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This is a guide designed to aid the aspiring new player get to grips with the army, and to help the more grizzled players learn what has changed since the days of yore. I intend to list and analyse all the unit types to begin with, then the Special Character, followed by the wargear options, and then a general overview of the Dark Eldar army types. I'll go on to conclude with an overview of the various play styles and tactics available for each army.

Introduction
The Dark Eldar occupy a fairly unique place among the gaming hierachy. They're quite possibly the rarest of armies you'll see around, have some of the ugliest models, haven't had a brand new codex since 2nd Edition, and yet surprisingly enough, they're an incredibly effective force. Dark Eldar are a common sight in the top tiers of tournament play, and are often the veteran players army of choice.
So why is it that this army is so rarely seen?

Well, there are several factors that contribute to this, from their lack of availability in the stores themselves these days, to the poor aesthetic appeal of the troops. However, the main reason that they are rarely played basically boils down to their play style. A term coined some time ago to describe it is simply this; Fast but Fragile. This one phrase is at the core of any army list or battle plan you may construct with the Dark Eldar.

Unlike the poster boys of the Imperium and Games Workshop, the Space Marines, the Dark Eldar are a very unforgiving force. If you make even one mistake with them during a battle(and it can be as simple as selecting the wrong tank to shoot at), it can cost you the game. Space Marines, Daemonhunters, Chaos Space Marines, Necrons, and Sisters of Battle can all rely on their nice 3+ saves to bail them out if things go a bit pear shaped. Orks, Tyranids and, and Imperial Guardsmen, being horde armies by nature, can afford to lose a few squads due to an ill-made judgment. Tau and Eldar, whilst being more similar to the Dark Eldar in this respect, still have a plethora of excellent troops and tanks of a heavy nature to compensate for a few mistakes. Dark Eldar have none of these things. If you make a mistake with them, you WILL suffer for it.

If you take a quick scan through the Dark Eldar codex, the first thing you'll notice will be the lack of any real heavy tank or troop options. The Dark Eldar are essentially a raiding force, and their codex reflects this fact. Because of this, they are not the kind of army a beginner can use to its fullest potential. A Dark Eldar force requires a player to know which troops to target first, how to use cover for maximum effect, and perhaps most importantly of all, how to translate their speed into maximum advantage. If the Dark Eldar player is unable to create a weakness in the opposition's force, and exploit it, then they will not last long. This is why the Dark Eldar are a force that only a competent veteran tends to be capable of using effectively. The knowledge of the game, and the tactics it requires are usually beyond the grasp of any just beginning player. Yet when placed in the hands of a suitable player, the Dark Eldar army can be transformed into an incredibly cohesive, swift, and deadly force.

Unit Analysis

I intend to start at the beginning of the codex, and work my way through it methodically, listing the units, their value points wise, and then analysing their various tactical applications. I shall also list them as being either Excellent, Good, Average, or Poor.


HQ


Dark Eldar Lord
The Dark Eldar Lord is the most common HQ choice made for a Dark Eldar army. You have a choice of two different levels of Lord, the Archon and Dracon, with the Archon being the stronger. At 60 points, the Archon is the most obvious choice, boasting a higher statline than his Dracon compatriot. With a stunning Initiative 7, a Weapon Skill of 6, and 3 Wounds and Attacks, the Lord is capable of going toe to toe with the most hardened of Space Marine Chapter Masters when kitted out. In order to make him into a combat monstrosity however, some careful consideration of his role in the battle is necessary. The Shadow Field is usually a no-brainer, as it gives him a 2+ Invulnerable save, making him infinitely more survivable. Combat Drugs allow you to customise your Lord into having an easier time of killing any opponent, and Trophy Racks are quite often feasible, boosting your Lord up to Leadership 10. A tormentor helm is usually an excellent choice as well, giving him an extra attack for a mere 5 points.

The weapon you equip your lord with however, seriously depends on how you intend to use him. If you mean to add a bodyguard of Incubi, then a Punisher is usually a good choice. In the new 5th Edition rules, double handed weapons are permissible on jetbikes as well. An Agonizer is usually deemed pointless on a Lord, as through the use of a Jetbike, a Punisher, an Animus Vitae, and Combat Drugs, a Lord can amplify his strength far in excess of the strength 4 one would usually want to wound marines with.

Overall Value:-Excellent

Dark Eldar Wych lord
Choosing a Wych Lord drastically alters the composition of your army list, as it makes Wych squads the default Troops choice, rather than Warriors. For an extra 10 points each, the Wych Arcite and Dracite gain a point of Initiative over their Standard Archon and Dracon compatriots, acquire Wych Weapons, and a 4+ Invulnerable save in close combat, but lose a point off their armour save.
This is a trade off you should only make if you intend your army to be focusing on close combat, rather than firepower, or a mix of the two. Equipment wise, the same choices apply as you would make concerning the regular Lord.

Overall Value:-Good

Haemonculus
You may have multiple(up to 3) Haemonculus whilst only filling out a single HQ slot. At a mere 25 points apiece, these can often be good choices to lead your basic troops with, as they have a few unique and nasty pieces of wargear capable of inflicting serious damage. Should you be intending on taking multiple squads of Grotesques, or Jetbikes, Haemonculi are a good option. Whilst they don't quite possess the killing power of a fully tooled up Lord, they are cheap, and effective for what they cost.

Overall Value:-Good

Dark Eldar Retinue
A Dark Eldar Retinue takes no places on the Force Organization chart, and is bought as unit that will function with your Lord. By far the most common and effective way to use this unit is as a combat bodyguard with your Lord. Add in a minimum of 5 Incubi, and a pair of Warriors with Splinter Cannons, add a Raider to the mix, and you have a fast moving, and relatively lethal close combat formation.

Whilst this might seem costly at first, when you look at the relative cost of Incubi compared to their Close Combat equivalents in other armies, you begin to realise what a good deal they are. For 25 points, you're getting a Weapon Skill 5, Initiative 5, killing machine with a Power Weapon that hits at Strength 4. Not only that, they possess by far the best Armour save in the entire Dark Eldar army. In comparison, a Terminator is 40 points, and the Incubi are more than capable of going toe to toe with them. Whilst they might not be quite as resilient to enemy firepower as Terminators, their high initiative means that they almost always strike before other combat specialists, allowing them to kill the enemy in conbat before they can be struck back( especially when supplemented with the killing power of a Lord).
Heavy Weapons tend to be a bad choice for Incubi to carry, as it increases their base cost exponentially, in comparison to their actual worth. If anything, it decreases the power of the Incubi, as you lose the Power Weapon attacks. Standard Warriors should be the vessel of choice for Heavy Weaponry. The Incubi's role is as combat specialist, and trying to make them multitask is a waste of points, and robs them of their efficency in their chosen field. The Incubi master can be nice choice if you have the points to spare, especially if you gift him with Combat Drugs, but generally speaking, it's better to take the points that would cost, and add another two incubi to the unit. This can be a matter of personal taste though, as some players may prefer having a secondary killing machine next to their Lord.

