Mech Eldar V2s; Contemplating Changes

I've tweaked the layout a bit; if you're a regular (...I have those? A few, perhaps) then you're not actually going nuts.

I've been kicking around a change of pace for the Mech Eldar build. Mostly, I'm seeing that the Seer Council is a major cost, and while it's killy it folds under lots of fire.

As such, I'm kicking around other options. Dropping the Seer Council and the Farseer's jetbike nets me 360 points.

Then, the question is...what capabilities do I lose, and what capabilities should I add?

Losses
The army is now minus its one meaningful melee unit. No one else is going to take an assault; it's as simple as that. The army also loses its sledgehammer. I also lose my massed flamer templates, and in the Eldar army? We're kind of low on those.

Also, I'm out my psychic support. Then again, a Farseer in a Wave Serpent is potentially more survivable than a mounted one, since S6+ weapons can nuke them to death if they breach fortune.

So, ultimately, I lost my melee support and a beating stick. I gain 360 points to play with.

Capabilities and Units
Farseer
Obviously, I'm going to keep a Farseer in the list. However, without a Seer Council, there's not really a point in Fortune. Still, there's also no point in taking a Farseer with a single power. I'm going to keep Runes of Warding, Spirit Stones, and Doom, of course. Now, the psychic powers I've got access to are Eldritch Storm, Mind War, and Guide.

Eldritch Storm and Mind War mean the Farseer has to dismount from the transport. I can take Guide, and use Guide on the Falcons, the Serpent-mounted Cannons, the Fire Prism....or, I can slap dismounted troops with it, such as they are.

Guide also is more difficult to use on tanks, as the Fire Prism is best served by sitting back at extreme range and popping off Prism Shots (or, in that one game, acting as a guided missile and ramming). The Falcons hang with the tanks until there's a reason to split them off and deliver Fire Dragons, and the Falcons are the big ones worth Guiding, since it's more S8 hits.

However, Doom + Storm in a dismounted squad means a lot of firepower in the unit. With Doom, assuming 6 hits on T4 enemies, that's another 2-3 wounds potentially. It's something, at least.

I think that I'll try Guide for starters, which means the Farseer runs me 135. At this points level, I can get Eldritch Storm or Mind War without changing the price.

Another HQ?
-Farseer #2
A second Farseer lets me buff a second tank, or doom a second unit. I'm a little dubious about the value of a second Doom cast. However, a second Farseer does give me some redundancy, since there happen to be psychic hoods out there and people who might kill a Farseer. (Funny story, people who play me start seeing the value of psychic hoods.)

-Prince Yriel of Iyanden
For 155, he's not a bad choice at all. Autarchs are normally 70 points, and really will never be that special in melee (4-5 S3 power weapon attacks. Woo. Big freakin' deal.). The real reason to bring any Autarch is for the +1 to reserves via Master Strategist.

Yriel has two major melee threats. There's the Spear of Twilight; a singing spear that ignores armor saves. In other words, Yriel has 4 base attacks at WS6, I7 that wound on 2+ and ignore armor saves. He also brings out the Eye of Wrath, which places the large blast template over him and all those under it eat an S6, AP3 blast.

This means Yriel can detach and go tackle a number of melee threats; he can probably beat down a monster that's been weakened, or detonate the Eye of Wrath and take out a squad of just about anything other than Terminators or Nob Bikers. He'd roll with some of the Avengers, likely.

-Phoenix Lord Fuegan
205 points. However, he's T4, 2+ armor, 3 wounds, and has Feel No Pain, so unless you brought power weapons he's in good shape. He has a BS7 Fire Pike (18" meltagun), and hits at S5 with the Fire Axe, rolling 2d6 for armor penetration. He also has Fleet of Foot.

I would attach him to one of the Fire Dragon units, naturally. He can drop out and nuke something by himself, or he can try to wade into a squad. If it's not a melee-oriented squad, Fuegan can probably beat 'em down.

