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Thursday, May 27, 2010

Email in: 500 pt Dark Eldar army advice


Hey, me here again.

I was able to get my job back for the summer (poor college student, YEAH!) and therefore can waste money on 40K (ordered my first Eldar models today).

However, to get some practice in before they come in I figured I would mess around with the DE that my friend owns that he never plays. The second I saw that he swore by using 3 Talos instead of Ravagers confirmed my thoughts on as to why he quit playing DE.

Anyway, I played a quick 500 pt game today against Space Wolves (also a new player with not so many good models) and unfortunately couldn't record it. Hilarious things to note however are:

1. It took 5 Dark Lance shots to down his 1 Land Speeder (his only vehicle)
2. I failed my Shadowfield save on the first roll for it...
3. If the game would of ended on turn 5, I would of won. I would of tied on turn 6. It went to turn 7..... Yeah.
4. I actually would of tied turn 7 but I had to flat-out a Raider in order to contest. He needed 6's to hit and rolled 6 sixes out of like 8 attacks. Yeesh.
5. 5 total objectives, a little much lol.

Here is the list for reference:


HQ:
Dracon (Shadowfield)
5 Warriors (x2 Splinter Cannons)
Raider (Nightshield)

Elites:
5 Wyches (x1 Blaster)
Raider (Nightshield)

Troops:
5 Warriors (x2 Splinter Cannon)
Raider (Nightshield)

x5 Warriors (x2 Splinter Cannon)

500 right on.

My opponent's list was basically 3-4 grey knight squads with plasma and or flamers, an assault squad, and one Land Speeder

As far as my tactics went, I won the roll, deployed second, then stole the initiative like a boss. I placed 1 objective right near the corner on my left hand side and placed the foot Warrior squad in the cover right next to it (where they stayed all game until they went to ground and were assaulted/killed). The 3 Raiders first focused on killing his Land Speeder (the one unit he had that I feared) with the Wych Raider and Warrior Raider gave the HQ Raider cover saves. Once the Speeder was down I sent the Wych Raider to tie up combat with the assault squad he was using to go after an objective and tie them down, while the HQ Raider and Warrior Raider dodged fire, parked near my board edge near an objective and sniped. However, I made a poor gamble as I aimed for the game to end on turn 5 (I disembarked my HQ to claim the objective while giving them cover with the Raider FTW) but the game went on after his turn and my Dracon and co were ran off the table. The Wyches died, as did the Warriors in cover, and the game was tied on turn 6 with him only having one objective while my Warriors disembarked and claimed one, and the Wych Raider contested another. The game went on again to turn 7 and he, well, you know....

Considering games to follow, I have the following other models at my disposal:

2 Haemunculi (one with Destructor one with Stinger)
A bunch of Jetbikes
3 Talos
A shit-ton of Wyches
NO MORE RAIDERS
NO RAVAGERS
(sucks I know)

Maybe make the Haem an HQ and put it with the Wyches for Destructor fun? Give one (or more) Raiders Disintegrators?

Any advice for this low-point learning extravaganza would be awesome.

Well I was thinking, lance spam from point 1...that's the best DE advice until the bottom. No more Ravagers or Raiders!? What!? Well to modify your list I can't really see much to do. I'd drop the nightshields which are generally your last upgrade as more weapons are better and maybe put some combat upgrades on the Dracon/Wyches and maybe Sybrates (I misspelled that, go not having my codex). Really all you're going to do with this list is outshoot people at range with your Lances then if they get close move forward to assault them. Shadowfield is lol but it either wins games or makes you cry. I remember one game back in the US and I simply couldn't kill my opponent's Archon (they rolled 1 die for their Shadowfield...rigged!). He saved about 30 2+ invuls and I pretty much got tabled.

