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Hi all!

I'd like to say I' am an accomplished DE commander but time and time again I' am always proven wrong. I have a good track record versus most armies and if I stumble against some I try to work out a way or get help on how to beat them and this week's problem is Mech Guard!

I've played against this list a couple of time, once in a 500pt list and once in a 1500 pt list. Both times I was handed my ass. I figure that the best way was to focus the chimeras down but some times that doesn't work and you still have to deal with the troops inside. I've thought about flanking them since their side armor is so wide but they will just castle up to protect themselves. I just can't find a solution against them and so I plead to good members of Dakka dakka to help this poor DE commander in need of help!

As a Imperial Guard commander I will give you the secret of killing the IG...... Are you ready? So prepare yourself. DARK LANCES!!!!! DE can spam them for so cheap it doesn't matter how many tanks I have. Keep your dark eldar moving so you get a cover save always. And when the ummies spill out bring your superior dark eldar into close combat and the game is over.

Try to focus more on silencing tanks for the turn rather than focusing on one until it's dead.

In your shooting phase, if you're shooting at a Chimera and get a Stunned or Shaken result, move on to the next target. Yes, there might be a bunch of Joes in the Chimera that can still shoot at you, but you've already prevented one unit from shooting you (the Chimera) and it'll take a lot more effort to completely silence the vehicle and troops on board.

If you shoot and get an Immobilized result on a vehicle that is currently in a bad position to return fire, move on to the next target, as well.

The point is that you want to silence as much enemy fire each turn as you possibly can, specifically high shot, medium strength weapons that have the greatest potential to do the greatest damage to your army. During the course of preventing your enemy from returning fire as much as you can, you will get your share of destroyed vehicles.

Hrm...it might help to know what kind of list you're playing. I've started playing a straight up DE Airforce recently; while Mech IG are difficult for me, they're not absolutely impossible.

Any mech IG game should be an auto win for you at 1500 points or less, assuming you build a good DE list.

So how about posting your list?

Here is my generic 1500 list for tourneys:

1500 Pts - Dark Eldar Roster

1 Dracon @ 106 pts (Agoniser; Splinter Pistol; Combat Drug Dispenser; Shadow Field)

5 Wyches @ 177 pts (Close Combat Weapon; Splinter Pistol; Wych Weapons; Blaster x2; Combat Drugs; Plasma Grenades)
1 Succubus (Agoniser; Splinter Pistol; Wych Weapons; Plasma Grenades (Squad))
1 Raider (Dark Lance)

5 Wyches @ 197 pts (Close Combat Weapon; Splinter Pistol; Wych Weapons; Blaster x2; Combat Drugs; Plasma Grenades)
1 Succubus (Agoniser; Splinter Pistol; Wych Weapons; Crucible of Malediction ; Plasma Grenades (Squad))
1 Raider (Dark Lance)

5 Raider Squad @ 110 pts (Blaster; Splinter Rifle x3; Dark Lance; Raider)
1 Raider (Dark Lance)

5 Raider Squad @ 110 pts (Blaster; Splinter Rifle x3; Dark Lance; Raider)
1 Raider (Dark Lance)

5 Raider Squad @ 110 pts (Blaster; Splinter Rifle x3; Dark Lance; Raider)
1 Raider (Dark Lance)

5 Raider Squad @ 110 pts (Blaster; Splinter Rifle x3; Dark Lance; Raider)
1 Raider (Dark Lance)

5 Raider Squad @ 110 pts (Blaster; Splinter Rifle x3; Dark Lance; Raider)
1 Raider (Dark Lance)

5 Raider Squad @ 110 pts (Blaster; Splinter Rifle x3; Dark Lance; Raider)
1 Raider (Dark Lance)

1 Ravager @ 120 pts (Disentegrator x3)

1 Ravager @ 120 pts (Disentegrator x3)

1 Ravager @ 120 pts (Disentegrator x3)


Total Roster Cost: 1500



With a total of 24 Lance weapons and 9 Plasma cannon you wont have a hard time out gunning them, especially when you move the wyche squad flat out down a flank on the first turn, This will force them to focus fire on those two squads leaving you free to stun and kill all their amour.

