Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So Im going to be playing a DE mirror match at 1850 on sunday. I know he has a ton of venoms and the obligitory ravagers and a few raiders. Not sure what else. Probably 5 man warriro squads throughout.

Im thinking of reducing my venoms and taking more raiders as im thinking there will be enough AI to take anything unlucky enough to lose its ride.
Im also thinking of nightshields on everything to make his blasters 12". Having his ravagers 30" can also be nice so if he reserves everything. I can sit on my table edge and he cant hit me even with his 12" move onto the board.

I dont think I should think about bikes, scourges, or beasts. I usually take 1 squad of incubi in TAC but for DE i think 3 blasterborn is the answer.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
so let me rephrase. what is the best way to beat DE venom spam as DE?

I'd probably take a lot of raiders and focus on killing his anti-tank stuff before he can kill yours...don't spend any extra points on anti-infantry as DE does that fine already. Night-sheilds are probably a good idea, so long as he doesn't take them too, lol, and then they just cancel each other out.

The main thing will be getting rid of his skimmers before he gets yours, and then mopping up the infantry.

It looks like you have thought of most of the main stuff already, tbh quite a bit is going to be riding on the first turn since whoever hits first is going to hit harder. As you mention anything outside a vehicle is probably dead, the only possible exception would be a Hellion Bomb, since 3+ cover and then FNP is very hard to chew though even with 6 Venoms. These two combined means the Baron becomes even more valuable basically.

Nightshields are definitely worth it, it means you should have an edge over him in terms of range, particularly anti tank range (which is what will decide this game). Personally I would reinforce this by taking more Dark Lances, including taking Trueborn with Dark Lances (and keeping them inside their Raider to fire out, essentially another Ravager), but then I value Dark Lance Trueborn more than Blasterborn anyway since overall they tend to do more damage (since they live longer).

In practice we are still talking about TAC lists tbh, DE don't need to change much assuming you have a competitive build to begin with.

Night Shields everywhere

Talos, Grots, Wracks, Scourges, Incubi, Wyches (anything that's going to be for CC, or won't start in something with an armour value basically...) are going to be a huge no-go here...

Infact I'd be tempted to say go the opposite and Raider up if you can.


A highly mobile armoured force with lots of lances, literally max out on lances, I'd even be tempted to take Vect with his pimpmobile for more lances (just slap a squad of Warriors with him) if you have the points.

Have as much if not more armour, be more mobile and outrange him.
Make those Splinter Cannons a wasted effort for as long as you can.

I remember in my last game vs another DE player in a pickup game, his was a lance spam list, mine a coven... did not end well for me.

I never understand these threads... If you know your playing DE then you simply Tailor your list to WIN?

If you win did you deserve it? Or did you simply out wargear a guy?

A regular non tailored DE list should be able to deal with everything. You should be asking more about tactics that wargear.

so ended up playing 2 matches against DE at that tourney. Was single elimination basically so it was necessarily to tailor a bit for the first game.

My first opponent brought 9 venoms, full blasterborn and ravagers. Full warriors and the duke.
I had 4 venoms, 5 raiders full blsterborn and ravagers but only 3 of my troops were warriors. The others were wyches and wracks.

He won the roll off to go first but then chose second and DSed everything, which really confused me. I destroyed most of his ravagers quickly and stunned, immobilized or weapon destroyed half his venoms but I couldnt kill them all. Neither one of us could kill off each other's troops who were going to ground with FNP in craters all over. I was doing alright with wyches charging and killing them off but unfortuneatly they were both on the same side of the table.

Second guy had a more fun list but he moved his reavers too close to me and got assaulted and lost quickly.