Fast shot the icarus cannon using interceptor and then fast shot his own EML during my turn while the unit ahot their star shot missles twin linked. This worked amazingly well! Will definitly use again.

Guide is better used on a Ravenger.

136 points is a lot.

A prism / Night spinner is less and probably more usefull . We have little anti horde.. 2 Walkers are 140 ..

I'm playing a game tonight and will be taking 3 Dark Reapers plus Exarch with EML and Flakk with Night Vision and Fast Shot. They will be manning a quadgun in a bastion with Eldrad.

Will let you know how it works out.

Another great option for Eldar allies to man a Icarus Las Cannon is a 5 man Warp Spider unit with Exarch with Fast Shot and Spinernet Rifle, 130 pts. The Exarch can fast shoot the Icarus but then this unit is still very effective later in the game due to their fast movement and deadly firepower, as after all fliers/vehicles are dealt with they can move away from the Icarus and cause havoc and as a fast attack choice they are scoring in some scenarios and can always move at the end game very fast to help get linebreaker (although we usually have that covered).

Also great options of using them away from the gun against certain armies where you aren't worried about heavy vehicles/fliers (they can even deepstrike if needed!)

Used the combo I mentioned above in my game this evening and they were extremely effective. I was lucky enough to roll Perfect Timing in addition to Guide, Prescience and Misfortune and was able to inflict huge damage on my opponents troop units who had no save of any kind against their firepower. They also took down a flyer using the quadgun, with a wave serpent taking the other flyer down.

Expensive unit but potentially game winning.

Guile22 wrote:

The Exarch can fast shoot the Icarus

Can he? The rule for Fast Shot says he can fire one shot more than his weapon is normally able to, and the Icarus isn't his ("his" implying a piece of wargear or weaponry bought for the model or part of his loadout to start with). I thought the idea of Fast Shot was that they were so expert at using the weapon they were trained in that they could fire an extra shot with it, not that they could fire an extra shot with any weapon they liked.

I can see where you're coming from but there is nothing in the rules to suggest, and I've never seen anyone argue, that Fast Shot doesn't apply to any weapon the Exarch fires. It is a slightly loose wording (quel surprise!) but there is no definition in the rules for what constitutes "his weapon".

Just to update, I've started using Dark Reapers as standard in my lists as they are just so effective, especially when combined with the Farseer for Prescience, Doom, Perfect Timing etc. I generally take as many as I can afford (generally 3-5 + Exarch). The Reapers have Starshot missiles, the Exarch has Fast Shot, Night Vision and an Eldar Missile Launcher with Flakk missiles. I put them on the battlements of a Bastion with a Quadgun and they are absolutely fearsome. They also allow me to take a Wave Serpent which is excellent at distracting, and absorbing, fire that would otherwise be going into my fragile Venoms, Raiders and Ravagers. Plus it carries more firepower than half the starfleet...

I must say I am glad to hear that, partly because I like them in general very much, and partly since I quite a long time ago wrote in my craftworld's background that they use Reapers a lot... 

I think the addition of Slow & Purposeful and the ability to take Krak missiles has really tipped the balance on this unit from Marine Killers to all-round utility. They can annihilate anything without a 2+ save and can threaten most vehicles. The quadgun and Exarch's flakk missiles also mean they are useful against flyers (less so without the quadgun) and even a 2+ save unit will be forced to make a lot of saves.

I run 10 with Exarch with the EML + Flakk Missiles + Starshot. Stick in the Baron and sit them behind the aegis with a Lascannon.

Farseer on Jetbike with mantle Guiding them...

It's become my most feared unit...

Good suggestions for DE primary, but if we're taking Eldar primary there is another very nice combination:

5-10 Dark Reapers
Aegis with Icarus
Tooled up Tau commander in suit with night vision, monster hunter and various other upgrades I can't remember right now (don't actually own the tau dex, just talked about the unit with a friend recently).

That unit will have night vision, a 2+ save to tank wounds, a very high BS from the commander to fire the icarus, rerolls against MCs, possibly interceptor and generally huge firepower

10 cheap kroot as troop tax and some misslesides and you got some scary allied detachment.

If you are taking Eldar as Primary detachment, i advice taking autach (not with them, naturally) and have a large unit of them in reserve.

With their range they can pretty much threaten the entire board this way. Appear and slay chosen MEQ squad.

I used 5 with krack missiles, and an exarch with fast shot and absolutely raked against my brother not too long ago. Six krack missiles a turn, with great BS strips hull points in a hurry, but can also be used against infantry if no other targets are available. No doubt about it, reapers are absolutely nasty, and really don't need a farseer to be competitive. That being said if your Eldar detachment is small(farseer, 3x jb's, and some reapers), with only a foot farseer its not a bad spot to put him in.

Cavalier wrote:

No doubt about it, reapers are absolutely nasty, and really don't need a farseer to be competitive. That being said if your Eldar detachment is small(farseer, 3x jb's, and some reapers), with only a foot farseer its not a bad spot to put him in.

That's pretty much what I take and I find the Farseer more useful with the Reapers, especially as he is BS5 and can man the quadgun, than on a jetbike with the Windriders.

Count Adhemar wrote:

That's pretty much what I take and I find the Farseer more useful with the Reapers, especially as he is BS5 and can man the quadgun, than on a jetbike with the Windriders.

Totally agree. I think the Farseer can be invaluable for backfield support especially with prescience/guide. The return of the reapers, in conjunction with rangers and the wraithknight give Eldar superb backfield firepower, especially when assisted by a farseer.

I think the kitted out Tau Commander !65+ points, a farseer, 100, and 5 dark reapers, 212 behind an AGL 85+ is pure evil. It should be ... that is 550+ points. Granted is fills the two HQ requirements and the farseer will be buffing other units (either Riptide or WK can sit near these guys) but it is expensive. Then again they are taking out a vehicle or a squad a turn, have ignore cover, pen chip upgrades, 2++ tankers for incoming fire, precision shot, hit and run, etc., etc, so it is a very good investment.