In my last two games, I happened to notice that Guardian Defenderss are generally ineffective. Most of the time, they usually just end up sitting on an objective in my deployment zone and take potshots with a Scatter laser, but is ith worth the points?
Pros -
- Guardians are cheap!
- They can hold an objective
- They have a heavy weapons platform
- Their armor save is effectively cardboard and most basic troops end up ignoring it.
- Shuriken Catapults have a piddly 12" range, meaning that their heavy weapon platform is the only mid-long range shooting they have
- BS 3, meaning that their heavy weapon platform is going to be missing 50% of the time
Personally, I think that the Guardian Defenders are just too many points for a single heavy weapon and that those points could probably be better used on more Dire Avengers or Rangers. Heck, using Rangers/Pathfinders as a unit to sit down on my objective tends to be more effective since their better BS, higher cover save, ability to pin, sniper weapons and ability throw out AP1/Rending wounds means that they can more effectively defend an area.
So what are your opinions on the Eldar Guardians? Are they worth it? Have you been able to use them effectively and am I just doing it wrong?
Cheers,
Squirrel_Fish
I'd actually posted on this a couple days ago, but the tubes flushed it.
ReplyDeleteShort version? They can be a basic placeholder for Scoring. 10 guys, Scatter Laser, pop an odd Rhino but otherwise expect nothing of them. Maybe add in an extra body and an Embolden Seer if they're your core choices. Cheap, simple easy.
They do have a small advantage over Rangers/Pathfinders in that you get 2-3x as many wounds. With the sort of units that get dipatched to deal with them, this can make a HUGE difference. People see Guardians or Rangers in cover, they don't try and Rapid Fire Bolters to uproot them. They just Flamer and/or Charge.
Rangers are really just a distraction force to go out on a flank and harrass... maybe popping an enemy Monstrous Creature if there's one around.
Personally, the weakest Troop I'll put on foot is Dire Avengers w Defend and a PW/SShield. Even then that's a rare choice and I'd much rather have Wraithguard, Fire Storm Guardians (mech Stormies w 2 Flamers + Destructor Warlock), mech DAs (either 8+ w Bladestorm in Serpent or just 5 in a Falcon as DAVU), or Guardian Jetbikers.
Cheers!