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Hi DakkaDakka,
I have about 4000 points of Blood Angels, and I feel like starting a second army. I really like Dark Eldar because of their look, fluff and stats. I was hoping some veteran Dark Eldar players could start me off with a good list ranging from 500-1000 points, and I was also hoping they could help me to play Dark Eldar properly. I know they are difficult to play, but if played correctly they can be really good. I would prefer a more ranged style army, but if close combat is the way to go, then I am all ears. It would be awesome if you guys could help me out. BTW I mostly play against a Tyranid player that fields Monstrous creatures, 1 or 2 flyers and 1 horde of about 20-30 hormagants. Thanks for all the help!

Shooty is where it's at this edition, but some folks can get away with a melee focused army.

Have any idea what models you like best? There aren't a whole lot of bad choices in the codex; it just depends on what you want to run, and how you play it.

Ok so I looked at the codex once so these choices are based purely on looks:

For HQ I really like the Haemonculus and the Archon

For Elites I like the Incubi and Mandrakes. I think the Wracks look funny.

I like all of the Troop choices

I like all of the Dedicated Transports

For Fast Attack, I like the Razorwing Jetfighter, the Reavers, the Hellions, the Scourges, and the Clawed Fiend

And lastly, I like all of the Heavy Support.

Like I said this is not based off stats, just solely on looks. I am open to suggestions on anything I didn't mention. Any advice would be great. Thanks!

 Baltaron Coldflame wrote:
Ok so I looked at the codex once so these choices are based purely on looks:

For HQ I really like the Haemonculus and the Archon

For Elites I like the Incubi and Mandrakes. I think the Wracks look funny.

I like all of the Troop choices

I like all of the Dedicated Transports

For Fast Attack, I like the Razorwing Jetfighter, the Reavers, the Hellions, the Scourges, and the Clawed Fiend

And lastly, I like all of the Heavy Support.

Like I said this is not based off stats, just solely on looks. I am open to suggestions on anything I didn't mention. Any advice would be great. Thanks!

I would suggest then going for an Archon with the Incubi then. The Incubi/Archon Deathstar can be a brutal force on the charge.

While Mandrakes look really cool, they are rather weird troops. they are a bit more competitive this edition then they were last edition though, so if you are intent to use them they are viable.

Kabalite Warriors are where its at for troops. Generally, I prefer taking them in raiders with splinter wracks. A good round of shooting in rapid fire range with those are devastating to almost anything in the game. However, I know many people who swear by venoms.

Reavers are an amazing harrasment unit, and Razorwings make a strong Airforce. Beastmasters work best with razorwing flocks, but clawed fiends can work two.

As for Heavy Support, they all have their niche ways of working, and if used properly, they can all be devastating.

Overall, I suggest starting by grabbing a codex and reading through it thoroughly, then go with two Warrior Boxes, Two Raiders, a Ravager, a Venom, An Archon and Incubi.

Thanks for that info Swiftblade! I have a bunch of questions on wargear. What would be your recommended wargear for everyone. And also I am not sure what "splinter wracks" are. Hope you don't mind me asking these questions. Thanks!

 Baltaron Coldflame wrote:
Thanks for that info Swiftblade! I have a bunch of questions on wargear. What would be your recommended wargear for everyone. And also I am not sure what "splinter wracks" are. Hope you don't mind me asking these questions. Thanks!

Get the codex and is tells you clearly what it does. Splinter racks make all splinter weapons twin linked

Ok thanks DaKKAaLAnce. I am just asking for wargear recommendations for all my guys.

 Baltaron Coldflame wrote:

For HQ I really like the Haemonculus and the Archon

The Haemonculus and Archon are better value than the named characters that survived the great culling in my opinion. You may be able to find the older Archon models on eBay if the current, static-posed one isn't to your taste.

 Baltaron Coldflame wrote:

For Elites I like the Incubi and Mandrakes. I think the Wracks look funny.

Incubi and Mandrakes received boosts in the new codex to make them functional. I'm suspicious of using them in my list though. I'm likely overly suspicious and so give them a go if they can find a home in your list - the models are very nice after all.

 Baltaron Coldflame wrote:

For Fast Attack, I like the Razorwing Jetfighter, the Reavers, the Hellions, the Scourges, and the Clawed Fiend

I have no experience with the Razorwing or Clawed Fiends. Hellions are useful for picking your fights with enemy ICs, the Scourges became similar to the drop-pod sternguard in terms to appearing with massed melta/splinter - pretty useful but you do pay a lot for it in terms of points. Reavers I've not used in the new codex, so I'm unsure how they translated across.

 Swiftblade wrote:

I would suggest then going for an Archon with the Incubi then. The Incubi/Archon Deathstar can be a brutal force on the charge.

I've not tried this, but it does sound rather tempting - out of many of the new options this would tempt me.

 Swiftblade wrote:

While Mandrakes look really cool, they are rather weird troops. they are a bit more competitive this edition then they were last edition though, so if you are intent to use them they are viable.

I'd agree with this. They're very situational

 Swiftblade wrote:

Kabalite Warriors are where its at for troops. Generally, I prefer taking them in raiders with splinter wracks. A good round of shooting in rapid fire range with those are devastating to almost anything in the game. However, I know many people who swear by venoms.

