The Dark Eldar Kabal

Featured Content: Jan's Guide to Scratchbuilding a Razorwing

2010-12-07T10:29:00.000-08:00

After taking my time to let some of the approaches out there inspire me I finally began work on my own Razorwing.

Games-Workshop decided to give most of the Dark Eldar units new german names instead of translating or keeping the english versions. So they called the Razorwing "Sichelflügel-Jäger" which translates to "Sicklewing-Fighter". (If you are interested of what else they came up with follow this link). That name is one of the reasons for my design approach as I was pleased with the idea of wings that look like a sickle. I knew that I wanted to make use of the Eldar Fireprism turret simply because it is a perfect start as a cockpit and after some discussions with friends I decided to build the rest of the plane form scratch. So with a clear vision in my head I started work.

What you need: Fireprism turret sprue, Dark Eldar weaponary and some spikey bits were taken from two raider kits, styrne (1mm thick), Epoxy putty, Missile racks from a Lanspeeder Typhoon launcher (can be done with tooth picks as well)

Image taken form www.games-workshop.com

Drawing the outlines of the wingdesing on the styrene with a pencil- this is also my sketching as you can see.

Here I cut out the first wing and refined it until it fitted my perception.

The second wing was simply a reproduction of the first one.

I took the hatch door of the Fire prism kit and cut out the energy cores and by glueing them on the lower side of the wings created my weapon mounts. Also notice the small parts of sprue that I used to create the link with the fireprism cockpit.

I used one of the star engines as a single-turbine- two were just too dominant. I also took one of the Nightspinner gun covers as an air inlet.

I had to carve the engine quite a bit to make it fit in and as you can see there are still big gaps at the air inlet.

The wings still looked too naked so I took two of the fins from the Raider sprue to make for some decoration. I aligned and cut them a little bit so that they fit smoothly.

Greenstuff time. It took a little effort to clean things up.

And I didn't suceeed a 100%. It would have been better to mix in some miliput because that can be sanded.

Small detail: The Eldar pilot head is replaced by a Dark Eldar baldy.

Disintegrator cannons are glued to the gun mounts and I prepared a flyer base. Now you can guess the dimensions already.

The missiles: Why bother modeling and attachig them when you can simply represent them in their housing? It is one Typhoon launcher cut down boldly. WYSIWYG at it's best.

This is were they go...

A little more to the rear. Notice the Splintercannon gun mount in the air intake. I later threw this idea over board in favour of a more spikey look.

Put the round antenna-egg things on the top of the wings to bring in some Eldar feeling and added a small fin to the rear/side of the cockpit.

Not a lot to shoot at when it comes as you.

Put some bits on the wings and greenstuffed the seems to the cockpit. Fireprism spikes as fins and the weapon mount for the Splintercannon/rifle made form the Webber.

Almost done...

...and that's it- Splinterrifles mounted. Time for a Nespresso- George?

This is what he looks like for the side- I love the look of the weapons array. Reminds me of Babylon 5 antenna arrays.

Better picture after making room on the desk. From the top.

And from the side.

Primed and ready to go.

Many thanks to Jan for submiting this great article. Jan has his own blog which I can thoroughly recommend subscribing to, it's called 'Path of the Outcast' and you can find it here. If you have a Dark Eldar article that you think our readers would enjoy then you can email me at: cuchulain84@gmail.com . Happy Raiding!

Featured Content: Dark Eldar Codex Breakdown (Part 2: Units)

2010-11-16T06:11:00.000-08:00

Now the Meat and potatoes, units! We well start with HQ’s and work our way down.

Archon: The Big man on campus is back in this codex with improved stats from before for about the same points. Gaining plus one attack and a lot of gear stock that you would have had to pay for before he is still one of the best CCW monsters in the game! Good builds being:

Husk blade or power weapon & soul trap, clone field & ghost plate or shadow field (users pref)

Idea here being you attack enemies Independent chrs or Monstrous creatures and get to STR 10 as fast as possible. Once you have the souls he will become a combat monster causing instant death to all in his path and laughing at tanks armor as he crushes them aside. If you need 10-20 points bad in your list then you can just take the power weapon instead of the husk blade. This makes him a lot less effective at killing enemies chrs but there always has to be the poor mans build.

Electrocorrosive whip & soul trap, clone field & ghost plate or shadow field (users pref)

Idea here being that you jump on the enemies chrs and kill them with them not having enough high str hits back for him to do any real damage to you. Once he dies the skies the limits for you as STR 6 will make you near unstoppable.

Agonizer & blast pistol, clone field & ghost plate or shadow field (users pref)

Throw him at the nearest squad and watch him rip them up for his own cheap cost. Would recommend the succubus more for this approach though as she's cheaper.

Important things to note: Combat drugs are a must on this guy as almost 88% of what you get will only make this guy better. Remember, Just say YES to drugs! If you plan on them escorting Incubi into the mix, then the Grenade launcher will make sure they kill all in their path before the blink of the eye. Even though the Archon can take a blaster it’s useless as he needs as many attacks as he can to tear things up. Only give him one if you REALLY need more anti tank (should also be said that a blast pistol is a good mix of the best of both worlds in this case).

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Succubus

Most people over look her as she can’t have all the whoop lah of the Archon but I think she is honestly the best poor man HQ we can get.

Important things to note: She comes with combat drugs and a 4++ save in CC base so that alone makes her cheaper then the Archon for what she does. With a weapon skill and initiative high enough to hit the Lord of Death on 3s and swinging before he can blink means she can almost take the big guy out by her self. As said above, if you roll the +1 weapon skill drug for your army with her in it it’s not really a waist as it makes her only able to be hit on 5’s by MEQ. Because you have to get rid of the Agonizer in order to get Wyche weapons they just don't hold wait with her, which is what may make Leilth more appealing if you you have both a PW and an impaler. Good build being:

Agonizer & haywire grenades

Cheap and able to kill large amounts of marines. If you have around 100 points laying around then she may be your girl!

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Homunculus/ Homunculus Ancient

The main reason why these guys are going to hit the field is that they start with a feel pain token. Yeah sure they don’t appear to be the combat beast that the other HQs are, but it should also be noted that they can do some scraping as well. With that thought in mind I feel that it is a huge waist of points to just take this guy for the token alone. Good builds being:

Agonizer & Webway portal

With 4 attacks on the charge he can drop enough MEQs to get his points back. While this may not seem appealing right off the bat you have to look at the big scope of things. If he joins a squad of Wyches or Warriors and they have another Agonizer in the unit then you are throwing 8 Agonizer attacks at the enemy and that can drop a lot of guys.

Hex rifle, venom blade

This is a great build for a homunculus as it allows him to join a squad that can sit back and rain some fire on the enemy and ensure they don’t die off like crazy while doing so. Main tactic I see for this build will be covered in the Mandrake entry. Only reason to take the venom blade is the said reason above. He’s not a show stopper in the CC department but 4 venom blade attacks are nothing to laugh at for the points it cost.

Husk blade & soul trap

I see this as the least common build and it should be said that it will only work best with the Ancient. Same idea here as the Archon Soul stealer build, but he’s a little less survivable then the boss man. I will say that I think it’s the best to do if you want a all themed homunculus army though.

Scissor hands & liquefier gun

The amount of wounds this guy can do can smash a Ork boy horde fast, just stay away from instant death while doing so. Could be the best way to go even against marines due to the shear saves forced.

Important notes: When covering the Pain Masters I didn’t get to into the arcane war gear, as I covered it all earlier in it’s own section. As I said before, most of them are just good point fillers, but some can be game breakers as well. This is another great thing about the homunculus, the fact that he can do SO much. I’ll be the first to warn you though by saying that you should try not to get to wrapped up in all the things he can take, as to much to quick will make you lose the valuable points you need to fill out your body count.

Other things to see about this guy that don’t catch the eye right off the bat are that he has no fleet and no access to plasma grenades. The first of these two problems can hurt some units as they rely on the normal 6” charge rather then insuring it with a fleet move (Wyches come to mind first as they need his pain token right off the bat so they survive better). The latter of the two problems can only be solved by taking a phantasm grenade launcher or just waiting to be charge instead (Hex Rifle build).

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The Court of the Archon

If you liked the wacky and random body guard units of the Witch/Daemon Hunter books then start slobbering as now we can a similar unit! The main thing you can see with ours compared to its founding father unit is that ours is indefinitely CC based. There are 4 different critters making up this rag tag band so lets starting probing at them.

Medusae- This brain sucker is addition as you should almost always want a flamer template dropped bro you charge to thin hordes a little. The fact that its abilities are a little random may make you want to look away but with the cost that it is I think you should weather the random storm and take a least one if you take the Court. I just noticed that these guys have LD9 so if your Archon leaves then they're needed to not break.

Ur-Ghuls- The only reason to take one of these ugly things is the fact that it allows you a good number of STR 4/5 (depending on charge or not) attacks and can take the hit if needed so you don’t lose the big combat dealers in the squad as fast. They also have a great INT so they can drag down some men before they knew what hit them.

Lhamaeans- Her ability is near useless as the Archon shouldn’t be toting around a poisoned weapon, and the fact that she has a low number of attacks may put her on the back burner. Good side is she’s the cheapest thing in the unit and can pull off 1-2 wounds consistently in CC with near anything. The bottom line for her though is that she is easy to kill and with to many T3 models in the unit it will take away from the units survivability as a whole so I say leave her at home. I did just noticed that these guys also have LD9 so if your Archon leaves then they're needed to not break.

Sslyths- Here are the main reason to take this unit. These pleasure indulged snake men really know how to get it done. A min of three will be needed in every squad as to really deal out the hurt though. With a high T and FnP to boot they will defiantly make some players read your codex in a hurry. Good build being:

1 Medusaes
1 Ur-ghuls
1 Lahamaean
(total above number never going higher then 3 men/women so the T of the unit is counted at 5 for the unit in CC, but sadly will be counted at T3 to shooting so you’ll have to kill one of the above if you take a wound from the raider blowing up)
3 Sslyths
1 archon (any gear of your choice but NEEDS the Phantasm grenade launcher)
1 raider

Important notes: This unit is pretty tough and will be both cool and fun to see on the table. Only real issue is that you can get a unit of Incubi for cheaper that will kill MEQs a lot better then them. Another bad thing about this unit is that they don’t have the Power from Pain army wide rule on the combat masters. This is combated by the unit having FnP and Furious charge on most of the units. The only way this can be good is if you kill three units with them with your Archon is still up, just move the big guy to a new squad and he will take all his tokens with him and the squad will still have FnP. I think this unit is the other end of the spectrum for body guards to the Archon. If you are sick of hordes, then these guys will do better at killing them then Incubi will, but if you go against a lot of MEQs then leave these guys at home and call your local Incubi temple for assistance. Another thing pointed out by others that I didn't notice right off the bat was that you are REQUIRED to have at least one of each type in the squad.

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Incubi

Almost seems fitting that they are next as they are most commonly used as the Archons best friends other then the Court. This unit is one of the few things in the book that I see most players losing their minds over and spending WAY to many points on them, so I think it’s fair to say they need more on them then “just point and click”.

Klavex- Something to think about is that he's almost the same cost as another Incubi. Murderous assault doesn't really seem that good to me as you won't be fighting to many ICs with these guys as they are a hammer unit. If you do decide to take a Klavex then it's a must that you give him the onslaught ability. Although it may cost as much as another Incubi, I think on average it will do far more then 3 attacks (really depending on the squad size). The Demi klaves are also to many points to me. You can get another guy for 2 more points. The blood stone on the other hand is great as it can allow you to drop a decent amount of guys before you go in (as we lost our splinter pistols on them now). It doesn't say one shot only for it so you can do it every time you go in. Another great thing about it is that it can kill enough Marines to allow you a dual charge as the original target will require far less attacks to kill them then before. All this for less then half a Incubi? Yes please.

Squad size- The biggest thing to talk bout here with these guys is squad size. At first glance most people are going to want to go Archon, 8 Incubi, 1 Klavex, with both powers. WRONG! The only reason you would want a unit like that is if you know the Emperor is going to be on the field and because that never happens then lets see what else we can do with them. Good builds being:

1 Archon (NEEDS the Phantasm grenade launcher)
5 Incubi
1 Raider

Or

6 Incubi
1 Klavex (murderous onslaught)
1 Raider

These units will kill most things in the game with a single charge and isn’t a crazy point sink to boot. Yes, sometimes what you charge wont die like lemmings pointed towards a cliff but if you but to many points into these guys will fail you big time. In Ork tongue we call this being "to killy". If you don’t trust me then ask Khorne players what it feels like when they kill everything on the charge and are staring at every gun barrel the enemy has to offer.

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Grotesques

So GW thought the old ones just weren’t transformed enough so why not redo them completely! While this was a cool thought, I don’t know if they really hit it on the head when they tried. For all intents they are fast Ogryn with out grenades and when you take into account that you have to have a IC in the unit at all times to baby sit so they don’t kill themselves that only leaves room for 4 of them in a raider. On top of all that if the IC isn’t a Archon with Phantasm grenade launcher then the unit will lose out on that fast INT they had to begin with. Being some resilient to start with is a and the fact that they can have a liquefier and a Sarg with a flesh gauntlet is nice though. Another thing to think about with the Sarge is that the venom blade will re roll to wound vs really anything in the game on the charge. Good builds being:

10 Grotesques, liquefier, aberration w/ flesh gauntlet
1 Archon (any gear of your choice but NEEDS the Phantasm grenade launcher)

(out of a Webway portal)

Or

1 Raider
4 Grotesques, liquefier, aberration w/ flesh gauntlet
1 Archon (any gear of your choice but NEEDS the Phantasm grenade launcher)

Important notes:
As said before these guys just didn’t get as good as what I feel they could have been. With no power weapons they fail to really be horrifying and the fact that they don’t have fleet in a fast army really brings them down. If you do take a weapon on the Sarge it will make him double armed as it is not a "upgrade" of any weapon but rather GAINING it. This said I feel they suffer like flash gitz in the Ork book, being to over priced for what they do in a under cost book.

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Wracks

Maybe after GW got done with the last entry they decided that people would be mad they couldn’t use their old models that they had for grotesques. So what better to do then make them a new CC monster unit! Good builds being:

8 wracks, 1 liquifier gun, 1 Acothlyst with Agonizer
1 homunculus (any CC layout)
1 Raider
Only reason that you want the Pain Master in the unit is to give them FC so that they can re roll to wound against MEQs. Problem being they have no grenades. That being said a Archon with a Phantasm grenade launcher sounds good with them so you can get the token real fast!

Important note: As said above they have no grenades so that can be a major set back. They fact that you can have 2 liquefiers and a Agonizer in the unit is incredible. Add that to the fact that you can take them as troops with the Pain Master in there and I don’t see why a unit of these wouldn’t be fielded! Another good tactic is to take them in large squads and make sure half their squad is in cover moving up field. This will give your army a 4++ and 4+ vs shooting and they can cover a large area (this is only with a walking build of course).

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Mandrakes

All I hear is people going on and on about these guys and how sad they are that they weren’t as good as what they wanted. The sad part is that they are, but just not in the sense that you would think. Looking at stats, if appears very obvious that these guys are CC gurus. The fact the Serge can’t take a cool weapon and they don’t have rending makes you want to turn your head…. DON’T! This units main function is, believe it or not, to shoot. Infiltrate them around 13” ahead of your battle line and have a Homunculus near by in a raider. First turn drive him up and join the unit. When the shooting phase comes around laugh as you throw 20 STR 4 pinning rounds at the enemy and if your really lucky they will be useless next turn. The fact that these things (being neither a DE or a monster really) have BS 4 further proves the point. On top of it all when they get shot back they have a 3++ save to shooting AND FnP from the Hammie. After you let all those shots out you can drop a Webway Portal with the Hammie and you are in great position to watch all the rest of your army come screaming on to the table. Once they get charged you will see where the CC greatness comes in for them. 20 STR4 INT5 attacks will knock most MEQs off their high horse. Another great thing to say about them is with 2 Pain Tokens they can destroy a transport in no time. Good build being:

10 Mandrakes
1 homunculus, hex rifle, Webway portal

Important note: With no grenades this unit can’t really do anything in the charging department. Remember That not only charging into but through cover makes you swing last unless you have grenades. Again if you take a Archon with the Phantasm grenade launcher if you want to make them charge happy, but then you lose out on that nice shooting attack right off the bat. Another thing to be said about the Sarge is the fact that he has LD 9 which can make the unit better at holding it's ground.

True born

So being grown in a tank isn’t good enough for all DE, and that’s where these guys come into play. Another way to think of them is a poor mans stern guard. These guys have another attack then the average warrior and access to many different weapons. Good builds being:

10 Trueborn with shard carbines
1 Raider

Very good harass unit that can really lay some fire into anything that has a wound profile. Kind of the poor mans Scourges.

5 Trueborn, 4 blasters
1 venom, 2 splinter cannons

These guys will destroy most tanks in one volley. No need to get into to much with these guys.

10 Trueborn, 4 shredders
1 raider, splinter racks

I just love the idea of dropping 4 STR 6 blast on people and watching them fail saves ha ha. I will say that this unit can do a lot or a little depending on how I do with the scatter, but hey it’s fun.

5 Trueborn, 2 splinter cannons & 3 shredders
1 Venom, night shields, 2 splinter cannons

Great at killing infantry in mass as well. Essentially it's really just a different approach to the above squad but I like it none the less.

Important notes: While these guys are the “stern guard” of the DE they don’t have the staying power that their father unit does. Be warned that if their transport goes down the enemy will kill them FAST. I’m also not a huge fan of the suicide 5 man units but I know people love them for some reason so I made sure to include them. Another quick thing to say is that the Duke can make the first of these builds incredibly horrifying with the number of wounds it will deal out. A fact that makes them better then scourges in that sense.

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Harlequins

The jokesters of the laughing God have finally come to our book. Bad part of these guys is that to be effective they have to have a shadow seer and the kiss upgrade. This makes them dead on the same points as a Incubi and can’t take a transport. On the up side they are hard to shoot and if they make it there they can do the same if not better to hordes that Incubi do. Really not an OMG unit but not bad either. Good build being:

9 Harlequins, 9 kisses
1 shadow seer

A lot of attacks and praying in cover to get you when you get close.

Important note: This units not really new to the game and has been discussed else where. Best tactic I see is as a screening unit for your foot units, thus giving then a 4++ save. Need help here as I’ve never really used them.

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Hekatrix Blood brides

Really our “vanguard vets” these girls are just Wyches with +1 attack. I wont get into these girls to much, as I will cover Wyches in the later entries, but it appears that these girls are made to ride in Raiders. The units main ability is to the fact that they can take a Wyche weapon per every three men/women. Good builds being:

8 blood brides 3 hydra gauntlets
1 Syren, Agonizer
1 Raider

Important notes: The fact that they are Wyches that can't hold objectives hurts them pretty bad. It should be said that if you take 9 Wyches that it won't hurt the number of weapons the squad can take, thus making them a great IC delivery squad.

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Kabalite Warriors

So our main stay murderers are back and better then ever (by some standards). The ups and downs of warriors are covered a lot in the Splinter weapons section. The more I look at these guys though I can see that they are really one of the best bang for the bucks troopers in the game, especially once they gain a pain token. Good builds being:

10 warriors, blaster & Dark lance

I see these guys taking the place of our former double dark lance toting squads. Great anti tank squads that can also do some damage to infantry if need be. Other then knocking out tanks they will also be huge in holding objectives for us as they are cheap and a troop choice.

10 warriors, splinter cannon & blaster or Shredder
1 raider, Splinter racks & night shields

This squad will be great for either being the best of both worlds or just specializing in knocking out enemy troops. To me Raiders are better suited with getting CC troops into the mix but I have sen them used to good effect.

