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What do Dark Eldar steal and loot except slaves?

It's not weapons and tech, because their stuff is better. I can't imagine they take raw materials, since, whatever they are using in construction has to be up to their high standards, and would be easier to just extract ore from a mine using slave labour.

There's really nothing practical they can take in a raid (except trophies) that they can't make on their own, even though I specifically read that they indeed loot and plunder.

What do you think?

My best guess would be anything valuable to other races. You must remember that Lord Vect doesn't really care how the slaves are gotten, so long as there is a huge supply of them. Plenty of people would be happy to sell slaves to the DE. And if you don't have to go on a raid, then that means you can collect vect's tribute that much faster.

At least that's what I read in between the lines in the Word Bearers trilogy: Vect doesn't just want slaves, he demands them. So if you need to get slaves to Cammorragh now in order to keep him from sicking his homunculi on you, an easy win is just to buy loads of slaves from a Rogue Trader or something.

DE for the most part just steal slaves I think. As you pointed out, they don't really care for the lesser race's weapons or tech, as they believe that their own tech is superior. So they just take slaves, as Commoragh ALWAYS needs more of those.

Your soul

 Iron_Captain wrote:
Your soul

Soul... , soul , soul, soul Vect pronounced the word with several entonations like trying to find it's meaning or like tasting it's transcendence..

ah yes you humans are so funny trying to define something like that with a single word.

Rough translate from a WD history.

slaves.

but i would also guess things like precious metals and all those rare little bits that they dont have.

But remember that a lot of it is done for the joy of doing it....

People, is of course the obvious thing they steal, but they definitely steal raw materials too.

Do you seriously think they have mines or oil wells in the webway? I guess there could be if they stole a planet, or a chunk of planet, which is possible since they brought whole suns into the webway, they could, but there's no indication in the fluff of that. Either way, that still counts as stealing raw materials, just on a much grander scale.

Broly wrote:
What do Dark Eldar steal and loot except slaves?

Your soul. Your life. Your happiness. Your comfort. Your mind. Your loved ones. Your very being. Everything. The Dark Eldar will still everything from you.

 Hybrid Son Of Oxayotl wrote:

Broly wrote:
What do Dark Eldar steal and loot except slaves?

Your soul. Your life. Your happiness. Your comfort. Your mind. Your loved ones. Your very being. Everything. The Dark Eldar will still everything from you.

Pretty much this

They need raw materials from somewhere too, the web way isn't a material thing they can mine or anything like that.

Dey be pirates who plunder dat booty!

 fallinq wrote:
People, is of course the obvious thing they steal, but they definitely steal raw materials too.

Do you seriously think they have mines or oil wells in the webway? I guess there could be if they stole a planet, or a chunk of planet, which is possible since they brought whole suns into the webway, they could, but there's no indication in the fluff of that. Either way, that still counts as stealing raw materials, just on a much grander scale.

 ImAGeek wrote:
They need raw materials from somewhere too, the web way isn't a material thing they can mine or anything like that.

Actually, that's not unreasonable to assume. In the Masque of Vyle, we see a sub-realm of Commoragh called the Sable Marches, basically a water-world devoted entirely to food production for the other sub-realms and particularly for Commoragh (through the use of slave labour, of course) and it's mentioned that there are at least hundreds of other sub-realms of different types, the idea that there are things like mining sub-realms is a fairly sure bet as well, I'd say.

A better question is "how do they steal anything when they always walk home"? Raiders are paper planes with jet engines that disintegrate in a stiff breeze or heavy rain, never mind someone actually taking a shot at it with a real weapon like a sling, a molotov or a rusty chain. Even if they pack the few surviving Raiders with prisoners (ditching the remaining warriors ofc) it's probably a net loss every time.

I think they do indeed take raw materials--Commorragh has no natural resources, after all.

 Jimsolo wrote:
I think they do indeed take raw materials--Commorragh has no natural resources, after all.

Again, it does - Commorragh isn't just a city, it also has at least hundreds of satellite realms that are the equivalent of different types of planet, some of which have native inhabitants, even. If a civilisation different to the Dark Eldar ended up on Commorragh, I've no doubt that they could happily shack up in there without ever having to come out at all.

The scene. Fabulous comes at a high cost, darling.

The Grox raids of M37 saw several agriworlds overcome in a series of swift brutal strikes with overwhelming force. Before the Imperium could respond, captured PDF, laborers and grox herds alike were force marched into webway gates.

The resulting lack of sustenance caused riots in neighbouring industrial worlds, grinding production of type B, C and G (mk IV) lasguns cells to a halt, amongst other vital supplies.

The delay in sourcing ammunition caused the collapse of several battlefronts in the sector- notably the expedition force that was pushing into the Yinn-Vah expanse of Eldar maiden worlds.

The feasts and culinary tournaments in Commoragh were said to rage for decades and scaly new groteques were spotted deployed to the Yinn-Vah expanse theater.

