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Hi folks, I'm playing in a campaign at my gaming club next week, and I thought I'd get a bit of feedback on my lists before fielding them. Firstly though, the campaign has pretty strict rules in the effort to have a good time and stop people basically breaking the game with really boring and OP lists...

*** Please do not reply before reading these rules***
No duplicate choices except troops and transports which may not choose duplicate multiple options.
No special characters.
Choose one Elite, Fast Attack and Heavy Support before being allowed to choose a second Elite, Fast Attack, Heavy Support etc.

Basically, the idea is to write fluffy lists, not WAAC spam.

*** Secondly, my own caveat***
I run a Harlequin troupe army using the DE codex, representing the various agents of the Black Library, including a few I've made up myself. I'll list the codex entry and then the Harelquin unit that it represents.

So with all that in mind I'd like some advice on possible tactics ideas I'm having with each list, and also ways that I could possibly streamline each one without losing the general theme behind the list. Also, many of these choices are based purely on the models which I have at my disposal. I've only played a few games so far so I just don't want to get completely creamed.

OK, if you're still with me, here we go!



First off, a 1000 point take-all-comers list:

-Haemonculus [Shadowseer] Powersword, Liquifier 70
-Haemonculus [shadowseer] Powersword 60

-Trueborn x5 [Death Jesters] Splinter cannon x5 110

- Wyches x9 [Harlequins] Hekatrix, Power sword, Haywire grenades 138
-Raider 60
- Wychesx9 [Harlequins] Hekatrix, Power sword 110
-Raider 60
-Warriors x5 [Wardens ] Blaster 60
-Warriors x5 [Wardens] Blaster 60

-Jetbikes x6, Heat lance x2 156

-Talos [Manifestation of Cegorach] Chain flails, TL Haywire blaster 115

The idea is that the Haemonculi will go with the Wyches to give them fnp, raiders will zoom in and try to hug cover the 1st turn, disembark the second turn and go nuts. Meanwhile the bikes act as support and everything else takes potshots at any vehicles, while the trueborn lay down a hail of splinter fire at any infantry units or monstrous creatures. Talos is a beast and will either draw fire and die, or make it to enemy lines and kill!



Ok, next list is also 1000 points, and this round of the campaign specifies no vehicles allowed.

-Haemonculus Ancient [Master Death Jester] Hexrifle 95
-Haemonculus [Shadowseer] Power Sword, Liquifier 70

-Trueborn x5 [Death Jesters] Splinter cannon x5 110

-Wyches x10 [Harlequins] Hekatrix Power Sword 120
-Warriors x20 [Wardens] Splinter cannon x2 200

-Hellions x10 [Skyboarders] Helliarch, Venom Blade 170
-Jetbikes x5, Arena Champ, Venom Blade 125

-Talos [Manifestation of Cegorach] Chain flails 110

Shooty, with a sting in counterattack. The Trueborn can put out 30 shots, and will have the Haem Ancient with them. The Warriors can also put out 30 shots a turn, so should pick up pain tokens quite quickly. Wyches take the other Haem's token, maybe sneak from cover to cover waiting to ambush something slow, and the jetbikes and hellions work together to pick off any squishy units with shooting then assaulting. Talos is still the wildcard, front and centre taking punishment and giving it out if ignored.



Next, a 1500 point list trying to be well rounded. It's basically an expansion on the last one. I'm going to leave out the Harlequin names now. If you're still reading you get the gist by now.

-Haem Ancient, Hexrifle, venom blade 100
-Haem, Power Sword, Liquifier 70
-Haem, Power Sword, Liquifier 70

-Incubi x5 110
-Venom w/ Splinter cannon 65
-Trueborn x5 Splinter cannon x5 110

-Wyches x9, Hekatrix, Power Sword, Haywire grenades 128
-Raider 60
-Wyches x9, Hekatrix, Power Sword, Haywire grenades 128
-Raider 60
-Warriors x 20, Splinter cannon x2 200

-Jetbikes x6, 2 Heat lance 156
-Hellions x8 128

-Talos Chain flails, TL Haywire blaster 115



And finally (thank goodness, you say) a 1500 point aggressive list.

