lyanden. A beautiful world-ship gracefully carrying its people across silent light years of empty space. But the surface is blackened and desolate, the once majestic buildings ripped to pieces by violence and war. This peaceful Eldar home world bore the brunt of a vast Tyranid invasion, a massive swarm of bio-engineered aliens intent on destroying all other lifeforms. lyanden was directly in the path of Tyranid Hive Fleet Kraken when it spread like a plague across the galaxy. Finally though, the black swarms that engulfed the craftworld were beaten back and eventually stopped in their rampage. Only the intervention of a fleet led by the rogue Exodite and pirate Yriel, a former lyanden noble, saved the craftworld from being devoured whole by the invading Tyranid swarm. At the cost of countless thousands of Eldar lives, Craftworld lyanden had achieved an almost impossible task - stemming the tide of the Great Devourer. Tragically, the craftworld suffered such horrendous casualties that the lyanden Army is now mostly comprised of the dead. The Ghost Warrior army is not the easiest to command, but is extremely rewarding, and every victory for lyanden is a cause for celebration. If you're new to this craftworld and the unusual practices of its inhabitants, I probably have some explaining to do. The army of lyanden is structured like no other - nothing in the Warhammer 40,000 universe comes close. Firstly, it is important to understand just why this army is so different, and how the craftworld deals with the fact that almost all of its soldiers fight on despite already being dead. Secondly, I'll take you through the steps necessary to get started, and how to build your warhost to 1,500 points and more. In terms of background, lyanden has one of the richest and most detailed histories in the Imperium. The craftworld concept is as exciting as it is eerie. So given this impeccable list of credentials, where are the drawbacks? Yes, you guessed it - the points values! Only in an lyanden army are the characters and squad leaders cheaper than the troops. But after reading more about these deadly machines, believe me, you'll see why. Of course, there is a bright side to fielding an army comprising of quality over quantity. There are less models to paint, so you can lavish a bit more time on each miniature. Also, you don't have to buy as many, lyanden can be difficult to use properly as they will inevitably be outnumbered. However, this is one of the things I shall be addressing later on, so don't worry if you're new to the Eldar. When starting to collect any army, it is vital that you obtain a copy of the relevant Codex. Because Craftworld lyanden is a special type of Eldar army, the details are contained in the recently published supplement Codex Craftworld Eldar. However, as this is not a stand-alone Codex, you will need a copy of Codex Eldar as well. These books provide everything you need to know about the Eldar and lyanden, from detailed background to complete army lists, and from modelling advice to special characters. For the time being, though, let's look at what comprises a Ghost Warrior warhost. Long ago, the Eldar mastered advanced psychic and soul-grafting practices and technologies. In conjunction with the development of Wraithbone, a strange psycho-responsive plastic that is so tough as to be virtually indestructible, the Eldar have devised a way for the souls of Eldar warriors and heroes to fight on. When an Eldar dies, his soul can be stolen and consumed by the nemesis of the Eldar race, Slaanesh. This evil god, whom the Eldar name 'She Who Thirsts', was born of the race's previous folly, before the Fall. Each Eldar dreads this fate, and rightly so, but they have devised a way to escape this foul destiny. They wear a special psychically attuned gem on their chests, called a spiritstone, and when an Eldar dies his essence passes into the stone, entering an empty but peaceful limbo, preferable to the hell they would otherwise experience. However, for those who died in defence of lyanden, that is far from the end of the warrior's story. Many of these spirits are awoken from their peaceful afterlife, torn from the emptiness and silence of their crystal tomb by the Spiritseers. They are then grafted into the huge, inert forms of the Wraithguard, elegant war machines that form a host for the now bodiless souls. The soulstone sits within the construct's wraithbone body, and the dead warrior can once more bear arms for the craftworld. However, although this seems like a perfect solution to lyanden's problem, this