Clthomps wrote:
1500 Pts - Dark Eldar Roster

1 Archon @ 137 pts (punisher; T.helm;Plasma grenades, Combat Drug Dispenser; Shadow Field)
Retinue: Incubi x3/2 warriors/Raider 146pts
5 Wyches @ 177 pts (Close Combat Weapon; Splinter Pistol; Wych Weapons; Blaster x2; Combat Drugs; Plasma Grenades)
1 Succubus (Agoniser; Splinter Pistol; Wych Weapons; Plasma Grenades (Squad))
1 Raider (Dark Lance)


5 Raider Squad @ 110 pts (Blaster; Splinter Rifle x3; Dark Lance; Raider)
1 Raider (Dark Lance)

5 Raider Squad @ 110 pts (Blaster; Splinter Rifle x3; Dark Lance; Raider)
1 Raider (Dark Lance)

5 Raider Squad @ 110 pts (Blaster; Splinter Rifle x3; Dark Lance; Raider)
1 Raider (Dark Lance)

5 Raider Squad @ 110 pts (Blaster; Splinter Rifle x3; Dark Lance; Raider)
1 Raider (Dark Lance)

5 Raider Squad @ 110 pts (Blaster; Splinter Rifle x3; Dark Lance; Raider)
1 Raider (Dark Lance)

1 Ravager @ 120 pts (Disentegrator x3)

1 Ravager @ 120 pts (Disentegrator x3)

1 Ravager @ 120 pts (Disentegrator x3)


Total Roster Cost: 1487

Generally what I run. I like the point Saldiven made about just stunning or immobilizing them that makes sense. I know how the DE list works it's just that I run into the situation of "oh crap he has just as many tanks as I do" and my dice seem to reflect my panicked state.

Now I ask would the same strategy from above work in say a 2500 game (aka ard' boyz)?

Also remember target priority with Dark Eldar. The best thing to do against IG is go after units that can spam shots not blast templates. Templates have a much harder time hitting with those small holes. Multilasers and heavy bolters can be way more annoying to a DE force than any battlecannon. Also remember Nightshields and refuse flank their slow moving tanks.

Well, when I played my first DE enemy, he had about 17 Darklances. destroyed me, I had no idea what the heck they were. Then use your cheap plasma cannons to clean everything else up.

Luthon1234 wrote:
Now I ask would the same strategy from above work in say a 2500 game (aka ard' boyz)?

No because no one in their right mind would play DE above 2000 points unless they got an extra FoC. The only thing that makes DE moderately competitive in 2000 pts is vect.

I agree with 'thomps on the scalability of DE.

Not counting blaster weapons, you can easily cap out on Dark Lance weaponry at 1850 points. At that point level, you can have 9 Disintegrators and 21 Dark Lances. You even have, at that point level, the ability to carry an additional 12 blasters. You won't have much of anything in wargear, but you will have 42 AP2 weapons with a 7+ strength.

From 1850-2000, you can pretty much run the same list, but add some wargear to make your assaulty units more effective and add some more wyches to each squad.

After 2000 points, you're forced to start making points inefficient choices. The only place in the FOC you have left for more units is in FA, and the only worthwhile choice there are RJB. Their downfall is that they're still too many points for what they do, and they are not terribly resilient. You can sub out dracon led firebase sqads for Incubi retinues, but you lose 2 DL each time you make this choice and give your opponent a really juicy target to shoot at. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Incubi, but the DE Airforce's most under-realized benefit is the fact that not really any of the units are more attractive targets than any of the other units.

The last thing you can do to fill out points is to start adding bodies to the various Raider and/or wych squads. While not a terrible choice, it's still inefficient, as the extra points spent do not really make the squads that much better in game play.

Saldiven wrote:I agree with 'thomps on the scalability of DE.

Not counting blaster weapons, you can easily cap out on Dark Lance weaponry at 1850 points. At that point level, you can have 9 Disintegrators and 21 Dark Lances. You even have, at that point level, the ability to carry an additional 12 blasters. You won't have much of anything in wargear, but you will have 42 AP2 weapons with a 7+ strength.

From 1850-2000, you can pretty much run the same list, but add some wargear to make your assaulty units more effective and add some more wyches to each squad.

After 2000 points, you're forced to start making points inefficient choices. The only place in the FOC you have left for more units is in FA, and the only worthwhile choice there are RJB. Their downfall is that they're still too many points for what they do, and they are not terribly resilient. You can sub out dracon led firebase sqads for Incubi retinues, but you lose 2 DL each time you make this choice and give your opponent a really juicy target to shoot at. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Incubi, but the DE Airforce's most under-realized benefit is the fact that not really any of the units are more attractive targets than any of the other units.