20 warriors, 2 splinter cannons, 2 shredders, Sybrite, Agonizer, PGL
1 homunculus (any CC build)

I used these horde squads all the time in the last book and it appears that it's gotten even better now that we have FnP with the Homunculus. Once you get to get charged you will have a lot of I 5 attacks and the Agonizer makes quick work of marines. The PGL is very useful because it's cost is the same as arming 20 warriors with grenades so why not take it instead and get two for the price of one.

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Wyches

Everyone needs entertainment, and it seems the DE don't like TVs so this is where these girls/boys come into play. When they were a elite slot they were okay, but now that they can hold objectives I see them reentering the spot light.

The biggest thing to cover with these guys is the special weapons that they can field. The Impaler is okay to tie people up, but as I'll say earlier I enjoy killing more then stalling. The other two weapons allow for more blood letting in CC. I honestly feel the Hydra gauntlets take the cake though because your average roll for attacks is going to be a 3 or 4, thus resulting in basically having another Wyche present. A lot will argue that the Razor flail is better but you have to remember that the re roll to wound combat drug roll does nothing for them and the risk reward factor the the hydra can't be underestimated. Good builds being:

9 Wyches, 2 Shardnet and Impalers
1 Hekatrix, agonizer
1 raider, night shields

This will be peoples "tie up unit". I've never been a fan of using Wyches to hold people up as my goal will always be to kill them. I have seen people use them to good effect though, holding up elite squads until something nasty can come and end the stalemate.

9 Wyches, 2 hydra gauntlets
1 Hekatrix, Agonizer
1 Raider, night shield

I use this unit the most as I feel they can give out a crazy amount of wounds 3/4s of the time with the right drug roll. Shimmy them up field and when the time is right jump out fleet and charge.

14 Wyches, 3 hydra gauntlets
1 Hekatrix, Agonizer
1 Homunculus (any CC build)
(All coming out of a Webway portal)

This squad will come running and screaming out of the portal ready to kill anything in their way. With FnP they don't have to worry about getting shot to much if they don't get the charge (the Hammie doesn't have fleet).

Important notes: With ++ saves in CC they can be quite hard to kill when up close. Problem is that once they are out of CC they seem to die FAST to bolter fire. Most people will say that this makes Wyches not really a viable unit compared to warriors but they (as with anything else in the codex, can become rather tough with some help from the Hammie and make sure you hug cover if your card board box gets wrecked.

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Hellions

The old fluff apparently wasn't good enough so now we have these SLC punks riding "skate boards" in our armies. These guys are pretty impressive, and this is with out taking into account what the Barron does for them. IMO these guys are the best Webway unit in the book. Here's my reasoning why. If some one surrounds a Webway portal then you may not pull a squad out as they have to stay out of 1" of a enemy unit. Hellions being jump infantry ignore that fact by flying over the squad and then charging them. With the jump packs in mind they come screaming out of the Webway almost guaranteeing they charge where they want. The last fact being that they are so fragile that with out a Webway they would get shot to death in no time. Some people think they are also a great screening unit for raiders as they are such large models that they will almost always give raiders a cover save so you won't need flicker fields. Good builds being:

9 or 14 Hellions
1 Hellarch, agonizer & PGL (PGL is a must as they don't come with Plasma Grenades)
(usually best with a Webway)

19 Hellions
1 Hellarch, agonizer & PGL
1 Baron

This unit is great as they are scoring and can really deal out some pain. In order to get the best effect out of them I highly recommend adding a Hammie to get the FnP token and then making him leave to join another squad first turn (leaving the Token when he goes).

Important notes: As said above if these guys/girls are caught out in the open, then consider them dead. Another good idea for them is to fly them right next to cove and then run into it so you won't have to roll dangerous terrain. Another thing I forgot to say before is about the Stun Claw. While this thing is a fun gizmo I don't really see it in competitive builds. The Agonizer will kill people (or the IC in question) so it's not really that impressive. The only time I see it being a big help is if you have two units in CC with blood angels and one of them grabs the priest and pulls him far enough out of the way that he can't give the squad the FnP. Again though, one Agonizer attack and he's gone period but it's what ever.

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Scourges

Our former flying DE are turning themselves into bird men now. You would think the fact that their bones are getting hollowed to fly easier should make them easier to kill then before but instead they have a 4+ save! I guess this only makes sense as they have the most money out of all out units, so Ghost armor is cheap to them. This unit reminds me of a mix combination of Dark Reapers and swooping hawks. Main thing to notice there is that both units are meant to kill infantry. I know they have options to get anti tank but in all reality it seems to me that they will only really be good at mowing infantry down. There is MAYBE one exception to this though. Good builds being:

10 scourges

Yeah that's it for one for them. Cheap, throwing out 30 shots a turn, and the fact that a splinter cannon cost almost half a guy makes them almost not taking for these guys.

10 scourges, 4 splinter cannons

Main reason it do this so to hope that when you do get into position that you will be able to shoot all guns at once. If you are just 24" away and shooting just the splinter cannons as heavy then it's only 24 shots, where if you just had all carbine and moved forward 6" you would shoot 30. This build is better then the first one though when you think of causality wise. If you lose 5 guys from this unit, who cares, but 5 from the other squads drops it's shooting effectiveness by a lot.

10 scourges, 2 splinter cannons & 2 Dark lances

Multitask unit that I have been tossing around but I really think that making something okay at one thing really hurts you in the long run as they could have been great at just one thing.

10 scourges, 4 Dark lances

It can't be ignored that these guys get DLs really cheap, so if you make a list with the first build in it a switch to this could help if you're really hurting on anti tank. That being said DE are one of the few armies that rarely have that problem but it is a okay choice so I thought I would list it.

Important notes: I know some of you are thinking where is the Heat lances but the fact stands that after you shoot them to do what you want, you're squad will be dead. Only way it could be usable is in a Alpha strike force but still, I hate the idea of losing almost a 300 point unit to kill a Land raider. Another thing I failed to mention that other keep talking about is what about 5 scourges with 2 heat lances? I feel this unit won't reliable kill a tank and get there cost back. Best case senerio they come out of a Webway and wound a Land Raider (knock a gun off of immobilize it and then they get destroyed. My views on suicide units are why not just take a unit that can do the job and NOT die so you don't have a one trick pony that's a gamble.

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Beastmasters

Very Ironic to me that the unit is called Beastmaster when really they don't really do anything compared to the beast. A name like beast pack would have been better, but that's getting off track. This unit squeezes into the number two slot of best Webway units because only because they can't take grenades. Worse then that, adding a Archon in there to give them a PGL will help in the short game attack but they will lose out on their 12" charge. Other then that a great unit, with really only one build I can think of that will go the distance. Good build being:

2 beast master
1 beast master Venom blade or Agonizer (both are good but with only one attack base with the master is he really going to get his points back? That's why I like the Venom blade as it's cheap and it will make sure his 3 attacks force some saves for sure, especially if he gets Furious charge)
10 Khymare
2 Razorwing Flocks
(out of Webway Portal)

This unit will throw a CRAZY number of attacks at the enemy and has a great 4++ save to back it up. Out of a Webway portal deployed only 15" up (due to 12" raider move and disembark) these guys will really make some of your opponents worry.

Important notes: Only real issues I have with them is that they have LD 8 max with out a IC attached and the Clawed Fiend is near useless. In most cases you should be winning most combats so who cares about that. The latter of the two problems is a shame as well considering that it's cool to have a big monster hanging out in your army. The main thing he's good at is taking wounds to get more STR 5 attacks but in most cases the Razorwing Flocks are better at that as well. At first glance you would think his toughness is there to make the unit harder to wound but in reality I feel it's there to soak up power fist wounds as he can't be instant killed by them. On top of it all he only seems to gain from the fact that they swung on him to begin with. The only other thing I see them good for is anti horde, as STR 5 will kill more Orks then rending any day and also have a better time in taking out tanks as well. I still feel that he's to many points for what he does though. Another fact to note is that Razorwing Flocks have 5 wounds and are not swarms for some reason. This is great for taking bolter saves on them if they are in cover. This will save one of your warp beast lives and you can do it 4 times before some one really has to die (in sets of two of course).

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Reavers

Some times DE don't want to slow down to cut peoples heads off. When this thought becomes a constant in a DEs mind, they go and buy a Jet bike a the fun begins. This unit got a LOT better in this book mainly to the fact that they did a great job integrating the fluff to game rules, which is really hard to do some times. The main use for these guys so to zoom all over the table and cause massive amounts of saves without ever losing that 3+ cover save granted by turbo boosting, Good builds being:

9 Reavers, 2 Cluster Cantrops, 1 Grav-talon

Zoom past infantry and cause 6 d 3+1 STR 4 hits, 1 d 3+1 pinning hits, and 2 d 6 STR 6 hits! This could wreck most infantry squads and with some luck (added my the TGL on raiders) could pin them to!

9 Reavers, 3 Heat lances or 3 Blasters

Both are great at anti tank and both can use that jet bike save to get into cover so they don't get chewed up. And don't get to worried about dieing to dangerous terrain as they guys have skilled rider! I see the blaster being more effective here because at 24" away after they shoot can allow them to get out of a lot of enemy fire.

Important note: While people are going crazy over the heat lances and the fact that these guys/girls get a 3+ cover save all game I haven't heard a lot of people mention that a flamer kills these guys faster then raid in a roach hole. Another to be said about these guys is that they really don't gain to much from combat drugs as they will either be zooming around or trying to be Tau crises suits. Still though, they are a fun and competitive unit that, as I said before, Phil did a great job with combining it all.

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Raiders

If Dark Lances aren't our poster child then this thing is. I have yet to see at least one list with out a Raider showing it's card board face at least once. It's major advantages are really covered in the Vehicle upgrade section. I won't even get into the mass amounts of builds you can do with this thing as it would take me around 30 more pages and as said above just look in the Upgrade section.

Important notes: Being a cardboard box is not only this things greatest weakness, but also its biggest strength. It allows for a consistent 24" charge due to fleet and disembark and to boot has a DL to kill any armor after words. It also has the option of taking Disentigrator instead of the DL but that's really up to you. I only recommend switching if you have your anti tank locked down with the rest of your list. Another great thing about this being opened top is that when the crew are firing out of it you measure from the tip of the tank for ALL shots. This allows for more fire being able to get laid out at a unit dead on 12" away with little to no fire back in return due to night shields.

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Venom

A mini raider and no model in sight. Best thing to do now is take a Eldar Vyper and convert it if you really want this 5 man transport. It's strengths lie in the fact that its good for Incubi or Trueborn squads but it should be noted that it comes with Flicker Fields. This isn't a big deal to me as I think it's a crap upgrade due to the point cost, but for free why not! The main difference to it and the Raider though is the fact that it can have two splinter cannons. Being on a tank they will always fire with the heavy profile and sense they have no strength they can both be fired after moving 12".

Important notes: Other uses are covered in Vehicle War gear section and the Raider entry.

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Ravager

As I said in the Distergrator entry this thing can murder FnP units and 2+ save units in no time. It's main goal though is going to be a 3 DL wielding tank murder. Only real upgrade wroth taking to me is a again night shields. With that up grade you would be out of heavy bolter range as well when you are destroying the Devy squad with 9 STR5 AP 2 shots.

Talos

Some times you have to maim and torture some one so bad the only thing you can do with them is to put them in a robotic body and watch them go mad with rage, slaughtering all in it's path. The Talos has become insane as it has Power from Pain now and with chain flails you almost insure that you will kill at least 3 marines a turn without much return damage. Like other walkers he needs to have support in CC in order to be really efficient.

Talos, haywire launcher

Good bullet magnet that will slow down enemy tanks, if not blow them up. Real goal of this guy is just to take shots so your Raiders have a chance.

Talos, Heat lance, chain flails
(out of Webway portal)

Can crack open a tank and eat the goodness inside. Best use for the heat lance IMO.

Talos, Twin linked liquifier and extra close combat weapon
(out of Webway portal)

If you roll a 3 or lower on the AP the re roll to wound it will kill a lot of guys and make the charge that much easier.

Important notes: This guy is slow, so as said above he needs to go through a Webway portal. If not he will catch a LOT of fire, which in all honesty, isn't always a bad thing. When all is said and done he is a great Heavy to the book, only real problem being all our heavies are really nice!

Cronos Parasite Engine

This guy is like a baby Talos but his only real draw back is that he doesn't have as many CC attacks compared to his big brother. Good part about him though is he's just as tough to kill and also has power from pain. The cool part about this guy is that every time he kills something he may give a Pain Token to any squad within 12" of him. Yeah that sounds cool and all, but his real strength lies in the fact that he has a gun called Spirt Vortex. This thing will rack up the kills and also let you throw Pain tokens ALL over the place. Good builds being:

Cronos, Spirit vortex

He just walks up field throwing out covering fire and making his buddies better.

Cronos, Spirit probe, Spirit Vortex
(Out of Webway portal)

A great way to get a 3 (if not 4 ) of Pain Tokens in one turn and can hold up units until help gets there.

Important Notes: Gaining a Token from just one "set" of wounds my not seem that prominent, but you have to remember that the Cronos can take BOTH of the guns so they can gain up to 3 tokens a turn (four if it kills the squad, but that last token ONLY goes to him)

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Razorwing Jetfighters

The other new craze in 5th edition is fliers so of course we got two of them! It really fits our army though as the DE are all about lightning fast raids and Alpha strikes. The first of the two aircraft is very good at dealing with enemy infantry. Replace the twin linked splinter rifle with a splinter cannon the Dark lances with Disentigrators and move in first turn and let the missiles fly. After that you can rip into enemy infantry to good effect. Good build:

Missiles: I really like the Necrotrix missiles. They cause pinning, are poisoned, and a large blast so what's there not to like. I have also noticed a lot of people talking about Shatterfield missiles but the issue with these things is the AP-. How is that a big deal? Well, if you don't know AP- causes a -1 on the vehicle damage chart and allows anyone a save out of cover. This could be a big deal as every wound counts when Alpha striking. The Implosion missiles are okay in my book, as they can really wipe out tough infantry but I also feel that mass saves will do the same thing.

Razorwing jetfighter, 4 Necroscythe missiles, two splinter cannons

Once you Alpha strike someone with this thing it becomes some what of a weaker Ravager. I wouldn't really worry about deep striking it either as it really one of the best regular reserve units in the game.

Important notes: It's really fragile so don't expect it to live long after it drops it's payload. As said above in the Night shield entry, the night shields can make this thing truly scary as a whole game threat rather then just one turn Alpha striking. Compared to the bomber this thing is far cheaper and I think it will do about the same job. It's also important to note that due to aerial assault it can move 12" and fire all guns, thus increasing it's mobile killing power.

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Voidraven Bomber

This bigger, more armored of the two fliers this thing can do the best of both worlds for our army. The great thing about it is the fact that you can come in first turn and shoot all your missiles to kill a large formation of infantry, to then next turn bomb a tank and call it quits. Only real issue here is that for being a bomber it only has one bomb and after that and the Alpha strike you are just shooting void lances at tanks.

Missiles: I really like the Necrotrix missiles. They cause pinning, are poisoned, and a large blast so what's there not to like. I have also noticed a lot of people talking about Shatterfield missiles but the issue with these things is the AP-. How is that a big deal? Well, if you don't know AP- causes a -1 on the vehicle damage chart and allows anyone a save out of cover. This could be a big deal as every wound counts when Alpha striking. The Implosion missiles are okay in my book, as they can really wipe out tough infantry but I also feel that mass saves will do the same thing.

Voidraven bomber, 4 Necroscythe missiles, 2 void lances, 1 void mine

The great thing about this is fact that you can come in first turn and shoot all your missiles to kill a large formation of infantry, to then next turn bomb a tank and call it quits.

Important notes: I don't see why you wouldn't take a Ravager for this role as it's cheaper and we already have a million of them ha ha. It's also important to note that due to aerial assault it can move 12" and fire all guns, thus increasing it's mobile killing power. As said above in the Night shield entry, the night shields can make this thing truly scary as a whole game threat rather then just one turn Alpha striking.

Thanks again to Chris (The Bear) for this great contribution to the blog!

Featured Content: Justin Scratchbuilds Grotesques! Part 2

2010-11-15T12:05:00.000-08:00

Justin continues work on his Grotesques...

So here's the first model Painted. I kept the skin color as elf flesh to prevent it from looking like chaos mutation. I really like how the drug injectors turned out. Can't tell buy pictures but the glass parts of Injectors have a shiny gloss over them.

So got the 2nd one assembled. I wanted a more dynamic pose so this ones a little more fun. The metal spine I made out of green stuff this time. The left arm is from a non-games workshop metal orc. The right hand is a normal bull ogre arm, /w the middle finger removed and replaced with a sword blade. Otherwise same stuff.

Featured Content: Dark Eldar Codex Breakdown (Part 1: Weapons, Wargear, Upgrades)

2010-11-14T14:42:00.000-08:00

The following articles will cover all the uses of the units/abilities covered in the DE codex released November 6th. I feel we did our best in this article so that it's not a rules spoiler, but rather a in depth look at each subject of the book. So if you’re looking for a word for word description on what‘s in the codex, then please look else where. Another big part to this is that you will HAVE to have the DE codex in hand to understand what a lot of the points mean. It should also be noted that these opinions may not be exact truths to some people, but rather a stance on things from DeviantApostile and myself. So with that being said, take it all with a grain of salt and enjoy the read!

(Also feel free to comment on if you see another use, tactic, or conflict with anything mentioned below as this is a living document and will change as we go)

Special thanks to Chris_, Tratchenberg, Souleater, Saldiven, squeekenator, Blaqkheart, Krayd, Kalishnikov-47, refyougee, hungry hungry hormagaunt, Rabid Bunny 666, Archibald_TK, teleologica, and Cosmic_girl for input.

The first area we’ll cover is the Army Wide Special rules of the DE.

Acute senses USR- This allows you to re roll your spotting distance for any shots occurring during night fight. While this may seem like a lack luster ability, I can see it being a game breaker in scenarios like Dawn of War. The more shots that DE can throw into the enemy before the can respond, the better.

A good way to use this to your advantage during dawn of war is to hang your Raiders back around 24" the first turn and fire at the enemy tanks. This will mean that you will need a roll of a 8 in order to see any opposition but with the re roll you should be good to go. The main purpose of staying 24”away is due to the fact that the range will be high enough that a lot of the enemy’s return fire will fall short. Remember that barrage weapons may ALWAYS fire regardless if they see you or not (albeit at a additional scatter dice if they “miss“) so don’t think for a second that you will be immune to all enemy fire.

Power From Pain- Most people think that this rule set will make the DE so unbalanced that they will be the next Blood Angels or Space Wolves. All I ask is that before you get all crazy and think that this is the end all be all please think of when and how this rule will come into effect. The primary way to gain tokens is to destroy a enemy unit (excluding tanks). This said most of your units are going to get chewed up before the greatness comes to them. The problem with the old DE codex was that when most DE units ran low on men/women they became almost useless, so I honestly feel this addition is a big help to counter that set back.

With that being said, it should be known that there are other ways to gain Pain tokens then just destroying units. These will be covered in the units details respectively.

Combat Drugs- Unlike before one roll is done at the start of the game and that’s what anyone with the rule gets. I like the change as it keeps things simple, but hate the change as it may hurt some units (example being the Archon and the +1 weapon skill, see below). I’ll cover each roll in the following entries.

1- 3d6 run= The least appealing of all the drugs but comes in a good all a rounder. Only real unit that loses out here is Reavers, but they should be zooming around the table anyway. This ability is great for getting across the table to get to an objective in the late game and also making that 17” charge when your paper airplane dies short of its goal.

2-+1 WS= This roll helps everyone to a great degree in CC except it really only hurts the Archon which really isn't that bad seeing a roll of 3 hurts all Agonizer wielding men/women. A good thing to note though is that while the roll really does nothing for the Archon it does wonders for the succubus. Making her weapon skill 9 will mean that most marines will hit her on 5's thus helping to overcome her fragility a little more.