Overall Value:-Excellent

Elites

Grotesques
Grotesques are a slightly bizare unit. They come in at 15 points, the same amount as a Space Marine, and for that price, you get a model that's fairly indestructible. It has no conventional armour save, but it's unique 'Feel No Pain' rule(different to the one in the Universal Rulebook) means that it's completely immune to any shooting attack under Strength 6. This makes it immune to Tau Pulse rifles, as well as Heavy Bolters! As such, they are an excellent unit for soaking up enemy heavy firepower. At two wounds apiece as well, even if they get bogged down in close combat, they can take the hits, and strike back, being WS4, Strength 4, and having 2 Attacks. Not only that, be any opponent they beat in combat falls back automatically, thanks to their 'Terrifying Opponent' rule.

However, their 'Stupid' rule means that they really need to be joined up with an Independent Character of some sort. At first glance, the Haemonculus would be the obvious solution, being cheap and cheerful, and indeed, he does the job alright, but in order to have this unit functioning at maximum effectiveness, if you can spare the HQ slot for a tooled up Dracon, the squad suddenly becomes potentially very dangerous. It's main deficiency is its lack of any power weapon attacks, and once those are included, the entire squad functions perfectly as a meatshield and delivery system for that lord. Their 'Feel no pain' shrugs all but the heaviest of firepower, and you can allocate any wounds that go through onto them! If you can't afford a Jetbike Lord, or a an Incubi Bodyguard, the Grotesques can be surprisingly effective third choice. If nothing else, its role in drawing tremendous amount of heavy weapons fire away from your skimmer is unparalleled.

Overall Unit Value:-Good

Mandrakes
One of the unit choices that is very much a throwback to the good old days, the Mandrakes can be a fun unit to play. Like the Grotesques, they come in at a whopping 15 points, but fulfil a different role. Mandrakes get a 5+ cover save out in the open, and +2 to any cover save they do have, but their real ability is their strange and unique deployment choice. Instead of deploying like normal troops, scouts, or infiltrators, you deploy 3 mandrake models(seperately!) anywhere on the table. You can then move these models like you would move a squad normally, only for all gaming purposes, these models do not exist, cannot be shot at, and cannot be engaged in combat. Then, at the start of any turn up to your third(when they are revealed automatically), you can reveal the entire squad as being in the same location as any one of those three seperate models you've been moving around!

This is a nifty power, but suffers from one major flaw:- Mandrakes aren't very good in combat. They have WS 4, and that's it. No high strength, no large numbers of attacks(they have 2, since they carry a pistol and combat weapon), and no power weapons. So unless you use the unit to pick off fire warriors, imperial Guardsmen, or Devastator Squads, odds are, you'll probably be beaten in combat with whatever you assault.

In 5th Edition however, Mandrakes have taken on a new significance, with the addition of all the missions based around holding objectives. With their boosted cover save, Mandrakes are the perfect unit for sitting on an objective. Their Hidden deployment rule means that they tend to be alive to reach the points you'd like, and they can camp with a 2+ cover save against shooting on a piece of building terrain! Not only that, but their cover save counts in combat as well, so they can be remarkably hard to shift.

Overall Unit Value:-Average

Wyches
Now Wyches are an odd unit. So many armies are based around them, and yet the unit itself is not actually that good. Most of its special rules seem to be focused on protecting the wyches themselves in combat, rather than inflciting damage on the enemy. Wyches get a 4+ Invulnereable save in combat, and get wych weapons, which halves the WS of attacks made against the wyches. Not only that, no model fighting them gets the extra attack for having a close combat weapon. They also get randomised combat drugs, but unlike the ones you can buy for your unit leaders, the effects for this are rolled for at the start of the game and remain fixed.

Up to two wyches can be armed with shredders or blasters, both of which are handy choices, for the miniscule points cost involved( 10/5 points respectively). Haywire grenades are also an option, but at 4 points apiece, they're kind of pricey. Tank hunting is better left to other more specialist weapons, and as grenades are a last resort for tank busting, they're not worth the points cost. The Raider is a must have, as it can deliver the squad into combat very fast, which, being a very lightly armoured unit, it needs. The Succubus is essential to the Wych Squad. An Agonizer is the usual wargear choice, as the wyches are only strength 3. A Combat Drug Dispenser and a Tormentor Helm also help to ensure that she can cause maximum damage.

The objective of the Wych squad is to close as fast as possible, and to tie up and bog down the enemy whilst the Succubus takes them down. That's correct, the entire wych setup is ultimately nothing more than a delivery system for the Succubus! The Raider gets 'em there, the wyches hold 'em down, and the Succubus delivers the Coup de Grace! At 13 points each with wych weapons, wyches are costly, but not immensely so.

Overall Unit Value:-Good

Warp Beast Pack
Warp Beasts take up no slots on the force organization chart as long as you have an equivalent, or lesser number of them then you do Wych Squads. On the positive side of things, Warp Beasts are Strength 4, WS 4, have 3 Attacks, and can move like cavalry, and are fleet. On the downside, they have no power weapon attacks, only a 6+ armour save, and cost 12 points. Warp Beasts are only good for one thing really, and that's making a madcap dash at the nearest enemy troops. Should they be Tau, or Guardsman, they should perform reasonably well, but against any decent unit, they'll fail quite miserably. For the job being asked of them, Warp Beasts are far too overpriced, and underpowered.

Overall Unit Value:-Poor

Troops

Warrior Squad
Dark Eldar Warriors are the backbone of most Dark Eldar armies. Until the release of the latest Guard and Ork Codex, they were the most cost effective troop choice in the game, and they can still hold their head highh in comparison to the more humble slugga boyz, and Guardsmen. For 8 points, you get a WS4, BS4 soldier, that's Initiative 5, and has a strength 3, AP 5 gun with a 24” range. Not only that, but the heavy weapons options are excellent as well!