-Rangers
I can drop an objective-sitting squad into the army. 8 of them run 152 points, and free up a mechanized squad to advance and fire. That's also about half of what I've freed up, and it's not very killy at all.

-Warp Spiders
In part, I'm sitting on a set of Warp Spiders and I'd like a chance to use them. The Spiders have the speed to generally keep up with the transports, and can screen behind them. Each spider cranks out a pair of S6, AP- shots. They can glance up vehicles, or drop a heap of wounds on lots of targets.

With an Exarch, the price goes up (Exarch + Power Blades + Dual Death Spinners + Withdraw = 42pt upgrade). However, the capabilities improve a bit. They can go into melee against non-melee units, and either polish them off, or hide for a turn and then use Withdraw to get out of there.

A 7-man squad with upgrades is 196.

-Vypers
A Vyper with scatter laser is 60 points. It's no Land Speeder, but I could bring a few squads for extra shooting power at range.

Mech Eldar v2, Option 1: Plus Rangers, Warp Spiders
HQ
Farseer
Runes of Warding, Guide, Doom, Spirit Stones
135

Elite
6 Fire Dragons
96

6 Fire Dragons
96

Troops
9 Dire Avengers
108
Wave Serpent w/ Twin-linked Bright Lance, Shuriken Cannon
135

10 Dire Avengers
120
Wave Serpent w/ Twin-linked Bright Lance, Shuriken Cannon
135

10 Dire Avengers
120
Wave Serpent w/ Twin-linked Bright Lance, Shuriken Cannon
135

8 Rangers
152

Fast Attack
8 Warp Spiders
Exarch w/ Powerblades, Dual Death Spinners, Withdraw
218

Heavy Support
Falcon w/ Eldar Missile Launcher
135

Falcon w/ Eldar Missile Launcher
135

Fire Prism w/ Shuriken Cannon
125

Total: 1845

Mech Eldar V2, Option 2: Yriel, Warp Spiders
HQ
Farseer
Runes of Warding, Guide, Doom, Spirit Stones
135

Prince Yriel of Iyanden
155

Elite
6 Fire Dragons
96

6 Fire Dragons
96

Troops
9 Dire Avengers
108
Wave Serpent w/ Twin-linked Bright Lance, Shuriken Cannon
135

10 Dire Avengers
120
Wave Serpent w/ Twin-linked Bright Lance, Shuriken Cannon
135

10 Dire Avengers
120
Wave Serpent w/ Twin-linked Bright Lance, Shuriken Cannon
135

Fast Attack
8 Warp Spiders
Exarch w/ Powerblades, Dual Death Spinners, Withdraw
218

Heavy Support
Falcon w/ Eldar Missile Launcher
135

Falcon w/ Eldar Missile Launcher
135

Fire Prism w/ Shuriken Cannon
125

Total: 1848

Mech Eldar v2, Option 3: Vypers
HQ
Farseer
Runes of Warding, Spirit Stones, Doom, Guide
135

Prince Yriel of Iyanden
155

Elites
6 Fire Dragons
96

6 Fire Dragons
96

Troops
9 Dire Avengers
108
Wave Serpent w/ twin-linked Bright Lance, Shuriken Cannon
135

9 Dire Avengers
108
Wave Serpent w/ twin-linked Bright Lance, Shuriken Cannon
135

9 Dire Avengers
108
Wave Serpent w/ twin-linked Bright Lance, Shuriken Cannon
135

Fast Attack
Vyper Squadron
2 Vypers w/ Scatter Lasers
120

Vyper Squadron
2 Vypers w/ Scatter Lasers
120

Heavy Support
Falcon w/ Eldar Missile Launcher
135

Falcon w/ Eldar Missile Launcher
135

Fire Prism w/ Shuriken Cannon
125

Total: 1846
As a note, I could free up 20 points and give all the Vypers Shuriken Cannons as well.

Anyone got thoughts, feedback, notes on which seems the worst to face?

The common theme is that there's more S6 dakka. There's less melee support, but I'm thinking about Yriel more and more, and liking the idea.