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This evening I will be squaring off against the Imperial Guard for the first time with my Dark Eldar.

It will probably be a 2000 point game

I know my opponent will be fielding a Troop Guard. I do not know the whole content of the list by heart but I am positive I will see a few core units my friend likes.

Creed and Kell(Plus friends) In a transport.

possibly three heavy weapons teams(Las guns/auto cannons, probably the auto cannons)

A Valkyrie(NOT A VENDETTA)

Astropath and Master of fleet

X2 Hell hounds

Various troops squads on foot and in transports. Knowing him they will have flamers.


My list will no doubt be similar to the one I typically use as I am limited by my options.


Sahosha(Lelith)

X2 Haemonculi(X2 Liquifier guns, 1 Web Way Gate, 1 Shatter Shard)

8 Wyches (1 Razor Flail, Haywire grenades)
1 Hekatrix (Blast Pistol, Agonizer, Phantasm Grenade Launcher)
Raider (Flicker Field, Night Shield)

12 Wyches (2 Shard-nets, Haywire Grenades)
1 Hekatrix (Blast Pistol, Agonizer, Phantasm Grenade Launcher)

8 Hekatrix Blood Brides(3 Hydra Gauntlets, Phantasm Grenade launcher, Hay Wire grenades)
1 Syren ( Agonizer, Blast Pistol)
Raider (Flicker Field, Night Shield)

9 Kabalite Warriors (Blaster, Splinter Cannon)
1 Sybarite
Raider (Flicker Field, Night Shield, Splinter Racks)

Ravager(Flicker Field, Night Shield)

3 Reavers (1 Heat Lance, Cluster Clatrops)

9 Helions
1 Helliarch(Stun claw, pistol)

8 Harlequins( All with Harlequin's kisses
1 Shadow Seer( Harlequin's kiss)
1 Troupe Master (Harlequin's kiss)

This list is what I have in terms of models, and it is all I have.

I have invested in some Incubi. Any advice against the guard would be appreciated, as I am quite scared of them with my DE.

If you can get a webway portal within assault range, guard will fold surprisingly quickly.

Other than the advice to hug cover, I don't have much else for you other than to win first turn

Lol, So sack up, and chuck that web way portal out in the middle of the map.

Target priority?

Valk
HWS's/Hell hounds
any Chimeras (multi lazers are surprisingly good at cracking raiders )

But yeah, if you get the assault on the guard they pack it up pretty quickly.

Your list is pretty much a wych cult, what else are you gonna do? Against blob guard, masses of assault, splinter rifle, or missiles (Razorwing, Voidraven) are the way to put the hurt on a lot of bodies fast. You are initiative 5+, cut them down ASAP.

Yea, I am just going to have to get in his face as quickly as possible.

I am considering holding everything in reserve, and make the battle occur at the end of the game.

Astropath affects deep striking troops only, or reserves of all kinds?

Poontangler,

The IG Master of the Fleet affects all of your reserves rolls. Unless, of course, you capture/kill him.


Tallarn Commander

IG, "We are many. They are few."

CURSE YOU IMPERIAL GUARD!

With what you have you would be far better off running a Webway based list than a mech one, you don't have enough Raiders, Venom or Ravagers to do that.

Ideally for a webway list you want two portals to give yourself more options. This means you either take two units in Raiders which deploy in the center of the board about 18" away from each and then move forward as far as they can turn 1 and drop the Portals (which should be 2" pivot, 12" move, 3" disembark). The alternative is to take Harliequins with a Shadowseer, its not as fast but very helpful if you aren't going first as they are basically immune to shooting early on. You can probably get away with 1 unit actually, 10 strong spread to max conherency with the Haemonculi on the ends gives you two portals fairly well spaced. Because you can't move as far you should probably drop 1 Portal turn 1 (and leave him behind so you can run with the rest) so at least anything which shows up turn 2 doesn't come off the board edge, and then the second Portal turn 2 for the rest of your reserves. Usually I would say go with either the Harlies or the Raiders, but given you don't have much else to work with you could easily do both. If you go second use the Harlies to deploy the Portals otherwise reserve them and use the Raiders to get them further up the board.

If you want to play a fully reserve game (well the guys who drop the WWP aside) then the Officer of the Fleet actually helps you, as it guarantees that you will only be on the board for a couple of turns. It would actually make the Harlies a better option as you won't get many units on turn 2. It only becomes an issue for lists which have a couple of key units which Deep Strike/Outflank which they rely on to arrive and support the bulk of their army by doing damage or disrupting the enemy fire support.

In any case the main thing is to pack in as much anti tank as you can fit as you are missing some of the mainstays of competitive DE list (3 Dark Lance Ravagers etc). You don't need to go overboard with stuff like Agonisers (Venom Blades do the job for a fraction of the price and not just against IG) and other choppy upgrades as you will probably chop any IG unit to death in combat either way. The Phantasms are a waste, you already have assault grenades and if he wants to charge you let him, it means he won't be shooting you as much which is definitely a good thing.