process is abhorrent to the Eldar, living and dead. It is only in the direst necessity that the Spiritseers dare disturb the rest of their war heroes and ancestors. Unfortunately, there is no other way to preserve what is left of the shattered craftworld, and the living Eldar are ridden with guilt and shame at what they are forced to do. They are effectively exhuming their dead and asking them to fight again and again, a twilight existence of death and war. As you can see, this craftworld's concept runs a little deeper than most, and for me this makes it that much more interesting to collect. But back to the staple troops of the lyanden army: the Wraithguard. You will need to buy plenty of these to complete your army, but they are beautiful models and, as mentioned above, form extremely efficient front line troopers. To start with I would recommend getting them in squads of five. The Wraithlords are also artificial Wraithbone constructs, only they are far taller, more heavily built, and better armed. These towering behemoths are used as host bodies for the most revered of Eldar heroes, normally Exarchs who are unwilling to give up the struggle for their craftworld, and who have performed so valiantly that they a;e given the honour of inhabiting one of these vast Dreadnoughts. Unlike the Dreadnoughts of other races, the Wraithlord is long limbed and elegant, and moves with a grace that belies its lethal arsenal of weaponry and vast strength. There are very few war machines in the galaxy as difficult to destroy as the Wraithlord, so they are rightly feared by any non-Eldar The Wraithguard is armed with a wraithcannon, an extremely advanced weapon that is unique in the way it destroys the enemy. Wraithcannons are like portable D-cannons, they work by opening a hole in the warp where their target is, ripping them apart between conflicting dimensions. This means that regardless of how tough an opponent is, how well-armoured they are or even how many Wounds they have, a hit from a wraithcannon can kill them instantly. A model hit by a wraithcannon takes a wound on a roll of a 4+, regardless of its Toughness. The weapon is AP1, and the target will die instantly on a To Wound roll of a 6. This is incredibly useful against high Toughness troops with multiple Wounds such as Carnifexes, Hive Tyrants, mega-armoured Nobs and the like. A squad of five Wraithguard, all firing their wraithcannons at one target, is among the most lethal prospects an enemy can face. Imperial heroes in Terminator armour, Tyranid Warriors, and even the notorious Dark Eldar Talos can be killed with one shot. If you think I've finished extolling the virtues of these incredible weapons, you couldn't be more wrong. Firing a set of five wraithcannon at a model with an Armour value is where the fun really begins. It doesn't matter whether the target is a Dreadnought or a Land Raider, a hit from your wraithcannon will cause a glancing hit on the roll of a 4, and a penetrating hit on a 5 or a 6. Needless to say, this is incredibly useful, especially when you have a set of five targeted on an enemy vehicle. It won't guarantee you a kill, but it isn't far off, and short of a big squad of Fire Dragons these troops are a perfect tank-busting unit. I must admit, I like the image of a Land Raider with huge, perfect spheres of matter missing from its hull. The only drawback is that these weapons have a comparatively short range of 12", but anything that comes close is in serious trouble, and as I will mention later, there are ways around the range problem. Besides, they are assault weapons, which means you can move, unleash a devastating salvo of high-tech fire, and then charge into combat. Amongst all the benefits of fielding Wraithguard, there is one major drawback. Wraithguard do not have eyes, or any kind of sensorium. They 'see' by detecting the shifting emanations of other spirits, and as a result are often slow to react to the chaos and havoc of the battlefield. Every turn, each unit must roll a D6, and on the roll of a 1, does nothing at all that turn. This is a real pain if you are in hand-to-hand combat, or in front of an Imperial Guard battalion. Standing stock still in front of a battlewagon full of Orks is also a bad idea. Luckily, there is an easy solution to this: any unit of Wraithguard led by a Warlock, Farseer or Spiritseer is immune to these tests. The addition of a Warlock or Spiritseer to your Wraithguard unit can make all the difference. Over the millennia, lyanden's Warlocks have specialised in communing with their dead through