Dark Eldar Unit ~ The Parched

Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:

No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.

If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

**Dakkamite**

So in the Dark Eldar fluff, there is a reference to the Parched. Essentially, they are soul deprived Dark Eldar, wretches who dwell in the alleyways and sewers and what not and will clutch pathetically at any shards of pain they can get their hands on.

I'm playing in a campaign at the moment that frequently uses Dark Eldar on one or both sides, and I was thinking of using these as a unit for my Wych Cult. Essentially, they get rounded up as fodder for the arenas, but if necessary, we give them a couple of sticks and knives and herd them into the battle. Spurred on by the sensations of the battlefield they go nuts trying to rejuvenate themselves on the pain of the fallen and charge forward (as cannon fodder)

Here's what I had in mind, C&C would be great.

Dark Eldar Unit ~ The Parched

Pathetic, soul starved wretches from the depths of Commorragh, the Parched are herded into battle (often at gunpoint), where the scent of pain sends them into a frenzy as they hurl themselves head first into the nearest enemy, yearning to sink their needle teeth and clawed fingers into soft flesh.

Parched

WS: 3, BS: 3, S: 3, T: 3, W: 1, I: 4, A: 1, Ld: 6, Sv: 6+

Points Cost: 25pts
Unit Size: 5 models
Wargear: Clubs, teeth, sharp nails ~ counts as a single Close Combat Weapon
Options
~May add up to 10 additional Parched for 5 points per model
~May be lead by a Beastmaster for 12 points. The Beastmaster may take his usual wargear, and a single Khymarae or Clawed Fiend at the usual price - which is used to keep these dregs in line!

Unit Type: Troops, Non-Scoring

Special Rules: Power from Pain, Fleet, Wretches, Hatred

Wretches

The Dark Eldar require the essence and pain of others to survive, and the Parched are those who have gone so long without these rejuvenating forces that they are but mere shadows of their former selves, scarcely more Eldar than beast. They yearn for the pain of others like a starving man would yearn for food, and they would kill for even the slightest whiff of the stuff.

A unit of Parched which has no Pain Token recieves the Hatred special rule, to reflect that crazed desire to inflict pain as they hurl themselves into the enemy. In addition, if at the start of your turn a unit of Parched without a Pain Token is within 12" of any non-vehicle enemy unit, they are crazed, and must move directly towards them and charge in the assault phase.

- - -

When a unit of Parched do finally get to drink their fill of pain, the transformation can be quite astounding.

A unit of Parched that has one or more pain tokens is restored to their former glory, modifying their profile to that below;

WS: 4, BS: 4, S: 3, T: 3, W: 1, I: 5, A: 1, Ld: 8, Sv: 6+

Invigorated, if a unit of Parched has one or more Pain Tokens, they receive the benefits of having all three levels of Power from Pain - Feel No Pain, Furious Charge, and Fearless, and also recieve +1 attack for each pain token they possess after the first.

Finally, whenever a Parched model suffers a casualty, roll 1d6 - on a 1, the wound was not immediately fatal but only incredibly agonizing... and the resulting feeding frenzy amongst the Parched inflicts d3 wounds on the unit, but gives them a Pain Token as a result! Despite the wound being non-fatal, the ensuring kerfuffle most certainly is, so make sure you remove that model as a casualty anyway!

**curran12**

I like the core concept, but I feel that the 'transformation' is too extreme. These are not fallen heroes and warriors waiting to return to their full glory, they are burned-out junkies that got pulled out of a pit somewhere. Plus I'm not entirely comfortable with how much they can get from just a single pain token.

In contrast, I'd say that as soon as a unit gets a pain token, they go hyperactive, and either pick up Rage or add some distance to their charge/run range to represent the frenzied struggle to get more of something they haven't had a fix of in a very, very long time. I don't think they need to go Super Saiyan.

**Saldiven**

@Curran: The transformation just gives them the stat line of a basic Dark Eldar warrior with a one worse armor save.

The only suggestion I would make is that one pain token shouldn't give them the effect of having 3+ for the rest of the DE codex. I do like the bonus attacks for having 2+ pain tokens. I don't think that's unbalanced considering the fact that they're S3 attacks with no special CC weapons available to them.

**curran12**

Saldiven wrote:
@Curran: The transformation just gives them the stat line of a basic Dark Eldar warrior with a one worse armor save.

The only suggestion I would make is that one pain token shouldn't give them the effect of having 3+ for the rest of the DE codex. I do like the bonus attacks for having 2+ pain tokens. I don't think that's unbalanced considering the fact that they're S3 attacks with no special CC weapons available to them.

And the effects of 3 pain tokens AND +1A for every token.

The stat change is fine, it's those two parts I'm iffy on.

**Exergy**

add a bunch of haemoculi or a chronos to feed pain tokens. Weee 100 attacks for 100 points!

**ALEXisAWESOME**

I love the concept, and its very workable. Maybe a bit *too* workable with access to the likes of a Haemonculi or Baron so how about a 'Beneath contempt' special rule.

Beneath Contempt. No Commaghite noble would be caught dead leading such a rabble, for the sight of it would catch him dead very soon. No DE independent character (not ruling out allies) can join The Parched.

I also think the whole 'kill me but I get to strike if I roll a 1' thing is a little clunky, and could be replaced with a Skaven Slave 'Cornered-Rat' Ability where if the Parched are beaten in combat and begin to flee, but before sweeping advance is made, you do D3 hits per 3 models. Otherwise I like it, but maybe raise them to 6/7pts due to being only 1 pt more then a cultist yet gaining so much more.