The most common configuration of a Warrior Squad is 10 Warriors with 2 Dark lances for 100 points. It's a cheap, and highly effective tank busting squad. Not only that, it's capable of dishing out a fair amount of anti-infantry firepower too. This is usually referred to as a 'Dark lance Sniper Squad'. These form the backbone of any kind of shooty list, as they're decent in combat, and in firefights. It is in short, a decent multi-tasking unit that excels at its role as the main ground pounder.

Overall Unit Value:-Excellent

Raider Squad
Raider squads are your basic infantry transport squad. Back in 4th Edition, Raider Squads functioned as gunboats, with the raider moving 12” so that you could only glancing hit it, and the passengers doing drive by shooting. However, under 5th Edition rules, Raiders can no longer get the glancing hits only for moving 12”, and if the Raider moves more 6”, the passengers cannot shoot. In short, Raider Squads have had their teeth pulled. They're still useful in the regard that you can get troops from A to B quickly(which can be important in an objectives focused game), and the Raiders themselves can still be used for Tank Shocking when equipped with Torture Amps, but the days of drive by shootings are now gone.

If you are going to take a raider squad though, a shredder and a splinter cannon is the optimum choice, so that you can move, disembark, and shoot. A Sybarite with an Agonizer and a Tormentor Helm can also give them a little extra close combat punch.

EDIT:-A tip given by a poster below, since dedicated transports are now permitted to carry any unit, it is entirely possible to position the regular Raider Squad down on the field with a Dark Lance(making a mini sniper squad), and then load up a unit of warriors, armed with two splinter cannons, and two shredders/blasters! He referred to this as the Super-Gunboat. Whilst it still fails to overcome the fact that Raiders can only move 6" for the passengers to fire, and now have far less protection, it's made me revise my estimate of Raiders upwards again, as it provides a ew drive by strategy.

Overall Unit Value:-Good

Transport:Raider
With the downgraading in price of the base Chimera, the Raider is no longer quite the bargain it was, but it still functions as a cheap, and serviceable transport, if a little fragile. The trick to using your Raiders successfully on the battlefield is to take full use of their speed. If you take them to carry a combat squad, or Raider squad, when equipped with Torture Amps, hey're capable of causing some serious disruption by Tank Shocking.

The Night Shield is usually essential, as I cannot count the number of times I've had an enemy try to fire, only to find they were 2” out of range thanks to this awesome piece of wargear. If you intend to tank shock a lot as well, Slave Snares are always worth considering. You have to be careful though, that you don't end up making the Raider cost too much, as it is fundamentally a light, and fragile vehicle, and you're most likely going to lose it before too long. To finish up on the Raider, you can upgrade the Dark Lance to a Disentegrator for a further 5 points, but that's largely a matter of personal taste and style, and whether you feel you have enough anti-tank capabilities in other fields to compensate for it.

Overall Unit Value:-Good

Fast Attack

Reaver Jetbike Squad
Coming in at the same points cost as an Incubi, the Reaver Jetbike offers one of the most solid troop types the Dark Eldar Army possesses. With WS, BS, S, & T 4, accompanied by a high Initiative, a solid 4+ armour save, and a 12” move, the Reaver Jetbike is a fast and flexible combat unit. When accompanied by one of the Independent characters as well, it becomes a truly dangerous squad.
They also possess Combat Drugs in order to further enhance their effectiveness.

A Succubus in A Reaver Jetbike Squad is always worth taking. When tooled up with the appropriate Punisher, Tormentor Helm, and Combat Drugs, she's capable of dealing some serious damage when accompanied by another 4 or 5 bikes, without even considering adding a Lord. For example, on the charge, with the right combat drug selections, I could have 4 attacks at Strength 6, initiative 6. And that's just from the Succubus, and ignoring the rest of the squad, who can deal out some fair damage in their own right. In short, if you position them wisely, they can be capable of cracking even a unit of terminators. With the ability to go flat out across the board as well, the Jetbike Squad is capable of quickly relocating away from any danger to themselves, and moving into the most advantageous position to strike from.

Overall Unit Value:-Excellent

Hellions
Hellions, like the Warp Beasts, are a good example of an overpriced, and undereffective unit. For 18 points apiece, you get what is essentially a basic Dark Eldar Warrior with a 12” move, a 5+ Invulnerable save against shooting attacks, Strength 4 in the first turn of combat, the ability to deep strike, the Hit and Run special rule, and the single roll on the combat drugs chart at the start of the game.

Now that may sound like a lot. But what you need to consider is that this is essentially, a combat unit. A combat unit with a poor invulnerable save against shooting, an enhanced attack in the first round of combat only, and the ability to disengage from combat. Against any dedicated combat unit(or decent unit, period), Hellions will suffer terribly, and they're likely to suffer from shooting quite badly as well. For 18 points apiece, they're quite simply far too many points for the role they will actually play in the battle. If they had been 10 points, maybe 12, they would have been a viable combat unit, but at 18, you might as well just spend another 7 points, and get yourself a Reaver Jetbike or Incubi.

Overall Unit Value:-Poor

Heavy Support

Dark Eldar Scourges
The Dark Eldar Scourges arose from the old concept that every army should have a heavy support option that was an infantry squad with multiple heavy weapons. However, in order to supposedly compensate for the Dark Eldar play style, the geniuses that used to work at GW decided it would be appropriate to stick jump packs on them.
That's right. They took a heavy weapons squad, who cannot fire some of their weapons if they move, and gave them jump packs. Am I only the one to see a little illogicality here? Scourges weigh in at 16 points apiece base for what is a basic warrior with jump-pack, and then you have to pay separately for the heavy weapons. To add insult to injury, the weapons themselves are a minimum of 20 points each(for a splinter cannon) or 25 for a dark lance.

Now whilst the Splinter Cannons can fire if they move, the most basic and cheap squad of scourges would cost you 160 points for 5 scourges, with 4 splinter cannons. For that price, I could buy myself 6 Incubi to bodyguard my lord with. Guess which one I'm going to go with there? As for Dark Lances, since you can't move and fire them, and the squad would cost me 180 for 5 models, to be perfectly honest, I'd rather just take 2 Dark Lance Sniper Squads for 200 points. I get the same number of Dark Lances, with the option of dividing their fire, and an extra 16 other warriors into the bargain. To conclude, this is the MOST overpriced and useless unit in the entire codex.

