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Just starting my new dark elder army and haven't yet play a game with them but anyway I have made an army list give a few pointers about what you think.......

Archon agoniser, shadow field, webway portal


Hamonculus ancient, agoniser, liquifier gun

5 incubi mounted on raider with darklance, flicker field

10 mandrakes, nightfiend 160pts

10 wyches ,haywire grenades, 2 razor flails 140pts


10 kabalite warriors, blaster, splinter cannon mounted in a raider with darklance, flicker field 185pts

10 kabalite warriors, blaster, splinter cannon mounted in a raider with darklance, flicker field 185pts

6 reavers, heat lance 122pts

Ravager darklances, flicker fields

Ravager darklances, flicker fields

Cronos, spirit vortex 100pts

Please comment and give tips, it would be appreciated.

I'm pretty sure 6 reavers is 156 points, not 122... But anyway!

Seems like a pretty solid list. I'm in the Sam boat as you, just trying to figure out what all this new stuff can do

The only thing that really sticks out as a flaw is that unit if wyches. They're kind if random, and without a raider, they'll never really get where they need to... Maybe take them and the chronos for another ravager?

Drop the mandrakes they shouldnt be fielded as their are so many better ways to spend your points.

Get a transport for the witch's.
Bump the incubi up and get a klaivex with Demiklaiv's and onslaught
Drop the warriors out of the raiders and try to field another unit of witch's with the points.

The cronos doesnt really fit into the list atm. What will be its role?

I am doing this on an iPod so that's why the points may be mucked up, I think it is just 5 reavers no heat lance, also the wyches and cronos are entering via webway.

No mandrakes? They seem pretty good in this list, IMO.

And I see, that makes sense. It's a good list!

Drop the Mandrakes for a 3 more Incubi. (I assume they are going with the 2 HQ's?)

If you're running the reavers I'd suggest 6 with 2 heat lances (or 2 clusters (never both)) to come out of the WWP.

That will give you a substantial force coming out of the portal and leave the Warriors to snatch other objectives or provide support.

GoDz KI11JOY x wrote:Just starting my new dark elder army and haven't yet play a game with them but anyway I have made an army list give a few pointers about what you think.......

Archon agoniser, shadow field, webway portal


Homunculus, agoniser

5 incubi mounted on raider with darklance, flicker field

5 mandrakes 160pts

10 wyches ,haywire grenades, 2 razor flails 140pts



10 kabalite warriors, blaster, splinter cannon mounted in a raider with darklance, flicker field 185pts

10 kabalite warriors, blaster, splinter cannon mounted in a raider with darklance, flicker field 185pts

6reavers,2 heat lance 122pts

Ravager dark lances, flicker fields

Ravager darklances, flicker fields

Cronos, spirit vortex 100pts

The points now dont add up but I have made small changes to fit the comments but please still give tips

What are you assuming you will be fighting?

what weapons you choose on your wyches is always up for debate. If you are expecting alot of MEQ or elite infantry, Razorflails are the better option (on an ordinary wyche a razorflail will average out on 0.04167 more kills every round. On the assault or on bloodbrides (both get +1 A) a razorflail will average 0.16667 more kills every round. On assaulting bloodbrides razorflails will average 0.29167 more kills every round).

If you are expecting alot of GEQ your choices are not as clear (on ordinary wyches Hydra Gauntlets will kill 0.11111 more models every round of combat. for Wyches on the assault or bloodbrides, however, Razorflails will kill an average of 0.11111 more models. For assaulting bloodbrides the flails will kill an average of 0.33333 models every round).

I generally equip my ordinary wyches with gauntlets (the gain against GEQ is larger then the loss against MEQ, and this keeps my lists a bit more all-around), and my bloodbrides with Razorflails. But this is all up to individual taste!

The third wych weapon, the Shardnet and Impaler, is not an offensive weapon but a defensive weapon. I use these if I kit my unit out with an IC-hunting character (for example an Archon with a soul-trap and huskblade), and I try to get as many into base contact as possible. I usually avoid these if I don't have a character in the unit.

I would substitute the mandrakes for another unit of hard-hitting wyches to come out of that portal as soon as it comes up, but thats just because I'm not very fond of mandrakes.

Given you change your mandrakes into wyches I would substitute the warriors Splinter Cannons for more Dark Lances. This gives you two (given very fragile!) gunboats that can fire on two separate heavy armor targets, and still have a good chance of bringing both down. Besides, the Dark Lance and Blaster WILL outlive the raider.