Again since we can't add Ravagers or Raiders...really not much. You could drop the Nightshields for Bikes w/Blasters potentially. Or bump the Wyches to 10 wo/men. You could indeed do the Haemmy w/Destructor, though 3 of them is fun for lols 1 might just be upsetting. I wouldn't really drop a Lance for Disen; whilst you're not going to see much Mech at 500pts, you've only got 3 + a Blaster and the Splinter Cannons + combat should be okay for anti-infantry.

If you start DE as well though, awesome. Love DE but waiting for their new codex to start collecting again :).

16 pinkments:

Meister_Kai said...

Just to put it out there, I played against the good SW player today and got tabled. Living Lightning or whatever is pretty good against 3 Raiders.... He de-meched me almost immediately which basically just made the game drag out (go go go to ground) until he won (went to turn 7 again LOL). Holy shit do I need like 1 Ravager. That Talos just slugged forward and died like a bitch (we played 600 pts which was my list I emailed + 1 Talos lol). He played a Rune Priest, one Rhino, one Vindicator, and like one squad of 10 Grey Hunters and one Squad of 5 or something. It was DOW and once again I stole the initiative like a boss. I refused flank trying to snip the RP but I couldn't roll worth a crap with any of my guns (even though they all hit, even through night-fight) and could only do 1 wound. Next turn all three Raiders were gone (he rolled max range with basically everything + acute senses) and from there on the game was done. Win big or lose big!

To be honest, I didn't really see much I could so either, except bump up the Wyches to 10 and perhaps try decking them out while taking a minimal Dracon or perhaps try going for full on assault with a buffed up Archon with either a Wych/Warrior retinue and go balls to the wall assault. Something like a Wych Kabal maybe (ewww, I know)? I feel like I should be taking advantage of the assault stuff I have, too bad it sucks though lol.

I tried to fit as much ranged shooting as I could into the list I sent you, and to be honest I think thats as good as it gets with what I have. Things would be so different if had access to just one Ravager... I'll try to formulate a more assaulted oriented list and post it here later.

Unknown said...

Pretty much agree. Lack of psy defense atm is a pain for DE, too. I imagine that will get rectified in their next codex.

3 talos would be good for lols :).

Chumbalaya said...

Archons have the potential to do a ton of damage and their shields can absorb all kinds of punishment. However, once the shield goes down, they are fucked.

For DE, it's simple. Lance spam FTW. Living Lightning (and Loganwing) FTL.

Meister_Kai said...

Ok, how about this:

HQ: 150 pts
Dracon
5 Warriors (x2 Splinter Cannon)
Raider

Elites: 215 pts
10 Wyches (Wych Weapons, Combat Drugs, Splinter Pistols, Plasma Grenades, Close Combat Weapon, x2 Blasters)
Raider

Fast Attack: 95 pts
3 Reaver Jetbike (x2 Blaster)

Troop: 40 pts
5 Warriors

Last Warrior squad sits in cover/reserve the whole game and takes something at one point (hopefully). The Reavers are fast anti-inf/anti tank that can snipe guys with blasters and hopefully GTFO. At 500 pts, usually the Wyches are an assault squad of doom (sort of) who hopefully bog down squad after squad. The HQ Raider sits back and snipes (with the Wych raider if it survives drop off...) and then takes objectives in the end.

Its till not any x3 Talos list but hopefully it would fare decently...

I sort of think my first list could be as good as it gets....

Meister_Kai said...

Perhaps take that list I just posted and do the following changes:

Give the Dracon a Tormentor Helm (+5)
-3 Wyches (38)
+ Wych Succubus (+8, so 6 Wyches and 1 Succubi)
+ Goblet of Spite and Agoniser for the Suc (+25)

Perhaps this could work better?

Unknown said...

I'd drop the Reavers and try and squeeze in 2x Warrior in Raider squads w/DLs. maybe drop a couple wyches to do this.

500pts is hard to balance :P but I agree with your original assessment on your first list. With what you've got...that's most likely the best.

Meister_Kai said...

Lol, but I can't make those changes because I only have 3 Raiders, and no Warriors with DLs! Oh the humanity.

When my friend told me he had 2000 pts of Dark Eldar, I was excited. Then I saw what he had. Sadface.