They don't necessarily NEED the slaves if they do enough raids. essentially whereas craftworld Eldar and to an extent corsairs have done if decided to suppress their carnal needs and the depravity that created she who hungers for their souls(slaneesh). The dark elder on the other hand seem to have a sort of Faustian bargain where the more pain/suffering/ecstasy they inflict / give or receive they can get more powerful briefly and prolong their already long lives. They continue the debauchery as when their time is up they know damn well who will be claiming their souls with no infinity circuit to plug into. Thing slurm mcgoo from Futurama, you have to party hardcore its in your contract except when the contract breaks and the DE dies.

Hats. Beautiful, beautiful hats.

Spetulhu wrote:
A better question is "how do they steal anything when they always walk home"? Raiders are paper planes with jet engines that disintegrate in a stiff breeze or heavy rain, never mind someone actually taking a shot at it with a real weapon like a sling, a molotov or a rusty chain. Even if they pack the few surviving Raiders with prisoners (ditching the remaining warriors ofc) it's probably a net loss every time.

This post may or may not contain hyperbole.

Stars when needed

The cure for every disease ever once.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
The cure for every disease ever once.

Didn't this actually happen once in the DEldar codex?

Yes, they stole the cure for every disease. than turned it into an artefact that inflicts every disease.

The Path of the Dark Eldar books is good for outlining what they steal and why.
in general
- slaves are valued as everyone has pointed out
- Craftworld Eldar tech, particularly wrathbone and soulstones are extremely valuable
- unique things. Eldar sociecty amongst the nobles is built on power and also the Haves and Have Nots. A noble is superiour because A) they have more power and B) they have more unique things that the other nobles do not.

For example there's one noble who's entire worth and powerbase is built around the unique animals he collects and then breeds from raiding partings. It's a weird society

the path of the dark eldar books are really good for this type of info.

Broly wrote:
What do Dark Eldar steal and loot except slaves?

It's not weapons and tech, because their stuff is better. I can't imagine they take raw materials, since, whatever they are using in construction has to be up to their high standards, and would be easier to just extract ore from a mine using slave labour.

There's really nothing practical they can take in a raid (except trophies) that they can't make on their own, even though I specifically read that they indeed loot and plunder.

What do you think?

They take everything, well everything they need. Food, minerals, energy.

Mining or growing it yourself with slave labor is actually harder. There is an investment that needs to be made in production, then you need someone competent to administer it, then you need to wait while it is being produced. The competent administrator is probably the most difficult thing. DE are lazy, they dont want to do work. Particularly when it is so easy to just steal what they need.

Whats more, if you are producing it, what is to stop other DE from stealing your stuff? Production facilities are much more vulnerable than warehouses that empty shortly after they are filled from a raid.


They also steal extremely rare things. Some are trophies, some are things they need but are too costly to produce.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Spetulhu wrote:
A better question is "how do they steal anything when they always walk home"? Raiders are paper planes with jet engines that disintegrate in a stiff breeze or heavy rain, never mind someone actually taking a shot at it with a real weapon like a sling, a molotov or a rusty chain. Even if they pack the few surviving Raiders with prisoners (ditching the remaining warriors ofc) it's probably a net loss every time.

Most of the time, they dont take any hits. With the webway allowing them to be anywhere and their speed allowing them to cover great distances, most DE raids would be unopposed. They just show up, kill a few defenders before they even know there are there, and then take what they want.



DE are a race that doesnt make sense on the tabletop. The only time DE are actually going to attack is when they have 10 times as many forces as the enemy. When I use to play them a lot, making stories for the battle were always "My Archon screwed up, thought this area was undefended and ran into [insert enemy army here]." Apparently a very stupid Archon.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Robin5t wrote:

 Jimsolo wrote:
I think they do indeed take raw materials--Commorragh has no natural resources, after all.

Again, it does - Commorragh isn't just a city, it also has at least hundreds of satellite realms that are the equivalent of different types of planet, some of which have native inhabitants, even. If a civilisation different to the Dark Eldar ended up on Commorragh, I've no doubt that they could happily shack up in there without ever having to come out at all.

It is a city larger than any planet, then any dozen planets, than perhaps thousands of planets but that doesnt mean it has enough resources for everything. It has 4 stars in it, but they do not put out that much energy. Considering how many DE there are. They might need a lot of raw materials to keep it going. With the amount of destruction that goes on with all the battling and waring between the Kabals, probably more than most civilizations.

 Exergy wrote:


They take everything, well everything they need. Food, minerals, energy.

Mining or growing it yourself with slave labor is actually harder. There is an investment that needs to be made in production, then you need someone competent to administer it, then you need to wait while it is being produced. The competent administrator is probably the most difficult thing. DE are lazy, they dont want to do work. Particularly when it is so easy to just steal what they need.

Whats more, if you are producing it, what is to stop other DE from stealing your stuff? Production facilities are much more vulnerable than warehouses that empty shortly after they are filled from a raid.

As with every other 'how haven't the Dark Eldar destroyed their own barely-functioning society with their ridiculous practices yet' question, the answer is, of course, Vect.

You make a power play to steal another Archon's territory? That's fine. If your little power play has a particularly bad effect on the tithe that valuable food production sub-realm provides for the Upper Spires? That's when daddy puts his foot down and tells the children to play nice.

They also have a taste for rare poisons and drugs from across the galaxy

The Spice.

Slaves, trophies and your virginity.