Don't have time to write a full review post, but I wanted to get some things I've been pondering out there. Before we start, what do people want for my next review? Elites, FA, HS or Special Characters? Any particular units you wanna hear me ramble about? Let me know in the comments.
So, onto the article. I played a small 1000 point tester on Vassal yesterday and have also been reading any DE thoughts I can find in the blog-o-sphere (even BoLS, the horror). I want to point out VT2's amazing "meta" post, which I'm sure you all have read, but you should read it again. I've come to the following realizations:
Venoms are good, like really good. 12 4+ poison at 36" is amazing. That will force, on average, 4 saves on ANY unit in the game. 2 Venoms will, on average, force a Ld check on a marine squad every turn, at 36" range. That's just sick.
I think Wracks should always be run as a 5 man unit. The fact that they start with a pain token and they get 1 per 5 special means that 2x5 Wracks > 1x10 Wracks. Split into 2 squads, you can donate a pain token to your Archon, bring 2 transports (both of which are very good, and appropriately priced) and still have your T4, FNP squad to camp objectives.
Taking the first 2 points, I think 5 Wracks, Liquifier Gun, Venom, extra Splinter Cannon will be a staple in most competitive DE builds. 125 points for a T4 scoring unit, a free pain token and amazing anti-troop firepower at range and up close. 2 of these squads sitting in your backfield add so much to an army it's ridiculous.
I've changed my mind on the Warrior heavy debate. It's Cannon all the time, every time. Being able to double tap from the "safety" of your Raider is really, really good. Warriors are not a backfield unit (see above for your camper squad). They want to get into midfield and start dropping 20 4+ poison shots while moving 6" and also firing a Dark lance. I'd still always bring the Blaster because a) sometimes you only have hard targets b) it IDs T4 and c) the Shredder is really bad.
Trueborns are going to be the most important unit in the book. They just have sooo many options. The 4 Blaster squad that I'm sure you've all heard of can put a hurt on anything, but a double Dark Lance squad in a Venom sitting in the back puts out crazy firepower, is pretty cheap and demands attention (allowing your CC squads a little extra room to advance).
Everyone loves Dark Eldar speed, but I think their range is what is really amazing. 36" on Dark Lances and Splinter Cannons is really good, especially since they stay mobile. Their main special has 18" range compared to 12 (and really 6) for SM and Eldar.
Flickerfields are really good. They are a must-include on every vehicle. Remember, it's a 5+ invul, meaning ti works in CC. Combined with their speed, Dark Eldar vehicles are almost immune to assault.
I really can't wait until everyone out there can fully dissect and WAAC out this book.
