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Made in gb
[SWAP SHOP MOD]
Killer Klaivex







After extensive analysis, I have come up with the following styles of list or play that are viable. As ever, elements of each can be thrown together to try and make an effective list, but these are the main strategies.

The first is the traditional Kabal list. Maximum firepower, minimal combat. So squads of 5 warriors with a blaster in a venom, quadruple blaster/double lance wielding Trueborn, triple Ravager, and Scourges/Hellions. All infantry are mounted, and the army darts around the field relying on staying out of combat as a general rule of thumb, and using superior firepower and mobility to take the day.

The second is mechanized assault. Wyches with haywire grenades, Wracks, and Incubi, with a triple Ravager for anti-tank support. Close Combat squads start the game in Raiders. You pick your combats, and overwhelm the foe. Refused flank strategy works well, because enemies usually have difficulty repositioning themselves in time.

Thirdly, we have the Webway assault list. You take two or three Haemonculus in Venoms with a bodyguard of four wracks each, and give them a liquifier gun and webway portal. There are usually two methods of running this list, the Sliscus, or the Sathonyx methods(as you only have a single spare HQ slot after the Haemonculus).

Using Sliscus, you start off a single venom on the table (regardless of going first or second) and everything else in reserve. Hide it behind terrain if you go second, as far forward as possible if you're first. On your first turn, you throw it forward twelve inches, deploy, and activate the portal. That way, any available units in turn 2 have a portal ready to emerge from, even if its not as far forward as you'd like. Ideally, there should be enemy units within twelve or so inches, so as to get off a charge. The remaining one or two venoms drop in the most advantageous position, and using sliscus's rule, deploy as soon as they hit the table and activate their portals. More portals means more exit points though, and higher chances of getting another portal on your reserve rolls at the start of turn 2.

The Sathonyx method means your portals have to get to the other side of the table manually. In this case, you start off with just the three venoms with haemonculi on your side of the table with the rest of the force in reserve. The numbers and shields and careful placement behind terrain should ensure at least one survives and is capable of moving if you go second. Assuming at least two are capable of moving on your first turn, you move one 12 inches, deploy, and activate the portal. The other(s) move flat out, and rely on the feel no pain rule to survive even if their transports get shot down, so as to be able to drop the portals the following turn.

Both lists will ideally feature at least two talos with suitable loadouts (extra combat weapon and heat lance being my favorite). A third talos, or a cronos finishes the heavy support. Sathonyx lets you take Hellions as troops for objective holding. 5 Hellions with 2 Heat lances are good for attempting to hit rear armour. Wyches with Haywire grenades for anti-tank, and Incubi/Grotesques in the Elites slot. Beastmaster squads take up Fast Attack.

Fourth is the Dark footdar list. You drop sixty Wracks as troops choices with Haemonculi straight off the bat. This gives you a plethora of ground troops with feel no pain, liquifier guns, and acothysts with suitable power weapons. You then have the choice of giving their accompanying Haemonculi webways, in order to aid you in bringing on some suitable combat units mid field. Talos and grotesques are list possibilities, as are drop scourges with heat lances/blasters. The webway variant of this list allows you to run no tanks, thus defeating all your opponents anti-tank weapons. Hellions can be taken and have Haemonculi attached to give them feel no pain at the start of the game. Sathonyx can be of use combined here, allowing you to take a squad or two of them as troops choices. This leaves your fast attack free to load out with beastmaster squads, a useful unit that allows all kinds of other tricks with wound allocation shennanigans.

Lastly is the Dark Eldar leafblower equivalent list. Sathonyx is a must to aid you in getting first time, and Vect is a possibility in aiding you to that end in larger games (2000 points plus). Triple Razorwing/VoidRaven with large missile loadouts along with Trueborn sniper boats, Scourges with Dark Lances, and as many venoms as you can get. Minimal number of troops. The objective is to blow the opposition away in your first turn to the point whereby they can't hurt you back effectively.

