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I've been trying to put tgether a Freakshow for a local-ish tournament.  To that end, I'd like it if my fellow Dakkaites could help me get my crap together on this front.  I've thrown together three lists I can make with what I have.  Two of them have a little wiggle room, the third less so, but still has room to trim and rearrange.

Here is my criteria:
*All three detachments MUST contribute to the Freakshow element in some capacity.
*The list must qualify as a Dark Eldar list under ITC rules.  (There must be more points of Dark Eldar faction than any other.)
*I do not own any Wave Serpents (or Eldar vehicles at all beyond a single Wraithfighter/Crimson Hunter), Wraithknights, or Fortifications (except for an ADL and a Fortress of Redemption), and don't plan to buy any of those models specifically for this purpose.

Here is what I've played with so far--

List One (1747)
Eldar Combined Arms Detachment - 722
Farseer (Jetbike, Singing Spear) 120
Farseer (Jetbike, Singing Spear) 120

Windriders x3 (Scatterlasers x3) 81
Windriders x3 (Scatterlasers x3) 81

Hemlock Wraithfighter 185
Shadow Spectres x3 (Exarch-Prism Blaster, Shadow of Death) 135

Dark Eldar Covens Formation-Corpsethief Claw - 675
Talos (Ichor Injector, Heat Lance) 135
Talos (Ichor Injector, Heat Lance) 135
Talos (Ichor Injector, Heat Lance) 135
Talos (Ichor Injector, Heat Lance) 135
Talos (Ichor Injector, Heat Lance) 135

Dark Eldar Covens Formation-Dark Artisan - 350
Haemonculus (Warlord, Scissorhand, Vexator Mask) 90
Talos (Ichor Injector, Heat Lance) 135
Cronos (Spirit Probe) 125



List Two (1747)
Eldar Combined Arms Detachment - 722
Farseer (Jetbike, Singing Spear) 120
Farseer (Jetbike, Singing Spear) 120

Windriders x3 (Scatterlasers x3) 81
Windriders x3 (Scatterlasers x3) 81

Hemlock Wraithfighter 185
Shadow Spectres x3 (Exarch-Prism Blaster, Shadow of Death) 135

Dark Eldar Formation-Grotesquerie - 550
Haemonculus (Vexator Mask, Scissorhand) 90
Grotesques x4 (Aberration, Scissorhand, Raider with Dark Lance and Shock Prow) 230
Grotesques x4 (Aberration, Scissorhand, Raider with Dark Lance and Shock Prow) 230

Dark Eldar Combined Arms Detachment - 475
Succubus (Warlord, Archite Glaive, Haywire Grenades, Armor of Misery) 115

Warriors x5 (Blaster, Venom with dual Splinter Cannon) 120
Warriors x5 (Blaster, Venom with dual Splinter Cannon) 120
Warriors x5 (Blaster, Venom with dual Splinter Cannon) 120



List Three (1785)
Eldar Formation Detachment-Seer Council - 625
Farseer (Jetbike, Singing Spear) 120
Farseer (Jetbike, Singing Spear) 120
Warlock Conclave x7 (Jetbikes x7, Singing Spear x7) 385

Corsair Combined Arms Detachment - 400
Corsair Prince (Jetbike, Shadowfield, Mask of Secrets) 130

Cloud Dancers x3 (Scatter Lasers x3) 90
Cloud Dancers x3 (Scatter Lasers x3) 90
Cloud Dancers x3 (Scatter Lasers x3) 90

Dark Eldar Combined Arms Detachment - 760
Succubus (Warlord, Archite Glaive, Haywire Grenades, Armor of Misery, Webway Portal) 150

Warriors x5 (Blaster, Venom with dual Splinter Cannon) 120
Warriors x5 (Blaster, Venom with dual Splinter Cannon) 120

Grotesques x10 (Aberration, Scissorhand)



Which list do you thinkt stands the best chance of succeeding?  All the lists have a few points for wiggle room

I vote the third list with psychic support, but double check your corsair rules.

1) Mask of secrets is a must. It also means the prince can't get FNP or combat drugs, as those are other specialties he can choose instead of the mask. Same with the baron, who can't get either unless the prince has chosen one. Seeing as how you need the mask, go with that over the other two.

2) I'd opt for a void sabre on the prince. Str5 ap3 rending is really good on a ws6 i6 a3 (4 with two CCWs) model. Mask, jetbike (with twinlinked lasblaster as he already has double shuriken pistols), shadowfield, and void sabre actually runs you a meltabomb cheaper than your current set up.

3) Drop the baron. He has to join a unit of troops and becomes part of them. Unless you want to use him to tank on the corsairs, leave him at home.
Instead, go with a void dreamer. Make her level 3 and give her a jetpack. She'll be the same amout of points as the current baron set up right now and contribute more dice, as well as getting amazing powers. Warp tunnel and warp blink especially will catapult the grots or the council into combat immediately.

4) If you want the council as a psychic battery, consider getting two more warlocks. It will make them level 3 and give two more dice to the pool. 100 points, but you have wiggle as you said.

5) Prince has to be the warlord, no exceptions. Luckily, ITC counts most points as primary detachment, so you'll have a resilient warlord while still being DE primary. If you want, opt for a Fleet Raiding Company detachment for the corsairs. You keep obsec, lose the reroll for the warlord trait, but can take a coterie specialization for the dreamer and jetbikes. Hate Bringers is great as they'll get hatred against a single unit that is deployed at the start of the game. If that unit is destroyed during the game, you get 1 VP towards the secondary. For ITC, that'll be to the maelstrom points. With a cap of 3 points per turn now, that's still a big deal to jump ahead almost guaranteed.

Oof. Altering now. That's what I get for consulting Battlescribe rather than my book. Thanks!

The intent was to use the Prince and a 2++ rerollable (so 2++/4++) to tank wounds for the squad.

My biggest concern with the 3rd list is the big squad of Grotesques. I'm assuming you're running them with the Succubus for Deep Striking, but they're going to be useless until turn 3 at the earliest and thats a lot of points for a unit thats largely only useful in close combat, especially when Scatterbikes will wittle away at them quite quickly. I also agree with Rypher on switching out the Baron for a Void Dreamer.

I really like the idea of the first list but I'd be worried about the Corspthiefe being killed off by D weapons before you get into close combat as they'll absolutely be the first target for a Wraithknight. You also wouldn't want to get them into close combat with sword and board Knight so if you end up against them you'll probably loose too many to kill it in return.

Personally I'd lean towards the second list, a decent amount of Psychic, plenty of Leadership debuffs, the Gortesquerie can hit like a freight train and the Riaders will give them the extra movement distance they need and people always underestimat the weight of fire of Splinter Weapons. Shadow Spectres will surprise people as well.

The Void Dreamer is possibly a good idea. I might switch the third detachment out for a Grotesquerie, as well. I think I could still shuffle the points around and make that work.