3-+1 STR= This roll helps everyone to a great degree other then chrs with Agonizers, which lets face it, is a lot due to it being our CCW of choice. Other then that the boost helps big time with the Soul trap/Husk blade combo described later. The trade off is worth it to me as long as you have at least one squad of Wyches, Hellions, or Reavers (which plan on getting stuck in) in your army so don’t feel down when you see the roll. There is a obvious reason as to why this makes our unit’s a lot more effective in close combat. It should also be noted that this not only affects combats against infantry as it will make your troops strong enough to damage/destroy enemy transports, which is something Wyches lack to begin with.

4- Re roll to wound= Again another close combat buff but this one really doesn’t have a draw back unlike the former options. In some ways it could almost be considered better then a roll of 6 on the chart due to the shear CC greatness it invokes right away!

5- +1 Attack= For the last time, another ability that will help your men/women get the job done better in CC. No brainier here why it’s a good roll, but almost seems not as appealing as the +1 STR due to not being able to harm transports. Other then that though it helps everyone to a great extent.

6- 1 Pain Token= Great ability as it will make most of your army a lot harder to kill. If they already had a token then why not gain furious charge thus making them a lot more nasty in CC as well. Only problem I see with this result is that most of the list I build the units that I really want to live have a homunculus attached to them from the get go. It really doesn’t hurt to leave him there so they get the Furious charge but the best tactical option is to disengage him and put him some where else where they can gain the FnP as well. All and all though, the fact stands that it will make your army as a whole a lot more survivable, which is something we’re lacking compared to other army's troopers.

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Weapons

The DE have a vast a large array of weapons to use at their disposal due to the slaves working daily to appease their masters. Here is a break down of what these nasty toys can do. As a side note some weapons or gear will be addressed with the respective unit.

Blaster, Blast Pistol, & Dark Lance (DL)- Putting these guys in the same groups as they’re about the same thing. Great anti tank weapons all around that is in abundance to us and will be our main stay to kill enemy armor. These weapons are really the poster child for our book and always have been. If you ask some one what DE do game wise people will say STR8 AP2 Lance. The fear is justified as they things smash enemy tanks into dust.

Disintegrator Cannon- Massive anti marine weapon. In some ways makes you miss the old “plasma cannon” that we used to have but against smaller units it fairs much better. Best reason to have these is the Ap 2 on it. Due to the massive amount of FnP (feel no pain) all over the game now these guns make mince meat out of hard troops.

Splinter guns- While most players are going crazy that our whole army wounds on 4+ all the time tough 3 armies should be laughing at us. Our guns always wounded GEQs on 4s anyway but now our splinter cannons need 4s to down the little bastards, compared to the 3s we used to get. Still, for losing out against our weaker kin the fact that we can hurt MEQs a lot easier makes it a nice addition to the book.

Heat lance- Only usable with our Talos, Reavers, and Scourges. While it looks great on paper I feel that the units that can take them just don’t fit the bill. The Scourges are better at killing infantry, if the Reavers ever stop to shoot they'll die (for the most part), and the Talos is to slow to get there to use it. Now out of all the units that can take them, the one best suited is the Talos coming out of a web way portal. It’s twin linked on the big guy and the portal jump negates the slowness of him. It can also be used to okay effect on Reavers as well as the jet bike move can help you glide safely into cover and out of assault range, but the questions stand. Do you need the heat lance with all the dark lances and blasters all over? And is a blaster a "safer" bet for for Reavers as it's range allows them to get 24" away after they fire?

Haywire blaster- Very good at slowing tanks down. But all and all the things that can take it can take better anti tank then it. The only unit that can use it to good effect is the Talos and that being said I would only recommend it if he’s fielded without a web way, as his main purpose is going to be a bullet magnet.

Shredder- For the points it’s one of the best things in the book IMHO. Great at shooting a hordes and can do quite a bit of damage to most transports. DE have a good BS so don’t worry to much about the scatter. In most cases people will shun this though due to the fact that it’s either this or the Blaster but my look on it being two options 1) if the unit is meant to shoot tanks then blaster 2) if the unit is meant to kill infantry then shredder. Some people swear on mixing up their squads to deal with all approaches but I feel specializing is the best route possible. If you are shooting your squad of warriors at a tank then you are losing those 8-32 poisoned shots at infantry. Something to think about. Last note to say about it though it that if you shoot it while it's to close to ally squad then you could lose a lot of guys (double T so no FnP).

Stinger pistol- Bottom line is that with the low AP makes this thing a should be free piece of gear for homunculus. Not worth it’s weight in gold. Man I miss the old one. Exploding people was so much fun!

CCWs

Agonizer- I figured this gizmo would have to go first on the CCW list. Hands down the best weapon we have (CC wise) for the points. Only downfalls being that it is almost worse then a Power Weapon against guard, and the combat drug roll of 3 feels wasted when you have this equipped. Other then that, the fact that it can be double armed and it murders everyone on 4s makes it just crazy.

Husk Blade- If you roll the +1 STR, re roll to wound, or you have furious charge then this thing will destroydicate (so great it gets it’s own word) anything in your path. Most used combo in the game for it will be Husk Blade with Soul trap. Thus resulting the model getting STR 6 in no time if you go head hunting. Only real down fall is it's cost. If you need to trim points switch this out for the DDjin blade or the Elctrocorrosive whip.

Djinn blade- Cool if you have the points laying around but random and scary if you roll doubles. Most people will use this thing wrong thinking it's just a piece of war gear that gives you two Power Weapon attacks when in reality it is a power weapon that just throws in two extra STR 3 swings. I will say though that the fact that it's only 5 more points then a power weapon (PW) means that if you want a PW then just take this thing. Only downfall is if you roll a double then you have a chance to drop your shadow field before you're enemy gets to swing.

Venom blade- Won’t shine as bright as the Agonizer on most units but good if you need to trim some points. Will insure you force a lot of saves vs. anything and is really better then the Agonizer against horde type units. Only really recommended on Hammies and Sarges rather then Archon. Also remember that if your STR is equal to the T of the majority T in CC then you will re roll to wound. Once your units start getting furious charge this can really start to pile up the wounds.

Electrocorrisive whip- The problem with this thing is that the Agonizer and the husk blade shine so much that they kind of put this in the dark. If you want a very hard to kill lord though then this weapon combined with a clone field is what you want. Don't forget that it's a power weapon as well so if your thinking about taking that to begin with you might as well spend the extra 5 pts.

Mindphase gauntlet- In the words of DA “The goal is to kill the opponent not slow him… so wtf is this in the book for?!" Only use I see for it is with a grotesque Sarge canceling out I 3/4 or less chrs (3 with out furious charge 4 with it). With that being said, the flesh gauntlet is a better choice even by those standards. Taking it on a Homunculus will allow you to make a better tar pit unit for Wyches but again it's very situational as it only really works on I4 or lower models (which includes power fist & thunder hammer wielding chrs like Lysander).

Flesh gauntlets- Great on the Grotesque Sarge and some may like it for homunculus. This thing is great against anything with out Eternal Warrior/multi wound models Most people forget that any form of instant death also cancels the use of FnP so that's another good thing about this weapon. Other then that I don't see why you would ever want to put it on a Archon or Homunculus as they have better options.

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Arcane War gear

Commonly known as the wacky and weird section of the book. The main thing to look at with these gadgets is the bang for the buck. I think the best way I can describe these is by categorizing them according to points value. So hold on to your seats as we take a in depth look at what these gizmos can really do!!!

Expensive toys:

Webway Portal- One of the most destructive things in out book. Throw a homunculus in a raider and zip in 12” first turn and drop this bad boy on the field. People will think twice about charging him as well seeing as the unit that comes out will almost always be enough to prove their demise. Best use for this thing is to get Talos, beast squads, 15 man/woman Wytch squads, Incubi, and Hellions into the fight ASAP! Last thing to look at is it counts as impassable terrain so you can get cover and block enemy movement with it as well.

Dark Gate and Orb of Despair: Sure they does a big boom but these facts remain. Dark gate has no AP, the Orb of Despair has short range, and the homunculus shoots as bad as a Space Marine (yeah I said it) makes these not worth it to me. If you deviate back then you could hit your own squad and with double your toughness or AP 1 you could be watching your FnP guys going to see the Dark Prince sooner then expected.

Crucible of Malediction- SO you hate Pskers… well do I have a treat for you! Against most armies this thing will do sub par but against Nids and Eldar (stacking Psykers that is), then it could mean game over. This combined with the Torment grenade launchers (TGL) can cause the enemy some big problems. The main problem with Pskers though is that they have a high leadership. To over come this zoom a Raider with a TGL in the middle of their army and watch even the most resolute casters fail some test. For best effect I would make sure you have at least two raiders with TGLs to make this thing more effective then once per game.

Medium toys:

Archangel of Pain- At first glance this may not appear that great. It has incredible ability to ruin even the hardest enemy troops once you hit their lines but the fact they have to make a leadership and random range is ehh. Use above tactic mentioned in the Crucible of Malediction with Raiders to get best effect.

Shatter Shard- For the points this thing really is pretty great. Good way to thin out a lot of tough opponent that are in high number even if they are T4. One shot of this could be the deciding factor when you shoot at a unit of nobs or Nid warriors and if you really have to you can use it to thin a horde VERY easily. Only issue with it is that it’s just one shot as to where the Liquifier gun can do it over and over again and is cheaper. Up to your play style really.

Hex Rifle- This thing is great for a homunculus that is going a shooting squad to make sure they don't fall back or die that easy. Aim it at a big guy and let it rip. Try to realize though that this gun wont be a show stopper or anything but it fun and for the points I don't see why not to if you have him sitting back anyway. On top of it all it's a Assault.

Cheap toys:

Scissorhand- Very cool weapon of dealing out sheer number of wounds. This coupled with the fact that it gives the low number of attack homunculus more swings is going to be the go spot for these guys.

Liquefier gun- Great weapon as it’s a flamer and it has a random AP. You have a 50% of getting AP 1-3 so bye bye MEQs. Bottom line is it’s cheap on the units that can take it and will help thin hordes if there are no heavily armored guys present.

Vexitor Mask- No real need for this thing, seeing as for the points it's not that effective. If you really don’t want your master of pain to go then throw this on him and it could just save his live! As said above to use it to best effect then I suggest that using a raider with a TGL to knock down the enemies leadership.

Soul trap- So if I take out some of their big dogs I end up as strong as a demolisher cannon? YES PLEASE! This is a must if you aren’t taking a Agonizer on your Archon or homunculus ancient. As said above take a Husk blade with this at all cost unless points don't permit. In which case look at the Electrocorrosive whip.

Casket of Cleansing- Some people will say this thing is garbage, but the bottom line is that it has it’s uses. If you’ve ever played orks and don’t mind the randomness of things at all this is where you want to go with DE. Your average results are going to be 7 shots with either STR 3 / 4 or 1 / 6 and AP 3 / 4 or 1 / 6. That may sound confusing but the bottom line is that for the cost why not take it. It could just kill a whole squad of anything in your way or be as effective as a cap gun, but either way it will be fun.

Animus Vitae- You can’t use anything other then your base STR (3/4 depending on furious charge or not) but if you do manage to kill a model or two the rewards are well worth the cost. I see this thing as the ultimate points filler in any army that has a homunculus with it.

War gear:

This section will really just cover all the junk missed that all squads can take and were missed in earlier sections.

Plasma grenades- Assault grenades. Remember that assualt grenades count as STR 4 vs tanks so Wyches can always hurt a Rhino (although weakly)

Phantasm Grenade launcher (PGL)- A great upgrade for your Archon if you have a squad of Incubi and don’t want them to die because your armies best equipped squad doesn’t have grenades. Other then that it’s a okay upgrade for some squads and a waist for others, but far better then taking reg grenades on warriors. Only advantage to taking the reg grenades is that if the Sarge dies to torrent of fire then they all lose the ability. I would really recommend against taking both this and the reg grenades. Wyches to me scream waste because most people wont want to charge them at all, but rather shoot them do death.

Clone field- Makes you far more survivable but also doesn’t help you is one force weapon attack makes it though. I like the shadow field better, but this is a cheaper option for you lord.

Ghost plate- Great on your Archon if you take a clone field so he doesn't die to reg tac marines. If you have a shadow field though I feel that taking this is just over kill, but your choice really. Just remember what I said earlier in cost and effect. This cost a little more then another warrior and I think he will get more work done then just armor.

Shadow field- Time tested and mother approved. This thing will make your Archon unstoppable one game and a punk the next. Just try to limit the saves coming at him so he doesn’t lose it.

Vehicle Upgrades

DE vehicles seem to be as tough as a paper air plane, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be as decked out as Mr. T! The main thing to remember here bout Raiders and Venoms is that they are going to die fast once the enemy can see them so the cheaper the better. I think the best idea to consider these the most ultimate point fillers! The following section will cover DE vehicle upgrades and what you may want them for.

Night shields- Put this on here first because it will be the most used upgrade in the book hands down. It’s main purpose is not to take you out of range of anti tank but honestly out of bolter fire range. With this bad boy a marine unit can only rapid fire your transports if they are within 6”! The less shots the better as a glance will still kill it on a roll of a 6 due to it being open topped.

Best tactic with this is to stay around 19” away as this will keep you out of bolt gun range. If you wither the storm (best way to do so is by going at least 18” in your movement phase to get the 4++ cover save) then next turn go 12”,disembark, fleet, and charge. Another good thing to note about this is that it with the two new flyers in out army makes for a deadly combination. As almost all the missiles are 48" so you can hang back there throwing one a turn with no return fire coming back.

Flicker fields- Another high use item, that I hope to see less often in the future. It’s a 5++ save. Yeah you get it in hand to hand and all but a boy scout throwing a rock at a raider might kill it so a crappy save wont help. To close on it, think of how many times your terminators make that invulnerable save…..yeah…..

Splinter racks- A great way to get your warriors rapid fire guns to mow some infantry. Other then that it’s an okay upgrade and you have to know that all your raiders will die by the end of the game so do you really want to put to much on any of them?

Retrofire Jets- Kind of cool but really starting on the table and going 24” in where it’s at. Save the points for elsewhere.

Envenom blades- A okay upgrade but again, it’s better to save the points for else where. Could be great against units with the Rage USR.

Rams- Kind of like the idea of this as tank shocking in a 24” line can catch people off guard and maybe break half their army off the table. Best used with the TGL upgrade.

TGL- Great for the said reasons listed above, but again can be a points sink.

Aethersails- I hate these things. Most people don’t use Star engines and for good reason. There are two real uses I see here. First being that you can make a uber tank shock raider with the TGL, Ram, and this. Second idea being to use this and Chain Snares and to go an average of 12" +2d6 more and hitting a lot of units with this. Problem again with this idea is if you get to many points into the transport then is it really worth it seeing that it's still a card board box?

Grisly trophies- Good if you have a stand and shoot army. Hide your raider with your counter assault unit behind a building and make sure your men don’t run. If your list isn’t really a stand and shoot list though I really recommend leaving this at home.

Chain snares- For the most part, if I wanted to do this I would take Reavers. It should be noted though that unlike their smaller biker cousins the snares hit EVERY unit in its path. On several raiders can make for a scary mess. It could be quite a few points but with a TGL, Ram, and this upgrade you could tank shock fear into a whole army of guard. Through and through though our Raiders are expensive enough, so I'd rather leave this at home.

Part 2 coming soon. Many thanks to Christopher (The Bear) for sending this in. If you have an article to you'd like to send in email me at: cuchulain84@gmail.com. Happy raiding!

Featured Content: Justin Scratchbuilds Grotesques! Part 1

2010-11-05T08:44:00.000-07:00

Long time Dark Eldar player here, very excited about the new rules. And if rumors mean anything at the very eariest we won't see a "new" grotesque model until February. Well, I'm just not that patient so I've started modeling my own, before the book was even legally released.

Lucky for me the local store got an early copy to get people excited (successfully I may add). So here's the image I have.

So we have some major new changes to Grotesque (outside of stats, which are quite impressive). They are huge, hulking creature, grown and deformed though Genetic experiments and body modifications.

If we look at the image we see extra long legs, a small normal sized waste, powerful chest & arm muscles, metallic spinal column, growth/drug injectors, bone spines out his back, GIGANTIC back growth, and a neat metal mask with eye slits.

I used what I have laying around. Lucky for me I had two spair Bull Ogres from Fantasy, tons of extra old Dark Eldar Warriors, and spare beastmen heads from the Beastmen gor/ungor box set, and green stuff.

I cut one set of dark eldar warrior legs off just below the knees, and glued that set onto another set of legs cut off midway through shins. Taking a ogre chest I cut it in half (armpit to armpit) I pinned it to the Top of the new legs I had made. Leaving about 1/2 inch of space between them, filling this area with Green stuff.

Glob on lots of green stuff to back and shaping into growthy mounds. Left arm is a spair Demon Prince tail - Right arm is combination of spair Beastman arm, dark eldar arm, and Cleaver from Bull Ogre kit. The Spines on back are Beastmen Horns. I made two larger drug injectors on back and two smaller ones on Right army out of green stuff. The "metal spine" is made from the musician horn from beastmen set (used files to create vitibray lines).

Transition between stomach and legs looked poor so I added a "v" belt to cover this.

Mask is hand sculpted over a Dark Eldar Warrior head (pony tail removed)

The Beastmen pony tails from Horns Glued around head for hair (one ogre pony tail as well).

All in all I think he looks great, now to start painting!

Justin Hovdenes
Rapid City, SD
Hovey on Warseer.com

Look out for more updates from Justin soon. If you're working on a Dark Eldar Kabal why not share it with us? Articles, painting guides, modelling guides, tactics, or even just a log of your progress. If you want to see your work featured on TDEK send an email to: cuchulain84@gmail.com. Happy Raiding!

Jess, Phil & Adam talk about the new Dark Eldar background. (video)

2010-10-25T05:19:00.000-07:00

Wave 1.5 available for Pre-Order...

2010-10-19T14:21:00.000-07:00

The next wave of Pre-Orders are up. Hellions, Ravagers, Mandrakes, Urien...and a pretty lame Web Way Portal...

Awesome models, but they could do with a few more variation poses I think.

The other Hellions look so much better than the first 'she-hulk' pic they released. Thankfully.

I'll definitely be scratch building my WWPs...

Anybody got any plans for their new Kabal's yet? It looks like almost anything is going to be possible with the new codex. Personally I'm thinking a Hellion themed list sounds pretty awesome!

Total Wargamer are offering their usual 20% discount on Games Workshop products.

Wayland Games are yet to put theirs up but will probably match that. (edit: They are up now.)

New Dark Eldar: The Ultimate Rules Summary!

2010-10-08T03:14:00.000-07:00

I present to you....more stuff I've pinched from Warseer! Saves you having to trawl through the 150 page thread though :p... Anyway as far as I can tell this is every unit in the Codex summarised, enjoy...

Dark Eldar Summary: (Originally posted on Warseer by Vovin)

based on The Dudes’ summary, additional information provided primarily by Frgt/10, minor (but nonetheless important) contributors: jspyd3rx, Toloran, Mr Rose, Cosmic Girl, Loceplax, Wraithseer, time2die, gorgon, Ravenous

ALBE=Autarch Lasblaster equivalent

Army-wide special rules:
Night Vision - Acute Senses USR

Strength Through Pain – Most standard Dark Eldar Infantry units will have this rule, although some of the more out there ones will not. The unit (and only the unit) gains an upgrade every time it wipes out an enemy unit (3 max). 1st Feel No Pain, 2nd Furious Charge, 3rd Fearless.

If an IC or IC's join a unit then their cumulative pain points are added together and they gain the benefit of all of them combined. Should the IC leave the unit, the pain points must be distributed as evenly as possible with any remainder being left to the owning player's discretion. If multiple enemy units are destroyed in a combat against multiple DE units, then all the pain points are randomly assigned to the victorious DE side, they don't EACH get a point for every unit destroyed by the combat's results.