the infinity circuit. The reliance upon these techniques has given rise to the Spiritseers, Warlocks whose abilities at necromancy far exceed those of other psykers, and whose minds act as both an anchor and beacon for the spirits of the dead. As well as being skilled at war magic, these Spiritseers have one major advantage; they can guide the dead even in the midst of a roiling battle. Make sure that there is a Warlock in each squad of Wraithguard, or at the very least a Spiritseer nearby, as any Wraithguard unit within 6" of a Spiritseer does not have to test for the disabilities of their Wraithsight. Spiritseers count as independent character models, so you need not attach them to a squad. Thus you can take care of two squads with one Spiritseer should you need to. There is a major benefit to accompanying your troops with a psyker: Eldar Warlocks are among the most accomplished in the universe. Of the four Eldar psychic powers, three are ideal for the Warlock accompanying the Wraithguard. Destructor is basically a sort of psychic heavy flamer, and uses a template so is very handy before charging troops in cover. Enhance is even more useful when you are about to charge an enemy, and turns your Wraithguard into an excellent assault squad: the Wraithguard with the Warlock will benefit from +1 Weapon Skill and +1 Initiative. The squad will now have a Weapon Skill, Strength, Toughness and Initiative of 5. Any unit charged by them will be faced with a close combat nightmare. Last of these psychic powers is Conceal, and although it is not quite as dramatic, it makes sound sense to use this power. Covering the unit with a shifting haze of psychic camouflage, the Warlock can transfer a 5+ cover save to the entire unit, even when they are standing right out in the open. This means that in the event of your Ghost Warriors falling under heavy weapons fire that would negate their armour save, such as lascannons or krak missiles, they still have a good chance of survival. As you can well imagine, this is well worth it when you have paid 35 points per trooper. One psyker that is compulsory in the lyanden army list is the Farseer. The Farseer acts as the HQ unit of your army, and therefore it is important you give this miniature a decent paint job. The lyanden battle leader is a master of necromancy and the guiding of the departed Eldar spirits. The Farseer's role in this army is different from most others. I would recommend keeping him near the back of the army, with the support troops. Giving your Farseer the Guide psychic power is a good move, as it vastly improves the efficiency of Guardian support troops (we'll take a look at these later on). This power is at its most useful on troops with a low BS, and when used on barrage weapons it allows you to re-roll the Scatter dice. Needless to say, this can turn a powerful but inaccurate weapon into a blossoming pattern of Blast templates. So far, the troop types we have examined are all lacking in one vital thing: mobility. The lyanden army is mostly comprised of foot troops, and sadly this will allow your enemy to outmanoeuvre you. Wraithguard are simply too big to fit into a Falcon. However, the Eldar Wave Serpent troop transport can accommodate a squad of five Wraithguard and a Warlock. Wave Serpents are resilient, fast and well-armoured. Because they are classed as Fast vehicles, if you keep them moving, your enemy can only cause a glancing hit on them. They are also protected by an energy field; this rippling force field means that any ranged attack with a Strength greater than 8 only counts as Strength 8. Also, weapons such as meltaguns, multi-meltas and ordnance weapons may only roll +1D6 for armour penetration, rather than two. Simply fill this excellent transport with a squad of Wraithguard, accompany them with a Warlock with the Enhance power, and fly deep into the enemy's flank to cause some major problems. If you're clever, you can drop this unit near enough to the enemy that they can fire their Wraithcannon and then immediately charge into combat. This squad will form your elite assault unit, and a well-placed offensive will buckle the enemy lines even before the rest of your army gets into range. Arming the Wave Serpent with twin-linked starcannon will really give your opponent some trouble, as it fires three Strength 6 AP2 plasma bolts, re-rolling any shots that miss. Also, lyanden vehicles are likely to have a large auxiliary spirit stone, holding the essence of a long-dead pilot who can command the Wave Serpent in the event of the crew becoming stunned or