-Archon, Huskblade, Shadowfield, Combat drugs, Ghostplate, Soul trap, Blast pistol 170
-Haemonculus Ancient, Agoniser, Shattershard, Liquifier 125
-Haemonculus, Powersword, Liquifier 70
-Haemonculus, Powersword, Liquifier 70

-Incubi x8, Klaivex 191
-Raider, Night Shields, Flickerfield 80

-Wyches x9, Hekatrix, Agoniser 120
-Raider, Flickerfield 70
-Wyches x9, Hekatrix, Agoniser 120
-Raider, Flickerfield 70
-Wyches x5, Haywire grenades 60
-Venom, Splinter cannon 65
-Wyches x5, Haywire grenades 60
-Venom, Splinter cannon 65

-Jetbike x6, Blaster x2 162

With this list, the Incubi, Archon and Haem Ancient all go together in the Raider and basically just mob the most powerful unit on the board, supported by the Wyches with the Haems. The Jetbikes and the Wyches with Haywire go after anything with an armour value, which I admit is not a lot if I face a vehicle heavy list. However, this list could be really cool and scary if it works.


Thanks for reading, (if you got this far!) Please comment on any or all of these lists, suggesting things I could improve, things I could tweak, drop or add without completely restructuring everything.

Take list 4. Dark Eldar win or die on their ability to outmaneuver the enemy, which relies entirely on their transports; a footslogging Dark Eldar unit is asking to die horribly before doing any damage at all. Everything that can be mounted should be mounted.

Thanks for the reply, kudos for getting through the post! Based on that I may try to tweak the others to have more vehicles. What about the list which is not allowed any vehicles by the campaign rules? I have to play 7 1000 point games (2 of which are practice games and 2 with no vehicles) and 4 1500 point games.

Also in the last list, is it worth keeping the Huskblade and Soul Trap on the Archon or swapping for an Agoniser and freeing up some points for elsewhere? I really want that squad to be a Terminator killer, which is why I went with the Huskblade.

Only 1 problem I can see - codex states that in a trueborn squad, up to 2 models can carry cannons. Otherwise it's rifles for them.

Oh no, you're right! I can't believe I missed that. Maybe I'll do 2 cannons and the rest with shardcarbines, that way they can still put out a high number of shots. Thanks for catching that for me!

not entirely sure, but I think you could replace those three cannons (extras on trueborn) with shard carbines on 3 and 1 more trueborn with a shardcarbine... but that might be 2 points over (if you have a list that is exactly on the points limit) onother idea, is to give the archon a venom blade ASWELL as the husk blade. obviously you are still getting +1 attack for 2 ccw, but if you are against someone with really light armour, or a stupid invulnerable save, then having poisoned 2+ is sometimes better than ap2...

Yeah two very good points nickick. I'll see what I can do about working those ideas in. Didn't really think about the idea of having a venom blade AND a huskblade, and for only 5 points it's not breaking the bank.

The only issue would be that I'd have to drop his blat pistol, but then it's very much a cc unit anyway, so a 6" blater shot might not make all that much difference, and would free up another 10 points if swapping it for the venom blade.

The other advantage of that is it fits the model I have for my Archon much better, as he has two swords!

As far as the trueborn go I wouldnt recommend giving them shardcarbines unless they can have a transport because otherwise they'll die before they get close enough to use them. I would just get a couple squads of 3, 2 with SC's and then use the other one as a meat shield, and try to keep them as far back as the SC's range permits.

flaming tadpole wrote:
As far as the trueborn go I wouldnt recommend giving them shardcarbines unless they can have a transport because otherwise they'll die before they get close enough to use them. I would just get a couple squads of 3, 2 with SC's and then use the other one as a meat shield, and try to keep them as far back as the SC's range permits.

Good point. That way I'll get more splinter cannons, and 2 small squads of Death Jesters feels a bit more fluffy than one big one as well.

nickick wrote:
not entirely sure, but I think you could replace those three cannons (extras on trueborn) with shard carbines on 3 and 1 more trueborn with a shardcarbine... but that might be 2 points over (if you have a list that is exactly on the points limit)

Only problem with this idea is the squad would be at 6 and in the lists they take a venom; they're over the transport capacity.

Shardcarbines are AMAZING, assault 3, poison 4+ and all, but they MUST be in a transport otherwise you become puddles of blood (fluff aside).

If you took 2x 3 man trueborn squads you would break the rules of list 3 - as you would need a 2nd HS before getting that 3rd elite. However, in list 3, as you have the splinterborn in a venom - I would personally go with the carbines to add assault 3's to the assault 4 cannons on the born and the 2x H6 on the venom. The look on some players faces when a splinter-boat comes up and you are rolling 20+ (29 in total for this build) BS4, poison 4+ shots at them is just, well, bring in a haemonculus to get off on that. Even though the shard carbines are 18" range, keep the venom at just in range, so they need at least an 11 on the charge, more if you kill a decent amount of their forward models! That would make any Jester proud, and very reminiscent of the Shrieker Cannon's in Path of the Outcast.

Oh yeah that's true, I can't have 2 small squads anyway because on the no duplicates rule. I think I need to completely go back to the drawing board on these lists!