40K TACTICS: Creating Skimmer Walls
Fritz here from Way of Saim-Hann. The ability to generate cover saves on the go is one of the major strengths of mech-Eldar over the other 40K races in the game. Lets take a detailed look.
Setting things up (in theory at least) to get a 4+ cover save on all your vehicles ups their indestructibility factor before energy shields, vectored engines, and holo-fields are thrown into the mix.
In this article I’m going to talk about creating cover on the move since a good opponent will be trying to flush your skimmer out in the open to deny precious cover saves. We are also going to look at using your mobility to create skimmer walls which are especially potent since they get a 4+ cover save from shooting and in the assault your opponent will need “6”’s to hit.
The idea is rather simple in theory and a bit more complex in application. Assuming you can’t block 50% LOS to your tanks from any tabletop terrain you want to make sure there is one of your own grav tanks in front of the others to help grant a cover save. Which tank to use depends on where you are in the game and what army your opponent has.
Unlike marine heavy games where my vypers are key, against IG the fire prism takes on new life and needs that cover save more than ever. For now, throwing fast moving vypers in front for the cover save is my best option.
Of course you have to remember the battle field is a changing place, and when you throw up your skimmer wall look at not only where your opponent is now, but where they can move with units that will have shots, so they don’t get a new LOS taking away your cover save.
When your grav-tank can’t shoot it then moves fast for the 4+ and blocks full LOS for other tanks- you do have spirit stones right?
Vypers really love cover saves- they are the key to keeping them up thoughout the game bypassing their AV 10 open topped nerfness. Using squadron rules, just get 50% of the unit obscured and you get full cover saves all around. Working in tandem with your wave serpents and falcons this should be especially easy.
Your tanks and skimmers should also be used as moble walls, especially to prevent objective grabs and contests by your opponent later in the game. Move that scoring unit up to the objective, and then ring around your tanks/skimmers to repel your opponent keeping them more than 3” away.
Turn five! Time to move in- vypers move all out for the cover saves as the jetbikes turboboost to the objective for a 3+ cover save. Very resilient and keeps my opponent more than 3” away from my objective. Of course there are ways around this, but the mass cove saves makes it much harder.
Finally skimmer walls can be used to keep those pesky horder armies off your jetbikes and out of assault range, especially in conjunction with star engines. Mass the jetbikes and shoot away and then bring the tanks in with star engines into a “V” formation in front.
Agree or disagree? Comments, Feedback, Flames? Letrs hear how you guys have been keeping your skimmers (Eldar or otherwise alive).