I really like the idea of the Cronos coming out of he portal! Look forward to seeing you work that!

I would also try a way to get one more reaver in there, and split them into two groups of 3. Since you have alot of Anti Armor in that list, I would loose the heat lance and add cluster caltrops to both units of reavers. These guys can move an amazing 36", giving them a 3+ cover (speed) save against shooting. You can zoom them in between your more fragile units and the enemy to give your fragile stuff coversave, and keep your save on the reavers (from your speed!). However, if your doing this you can't shoot your heat lances. The only way you can damage the enemy and still keep that save is with bladevanes and Cluster Caltrops.

Don't let the AP- of the Cluster Caltrops fool you though. You will average killing 1.6389 MEQs or 3.7222 GEQs every turn. Divide that by your points cost (86 for the entire unit!) you get 0.01906 MEQs killed per point. To get that into perspective: a ravager with Dis. cannons will get a value of 0.02857 MEQ kills per point. Change that to lances and you get 0.01190 MEQ/pts. 10 warriors with a splinter cannon will yield you 0.01818 if they are within half range, but only 0.01136 MEQ/pts if you are outside of 12".

Running those examples by GEQs: The 3 reavers with Caltrops kills you 0.04328 GEQ/pts. Dizzy ravager: 0.03579, lancy ravager: 0.01190 (same as MEQs This guy is for tougher targets like vehicles!). 10 warriors with a splinter cannon: 0.05455 if you are within half range, but only 0.03409 outside.

Checking up on those numbers, the 3 reavers not only gives you a very competitive average killcount against pretty much any army split over the points you spend on them, they are also very durable (with that 3+ save!) AND confer a 4+ save to anything you want to hide behind them.

I repeat what got me started on this number-crunching rant: I would find a way to get another reaver in there, split them into two squads (for mobility) and trade the Heat Lance for Cluster Caltrops.

I could remove the mandrakes +110pts split reaver squad into 2 give both cluster caltrops -16 take haywire grenades of wyches +20 and put in another squad of wyches +100pts leaving 14pts left for that I could replace one disintegrator cannon for dark lance but I do already have 5 different units with dark lances but anyway should I make these changes?

No, I think you will be better off with disintegrator cannons. You will be having 2 squads of wyches with Haywire Grenades, and they pack quite a punch against vehicles and infantry alike, depending on how you choose to use them.

I find you have a strong army. Play it and practice it, and you will find what you need to change to make it stronger.

Will do.....

It seems like you are only 1/2 commited to the WWP. Your are investing points in the portal and willing to jump your archon out of his ride to drop it, but what will be coming out? Reavers and Cronos are good but not that good. Wyches without FNP are sitting ducks if there isn't something in range to assault.

I agree that Mandrakes are not a good option. Its a shame how bad they are.

Your warrior squads have to be close to be good - and that means you're close in an AV10 open-topped vehicle. I would recommend 5 warriors with a blaster in a venom with double splinter cannons. It saves you 120 pts, allows you to stay 36 inches away, you still have the blaster if you need it, and you're not loosing many splinter shots. You make up the loss of the 2 raider dark lances by buying another ravager.

I think you'll need more anti-tank. Haywire grenades are not reliable - especially against moving vehs. The succubus is one of my favorites but if your dropped her and added 2 hammys - put one with the witches and one with the grotesques. Now the witchs have FNP and the grotesques start with Furious Charge - which is the best way for DE to handle vehicles - str 6 on the charge wth 16 attacks is no joke.

When the cronos exits the wwp it will use it's weapons to kill at least a model and give another unit a pain token maybe 2 if I get close enough also the wyches can do fine without feel no pain unless at a range but as they come through portal they will be close to the enemy about 12 inches give or take I probably need to remove the mandrakes due to all the negative comments....

Ok this is the list with some changes.....

Archon with agoniser, shadow field, webway portal-145

Haemonculus with agoniser-70

5 incubi on a raider with darklance, flicker field-180

3 grotesques with an aberration-115

10 kabalite warriors, blaster, splinter cannon on a raider with darklance, flicker field-185

10 kabalite warriors ( same as above)-185

10 wyches with 2 hydra gauntlets-120

6 reavers with 2 cluster caltrops-172

Ravager with darklances, flickerfield-115

Ravager (same as above)-115

Cronos with spirit vortex-100