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So I've finished building my 40k orks, and I'm going to convert the last part of my dark elves soon. So here's my question.

Are Dark Eldar worth starting up anymore? I certainly love the idea of a fast, speeding death army, and Dark Eldar seem like my ticket.
Of course, they have a 10ish year old codex and models, but I just don't know where to look. So should I pick up my splinter rifle or simply
run around with mech eldar???

Rumour has it (Verified by two reliable sources) that Dark Eldar are being remade by Jes Goodwin. So a new codex seems likely. As to when that will be...well, who knows? Soonish I would hope, after Guard hopefully. But six months at the least, probably more like a year. If you're the patient sort, I'd reccomend waiting until that so you can get spiffy new models to go with your spiffy new rules. If youl like the current models work away though- some, like the haemonculus and the Incubi are great.

It's pretty much a fact that they're getting redone, as it's been verified by the guy redoing them; Jes Goodwin. On the one hand, he said it would be a while before they came out, so you'll be waiting a long time if you decide to wait for new minis, but on the other hand, if you buy a bunch now then you'll have a bunch of models that don't look nearly as good when the new ones come out.

We're looking at late 2009. Rules will change and models will (drastically) change. I wouldn't start DE now. Go build a Necron destroyer army or something.

DE have been my primary army...well, since I started playing 40k. They certainly benefit, at least right now, from 5e as opposed to 4e. The old codex does cause some issues, but at least alot of other things have been FAQ'd already to be more compatible for 5e. For example, Jetbikes getting the +3 cover save from turbo boosting.

I personally like the current models, though I'm curious how new sculpts would look. JIC, I got like close to 60 warriors still on the sprue to take care of any problems that might occur when a new codex is released.

Tactically, they are hard to master, probably the hardest army to really use effectively. Despite popular oppinion, they can be shooty or CC and that's another benefit to the army as a whole.

Personally, in your position, I'd say wait til a new codex or at least knowledge of a new codex will be released. It'd suck to get all geared up and then have to revamp the whole army in a year.

DE is still a playable army. I won an RTT in summer with my DE strike force.
However, most of the time, DE hits my shelf and will be considered again after a new Codex comes out. Obviously, there will be some new models. Therefore, I would wait starting DE.

Play DE if you 1)already have the models bought and have no intention of ditching them and 2) are REALLY friggin good. I have met two types of DE players; thos who get frogstomped, and those who do the frogstomping. They seem to exist along an inverse bell curve. Rating their skill levels 1-10; DE players seem to exist in the brackets of 0-2, and 8-10. Kinda like redheads. You hardly ever see a redhead that inspires a reaction of "Meh, she's pretty average looking." They are gorgeous, or they scar your soul when you look at them. DE seem to be the same way.

I call it Grizgrin's Rule of Redheads. Gingers are all outliers in Britain, BTW.

According to the rumor mill, supposedly, new Dark Eldar are in the works.

Assuming this is true, you'll probably do better to wait for the new stuff, as it'd be a major relaunch of the army.

But then there isn't anything visible / tangible to support this, so you'd still be buying into a dead army for the foreseeable future.

Personally, I'd focus on stuff that is currently supported.

grizgrin wrote:Play DE if you 1)already have the models bought and have no intention of ditching them and 2) are REALLY friggin good. I have met two types of DE players; thos who get frogstomped, and those who do the frogstomping. They seem to exist along an inverse bell curve. Rating their skill levels 1-10; DE players seem to exist in the brackets of 0-2, and 8-10. Kinda like redheads. You hardly ever see a redhead that inspires a reaction of "Meh, she's pretty average looking." They are gorgeous, or they scar your soul when you look at them. DE seem to be the same way.

I call it Grizgrin's Rule of Redheads. Gingers are all outliers in Britain, BTW.

true dat...

Also note that the current DE models are horrendusly ugly. Might as well wait until the rumours are confirmed, and the new models come out.

I wonder if you could use regular eldar with some bitz off the DE unstead? Just give them an evil paintjob, I guess.

While I would go through with it on account of the rules, the models are what would hold me back.

I guess it's up to what you think of them; I don't like much besides the incubus, raider, and talos.

The low-down as far as I'm knowledgable. Raiders are meant to be shot up. If you have any past your enemies first shooting phase count it as luck and keep 'em running forward.

Splinter weapons will likely only net you 3 wounds even after rapid firing and those will likely be saved if playing against SM.

Scourges are a waste of points, unless you take a 5 man squad only..no sybarite and use them like a SM Devastator squad.

Mandrakes might be useful given the prolific amounts of cover. I haven't really played with them.

Wyches rock in cc and get chewed up by fire.

Nearly everything needs to be mobile as in mounted in a Raider, on bikes etc. Keep foot slogging down to a minimum.

Ravagers and Raiders w/ Night shields and preferrably disintergrators when fighting horde armies. Dark Lances when fighting Mobile armies.

I'd likely try a Wych DE army if you're so inclined. Wyches as troop choices would absolutely rock and having a Wych Lord w/ Shadow field and +4i in CC will rock in all sort of ways.

Despite the points, an Incubi Retinue is the most devastating squad in all of 40k. I've had one squad chew through every other troop/elite/fast troop choice. 225 points for a squad all equipped w/ power weapons and 3+ normal save rocks. Just don't let them take fire. Their Punishers give them a +4 Str stat and they have 2 A per model. On an assault w/ a Lord you're looking at up to 33 power weapon attacks.

If you want to start one, go for it. I know I was thinking about it before and still am now.

Even with a new Codex coming out it is still not a bad idea to start them because then you will at least have a jump on all the twits that buy the newest army that comes out so you wont look like a tool and will be able to kick all there respective arses latter ^^

Plus, if you buy the current models and a few years from now when there all gone you can pull them out and say "Hey! you lot! Look at my uber old crap! I am pro!" or something like that.

yeah you could say that jokergod; provided you don't bleed to death from stabbing yourself everytime you go tio pick up a model.

grizgrin wrote:yeah you could say that jokergod; provided you don't bleed to death from stabbing yourself everytime you go tio pick up a model.

O stop crying! Damb kids today have no dedication... one small prick to a main artery and there all crying " O I need a medic! O no so much blood Ooo ahhh scary"

Pff, suck it up! A little extra red paint never hurt any one, just makes ya go faster :p