These are the five strategies the Dark Eldar list provides for. Ideally, when crafting your list, your strategy should be one of these templates, or a mix of two of them for greatest possible success.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2011/02/14 18:53:37



 
   
Made in us
Fixture of Dakka





Feasting on the souls of unworthy opponents

Interesting reading. This is not an attempt to discredit you because I think this will be valuable for people starting Dark Eldar, but I think that there is another competitive build (mine) for which I've thus far not posted any battle reports or lists of....and I'm not convinced of the viability of some of these, primarily because I haven't seen them in action (and can't see myself prevailing with them in certain circumstances).

All in all, thanks for the contribution!

   
Made in us
Dakka Veteran




Manhattan

Wow great list! Thumbs up!

This will help me get started on my DE list. But for the last one: the leafblower could you be more specific? Around how many raiders vs. how many venoms. Will you be primarily relying on the VoidRavens and Trueborns for max damage?

Dashofpepper wrote:Interesting reading. This is not an attempt to discredit you because I think this will be valuable for people starting Dark Eldar, but I think that there is another competitive build (mine) for which I've thus far not posted any battle reports or lists of....and I'm not convinced of the viability of some of these, primarily because I haven't seen them in action (and can't see myself prevailing with them in certain circumstances).

All in all, thanks for the contribution!


dash, you're the No. 1 DE player if not the No. 1 40k player in the world. What type of DE list do you run? Help us out here. unrelated question: Dash I love your battle reports but do you intentionally paint your armies funky colours and kinda scruffy on purpose? It's just I thought the No. 1 player in the world to have all his minis painted to Eavy Metal quality.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2011/02/14 20:06:16


 
   
Made in gb
[SWAP SHOP MOD]
Killer Klaivex







I'm not saying that all of these templates would necessarily be competitive I should add as a necessary disclaimer. Simply that in order to in order to have a coherent strategy when you're designing your list, it should work in concurrence with these generalised themes.

I'm planning on going into a bit more detail on each of the types when I have the time. I understand the codex and its capabilities far better than I did six months ago, so I won't be resurrecting the relic of a brainstorm I did back then. Rather, I'm intending on doing a series of new articles in chunks, as bar this one now, there's actually no DE articles for 5th Edition available.


 
   
Made in us
Dakka Veteran






What about a wych cult army, is it viable? I am thinking Wyches with Haywire grenades in raiders, ravagers for anti-tank and either hellions and/or reaver jet bikers.

Thoughts?

Thanks
   
Made in gb
[SWAP SHOP MOD]
Killer Klaivex







That would fall under the second entry, mechanized assault.


 
   
Made in nl
Sybarite Swinging an Agonizer







This is a very good post, as it really display the most viably competitive builds. I think every dark eldar player should read this to start off, make it an article. I personally run kabal with some assault wrack boats. But ive heard those wwp lists out there are devastating

1250 Eldar
1250 Dark Eldar (still building)
DE Kabal fluff
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/338476.page

Human: Why are you so cruel.
DE: Why not. 
   
Made in no
Liche Priest Hierophant





Bergen

Wow I really really like it.

I also think your Naruto Avatar is very fitting when planing raids into realspace.

When I first got the codex I builded 30 wracks, 20 warriors 3 raiders, 2 ravagers and 15 helions + baron. I am a bit baffeled of what to do next as I have no idea witch way to go. Wracks never ever die (he has to krak them? Come on that is just harsh) but I am having a hard time poping transports with them. I usualy only runn into my regular oponent who plays mech vanilla marines or dark angels death wing. I am teefied of the dreadnoughts!

If you or dash of pepper have any sugestions on how to beat them I would love to hear. (Although I imadgine dash of pepper as a crosh between doctor frankenstein and doctor who when it comes to think up new and unique ways to take down IG and other mech hevay lists.) If he manadge to crack the mysterie it would be really good! :-)

Peace out, continue the good work.

   
 
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