Falcon

The humble Falcon. Or maybe not so, as it has come to known as one of the most revered tanks in the game. Here’s why:

-It is not just a tank AND a skimmer but also a fast vehicle, combining the best of all three worlds. It can always benefit from only being able to take glancing hits without hindrance, as its fast characteristic lets it still shoot one main weapon (the pulse laser) and all defensive weapons (everything else unless you took an EML or brightlance), having moved 12″.
-It can take holo-fields unlike its brother the Wave Serpent, one of the best if not the best vehicle upgrade in the game. It makes the chance of getting a destroyed result on that ALWAYS (read above) glancing hits chart 1/36. So yeah its pretty tough, as if AV 12 on all sides except the back was’nt good enough as it is. Give it spirit stones, and the worst result you’ll be getting on average is “can’t shoot next turn”, to the severe frustration of your opponent who will be churning everything into it. Of course as it can’t be stunned it can always move that 12″ and so the ordeal starts again… vectored engines mean if it crashes, it can still dish out a last stand next turn before it gets its just desserts (assuming it did’nt get shaken as well).
-It can even carry a 6 man squad, and given its nigh “indestructibility” and the 24″ move its permitted as a fast vehicle, those 6 men are going to where you want them, when you want them by turn 2.
-And yes, it has guns! The Falcon can produce the average fire power of a squad, with a potential of 9 shots (7 at S6 from shuricannon and scatter laser, 2 at S8 with AP2 from the pulse laser), and can of course also bring to bear the starcannon, brightlance or EML suited to your opponent. I always take the shuircannon upgrade, as you can’t really go wrong with being able to shoot it after a 12″ move and for 10 points its a massive improvement on the less than spectacular twin-linked shurican catapults.

So there you have it. Often the Falcon’s role will be that of delivery system, popular passengers including fire dragons, howling banshees and even harlequins, as the Falcon is’nt a dedicated transport so any unit can board it at the beginning of the game provided they’ll fit in it! Eldar “tri-falcon” lists have become commonplace, and has even brought rise to the term “flying circus”- an army that is comprised of three falcons with three individual 6 man units of harlequins on board, rightly feared and resented by all. Units can’t move and assault if they disembarked after the vehicle moved, but they can if they did it before. So of course, first turn you will plow the Falcon forward 24″. It will survive the futile hail of missiles and las blasts. Turn 2 you will disembark your banshees or heaven forbid it harlequins,who already get an extra 2″ head start from disembarking, move 6″, fleet D6″ and charge 6″. In the first two turns they’ve moved a potential 44″! Don’t count on it though. If you do this too much you deserve to roll a 1 every time for fleet.

Which brings me over to my next point: obviously GW felt they had been too generous to the Eldar in letting them have such a potent unit combination, which is probably why skimmers are getting so horribly nerfed next edition. Its not confirmed obviously but the “always glancing” will supposedly be changed to a 5+ cover save (lame) and ONLY if you moved OVER 12″ (lamer). Also apparently the strength of what is considered a defensive weapon is being dropped from S6-4, which sucks even more cos it means we’ll only be able to move and shoot the shurican-catapults. Thats lovely. What do they want us to use falcons as, floating pill-boxes? Well I for one am trying to keep an open mind about it, and still hope to field a mechanised Eldar army in the future. Falcon’s glory days may be numbered, enjoy them while you can!