De'Aynes Spotters Guide to GothicThe Eldar Fleet
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For information on
what the De'Aynes Spotters Guide to Gothic is, and how to submit your vessels to the guide, click here (opens a new window). | |||||
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Wondering which units will perform the dance of death for your enemies? Are your delicate ground forces stretched in the war? Do you seek enlightenment in the decisions of your force selection? Are your seers searching for the surgical tools to confuse and destroy the barbarians? Then visit the: De'Aynes Gallery. | |||||
Vessels of the Eldar Fleet
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Development of the Fleet The Eldar fleet was one of the original four listed within the ‘Blue Book’, along with the Imperial, Chaos and Ork fleets. Unfortunately it doesn’t benefit from plastic cruisers like the two fleets in the boxed game, and so an Eldar fleet can be more expensive to build. The list above includes the options of Light Cruisers and a Battleship. These are not the standard ships which were released with the ‘blue book’, but were added in later. The ‘blue book’ Eldar list was designed to be able to field an Eldar Pirate raiding fleet, as this was originally how they behaved. However, as the fleets expanded it was clear a few gaps in the Eldar list could benefit from additions, to keep them competitive with the other expanding races. The extra options still follow all the basic rules that apply to Eldar ships. The Eldar race benefit from a number of special rules, which make them unique in their character. Therefore, it can be wise for a player to master the game using one of the standard fleets, before using Eldar. As always, though, practice makes perfect. | |||||
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Characteristics of the Fleet A successful Eldar fleet needs to use the tactics of ‘hit and run’ to a maximum. This is what the fleet has been designed around, and they perform it better than any other ships of any other race. The Eldar fleet is the only one that can move twice in one turn. It is this double movement which needs to be exploited and which can take an Eldar vessel from striking distance to complete safety, in the blink of an eye. All Eldar weapons are extremely effective. Although similar in effect to their imperial counterparts, they often hit more often and more accurately. This means that once in striking distance, an enemy vessel can expect to take some serious damage from Eldar firepower. The only disadvantages that Eldar weapons suffer from is their lack of range and fire arcs. The only vessel in the Eldar arsenal that has a range over 30cm and has fire arcs other than forward only, is the battleship. However, the Eldar have another trick up their sleeve to overcome this deficit. An Eldar ship has the unique ability of being able to turn on the spot, or even remain stationary, without the need of special orders. In fact the method of their turns is not that which is used in the generic rules. So with the ability to turn by any angle and move, fire and move again, with careful planning the Eldar can strike any vessel in the opponent’s fleet. Once again, though, there is a slight problem for the Eldar to overcome. The speed of every ship is determined by the position of the sun. This is where the planning comes in. With good use of angles, an Eldar ship can avoid retribution after the delivery of its deadly cargo. If poorly planned, the Eldar player will not absorb enough solar energy to withdraw from the firing line. And this is another of the Eldar weaknesses. An Eldar ship is constructed from wraithbone, but in gaming terms provides the same protection as a piece of paper. If hit by the many destructive weapons of the galaxy, there is a 50% chance of the ship suffering critical damage, unlike the ships of other races which will suffer the same damage just 16.7% of the time. Fortunately, once again, the Eldar have come up with an ingenious solution. A Holofield protects every ship. This breaks up the outline of the ship, and will fool even the most sophisticated of targetters. Only by unleashing huge amounts of ammunition, has an enemy any chance of a successful hit. The final string in the Eldar’s bow is their ordnance. Their fighters are more agile and can operate for longer periods of time than any other races. This means that relatively few Eldar fighters are able to perform as good a job as a larger number of fighters of other races. The bombers of the Eldar race hit far more accurately in much the same way as their torpedoes, and all are protected by holofieds too, making them very hard to destroy. So with the properties of the Eldar Fleet (short range forward firing weapons, fast and maneuverable and fragile but well shielded ships), it all points towards a fleet with a raiding agenda. With higher than average leadership too, they are more likely to succeed in making special actions. Using all these characteristics to good effect takes time. And a budding Pirate Prince must be patient, striking fast and hard and at the right time. If possible, isolated parts of the enemy fleet provide the easier pickings, as tightly packed formations will benefit from mutual protection. So, breaking up the opposing fleet and picking off these fragments is the key to success. And you have the speed, maneuverability and firepower to succeed. May the stars be stained with the blood of the usurpers. | |||||
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