Combat Drugs - Succubus (no drugs for Lelith), Wyches, Reavers, Hellions, option for Archons
Roll once. All units with the Combat Drugs rule get the same benefit. One result confers a free pain point.
Results are:
3D6 pick the highest Run moves
+1 S
+1 WS
+1 A
reroll to wound rolls in close combat
+1 free Pain Token

12" Assault and "always attacker" results are gone.

Weapons:

Dark Lance: S8 AP 2 Heavy 1, Lance (even for Scourges)

Splinter Rifle 24" SX, AP5, Rapid Fire, Poisoned.

Shard Carbine 18" SX, AP5, Assault 3, Poisoned.

Splinter Cannon 36" SX, AP5, Assault 4, or Heavy 6 Poisoned.

Splinter Pods - 18" S X AP5 Assault 2, Poisoned

Blaster - 18” S 8 AP2 Assault 1, Lance

Disintegrator – S5 AP2 Heavy 3

Shredder - still in

Heat Lances - 18" S6 AP1 Lance, Melta

Wargear:

Webway Portal:
archons, haemonculi only
dropped in shooting phase, dropping the portal counts as shooting and the person who drops it CANNOT be in a vehicle when he drops it. It then acts like a board edge that you can bring reserves on. The WWP is indestructible and impassable once it's down...and in a change, cannot be used to bring on vehicles. Also, if you have a WWP you can always put things in reserves even if the mission doesn't allow. Outflanking and deepstriking reserves can use the portal.

Agonizer: power weapon, no poison rule, but wounds always on 4+

Djinn blade: is not a weapon, but gives 2 additional power weapon attacks, rolled separately, on doubles hits wielder instead

Plasma Grenades: wyches have acces to them, warrior can buy them

Orgasm Grenade Launcher: [Ed- Possible freudian slip??] whole unit has offensive and defensive grenades

Soultrap: If bearer kills an enemy MC or SC in close combat he doubles his Strength to 6. If he kills another one, he doubles his Strength to 10.

Clone Field: is a wargear item which allows the bearer to nullify D3 attacks directed at him each turn; the specific attacks are chosen by the bearer. Mutually exclusive with shadow field

Shadow Field: same as before

Huskblade: Power weapon that causes Instant Death.

Drug Dispenser: access to combat drugs

Hexfire Rifle - Sniper Rifle, wounded model takes a wounds test or is removed from play (yes this does circumvent EW)

Blast Pistol - 6" range Blaster, counts as CCW.

Mindphase Gauntlet: any IC or MC HIT (not neccessarily wounded) by this weapon must take BOTH a Strength and a Leadership test for EACH hit. If ANY of these tests is failed, that IC or MC may not attack this assault phase. NO power weapon,

Special Characters:
There are 8 special characters, all are HQ choices:

Asdrubal Vect
Can be taken mounted or on foot. It has been said his throne fits nicely in the spot where the sail goes on the new Raider kit. This implies no new model. Personally, I think the new kit would look a little silly without the sail.
Seizes the initiative on a 4+
has preferred enemy against all unit types and re-rolls to wound against all Eldar models (including Dark Eldar)
Armed with Obsidian Orb: S10 AP3 Assault 1 Blast Weapon that rolls against the target's Ld stat rather than their T. Any unsaved wound caused heals Vect up to his starting number of wounds.
Dais: optional, 200 albes, 13/13/13 raider, transport 10, 3 dark lances
vect and 9 other passangers MUST be deployed in the dais at the start of the game

Duke Sliscus
A corsair captain described as a nasty counterpart to Yriel.
Gives you 2 rolls on the combat drugs chart, picking the result you want.
2+ poison weapons, if he rolls a 5+ to wound, they also ignore armour. A single unit of either warriors or kabalite trueborn have their poison weapons upgraded to 3+.

Drazhar
Apparently there's a strong indication that Drazhar is actually Arhra.
7/7/4/4/3/7/4/10/2+
Armed with Demiklaives
Special Rules:
Eternal Warrior, Fleet, Night Vision, Power from Pain
- Can move to a different spot in the same combat as long as he stays in base to base contact with enemy models and in unit coherency.
- Gets instant bonus attack for ever 6 on a saving throw.
- Makes a Incubi unit he joines Fearless.
- Has both Klavex powers.

Lelith Hesperax
9/7/3/3/3/8/4/9/6+
No poison, no drugs, but ignores armour.
3++ in CC and 4++ against shooting
Is equipped with impaler and shardnet. There are two wargear sets for the model but this is only a cosmetic option. There is no rule for another weapon loadout.
Special Rules:
Recieves a bonus attack for every point her WS is above the highest opponent's WS in base contact with her

Lady Malys
4+ invulnerable save
Completely immune to psychic powers and passes this ability onto any unit she joins. Equipped with better Djinn blade
allows the owning player to redeploy D3 units after deployment...including placing these units back into reserve

Urien Rakarth
Gives out D3 Pain Tokens at the start of the game, which must go to Wrack or Grotesque units
Regains 1 wound at the start of each DE Turn
T5
Urien’s Ichor Gauntlet wounds enemies on a 3+ and inflicts instant death.
Liquifier Gun (new name for the destructor)
Can upgrade Grotesques to S6 for 5 albes each
Wracks become Troops

The Decapitator
no IC, always starts in reserve regardless of mission, deepstrike anywhere on the table without scattering, can not assault in this round
T3, 5+ invulnerable

Baron Sathonyx
Hellion character on skyboard
lower than archons stats in almost all respects, pretty cheap however
has a special skyboard that gives him +2 str on the charge (so +3 with his hellglaive) but no power weapon
making pulling enemy IC's out of units virtually guarenteed. He also shields the unit from fire very effectively if there's decent cover around
no combat drugs either
makes hellions troops, +1 on deployment roll

HQ
Archon
WS/BS: 7 S/T/W: 3 I: 7 A: 4 Ld: 10 Save: 5+
no skyboard or jetbike
Can have a Blaster, or Blaster Pistol.

Court of the Archon
Inquisitor style retinue for the Archon. Different (alien) members offer different bonuses.
1-2 Medusae- ranged eye laser style weapon (the background for these are pretty cool; they're basically brains-on-stalks that possess hosts for them to leech off their emotions): Flame S D6+1 AP D6 Assault 1
1-5 Ur-Ghuls- WS5 S5 T5 W 3 I5 A3, furious charge, feel no pain
1-2 Lhameans- Dark Eldar poison masters, poisoned weapons of the Lhamean and Archon wound on 2+
1-3 Sslyths- 2 wound snake-like mercenaries armed with shardcarbine, splinter pistol and cc weapon (they have 4 arms). also have FnP

Succubus
WS/BS: 8/6 S/T/W: 3 I: 8 A: 4 Ld: 9 Save: 6+
Wargear is minimal, mainly wych weapons and other combat gear, nothing too special. comes with combat drugs as standard, option for Agonizer, no skyboard or jetbike

Haemonculus
1-3 haemonculi per slot, and 1 of them can be an Ancient.
Haemonculus: 4/4/3/4/2/4/2/8/6+
Ancient Haemonculus: 5/5/3/4/3/4or5/3/9/6+
Comes with a free Pain Token (and therefore Feel No Pain)
If there is at least one H. in the army, Wracks are Troops
no way to improve armour, no shadow field
Wargear for Ancient:
- Huskblade
- Archangel of Pain: One causes all enemies within 3d6" to make a LD test. If they fail, their WS and I is 1 for the rest of the turn.
- One is a single shot weapon that 12" Strength d6 AP d6, Assault 2d6.
- A rifle that is 36" sX ap 4, assault 1, sniper. If a model suffers a wound from this, it rolls a characteristic test against its wounds. If it fails, it is removed from play.
- Crucible of Malediction: all psykers within 3d6 take a ld test or get removed from play , one use
- Liquifier: Flame Str 4 Ap D6

Elites
Harlequins
Identical to the Codex: Eldar entry
There is no, repeat NO Solitaire and NO dedicated transport.

Mandrakes
5-10 Mandrakes
4/4/4/3/1/5/2/?/5++
single ccw, 5+ invulnerable
Whenever a unit with this rule has at least one pain token, each model has the following shooting attack: 18” S4 AP4 Assault 2, Pinning
Special Rules: Stealth, Move Through Cover, Night Vision, Fleet, Infiltrate, Power Through Pain

Incubi
5/4/3/3/1/5/2/9/3+
3-10 squad size. Incubus, Klavex
Armed with Incubus warsuit (3+ sv) and Klaives (Power Weapons with +1S), NO plasma grenades, no Tormentor anymore
Special Rules: Fleet, Night Vision and Power from Pain.
Klavex is a squad leader with WS5, A3 who can take:
Demiklaves: 2 smaller blades that either give him +2 attacks or +2S (both are Power Weapons).
Bloodstone: Flame S3 AP 3
Klavex can buy the follwoing Exarch powers:
Onslaught: If a Klavex is in the unit, wound roll of 6 by Klavex or Incubus allows for bonus attacks, these cannot produce more attacks.
Murderious Assault: Klavex points at an IC and gains Preferred Enemy against that IC, can be done every assault phase

Grotesques
4/1/5/5/3/?/3/3/6+
One Grotesque can be upgraded to a aberration. Can take a few special close combat weapons, but no power weapon.
One Grotesque can take a ranged weapon, although BS 1.
Special Rules:
free pain token, aka Feel No Pain, no fleet
If there is no IC in the unit, roll aD6. One a 1, unit is removed from play and every unit in 2D6” gets 2D6 S5 AP- hits
Option for Raider. Takes up two transport slots.

Wracks
Human-sized Homunculus constructs
two poisoned (4+) blades
S3 T4, no fleet
One wrack can be upgraded to a champion. Can take a few special close combat weapons including an agonizer.
1 in 5 wracks can take liquifier
Special Rules:
free pain token, aka Feel No Pain
Option for Raider and Venom.

Kabalite Trueborn
3-10
elite warriors, LD9 and 2A
Armed with Splinter Rifle and Kabalite Armour. Dracon upgrade. Dracon has 3 attacks.
Can swap rifle with splinter pistol and ccw for free or splinter carbine for 5 albes each. Can take plasma grenades for 1 albes each.
Special Rules: Fleet, Night Vision and Power From Pain.
Options to take 4 special weapons and 2 heavy weapons.

Hekatrix Bloodbrides
elite wyches, LD9 and 2A
Syren squad champion with A3
Every third wych can take a special wych weapon.

Troops
Kabalite Warriors
5-20
Stats are the same. Armed with Splinter Rifle and Kabalite Armour. Sybarite upgrade.
Warriors get 1 Dark Lance (25 albes) or Splinter Cannon per 10 models.
Can only take 1 shredder or blaster regardless of squad size.
no plasma grenades
Sybarite can take: grenade launcher for 20 albes, ghostplate armour (4+/6++), venom blade, a power weapon, or an agonizer
Special Rules: Fleet, Night Vision and Power From Pain.

Wyches
5-20
4/4/3/3/1/6/1/8/10/6+
Stats are around the same.
Armed with: Close combat weapon, combat drugs, plasma grenades, splinter pistol, wychsuit.
Hekatrix (squad champion, A2) still have the option for the Agoniser. Wych weapons are one per 5 models.
Special Rules: Fleet, Night Vision, Power from Pain, Combat Drugs.
Dodge (4+): Wyches have 4+ Inv save in CC
Wych weapons
- Shardnet and Impaler: Counts as 2CCW, every enemy model in base contact loses 1 attack to a min of 1
- Hydra gauntlets: Count as 2CCW and grants +D6 attacks instead of the +1 for 2 ccw
- Razorflails: Count as 2CCW, reroll to hit and wound.

Fast Attack
Reaver Jetbikes
3-10
T4, 5+ save, can Turbo-boost 36", Move through Cover
Reavers and Arena Champion
Armed with Wychsuit, splinter pistol, close combat weapon, combat drugs
Reaver Jetbike: +1T and 5+save, built in Splinter Rifle and 36" Turbo Boost
One out of 3 can replace Splinter Rifle with Heat Lance or Blaster.
Bladevanes: Draw a line from the starting point and the ending point of the movement. Select a single unengaged, non-vehicle unit under this line. Each bike does D3 S4 AP- hits. Cover Saves allowed.
One out of three Jetbikes can replace Bladevanes with:
Grav-Talon: 10 albes, as Bladevanes but does D3 S4 AP-, if target suffers 1 or more unsaved wounds it must immediately take a pinning test.
Cluster caltrops:20 albes, Additional to Bladevanes D6 S6 AP- hits
Special Rules: Night Vision, Power from Pain, Skilled Riders, Combat Drugs
There is no way to take these guys as Troops.

Hellions
5-20
Jump Troops, hit and run, Fleet, combat drugs, no plasma grenades
hellglaives give +1A and +1S
Skyboards have a 18” SX AP4 assault 2, Poison shooting attack
Champion can take a special type of skyboard which can pull an IC out of its unit when using Hit and Run. This leaves him engages in Close Combat with the IC though.
can take grenade launcher for 20 albes

Beast Masters
1-5 beastmasters per unit, ride skyboards, count as Beasts though
one beastmaster can take combat weapons like agonizers, no combat drugs
each beastmaster can only have ONE type of beast.
0-5 kymerae per beastmaster, 0-1 clawed fiend per beastmaster, 0-2 Vodwing Flock per beastmaster

Khymera - The old Warp Beast, 4/4/4/3/1/4/3/?/4++
Vodwing Flock - W5, A5, Rending
Clawed Fiend - 4 wounds and 4 attacks, the fiend also gains an attack for every wound it suffers

Scourges
3-10
4+/6++ Ghostplate armour, armed with with Shard Carbines and Jump Pack (no jetpack)
Weapon options:
2 out of 5 can take:
heat lances, dark lances, splinter cannons,
Haywire Grenade Launchers: 24” S4 AP4 Assault1, against vehicles roll an additional D6: suffers a glancing hit on 2-5 and a penetrating hit on 6

Special Rules:
Deep Strike

Heavy Support
Ravager
Fast, skimmer, open-topped, AV 11 11 10
Armed with 3 Dark Lances as standard, can upgrade to diintegrators for free
Can fire all weapons after moving 12" and after Deep Striking

Talos
5/3/7/7/3/4or5/D6/10/3+
Nightvision, Power from Pain, Monstrous Creature, Move through Cover
twin linked splinter cannon, can be upgraded to twin-linked liquifier, twin-linked heat lance and more
can take additional ccw for 15 albes
can make attacks Instant death for 5 albes OR
can roll 2D6 for number of attacks and pick the highes for 10 albes

Cronos
Weaker but cheaper Talos.
3/3/5/7/3/4or5/2/3+
Nightvision, Power from Pain, Monstrous Creature, Move through Cover
When the Cronos kills a model in cc, an unit in 12" gets a Pain Token. Can take ranged weapons, that also gives a Pain Token upon wounding:
Weapon 1: Flame S4 DS 3 Assault
Weapon 2: 18" S3 DS3 Assault Blast 5"

Razorwing Fighter
AV 10, 10, 10
Fast, Skimmer, Supersonic: 36” Flatout
Can fire all weapons after moving 12" and after Deep Striking
TL splinter cannon, 2 dark lances, 4 monoscythe missiles (48" S6 AP5 assault 1, large blast, one use only)
can be upgraded to:
Necrotoxin Missile: 48" 48" SX AP5 Blast 5", Poison 2+, Pinning, one use only
Soulstealing Missile: 48” S7 AP- Large Blast, reroll to wound, one use only

Voidraven Bomber
AV 11, 11, 10
Fast, Skimmer,Supersonic: 36” Flatout
Can fire all weapons after moving 12" and after Deep Striking
Armed with two Voidlances: S9 AP2 Dark Lances and a Void mine: S9 AP2 Lance, 5” Blast, Bomb dropped along its flight path, scatters D6".
can take up to four missiles:
Monoscythe Missiles: 48" S6 AP5 assault 1, large blast, one use only
Implosion Missile: 48”, small blast, W-test (take the W at the start of the game) or removed from play, invulnerable and cover saves allowed, one use only (30 albes a pop)
Necrotoxin Missile: 48" SX AP5 Blast 5", Poison 2+, Pinning, one use only
Soulstealing Missile: 48” S7 AP- Large Blast, reroll to wound, one use only

Transports
Raider
transport 10
Fast, skimmer, open-topped AV 10 10 10
Has upgrades for a 5+ invulnerable (not cover) save and another that gives an extra 2D6" movement.

Upgrades
3 expensive upgrades:
- Nightshield: hasnt changed
- Retrofire Jets: allows deepstrike, fire all weapons after deepstrike, you cant disembark from a DSing vehicle though
- Clonefield: confers 5+ invulnerable save

7 cheap upgrades:
- if the raider moves over a unit it gets D3+1 hits with S4
- 2D6" extra movement
- enemy unit in 6" get -1 on thei Ld, must take a Ld if they try to assault the vehicle
- friendly units in 12" can reroll their moraletest
- raider can tankshot, if it rams it gets +D3 on its front armour
- for every 1 on a close combat to hit roll against the vehicle the unit gets a S4 hit
- splinter rifles and pistols (but no cannons) can reroll failed to hit rolls when shooting from the raider

Venom
4/10/10/10, fast, skimmer
Transport capacity 5 or 6 (codex contradicts itself), clonefield
Armed with Twin Linked Splinter Rifles and can upgrade to a Splinter Cannon
Despite the name, this is not a Harlequin dedicated transport. Every unit with access to the raider can also take a venom, except Groteques

Leaked Artwork: Scourges, Talos, Drazhar & More...

2010-10-07T15:30:00.000-07:00

These popped up on Warseer, posted by BramGaunt, and I just had to share them. The above pic is of the new Drazhar, father of the Incubi sect. Below is;

Decapitator

Venom (new transport)

Scourge (Love this!)

Hellion Baron (New HQ)

Razorwing

Talos

Hellion, Mandrake, Urien, Ravager Pics & Loads More Rules!

2010-10-06T02:47:00.000-07:00

So the pre-orders for the first wave finally went up yesterday and GW decided to give us an extra treat and reveal the follow up 1.5 wave which will be up for pre-order in a couple of weeks. Take a look at these...

Urien looks amazing and if you think he is a little reminicent of Fabius then check out this quote from Frgt/10

...there is a bit of fluff in the codex saying the Bile was taken to commoragh to be trained by the Haemonculi, that would probably explain the similar apparatus...

Here are some rules I plundered from Locephax who had a good long look at the new codex.

Archon 60 points base huskblade 35 points soultrap is about 20.
Basic warriors are 9 points and Raiders are 60 base.
Incubi are 22 points each
Vect 240 (dais +200)
Lelith 170
ancient haemonculus 80 normal one is like 65
ravager 105-120 I think
I'll post other stuff people want too, just ask.

[Grotesques]
they are WS4 BS1 S5 T5 W3 A3 ????? 6+ sv
they have feel no pain (like all other haemonculi stuff ie. the heamonculi, urien, wracks, and grotesques.) They take up 2 spaces in a transport (like Ogryn) they have to take a Ld test if an IC isn't accompanying them, and if they fail they inflict 2D6 attacks on nearby units before all dying.

[Scourges]
they have wings meaning they are JUMPPACK not jetpack

EDIT: like ACTUAL WINGS made for them by haemonculi for a lot of money. ther get surgery and fly up ato the eyries at the top of the city and act as couriers and are very rich (well paid job) and they can buy cool weapons eg splinter cannons, darklances, heat lance(?), and copme with splinter carbines standard. (very good rate of fire.)

cant remember mandrake points. about 25 I think. they shoot S4 AP4 Assault 2 fire attacks. they have stealth and infiltrate. scary.

Lelith is WS9 BS 7? S3 T3 W3 I7/8 A4 Ld 9/10 sv6+
she has a 4++ inv against shooting (she dodges bullets lol) and a 3++ inv. in CC. Her hair counts as a shardnet and impaler (reduce ememy attacks by 1) and her knives are power weapons. she is very killy.

[Heat lances]
they are 12"? S6 Ap 1/2 Melta lances
they can be taken by a reaver arena champion as well, and it is a heavy weapon for warriors and the trueborn.

