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Ok my wife STILL is in love with the look and fluff of dark eldar. She "doesnt care if they are old I want them!"
So, how does their codex play with the 5th edition rules? Any real problems or is it just an insane rules dont work type deal? I guess my wife is adamant about playing these guys/girls. I think she has a bondage fetish that she wants out lol.
So aside from the usual "THEY ARE TUFF FOR NEW PLAYERS" speal, how do they play?

er KC, your last DE thread was locked just recently due to many existing DE threads.

This one is in danger too i think since its pretty much identical ...


Though if your wife have certain DE model range that she absolutely loves and could care less about the rules , why not play a count as / proxy Eldar army? she isnt planning on playing in tournament anyways right?


So let her buy her must have models, and substitute the rest in Eldar maybe? As a fail safe purchase i guess.

Nope, this is in the clear. He's asking how competetive they are now (which I can't give a good answer to).

BAH! I thought about the whole eldar deal too. But I really want to know how their codex and rules play with the 5th edition rules. If it works out fine then Ill seriously consider just buying the codex and minis for her. If the rules clash and are all jacked up I might just go with the eldar proxie. CMON DE PLAYERS!!!! Help me out here

I've played a couple of DE armies in 5th and well the old 6 Squads of 10 DE with 2 Bright Lances (for 600pts I might add) still stands up just add what ever else you want be it Talos/Wych in Raiders etc.

The other way to go is a fully mounted Raider army with supporting Ravagers, this is usually a Wych Cult though, but it depends on what your wife is looking for if she likes wyches.

Also for 90pts Lileth is a steal if your going to do a Wych Cult

The book is old KC as we all know but its not as bad as some people think, it needs an update but can still stand up to most armies in 5th.

Just curiouse , but is your wife new to warhammer?

I can't tell you much, seeing as I have a limited experience with the DE, but I can tell you they do more damage in CC (i.e. wyches, talos etc.) and they absolutely CANNOT take a hit. No ramshackle special rules for raiders like trukks, it's just AV 10. ouch.

My wife is new to 40k yes. And I KNOW they arnt suppose to be a starter army but I told her dont listen to others, play what you like. I know shes more into it for the conversion and painting. Im sure she cares more about making them look cool then winning. My group is all about playing for fun anyways.
Thanks everyone for posting and answering my questions!

Instead of scrapping the idea of being something else other than DE, just think about it..

They are still very competitive, i think the DE codex was well built imo. I think a dark lance salute list, (raiders with DLs and Warriors on them with DLs as well.) no other squads can bring 2 heavy weapons and 2 assault weapons at the same time, and having a BS of 4. Wyches aren't too shabby either.

DE are still a very good army. There are two primary builds: Raiders w Warriors and Dark Lances & Wyche Cult.

Both are very fast, and very effective at what they do.

Unfortunately, there are only a handful of useful units in the DE lineup: Warriors, Wyches, Talos, Ravager, Raider, Archon/Dracon, Haemonculus, maybe Jetbikes (I never used them).

Pass on the rest of the units.

I played DE in the last Baltimore GT and did fairly well with Raiders/Warriors w shredders/Wyches w shredders/Haemonculus/Talos/2 Ravagers. I used Grotesques, just to see how they would do, and they were not so useful. I also know that DE was at the top table at the GT in the last round, but lost to Biker Nobs. I think we were the only 2 DE players there.

And that rarity is an advantage :-)

Not sure how much more I can add to the discussion, but I'll give it my best.

First off, I've never played dark eldar, but I've been researching them for the past year or so (something I normally do before deciding on a new army), and come to the following conclusions.

They are one of the strongest armies in the game if played properly. With your wife being new to the game, and more interested in painting/converting I doubt she'll be ripping through local tournaments any time soon, but if she gets a handle on playing style she shouldn't worry about getting trashed either.

From what I've seen from highly skilled DE players as far as 5th is concerned, has been raider spam. Anywhere from 6-9 vehicles in a 1500 point list, depending on personal preference, mostly in regards to how many ravagers. Raider squads are generally equipped with splinter cannon and blaster, though one guy on warseer has been checking out shredders instead to handle scarab swarms and similar problems. Ravagers are normaly either vect style (one dark lance and two dicintigrators, or three dicintegrators), normaly either two or three, as one is just not enough. Others take three talos for the HS, either running them up the board (requires the full three, as otherwise they can't hack the anti tank weapons, with three you should get 1-2 into your enemy) or sometimes putting them into the webway.

Last edition webway was the "list to use" for most people. I'm not sure if it's truely less effective as opposed to just getting old for most vet players. That and the ability to put your entire army in reserves if you roll second turn has led many to believe webway portals aren't really required anymore.

Wych cult seem to have taken the biggest hit from 5th edition, in that they cannot consolidate into enemy units anymore, and are FRAGILE to enemy shooting. It's my understanding they are still a solid list, but I have my doubts.

