40k Wednesday - Iyanden Eldar 8th Edition Prep

With 8th edition about a month away and the radical changes it seems to be bringing I am scrambling to get some of the armies updated/expanded/finished. I'm making this post to mark where the army is right now and what I am thinking as I work on it - partly to force myself to think through it as I put it down and partly as a historical document so a year from now I can come back and either  rejoice in my amazing foresight or wonder what the hell I was thinking.

Today, let's talk Eldar.

There's not much left to add to the Wraith Force after the Year of the Eldar wrap-up. I mean, there are plenty of things I could add but I am not feeling like there are big gaps here.That said, a new edition is a new reason to look at some new options.

The core of the army is as follows:

• Wraith Host - Wraithknight, 3x Wraithguard squads, 1 Wraithblade squad, 2x Wraithlords, Spiritseer
• Dire Avengers - 3x ten-man squads with exarchs
• Dark Reapers - 3x six-man squads with exarchs 
• Vaul's Wrath 3-gun battery 

There are other pieces available but those are the things I tend to build an army around. Options:

• Wave Serpents - I have two painted and two waiting. I'd like to mobilize my Dire Avengers so I ordered one more of the flying tanks and plan to paint the three unfinished ones to look like a squadron. I figure the other two may be hauling wraithguard or some other squad as needed. Also, wave serpents got a lot nastier with the change to twin-linked weapons. You mean my armored transport vehicle gets two bright lance shots now? Or 8 scatter laser shots? OK!
• I have 3 squads of Reapers - why not get their Phoenix Lord? I mean, we've been promised they will be good, and with the new way characters work I suspect there will be a lot of interesting options with these guys. I found one online with a paint job I can work with and now Maugan Ra's on the way. 
• Assuming most of my wraiths are advancing on foot, what's another unit that would complement them ... tough ... walking ... how about an Avatar? Found a metal one still in a blister and it's on the way now too. 
• Finally, what's a fluffy character choice for an Iyanden army? Pretty much the only named Iyanden character in the codex? One so terrible I've never seen him on a tabletop in person or online ever? Why yes it's ... Prince Yriel of Iyanden! Found a nicely painted one and ordered him as well. I'm doing some bargain-hunting right now looking for character models in particular that have been terrible and adding them to my armies on the assumption that they will not be terrible with the reboot. 

I didn't totally miss adding to the backlog here - one of the goals - but one avatar and one more wave serpent is not too much work. Considering what they may add to the army I will take the risk. I'm not going to go overboard on the avatar's paint as I suspect he's due for a replacement in the next wave of eldar model updates - maybe next year? We will see. 

Top Remaining Opportunities:

• I also have 3 units of Dire Avengers so Asurmen seems like an obvious pick-up. I'm looking, it's just tricky to find one that hasn't been mangled somehow that the owner doesn't consider a family heirloom - based on the price anyway. I'm sure one will come along.
• Howling Banshees - I'd like to add 5 or 10 but I'm not seeing painted ones that I like at a price I also like and I'm hesitant to add another unpainted squad. 
• Warp Spiders - I think that for me these are now on the "wait and hope there's an Eldar model update in the near future" list. I've never been a huge fan of the models even when they were new so I think I will skip them for now. 
• Flyers - keeping an eye open. The Wraithfighter is very much an Iyanden thing so I will get one eventually. I'm just not sure it will be before the new edition drops. I'd kind of like to see the rules too. 
• A second Wraithknight? Maybe. I'd like to finish more of the in-progress stuff here first but if I find a painted one then things might change.

Stuff already in the backlog:

• I picked up a painted 3-man jetbike unit a while back. I just need to add the shuriken cannon to them and they should be good to go.
• I am also working on the Wraithseer as well - finally! Forgeworld stuff is all supposed to have updated specs as well right from launch so why not?
• War Walkers - they sit half-painted and waiting
• Vypers - they also sit partly painted and waiting
• Guardians - 30+ guardians and the associated weapon platforms and Warlocks. This is probably next year's Eldar project. 
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Future Plans:

• I love the concept of Shining Spears but the rules haven't matched up in a long time and I suspect the models are due for replacement here too. On that same list as the Warp Spiders. 
• I would like to add two more Falcon tanks at some point and have a squadron of three as an option. With a 2-3 Serpent backlog though it just does not seem like the best time to make this move. 
• Fire Prisms - probably, but not right now.

There's the thinking for the Eldar army right now. More to come!