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Hey folks!

I'm working on figuring out what my mythical 8th Edition Dark Drukhari army is going to look like, and got an initial "tournament ready 2k" army from a a veteran Dark Eldar tactician. I wanted to get some insight into its strengths and weaknesses.

------------------------
++ Brigade Detachment +12CP (Aeldari - Drukhari) [66 PL, 1332pts] ++

+ No Force Org Slot +

Detachment Attribute: Kabal of the Black Heart

+ HQ +

Archon [4 PL, 96pts]: Blaster, Huskblade, Labyrinthine Cunning, Phantasm Grenade Launcher, Warlord (Archon), Writ of the Living Muse

Archon [4 PL, 96pts]: Blaster, Huskblade, Phantasm Grenade Launcher

+ Troops +

Kabalite Warriors [2 PL, 38pts]
. 3x Kabalite Warrior
. Kabalite Warrior with special weapon: Shredder
. Sybarite: Splinter Rifle

Kabalite Warriors [2 PL, 38pts]
. 3x Kabalite Warrior
. Kabalite Warrior with special weapon: Shredder
. Sybarite: Splinter Rifle

Kabalite Warriors [2 PL, 38pts]
. 3x Kabalite Warrior
. Kabalite Warrior with special weapon: Shredder
. Sybarite: Splinter Rifle

+ Elites +

Kabalite Trueborn (Index) [5 PL, 123pts]
. Dracon: Splinter Rifle
. Kabalite Trueborn with Special Weapon: Blaster
. Kabalite Trueborn with Special Weapon: Blaster
. Kabalite Trueborn with Special Weapon: Blaster
. Kabalite Trueborn with Special Weapon: Blaster

Kabalite Trueborn (Index) [5 PL, 123pts]
. Dracon: Splinter Rifle
. Kabalite Trueborn with Special Weapon: Blaster
. Kabalite Trueborn with Special Weapon: Blaster
. Kabalite Trueborn with Special Weapon: Blaster
. Kabalite Trueborn with Special Weapon: Blaster

+ Flyer +

Voidraven [9 PL, 165pts]: Two void lances, Voidraven Missiles

Voidraven [9 PL, 165pts]: Two void lances, Voidraven Missiles

+ Dedicated Transport +

Venom [4 PL, 75pts]: Splinter Cannon, Splinter Cannon

Venom [4 PL, 75pts]: Splinter Cannon, Splinter Cannon

Venom [4 PL, 75pts]: Splinter Cannon, Splinter Cannon

Venom [4 PL, 75pts]: Splinter Cannon, Splinter Cannon

Venom [4 PL, 75pts]: Splinter Cannon, Splinter Cannon

Venom [4 PL, 75pts]: Splinter Cannon, Splinter Cannon

++ Spearhead Detachment +1CP (Aeldari - Drukhari) [41 PL, 668pts] ++

+ No Force Org Slot +

Detachment Attribute: Prophets of Flesh

+ HQ +

Haemonculus [5 PL, 74pts]: Haemonculus tools, Mindphase Gauntlet, Splinter Pistol

+ Heavy Support +

Talos [12 PL, 198pts]
. Talos: Macro-Scalpel, Macro-Scalpel
. . Two Haywire Blasters: 2x Haywire blaster
. Talos: Macro-Scalpel, Macro-Scalpel
. . Two Haywire Blasters: 2x Haywire blaster

Talos [12 PL, 198pts]
. Talos: Macro-Scalpel, Macro-Scalpel
. . Two Haywire Blasters: 2x Haywire blaster
. Talos: Macro-Scalpel, Macro-Scalpel
. . Two Haywire Blasters: 2x Haywire blaster

Talos [12 PL, 198pts]
. Talos: Macro-Scalpel, Macro-Scalpel
. . Two Haywire Blasters: 2x Haywire blaster
. Talos: Macro-Scalpel, Macro-Scalpel
. . Two Haywire Blasters: 2x Haywire blaster

++ Total: [107 PL, 2000pts] ++

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My head is still stuck in the idea that a DE army starts with 3 units of trueborn with blasters in venoms, 3 ravagers, whatever your HQ is, two troops (with venoms for the splinter cannons), then you fill in whatever points you have left around force org slots not filled by that. Voidraven bombers were inferior to Ravagers, but in reading the codex...I don't think those missiles are single use anymore.

Initial thoughts and feedback welcome!

Yeah so my experience is that with the coming of the codex, that Kabalite Trueborn are only worth it at this point if you really, really want to cling to the past. But now they are outclassed by even haywire blaster scourges in the current game. I can post my dark eldar list, which I think most would agree is pretty standered, and maybe it will give you some ideas.