[Venom]
it has a TL splinter rifle and can upgrade to a splinter cannon. It can take some of the DE vehicle upgrades

RE: the DE flyers. they are classed as skimmers. the ? fighter and the voidraven bomber. the bomber has 2 TL darklances and can drop a S8 template on units it flies over. (scatters only D6") the fliers can purchase up to four missiles of any of the following types and may be a mix of them. there are neurotoxin ones, imploding ones, soul stealing ones or something, and good old fashioned explosives.

Some Urien fluff: his presence is a great honour for the kabals/cults that accompany him on raids. He has died many times, but he regenerates. It is now to the point where he likes to try interesting ways of dying. But for some reason, each time he regenerates, he keeps bits of his old body - that's why he has like 5 spines and 7+ arms. He is one crazy bastard. The haemonculi built a big fancy tower out of living tissue and it is like an academy. They have even trained Fabius Bile there (Urien was interested in his experiments). He can make the small constructs troops, and he can give grotesques S6 instead of their usual S5 for 5 points each. He regenerates one wound a turn but cannot exceed the max.

Some excerpts from a conversation with two friends who have seen the codex:
Drazhar?

Phoenix lord statline incl 2+ sv and EW, the demiklaves (i think) and he can move to a different spot in combat as long as he stays in B2B with opponents. other stuff too.

Drugs?
3D6 pick the highest for running,
+1 S
+1 WS
can't remember this one
probably re-rolls is one
+1 free pain token
meaning most of the army gets feel no pain lol
1 roll for entire army.

if so, I'd love some hekatrix with max hydra gauntlets that wound on 2+

Yeah, that's precisely why you won't be able to. XD
Actually, nix what I said about the huskblade/soultrap before. All you need is that Poison retinue member and it's stupidly good.

(FYI there is a retinue member for the archon that gives the whole unit 2+ poisoned attacks... combine with huskblade and other power weapons for maximum lulz...)

[Archon]
He can take different numbers of 4 different types of guards. ie. he can take some of one type and a few of another etc. (I would recommend keeping it down to 10 members so they can ride in the archon's pimpin' raider)
one is a big bug - 3 wound tank monster, one is a 4 armed shooty guard, one is a general cc one, and another is a retinue member that grants the entire retinue poison 2+ CC attacks.

Dark Eldar Pre-orders up now!

2010-10-05T07:24:00.000-07:00

Ladies & Gentlemen! Roll up, roll up, come get your Dark Eldar pre-orders. Get 'em while they're still hot...

It's the moment we've all been waiting for, Wayland Games have put up their discount Dark Eldar Pre-orders. Total Wargamer should have theirs up soon (edit: They are now up!). I'd recommend checking both before ordering to compare prices! I'm bagging a codex, and come payday a few more bits. So what's your first order going to be?

p.s Note the Mandrakes and Ravager in the pic! >:-D

Gamesday is HERE! Ninth update...(Codex Art, Rules)

2010-09-29T06:48:00.000-07:00

More rules and some artwork from the Codex have surfaced. Let's take a look...

Found on Heresy-Online:

WYCHES

Wych
Hekatrix
Hekatrix Bloodbride
Syren

I wont post stats but Wych are same as before, Hekatrix and Bloodbrides are same as Wych Succubus with +1LD, Syrens are same as Hekatrix with +1A.
Unit Type: Infantry

WARGEAR: Close combat weapon, combat drugs, plasma grenades, splinter pistol, wychsuit.
Shardnet and Impaler: Counts as 2CCW, every enemy model in base contact loses 1 attack to a min of 1 Does this mean if if a model is in base with more than one they can lose multiple attacks?
Hydra gauntlets: Count as 2CCW, instead of +1A they give +D6, roll at start of each combat. Similar to Ecclesiarchy Arcos and Penitents but no negative effects.
Razorflails: Count as 2CCW, reroll to hit and wound

Special Rules: Fleet, Night Vision, Power from Pain.
Dodge (4+): Wyches have 4+ Inv save in CC

KABALITE WARRIORS

Kabarite Warrior
Sybarite
Kabarite Trueborn
Dracon
Fluff text says Trueborn escort their Archons to battle, so these guys can probably be HQ Retinues. Dracons are Trueborn veterans

I wont post stats but Dracons have lost -1WS, -1BS, and -1I but gained +1A. Sybarite are same as before with +1LD. Trueborn are same as Sybarites. Kabarite warriors are just that, warriors.
Unit Type: Infantry

WARGEAR: Splinter Rifle, Kabalite Armour

Special Rules: Fleet, Night Vision and Power From Pain.

INCUBI

Incubus
Klavex

I wont post the stats but Incubus has same as before with +1A, Klavex on the other hand gains +1WS, +1BS and +1A.
Unit Type: Infantry

WARGEAR: Incubus warsuit
Klaive: 2H weapon that gives +1S
Demiklaives: Power Weapons, +2A or +2S chose each round before making attacks
Bloodstone: Template, S3 AP3 Assault 1

Special Rules: Fleet, Night Vision and Power from Pain.

Special Rules: Klavex only
Onslaught: If a Klavex is in the unit, wound roll of 6 by Klavex or Incubus allows for bonus attacks, these cannot produce more attacks.
Murderious Assault: Klavex points at an IC and gains Preferred Enemy against that IC, can be done every assault phase

REAVERS

Reaver
Arena Champion

I wont post the stats but will say they have -1S and -1T compared to their old stats.
Unit Type : Bikes (Eldar jetbikes)

WARGEAR: Wychsuit, splinter pistol, close combat weapon, combat drugs.
Reaver Jetbike: +1T and 5+save, built in Splinter Rifle and 36" Turbo Boost
Bladevanes: Turbo Boost over any number of units, select one unengaged, nonvechile unit you have passed over. Each bike does D3 S4 AP- hits. Cover Saves allowed.
Cluster caltrops: Same as above but does D6 S6 AP- hits
Grav-Talon: Same as Bladevanes, D3 S4 AP-, if target suffers 1 or more unsaved wounds it must immediately take a pinning test.

Special Rules: Night Vision, Power from Pain, Skilled Riders

Gamesday is HERE! Eigth update...(Codex, Rules, Mandrakes)

2010-09-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

Check out the new Mandrakes. As suspected they are the guys with the glowing Tattoos on the Codex artwork. "Thought to be the decendents of a cult that bred with Daemons..."

Here is a sneak peak at some of the new rules:

From ArchonCryx over at 40konline:

SO Games Day has passed, at last we get a first good look, and the view seems magnificent.

We seem to have a "dartboard Codex" at last - ie a codex where vurtually any combination of units will be some how competitive!

Ok, Archon can have a Blaster, (or a Blaster Pistol). Blasters are now 18" range and the Archons BS7 means you're hitting on a third of your 1's to hit!

SO expect it to hit!

The reavers get access to a Melta Blaster, ie it's a S8 Blaster with Lance and Melta specvial rules (yep, both).

Raiders are more expensive but freek me alive they actually have a whole *host* of upgrades that you want to use, all either 5 or 10pts extra.

The 2 I remember strongly is the one that gives you an extra 2D6" movement (thus the raiders can potentially move up to 36")
and thwe new "Extra Armour must always take upgrade for DE will be the 5++ invulnerable save (yes, for a vehicle) INVULNERABLE save, *not* cover

Let's see. New units. 2 new heavy support, one is a razorwing, the other completely new.

New transport - you can run Venoms now (6 capacity).

Warriors and wyches are troops. HOWEVER< you can also buy elite warriors and elite wyches (who have a fancy name that I forget). Elites has become very busy with the addition of Harlequins along with the new Incubi

Pain points are cool, Haemonculi have the ability to confer a free pain point on units they attach to. It is also one of the combat drug results.

We do lose the 12" assault option but since we gain 36" move units and transports, its little concern.

Dark Matter spam is gone with a more realistic allocation of heavy/special weapons mainly based on squad size. Similarly for reavers

Hellions are quite good now.

And Scourges are the real Dark Horse - they look like being a very popular choice for heavy support. Personally I love the idea of a haywire grenade launcher which should be a bit of fun!

Umm, there's two types of talos, a more or less familiar one and a less tough version that's cheaper.

Grotttesques have bulked out and are reminiscent of Ogryn stats.

That should further whet your appetite...

From collated info on Warseer:

Allows for Kabal, Wych Cult and Homunculus armies

All old units appear in this codex plus there are 3-5 new units

Army-wide special rules:
Night Vision - Acute Senses USR

Strength Through Pain – Supposedly features mostly on Wytch Cult units. The unit gains an upgrade every time it wipes out an enemy unit (3 max). 1st Feel No Pain, 2nd Furious Charge, 3rd Fearless.

Combat Drugs - Roll once. All units with the Combat Drugs rule get the same benefit.

Weapons:

Splinter Rifle 24" SX, AP5, Rapid Fire, Poisoned.

Shard Carbine 18" SX, AP5, Assault 3, Poisoned.

Splinter Cannon 36" SX, AP5, Assault 4, or Heavy 6 Poisoned.

Splinter Pods - an underslung weapon for the Hellions similar to the carbine

- Some FOC slots are subject to change -

HQ
Archon
WS/BS: 7 S/T/W: 3 I: 7 A: 3or4? Ld: 9 or 10? Save: 5+
Can take a wargear item the effect of which is that if he kills an enemy MC or SC in close combat he doubles his Strength to 6. If he kills another one, he doubles his Strength to 10.

Asdrubal Vect
No longer rides a Vehicle

Elites
Harlequins
Identical to the Codex: Eldar entry

Mandrakes
Have a shooting attack that gets stronger with every kill they make

Incubi
T3, S3, 2A 3+ sv,
Klaives – Power weapons that add +1S
Squad leader has WS5, A3 and can take 2 smaller blades that either give him +2 attacks or +2S (both are Power Weapons). Also provides himself and his squad with the ability to roll another attack for each 6 to hit they roll. This is supposedly unlimited.

Troops
Warriors
Stats are the same. Armed with Splinter Rifle only.

Wyches
Stats are the same. Retain 4+ dodge save in CC.
Wych weapons
- Shardnet reduces A of all enemies in B2B by 1.
- A “chain-of-blades weapon” that gives +2A, and re-rolls to hit and to wound.

Fast Attack
Reaver Jetbikes
T4, 5+ save, can Turbo-boost 36".
Armed with Splinter Rifles
Can perform a "fly-by" attack on enemy units without becoming locked in close combat.
Have several upgrades that inflict different numbers of S3/4/6 hits on units when performing the fly by attack.
The jetbike gives +1 sv and +1T
Possibly get a S6 melta-lance weapon

Beast Masters
Get more types of beasts

Heavy Support
Ravager
Fast, skimmer, open-topped AV 11 11 10
Armed with 3 Dark Lances as standard and can fire all 3 at cruising speed

Grotesques
Apparently changed to Ogryn-sized creatures
There will still be human-sized Homunculus constructs, but they will have a different name

Transports
Raider
Fast, skimmer, open-topped AV 10 10 10

Gamesday is HERE! Seventh update...(Various Pic's Courtesy of GrenAcid )

2010-09-26T09:40:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to GrenAcid for emailing those to me. If you've got any pics you'd like to share my email is cuchulain84@gmail.com.

Gamesday is HERE! Sixth update...(More Warrior Pics)

2010-09-26T08:45:00.000-07:00

Turns out the angle was just funny on the above pic.

Gamesday is HERE! Fifth update...(Wyches, Speciality Items)

2010-09-26T03:10:00.000-07:00

It looks great, but it's so far removed from the old Wyches it's hard to picture it as such.

Earlier I made the mistake of assuming these were Mandrakes but they are in fact Wyches.

Also Scryer from Warseer has revealed:

One more thing to add, now that I've had a chance to comb through all the specialty item codes... one of them has a Dark Eldar prefix.

Specialty items are wide and varied and range from things like limited edition dice sets, basing kits, resin markers, templates and things like the L.O.S Marker Light, but they all carry non-army-specific prefixes.

Gamesday is HERE! Fourth update...(Archon, Jetbike, Raider, Warrior, Codex Art)

2010-09-26T02:19:00.000-07:00

New Archon. very similar to the Incubi.

New Raider. Not really feeling this one...

Jetbike.

Warrior. Love it.

The Codex cover.

Gamesday is HERE! Third update...(Incubi, Harlequins)

2010-09-26T02:00:00.001-07:00

At last we can see the new Incubi in all their glory!

In other news we have confirmation that Harlequins are in the new codex!

Gamesday is HERE! Second update...(Raiders, Warriors, Wyches...)

2010-09-26T01:57:00.000-07:00

I presume these are the new Mandrakes (edit: They are actually Wyches) . Slightly blurry pic but from what I can see they look fantastic!

Raider, Wych and Warrior Sprues?

Gamesday is HERE! First update...

2010-09-26T01:49:00.000-07:00

Gamesday is here, and the punters are already in. Alas I am not one of them but I will be collating all the pics and reveals here. So keep checking back today to see all the latest news! First up...

Posted on Warseer by Gedara.

Have you ever seen a model as beautiful as that? Because I haven't. I am seriously blown away. It's so well proportioned (especially for a GW model) and the dynamic pose is perfect. I guess we are looking at Lelith here? Possibly a Wych?

Leaked Dark Eldar Warrior is 'Not the Final Version'!

2010-09-24T06:36:00.000-07:00

...Says Harry (Warseer's reliable inside man). He goes on to say it's:

...just one of the very early test (Concept) sculpts that Jes did. I'm pretty sure that is a resin cast not plastic. That is one of the sculpts that David Gallhager based the Warrior art on.

That is NOT a final warrior ... although some elements remain very similar they evolved a good bit. Not least in the helmet department. Generally speaking they have more detail.

So there we have it guys, the real suprise is yet to come! With Gamesday ever nearer, you won't need to wait long...

New Dark Eldar Warrior Sculpt Leaked!

2010-09-24T06:15:00.000-07:00

Things are moving quick! Here is a leaked pic of a new Warrior with Splinter Rifle...

As suspected it looks exactly like the picture from the 5th ed. rulebook. The new style of helmet is a vast improvement to old 'lobster' kind and overall it looks much more detailed and crisp. I can't say I'm totally blown away but I do think it's a decent, respectful update to the old plastics. It looks like it would work well with the old kit too, so don't go throwing away your bitz box just yet!

What do you guys think?

TDEK's Top 10 Current Dark Eldar Scupts!

2010-09-23T13:47:00.000-07:00

Games Workshop have removed the Wych boxed set from their online store and now it's only a matter of time before the rest of the range follow suit. In this article I take a look, say farewell and pay tribute to some of my favourite Dark Eldar miniatures, soon to join the OOP ranks.

No. 10: Sybarite with Poisoned Blades

This Sybarite is one of the reasons I chose to start Dark Eldar. Ironically I don't actually own it as I've never really seen the point in taking Sybarites. Nonetheless it remains one of my favourites!

No. 9: The Talos

Notoriously hard to keep in one piece this chunk of metal is not for the easily frustrated. When put together and given a decent lick of paint however the Talos suddenly makes a lot of sense.

No. 8: The Archon

A model that often divides opinion but personally I think it's a great sculpt. The Archon looks terrifying and fierce with his giant scything claw and the creepy face hanging from his mask. I still regret not owning this model, but alas I love having my Archon zipping around on a jetbike.

No. 7: Haemonculus with Destructor

The Haemonculus with Destructor is certainly better looking than his Shredder weilding counter-part. Creepy and lithe, this sculpt has always been one of my favourites.

No. 6: The Reaver Jetbike

The humble Reaver Jetbike is a really great plastic kit. Very customisable and really nice once put together. When you get a large unit of these whizzing round the table-top, it really is a sight to behold.

No. 5: Hellions

Presumably inspired by Marvel's Green Goblin the Hellions soar around the battlefield on Skyboards, decapitating unwary victims....or at least they should. Tragically the stats don't quite match the awesome sculpts and most have been consigned to the shelves to gather dust.

No. 4: Scourges

Another great tragedy. The Scourges really evoke the image of 'creatures of the night' with their sleek jump-pack wings. Sadly the Ravager is a better option in every way and the Scourges rarely make it to battle.

No. 3: Lelith Hesperax

Lelith is actually one of the finest female miniatures Citadel have ever produced in my opinion. She looks like she'd blow you a kiss before slicing your head clean off. My kinda gal!

No. 2: Incubi

The new sculpts are getting a lot of positive attention but let's not forget where it all began. The Incubi look every part the royal, martially disciplined, bodyguard the fluff describes. Thankfully the stats match the sculpts and Incubi are rightly feared on the battlefield.

No. 1: Drazhar, Master of Blades

What else can be said about this fantastic miniature. With it's dynamic pose and daggers that mimic the claws of a Praying Mantis, Drahzar takes his rightful place at No.1. This doesn't just deserve to be at the the top the Dark Eldar range, it should be regarded up as being up there with the finest Citadel miniatures to ever be produced. All heil the Master of Blades!

So there it is folks. The end of an era. Soon all these miniatures will be out of production and only available from the likes ebay. Soon we will have a whole host of new sculpts to drool over, but for those of us who've been with the Dark Kin for a long time, miniatures like the above will still be fondly remembered.

Have you got a better top 10? I'd love to hear it. Post your opinons below. Happy Raiding!

Featured Content: Rumour Rundown

2010-09-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

Hey there fellow readers, Collateral Jim here again with a brief update to the upcoming release of our all time favorite army!

Now as with all good rumors, you should take everything described here with a small grain of salt, but with only a couple of weeks to go and multiple 'in the know' sources all confirming exactly the same information, excuse me if I make this sound like it's a bit of a sure thing. Much of this information has been referenced from things said on both Warseer and Dakka Dakka, compiled in a simple summary for my fellow readers here.

Warriors, Wyches, Hellions, Reaver Jetbikes and the Raider and Ravager are all seeing brand new models, in multi-part plastic kits.

The big bombshell of this information was of course the Hellions, that they are apparently taking a far more frontal approach in the army and seeing beautiful new models in the first wave.

A small bombshell in all this is that the Raider and Ravager are both seeing separate boxes. If this is going to be similar to the Rhino/Razorback style of things from the Marines, or if the Ravager is seeing additional variants and a step away from the Raider in design is yet to be seen. We're looking forward to it of course!

In the line of metal box sets we will allegedly be seeing the wonderful Incubi and Mandrakes for the first wave.

I was a little surprised to hear this initially as I had suspected the Incubi would be moving to an Elites slot and plastic models, but as I think about it the lord/retinue setup is somewhat more unique to the Dark Eldar than other armies (other armies tend to have independent characters that join other squads, not other squads purchased around the HQ).

Mandrakes in addition are an interesting option, hinting a second time that the older units with little perceived purpose, use or ability are coming back in the first wave, in style.

Item codes are also pointing towards 3 metal blister packs in the first month releases, although this is an area that most people have been decidedly tight lipped about. The most solid and sourced rumors are leaning towards an Archon/Dracon model, a new character model (be is a special character or a Wych Archon/Dracon) and a new model for an older special character (I would love to see The Decapitator, to support the new Mandrakes).

There we have it folks. 3 blisters, 2 metal boxes, 6 plastic kits, our much anticipated codex and a final surprise in the form of a specialty item code most often given to something like themed dice or resin terrain.

Now there are of course already whisperings of a second wave and even a wave 1.5 in the works, and I am putting my money on one of them including the Haemonculi, Talos and Grotesques, another including the Scourges, Warp Beasts and possibly a new unit from the codex which we haven't seen before.

Also, to any of you lucky dogs able to make it to the UK Games Day (we haven't had a Games Day in Australia for some 5 years now), Jes Goodwin himself will be on hand showing off the first look at the new Dark Eldar range. The 26th of September is going to be a big day for Dark Eldar lovers...

First leaked pic of NEW DARK ELDAR INCUBI!

2010-09-21T01:54:00.000-07:00

...Stunning...