Overall Unit Value:- Poor

Ravager
The Ravager is the mainstay battle tank of the Dark Eldar. It's still lightly armoured, but at armour 11 on the front and sides, it's immune to small arms fire at least. You have a choice of kitting it out with 3 Disentegrators or 3 Dark Lances. Whilst 3 Dark Lances does make it a veritable tank killer, the 3 disentegrators give your army a serious bit of anti-infantry heavy weapons fire that it otherwise lacks. Not only that, disentegrators are death on legs to marines and their equivalents, due to their low AP.

With a Night Shield to help boost their survivability, a ravager with 3 Disentegrators weighs in at 140 points, quite affordable. Their usefulness in the battle is always quite excellent, be it as targets, or as fire support, and the two different modes available for their guns mean that they can function as anti-light vehicle if necessary as well.

Overall Unit Value:-Excellent

Talos
The Talos is a curious one. It's gun is effectively a bolter that takes a single potshot at every unit in range, and whilst it functions as a monstrous creature in combat, it's actually a skimmer. It has 3 wounds, and a high toughness of 7. One of it's primary problems under 4th Edition rules was that it tended to get shot down before it ever reached combat, and its depressing vulnerability to Power Fists.

Under 5th Edition, its new ability to run somewhat combats its slowness, and at 100 points, it's not overly priced what it's capable of accomplishing. If nothing else, it tends to draw a lot of fire, and if properly supported, is capable of smashing an opposing battleline. It's main flaw is that it's simply not quite as effective as a Ravager, but if you're running a combat army, a Talos can be a very good choice, as it promises you a way to deal with Dreadnoughts in close combat.

Overall Unit Value:- Good



I shall probably have the next section out tomorrow. Enjoy and feel free to disagree with me on any of these points. I'm more than happy write amendments if you can prove that I'm wrong about my analysis.

Units with jump packs have the Relentless USR in fifth edition. Scourges can move and fire heavy weapons.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Scourges have Jump-Packs, not jet-packs.

Jet-packs confer the Relentless USR, but I don't think Jump-packs do.

I'm not sure if jet-packs even existed when the DE codex was made?

On the jump/jet packs matter, that would need to be taken up with GW, maybe in an errata/FAQ? I'm going to stick to the rules as written for now, but if that is the case, then I'd probably revise them up to being, 'Average' instead of 'poor'.

Onto the next section, the Characters!

Dark Eldar Characters

Asdrubael Vect
Asdrubael Vect brings the only piece of heavy armour in the Dark Eldar arsenal to the table. With his 'Energy Field' special rule, his customised Ravager counts as Armour 14 all round against any shooting attacks, mounts two Disentegrators and a Dark Lance, and can dish out 5 power weapon attacks at Strength 4, WS6 in close combat. He's a tank, an HQ choice, and a Dreadnought, all in one sweet package. He's a bit pricey, at 277 points, but his overall flexibility means that you rarely regret forking out for him.

When fielded in an army with 3 Ravagers, Asdrubael allows you to bring that little bit of extra firepower to the table in larger games(which considering he can only be used in games of 2000 points or more, are the only ones you'll see him in anyway). Alternatively, if you were loath to sacrifice a Ravager spot in your army, he can take it's place, allowing you to grab that Talos you wanted without losing out in the firepower department.

Overall Rating:-Excellent

Kruellagh the Vile
At 125 points, Kruellagh costs slightly less than an Archon kitted out with the standard combat drugs, shadow field, and so on. However, only by a small amount, and looking at the wargear she carries for her extortionate cost, it's quickly obvious that for her cost, she clearly fails to make the grade. Kruellagh has no combat drugs to enhance her effectiveness, and only the most basic of armour saves to protect her. She lacks any power weapon attacks, instead she carries a weapon called the 'Soul Flayer', which counts as a set of poisoned blades that gives her +1 attack per turn for every enemy she kiled last turn. She also has an upgraded terrorfex that is capable of actually causing wounds with a nice AP of 3, but when you take her points cost, and compare her effectiveness with other alternative lords for equal or lesser points values, it's evident that the other potential options are more preferable.

Overall Rating:-Average

Lelith Hesperax
Lelith Hesperax is the only wych special character available, and being an Archite, she confers the same changes upon the army list that all other Wych Lords do, that is to say, Wyches become troop choices, warriors elite choices, and Haemonculi, Grotesques and Talos are removed as choices. She comes with the standard package of Wych Lord upgrades, that is to say, an extra point of Initiative over a regular Lord, and Wych Weapons. Due to her named character status though, she also recieves an increase of one point in WS, to 7, and an Agonizer and a Shadow Field.

Now this may all sound pretty standard, and that's true, she carries no funky sounding equipment, and has no special rules. Yet the beauty of Lelith is in her points cost, she only sets you back a mere 90 points. An identically outfitted standard Wych Lord would cost 115 points with an Agonizer and a Shadow Field, and that would be without the extra point in Weapon Skill. Lelith's utility is not in her status as a special character, but rather as a extra cheap Wych Lord, with excellent value for points.

Overall Rating:-Excellent

Drazhar
Unlike all the other special character options, Drazhar takes up no slots on the Force Organization Chart. His primary role is that of Bodyguard, being able to switch places with a Lord in combat, so in battle, he performs much the same role as Nork Deddog does for the Guard. However, he is brutally more effective than his Ogryn Counterpart, with a WS of 6, 5 attacks on the charge, a 3+ armour save, and his Disemboweller Blades. These blades function as Power Weapons that cause 2 wounds for each hit he makes, giving him potnetial of ten wounds on the first round of combat. He also has a base strength of 4 in order to compensate for the lack of a Punisher's Strength bonus.
In short, Drazhar is another addition you can make to beef up your Lords Bodyguard even further, with another killing machine. With 3 wounds as well, Drazhar is guaranteed tos tick around, and continue causing damage even if your Lord dies of a drug overdose. At 90 points, he's a little costly, but weighing up his killing power, he's effectively another Lord, albeit a dirt cheap one with a decent armour save. The points spent buyting him would be better used elsewhere in a game of 1500 points or less, but in any larger game, he's worth the expenditure.