Black Heart Battalion (+5cp)
Archon-splinter pistol/ venom blade (Warlord: labyrthine cunning)(Relic: Writ of the living muse)
Archon: blaster/venom blade

Kabalites: x5 with a blaster
Kabalites: x5 with a blaster
Kabalites: x5 with a blaster
Kabalites: x5 with a blaster
Kabalites: x5 with a blaster

Ravager: x3 Disintegrator cannon
Ravager: x3 Disintegrator cannon
Ravager: x3 Disintegrator cannon

Venom: x2 splinter cannon
Venom: x2 splinter cannon
Venom: x2 splinter cannon
Venom: x2 splinter cannon
Venom: x2 splinter cannon

Aliatoc Battalion (+5 cp)
Farseer skyrunner: witchblade (doom/executioner)
Farseer skyrunner: witchblade (doom/fortune)

Rangers: x5
Rangers: x5
Rangers: x5

Hemlock Wraithfighter: (jinx)
Hemlock Wraithfighter: (jinx)

Hopefully this can give you a few ideas, also on the subject of a Coven army, if you do want to go that route I would reccomend at least 10 grotesques, 6-9 talos, and still the three disintegrator ravagers in another detachment. Roughly a coven list might look like this...

Urien Rakarth
2x 7 grotesques
3x2 Talos w/ haywire (more if the points allow)

Archon
3x disintegrator ravagers

Farsear skyrunner
Warlock
Rangers
Rangers
Rangers

Something I still need addressed -

A take all comers army has the ability to kill mechanized elements, or troop based elements. Neither does the other job very well. Thus - one of your strongest moves is to deny utility to a portion of your enemy's firepower.

If you present both troops and vehicles, then both troops and vehicles can be fired on without concern. If you have only troops, Anti-tank weapons are underutilized against infantry, or trying to deal with MCs. If you have only vehicles, none of that anti-infantry weaponry is any good at all, without first blowing up some transports.

You're presenting some of both - it seems to be maximizing availability of targets to your enemy instead of making them make hard choices about what to fire at.

Can you elaborate more on your two lists?

I don’t actually play something close to the second list but just threw it together becuase I saw you had a coven element in your list and may want to go that direction. But I’m the first list aside from the rangers and characters everything else is a vehicle or riding in one, so I don’t really get what you’re trying to say. On the note of firing at the infantry I think you’ll find that grotesques can almost never be fired at lightly and that even ranges with prove hard to budge in cover with -2 to hit and a 3+ save.

SPAM!!!!!!

but thats all a DE list needs some time

that is all

I still think trueborn have merit but maybe moreso in an obsidian rose detachment. being able to get in to range turn1 is an advantage over scourges who cant deep strike until turn 2 now.

StrikerTommy wrote:
I still think trueborn have merit but maybe moreso in an obsidian rose detachment. being able to get in to range turn1 is an advantage over scourges who cant deep strike until turn 2 now.

A friend of mine was telling me that 24 points per blaster trueborn is a little silly, so I went back and found my 5th edition tournament list, and I see that trueborn then were 27 points per blaster model....so they're cheaper now than they were then.

At the time, you'd move the skimmer up 12", disembark trueborn up to 2" (into cover preferably) then unload blasters on an MC or a vehicle.
Now, it looks like you move a skimmer up 14" and....don't have to disembark at all? Trueborn can stay inside, and unload without being exposed?

Yeah but now with the age of mortal wounds and disintegrator being so effecient even at 24 points per model you may as well take harlequin bikes, reapers, ravagers, or even hemlocks even though they fill a slightly different role

 Dashofpepper wrote:

StrikerTommy wrote:
I still think trueborn have merit but maybe moreso in an obsidian rose detachment. being able to get in to range turn1 is an advantage over scourges who cant deep strike until turn 2 now.

A friend of mine was telling me that 24 points per blaster trueborn is a little silly, so I went back and found my 5th edition tournament list, and I see that trueborn then were 27 points per blaster model....so they're cheaper now than they were then.

At the time, you'd move the skimmer up 12", disembark trueborn up to 2" (into cover preferably) then unload blasters on an MC or a vehicle.
Now, it looks like you move a skimmer up 14" and....don't have to disembark at all? Trueborn can stay inside, and unload without being exposed?

The ppm comparison isn't really a good way of looking at things. Lots of things are 'cheaper' these days compared to 5th, inflation. It's like when people remember buying a candy bar 50 years ago for a dime.

As far as the lists go, the first thing I would do would be to ditch the splinter cannons on the Venoms. If you look at it you're paying 10 points for a couple extra splinter shots. 60 points can better be used elsewhere.