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So I decided to collect a third army which was Xenos (as I don't particulary like the easy-mode style of Space Marines, nor do I like gunline AM) and wanted a bit of a challenge. Still intend to play Tyranids but Necrons gets boring after spamming AV13 so I decided to go with Dark Eldar as my third army as the models look gorgeous.

I may be part of an escalation tournament so just wanted your thoughts on how this army may work? Bear in mind I have no knowledge about Dark Eldar tactics in general so if some of the units are wrong or not viable, forgive me

HQ
Archon
-Agoniser
-Shadowfield
=110

Troops
Kabalite Warriors x5
-Venom
-Blaster
= 115

Kabalite Warriors x5
-Venom
-Blaster
=115

Fast Attack
Reaver Jetbikes x6
-Heat Lance x2
=156

Total =496

Advice from Veteran DE players greatly appreciated!

Well, I'd go for 4 small Warrior units in Venoms and a cheap HQ.
In small pt games you need numbers.

I would find a way to take the extra Splinter Cannons on the Venoms, it's what makes them so good.

I'd also drop the Reavers down and take a third troops unit and a Raider for them and the Archon to ride in.

Something like:

Archon, Blaster = 75
Warriorsx5, Blaster, Raider, Night Shields = 130
Warriorsx5, Blaster, Venom, SC = 125
Warriorsx5, Blaster, Venom, SC = 125

Total = 455.

This gives you six obsec units, five S8 AP2 lance shots, and lotsa poison. With the remaining points either add more Warriors to the Raider squad, give the Archon more stuff, or swap the Raider Warrior squad for Haywire Wyches for a melee squad.

Oh OK, so cut out the Reaver jetbikes for low point games, got it

Would this list work?

Haemonuclus
=50

Warriors x5
-Blaster
-Venom with Splinter Cannon and Night Shields
=135

Warriors x5
-Blaster
-Venom with Splinter Cannon and Night Shields
=135

Wyches x5
-Haywire Grenades
-Raider with Night Shields
=130

Which comes to 450 if I'm not mistaken and gives the Wyches a Pain Token? Is this a solid start and if so, where would I go from here?

I do appreciate both your inputs though, thank you

drop the night shields, they're a waste of time. you need to hit fast.

dark eldar starts to get more survivable with target saturation. mixing the raider and venoms doesnt make a lot of sense... the pain token on the wyches also really doesnt make a huge difference.

At these low points, I'd keep the cheap haemonculus as the warlord. you may even want to keep him backfield as an objective holder on his own. or take a few wracks on foot to keep him alive.

in the venoms, load them with wyches with haywire. the venoms will kill things with toughness. the haywire can be thrown, and then assaulted.

If I had to take a 500 point list I'd likely take

3 venoms with 5 wyches with haywire (two splinter cannons, ALWAYS)

A haemonculus warlord. 6 wracks.

you could drop a wrack or two for a liquifier, but their job is to hold an objective 100%. go to ground if need be, use the T4. you want to play a backfield objective out of line of site and hope that 5-6 wracks with objective secured and a haemonculus will be enough to hold it. your three venoms will skirt around sniping things out. using the wyches to try to hold objectives or jump out and nerf vehicles.

the fact that the venoms don't explode is HUGE for wyches.

avoid blasters and lances now. theyre not worth the points. they wont pop tanks reliably with the new changes and they die too easy.

dark eldar are cheap and fragile... take what works and take a lot of it.

my old league list was 9 venoms with warriors/trueborn/blasters and a cheap haemonculus. plus three ravagers.

that was at 1500 in 6th edition. now, I'd run as many venoms with wyches as I have. sometimes I like a fun succubus too. she can be problematic for opponents if you keep her safe.

dont take raiders unless you're using splinter racks and hitting close/hard to double tap and reroll. even then... the venoms can hit just as hard while staying 36 inches away.

@Raioley Thanks for the advice! So are Warriors and Raiders not worth it anymore? What about Ravagers when I increase the points level?

Ravagers are really good. I would still take a Raider, even if they aren't the best they are still ok, and any footslogging troops/HQs are going to die really easily (even by DE standards) and never going to get into combat.

Well, I couldn't fit in a Ravager at 500 (I could but would lose troops) would this work?

Haemonuclus
-Liquifier Gun
=60

Wracks x4
-Venom
-95

Wyches
-Haywire Grenades
-Venom
=115

Wyches
-Haywire Grenades
-Venom
=115

Wyches
-Haywire Grenades
-Venom
=115

Or would it be better ditching the Venom with the Wracks for more Wracks?

EDIT - I probably will ditch that Venom for Splinter Cannons instead, what could I use the rest of the points on?

The last incarnation is looking the best IMO, but the venoms for the wyches still don't include the extra splinter cannon... which they should.

I'd personally try (and have) something like this:

Haemonculus w/ Liquifier - 60

3 Wracks in Venom w/ x2 SC - 95

3 Wracks in Venom w/ x2 SC - 95

5 Wyches in Venom w/ x2 SC - 125

Ravager w/ x3 DL, Flickerfields and Nightshields - 125

Ravagers are just too good not to include, and at a low point level, they should decimate your opponent's big guns quickly.

Nightshields are really best used on ravagers as I see it. There are just too many guns with 36" range that harm can harm the ravager (plasma cannon, multilaser, heavy bolter, etc.) where smart placement of the ravager keeps it out of harms way until it destroys the threat and then moves just in range of the next threat. Not so useful for the transports because they're usually more in the thick of it. There's a benefit to the venoms in which things can rapid fire, but it isn't as big a deal as for the ravagers.

In this edition, put the flickerfields on everything. The 5+ and no jinking kicks the crap out of a 4+ and snap shots. Plus the flickerfield is useful against close combat attacks, which is huge.

Personal opinion for upping point level: DON'T get a flier. The DE fliers are ok, but after all of the games I have with the DE, they really need to hit very hard very fast. Having a unit sitting in reserve hurts us too badly. Plus it takes up a spot that could be a ravager. If the fliers were FA, I'd think about it, but as is...

Good luck with the evil space elves, but note that they'll likely be getting a new codex in the coming months, so I wouldn't go too crazy with them yet. I've recently stopped adding to my army until I see the new direction.

Wait a bit. Because I hear their getting a new codex

Trollio14 wrote:
Wait a bit. Because I hear their getting a new codex

The models I already have are still unwrapped, so if they are deemed to be ineffective, they can be returned quite easily