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Here is my first shot for a pure DE list using the new codex.

HQ
Archon- Venom- SC

TROOPS
6x 5 Kabalites- Venom- SC

FA
4x 5 Scourge- 4 Haywire Blasters
2x 6 Reavers- 2 Heat Lances, 2 Cluster Caltrops

HS
2x Voidravens- Void Lances

Comes to 1847

What do you think?

It is good, fast, fragile and has an overwhelming amount of shots.

All i am worried about is that about half you army is at the mercy of the reserve rolls and a 1/3 chance to get the right Warlord trait. What i am suggesting is dropping a Kabbie Venom and getting yourself a Comms relay. Dark Eldar right now are ALL about their Beta strike, and they do it extremely well, but coming in on a 2+ will be a massive improvement. They also offer Venoms (not Raiders mind) a cover save from the ADL.

Just an option to consider.

I'd take blasters on the reavers.
I've found that if I want to charge, I don't want to off the two closest models and lose rending HoW because of the increased distance.
If I want to shoot, i want to be as far out of possible (18") and then use the eldar jet bike rule to jump 2D6" back/into cover in the assault phase.

It's solid. Tons of poison and tank hunting will never go out of style.

I would consider taking blasters over heat lances on reavers, heat lances are only effective against armor within 9" due to str6, and are a non threat to most MCs.

Blasters also tend to ignore FnP on many things where a heat lance will ignore it pretty much just on other DE

Of course if you find in your meta terrain means you often do not get into LoS of models with reavers until you are within 9" then heat lances are pretty good, but still a minor threat to MCs and tough FnP units like meganobz.

The other reason is you will have little AT on the board to start unless you have scourges on the table at start. Voidravens off table, scourges in reserve means you have 0 AT at the start. Venoms are not useful against mech armies, without having AT on the board to open transports to kill contents.

This will leave your venoms mostly to completely target-less for the first few turns against some opponents.

You should really consider putting blasters in the venom squads at least. This list will really struggle in competitive play against TAC without more AT to start out. To clarify this statement against mech or vehicle heavy armies you will struggle to do much of anything, and against non mech armies you will put out a large volume of fire and probably wipe them out.

He doesn't need AT on the board turn 1, because he will only deploy his Venoms turn 1 if it is safe to do so. If not, then he will keep them in reserve with the rest of his army. Remember, they removed the rule for having up to half your army in reserve, you can very easily throw almost your entire army into reserve as long as you have a unit or 2 that's only job is to not get wiped out turn 1 to allow you a turn 2.

On that note, after doing a little math i found for the same price as a Single Kabbie Venom he can get a ADL with Comms relay and a unit of 3 Mandrakes. ''Why 3 Mandrakes?'' i hear you ask. Because 3 Mandrakes are obnoxiously cheap, 36 pts to be exact. They also have stealth + shrouded, meaning almost any cover grants them a 2+ cover save! With surviving turn 1 in mind to allow a monstrous Beta strike turn 2, Mandrakes are both the cheapest and most survivable unit in the Dark Eldar codex. Just hope the enemy didn't bring Wyverns...

blaktoof wrote:
I would consider taking blasters over heat lances on reavers, heat lances are only effective against armor within 9" due to str6, and are a non threat to most MCs.

Blasters also tend to ignore FnP on many things where a heat lance will ignore it pretty much just on other DE

Of course if you find in your meta terrain means you often do not get into LoS of models with reavers until you are within 9" then heat lances are pretty good, but still a minor threat to MCs and tough FnP units like meganobz.

The other reason is you will have little AT on the board to start unless you have scourges on the table at start. Voidravens off table, scourges in reserve means you have 0 AT at the start. Venoms are not useful against mech armies, without having AT on the board to open transports to kill contents.

This will leave your venoms mostly to completely target-less for the first few turns against some opponents.

You should really consider putting blasters in the venom squads at least. This list will really struggle in competitive play against TAC without more AT to start out. To clarify this statement against mech or vehicle heavy armies you will struggle to do much of anything, and against non mech armies you will put out a large volume of fire and probably wipe them out.

This makes a lot of sense. The only way I can see to finance it is to drop a squad of warriors. That should give enough points to put blasters in all the warriors that remain. Then you could add night shields in a couple places. The archon's venom wouldn't be a bad place for it. Being able to jink for a 3+ would help him survive (longer.?) maybe he can avoid giving up points for slay the warlord.

Great Idea with the ADL + coms relay + mandrakes. I am worried about 3 models getting wiped though before turn 2. If I cut a scourge squad, I could add more to the mandrakes and/or hide another mandrake unit behind some LoS blocking terrain.

I think you should consider using the Wrack Formation with 2 Venoms, that seems particularly interesting in that it deep strikes turn one and if they kill something ( they can have 24 Splinter Cannon Shots, between the two vypers) you gain D3 victory points for a easy lead on the first turn and by a lot depending on what Tactical Cards you have.

Hollismason wrote:
I think you should consider using the Wrack Formation with 2 Venoms, that seems particularly interesting in that it deep strikes turn one and if they kill something ( they can have 24 Splinter Cannon Shots, between the two vypers) you gain D3 victory points for a easy lead on the first turn and by a lot depending on what Tactical Cards you have.

Saw that too, was considering taking two of those formations even...