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Hey all;

I'm new to DE and was wondering the viability of 3 wracks in a venom (2 units of this) to give me some anti infantry. Just not sure if I could be throwing something better in there.

The rest of the list is two raiders full of warriors and walking wyches with archon and hamie plus jets and ravagers.

Thoughts on wracks? I really like the models just not sure if it will help my competitve list or harm it.

They would be mulched by overwatch, perhaps a minimum sized squad with a Liquefier Gun might work, but thats awfully pricy 12 SC shots and a Liq Gun plus a weak assault unit. For the same points you could to 5 Wyches with Haywire in a Venom for a much more effective unit. Best way to run Wracks IMHO is dark footdar or even in raiders as a haemy bodyguard.

How is it pricey? 95pts for a scoring unit in one of the best anti infantry platforms around is acceptable. In 5th they were arguably a better option than the Blaster Warriors that people spammed, you save 30pts per unit, still score and really don't lose much offensive output (single shot Blasters don't achieve much, nor do the 4 grunts) or defensive ability (less bodies, but T4 and FNP even it out).
I still think they are a viable way of getting more scoring units into your list in 6th (still the cheapest viable scoring unit DE get), they are just much harder to use effectively now that you have to disembark to score. If you can I would definitely try and find the extra 30pts to get Blaster Warriors or Haywire Wyches (in Venoms) now (whereas before I really didn't worry about it), but if you can't its not the end of the world. Consider deploying the Venom by itself and reserving the Wracks to try and make them last longer. I've also seen people taking Hexrifles in small squads like this to try and snipe out of the Venom as well.

I really don't know why you bring up overwatch, 3 Wracks clearly aren't ever going to intentionally assault anything. I'm seriously considering taking 10 man units of Wracks in Raiders now, they are probably the most durable DE scoring unit you can get.

Just to clarify, this is in a list with a Haemonculi right? Wracks as an Elite unit are a complete waste of time.

Nythryl wrote:
They would be mulched by overwatch, perhaps a minimum sized squad with a Liquefier Gun might work, but thats awfully pricy 12 SC shots and a Liq Gun plus a weak assault unit. For the same points you could to 5 Wyches with Haywire in a Venom for a much more effective unit. Best way to run Wracks IMHO is dark footdar or even in raiders as a haemy bodyguard.

Tbh, they are as squishy or even less squishy than the unit you mentioned.

Wracks are T4 and have FNP along with 6+ armour.

5 Wyches only have their 6+armour.

I agree that Wyches with Haywire grenades can do more on the board, though.

IMO, Wracks are a good unit - you might not want to charge everything with them, but they might serve some different purposes, like soaking overwatch to let Wyches get into play.

The only reason I think you would be using min squads of wracks in venoms is to have mobile scoring units that can deal damage at range.

The venom is what does the damage the wracks just score.

Minimum sized Wracks won't kill anything unless you give 'em a acothyst and hexrifle. They're just a mandatory scoring upgrade to the venom. If you add the hexrifle and spam a couple of these tiny squads, they can reliably pick off characters. One hexrifle won't reliably roll 6's, but 3+ will.

3 Wracks that have an Acothyst with a Hex Rifle in a Venom is pretty good.

The squad's small and only has 1 shot ( that most of the time is basically a 36", assault 1, rending, splinter rifle.) so generally gets ignored.

Sit the 3 man squad on an objective taking potshots at things.

Personally I've taken 2-3 squads of these in damn neear every game of 5th I played with my DE, and they've always served me well. From my few games of 6th they're now an even better force and I intend to run 2-4, quite possibly with Hex-Haems on board (not sure if this will make them a big enough threat to become a target, or if Precision Shot alone will...)

I would not suggest attaching a Haemonculus to one of those squads. It doubles the cost and adds very little to the squad, while also limiting your killing potential.

Adding the haemy just gives a squad that shouldn't be in close combat furious charge and an extra hexrifle shot.

Detatching the haemy gives you that extra hexrifle shot but it can be fired at a different target (or the same target if necessary) and requires the enemy to dedicate at least 2 units worth of firepower to wiping these threats out instead of only needing 1.

I think the haemy with a hexrifle and wrack squad with hexrifles is a good combo, just not together. It weakens their biggest advantage, that they are so cheap and numerous your opponent has to ponder the hard decision of over-killing the feth out of a target or dealing with its sustained firepower for the entirety of the game.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I am definitely going with with two units of three in venoms. Mostly just to get the venoms and only pay a 30 point tax each. They will not engage anything except as a last resort and to maybe get out and claim on the final turns.

The haemonculus will likely go with something else like Incubi or some other unit. Not sure on that yet.