I decided to post this as an article rather than respond with a comment for reasons which will become evident.
""Okay, so, I am thinking about getting into 40k. I am really intrigued by the Eldar fluff, but am having trouble figuring out exactly how they work tactically. Are they mostly fast-moving, with a lot of long-range shooting? Or do they rely more on assault? I'm getting conflicting messages from the Internet, so I thought I'd ask a reliable source. Kurthl337"
Well, first of all thanks Kurthl337 for considering me a reliable source! I know what you mean about getting mixed messages from the Internet; this can be very frustrating for someone trying to learn about the army. I'm guessing you already read my article about hype. If you haven't, I suggest you do. It should clear up some of those mixed messages you're getting!
The short answer to your question is "all and none of the above", but if you read on I'll elaborate on that...
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Dundracon!
I apologize for not updating my blog more frequently during the last week. As of today my family is:
1. Moving to a new place in 2 weeks.
2. My wife is starting a new job now.
3. We are going through the process of finding daycare for the first time NOW(welcome to the Bay Area).
4. Everyone is getting sick.
Oh yeah, and Dundracon is coming up on the 18th. Cripes! So my bandwidth for even thinking about 40k is almost zero right now.
1. Moving to a new place in 2 weeks.
2. My wife is starting a new job now.
3. We are going through the process of finding daycare for the first time NOW(welcome to the Bay Area).
4. Everyone is getting sick.
Oh yeah, and Dundracon is coming up on the 18th. Cripes! So my bandwidth for even thinking about 40k is almost zero right now.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Hornets, Shadow Specters and Warp Hunters, O My!
If you've wandered by the Forgeworld website recently, you may have noticed some new Eldar models. Or perhaps you've seen the pictures of these models from the last Games Day floating around the web.
I recently posted a review on these new UNOFFICIAL additions to the Eldar arsenal over on the Independent Characters' forum.
I won't repeat that review here because I'm lazy, but I would encourage you to head over there and read it if you're at all interested, as well as checking out the site in general. If you're not familiar with the ICs they are a biweekly podcast about 40k, and they tend to include a lot of material not only about the local gaming scene here in the South Bay but explore a lot of the rules material in a fun and creative way.
One caveat: just so you don't think I'm a hypocrite after my Hype article, remember that this review I posted contains MY opinions about the new units. You might have some unique insight that I lack. If so, I encourage you to share your opinions either here in the comments or in the forum thread itself.
I recently posted a review on these new UNOFFICIAL additions to the Eldar arsenal over on the Independent Characters' forum.
I won't repeat that review here because I'm lazy, but I would encourage you to head over there and read it if you're at all interested, as well as checking out the site in general. If you're not familiar with the ICs they are a biweekly podcast about 40k, and they tend to include a lot of material not only about the local gaming scene here in the South Bay but explore a lot of the rules material in a fun and creative way.
One caveat: just so you don't think I'm a hypocrite after my Hype article, remember that this review I posted contains MY opinions about the new units. You might have some unique insight that I lack. If so, I encourage you to share your opinions either here in the comments or in the forum thread itself.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Don't Forget to Discuss Terrain with Your Opponent
This is a biggy. I do it all the time, particularly at scheduled events. You rush to your next game, get all your stuff straight, pore over the scenario rules, roll to see who picks/places and off you go. Then, on turn 3, it happens: Guy 1: "Uh I get a 4+ cover save over here..."
Guy 2: "Wait, 4+? I've been giving myself 5+ all game in these ruins. They are about the same..."
Guy 1: "Well the rules say X."
Guy 2: <flips table over and rips his shirt off, running out the door screaming profanities>
Well, I've never seen that last bit happen, but ask yourself how many times you've screwed yourself over by assuming something about terrain only to realize that your opponent has been assuming something entirely different?
While this is not usually a big deal (typically only a one-place difference on the assumed cover save value), it happens so frequently, in nearly every game I play, that I expect it's had a pretty big overall impact on my game.
Guy 2: "Wait, 4+? I've been giving myself 5+ all game in these ruins. They are about the same..."
Guy 1: "Well the rules say X."
Guy 2: <flips table over and rips his shirt off, running out the door screaming profanities>
Well, I've never seen that last bit happen, but ask yourself how many times you've screwed yourself over by assuming something about terrain only to realize that your opponent has been assuming something entirely different?
While this is not usually a big deal (typically only a one-place difference on the assumed cover save value), it happens so frequently, in nearly every game I play, that I expect it's had a pretty big overall impact on my game.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Don't believe the hype!