Also from yesterday's GW page, here's what we can expect at Gamesday UK:

Dark Eldar
1. Lifting the veil on the Dark Eldar project with Jes Goodwin and Phil Kelly.
2. 'Eavy Metal painted miniatures, artwork, concept drawings, 3UPs, plastic frames all on display.
3. Dark Eldar video presentation.

I'd love to hear what you guys think. I was pretty certain they couldn't out do the old Incubi but my wallet nearly popped prematurely out of my pocket when I saw this pic. I need to get me some of those!

Dark Eldar will be revealed at Gamesday! It's official!

2010-09-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

Yes, the wait is finally over! No more speculation, no more doubt! Dark Eldar are coming!

From Games Workshop's blog:

Yes, you read that right - the Studio have made some brand-new Dark Eldar and they'll be here soon. I found out this morning when I was flicking through an early copy of October's issue of White Dwarf (it's out next week) and could barely contain my excitement. Once I'd composed myself, I passed the copy to Rob and with camera at the ready, told him to turn to the back page.

Once you're done laughing at Rob, you can click on the image for a better look. For those of you attending UK Games Day, I've some more good news: Jes Goodwin will be there to talk about the Dark Eldar and knowing Jes, show off some cool Dark Eldar-related stuff. If you haven't picked up a ticket to Games Day yet and if you live in the UK or Northern Europe, then you can order a ticket by clicking on this link. If you live anywhere else in the world, you'll need to use the 'Country Select' menu at the bottom of this page and select the United Kingdom for the link to work. At the moment this is all I know about the forthcoming Dark Eldar, but as usual I'll do my best to uncover some more information for you. Watch this space.

Someone pinch me!

Featured Content: The 'Dark Eldar Heroes' List

2010-09-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

The guest articles are coming in thick and fast, and the quality of all of them has been absoloutely fantastic! Keep up the good work guys! This article is certainly no exception and has been sent in by regular TDEK commenter IASGATG. Enjoy!

Hello. Welcome to my first Dark Eldar article. This is a fun list and an explaination behind each squad and their roles. I am still learning the Dark Eldar army, having played them for only about six months.

I’m of the opinion that some of the Dark Eldar heroes, particular Drazhar, are perhaps the most powerful, or at the very least, shocking to be fielded. I personally remember watching Drazhar step up to a Greater Chaos Daemon and killing it in a turn of combat; eight power weapon wounds is a lot of pain. This list includes Kruellagh, Drazhar and Urien, set at a 1500 points and aim to fight any opponent, taking into account the heavy mech lists that are fielded.

The structure of this article will have each squad listed and its role as well as how it synergies with other squads. It will end with the list in its entirety. For my own sanity, I have named each squad so I am able to see their role at a glance.

I present to you The Dark Eldar Heroes

Head Bitch

Kruellagh and her retinue; including Drazhar, three Incubi and one warrior. To clear the obvious, the solo warrior is there simply due to points costs. At eight points, an extra wound is always handy. I have in the past debated having Drazhar and four warrior, as warriors are dangerous, cheap and an effective meat shield.

She and her groupies are mounted on a raider. Ideally she’d start behind as much cover as possible if you fail the roll off, as your opponent is going to throw a ton of pain her way. Her role is to pick an object and get to it as fast as possible. A raider moving flat out can get her onto target in two turns. Once there, the squad will be able to kill anything sitting there. A squad of Tyranid Warriors will get cleaved asunder by Drazhar and his Incubi buddies. If it is a horde of orks, Kruellaghs bonus attacks will enable to her becoming a wrecking ball of desturction, building momentum which each turn.

Despite her power, she is expendable. She will cause a great deal of chaos for your opponent if you can get her to target. An offensive rapidly becomes a defensive and this is where the Slow Death comes into play.

Slow Death

Urien and his delightful buddies do not have a ride, this is intentional however. Most armies are unable to hurt Groteseques without them specifically devoting heavy hitting resources to it. Resources that seem far more important to be used against Ravagers and Kruellagh. After a turn or two of heavy combat, especially turn two, Urien is all but forgotten. Like zombies however, they march onwards.

It will take three or four turns for him to get to the desired target, either assiting Kruellagh, getting her out of hot water, or hitting another objective. With weapons that automatically wound, his destructor has a 50/50 chance of instantly killing Space Marines on a flame thrower template or leaving them with a blast template of pain.

This continues to force your opponent into a deffensive posture, even if Kruellagh does die, they do not have chance for a breath as Urien is smiling his wicked smile. A final note, I would consider him more important than Kruellagh. He will last long enough to keep an objective contested, as he wont be in combat until around turn four and with the toughness of Grots, it is unlikely that a troop squad will be able to kill 12 wounds worth of agony.

Bitch’s Backup

As I said, Kruellagh is expendable, however she is expensive and lethal and keeping her alive as long as possible... just makes sense. A detail of Wyches, riding along side Kruellagh on their own raider provides an extra variable for your victim to calculate. In the event that one raider gets shot down, the other can get to target and tie them up in combat, especially if that ever desirable 12” assault roll is met. If not, Kruellagh has her damnation grenades to pin the squad, adding survivability.

All tactics do not survive contact with the enemy however, and the Wyches may of course be dispatched to more pressing and local matters. As aggressive as you are playing, you will be getting his back. In personal experience, I have had 10 stern guard and 10 tactical marines arrive in drop pods on top of 20 warriors holding an objective. 10 Wyches (including a Dracite and Succubus) put the Marines in their place.

Sniper Team Alpha/Bravo

Two squads of Dark Lance snipers. Their have the same role, hence pairing them together. Sitting on or near home objectives. Remember, you do not NEED to be on the objective from the get go. You have at least 5 turns to get there. I have found having the two lances exposed, then snaking the other eight warriors around impassable terrain is always a hilarious annoyance.

Their role is simple, melt tanks, terminators and dreadnoughts. Anything that you need gunned down quickly and at range. Keeping them alive however is rather important. Most games are not kill points, they are objectives. As much as this is a fun build, winning is still the aim of the game. Troops = points.

Gunboat Squad Alpha/Bravo

Hit and run raiders to add chaos and support Kruellagh. With a splinter cannon, blaster and dark lance, all shapes and sizes will feel the pain. Whilst only able to move six inches to fire the full shabang, sometimes it’s worth sacrificing guns or speed for the next few turns.

Whilst they are not there to take objectives, they can make mad dashes on turn 4/5 to cap them if they are still alive. If they crash, they can also provide effective cover and terrain for the enemy to have to go around.

Suicide Queens

This is a personal pleasure of mine. Three reavers with two blasters and a succubus with haywire grenades. Pick your land raider, move 24” towards it, dodge the hail of fire with your 3+ invunerable (remember that, the Imperial Guard Hydra AA gun does not counter it). Next turn, either another 24” or arrive at target, melt holes in the side then finish with the grenade.

Odds are, they wont come out of the engagement alive. Nevertheless, your opponent has so many threats coming at once. Kruellagh and Wyches, two raiders spraying down fire, Ravagers and Snipers and now these god damn bikes too.. Oh.. and the blasted zombies?!

Ravager Lead/Support

Basic Ravagers with no upgrades. The list is missing AT power and this is what the Ravagers provide. 3 Dark Lances that can move 6” a turn at 105points is a bargin. With both firing at the same target, your looking at a predator down a turn.

In my experience, I find that players will target Kruellagh first, followed then by either the wyches or the ravagers. It’s depressing, but true, that odds are they wont get more than 2 turns of full fire. Use them like glass cannons and hope the dice gods are on your side.

The specifics of the list are as follows:

Head Bitch 353pts
Kruellagh 125pts
1 Warrior 8pts
3 Incubi 75pts
Drazhar 90pts
1 Raider 55pts

Slow Death 175pts
Urien Rakarth 100pts
5 Uber Grotesques 75pts

Bitch's Backup 226pts
7 Wyches (Wych Weapons) 91pts
1 Succubus (Agoniser; Splinter Pistol; Wych Weapons; Combat Drug Dispenser; Hell Mask; Haywire Grenades; Goblet of Spite) 80pts
1 Raider 55pts

Sniper Team Alpha 100pts
10 Warriors (Dark Lance x2) 100pts

Sniper Team Bravo 100pts
10 Warriors (Dark Lance x2) 100pts

Gunboat Squad Alpha 110pts
5 Warriors ( Blaster; Splinter Cannon) 55pts
1 Raider 55pts

Gunboat Squad Bravo 110pts
5 Warriors ( Blaster; Splinter Cannon) 55pts
1 Raider 55pts

Suicide Queens 115 pts
2 Reaver Jetbike Squad (Blaster x2) 0 pts
1 Succubus (Haywire Grenades)

Ravager Lead 105pts
1 Ravager 105pts

Ravager Support 105pts
1 Ravager 105pts

Article by IASGATG

If you'd like to see your own Dark Eldar articles featured on TDEK please send your submissions to cuchulain84@gmail.com. It can be about anything from tactics, army lists, battle reports, painting/modelling guides etc or in fact anything you like (provided it relates to Dark Eldar of course!) If you have your own blog you can include the link, it can be a great way to attract new followers! Happy Raiding!

Battle Report: Dark Eldar Vs Deathwing!

2010-09-07T05:54:00.000-07:00

Opposites attract as the swift, fragile Dark Kin take on the slow, lumbering but nigh on impenetrable Deathwing!

This is actually my second encounter against Carl's Deathwing. The first being a 1500pt Seize Ground mission whereby the Dark Eldar were able to out manoeuvre the Deathwing and take victory on turn 5. Two objectives to none and with only three terminators and an immobilised Landraider left in the enemy's control, I think had it have gone on to turn 6 the Deathwing would have been tabled. This time however the element of surprise would be lost. The Deathwing general knows what's coming...

Mission: Capture and Control

Deployment: Dawn of War

Size: 1750pts

The Dark Eldar:

Archon (Reaver Jetbike, Punisher, Combat Drugs, Shadow Field, Tormentor Helm, Haywire & Plasma Grenades)

Dracon (Agoniser, Splinter Pistol, Plasma Grenades)

5 Incubi (Plasma Grenades)

Raider

7 Wyches (Wych Weapons, Plasma Grenades) inc. Succubus (Agoniser, Goblet of Spite, Haywire Grenades)

Raider

5 Warriors (Dark Lance)

Raider

5 Warriors (Dark Lance)

Raider

5 Warriors (Splinter Cannon)

Raider

5 Warriors (Splinter Cannon)

Raider

5 Warriors (Splinter Cannon)

Raider

10 Reaver Jetbikes (2 x Blaster)

Ravager

Ravager (3 x Disintegrators)

The Deathwing (from memory):

Belial

Dreadnaught (Twin Linked Lascannon)

Deathwing Terminator Squad (1 x Power Weapon,

1 x Assault Cannon, 2 x Storm Bolter, 1 x Chainfist)

Deathwing Terminator Squad (1 x Power Weapon,

1 x Assault Cannon, 2 x Storm Bolter, 1 x Chainfist)

3 x Ravenwing Bikes (2 Plasmaguns)

1 x Multi Melta Attack Bike

Land Raider Godhammer

Predator (Twin Linked Lascannon, 2 x Heavy Bolters)

The Deathwing win the roll off and opt to go first. I don't bother trying to seize the initiative as I like to have the last turn to scramble for objectives (represented by £ coins). He deploys both Terminator squads and Belial who leads one of them around his objective. The Ravenwing squad are put in reserve and everything else is due to arrive on turn 2. I deploy my two Dark Lance Raider squads and they sit contently either side of the board in rocky terrain, granting them a 5+ save. The Squad on my left protects and claims my objective. I also decide to be ballsy and deploy my Archon as far forward as possible, shielded by the large terrain piece in the centre. Everything else is put in reserve.

Deployment

The Dark Eldar Objective

The Deathwing Objective

Turn 1 :

The first turn is uneventful as neither side can see through the darkness well enough to hit any targets.

End of Turn 1: The calm before the storm

The Archon, giddy with excitement, lurks.

Turn 2:

Both Dreadnaughts, the Landraiders and the Predator all trundle noisily onto the board. Between them they make a smoking wreck of both the deployed Raiders.

In my turn, the two Disintegrator Ravagers arrive and move on 12" enabling them to fire one weapon each. The Jetbikes and Wyches also arrive and both move flat out to place them safely behind the center terrain piece, ready to cause havoc next turn. My Archon zips forward towards the Terminator squad holding the objective. The Ravagers provide covering fire with their single shots, killing off three between them. The Dark Lance squads open fire but neither shot finds its mark. The Archon charges, deciding to hold off the drugs, hoping to drag out the fight into the opponents turn. Unfortunately even without the pills he cuts them down with ease. He consolidates into the terrain.

The Darkness is coming...

The Archon finds his first prey...

End of Turn 2

Turn 3:

The Lascannons open fire and destroy a Ravager. Seeing the fate of their bretheren the Terminators embark the Landraider. Two Jetbikes are shot down by Heavy Bolter sponsons and they crash wildly into the ground.

The Dracon and Incubi arrive along with the remaining Ravager and three Splinter Cannon squads. The Dracon flies flat-out, eager to get stuck into the action. The Wych raider zooms forward and the Wyches leap out and fleet 5". They roll a 1 for their combat drugs giving them a nasty 12" assault.

The Jetbikes (who also rolled a 1 for drugs making them Crazed!) open fire with their Blasters and manage to knock off the Lascannon turret from the Predator. Every available Dark Lance on the board takes aim at the Landraiders and only a sponson is knocked off.

The Wyches charge the Dreadnaught and a well placed Haywire grenade leaves it a burnt out wreck. The Archon charges the other Dreadnaught, overdosing on drugs in process but still failing to damage it.

Gotta love Haywire Grenades!

The Jetbikes fly, guns blazing.

End of Turn 3

Turn 4:

The Terminators disembark. Two more Jetbikes are shot down in a hail of Bolter fire. Lascannons and Heavy Bolters take fire and a Splinter Cannon squad leaps out of an exploding Raider. A Dark Lance is knocked off another. The Dark Lance Ravager is prevented from moving or shooting. The Dreadnaught and Archon continue to battle with the Archon finally finding the right spot to bring down the hulking machine.

Seeing nothing juicy to hunt, the Dracon moves flat-out again to find a better position. The Jetbikes fly to surround the embarked Landraider preventing the inhabitants from leaving (A sneaky tip I learnt from WOSH.) All Dark Lances open fire on the two Landraiders and finally the embarked vehicle bursts. The Terminators dive out and are confronted with the fearsome sight of the Archon and Wych squad charging towards them.

The swirling melee begins with the Archon cutting down two Terminators. The Wyches strike next only managing to cause a single wound on Belial. In return the Wyches lose two of their number.

The swirling melee

Turn 5:

All but forgotten the cavalry finally arrive! The Ravenwing bikers zoom onto the battlefield mere inches from the Dark Lance squad holding the Dark Eldar objective. Bolter, Plasma and Melta shots rain down on the squad who dive for cover. Five wounds are caused, and five failed cover saves later and suddenly the battle has been turned on its head!

On the other objective the Archon and Wyches tear down the remaining Terminators leaving only the Landraider to shift from the objective. The predator fires its Heavy Bolter sponsons at the Jetbike squad and several Reavers crash to the ground.

The downed Splinter Cannon squad jumps into the Wyches’ empty Raider and the craft moves over to the objective, ready to claim should the Lances find their aim against the contesting Landraider. Still without a juicy target to slice and dice the Dracon orders his Raider to fly flat-out and position itself to block the LOS of the Predator's sponson.

On the other side of the board a Splinter Cannon squad hurtles flat-out and reaches the Dark Eldar objective. The two remaining Ravagers follow behind.

Every available Dark Lance, Blaster and Haywire Grenade takes aim at the remaining Landraider. The crew are stunned but it remains intact.

If the game were to end now it would be a draw with both objectives contested! We roll and the dice gods are with me. The game goes on!

Here comes the cavalry!

A Raider squad is destroyed but there is always another to take its place...

End of Turn 5

Turn 6:

The Predator takes aim at the Jetbikes again but thanks to the cover granted by the Dracon's Raider the two Blasters are saved. The Ravenwing bikes once again unleash their fury, this time onto the Splinter Cannon squads Raider. The craft goes up in flames and the embarked squad dives onto the objective and into the safety of the rocky terrain, being forced to go to ground in the process.

The Disintegrator Ravager takes aim at the Bikers who so nearly thwarted the raid. All three blasts find their mark and the Ravenwing are no more. The Dark Eldar objective is safe and reclaimed!

Once again every available Dark Lance, Blaster and Haywire Grenade takes aim at the remaining Landraider. Crew shaken, crew stunned, and an immobilised result are inflicted but still the armour will not give!

End of Turn 6

Turn 7:

The Predator manages to take out one of the two remaining Jetbikes. The Landraider uses its power of the machine spirit to fire a token shot, but at bs2 it struggles to find its target.

The Dark Eldar now without the distraction of the Ravenwing bikers are able to turn their full attention to the offending Landraider. Enough Dark Lance shots to blot out the sun are unleashed, entire armies have been killed by less. The dark energy clears and still the DAMNED MACHINE LIVES!!!

The Archon, now furious with this insult blasts forwards, Haywire Grenade in hand and slams the explosive through a bullet hole in the armour. I roll a 6 to hit, a 6 to penetrate, and a 6 to damage and finally the machine explodes!!! I must have sold my soul for those last three rolls, I got the number of the beast, and now the beast has got my number.

It was so worth it...

The Archon grabs a Haywire Grenade: If you want something doing...

...you've got to do it yourself!

Final Result:

Dark Eldar: 2

Deathwing: 0

Featured Content: The "Army of Shadows" List

2010-09-04T11:38:00.000-07:00

'sup folks? James here with a bit of an alternative army style for the Dark Kin that will hopefully get the creative juices flowing towards all of the complex and scary options we are likely to see in the up and coming Dark Eldar reboot.

This particular style of army list was once dubbed the "Army of Shadows' and was seen as a viable, if risky, take on the Dark Eldar. The core ideas around the list being fear, surprise and control. Your opponent fears what they cannot see, and no true Dark Eldar units begin play on the table. Opponents are then faced with, potentially, an entire turn of assaults and shooting after several turns of watching your forces just out of touch, and most importantly, you maintain complete control over where you bring your forces to bare and which targets you destroy first.

The core of this list is built around the special character, often unseen and unheard of from players all around, The Decapitator. Originally somewhat of a beast in combat, power creep has not been kind to our wonderful Mandrake Champion and there are many more powerful characters in the game at the moment.

Decapitator is mechanically very similar to the cost effect Dracon, but at roughly three times the cost. He attempts to justify this by adding an additional point in weapon skill, and his Power Weapon granting an additional 2 attacks base. His signature weapon and where he takes his name from, also treats 6's as double strength.

The most important aspect of this special character, and the only real reason we still look to him as a viable HQ choice, is in the way he deploys. You write down where on the table, outside of deployment zones of course, that the Decapitator is hiding, and before the end of your third turn you show the piece of paper to your opponent and place him on the board.

No rolling, no Deep Strike mishaps, he simply appears where you want him to appear.

So, we're building an army around a Mandrake Champion? Time to bulk out some Mandrake choices then! Three squads, full to 10 depending on the points value of the game being played.

With the way Mandrake deployment works, this gives you 9 'marker' models with which to deploy. Your opponent cannot fire at these models, nor assault them. He will know that 3 of the 9 models infact represent 10 Mandrakes which, whilst not the strongest assault troops in the game, or even our army, manage to do their main job of causing your opponent to sweat.

Again, these are a unit that has no aged very well over the years. At the time Fleet was a rule seen only on the Eldar, Dark Eldar and some Tyranids (at least, as far as I ever saw it in the game) and for those old enough to remember, worked exactly as the Run rules work currently. With Run available to almost everything in the game currently, our Mandrakes find themselves somewhat slower than previously expected, but still able to dart 34" across a table in 3 turns with good rolling (seeing as most tables will only have 24" between armies, and the opponent will often move towards you or objectives, you can see how mobile these guys remain).

