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So I'm sure some of you are saying, "hey, where's the list?".

Well before I post up my list, I wanted some thoughts on a Deep Strike list for Dark Eldar. Main problem that comes to mind, is the lack of cover save and inability to assault after deep striking. Sure we get our Flickerfield save, but that's only a 5+.

So, what does the dakka community think? Can a Dark Eldar deep strike list be competitive and useful in tournaments? What's the best way to use it?


A little preview on my intended list(no actual points or specific upgrades): Duke, Haemys, Wyches, Blasterborn, Venoms, Raiders, and Ravagers.

Probably going to look something like this.

HQ
Duke
Hamey-liquifier, maybe shattershard

Elite
Three units of three blasterborn in venoms with dual splinter cannons, flickerfields

Troop
Witches in raiders/venoms. Agnoizers, haywires, flickerfields.

Maybe put in a single unit of warriors in a raider/venom to take advantage of 3+ poison.

Heavy
Three ravagers with three dark lances. Flickerfields

Season to taste


When you drop in, you want to come in shooting, and shooting hard. Witches are great and you get drug re rolls, but shooting warriors might not be a bad idea.
I would avoid night shields and sails. You should be coming in close enough to fire/be shot at. Venom spam is another viable alternative, as you could deep strike those.

So I guess the main strategy is to be able to shoot a lot on the turn you come in, to keep as much stuff from shooting back as possible until your assault squads can do their thing.

The duke is 150 points... that buys a lot of retrofire jets with which you can deepstrike anyway.

The question is, what does the duke offer you that you can't get or get better with other options for less points?

Yes but with Retrofire jets you cannot disembark, meaning any units wanting to shoot cannot on the turn they deepstrike. The Duke's rule does not have this limitation.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Plus he's pretty decent in combat and as mentioned bears a strong boon for any units that use combat drugs.

Fair enough, blasterborn are going to be big targets if they disembark after deepstrike and fail to kill immediate threats...

Here's a quick list I made up that would be a helluva lot of shooting w/ the duke:

HQ:
Duke Sliscus
Haemonculus (Agonizer, Liquifier Gun)
Haemonculus (Agonizer, Liquifier Gun)

Elite:

4x Blasterborn + Venom (Splinter Cannon)
4x Blasterborn + Venom (Splinter Cannon)
4x Blasterborn + Venom (Splinter Cannon)

Troop:

5x Kabalite Warriors (Blaster) + Venom (Splinter Cannon)
5x Kabalite Warriors (Blaster) + Venom (Splinter Cannon)
7x Kabalite Warriors (Blaster) + Raider (Flickerfield, Splinter Racks)
8x Wyches + 1x Hekatrix (Agonizer), Haywire Grenades + Raider (Flickerfield)
8x Wyches + 1x Hekatrix (Agonizer), Haywire Grenades + Raider (Flickerfield)

Heavy Support:

Ravager (2x Dark Lance, 1x Disintegrator Cannon, Flickerfield)
Ravager (2x Dark Lance, 1x Disintegrator Cannon, Flickerfield)
Ravager (2x Dark Lance, 1x Disintegrator Cannon, Flickerfield)


Duke in raider with the 7x warriors, haemonculi with wyches.

Might work... although deepstriking all that gives a lot of randomness.

Oh yeah, I totally forgot that the vehicle counts as moving at cruising speed when deepstirking(hence the passengers can't stay inside and shoot)....

Well yeah, deep strike list sounds far less appealing.

Yeah whilst I like the Duke, his main strength IMO is the drugs buff. I don't really think the DE are particularly suitable as a deepstriking force, no matter what build. The return damage would be too great I think. Leave those games to the BA and the like.