Overall Rating:-Good

Urien Rakarth
Urien Rakarth is basically a regular Haemonculus with a special rule that means he never needs to roll to wound, and he grants you the option of taking a small unit of Grotesques with a slightly higher Weapon Skill. At 100 points, he's rather costly, and an equivalent Haemonculus with exactly the same set of equipment would only cost you 70 points. This means that for his special rule, you're forking out an extra 30 points, not only that, but he takes up an entire HQ slot on his own, so you don't have the choice of getting three Haemonculi for one slot. In all honesty, his slight upgrade to the Grotesques and his own special rule are not worth the inflated price cost, and greater restrictions on HQ selection, and you'd be better off simply taking a regular Haemonculi, or even two for the same price.

Overall Rating:-Poor

Decaptitator
A hero with a deployment option reminescent of the old Lictor, Decapitator can be deployed pretty much anywhere on the table, and remain hidden until Turn 3. However, you have to write down on a piece of paper beforehand exactly where he's hiding. He also possesses the Shadow Skin ability of the mandrakes, but much like Sly Guardsman Marbo, he prefers to work solo, and is unable to join any unit, ever. He gets 5 attacks on the charge, and carries a power weapon that allows him to double the strength of any roll to hit that is a 6. In his own right, he's a decent character, with a decent statline, but at 112 points, he's grossly overpriced for what he's actually capable of accomplishing. He's a fun choice for idle friendlies, but he's simply too expensive for too little effect in any kind of competitive game.

Overall Rating:-Average

I shall be doing Wargear next, and shall hopefully have that section up tomorrow as well.

They don't have jet- Packs they have jump packs they do not have the relentless special rule.

Ketara,

I was in the process of writing a large lengthy piece on things I disagree with on your post but I trashed it because I don't have that kind of time. Lets just say that I think you are overly simplifying the entire dark eldar army. Each unit is glossed over, poorly I might add. Not enough detail and explanation. This needs a tremendous amount of work. Then again I could be bias because of the new IG tactica that was just posted a few weeks ago. If you want to take a look at a great army overview check the articles section of the army its fantastic. You could do well read it and take some pointers.

Jet packs aint jump packs, the only army that has jet packs is tau, but back to point.

In my experience with DE, the only real problem I ever see is opponents wanting them to be an in your face army, which they simply are not. This is a good tactica, describes how guerilla based your army MUST be to be competetive. Well done.

Dark eldar can spam alot of nasty S8 weapons. A normal warrior squad can take 2 Lances and 2 blasters if I remember correctly. Or you can go for the Raider squad and get a lance on the raider. The change to defensive weapons makes a disintegrator ravager very good, since it can fire once on full power and sustained from the other guns while still moving 12".

Well, the consensus seems to be that jump-packs are not Jet-packs, so my opinion on the Hellions will stand for the time being.

As to Dumplingman, before you so quickly dismiss my work here as not detailed enough, please consider one thing. In the same way that you apparantly do not possess the time to write a short, logical, and no doubt completely irrefutable work to everything I've said here, I actually do not possess the time to write the kind of tactica that you think the DE codex deserves. It's not a case of style, or depth, if that's what you were looking for, then you misunderstand the exact purpose of this tactica.

As I said at the start, my aim for this tactica is to give a beginning Dark Eldar Player, or someone who hasn't played with them in a long time a starting point for playing them. I'm reviewing the basics, outlining the effectiveness and common use of each troop type, and analysing what makes the various tactics and combinations successful. I've been playing Dark Eldar for five years now, and rarely lose with them, and as such, I'd like to think that I have if not mastered them, at least acquired an above average understanding of their working rules and combos. If you're looking for killer strategies, kunnin' plans, and broken combo's this is the wrong place. I actually take it being 'over-simplified' as a compliment, because it means that I have been able to break down the mechanics of a rather complicated and difficult army into simple and easily understandable bite sized chunks.

If you honestly think that I am wrong on some accounts here, then by all means, challenge me on them. I'm not too sure exactly how much experience you have with Dark Eldar, as you seem to be primarily a Guard player, but if you can make a good point, and back it up with evidence and experience, then I'm more than willing to amend my post in light of that. But just swanning in here, decrying it whilst providing no adequate reason, and then leaving again is by no means what I would call constructive criticism.


Wargear

Agonisers
An Agoniser always wounds on a 4+, and counts as a power weapon. Not only that, it's capable of inflicting Glancing hits on vehicles. Agonisers are usually the weapon of choice for any combat unit you can't get to strength 4 or higher, because if you just take a standard power weapon instead, you'll suffer trying to wound Marines and other Toughness 4 foes. As such, it's commonly given to Wyches. However, in 5th Edition, relying on an agoniser as an anti-tank method is usually unwise, since Glancing Hits no longer destroy vehicles.

Blasters
Blasters are basically short range Dark lances( 12"). They can be handy on Jetbike squads, Raider Squads or in Wych Squads as it gives you a little extra anti-tank power, but often shredders will be a better choice if you intend to be that close to an enemy. It's really a matter of personal taste. These are rarely equipped to Dark Lance Sniper squads, as the whole idea behind such squads is to eliminate from a distance, rather than allowing them to get close enough to be within Blaster range.

Combat Drugs
Combat Drugs are quite possibly the handiest piece of wargear in the Dark Eldar arsenal. They're pricey at 25 points a time, but if you have any squad or character you're intending on throwing into assault, combat drugs are a must have. They allow you to customise your models attacks to cause the most damage, be it through adding an extra attack, or rerolling misses. Along with the Shadow Field, Combat Drugs are one of the only two pieces of wargear that should ALWAYS be included.

Crucible of Malediction
The Crucible can be a handy piece of wargear, but only against certain targets(psykers). This restricts their usefulness to being against Imperial Guard Primaris Psykers, Eldar Farseers, and Space Marine Librarians. Not only that, but there's a large element of chance involved in getting them to work, and at 20 points for the one, it's usually better to spend the points on more combat drugs, or the like.

Dark Lance
The essential anti-tank weapon fo the Dark Eldar army, the Dark Lance provides effective tank killing power on anything but a blessed land raider, or a monolith. Large quantities of these can be very handy, and having several squads with these in any one game is the norm for any list which intends to have effective anti-tank power.

Destructor
One of the Haemonculi only weapons, the Destructor is flamer weapon with a variable AP. Sometimes it will melt marines easily, and other times it'll do very little damage. As a flamer weapon, any Haemonculi headed expected to head anywhere near combat should take one of these, as Haemonculi are unable to take any other weapons than the ones specified.