How do I already have assault grenades?

Wyches come with plasma grenades, which is one of the several words for "assault grenades."

Hrm. Fascinating.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I may be able to fit in a small group of Incubi now.

Why a harlequins kiss on the troupe master? Yuou have an entire squad armed to the teeth with rending attacks. remember that the powerweapon is a free option over the kiss and i would almost always have 5 pw attacks over rending, just to make sure that i get some kills. Trust me you will rend plenty enough with just the regular guys. I play harlies in every battle with my eldar and it works fantastically with the pw, it ensures some kills every round. Plus if you assault vehicles with these guys theyr'e going to wipe, 5++ save toughness 3 does not cut it even with rending.

rana dandra wrote:Why a harlequins kiss on the troupe master? Yuou have an entire squad armed to the teeth with rending attacks. remember that the powerweapon is a free option over the kiss and i would almost always have 5 pw attacks over rending, just to make sure that i get some kills. Trust me you will rend plenty enough with just the regular guys. I play harlies in every battle with my eldar and it works fantastically with the pw, it ensures some kills every round. Plus if you assault vehicles with these guys theyr'e going to wipe, 5++ save toughness 3 does not cut it even with rending.

Also, if I remember correctly, Harlequins have Furious Charge, so those PW attacks would be S4 on the charge.

I was not aware I could equip a power weapon on Harlequins. I am still pretty new to these Dark Eldar.

Dark lance raider spam can be really difficult for guard players to handle, but if you're going to take small, expensive units, then you really need that webway portal or your precious few units are just going to get picked apart before they can do much damage.

Judging by the models you say you have, here's what I'd run...


Haemonculi w/ webway gate - 85 points (85)
Haemonculi w/ webway gate - 85 points (170)
Baron Sathonyx - 105 points (275) (use your Helliarch as counts as)

5 Incubi w/ Klaivex, Demiklaives, Bloodstone, Onslaught - 175 points (450)
10 Harlequins w/ 8 Razors Kiss, 2 Fusion Pistols, Shadowseer, Troupe Master - 282 (732)

9 Hellions - 144 (876)
9 Warriors w/ Blaster, Raider, Night-Shields, Flickerfield, Shock Prow - 181 (1057)
9 Wyches w/ Hekatrix, Phantasm Grenade Launcher, Haywire Grenades, Venom Blade, Hydra Gauntlets Raider, Night-shields, Flickerfield, Shock Prow - 228 (1285)
10 Wyches w/ Hekatrix, 2 Hydra Gauntlets, Haywire Grenades, Phantasm Grenade Launcher, Venom Blade - 165 (1450)
10 Wyches w/ Razor Flail, Shardnet and Impaler, Haywire Grenades, Phantasm Grenade Launcher, Venom Blade - 165 (1615)

Ravager w/ Night Shield, Flickerfield - 125 points (1740)


Use Lelith to count as the additional wych. I would strongly recommend playing no higher than 1750. You simply don't have the models to go higher and play effectively.

Start off with the two haemonculi in with the two squads in Raiders. Ravager at the back of the lines ready to start moving and shooting. Everything else in reserve. Throw both the Raiders forward on turn 1. Deploy a Webway with one of them on Turn 1 by moving 12" and deploying 2". This ensures you have a single webway set up for units coming on from reserve from next turn. Make the second one turbo-boost as far forward as possible. Hopefully, he can deploy his second webway in the most advantageous position on Turn 2.

You have enough grenades and whatnot throughout the army to make sure that you can make life very difficult for any vehicle that comes anywhere near near you. The Ravager snipes from the back, the Harlequins and Incubi chop through what they can. The Baron is capable of slicing through vehicles, with a second pain token, he'll be at strength 6 on the charge. It may be worth your while to detach him to go tank hunting of his own accord if the squad racks up enough pain tokens.

Other than that, it's just the obvious. Assault what you can, destroy what you can, and generally rampage. The large squads and pain tokens should ensure your haemonculi both get to deploy their webways.

I was not aware I could equip a power weapon on Harlequins. I am still pretty new to these Dark Eldar.

it's cool dude everybody's gotta start somewhere.

Also, if I remember correctly, Harlequins have Furious Charge, so those PW attacks would be S4 on the charge.

yes that is correct, they also have hit and run so after you have destroyed him, but there is still enough back there to lock you up in the assault you can just jump out again. just don't forget all your special rules because it will come back and bite you in the ass did that against some shooty gaunts that i wiffed against and ended being charged by a tyrant a tervigon and a trygon and then remembering afterwards that I could just have jumped out and then charged in again