mythological wrote:Very solid list, but I'm wondering why the wych transports have flickerfields, as the only time they shouldn't be getting their 4+ cover save for moving flat out is after they deposited their precious cargo.

Of course you might be trying to conserve a killpoint or two with them, but that doesn't seem like you.

Sorry if it is a silly comment, just seems like that extra 40 points could go to something better.

Dashofpepper wrote:Great guide Ketara!

I recently switched to a wych cult (which I'm sure will get an archetype article from you soon). For the reader, culminating his advice into a sample army 2,000 point list:

Darklight Storm:

HQ: Baron Sathonyx
HQ: Haemonculi with Shattershard and Crucible of Malediction

Troop1: 5x Warriors with one Blaster in a Dual Splintercannon Venom
Troop2: 5x Warriors with one Blaster in a Dual Splintercannon Venom
Troop3: 5x Warriors with one Blaster in a Dual Splintercannon Venom
Troop4: 5x Warriors with one Blaster in a Dual Splintercannon Venom
Troop5: 5x Warriors with one Blaster in a Dual Splintercannon Venom
Troop6: 9x Wyches with Haywire Grenades, 1x Hydra Gauntlet in a Raider with a Dark Lance and Flickerfield

Elite1: 4x Trueborn with 4x Blasters in a Dual Splintercannon Venom
Elite2: 4x Trueborn with 4x Blasters in a Dual Splintercannon Venom
Elite3: 3x Trueborn with 3x Blasters in a Dual Splintercannon Venom

Fast Attack1: 3x Beastmasters, 5x Khymerae, 4x Razorwing Flocks

Heavy Support1: Ravager with 3x Dark Lances and a Flickerfield
Heavy Support2: Ravager with 3x Dark Lances and a Flickerfield
Heavy Support3: Ravager with 3x Dark Lances and a Flickerfield

Tactical Analysis:
The advice I give people regarding kabal armies tends to aim at this kind of archetype, and I see its use becoming more prevalent.

1. A kabal is heavily vested in its ability to shut down enemy firepower to preserve itself - getting the "Alpha Strike" is critical. Having Baron Sathonyx along to grant +1 to your roll to go first is an asset without equal in this regard.

2. The wyches provide a solid close combat unit, and the haemonculi gives them a pain token from the start for Feel No Pain to extend their survivability. I consider them a mandatory unit in a TAC army because of the haywire grenades - they are the only answer to Monoliths and Blessed Hull landraiders; while also being a powerful tool against any other vehicles.

3. Baron Sathonyx runs with the beast unit to give them +1 cover to extend their survivability. He also grants them offensive and defensive grenades, letting them assault at their normal initiative through cover. I juggle between 5x Khmerae and 9-10 Khymerae (at the cost of a trueborn or two and wargear). The unit has flexiiblity - the Razorwing rending can penetrate rear armour, khymerae can glance it, and against infantry, they can use the Baron to pile in and generally strike first, or separate to get a 12" assault.

4. This army has enough Darklight weaponry to literally cover the battlefield in it - if 40k happened in realtime, there would literally be a storm of darklight weaponry streaming across the battlefield - thus the name 'Darklight Storm." While it doesn't guarantee a vehicle-less enemy army in one turn, Ketara has outlined the spirit of it; a shaken enemy vehicle means that a DE vehicle will likely survive as a result.

5. Just as important is the prevalence of splinter weaponry amongst the venoms and warriors. Against Spacewolves, two squads of longfangs will statistically fall to splinter cannons....BEFORE darklight weaponry even opens fire. Dealing with the infantry that spill out of a wrecked or exploded transport is important - and depending on their contents, can be just as important as neutralizing the vehicle itself.

This is my vision of the perfected kabal taking the field. It isn't the only working kabal theme, but it is the one that I've tailored to what I consider to be the height of competitive possibility, and encouraged others to try continuously. I've since returned to my roots as a Wych Cult player, but this army in the hands of a capable player is literally unparalleled on the field in its ability to inspire terror in your feeble enemies.

