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Im just startig to collect dark eldar and am finding myself drawn to the idea of basing my army around reavers, hellions and wyches in raiders. What is a good base to start with?


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I want to start with 30 wyches spread out in 3 raiders. 6 reavers and two squads of 10 hellions. I want to take 10 mandrakes as well. what would a good hq be to add to this list and what else can I take to complament it?

Unfortunately, many of the units you mention aren't very competitive. Reavers and in particular mandrakes are very difficult to use effectively and will usually not contribute in proportion to their point cost.

If you're looking to make a competitive list, you should probably look at any of the FAQs or Tactics hosted on this site. Thor665, and DashofPepper have both provided fantastic guides for using the Dark Eldar codex effectively. Checking there first will give us something we can work with and refine, rather than telling you the basic stuff that's been well documented already.

If you don't want a competitive list, you don't need our help and can just pick whatever models you think look cool or have a neat backstory.

Im looking to be competative, but I also want something that is fun to play.

Well, it's rather difficult for us to evaluate what's "fun" for you. So all we can do is help you build a competitive list.

And for that, I'll point back to the FAQs and Tacticas I mentioned earlier.

The first tip for making a competitive list is don't use mandrakes.

Other than that it's mostly a case of picking what you want, loading them into transports or gearing up for a webway list and working from there.

I've got a haem coven that's all grotesques and wracks in transports that's been doing really well, so things can be successful without being the 'standard' lists.

Excluding the Mandrakes I think you are off to a good start! 2 Squads of Wyches might be enough and I would combine those Hellions into a squad of 13-15 and add The Baron! He is great for his cost, shame about the power weapon thing.

Yes, the tactica's are great, but hey, we can also help.

Here is a sample of some good things we can put in a list;

Baron
Haems w liquifier x 2, (go with wyches for that FNP then flame)
Hellions x 13-15
Wyches x 9, with Hek, Ag, HWG and a raider w FF, x 2 (can look to add a razorflail if you want)
Warriors x 5, Blaster in Venom w SC, x 2 (solid little units)
Wrack x 3, Venom w SC (cheap home base unit that starts witht he Baron and pass their pain token to the Hellions first turn, and gets a venom)
Ravager w FF x 3 (best generally accepted HS option non WWP)
Blasterborn x 3-4 with 3-4 blasters, Venom w SC, x 3 (the hard hitters, just don't get attached to them)

Some people will disagree on the Hellions but this list will perform well against most armies. No specific points level here, more an indication of where you could take your list if you wanted.
Try to make your own full list, and we can give some comments.

@Ovion - played a game last night with a WWP list that included 10 Wracks with 2 liquifiers. That's a hard unit for 120 points and was the star player unit with the Baron's and Hellions, it is dissappointing that they don't have kill vehicle options. How do you handle heavy mech?

cmac wrote:@Ovion - played a game last night with a WWP list that included 10 Wracks with 2 liquifiers. That's a hard unit for 120 points and was the star player unit with the Baron's and Hellions, it is dissappointing that they don't have kill vehicle options. How do you handle heavy mech?

My 1500pt list is 2 Haemonculi (Liquifiers and Venom Blades), that go with 2 squads of 3 Grotesques (Liquifier, Aberration with Venom Blade) in Raiders (Flickerfield, Night Shields),
2 squads of 10 Wracks (2 Liquifier Guns, Acothysts with Venom Blades) in Raiders (Flickerfield, Night Shields), 2 squads of 3 Wracks (Acothysts, Hex Rifles) in Venoms (Splinter Cannons), 2 Talos (TL Liquifier Guns, TL Haywire Blasters) and a Razorwing Jetfighter (Splinter Cannon, Flickerfields, Night Shields).
The 2k list adds another haem, raider of grots and hexvenom.

I tend to throw every lance in range at the biggest mechanised threat, then moving on to the next one, the cannons and hex rifles soften / eliminate certain targets, before I throw sets of liquifier guns at things, followed by assaults.

At that point all my infantry are locked in combat and safe from shooting, and the vehicles / talos are left to shoot it out with whatever enemy units are left, the Talos will eventually smack into something, and they tend to draw a HELL of a lot of fire. 2 T7 Monstrous Creatures seem to scare folk
Lances and Haywire Blaster are generally enough to take care of any vehicle, up to and including Land Raiders and Baneblades, but mech heavy (past say.. 5 vehicles) will cause a slight problem, and will make life a bit harder.

I would really like to run that list, however against 6 psy dreads, 9 necron scythes, 18 long fangs I think the AT would get taken out pretty quick and it could be tough going. Our Shanghai meta is mainly GK's, Necrons and SW's in the expat community. Sometimes with wracks and haems they feel like they are running around watching the pretty airplanes and can't do a thing about it.

I'll be heading back to NZ soon with the comp and fluff culture, could be a better time to try it.

18 Long Fangs shouldn't be a problem with my list. I deploy heavily in cover, then I'd slam CC units into them, which would nullify them.

My problem with Wolves is ragnar and such counterassaulting and ruining my day.

I want to run a full wych cult with hellions and reavers to take out what they can at the very start. With the wyches coming up in raiders with a succubus and an archon. Have a talos for heavy support and beast masters in reserve to pop out of a webway.

That should feasibly work. You'll be wanting 2-3 teams of 6-9 reavers with JUST blasters / heat lances equipped to pull off anti-vehicle fire support from them, and the Wyches will likely mostly want Haywire Grenades.

The main problem with your proposed list will be vehicles - Talos coming in second turn can help, out of the webway I'd be giving them Heat Lances, additional CCW and chain flails, you're going to be relying on the reavers and wyches for anti-tank with withering fire support from the raiders.

Problem is you want the Wyches killing troops - I'd suggest possibly 1 talos and 2 razorwings, (maybe 2 talos and 1 razorwing, but 2 flyers will serve you better)