As I said, I haven't played dark eldar yet, so I can't personaly vouche for anything I've said. It's just the result of me sifting through multiple tactica threads, asking people who play DE as their primary list, and making my own theories based on how I see similar armies perform.

A word to the wise, if you get the codex make sure it's the updated version. I went on ebay and got mine, and found out months later it was the "original". The biggest differences are the way wych cult armies work, wych squad special rules, a few point values on some of the units (unfortunately not enough to make the useless ones worth a crap, and they did nothing for scourges) and vehicle upgrades. If there is any doubt about the codex, the bunk one has no vehicle upgrades and lelith is 110 points, the one you want has upgrades like scythes, terrorfex, and snare hooks I believe, that and lelith is twenty points cheeper.

Lelith and Wyche Cult are awesome. Just don't get any of the boy Wyche's! Go buy the Dark Elf versions and just give them wyche weapons.

Having played in a Escalation league in my are for the last four weeks I can say this about the Dark Eldar. If your looking to win big or go home, you have to spam.

The reason I say this is that the list I've been building is balanced to the norm. 2 Raider squads with Dark Lances, and 2 Raider squads with Splinter cannons. Then 2 units of 4 Jetbikes with either 2 Blasters or 2 Shredders. After two games of 1k and 1250pts, I can say I am having a strong dislike for the new vehicle charts. Ha ha ha ha....

But seriously, if your looking for fun it really comes down to how you imagine the army to look like. Can you win with a themed army that your proud of? Yes. All the time? Well....as stated it will take practice, but you can win even using some of the units that most people dislike.

The local guy who plays Dark Eldar goes into every tournament as the one favored to win, so they've got plenty of power in the list.

I guess I am the only player around that plays DE regularly.


Well First off Raiders are great, I personally run them with disintegrators and nothing else. If I am carrying warriors they always get 1 x Splinter cannon, and 1 X blaster and nothing else the whole unit costs 155 pts and IMO is a steal. Don't listen to the guy that says to take 1 x DL on the raiders and 1 x DL in the squad since DLs are heavy the raider would have to stand still to fire both, and if you are going to do they you might as well just run a unit of 10 X warriors with 2 x DLs (which I recommend taking anyways).

I always take a "boat" with an acrchon w/ punisher, tormentor helm, combat drugs, and shadow field, 2 x warriors with Splinter Cannons, and then as many incubi as I can fit in. This unit is priceless, if you can't make up two times your points every game with this unit your playing the wrong army.

Your second HQ will be 3 X Hemonculous with Destructors and scissor hands.

As stated before wyches are fragile and always should be mounted in a raider, take a smallish squad with wych weapons and plasma grenades, a succubus with an agoniser helps too, Don't forget to buy a whole unit of warpbeasts for every wyche squad you buy, at 75pts they are the best value on the list (20 normal attack on the charge and 3 PW attacks that hit on 4+, not to mention a 12" charge range and fleet!!)

For your heavy choice its between these two options:

3 x Ravagers w/ 3 x disintegrators
or

3 x Talos

If you choose the Ravagers make sure you remember that you can fire 1 blast template and 6 X str4 ap 3 shots while moving up to 12", it is also acceptable to take 1 x BL if you feel it might do better than a plasma cannon shot.

For fast attack the only choice is Jetbikes, always take the 2 X blasters for 5 pts each.


NEVER TAKE:
Hellions
Scourges


As for competitive lists there are a few options:

Raider spam
Jetbike assault
Hardy footsloggers
Mass gun line
wyche cult

If you want to know more about any of those list let me know, and I will post a list or two and some basic tactics.

goodnight for now,
Chris

Not sure if I missunderstand, or you don't know the rules, but it sounds like your saying the dark lance mounted on the raider cant shoot if the raider moves. If I'm missunderstanding, you have my appologise. If not, you might want to reread the vehicle chapter in the mainbook.

Also, incubi are expensive, and too good in a lot of instances. A lord equipped the way yours is (which is the way mine will be, it's the best build in my opinion) with 5 incubi will likely kill a tactical squad in your assault phase, leaving you out in the open durring your opponents shooting phase. What I plan on doing is three incubi and two splinter cannon wielding warriors. A little less overkill.

You did misunderstand Frausty, he said the unit inside can't shoot their DL if the raider moves, not the raider mounted weapon.

Also, I've been playing DE for years as well and totally agree 100% with Clthomps. The man knows his DE!

The Lord with Incubi with 2 x warriors w/splinter cannons (at least 5 incubi so you can get the master incubi guy) is awesome, and Drazhir (sp?) is a must too if you have the points (the dude has 3 wounds!).