Disentegrator
Along with the Dark Lance, the Disentegrator is the other Dark Eldar key heavy weapon. Offering a three shot AP3 mode, or a strength 7 AP 2 Blast marker, it's effective against horde armies and elite armies alike. Ideally, you try to mount as many of these as possible on your Ravagers and Raiders, as not only does eliminating these draw substantial amounts of firepower away from any combat units, it means that if you decide to redeploy most of your army to one end of the battlefield, you can pick off any isolated units or heavy weapons from a distance.

Gruesome Talismans
These are now redundant under the new rules

Haywire Grenades
If you're running an army heavily focused on combat, Haywire grenades can be handy way of temporarily immobilising troublesome tanks until your limited anti-tank fire can lay into them. Otherwise, they're just a waste of points, as they're no use against Dreadnoughts, or any other walker with combat capabilities.

Hellglaive
The Hellglaive would have been an effective cheap weapon for warrior squads Sybarites, but unfortunately, it can only be taken in conjunction with a Hellion Skyboard. This means that this weapon is limited to Hellions and Lords. Since no-one in their right minds would use Hellions in the first place, and Lords have far better options available, this option is a waste of time.

Hellion Skyboard
An inferior form of jetbike for Lords and Haemonculi, the Skyboard has few uses. The only viable strategy in which I have seen this piece of wargear used was when 3 Haemonculi were equipped with these and Destructors, so that they could deep strike in the same spot, and cover a target in flamer templates.

Hell Mask
The Hellmask forces enemies in combat to take Leadership tests in every round of combat, and lower their chance of striking that turn if they fail. Whilst this is a nice piece of wargear itself, it tends to be sidelined for the identically priced, and more effective Tormentor Helm. Plasma Grenades
These are now redundant under the new rules

Poisoned Blades
Poisoned Blades allow you to always wound on a 2+ in combat. If you have a few points left over, and want to give a sybarite a cheap combat weapon, these will do the trick, but for any character you intend to be wading into combat on a regular basis, the Punisher or Agoniser, or plain old simple Power Weapon are usually more effective, as it gives you no armour penetration whatsoever.

Punisher
The Punisher is a double handed power weapon that give the wielder +1 strength. It's an effective choice for a Lord with a retinue of Incubi, and can be given to a standard Sybarite or Succubus as an alternative to the agoniser. As the new 5th Edition rules state that a character on a boke may take a double handed weapon, when given to a jetbike wielder, it can raise them to Strength 5!

Reaver Jetbike
A nice toy to give to a Lord or Haemonculi, it allows them to join a Jetbike squad, and increases their base strength and toughness. Pricey at 35 points, but usually worth the cost. As the only piece of wargear capable of giving your Lord a higher Toughness, this can be well worth the price, but the loss of an Incubi Bodyguard means that you tend to be obliged to give him an escort of Reaver Jetbikes, which are just as pricey.

Scissorhand
Another Haemonculi only weapon, the Scissorhand gives a Haemonculi a but more of an edge in combat, as it it gives them Poisoned blades, and +1 attack. If you're intending on taking Haemonculi, Scissorhand is usually a must, as it gives the capability of actually doing some damage in combat, as other forms of weapons are not open to them as options.

Shadow Field
The Shadow field is the only way to increase the survivability of a Lord, bar the Jetbike, and as such, is a must in any game. A 2+ invulnerable save can be difficult to penetrate, and it makes a toughness 3 model that much more durable. Not only that, it gives your Lord the longevity of life he may need to duke it out with other powerful characters with high Invuilnerable saves, such as Lysander, or Vulkan.

Soul Seeker Ammunition
This would be a handy piece of equipment, as it allows a projectile weapon to ignore cover saves and re-roll any missed to hit rolls, but as its limited only to splinter weaponry(bar the cannon), it's a waste of time and points.

Stinger
The third of the Haemonculi only weapons, the stinger gives you the chance to make an enemy infantry model explode. Wounding on a 2+, this can be a fun, if gruesome toy, but with a 12" range, the destructor is usually the short ranged weapon of choice. However, this can be a matter of personal taste.

Terrorfex
This piece of wargear is a blast marker, and although blast markers scatter in fifth edition, it only needs to be touching one member of a unit to affect the entire squad. As such, it's more accurate than othe rblast markers. It forces a pinning check upon the unit it connects with, which can be handy for softening up a target prior to charging(as it has a 12" range). The only other way in which you might consider using this wargear is on a sybarite on a Raider, but as the gunboat tactic is now obsolete, I wouldn't personally advise it, especially at 15 points apiece.

Tormentor Helm
A cheap and effective way of giving a model an extra attack, at 5 points the Tormentor Helm is a bargain for any model. It grants the extra attack usually conferred by carrying a pistol as well as a close combat weapon, and as such, models carrying punishers can gain an extra attack!

Trophy Racks
Boosting your Leadership by 1, Trophy racks are an inexpensive option for any hero or squad leader you happen to be tooling up. The extra leadership can really come in handy in a tight spot, and at 5 points, this piece of wargear is a steal.

Webway portal
Having a Webway portal allows you to start with units in reserve, even if this is not usually the case on the mission you are playing. Then, during any shooting phase, the unit that is carrying the portal can deploy it(a small blast marker is used to represent it), and your reserves may emerge from the portal, instead of from the table edges. A commonly used tactic for Wych armies using this piece of equipment is to rush one or two raider squads, each with a Sybarite equipped with this piece of wargear forward to the opponents side of the table, and then deploy it. Your raider squads will likely be sacrificed on the following turn to whatever firepower the enemy can muster, but then all of your wyches can begin emerging on your next turn, and will easily be in range of your foes to wreak havoc in combat. At 50 points, this is a costly piece of wargear, but when used effectively, this can help you net the game, especially against armies like Guard and Tau, who rely on being able to shoot your combat units before they can be engaged in combat. This can be a real winner in tournament games as well, as it adds an element of surprise and unpredictability against an opponent who is familiar with the more standard Dark Eldar tactics.

Dark Eldar Arcane Wargear
These pieces of wargear are one per army.

Animus Vitae
An Animus Vitae allows your character to gain a WS and Strength point after capturing a foe. When combined with Combat Drugs and a punisher, this can make a Lord Strength 5, which makes him even more dangerous in combat. The price is reasonable, at 15 points, and considering the potential gain of ANY character equipped with this piece of wargear, it's an excellent choice for any unit/character going into combat.