Dashofpepper wrote:

porkuslime wrote:How did your dice perform?

Below average. I kept track of results of some stuff. Here's some statistics over the course of three games:

-My venoms and ravagers took a total of 13 flickerfield saves, of which I passed two.
-My splinter cannon wounds out of 12 shots per vehicle in 3 games: 0,0,2,2,2,2,2,3,3,3,3,3,3,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,5,6,6,9. I had some getting no shots and some half shots (one weapon destroyed) but didn't count that.
-In three games, I had to make a total of 6 Dangerous Terrain tests for my skimmers. I failed 5 of them. Four those failures were in game 3, one was in game 1. In fact, in game 3 I did more damage to my own vehicles than my enemy did.

For close combat, I had four engagements total over three games.

Game 1: My six wyches and the Baron charged enemy two wyches (one succubus, one regular). I caused a total of 4 wounds on the charge needing 4+ to hit, 4+ to wound, rerolling wounds - enemy failed one on each wych, so I wiped them and got a pain token. The two wyches I was fighting against got two wounds back on me - the Baron failed his shadowfield save with a 1, and the wych I put the other wound on failed the 4+ Invul and died.

Game 3: I had three close combats.

#1: 10 Blood Angel Assault Marines assaulted into 6x wyches. I struck first at I6 with +1 weapon skill; 3+ to hit, 5+ to wound. I caused 2 wounds out of 6 wyches, which were both passed....and based on the pile-in, only 4 guys could swing back at me; they did 8 wounds; I failed 7 of them and was wiped. Fortunately, from where they consolidated to, my partner's nine killa-kans got to assault them and another unit, almost picking off half the BA army in one assault; talk about capitalizing on bad enemy choices. =D

#2: My other 5 wyches and my baron separately assaulted into the same 5 man grey hunter squad later in the game - they had an attached rune priest. Between the baron (at STR6) and the wyches (at STR3, with WS5), I did 3 wounds to the grey hunters, they failed one. The baron took two wounds from a grey hunter, and the squad took four. The baron rolled for his first save; poof - Shadowfield gone. Then he rolled for his second save. Poof, two wounds. My wyches failed 2/4 (average). I passed leadership for both units, and the Baron Hit and Run to get away (killpoint game and I wasn't trying to give up free killpoints.

Baron Sathonyx met an untimely end the following turn when an exploding vehicle send a piece of shrapnel through his eye and into his brain, causing him to lose his last wound.

The wyches were stuck in combat for another turn game turn, until I lost the lone wych remaining on my turn, letting him consolidate, then move and assault into some trueborn that had spent 2 turns failing to kill the rhino the grey hunters had emerged from. 3+ to hit and the best I can roll is 1,1,2. The trueborn got multi-assaulted along with an immobilized ravager....he only put two guys into the trueborn, who failed 2/2 saves, with one guy left passing leadership so that he's still locked in combat - so I didn't get to shoot at him my next turn. =p

I didn't keep track of my darklight weapon performance this game.

Thor665 wrote:Dash, you should just do what I do and roll really well. I win a lot by doing that and endorse it as a strategy.

gravic0 wrote:ive used this list, uber shenanigans. lol, but there are multiple ways you can cheese dark eldar; Kabals, Cults and a Wracks army, but ive used kabal alot and tried this cult list, me gusta.

gravic0 wrote:ive used this list, uber shenanigans. lol, but there are multiple ways you can cheese dark eldar; Kabals, Cults and a Wracks army, but ive used kabal alot and tried this cult list, me gusta.

Farmer wrote:

gravic0 wrote:ive used this list, uber shenanigans. lol, but there are multiple ways you can cheese dark eldar; Kabals, Cults and a Wracks army, but ive used kabal alot and tried this cult list, me gusta.

Which list is that? IMO DE are a balanced army, if only dissies weren't so god damn nerfed