If you're reading this, and new to the Eldar or to Warhammer in general, you've probably been trolling around for advice on how to build your Eldar army; what models to buy, what units to use, what works, what doesn't, what to look out for.
Are you overwhelmed with opinions yet?
You've probably dredged up and pored over a thousand articles on "mechdar" or "foot slogging lists" or "mobile tank vs. jetbike armies". And you've probably found equal numbers of opinions arguing for either side of any argument, particularly when it comes to "The Only Viable Build for Eldar in Fifth Edition."
Are you overwhelmed with opinions yet?
You've probably dredged up and pored over a thousand articles on "mechdar" or "foot slogging lists" or "mobile tank vs. jetbike armies". And you've probably found equal numbers of opinions arguing for either side of any argument, particularly when it comes to "The Only Viable Build for Eldar in Fifth Edition."
Thursday, January 13, 2011
What is this blog about?
Hi there, and welcome to Farseer Fail!
I've been playing Warhammer 40k since 1999, and the very first army I bought into was the Eldar. They remain my favorite army to play; they offer a very different style of play from Space Marine armies and horde lists, and while they offer some distinct and specific advantages over other armies, they are also fragile, a real house of cards in which the entire list can come tumbling down if one key element is missing or removed.
Now let's get something straight right off the bat; I suck. There's a reason this blog is called "Farseer Fail". In 2010 my tournament record is something like 1-4-1. That's 1 win, 4 draws, 1 loss, and I consider that something of a personal best. On at least one forum I am known as "Doom of the Eldar". However, I used to lose pretty much every game I played, no matter against whom. Now I'm pulling draws and wins more often and I finally feel like I'm learning how to play this game, as well as this army (more coming in a future article; "How not to learn to play 40k".
The intent of this blog is to provide some useful advice to the new Eldar player, or possibly the not-so-new Eldar player who feels like they are spinning their wheels and NOT progressing in skill, or list-building, or what-not. Having been that guy for quite a while, and not having much luck interpreting the wisdom of the true Eldar wizards out there (sometimes what they say is just beyond my tactical understanding) these are things I feel I can write about with authority.
What I will do is try to show you what NOT to do, hopefully using examples from my own experience. What I will NOT necessarily do is tell you WHAT you should do or HOW you should do it. There are plenty of other places to find that sort of information (in particular I've found Fritz's advice from SaimHann.blogspot.com on running Eldar very helpful). I am NOT a super-competitive player, and in all honestly I'm not that GOOD of a player. All I'm doing here is sharing a few of my painfully acquired lessons in what not to do. From my own experience, learning what NOT to do in 40k is at least as important as learning what you SHOULD do. This is particularly true of the so-called "glass hammer" armies out there like Eldar.
So keep your eyes peeled for the first article, which is all about the worst enemy of a starting Eldar player: HYPE.
I've been playing Warhammer 40k since 1999, and the very first army I bought into was the Eldar. They remain my favorite army to play; they offer a very different style of play from Space Marine armies and horde lists, and while they offer some distinct and specific advantages over other armies, they are also fragile, a real house of cards in which the entire list can come tumbling down if one key element is missing or removed.
Now let's get something straight right off the bat; I suck. There's a reason this blog is called "Farseer Fail". In 2010 my tournament record is something like 1-4-1. That's 1 win, 4 draws, 1 loss, and I consider that something of a personal best. On at least one forum I am known as "Doom of the Eldar". However, I used to lose pretty much every game I played, no matter against whom. Now I'm pulling draws and wins more often and I finally feel like I'm learning how to play this game, as well as this army (more coming in a future article; "How not to learn to play 40k".
The intent of this blog is to provide some useful advice to the new Eldar player, or possibly the not-so-new Eldar player who feels like they are spinning their wheels and NOT progressing in skill, or list-building, or what-not. Having been that guy for quite a while, and not having much luck interpreting the wisdom of the true Eldar wizards out there (sometimes what they say is just beyond my tactical understanding) these are things I feel I can write about with authority.
What I will do is try to show you what NOT to do, hopefully using examples from my own experience. What I will NOT necessarily do is tell you WHAT you should do or HOW you should do it. There are plenty of other places to find that sort of information (in particular I've found Fritz's advice from SaimHann.blogspot.com on running Eldar very helpful). I am NOT a super-competitive player, and in all honestly I'm not that GOOD of a player. All I'm doing here is sharing a few of my painfully acquired lessons in what not to do. From my own experience, learning what NOT to do in 40k is at least as important as learning what you SHOULD do. This is particularly true of the so-called "glass hammer" armies out there like Eldar.
So keep your eyes peeled for the first article, which is all about the worst enemy of a starting Eldar player: HYPE.
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