Really there are numerous things about the Eldar I appreciate, and failings of theirs I identify with, but with that goes this visceral reaction. I goddamn hate Marines. I'm so, so sick of, in a gigantic, complex, elaborate setting the sub-human Mastur-bullies always coming out on top. Unfailingly. And the insult added to the insult is that even by the usual lazy standards of Black Library plot conventions ("don't worry, it's your book you'll win) is that when the Eldar are the anatagonist they aren't merely killed, but desecrated. Tortured. Defiled. Massacred. But even in their own few novels the Eldar still barely manage a tie.

I'm going to step out on a limb here, but I bet if you were to poll the Space Marine playerbase the Sons of Orar wouldn't have spared Alaitoc because it would cost the Imperium in space traffic. I'm gonna guess their reaction would have been, "lol purge and cleanse" because the chance to eradicate a major powerbase of a sworn enemy would be too good to pass up. That's just Alaitoc. Ulthwe`? Get ready to repaint your armies, you Damned Xenos!

I wouldn't even disagree. Wipe out the Black Templars Crusade Fleet at the cost of a few maiden worlds? Done deal. Long term that's a gigantic success at nearly any cost. Not that that would ever be countenanced, nevermind a major plot point, of course but what else is to be expected?

But funny thing: outside the fiction, on the tabletop, in the games, where every effort is supposed to have been made to make the fight fair? The best players choose the Eldar, and they win. Supposedly the best army right now is Path of the Greater Good/Eldau (Eldar with Tau allies aka Riptides), but even standing alone the high-risk, out-maneuver and out-think force comes out ahead where spamming autocannons/Earthshakers/Manticores/Hydra batteries, biker marines and Lol's of the World Wolf used to dominate because of an idiotic FAQ decision.

So among other reasons cited, the chance to kick the Marine sycophants in the teeth until they piss their pants.
No Anon, you are the cancer. You are the reason we can't have nice things. You are the speshul snowflake. You are to blame for why every goddamn 40k title MUST start and end with the Space Marines because between Dawn of War 1, Dawn of War 2, all the expansions, Space Hulk (every version) and Space Marine every effin' 40k title must begin with the two-dimensional slaughter kiddies else how would new players know what 40k was about!?

Even Eternal Crusade, long may it reign, starts with two Space Marine armies! Space Marines are so necessary they come pre-packaged with their own nemeses! Can't not have Space Marines, nevermind that the majority of new players from launch 'til sunset will be Orks.

Bahhhh. Pardon my venting, but for all the things I like about the Eldar aesthetics and lore and combat forms there ever remains an important aversion in my affection: they're not effin' Space Marines.

You can vent, it's nothing too apologize for just be ready to show the mon-keigh what OP is when eternal crusade starts up; until such a time however keep showing those self righteous jerks what it means to be Eldar on the table top

Hells, when I was TT'ing about lol 30yrs ago I was enjoying Warhammer immensly, then in 1987 40K was released and my friends and I transitioned into the sci-fi version without a moments thought,
Yes it was perhaps a little strange for an Australian infantryman of 19 to still have friends who TT'd but we found it a great way to waste time in an enjoyable manner, and a hobby is a sign of a healthy mind.

Growing up with D&D and WH, I ended up drifting into DM/GM mode more and more so found myself feilding and commanding the "less popular" races as antagonists for the freinds to face off against.

Long story short lol,
I've enjoyed playing Chaos, Eldar/Dark Eldar and Necrons over the years and eventually converted my friends from their SM core to the point where we played predominately interfaction battles using Chaos and Eldar armies.

Alas the time for active TT'ing passed me by and my armies were gratfully accepted by cousins and friends where I hope they still get used today (or at least sold for a decent amount, gods know how much time and effort I put into painting those lil buggers).

