Exert from my Tactic:
Warlock Bodyguards:
By having Warlocks a Farseer can gain the advantages their psychic powers provide. In addition to this the whole squad then becomes a scoring unit, a very tough one at that, which makes them great at holding objectives but their resilience and potent weaponry also enables them to be a good counter measure against larger creatures such as Dreadnoughts and Daemons, they can also provide the additional hitting power needed to turn the tide of combat. Although when pitch against very heavy infantry like Terminators, a Farseer and his bodyguards are likely to loose but you can be Guaranteed that they will hold up that one potent squad for a good deal of the game. Just like the Farseer; Warlocks can carry Singing Spears, this will only prove more useful when thrown but can be a handy weapon to have on those Warlocks who have defensive powers as they’ll be able to make full use of it. Combining a mixture of Spears and Blades will make the squad more multi-purpose, especially if a few Destructor psychic powers are also included. Keep note that Spears are more useful in catching moving vehicles and not in combat. However because this unit is tough it does not make them invincible and their squad size will be rather limited due to their expensive nature, as a consequence it is a good idea to utilise whatever cover is available to avoid getting shot to pieces.
Conceal:
This is not a very good power to have in a Farseer bodyguard as their invulnerable saves will always be readily available. However when faced against foes that negate this save like Daemon Hunters psycannons this ability becomes more useful in the protection of this rather expensive squad.
Destructor:
Where the whole squad may struggle against swarms due to their low number of attacks this power is a great crowd clearer. Useful when employed against Tyrannid Gaunts or Swarm Bases.
Embolden:
Embolden is a highly useful in keeping your squad in the fray even against unbeatable odds and remain in the front lines to support your army. It is always a good power to take, especially when faced with a more morale based army like Dark Eldar with their Horofexes and Witch Hunters psychic powers.
Enhance:
Enhance greatly improves the combat efficiency of the squad the caster joins, this is a very useful power to have even if the squad does not intend to move into combat as the extra Initiative boost will often allow the members to strike first and reduce the amount of incoming attacks, the Weapon Skill boost will increase the chances of the squad parrying attacks. Striking first will often prove the most important issue in winning a combat so it is always a good idea to have a Warlock carrying this power
Dire Avengers:
Dire Avengers are a medium armoured aspect that functions as the armies core infantry units. Armed with an extended Shuriken Catapult and decent ballistic skill they can more than hold their own in a fire fight. Their ability to fleet of foot also makes them a very manoeuvrable and flexible infantry choice. However because they only do have medium armour they don’t take too kindly to being shot at in mass, the armour is only sufficient enough to protect them from the odd pot shots and blast weapons, so when moving it is best to avoid line of sight to the opponent until the time is right for the squad to strike or have them supporting shock troopers like Striking Scorpions. Their moderate points cost makes them a viable troops choice utilised in maximum squad numbers.
Exarch:
Dire Avengers can be very flexible indeed when an Exarch is added to the squad. Depending on the equipment given to the Exarch the squads’ role on the battlefield can be very focused or quite multi-functional. However, unlike some other Exarchs a Dire Avengers upgrades aren’t as cost effective so it is recommended not to over spend.
Avenger Shuriken Catapult:
The basic small arms weapon which the rest of the squad carries. Although he won’t sport much combat hitting power the weapon is free, as such with this he can happily spend away on Exarch special powers, the weapon itself is relatively good in supporting the rest of the squads role.
Twin-avenger Shuriken Catapults:
The Exarch sports an addition Shuriken Catapult, thus allowing him to unleash twice as many shots. This is a relatively cheap upgrade and adds more shots to the squads’ total. Combined with Bladestorm this weapon lends itself to a heavy shooting unit. Highly useful when finishing off opposing squads or supporting other units with suppressive fire.
Diresword and Shuriken Pistol:
This choice adds a power weapon to the squad. Although the Diresword functions like a Force weapon it is not as potential and only has a minor chance of knocking out characters in a blow. This choice is cheaper than the power weapon and Shimmer Shield option and offers defence against combat with heavy infantry, a good choice when points are considered but otherwise a shimmer shield will better protect the squad against combat. However keep note that the Diresword and Shuriken Pistol combination also gives the Exarch a bolstered amount of attacks unlike that of the Shimmer Shield.
Power Weapon and Shimmer Shield:
This combination is the most expensive of all the Exarchs choices in weaponry but it is also the most useful in defence against combat for the whole squad as it gives all members an invulnerable save. This offers a good protection from opposing squad leaders that may carry power weapons that would normally cut through the Dire Avengers armour while the Exarchs own power weapon offers a retaliation punch, although he will have limited amounts of attacks. Because of this, the Power Weapon and Shimmer Shield can be considered as a purely defensive upgrade and not offensive. But saying that, the combination works well in offence when supporting other units in combat when the Exarch and his squad can combine their combat potential with someone else. They also work well as a barricade to prevent opposing infantry from advancing further, the inclusion of the Defend Exarch power will reduce the number of return attacks directed at the squad. You will even be able to hold down Terminators for a few turns. Even though the invulnerable save is not the best in the world it is greatly improved with the aid of a Farseer with Fortune. Both Bladestorm and Defend Exarch powers compliment this weapons upgrade well, the inclusion of these power enables the unit to be both offensive in shooting and defensive in combat, but this becomes an expensive choice to combine all three.
Defend:
This power enables the Exarch to reduce attack directed to his squad in combat. It is quite an expensive power but it greatly reduces the amount of offence they take making it harder to kill them all. A good upgrade to take if the squad ever considers taking on an opponent in close combat weather it’s at a defensive or aggressive nature.
Bladestorm:
Like Defend this power is quite expensive but it does allow the squad to unleash a large volume of shots that can easily cut down medium and light infantry but also threatens that of power armoured foes. A good power to take when considering shooting heavy Dire Avenger squads. Useful in finishing off squads for certain or adding shots in a combined effort with other units, but when facing heavy infantry like space marines it is unlikely that Bladestorm alone will be able to wipe out a whole squad. Very useful when used in conjunction with a Wave Serpent as the Dire Avengers gain an advantage in striking first. When considering purely offensive shooting a unique combination of Blade Storm and a Farseers Eldritch Storm and Doom psychic powers work very well in thinning down an opponents infantry, with both Avenger Shuriken Catapults can Eldritch Storm being the same range it should be rather easy to get both the squad and Farseer Shooting.
The Wave Serpent:
Where Dire Avengers may suffer against shooting due to their medium armour, the Wave Serpent offers a remedy to this. Its armoured hull will provide ample cover for the squad as well as give them enough mobility to enable them to cover a much larger area, giving them more choice of targets. Shuriken Catapult fire however isn’t the most guaranteed killing weapon so even if a “Drive and Drop” strategy goes according to plan it may still not enough to destroy those tougher targets. The Wave Serpent does help in area depending on the weapon given to it. Anti-infantry weaponry such as the Scatter Laser, Shuriken Cannon, Eldar Missile Launcher and the Starcannon will compliment the Dire Avengers given role. A less common strategy would be to add an offensive Farseer to the squad with the Eldritch Storm and Doom psychic powers, not only will this improve the squads chances of wounding but it also adds a large blast marker that can cause pinning. The pinning offers a light failsafe feature should the target not be destroyed.
Due to the mobility of the Wave Serpent and nature of Dire Avengers they can take up the role of take and hold quite effectively but they also be used to support forward squads with their shuriken catapults.