Yes this unit will be mass targeted if left out in the open, but believe it or not, that is what wins like 75% of my games. Its the complete and utter fear of that unit that lets the rest of my army mow through my opponents army with very little resistance.

And the DE are pretty cheap for what you get and so you can splurge a little on a good HQ unit. The DE command squad has several great assets 1. They are a retinue! 2. a powerhouse CC (with a surprisingly amount of anti-infantry fire power) unit with 3 guys that go at int 6 or better. That Draz guy can kill 8 guys on the charge with some lucky rolls, typically I see him get off 4 or more pw wounds by himself. 3. A bullet magnet like you never seen. As long as you can make their LD (9, without the trophy rack) check after taking the losses (which will happen) than you will be alright.

Wow and Im thinking Orks were the best in CC lol. I knew they were pretty fast and figured that would be a nice asset but damn I wasnt thinking that. I think my wife will like those ideas. Because she really liked the look of the warriors and the wytches (sp?) Hmm Maybe I should buy her the codex, and read it when shes sleeping so I know exactly what the hell you guys are talking about

EDIT err make that incubi. My god im a total DE slow

Rereading what was typed, I see where I missunderstood. My bad. Thats why I suggest the splinter cannon in the raider squads. Lets you move the raider and still shoot the guys inside if you so choose.

I still stand by my statement of incubi though. Yeah, a lord, a special character, and a gagle of incubi will tear through just about anything in the game, quick. Like that assault phase. Then your butt is in the wind for your opponents shooting phase. If this works for you, great, though I do have to wonder about your opponents.

butt is in the wind for your opponents shooting phase

Not really you have 2 meat shields with Splinter cannons to soak up instant kill shots, and a +2 inv save if you take a number of wounds less than the number of models in the squad, and barring that you get a 3+ save with the rest of the unit. Oh did I mention that was assuming that your raider went down....

The Lord with Incubi with 2 x warriors w/splinter cannons (at least 5 incubi so you can get the master incubi guy) is awesome, and Drazhir (sp?) is a must too if you have the points (the dude has 3 wounds!).

I Love Drazhir he is a must if you have some points to spare. I don't often spring for the Icubi master, I like to take 3-4 Incubi and Drazhir.


Any other questions let me know,

Chris

I don't meen this to sound too snarky, but you must not play against orcs very often. Or sisters for that matter. I guess we're just going to have to agree to dissagree. Short of meeting up and playing that is

FraustyTheSnowDaemon wrote:I don't meen this to sound too snarky, but you must not play against orcs very often. Or sisters for that matter. I guess we're just going to have to agree to dissagree. Short of meeting up and playing that is

Its Orks BTW. Orcs are from WFB lol.

I don't meen this to sound too snarky, but you must not play against orcs very often. Or sisters for that matter. I guess we're just going to have to agree to dissagree. Short of meeting up and playing that is

Orks die in droves to DE, every one of my boats has a Dis on it (mmmmmmm insta kills), and Drazhir carves up Nobs like there is no tomorrow. If its an objective game you just toss units of wytches at the nobs and let them deal with 4+ inv saves all day. As for sisters no I never play against them, I used to play them until the witchhunters codex came out and ruined them for me

Clthomps wrote:

I don't meen this to sound too snarky, but you must not play against orcs very often. Or sisters for that matter. I guess we're just going to have to agree to dissagree. Short of meeting up and playing that is

Orks die in droves to DE, every one of my boats has a Dis on it (mmmmmmm insta kills), and Drazhir carves up Nobs like there is no tomorrow. If its an objective game you just toss units of wytches at the nobs and let them deal with 4+ inv saves all day. As for sisters no I never play against them, I used to play them until the witchhunters codex came out and ruined them for me

Exactly. Imagine 9 Plasma cannon blast rounds every turn (bs 4) from 3 mobile firing platforms that only take up 360 pts! I have seen entire mobs go down in one turn, and waste an nearly an entire nob squad the next, at ap 2 they don't get their FNP. And these are just from the Ravagers, and not the other 3 or 4 raiders with the same weapon on them. You use your "sniper squads" (10 man squad with 2 lances) to pop vehicles at an amazing bs 4. The other troop squads with splinter cannons to mow down the other infantry, with wyches to mop up and the incubi squad to reign in the terror, and finally the heamonculi squads to flame up any squad that gets too close. The DE are an extremely fast, surprisingly powerful and above all: very very cheap!

The DE are an extremely fast, surprisingly powerful and above all: very very cheap!

and also "To Sexy for their Shirts"

So your orK friends don't use lootas I take it?

Sorry, I really like dark eldar, I just don't see them doing well against my friends ork army. Not a single vehicle in sight, so it's all 30 man boy units with 3 heavy stubbers, maxed out squads of lootas, and the occassional nob squad or jump troops to soak points.

The witchhunters codex ruining sisters? How so?