I don't know, I think the Jetbikes MIGHT work at this point total, they should have a good shot against taking out the 1 vehicle my opponent will probably be running, and the assault move move-back could perhaps keep them alive.

Also, the Succubus with Agoniser with 6 other Wyches who are fully decked out in gear with 2 blasters seem like a well rounded threat at this point level.

It doesn't have the raw shooting ability of the first list though, but maybe playing to my strengths (lots of assault oriented stuff) could pay off?

I won't hold my breath, but I can try..,

Auretious Taak said...

Try and work in a Beastmaster and 5 Warp Beasts, they are one of the hidden bargains few people utilise in the codex in my experience. dirt cheap for what they bring and fast as well.

Meister_Kai said...

So, my newest list that I have had some success with (I don't get completely owned anymore and in fact have drew or beat most of my opponents)

HQ:
1 Haemunculi (Destructor)
5 Warriors (2 with Dark Lances)

Elites:
5 Wyches (2 with Blasters, Wych Weapons)
1 Succubus (Agoniser, Goblet of Spite)
Raider (Nightshields, Horrorfex

Troops:
10 Warriors (2 with Dark Lances)
10 Warriors (2 with Dark Lances)

The people at my LGS let me substitute the Splinter Cannons for DL's now because they feel sorry for me. Also its really funny when people write up 500 pt army lists and tell me "this is going to cream Dark Eldar", like that is anything to brag about.

Everything gets in cover and shoots while the Wyches act as my only pro-active unit, either trying to snipe a very dangerous unit (like last night when them killing a Thunderfire Cannon saved me the game) or tarpiting a dangerous unit.

It has worked alright so far, I'm still basically fucked when anybody takes a Whirlwind or something and I cannot get to it without my one Raider that they aim for, but what do you do lol?

Unknown said...

You play 1500 points at least and make sure you've got 3x Ravagers of course lol. Looking better though I'd worry a bit about your anti-infantry power.

Meister_Kai said...

Yeah, I get how its lacking anti-inf something fierce, and would probably just get eaten alive by Nids or something, but right now I am literally the only Xeno player at my LGS save 2 Necron (who I can't play 500 pt games with lol) and 1 Ork player. Sure, if they get to me they have a good chance to win it (if they survive the Destructor if its there) but chances are they are only bringing 1-2 tanks to the fight, meaning they will probably be foot-slogging and slowly getting whittled down while the Wyches straight up stop any assault unit cold.

It works alright as is, I win objective games through last second contesting and smart objective placement, my guys utilize DL's while my Raider rushes around doing silly things and I win annihilation through Dark Lances. Sounds like Dark Eldar to me!

Important thing is though, I ordered the rest of my 1500 pt Eldar list + the supplies to get it done, and might have access to a camera. I think you get what I'm getting at: amateur battle report time!

Unknown said...

w00t I can snowmobile you :P.

Aky141 said...

No offence but i prefer a Archon which gives access to the animatis vitae(soz) along with combat drugs and punisher allows hits on 3+(against captins or equivalents)with re-rolls
and wounds on two's(str 6) 6 attacks(charge)
Good luck

Meister_Kai said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
GreyICE said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
GreyICE said...

Yeah, with the state their faildex is in now, the DE have 4 models that are actually fieldable, pretty much. So armies that had some variety don't actually work.

Like the wonderful article today mentioning the tac tax? Wytches are S/T 3 models with 1 attack and a 6+. Gimme more tac squads for that CC prowess (I know, I know, combat drugs... dun make em good).

The Talos holds a warm fuzzy place in my heart. It's the absolute best bad unit ever made. WS 5, STR 7, D6 power weapons? Toughness 7 and 3 wounds with a 3+ save? For 100 points?

If it wasn't bad, it's be really good. And yes, used to be better. Fuzzy place nowadays. Man, if the Imperial Guard could get them, there'd probably be nonstop QQ about how screwed up and OP they were.

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