shaken. Even the vehicles of lyanden can be used to house the essence of the deceased. (For ideas on converting a Wave Serpent model check out WD238.) Now onto the part we've all been waiting for - the Wraithlord. These mighty giants are incredibly tough. In a recent game I saw a Wraithlord bear the brunt of an entire Steel Legion battalion (you'll have to wait till next issue to find out what these are - Fat Bloke) and their Space Marine allies. When the smoke cleared, the Wraithlord was a battered mess, but it was still standing, and to the Imperial player's horror, it proceeded to charge a nearby unit of Space Marines who had no hope of wounding it at all. This is because the Wraithlord is unlike other Dreadnoughts in that it has a Toughness value, not an Armour value. You'll be happy to hear that its Toughness is 8, the highest in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Because of this, it is impossible to wound it with a Strength less than 5, and therefore most troops are incapable of damaging it in combat. As a result, it tends to attract a vast amount of heavy weapons fire, but this is where it excels over other Dreadnoughts and even heavy duty tanks. The Wraithlord has three wounds, which means you have to hit it three times, then wound it three times, before it will finally keel over (this is assuming the weapon fired has an AP of 3 or better). Even the heavily armoured Land Raider can be despatched with one lucky hit from a lascannon. The Wraithlord will always need to be wounded three times; very tricky when it has such a high Toughness and a saving throw of 3+. So you can afford to put it right at the front of your line and march directly into the thick of the fighting. Also, it cannot be stunned, shaken, disarmed, immobilised or suffer any of the undesirable fates of the Vehicle Damage charts. Because it is manned by a fearless (and deceased) Eldar hero, it cannot be pinned, and will never fall back. Also, it can fire up to two of its weapons even when moving, and this includes heavy weapons. As most Wraithlords have a shoulder-mounted heavy weapon such as a brightlance or starcannon, this can be extremely useful. It is worth bearing in mind that more often than not your enemy will go to extraordinary lengths to take out your Wraithlord. Despite the fact that they are very difficult to kill, I'm afraid to say that outside of combat a concerted effort over a couple of turns will finish one off. Sniper rifles, wounding on a 4+ regardless of Toughness, also pose a problem for Wraithlords. However, for this lyanden army I would recommend taking at least two, and this will mean the rest of your army can advance whilst your opponent frets about your towering Dreadnoughts. A Wraithlord, equipped with a brightlance or starcannon, costs a mere 120 points. The next addition to your army should be some Guardian Defenders, which count as a Heavy Support option. I firmly believe every Eldar army should have a squad of these troops, and they are far more useful than they are given credit for. Unlike Ulthwe, whose Guardians are professional soldiers, the Guardian Defenders of lyanden are more likely to be artisans, musicians and retired warriors forced by necessity to bear arms. Perhaps the soundest reason for including them is to bulk out the numbers a little. You will have to get used to the fact that in most games you will be badly outnumbered, but it is reassuring to know that if anyone strays too close to your support troops' baseline, you can pour shuriken catapult fire into them until they stop. Guardians are sold in boxed sets of 16 and are excellent value for money. Guardian Defenders are counted as Heavy Support options in the lyanden army, and so it is worth having a large group of them to act as an anchor point for your forces. Splitting them into more than one unit is a mistake; not only will they be easier to break on the battlefield, but they will use up valuable Heavy Support options for later on. A squad of 16 Guardians will set you back a mere 128 points. Finally, a word about support troops, lyanden is likely to place emphasis on long-range fire, keeping the enemy at bay until they can close quarters with the Ghost Warriors. As a result, it is worth taking a close look at the support weapon batteries available to your army as a Heavy Support option. Each of the three weapons available has its strengths and weaknesses: the vibro-cannon is very useful against heavily armoured vehicles, causing an automatic glancing hit. The D-cannon (a larger area-effect version of the