March of the Dire Avengers

The new Eldar codex has one new factor that I really support and am glad to see: Eldar players must now take troops, just like everyone else. I don't mean "troop slots". I mean troops; not Wraithlords, not Vypers, not non-Dire Avenger Aspect Warriors. Real, honest-to-goodness troops. The new codex goes a long way to try and sweeten the pill, and we should be grateful: Storm Guardians, Defender Guardians, Rangers, Pathfinders, Dire Avengers, Jetbikes and, in some cases, Wraithguard. This sounds pretty good, but it's still an adjustment for those who have been juggling the Force Org Chart to suit their whim for years with the 3rd Ed Craftworld Eldar codex. No more all-Banshee Scorpion armies. No more Wraithlords as troops (freeing up heavy support slots for 3 Falcons or whatever). No more mass-Vyper attacks. It's simple, straight-forward troop choices.

Just because I am all for this change in the new codex doesn't mean that it's a walk in the park for me to get my troops ready. Like a lot of guys, the new codex hit me with no real troop choices on hand. Rather than try to put it off and somehow force the stuff I have into some sort of list (I did give two squads of 10 Wraithguard some thought, but the 800 point total or so put me off), I decided to bite the bullet and start getting a healthy contingent of Dire Avengers together. I've scored a nice infusion of free Eldar models lately (don't ask how; you wouldn't like the answer), and I have 3 units of Avengers now.

All are assembled (save the arms, which go on after the body is painted). 30 of them. Exarchs and all. Here you go:



God, that is one crapload of painting I have ahead of me.

*Long exhale* ...back to it. Talk later.