Definitely agree with this. In the past, this was the core tactic I would use for the Kabalites. Gunboats with re-rolls and poison. The other tactic used by the army involved venoms filled with Trueborn toting blasters. This was in the day of Duke Sliscus. I understand the tactic is still viable due to rule-change shenanigans.

By the sounds of it a shooty DE army is what you fancy. BA being quite assaulty, DE with a shooting style would be a good variation.

Kabalite warriors as troops can pump out quite a few shots in rapid fire range. Combine that with a raider and spliter racks upgrade and you have a TL gunboat, that can DS and cover large distances pretty quick. Not to mention can also jink without affecting the passengers shooting. As icing on the cake they are poison shots too.... that tyrannid player is gona cry. DSing in and obliterating his MC's before he can even begin to think of a counter plan.

In terms of wargear;
theres a lot of specualtion and tbh I dont think anyone here is gona go into massive detail, because that will take ages and not to mention you dont even have the codex yet. So its all information that is basically pointless as you dont know what it does, or why they take it.

HQ's
The archon is pretty good, can give him some nice stuff, but what he also can bring is a no-scatter DS to whatever unit he is with.

Haemi is also good as he gives +1 on the PfP table; which im not gona explain as you dont have the dex

In general, if you want a shooty glass hammer that will require some finesse to play; your in the right place. There is a thread about the changes to DE and has a lot of opinions in, i'd read that for a little bit, maybe work backwards instead of forwards as it started before the DE dex was released.

I'm sure people will be more happy to give you info once you have the dex and an intended play stlye. but as a starter you could be looking at;

Archon
2x 10 kabailite warriors on 2x raiders

that would be a reasonable core that you can spice to taste. venoms are good too, so you could make them 5 man teams and put them in venoms instead.

Stay away from beast packs and grotesques if you don't want to spend hundreds of dollars per unit.


Wyches will always disapoint you in game no matter your expectations for them.

Archon + Scourges all with blasters and WWP = dead knight titan.


Kabalites are the way to go!

Alright, thanks everyone. This information has helped me loads. My next visit to GW, I will probably just look through the Dark Eldar codex thoroughly, so that I understand the wargear, and alot of the other things like Power from Pain. By the sounds of, Kabalites with splinter wracks in a raider is pretty deadly. I might also try NauticalKendall's recommendation of the Archon + Scourges with the blaster and Webway Portals. Once I take a look at the codex, I think I will make my own list and get your opinions on it. Thanks!

Archon+Scourges with Heat Lances are better than the Blasters. You're going to have no-scatter deep strike, so you will be in Melta range. It can't roll under an 8 for armor pen, so it's better than Blasters in close range in every way. Ap1 on top of that.

kabolite warriors are definitly where it is at for troops. I'm partial to the 5 man units with a blaster in a venom myself.

The archon is good for getting a webway portal, and I can see running him with incubi being alright as well. If you ever dont want to run him a single lhamian in a venom is a pretty good hq choice.

Incubi look good. I'm generally against taking a single threatening assault unit though. I find if you only take one it always gets focused first.

A good move for starting a dark eldar army is to buy a ton of the dedicated transports as they willl always be usefull.

I'm rather more dubious of Incubi. They're pretty expensive, fragile and have no grenades (nor any way to get grenades).

Also, I don't see what they're doing that I couldn't do with some Disintegrators from 36" away.

With regard to the Archon, I think he's good with a Blaster and/or WWP, but I'd never use him for combat.

 vipoid wrote:
I'm rather more dubious of Incubi. They're pretty expensive, fragile and have no grenades (nor any way to get grenades).

Also, I don't see what they're doing that I couldn't do with some Disintegrators from 36" away.

With regard to the Archon, I think he's good with a Blaster and/or WWP, but I'd never use him for combat.

The archon can give grenades to a unit of incubi.

 coblen wrote:

 vipoid wrote:
I'm rather more dubious of Incubi. They're pretty expensive, fragile and have no grenades (nor any way to get grenades).

Also, I don't see what they're doing that I couldn't do with some Disintegrators from 36" away.

With regard to the Archon, I think he's good with a Blaster and/or WWP, but I'd never use him for combat.

The archon can give grenades to a unit of incubi.

Iirc grenades works on a per model basis. As in, the Archon has them, but the Incubi don't and will attack at I1.

lets all be honest..

your running incubi because you purely love the idea of lightning fast warriors wielding enormous blades dissecting and carving a bloody and gory path through your foe! SCREW NADES! ima chop you into a bazilllliooon pieces!!........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................... at initiative 1.

But yeh grenades dont confer one does not believe. I intend to use mine as a mop up crew joining fights where needed and for charging none cover units

All right thank you all for the advice. Once I have had a thorough look at the codex, I will make a list, and get your opinions on it. Thanks!

 Baltaron Coldflame wrote:
Ok so I looked at the codex once so these choices are based purely on looks:
I like all of the Troop choices

So both of them? I asked a similar question on TheDarkCity, and everyone agreed that DE have the coolest models ever, and the effectiveness on the table is directly proportional to how awesome the unit looks.