wraithcannon) is also superb at taking out vehicles, as it is Strength 10 and rolls on the Ordnance Damage table. Aside from this it does not need line of sight, so you can fire from the other side of a building if you wish. This is often a good idea with support weapons as they are quite fragile. The down side to the D-cannon is that it has a comparatively short range of 24". The Studio army is equipped with two shadow weavers, massive cannons that fire clouds of monofilament wire high into the air, to drift down onto their enemies. The wire cuts straight through flesh and bone and even light armour, reducing its targets to bloody heaps. This barrage weapon is most effective against massed infantry, and with a Strength of 6 and a very cheap points value the shadow weaver takes an important role in the lyanden arsenal. Although traditionally a support weapon ought to be able to slam a hole through the wall of a reinforced bunker, the shadow weaver only has an AP of 6. However, considering that most of your army is equipped with the very best in anti-tank weapons, it is useful to have something to carve great chunks out of massed infantry. They excel against Tyranids and Orks, and when under the influence of your Farseer's Guide power, they can be deadly even at their long range of 48". Not only do they force their targets to take a pinning test if casualties are caused, they do not need line of sight and can be concealed behind hard cover. In my opinion, no Eldar army would be complete without a squad of Aspect Warriors. Like many Eldar commanders, I started collecting Eldar because of the diversity and style of these elite warriors. Although nearly all of the lyanden forces have been destroyed, it is not out of the question that a small squad could be mustered in times of need. On a craftworld so involved with the study and philosophy of death, what better addition to your army than a squad of Dark Reapers. These have to be one of the best troop types available to the Eldar, and are unparalleled in the amount of destruction they can cause to an army equipped with power armour. Every member of the squad is armed with a Reaper Launcher, a compact missile launcher that can fire two shots per turn. The projectiles are APS, and having seen the horrific casualties a squad of Reapers can inflict on a unit of Space Marines, I would recommend taking a squad of four. An Exarch is also worth considering, as their Powers and access to other types of heavy weapon allow you to tailor your squad to take down even the most heavily armoured of targets. Giving your Exarch the skill Fast Shot and an Eldar missile launcher with plasma missiles allows you to lay down two Blast templates per turn. Placed behind a screen of Guardians to protect them from assault, the inclusion of these death-dealing adepts should soon even out any numerical advantage your enemy may have. Having examined everything that our lyanden army will include, it's time to see exactly what we can afford. With a Ghost Warriors army, it is fairly pointless aiming for the total of 500 points. Due to the cost of the troop choices in the army, it will only comprise of around 18 models. This almost guarantees that you will be outnumbered and outmanoeuvred, and as a result I would recommend playing an lyanden army of at least 1,000 points. The main battle line consists of the two Wraithlords and a squad of Wraithguard accompanied by a Spiritseer. By deploying the Wraithlords on either side of the Wraithguard squad, you can pretty much guarantee that your enemy will concentrate on the Wraithlords and try to bring one down. If the enemy tries to get around the side of this line to attack the more vulnerable targets behind, charge them with a Wraithlord after firing your twin flamers. This will give any squad a headache they are unlikely to recover from. With the Wraithlords deployed cleverly, you should be able to block any offensive your opponent mounts with a thirty-foot construct of angry wraithbone. All the while, your Wraithguard squad advance to a position where they can unleash the devastating effects of their wraithcannon. With a little practice, this strategy can tear an opponent's battle plan to pieces. If you confuse and disrupt the enemy's forces, you are far more likely to succeed. The rest of your army should deploy in cover. The shadow weavers, accompanied by the Farseer, need not be in line of sight of any of the opposing troops at the beginning of the battle; they will still be just as effective. If you are any good at guessing ranges, you can confidently