Ignore, please oh please ignore, that Mandrakes are Warriors in combat with an extra attack each, but double the cost. This is one of the first things I hope to see addressed in the new book.

Troops? What other troops do we have available bar the wonderful and amazing Raider squads? Three of these, all equipped with screaming jets should suffice for the moment, more or less depending once again on points value. I personally give the Raiders Disintegrators, simply for the versatility that the Dark Lance doesn't quite match, and leave the Lances for the troops riding in the vehicles.

Disintegrators in sustained fire mode were almost designed to hunt and kill MEQ troops, with a higher rate of fire then our heavier weapon.

Now, we have the basis of our army down, but we're not entirely sure what to do with it. The game plan should follow something along the lines of this. Mandrakes deploy along your deployment zone, as close as they can get away with and proceed to run towards the closest targets, or spreading to multiple juicy targets to put your opponent on the defensive. Your Raider squads will aim to come down on turn 3, at exactly the same time as your Mandrakes and Decapitator reveal themselves and charge in. Your Mandrakes here show their true colors in the list, as nothing more complex than a way to tie up your opponents trouble units for a turn, or to lock down the shooty or specialist units into combat, whilst the Raiders unload fire into priority targets.

Of course, we lack firepower and dedicated assault in the list which we cover next.

Scourges. One of my favorite units in our aging codex ever since I saw the piece of art for them in the Dark Eldar section of the 3rd edition core rulebook. Four splinter cannons, 2 splinter rifles, never bothering with Sybarite upgrades and using them entirely to drop 16 S4 shots into the back of anything you either plan to assault, plan to shoot at with other units too, or just plain don't like.

For dedicated assault we will bring in yet another underused unit from the rulebook, which if confirmed rumors are to be believed we will see new models for within three months from now, the Hellions. A unit of Hellions won't win any contests for greatest assault unit of all time, but they're one of those units that will hit reasonably hard (harder with a Dracon or even Archon in the unit on their own Skyboard), and that no opponent in living memory has been able to remember exactly what it is that they do. Throw combat drugs into the mix with S4 on the charge, and they're a very nice Deep Strike friendly answer to an army without Jetbikes or Incubi.

There we have it folks, a blast from the past army list that you can bet hasn't seen the light of day in nearly 10 years, makes use of three unit types and a special character that not even all Dark Eldar dracon's properly understand, and will manage to cause your opponent many moments of abstract terror as they do not know what you have or where it's coming from.

I do warn you though, that this army style is not for the feint of heart. Deep strike rolls go poorly? Half your army will stick around off the table and put the worst of Daemonic Assaults to shame. Misjudge that combat? Mandrakes will be torn to shreds and your freshly deployed Hellion unit or Raider is about to get blasted to smithereens.

Of course, where do the Dark Eldar exist except for right here, on the edge?

Article by 'Collateral Jim'

If you'd like to contribute to TDEK please send your articles to cuchulain84@gmail.com. Happy Raiding!

Featured Content: Haemonculi Tactics

2010-08-25T08:12:00.000-07:00

Here is a fantastic guest article about how to run your Haemonculi courtesy of gundog8324 from skimmerspam.blogspot.com. Enjoy!

The Haemonculus is an often underated HQ when compared to the raw power of the Dark Eldar Lord. However they do have quite a bit of potential especially in games 1500 and lower. In larger point battles an advantage they have is three can be taken per HQ choice.

The first major choice is which ranged weapon you want, a stinger or destructor. The stinger has a slightly better range, always wounds on a 2+, and when it kills a model you place a blast template on it generally wounding models on a 4+ with no saves allowed. The destructor is a flamer with str 4 and a variable AP. The destructor is more expensive but it ignores cover and has a 50/50 on ignoring power armour.

Since the ranges on both are relatively short (12in or less) some mobilty boost is needed. This gives 3 choices:

1. mounted in a raider with another squad.

2. a Hellion Skyboard.

3. a Reaver Jetbike.

I prefer the reaver jetbike for a couple of reasons. First, it increases the tougness to 5! (may not seem like much but for a Elar light or dark that is high) and the Str to 4 (more on that later). Second it gives the option of turboboosting for a 3+ save. Third, it follows the Eldar Jetbike rules and lets them make a 6" move in the assault phase. Finally don't forget the built in splinter rifle for when your special gun is out of range.

Whenever you take a Haemonculus never forget the Scissorhand and combat drugs they will turn it in to a respectible CC character.

On to actual usefullness the build I run is Scissorhand, Destructor, Combat drugs, and Reaver Jetbike at a total of 105 pts

The Scissorhand wounds on 2+ and grants +1 attack, and reroll to wound against T4 and lower due to the Str 4 granted by the bike.

The Destructor goes well with the bike since the extra mobilty lets you line up to get the most per template.

The Drug choices usually taken are reroll misses and +1 A for the benefits of 4-5 wounds before saves from one guy!

now 3 of these guys attatched to a unit of reavers will turn any marine unit into mush.

An expirament I am trying with mixed results is a unit of 3-5 Reavers and 6 (yes 6!) Haemonculi 3 with stingers and 3 Destructors and the reavers with Succubus with Goblet of spite and Punisher, Tormentor Helm, and two Reavers with Blasters or Shredders.

While incredibly expensive, the multiple toughness rule means they use the T5 from the haemonculi and this is modled after the ever so famous eldar seer council, it lacks the definsive power but makes up for it in the offensive aspect.

by gundog8324 of skimmerspam.blogspot.com

If you'd like to contribute a guest article please send submissions to cuchulain84@gmail.com.

So it begins! New Dark Eldar artwork shown at GamesDay Baltimore!

2010-08-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

This sketch by John Blanche was spotted and snapped by 'dienekes96'. It gives us an indication of where GW are going with the impending Dark Eldar revamp.

It shows a fleet of Raiders flying over a creepy alien city (Commorragh perhaps...) The Raiders seem to retain a very similar style to the current range but with the addition of a sail. I think the look works but it does put me a little on edge. Dark Eldar have always been branded as Space Pirates but it would seem GW are planning on making this theme a little more blunt. Here's hoping we retain our style without venturing into 'Eldar of the Caribbean' territory...

Mysterious Dark Eldar First Wave Tip Off....

2010-08-04T06:15:00.000-07:00

Following a recent article TDEK received a strange anonymous message from someone claiming to have insider knowledge about the exact contents of the first wave of the Dark Eldar revamp. Here's what they had to say...

"New Codex
3 metal blisters
*New Drazhar
*New Mandrakes
*New Decapitator Mandrake champion model
2 metal boxes
*New Talos
*Fallen (Stiking Scorpion)Phoenix Lord Arhra (Founder of the Incubi)
6 plastic boxes
*New Archon / Dracon / Wych Dracite kit lots of options
*New Plastic Warriors
*New Plastic Wytches
*New Grotesques plastic kit (they look more like DE Posessed (like the chaos kit) not zombie looking
*New reaver Jetbikes
*New Raider / Ravager Kit (can make either vehicle from this one kit)

Later planed plastic in early 2011 are New Scourges and Hellions kits
Mid 2011 New metal Incubi and Warp Hounds box, New Plastic Asdrubael Vect kit

Shhhh don't tell anyone I leaked this out I could get fired.

Codex will also be very similar to the latest incarnations. It will have a unique character that can be upgraded for a squad.

Each DE squad has a base cost of 80pts
Raider base cost will be 70pts and will not include a DL"

Now you don't get as far in the Dark City as I have by believing everything you hear. But maybe, just maybe, there might be some truth in this... Only time will tell for sure...

Featured Content: Kabal of the Sixth Circle

2010-07-31T01:14:00.000-07:00

For our first installment of this feature we'll be checking out a regular reader's own budding force; The Kabal of the Sixth circle.

To go with the cool name, Blang86 has come up with a fantastic, striking colour scheme. The Black armour with green/blue trim is classic Dark Eldar and the contrasting pink, pays homage to the Dark Kin's flirtation with Slaanesh and really makes for a unique looking army.

I had a chat with Blang86 about his Kabal and here's what he had to say:

TDEK: So how and why did you get involved with the Dark Eldar?

Blang86: I started collecting Dark Eldar early this year. I wanted a challenging army, where each victory felt fulfilling. Not to say that Dark Eldar are bad, you just need to be extra critical of every move.

TDEK: Now that you're hooked, what do you love most about them?
Blang86: I love their mobility and fire power. I'm also greatly interested in the potential background information in the new codex.

TDEK: Kabal of the Sixth Circle is a great name, what's the meaning behind it?
Blang86: Slaanesh's domain consists of six "circles" of temptation. The Kabal of the Sixth Circle are notorious raiders of Slaanesh's cultists, stealing back the very souls drained by the Great Enemy.

TDEK: Painting your army pink is always a brave choice, what made you do it?

Blang86: Nobody ever makes a hot pink army, especially one that doesn't look ridiculous. Only the Dark Eldar could get away with that flashiness. I also love Emperor's Children Chaos Marines / Slaanesh color schemes.

TDEK: Everything in the army looks great but do you have any particular favourites?
Blang86: I have a custom lord being created. He's not finished yet, so for now my favorite model is definitely my Incubi. I think they're the best model GW ever created.

TDEK: How about the gaming side of things, does the army play well?
Blang86: I have pretty decent success as long as we're not playing from the Battle Missions book. Those missions are not Dark Eldar friendly. Tau also give me problems.

TDEK: Lastly, what are you most looking forward to about the impeding relaunch?
Blang86: I'm most looking forward to the new fluff. I'd love a new set of Warriors too. I hate how static the current models are, such a pain to paint well.

TDEK: Thanks for taking the time to talk to the Dark Eldar Kabal and may all your future raids be lucky!
Blang86: Thanks! :]

You can follow the progress of the Sixth Circle Kabal at http://sixth-circle.blogspot.com/. If you have, or know of a cool Dark Eldar Kabal that you would like to see featured then send an email to cuchulain84@gmail.com. Happy Raiding!

Latest Dark Eldar Rumour: Harlequins?

2010-07-28T00:49:00.000-07:00

The idea of Harlequins being included in the new Dark Eldar codex has been bandied around for a while now, but as of yet nothing has been officially confirmed. However...

A keen eyed warseer poster spotted a quote in this months White Dwarf which could be seen as an 'official' hint.

WD 368 August 2010 (UK Edition) P27 Last Paragraph
"Such an Alliance, so feared and loathed by the Eldar of the Craftworlds, would doubtless have triumphed were it not for the arrival of the Eldars Dark Kin. Led by the Lithe and Deadly servants of the Laughing God, they struck the Daemons without warning."

So clearly GW, in theory have no problem with the idea of a Dark Eldar Kabal fighting side by side with a Harlequin Troupe.

Personally I can't imagine anything cooler than the image conjured in the above quote. The creepy swirling, clown-esque, colours of the Harlequins contrasting with the dark, sleek, shadowy look of the Dark Eldar. What a terrifying sight it would be for our enemies to behold...

I'd love to hear what other people think about this. Should Harlequins be included in the new codex? Do you think they will? What could they add to our playstyle?

Latest Dark Eldar Rumour: Huge first wave planned.

2010-07-22T04:41:00.000-07:00

So it would seem the most reliable sources on the net have come foward to tell us what we can expect with the new Dark Eldar launch (rumoured to be in November).

It looks like GW are going the full nine yards with this revamp:

Codex
3 metal blisters
2 metal boxes
6 plastic boxes

What these boxes and blisters will contain is anyone's guess but we can speculate. My gut feeling on this is that the metal blisters will perhaps be an Archon, Dracon and Haemonculus. The plastic boxes will likely see new Warrior, Raider, Ravager kits and perhaps Mandrakes, Wyches and Jetbikes. The metal boxes could be Hellions and Grotesques, maybe Incubi.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. What do you think the sets will be? Are there any models you would rather not see redone?

The Dark Eldar Kabal needs you!

2010-07-09T07:58:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that things around here have slowed down dramatically. Unfortunately my arch-nemesis 'real life' and his dastardly side kick 'adult responsibilities' have reared their ugly heads and left me with no choice but to put leisurely pursuits (such as the plundering of defenceless colonies) on hold.
While I'm away, I'm putting you in charge. Yes, you! Someone needs to initiate the newbies otherwise they'll be impaling themselves on their Splinter Rifles.

So here's what I need you to do:

Send me any articles you have written about Dark Eldar tactics, army lists, rumours, painting guides, battle reports or whatever you fancy, I will credit you accordingly of course. Alternatively you can send me links to your Dark Eldar website or blog and I will promote them on here.

At the time of writing 'The Dark Eldar Kabal' currently ranks 3rd in google for the search term 'Dark Eldar' making it the highest ranking Dark Eldar specific site on the net. Pretty cool, eh? So by posting your material on here it will be bound to read by budding Dracons and veterans alike.

So what are you waiting for? Join me in my ambition to make this the ultimate Dark Eldar resource on the net!

Submissions to: cuchulain84@googlemail.com

Latest Dark Eldar rumour: Now due in October?

2010-03-17T08:06:00.000-07:00

Word has got out that the Dark Eldar are to be re-released as early as October this year! Much sooner than most of us anticipated.

Now we shouldn't get too carried away as this *is* just a rumour and hasn't been verified by GW in any official way. But could we be seeing the Dark Eldar coincide with Games Day '10?

The source of this information comes from the latest episode of Dice Like Thunder. In it they also give us some teasers on how the new codex will play.

Long time Dark Eldar players know by now not to get their hopes up when news of the elusive new codex arises but this latest development looks the most promising yet. I'll keep you posted on any more info that comes in!

(Pic originally from mybattalion.com)

Chaos Day Report Part 2: Dark Eldar Vs Daemons

2010-03-12T12:25:00.000-08:00

In part 1 I took on the might of the Imperial Guard and was left bloodied and bruised by the encounter. Let's see if the Kabal can pick itself up in time to repel the Dark Kin's greatest fear...

Game 3
Opponent: Chaos Daemons
Mission: Capture & Control
Deployment: Pitched Battle

The Daemon List: (Not sure about specific wargear)
Daemon Prince
The Keeper of Secrets
The Masque
10 Khorne Bloodletters (Icon)
10 Slaanesh Daemonettes (Icon)
10 Nurgle Plague Bearers (Icon)
3 Flamers of Tzeentch
2 Slaanesh Fiends
Bloodcrusher (herald?)
Soul Grinder

Having not played against Daemons before I have no idea what to expect in this game, but knowing the history between the Dark Eldar and the Chaos God Slaanesh I'm very exited to see how my Kabal holds up against their arch enemy and hunter.

I win the roll off and choose to go second. I decide to deploy my army in two sections. On the left flank I create a wall of armour around my objective. I have the three Ravagers at the front with two Raider Squads placed in between the gaps giving me a nice gun line. I also have the Dracon and Incubi and the Reaver Jetbike unit sitting back ready for a counter-attack against any beasties that get too close.

On the right flank I adopt a similar tactic on a smaller scale as I place three Raider Squads around the Wyches Raider. This flank will assume the role of the decoy in an attempt to split the enemy’s forces. If all goes to plan in the last turns of the game they will launch an assault on the enemy objective.

The Daemon player opts to have his Daemon Prince, Keeper of Secrets, the Bloodletters and the Daemonettes arrive on turn 1.

Turn 1

The Bloodletters and the Daemon Prince take the bait and deploy towards my right flank. The Bloodcrusher hides behind ruins in front of my left flank. Everything else comes in close to the middle of the board.

My right flank draws first blood. All four Raiders and the one Dark Lance Squad open fire on the Daemon Prince, killing it. The two Splinter Cannon squads open fire on the Bloodletters managing to kill off four.

The left flank doesn’t disappoint either killing off six Daemonettes with Disintegrators and knocking a wound off of the Keeper of Secrets with a Dark Lance.

Turn 2

The Soul Grinder arrives, takes cover behind a building and destroys my Dark Lance Ravager with a well placed shot. The Plague Bearers arrive and sit on the Daemon’s objective. The Flamers arrive to support the Bloodletters on my right flank. They manage to glance and wreck a Raider carrying a Splinter Cannon Squad. Everything charges forward hiding behind what little cover the table offers.

On the left flank I send out my Reaver Squad to shoot at the Keeper of Secrets but they fail to cause any damage with their blasters. I fly my Dracon and Incubi into position to ambush the approaching Daemons next turn. I take a wound off of the approaching Bloodcrusher with a Disintegrator blast. I shoot my Dark Lances at the Soul Grinder but fail to do anything.

On the right flank I weaken the bloodletter squad some more with Splinter Cannon and Dark Lance shots. I decide to seize the initiative by going on the offensive as I send out my Wyches to assault the Flamers (they gain the reroll misses for their Combat Drugs). They decimate the unit with ease but face an interesting next turn being so close to the Bloodletters. (Annoyingly I forget to use my 6” move in the assault phase for my bikes so they suddenly become an expensive sacrificial unit.)

Turn 3

The Fiends arrive and take cover behind the building in the middle of the board. The Bloodcrusher charges forward but gets unlucky with his movement rolls. The Soul Grinder grows impatient for combat and forgoes shooting to gain more ground but only manages to find energy for an extra inch. The Keeper of Secrets changes course and decides to shoot down the Dracon and Incubi’s Raider. The Daemonettes take his place and manage to find themselves within assault range of the bikes. I completely forget to roll for combat drugs and I fail to cause any wounds on the Daemonettes. In return they kill two of my bikes.

On the right flank the Bloodletters charge my Wyches but I easily manage to wipe out the weakened squad before they have a chance to attack back.

The Wyches re-embark their Raider and fly flat-out toward the Plague Bearers (I've since found out that they can't move flat-out after embarking but fortunately it makes no difference in this game). The rest of the right flank follows behind in support firing Dark lances at the Fiends but failing to find their aim. On the left flank I manage to finish off the Bloodcrusher with more Disintegrator blasts. Every Dark Lance I can muster takes aim at the Soul Grinder leaving it a smoking wreck. The remaining Reaver Jetbike is wiped out in combat with the Daemonettes.

I charge my Incubi into the Keeper of Secrets but the Deamon’s Initiative 10 makes it a deadly opponent. It cuts down three Incubi before I have a chance to retaliate. I reduce the beast to its final wound with my Dracon’s Agoniser.

Turn 4

The Masque arrives and uses the Daemonettes icon to arrive safely on my objective. The Daemonettes attack the Raider holding the objective. They tear it down and the squad hides behind the wreckage. The Fiends charge the Wyches Raider but fail to do anything to it. The Keeper of Secrets kills two more Incubi but fails to hurt the hardy Dracon. In retaliation the Dark Eldar Lord cuts down the Daemon sending it back to the warp.

The Wyches move the Raider as far away from the Fiends as possible and disembark to assault the Plague Bearers who are still sitting on the objective. Two wounds are caused by each side and they stay locked in combat. The rest of the supporting right flank open fire on the Fiends but only manage to cause one wound. On the left flank the Raiders and Ravagers make space for a volley of Disintegrator blasts. The Daemonettes are wiped out but the Masque remains standing. The Splinter Cannon Squad behind the wrecked Raider opens fire and succeeds in killing off the Daemon leaving the Dark Eldar objective uncontested.

With no Daemon units within at least 50” of my objective and with so many Raiders surrounding his, the Daemon player realises he has no hope of getting a draw and so concedes the game.

Summary

Wow. I’ve never had a game go so according to plan. Every time a unit of his arrived it was faced with a volley of Splinters, Lances and Disintegrator fire. It’s not often that I can be so brazen with my vehicles but the lack of ranged anti-tank weaponry allowed me to have my skimmers sitting out in the open with a full field of vision. Having two flanks worked a treat too as I was able to separate his army into manageable chunks and thanks to the awesome counter-attack abilities of the Wyches it ended with my right flank having a clear run to the enemy objective.