The last thing you can do to fill out points is to start adding bodies to the various Raider and/or wych squads. While not a terrible choice, it's still inefficient, as the extra points spent do not really make the squads that much better in game play.

Clthomps wrote:

Luthon1234 wrote:
Now I ask would the same strategy from above work in say a 2500 game (aka ard' boyz)?

No because no one in their right mind would play DE above 2000 points unless they got an extra FoC. The only thing that makes DE moderately competitive in 2000 pts is vect.

@Clthomps I agree with you that 2000pts DE is just unheard of but I wouldnt include vect because while hes good hes too expensive for a unit at this level that everyone has an answer for.

@both of you

While I know going for a 2500 list for DE is just asking for headaches I kinda want to do the challenge and the only list I truly fear is the mech guard list played by really good players. I just want to see how far I can take the list. My main goal about joining ard boyz is to reach 1st place in the 2nd round I doubt I would even make to top three in chicago or have the funds to make the trip but just a little pride knowing that I could take the army to that point when its mostly a disadvantage to play at those points with DE.

This is the best possible DE list you can run at 2500:

2500 Pts - Dark Eldar Roster

1 Asdrubael Vect @ 277 pts ((CE, pg. 36); Splinter Pistol x3; Dark Lance; Disentegrator x2)

1 Dracon @ 320 pts (Agoniser; Splinter Pistol; Combat Drug Dispenser; Shadow Field; Trophy Rack; Plasma Grenades)
1 Retinue
5 Incubi (Blaster x2; Tormentor Helm; Punisher x3; Plasma Grenades)
1 Raider (Dark Lance; Horrorfex)

5 Wyches @ 202 pts (Close Combat Weapon; Splinter Pistol; Wych Weapons; Blaster x2; Combat Drugs; Plasma Grenades)
1 Succubus (Agoniser; Splinter Pistol; Wych Weapons; Crucible of Malediction ; Plasma Grenades (Squad))
1 Raider (Dark Lance; Horrorfex)

5 Wyches @ 182 pts (Close Combat Weapon; Splinter Pistol; Wych Weapons; Blaster x2; Combat Drugs; Plasma Grenades)
1 Succubus (Agoniser; Splinter Pistol; Wych Weapons; Plasma Grenades (Squad))
1 Raider (Dark Lance; Horrorfex)

5 Wyches @ 182 pts (Close Combat Weapon; Splinter Pistol; Wych Weapons; Blaster x2; Combat Drugs; Plasma Grenades)
1 Succubus (Agoniser; Splinter Pistol; Wych Weapons; Plasma Grenades (Squad))
1 Raider (Dark Lance; Horrorfex)

3 Reaver Jetbike Squad @ 95 pts (Splinter Pistol; Blaster x2; Splinter Rifle x1; Combat Drugs; Reaver Jetbike)

3 Reaver Jetbike Squad @ 95 pts (Splinter Pistol; Blaster x2; Splinter Rifle x1; Combat Drugs; Reaver Jetbike)

3 Reaver Jetbike Squad @ 95 pts (Splinter Pistol; Blaster x2; Splinter Rifle x1; Combat Drugs; Reaver Jetbike)

5 Raider Squad @ 115 pts (Blaster; Splinter Rifle x3; Dark Lance; Raider)
1 Raider (Dark Lance; Horrorfex)

5 Raider Squad @ 115 pts (Blaster; Splinter Rifle x3; Dark Lance; Raider)
1 Raider (Dark Lance; Horrorfex)

5 Raider Squad @ 115 pts (Blaster; Splinter Rifle x3; Dark Lance; Raider)
1 Raider (Dark Lance; Horrorfex)

5 Raider Squad @ 115 pts (Blaster; Splinter Rifle x3; Dark Lance; Raider)
1 Raider (Dark Lance; Horrorfex)

5 Raider Squad @ 115 pts (Blaster; Splinter Rifle x3; Dark Lance; Raider)
1 Raider (Dark Lance; Horrorfex)

5 Raider Squad @ 115 pts (Blaster; Splinter Rifle x3; Dark Lance; Raider)
1 Raider (Dark Lance; Horrorfex)

1 Ravager @ 120 pts (Disentegrator x3)

1 Ravager @ 120 pts (Disentegrator x3)

1 Ravager @ 120 pts (Disentegrator x3)

Total Roster Cost: 2498


The only other thing I might consider is Ninja DE.