expect this battery to pin a unit of infantry in place and inflict horrible casualties on anything lightly armoured. Just in front of this artillery you should deploy your Guardian squad. This flexible unit acts as the rapid response team, if an enemy unit manages to sneak past your battle line without being caught by the Ghost Warriors, then the Guardians can respond with a deadly cloud of razor-edged shuriken. More wary commanders may wish to reinforce this firebase with a close combat squad. However, assault troops are at their best in the thick of the fighting, not hanging back in case your opponent Deep Strikes into the heart of your deployment zone. When using this army, be confident. Most of your troops can handle anything that is thrown at them, and if you hang back and wait then your opponent will really press home his numerical advantage. So get fighting, see which units you think are the most effective, and annoy your friends by repeatedly administering to them the beating of their lives. If you're still having fun, it's time to realise this army to its full potential. In a larger battle, the lyanden army becomes truly fearsome. When aiming for a points value of 1,500 you can vastly increase the impact of your battle line. Your 'assault' Wraithguard in the Wave Serpent fulfil the same role, but your main battle line can now consist of two squads of Wraithguard (accompanied by Spiritseers) and no less than three Wraithlords. Anyone who sees that marching toward them will quite likely be gibbering in fear, especially if they have seen Wraithlords in action. With the frontage allowed by the increase in troops, the chances of anything slipping through the net are reduced drastically. With a little juggling in the points values, you can also afford to add to your lyanden firebase. A unit of Dark Reapers will hugely increase its effectiveness, and if cleverly deployed, they can rain missiles upon the enemy even as they prepare for the charge of the Ghost Warriors. The latest models for the Dark Reapers look fantastic and are great to paint, and the Exarch model is extremely impressive. They are costly in points value, however, and you may need to consider taking only two Wraithlords if you want a squad of any real size. Finally, the addition of another Warlock or Spiritseer is a sound investment, minimising the chance of your squads letting you down at a crucial moment. It is always a good idea to shelter the psykers behind the main line as your opponent may pick on them for this reason. At this level, you can quite rightly claim to have a complete lyanden army. However, many commanders like to take their armies to a higher points value. With lyanden this is far easier than most, as you will need fewer models. Perhaps you will consider investing in some more of the superb Aspect Warriors, as each of these squads is tailored to a different role. After identifying any gaps in your army, you will find the answer in one of these elite squads. Don't go overboard, however; remember that you are playing a Ghost Warrior army, so put them first. Expanding the squads of Wraithguard is also a good option, especially if you are the purist type. Each squad can have up to ten models, and swelling the ranks of your main squads is a sound tactical idea. You may even want to take something a little more unusual, such as a squad of Rangers. Feel free to experiment, but remember the theme of this army and don't lose sight of the concept behind it. Nearly all of lyanden's soldiers have already given their lives in the service of their craftworld, and the society is on the brink of collapse. It is only the hosts of their undead that stand between the remnants of a once-proud civilisation and total extinction, so use them well. Remember, in every battle the stakes are far higher than with any other craftworld. So take care of those warriors still living, and reach out to the enemy from afar with superior firepower. But with the relentless, silent Ghost Warriors, go for the throat! Farseer Shuriken. Pistol, close combat weapon, 82 Spiritseer. Shuriken pistol, close combat weapon, 36 Spiritseer. Shuriken pistol, close combat weapon, 41 5 Wraithguard, 175 5 Wraithguard, 175 5 Wraithguard, 175 Wraithlord: 2 flamers, brightlance, 120 Wraithlord: 2 flamers, brightlance, 120 Wraithlord: 2 flamers, starcannon, 120 Wave Serpent: Spirit stone, twin starcannons, 135 10 Guardian Defenders, 80 4 Dark Reapers, 148 Support Weapon Battery: 2 shadow weavers, 90 |
But
on the field of battle, what does the lyanden army have going for it?
