The Shining Phoenix' Ambush

Eldar Tau

See what happens when the hunter becomes the hunted.. Ride the brand new Ferrari-red Jetbike by Saim-Hann while shining like a baws and show the plebeian peasants vying for the Traxis Sector that the Eldar will rise again.

This deck is a take on the Phoenix Lord post Deadly Salvage. It offers even more mobility with the inclusion of the Jetbike, but telegraphed ambush play is far from the only trick in the setup and although it is a little complicated to set up Baharroth might actually have one of the best and sneakiest combo-tricks in the game..

Tactical notes:
- Eldar typically play a strong command game and this deck is no exception. If your opponent seems to be in a position vulnerable to choke, either due to the flop or your own situation, then consider this as strategy.
- The Jetbike is great on Celachia, buffed-up Marksmen, a hit-and-run Wildrider, and insane on the Wraithguards. In a fringe usage they might be good on the Fire Warriors as well.
In a Jetbike scenario you should also bear in mind that all three supports has excellent synergy with units that want to move.
- Negotiate, so to speak, on any planet as long as no one is there to disagree. Alternatively you can 'attend' Negotiations during the action window in the last part of the command phase and simply fly away to a more cosy planet during the mobile stage before the opposition can disagree.

Mulligan draw for these cards:
1. Deadly Web Shrine
2. Banner of the Ashen Sky
3. Ambush Platform / Tense Negotiations

Weaknesses and oddities:
- The Hawks are widely regarded as one of the weakest signature unit in the entire game (at least that's my impression from reading comments from the community on cgdb and listening to fellow players). This is obviously because they are so dependant on having Baharroth there for good luck (i.e. ATK). A Hawk does, however, have one particularly interesting use, which I will get back to later.
- A really bad match up for Baharroth is probably Salaine Morn allied with Chaos. Not only does the Eldar's dark mirror play a strong command game as well, but having access to Sowing Chaos can be devastating for the Phoenix Lord. Always beware of Sowing Chaos when playing DE/Chaos/Ork.
- Seer's Exodus is included for hit-and-run tactic during a single combat phase. You can commit to a fight were the odds are overwhelmingly against you, perform one or more decapitations and retreat at action-speed before Baharroth gets too badly wounded. The retreat option can also be excellent against extreme exhaust like the Harpy or Markis, Suppressive Fire or a Psyker gaming convention etc. Note that a counter-Nullify can cost you the game, so be careful using this approach vs. another Eldar player.
- As the deck has no means of dealing with game-winning supports, you might want to replace Exodus or Nullify with one or two copies of Subdual.

The Shining Blade:
Now for one of the more interesting aspects of opting for Baharroth.. In my humble opinion, the Blade is regarded as mediocre and a stable three-shielder discard for good reasons, but exactly because of this it does offer the scheming player a trick that is rarely seen and, probably because of this, is so unexpected that it can catch your opponent completely by surprise and bloody or kill off the enemy warlord in one swift stroke.
Now, firstly, I believe a key misunderstanding about the Blade is its best wielder, i.e. "a mobile unit". Since it is a one-copy-only card, naturally, most people would give the Blade to Baharroth, but in my opinion its ideal carrier is not Baharroth - it is a Hawk. (Or a Celachia even). Such usage represents a gamble of course, as a Hawk is likely to die and the Blade thus lost for good. Nevertheless, the hawk can carry the Ion Rifle (or a Banshee Power Sword) as well:
Let's consider an ideal scenario: you have all three supports on the board. It is late-game, the enemy warlord (currently holding the initiative marker) is bloodied, but your opponent will win the game by winning planet number two (in the next round when the current second planet becomes the first); the current planet one is insignificant to both of you due to icons; your opponent has a Trader on planet one (maybe a few non-ranged armies as well - that doesn't matter) and a few units on the second planet. He commits to the second planet (either to have his entourage-armies ready for the final fight next round, or for the battle-ability); you have a Hawk with an Ion rifle in your entourage and you commit to two as well. Now you mobile both units to the first planet, trigger the Banner on your Hawk, ambush in The Shining Blade that sits in your hand for free, attach it to the Hawk and strike the enemy warlord down. While I did label this as an "ideal" situation the basic setting is by no means a particularly uncommon one. And the example above is just to illustrate that the Blade - maybe especially in conjunction with an Ambush Platform - can be a trick that will catch your opponent off guard; its slight regard as being of mediocre value within the community can work to its advantage. This trick only works for one strike, but make that strike hard enough and it can be decisive. The Hawk can even be substituted by a Celachia (apply mobile during the action window in the command phase) and as such would be not susceptible to Terror or in need of Baharoth by its side. (I know the Power Sword's card-for-ATK-ability cannot be used to strike warlords, but you still get the +1ATK which can be decisive as well). So much for The Shining Blade. If you find its usage too complex (and it is indeed complicated and sometimes almost impossible to put to good use) then simply use it as a power-shield.

I hope you'll enjoy piloting this deck (or your own variant of it) if you do so :) Comments, critique etc. are of course very welcome.