At EC release I'll be rolling a CSM and an Eldar...and if and when DE make an appearance I'll be rolling one of those.
I'd go DE over Eldar at release if they were in but they arnt lol.

i understand the burden of the space marines i must agree with most your points but then again 40k chose Eldar even with there strengths and weaknesses where chosen as the punching bag for the SM and Chaos

One word, my friend: Marketing. A franchise can't exist on its own without being sold to the next generation. As society's mentality constantly changes, the merchants must peddle their goods to please their new buyers. And that's what sells nowadays: Characters that make you feel overpowered and are fighting for the morally "right" thing (at first glance). Too few appreciate or even see the different shades of grey that WH40K consists of. Every race has committed genocide at one point (easiest example) for their own well being. There is no right or wrong in this world, it's only a matter of whose ideology you support.
Failing to see that without proper lore digging means that every object sold must be marketed in such a way that it is easily understood and is enticing to the buyer. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying anything negative about those that like SM, I have groups in every faction that I like, but it's easier to identify with a character or a race that shares visual appearance and like-mindedness with your normal human. Compared to Eldar which were never properly alienated to begin with but are "weird", nonetheless.
I agree that the Marines, Chaos or otherwise are being given too much spotlight, but, let's be fair, there are billions of Imperials whereas the other races are either fewer in numbers (Eldar, DE, Tau, Necrons), can be hardly presented as logical beings (Orks) or deny some basic gameplay mechanics that would make them impossible to control as a main character (communication -> Tyranids).
That being said, do not despair, for we are few but mighty and we shall show the Mon-keigh the folly of stoking the fires of our fury.

To be honest im a hard core chaos fan same for the necrons but I wouldn't mind playing the elder at all they may seem weak but they really aren't the only thing I hate about eldar is that fact that they have a rich mans syndrome always thinking there better then everyone and don't complain about how the eldar race was desecrated by other races...... they did after all make a certain god but were all guilty of something aren't we? But in the end ill still try the eldar out just to see what they play like.... cant wait for the dark eldar thoughs sadistic little buggers =P


definitely playing these guys. GOD THESE GUYS LOOK SO BAD ASS!!!!

Hehe, the other one is a Dark Eldar incubus! Well, wraithlords are neat too ofc.

Anyway. I just wanted to say that I chose (d)eldar from the start of my 40k-hobby without being affected by being overwhelmed by things I first described in my mind as "big bald humans in bigger armour". I don't regret choosing eldar, they are awesome, both of them and all those as well who are not represented in tabletop (mainly exodites), and those which are in tabletop and few computer games are still cool and great to play (well, I didn't like DE in Dawn of War too much, to be honest, but still...).
And if anyone says DE are impossible to win with in tabletop, you have either seen them play only against Tau and/or only played by a Spesh Mhuren-minded general.

Sadly it seems to be the case, but weren't marines sort of always the poster boys? I get this feeling that this has changed the IG more than it changed the SM armies. I get the feeling that before the idea was that the IG was usually badly mismanaged, led by commanders valued much more for their loyalty than any competence, and expected to win due to numbers rather than not. Now, pretty much any IG leader you'd read about is remarkably competent, heroic and cares about his men (of either gender). I mean, other than Chenkov, how many times have you had the IG persented as a mass of barely trained and underequipped cannon fodder, motivated more than by blind faith and the machineguns behind them than anything else their commander ever did?

Well, that is one of the things that they got right actually. I mean, it was sort of idiotic to believe that a stand-still between the Imperium and the others races could have been secured by the 1000 SM chapters and billions of untrained, poorly-led humans for 10.000 years. It was too much of a naive story. So I like the buff of the IG, especially their leaders, it gives much more credit to the universe itself.

Eldar were my starting army in 40k, and I still play them regularly. I love their aesthetics and fluff. In fact, the reason they were my first is because I liked their looks - I didn't know a thing about their stats. I just really like this smooth, organic tech they have. Also, High Elves are my favourite flavour of elves in most fantasy (ironically not in Warhammer... I'm more Dark Elves, there). In EC, I will most surely play Eldar the second most, and only because most of my IRL friends are going to run around as SPEHS MEHRENS most of the time, since they sadly lack respect for the Eldar.

I know, an unforgivable offense... Burdens of friendship and the like.