How can the army of this decimated civilisation hope to survive the
heat of battle? The answer is simple: the lyanden army is extremely
tough. The troop choices in the lyanden army lists are squads of Wraithguard
and Wraithlords (although you cannot have more Wraithlords than Wraithguard
squads). I cannot stress enough just how difficult it is to stop the
march of a well-coordinated lyanden army in the hands of a competent
general. The troopers are comprised of faceless artificial constructs
made from the psycho-active material Wraithbone, and range from nine
to thirty feet in height. Each of these troopers is host to the spirit
of an Eldar warrior, bound within a glowing soulstone. The constructs
housing these spirits are immune to pain. They are immune to fear. They
will never, under any circumstances, fall back, and cannot be pinned.
They are tougher than a Space Marine, benefit from the same saving throw
as power armour, and are all armed with the most lethal of advanced
Eldar technology that can carve through the armoured shell of a tank
as if it was paper. With a bit of psychic trickery from the Spiritseers
who accompany the Wraithguard into battle, even a direct hit from a
lascannon may not kill one of these Ghost Warriors. Being dead isn't
the handicap it ought to be in an lyanden army.
A
squad of Wraithguard can march across the battlefield without worrying
too much about bolter or lasgun fire; their Toughness of 5 and save
of 3+ means that most bolter shells will patter off the carapaces of
the Wraithguard like rain. Also, because your army will include Wraithlords
(larger and more powerful versions of the Wraithguard) your opponent's
heavy weapons fire will most likely be focused elsewhere. This is invaluable,
because the one weakness that the Wraithguard suffer from is their speed,
because, unlike most other Eldar, they may not fleet of foot. Bearing
in mind their potent weaponry only has a range of 12", this means
that they will have to march right across the battlefield to get into
range. Obviously, it is important that you do not sustain too many losses
before you reach the enemy.
As
all good Warhammer 40,000 commanders know, some troops are actually
safer in combat than they are on the open battlefield (they can't get
shot to pieces!) and this is especially true of the Wraithlord. As I
said before, most troops cannot hurt the Wraithlord in close combat.
The only weapons that a Wraithlord need fear are power fists, chain
fists and weapons that double the user's Strength. However, there is
a bright side: Wraithlords are not only exceptionally good in close
combat, given their Weapon Skill of 4 and three attacks, but they are
also armed with power fists. Two of them. This means that a Wraithlord's
Strength is a mighty 10, and best of all, unlike your assailants, they
do not strike last in combat! As a result, it makes sense to charge
the enemy model hefting a power claw around and crush him to a pulp
before he can strike back. As an additional bonus, the extra Strength
conferred by the power fists will be enough to kill most characters
outright. Lastly, each fist incorporates a flamer or a shuriken catapult.
It's worth the tiny amount of conversion work necessary to equip Wraithlord
with two flamers just to see the look on your opponent's face when you
pick up two Flamer templates and roast half of the squad you are about
to charge. Be careful though, not to kill the enemies within 6"
or you won't be able to charge at all.
In
an army of this size, you will need a couple of five-man strong Wraithguard
units. One of these can be mounted in your Wave Serpent, along with
a Spiritseer. The Spiritseer is very useful if the Wraithguard are engaged
in combat and become separated due to the confusion of close combat;
so long as the Spiritseer remains within 6" they do not need to
roll for Wraithsight and risk inactivity for a turn. This assault squad
should be deployed on your flank, and as the Wave Serpent is relatively
lightly armed you can afford to move its maximum distance (24")
without wasting too much in heavy weapons fire. It will intimidate and
confuse your opponent to see one of your most formidable squads crash
into his flank at the very beginning of the game. After the initial
salvo of wraithcannon fire, the assault phase will progress relatively
smoothly (provided you have not charged a large group of close combat
experts) and you can work your way through to another squad whilst the
rest of the army marches forward. Another tactic is to keep the Wave
Serpent out of the way until the rest of your army is in range, and
then, in the space of one turn, launch a devastating offensive at several
points on the enemy line. The drawback here is that you may allow your
opponent a couple of turns of shooting before you can close the distance
and unleash your attack.