Archangel of Pain
This piece of wargear is a one shot flamer template weapon, that forces any unit with a model underneath to take a pinning test at -2 Leadership. This isn't the greatest piece of wargear around, but at 5 points, it doesn't have to be. If one of your combat units can get within range of two or more enemy units, you can pin one or more of the excess units whilst you engage the others in combat. For every game in which you use this, there'll be ten in which it does nothing, but 5 points, you don't feel cheated when you fail to make use of it.

Goblet of Spite
A Succubus only piece of equipment, the Goblet is limited to Wyches, Jetbikes, and Hellions. It allows you to hit all enemies on a 3+ in combat, but, being a double edged sword, it also allows them to hit you on a 3+! However, this piece of wargear isn't the gamble it might initially seem. Both Wyches and Jetbikes have exceptionally high Initiative. With a Goblet of Spite, you can kill that many more of the enemy in the first turn, which will hopefully leave so few left alive that any wounds they might inflict will easily be negated by the Wyches 4+ Invulnerable Save, or the Jetbikes Toughness of 4 and 4+ armour save. Again, at 5 points, you get to make out like a bandit when taking this piece of wargear, but the double edged sword end of things may come into play if you charge a particularly hard close combat unit.

Mask of the Damned
The Mask of the Damned forces a leadership check on any unit attempting to charge the wearer. Whilst it has the potential to see off counter charge units such as Rough Riders, Kroot, and Ogryns, against any counter charging assault unit, this will rarely have much effect. At 15 points, it's a pricey piece of wargear, and as such, is preferably taken when you know roughly what your opponent is going to be fielding (friendlies in other words). A tournament piece, this ain't.

Nightmare Doll
A piece of equipment always handy at a tournament, the nightmare doll allows you to force your opponent to re-roll the dice when selecting table quarter/side, at the cost of the model bearing it taking a strength 3 hit. Ideally, this piece of wargear will be equipped to a Sybarite who has nothing else, so as to minimise the chance of losing an important character or model. At 20 points, the Nightmare Doll is more expensive than some other pieces of wargear, but it's potential for affecting games in competitive play is a tremendous advantage.

Vexantrope
The Vexantrope is a piece of wargear that has gained new life under 5th Edition. It forces any odels making attacks against the wearer to either take a leadership test(and risk failing it and doing nothing), or direct their attacks against another model within 2". As attacks can be directed against independant characters, even if they're part of a larger unit, this can be a way of ensuring that the Bodyguards take more of the flak. Alternatively, sometimes it will deflect attacks altogether, so at 10 points, a Vexantrope can be a worthy investment.

Xenospasm
A Strength 3 AP 3 Blast marker with a 12" range that forces the targets to take a pinning test at -1 Leadership? At 20 points, the Xenospasm is a costly tool, but unlike a Terrorfex, it's actually seriously capable of causing damage to a target. At AP3, it's capable of killing marines(always a good thing), and forcing a pinning test as well makes it a rather nifty projectile weapon. The decision as to whether it's capable of netting you the necessary points back that it cost has been a oft-debated topic between several DE players I know, but in an assault army, it's far from a bad option.

I don't have the codex in front of me, but don't the terrorfex and xenospasm both give -1 ld for the pinning check PER model under the template? Not that I'm nit picking, but If so it makes them much better than listed!

Two things where i would like to correct you:

Jetbikes:
... For example, on the charge, with the right combat drug selections, I could have 5 attacks at Strength 5, initiative 6....

Combat drug selection? I hope with selection you mean the luck of scoring a 3 on your role for combatdrugs not the selection of it. so with luck you could get Strength 5.
And 5 Attacks is also not possible.the tormentor helmet only grants you the extra attack for an additional CCWeapon. If you allready recive that attack, you can not recive it again.
so only 4 attacks on the charge for the succubus.
Still a nice choice and with the new FAQ Models on jetbikes can now get two handed weapons, so with a punisher and a bit of luck your succubus could get the S5 ;-)


And regarding the troop choices, have you ever heard of the Super-Gun-Boat? As dedicated transporters now are allowed to transport any unit, you can take a warriorsquad, maxi his weapons and put him in a raider. the usual raidersquad could then be made into a small snipersquad with 5 warriors and 1 lance.

I hope with selection you mean the luck of scoring a 3 on your role for combatdrugs not the selection of it.

There are two types of 'combat drugs' availible to the DE.

The first kind are 'special rules' attached to units. On those drugs, you roll a d6 for the unit at the start of the game, the result is an effect that lasts the entire battle.

The second kind are a wargear choice. These drugs are a one-time use item, for 25 pts a piece. They allow you to CHOOSE as many effects as you wish from the combat drug table (the one in wargear section, not the wyche or reaver jetbike table). For every effect chosen, roll a d6, if you role doubles you take a wound, if you role triples you die.

The OP is referring to the wargear combat drugs, I believe.

I did mention it on the Xenospasm already, but you're right, the terrorfex does force the check to be at -1 Leadership IF the unit is under half strength, or if the grenade hits more than one model.

On the Combat Drugs, to quote from the book(the one with second edition on the front), They may be taken at the start of any assault phase, and allow the character to choose any number of the options below. Roll 1D6 per option chosen. If a double is rolled on the dice then the model suffers 1 wound. If a triple is rolled....'
I just looked through the new FAQ, and couldn't find a rule saying characters on jetbikes could possess double handed weapons now. Maybe you were reading an old FAQ?

You are correct on the Tormentor Helm though, so I'll amend that above.

I hadn't heard of the new Super-Gun-Boat, but it sounds like a very good idea! Thanks for the tip! I've added it in above.

sorry was at work haven't had time to respond. I'll give you the time thing. Its frankly not worth arguing about I made my peace and you responded which is fine. The only way I could change your mind is if I did a tactcia of my own and 1. I don't think I could do it justice and 2. Don't have the time. Cya!

Also Ketara, about the two handed weapons/ 2cc weapons on bikes, its not the in an FAQ because they changed the bike rule in the main rulebook for 5th ed. Models can now claim the extra cc attack from 2 ccws or use a 2handed weapon on bikes.

Really? Okay, I'll amend the tactica in light of this new tip.

With a Punisher, Animus Vitae, and Combat Drugs, you can actually get a S6 Archon swinging in combat.

In regards to Urien Rakarth being overpriced and not worth consider what was the 30 points for, never rolling to wound. Use the destructor and his good. No rolling to hit, no cover, and 1/3 of the time termies instantly die, 1/2 MEQs are toast. Thats more than a poor rating imo

I need some advice:

I'm working out a trade that will get me a Dark Eldar army. I like being in close combat; my favorite unit with my wife's Orks is Ghazghkull+Nob close combat goodness. I was going to build an Archon+Incubi squad that could do something similar and be monstrous in close combat.

However, for a close combat based army (warrior based that I had in mind) another player has told me that warriors don't belong in close combat, and I want wyches for that. If I take a wych based army, I can't take an archon, and I wasn't overly impressed by the wych lord. They also said that an Archon's raider is going to get grounded as soon as possible because people are rightfully afraid of that archon.

At the same time, I agree that Wyches are focused on protecting themselves in combat rather than dishing out damage. Halving a weapon skill is nice, except that most things are WS4. Wyches are also WS4, which means that enemy models still need 4s to hit. Is there a way to make wyches WS5?

I've also had two people now tell me that warp beasts are worth taking....I don't know what to do!

I want a close combat based army. Am I wrong for pursuing Dark Eldar from the get-go? Should I take warriors with elite wyches, or wyches with elite warriors? I want that archon and incubi, but if warriors don't pan out as good as I thought they would be, am I making a mistake?

If you still want an Arcon, so you can access Incubi, just take a standard army and use wyches as elites. Three squads of wyches + a tricked out lord + Incubi is plenty of CC against most lists. If you want you could always buy a dracon as well, give him/her a retinue for even more close combat punch. This would leave you with warriors in raiders for objectives.

But if you are truly just a CC kinda guy, you do need to run a wyche cult. The only option you will be losing that actually might matter is access to Incubi. But quite honestly, Wyches with a succubus w/ Agoniser/Combat drugs are going to be more useful against a variety of enemys, and still will be able to get it done against MEQs.

Raider transports are amazing at delivering your CC units where and when you need them. 12" skimmer movement, 2" deployment, 1-6" fleet and a charge all mean that with DE YOU should be decieding when and where CC starts.

Here is an example of what I consider a brutal Wyche list.

Arcite: agoniser/spliter pistol/shadow field/combat drugs
Retinue: 9 wyches/wyche weapons/2 blasters 1 Succubus/Agoniser

Raider/night shield

Troops:

9 wyches/wyche weapons/2 blasters 1 succubus/agoniser
Raider/night shield

9 wyches/wyche weapons/2 blasters 1 succubus/agoniser
Raider/night shield

9 wyches/wyche weapons/2 shredders 1 succubus/agoniser
Raider/night shield

9 wyches/wyche weapons/2 shredders 1 succubus/agoniser
Raider/night shield

Ravager 3 dissy's/night shield

Ravager 3 dissy's/night shield

Ravager night shield

This list gives you 8 Dark Lances 6 Blasters 6 Dissys(Plasma Cannons) and 4 shredders with 49 CC specialists and a tricked out boss. Should run pretty good against most anything.

An alternative way of running a DE combat force, as mentioned above, is to use the wyches as elites. There are plenty of combat specialists without being forced to run wyches. For example.

HQ choice would be a Archon/Dracon with Punishers and incubi bodyguards in Raiders. You can get two, as you have two HQ slots, which is soemthing to remember.

Elites would be Wyches. Probably all 3 slots. Dump in a Succubus with an Agonizer/punisher and tormentor helm and combat drugs, and it can deal out a reasonable amount of damage. Mount in raiders.

Troops would be Raider squads with a Sybarite tricked out with combat drugs, and either a Tormentor Helm and Punisher/Agonizer/Power weapon. Add a Shredder and a splinter cannon, and bung em on a Raider with a Disentegrator(taking a number of disentegrators on Raiders means that you don't have to use up all your HVY support slots on ravagers.

You could also take a couple of regular dark lance sniper squads to deal with tanks efficently. They're cheap, so they don't really cut into your points.

A squad or two of reaper jetbikes is good. If you bomb them forward Flat out, the other guy will concentrate a lot of firepower making sure to wipe them out. They can be good decoy units, and hurt a lot if the opponent ignores them. Just make sure not to set them up where they an be countercharged.

A Ravager or two is always essential, but if you mount a number of Disentegrators on Raiders instead, you free up the need for so many disentegrators, and can afford to take a Talos or two instead.

Hope that helps.

Is it actually possible to run an effective footslogger army?

Horde Dark Eldar?

17x Dark Eldar
- 2x Splinter Cannon, 2x Blaster
- Sybarite: Poisoned Blades

Would certainly raise a few eyebrows. As well as get shot to pieces, but hey, shots going into this squad are shots that aren't aimed at your Raiders, Ravagers, Sniper Squads, HQ's...

Wouldn't be too shabby against, say, horde orks...switch out the blasters for shredders...

Actually i meant an army low on Raiders or even entirely so. Probably impossible. But still curious...

You mean my army?

The squad above is a recent addition, but at 1000 pts, pretty small, I run 2x sniper squads, that squad, and a minimum Raider squad. Into that Raider also goes an Archon and 3 Haemonculus. Ravager and Talos finish it up.


The whole point of Dark Eldar is speed, which is why we have Raiders - giving us an effective 26" charge range on the first turn. Dark Eldar don't win games by forming a gun line - the exception being the sniper squads, because they're cheap, but they're only there for anti-tank.

*nods* When there is a new codex i do hope there will be an option for another approach too. Though it's very fluffy to go Raider-orientated it's crazily expensive moneywise.

Ketara wrote:...Dump in a Succubus with an Agonizer/punisher and tormentor helm and combat drugs, and it can deal out a reasonable amount of damage. Mount in raiders.

Why would someone prefer punisher upon a Agonizer on whyches? isnt its more costly then agonizer + splinter pistol, for same effect ? imho wounding on 4+ are better then having 4 strength.
as it seems by Rulebook if you have special ccw + pistol\ccw, you will not get more attacks from additional ccw's (as tormentor helm do)
or Tormentor helm always give your +1 for second ccw, even if you already have it ?

People prefer the Punisher in that it's STR:4 not 4+ to wound. Against T:3 or less opponents, you lose the ability to wound on 3+ or 2+, if you take your +1 str drug, or are on a jetbike. If what you're facing is a Daemon prince or Wraithlord, the Agoniser is the A #1 choice.

so Tormentor not add anything if you already have second ccw?

Nope. It acts as a pistol in all ways. It is only useful if the figure with it is using a rifle/punisher/hellglaive/etc.