The only thing that let me down in the game (in fact all three games) was the Reaver Jetbike Squad, two blaster shots just aren’t reliable enough at taking down big threats to justify the points cost of such a sacrificial unit. I think I could find a better use for the points in my next game. Other than that though I was pleased as punch with the way the Kabal were able to decimate everything in their path. I suppose they realised they needed to get their backsides in gear when Slaanesh incarnate dropped out of the warp!

So that wraps up my time at Chaos Day, I’m sorry there wasn’t more to report but I hope you enjoyed reading about the few games I did have.

Happy Raiding!

Chaos Day Report Part 1: Dark Eldar Vs Imperial Guard

2010-03-11T11:36:00.000-08:00

As regular readers will know, I recently took my Kabal to Warhammer World for a friendly weekend of gaming. The intention was to play three games on Saturday and three games on Sunday but for various reasons things didn’t quite go to plan. In the end I only played two normal games and one battle mission over the entire weekend. I was a bit disappointed but nevertheless the games I had were good fun. Here’s how I got on:

Game 1
Opponent: Imperial Guard
Mission: Capture & Control
Deployment: Dawn of War

My opponent has a fairly balanced list with a good mix of infantry and armour. He wins the roll off and decides to go first. I notice that he has the officer of the fleet in his list (forcing rerolls of successful reserve rolls) so I decide to deploy nothing and have everything arrive on turn 1. He deploys all of his force in one corner apart from a couple of infantry squads who sit in the middle of the table in cover and he puts the bane wolf and two chimeras carrying veterans in reserve.

I make two noobish errors on the first turn. Firstly I bring everything on spread out across my half of the table rather than focus all of my firepower onto one flank. Even more stupidly somehow I let my Disintegrator Ravagers find themselves placed in front of tanks instead of the infantry. The second mistake is that I take the bait and send out my Wyches to wipe out the squad that was deployed away from the rest of the army leaving them in cover but still horribly exposed. Because of the night fighting rules my Dark Lances can’t find a single target.

The next turn my Wyches are wiped out from an order which forces me to reroll any passed cover saves. Raiders start popping left right and centre while I pick away at the infantry squads and tanks. Pretty quickly I get drawn into a slug fest and for the next few turns I end up playing to the Imperial Guard’s strengths. I do however manage to castle up using a Ravager and Raider to shield my objective. I also try to send out turbo-boosting Raiders to contest the Guard objective but they inevitably get shot down. Late in the game he sends his Veterans in Chimeras to contest my objective however I manage to repel the advances and the game ends in a draw.

I was pleased with the draw but not pleased with the way I played. In retrospect I should have rushed the squishy infantry flank and then moved onto the tanks. I think the severe lack of LOS blocking terrain really made me hesitant and fearful of his heavy weaponry but ultimately led to me taking more shots than I needed to. It did however give me a good grasp of what to look out for when I next play a Guard army.

Game 2
Opponent: Imperial Guard
Battle Mission: Imperial Guard, War of Attrition.

Because my first game went on longer than expected my previous opponent and I were left without anybody else to play. Figuring we might as well make use of the time we decided to play each other again using the new Battle Missions book. We rolled off to see whether the mission would be Dark Eldar or Imperial Guard based and he won. We then rolled a d3 to decide the exact mission. I read the title with a sigh. A war of attrition is certainly not the typical way the fragile dark kin do things.
The mission basically works like this: the point cost of any enemy unit completely wiped out is added to your tally. At the end of the game whoever has the highest tally wins. The only catch is that anytime any of your troop choices are killed they arrive from your board edge again the next turn (unfortunately for me dedicated transports don’t count). Deployment is table halves with no restrictions on how close you can place units to the enemy.

I didn’t take many notes for this game as I was despairing the whole time. Basically it was not a mission suited to Dark Eldar and things instantly went downhill for me after a crippling turn 1. My opponent ended up killing twice as many points worth of stuff as I did. Fortunately he was a really nice guy so it still ended up being good fun.

I did manage to have a read through of all the Dark Eldar missions and they look really interesting.

Dawn Raid
Can’t remember the specifics of this mission but I remember that night fighting stays in effect until a 6 is rolled at the start of a turn.

Slave Raid
A mission to simulate a Kabal on the hunt for fresh slaves. Every time you kill an enemy unit within 18” of one of your own they count as being taken as slaves and you add a point to your tally. The winner is determined by who has the highest tally of slaves.

Feigned Retreat
From first impressions this is my favourite of the three Dark Eldar missions. The table is divided into three sections down the length of the board. The enemy gets one of the end sections and the Dark Eldar get the other two. The Dark Eldar player gets to place two units in the centre section and these units gain the Hit & Run special rule. The rest of the army is placed in the remaining end section. The idea behind it is that the Dark Eldar are attempting to lure the enemy into an ambush. I personally can’t wait to give this one a go.

So, so far I’ve a draw and a loss (if you count the Battle Missions game) for part 2 I'll have a proper detailed Battle Report, so stay tuned to see if I manage to turn things around!

Six games over two days. Here's the finalised list I'll be taking...

2010-03-05T11:08:00.000-08:00

My finalised Chaos Day List:

HQ
Dracon (Agoniser, Splinter Pistol, Plasma Grenades, Shadow Field)
5 Incubi (Plasma Grenades)
Raider

Elites
7 Wyches (Wych Weapons, Plasma Grenades) inc. Succubus (Agoniser, Goblet of Spite, Haywire Grenades)
Raider

Troops
5 Warriors (Dark Lance)
Raider (Horrorfex)
5 Warriors (Dark Lance)
Raider (Horrorfex)
5 Warriors (Splinter Cannon)
Raider (Horrorfex)
5 Warriors (Splinter Cannon)
Raider (Horrorfex)
5 Warriors (Splinter Cannon)
Raider (Horrorfex)

Fast Attack
3 Reaver Jetbikes (2 x Blaster) inc. Succubus (Punisher, Tormentor Helm, Archangel of Pain)

Heavy Support
Ravager   (3 x Disintegrators)
Ravager   (3 x Disintegrators)
Ravager

Total: 1500

I decided to take the advice of a very helpful reader (Thor665) and drop my Jetbike Archon from the list. This freed up enough points to add a small Reaver Jetbike Squad with 2 Blasters and a Punisher wielding Succubus (actually the Lord hasn't been dropped completely as he'll be taking the role of the Succubus). With the remaining points I gave the Wych Succubus the Goblet of Spite and a Haywire Grenade, the Dracon inherited the Shadow Field and the Reaver Jetbike Succubus is taking the Archangel of Pain. So overall I lose one of my hard hitters but gain a more rounded list.

See you next week for the write up on how it went.

Happy Raiding!

W.I.P 1500pt Chaos Day Tournament List

2010-03-02T12:10:00.000-08:00

This weekend I will be taking my Kabal to an invite only, friendly tournament taking place at the heart of GW, Warhammer World. Six games will be played over the two days by each player and everyone has been instructed to write up a 1500pt list which they must use for every game. So being well rounded is going to be key.

My normal lists fits the bill nicely with a decent mix of anti-tank and anti-infantry:

HQ
Archon (Reaver Jetbike, Punisher, Combat Drugs, Haywire Grenades, Shadow Field, Tormentor Helm, Plasma Grenades)

Dracon (Agoniser, Splinter Pistol, Plasma Grenades)
5 Incubi (Plasma Grenades)
Raider

Elites
7 Wyches (Wych Weapons, Plasma Grenades) inc. Succubus (Agoniser)
Raider

Troops
5 Warriors (Dark Lance)
Raider (Horrorfex)
5 Warriors (Dark Lance)
Raider (Horrorfex)
5 Warriors (Splinter Cannon)
Raider (Horrorfex)
5 Warriors (Splinter Cannon)
Raider (Horrorfex)
5 Warriors (Splinter Cannon)
Raider (Horrorfex)

Heavy Support
Ravager (3 x Disintegrators)
Ravager (3 x Disintegrators)
Ravager

However! I've been thinking of changing things up a little for some intensive experimentation. Inspired by a rude awakening in my last game whereby my Jetbike Archon was insta-killed by a Lascannon before reaching close combat. I've been thinking about how much he'd benefit from a few Reaver Jetbikes to take any nasty S6+ shots.

To achieve this I could drop (very reluctantly I should add) the Wych Squad, and for the same points get:

5 Reaver Jetbikes (2 x Blaster) inc. Succubus (Agoniser)

It's an interesting trade off as I gain a little more anti-tank but lose a good 'tarpit' unit to tie up some of the nastier enemy units. The Wyches survive a little better in combat but the bikes survive a little better against shooting. I'll also lose a Raider (though it always seems to get wrecked immediately before or just after dropping the Wyches off anyway).

Alternatively I could just take out one RJB and the Succubus leaving me 86pts to spend elsewhere...

In anycase I'll let you know how my finalised list looks before the weekend. When I get back I'll be sure to do a full report on how I got on, so keep an eye out for that. As always I'd love to hear your thoughts on my list and how you'd improve it so be sure to post a comment below.

Happy Raiding!

Building a Dark Eldar Army List; Part 3: The Dark Eldar Lord & Incubi

2010-03-01T10:44:00.000-08:00

The HQ section of the Dark Eldar codex is rife with goodies but for now we’ll be focusing on the Dark Eldar Lords, more commonly known as the Archon and Dracon and their fearsome retinues. Tooled up and in close-combat these guys can take on almost anything in the game.

Let’s look at the typical basic setup most players field:

Archon/Dracon (Shadow Field, Punisher, Tormentor Helm, Combat Drugs, Plasma Grenades)
137pts/112pts

Or

Archon/Dracon (Shadow Field, Agoniser, Splinter Pistol, Combat Drugs, Plasma Grenades)
133pts/108pts

Finding these items of wargear on a Dark Eldar Lord is pretty much a given and with good reason. The Shadow field gives us a 2+ invulnerable save (note: only lasts until he/she fails a save and is only one per army), the combat drugs enable us to increase most of our stats at will and the plasma grenades will mean we almost always strike first. The difference between the Agoniser and the Punisher is slight. A Punisher will be better against models with T4/5 or lower whereas the Agoniser will work best for anything with an exceptionally high Toughness as it always wounds on a 4+. A character may take up to 100pts of wargear and so far we’ve used up just over half of that. Let’s see if there’s any other equipment worth taking.

Crucible of Malediction: When used it forces the nearest enemy Psyker to take a Ld test, if failed the Psyker is removed from play. Though it would be hilarious to insta-kill a rune priest on turn 1, I’m not sure it’s worth the 20pts given its low success rate. Maybe if you typically face a lot of nasty Psykers... (Note: Can’t be taken with a Reaver Jetbike - FAQ)

Haywire Grenades: Definitely worth it if you have 4pts spare. Glancing hits on a 2+ and Penetrating hits on a 6+ will come in very handy against mech heavy armies, especially if you roll as badly with your Dark Lances as I do.

Hell Mask: Forces anyone attacking the wearer in close-combat to take a Ld test. If failed they will need 6’s to hit. At only 5pts it’s definitely worth considering, especially against low Ld armies such as Orks. (Only works if the character is alone).

Hellion Skyboard: Essentially a jump pack which gives the character a 4+ save and a 5+ invulnerable save if the character has moved that turn. Also gives you the option to Deepstrike. At 15pts it’s a decent option but it’s generally considered less viable than taking a...

Reaver Jetbike: Gives the rider +1 Strength and +1 Toughness as well as all of the benefits that come with an Eldar Jetbike (3+ cover save for Turbo-boosting, 6” move in the assault phase even when not assaulting etc) At 35pts it’s costly but can be well worth it.

Soul Seeker Ammunition: Even at 10pts it’s not really worth the ability to reroll misses for a S3 splinter weapon.

Terrorfex: Great but I find it’s more viable to use Horrorfexes on Raiders seeing as they do the same thing at a longer range for 5pts instead of 15pts.

Trophy Rack: I seldom have to take a Ld test for my Archon so increasing it by 1 doesn’t seem worth it for me but for 5pts you might consider it.

Arcane Wargear (One per army)

Animus Vitae: Even though the rule on Victory Points no longer counts this is 15pts very well spent. Basically it gives you +1WS and +1S as soon as you capture (i.e sweeping advance) something in combat and lasts for the rest of the game. I only wish I had the points spare.

Archangel of Pain: Uses the flamer template and any unit hit takes a pinning test at -2 to their Ld. At only 5pts it could be useful if you think you will just fall short of assaulting a unit. (One use only though).

Mask of the Damned: Means that any unit wishing to assault the wearer must take a Ld test. If they fail they stay where they are. At 15pts it seems a little pricey and seems less viable than some of the other masks.

Vexantrope: I’m a little confused on the exact effect of this mask. It states that a unit attacking the wearer must pass a Ld test or redirect it’s attacks onto another model within 2”. Now if we assume the wearer is alone then we can either read this as, they attack members of their own unit or they miss completely. As there is no clear answer I steer clear of it. If you wanted to take it then it's a respectable 10pts. (Doesn’t affect ‘unliving’ models).

Xenospasm: Works the same as the Terrorfex but for the extra 5pts any models hit by the blast also take a S3 ap3 hit.

Retinues
Your Lord may take a Retinue of between 5 and 10 Warriors and/or Incubi. If the entire unit numbers 10 or less (including the Lord) they can take a Raider (unless the Lord is on a bike or a Skyboard, but you wouldn’t want be taking a retinue in that case anyway).

The Warrior Retinue
The Warriors can be equipped in the same way as a Warrior Squad (no Sybarite upgrade or Special Weapons though).Best equipped with Splinter Cannons as they can be fired on the move (no point in giving Dark Lances to an assault unit). As well as decent amount of firepower it gives the Lord a few bodies to soak up wounds but just be careful he doesn’t flee because of it.

Readers Rathstart & Thor665 both suggest taking a bare basic Dracon with a Warrior Retinue with 2 Dark Lances in a Raider. For a well rounded list it's not recommended but if you need to fit as many Dark Lances into a list as possible it's a pricey but valid option. If they stay in the Raider and don't move it basically becomes a mini-Ravager.

The Incubi Retinue
Quite possibly the best unit in the Codex. 25pts a model seems like a lot but each Incubi gets two S4 power weapon attacks (3 on the charge) generally hitting on 3’s. For the return attacks they have a very tasty 3+ save. Equip them with plasma grenades to make sure they make the most of their Initiative 5 and watch them mow down anything in power armour. Two can be given Shredders or Blasters but at the expense of their Punishers and one can be upgraded to an Incubi Master but I wouldn’t bother with any of that. Just spend the points on more Incubi if you want to pack more punch. Most players don’t bother taking more than seven of them, anymore than that is considered overkill. Without doubt always give them a Raider, they don’t have the fleet special rule so can’t make it anywhere fast on foot. They are probably too expensive for smaller games but for 1500pts+ I would always take them. (If you feel so inclined, you can give them a couple of Warriors with Splinter Cannons to make the unit a little more rounded or just basic Warriors if you want someone to take power weapon wounds on).

Should I take an Archon or Dracon or both?
The general rule of thumb is; for games of 1000pts or less take a Dracon. At 1500pts I take both an Archon and a Dracon. More specifically I (and many others) like to take an ultra-cheap Dracon armed only with an Agoniser and a Splinter Pistol and give him/her a Retinue of 5-7 Incubi as the secondary HQ choice whilst a tooled up Archon joins an assault unit or rides around solo causing carnage.

How does a character with Combat Drugs work?
I thought I’d just give a quick explanation as to how a Character with Combat Drugs works as it can be a little confusing. Basically in each turn you may choose any amount of the six Combat Drug effects, however for each option chosen you must roll a dice. If you roll a double you have overdosed and instantly lose a wound but otherwise carry on as normal still gaining the effects of the drugs. If you roll a triple however you are killed outright. So if you only choose one effect then you don’t need to roll at all and if you choose all six effects you need to roll six dice (and pray). The effects only last for one game turn, so next turn you need to choose effects and roll again.

Can a Lord riding a Jetbike use a Punisher?
The codex entry for RJBs states that a character can only use a single handed weapon as he/she needs one hand free to control the bike. However, this entry has since been replaced entirely via the 5th ed Dark Eldar FAQ and the new rules for RJBs no longer state that a character can only use a single handed weapon. So yes, you can (and really should!) give your Jetbike Lord a lovely Punisher.

That just about covers the Dark Eldar Lord. Have fun experimenting with the different wargear to see how to get the most out of your Archons and Dracons. Let me know how it goes, Happy Raiding!

'But you haven't mentioned...' Have I missed something? Post below how you run your Dark Eldar Lords. If it's good I'll edit it into the article and credit you for it.

Building a Dark Eldar Army List; Part 2: The Raider Squad

2010-02-23T08:01:00.000-08:00

In this article we’ll discuss the benefits and downfalls of the quintessentially Dark Eldar, Raider Squad.

In the current codex the Dark Eldar have two different troop choices; the Warrior squad and the Raider squad. We’ve already covered the Warrior Squad so let’s move on to the Raider Squad.

A Raider Squad consists of 5 to 10 Dark Eldar Warriors mounted in a Raider. As usual they can be led by a Sybarite, who can be given all the usual goodies however unlike their foot squad counterpart they can only take up to 1 Heavy Weapon (Dark Lance/Splinter Cannon) and 1 Special Weapon (Blaster/Shredder).
So let’s look at a few combinations of how you can kit out your Raider Squads.

Anti-Infantry
5/9 Warriors (Splinter Cannon, Shredder)
Raider (Horrorfex, Dissintigrator)
Cost: 125pts/157pts

This is a very specialist build. I would only recommend using this if you find yourself consistently facing Horde armies. If you do then 6 squads like this flying round the board are sure to cause some carnage.

The Gun-Boat
5/9 Warriors (Splinter Cannon, Blaster)
Raider (Horrorfex)
Cost: 115pts/147pts

This is a failsafe combination as both the Splinter Cannon and Blaster can be fired on the move. Sit in the Raider and fire-away. Its well rounded nature means that wherever it finds itself in the battle it will have something to do.

The Sniper-Lite
5/9 Warriors (Dark Lance)
Raider (Horrorfex)
Cost: 110pts/142pts

The cheapest squad build. Deploy the unit in cover at the start of the game and they will take Dark Lance pot shots at enemy vehicles, independent characters, monstrous creatures etc. All the while the Raider flies around as a mobile Dark Lance or as a taxi for other units.

Reader Thor665 shares a very effective tactic; The super-gunboat. "The Super Gunboat entails buying a mini sniper Raider squad which you deploy into terrain or another sniper spot. You also purchase a 10 man Warrior squad with 2x Splinter Cannon and 2x Blaster/Shredder to taste. During turn 1 they embark onto the empty Raider and provide you a 'super' gunboat."

Why only 5 or 9 Warriors per unit?
A morale check is caused when a unit loses 25% of its members in a single turn. For a 5 man squad this is two casualties, to increase this number to three we have to take 9 Warriors. So anything in-between these numbers is doing very little to increase the squads survivability.

Warrior Squads or Raider Squads?
Most would say Raider Squads. When you get a fast skimmer transport with a Dark Lance it’s easy to understand why. Warrior Squads are still worth considering though, think about what you need from your troops and mix and match accordingly. Personally I take all Raider squads (3 ‘Gun-boat’, 2 ‘Sniper-Lite’).

Is it worth taking Sybarites?
For a Raider Squad I don’t see any point. Keep the cost down and spend the points elsewhere.

What about taking vehicle upgrades?
I’ve put Horrofexes in as they are fantastic for the cost. Any other upgrades I would say are too expensive or not useful enough for the Raider. Keep the cost down because your Raiders are too fragile to be considered anything other than expendable. Just let them do their thing for as long as they can.

Reader Thor665 disagrees and advises considering Night Sheilds. "If you're fielding gunline DE they become invaluable in helping to control the dynamic of who can target you with what. They can also be good for helping to protect a Lord or Wych Raider from turn 1 sniping."

How can you keep your armour 10 Raiders from exploding?
It’s not easy but luckily they are cheap enough for us to take lots of them. In my 1500pt list I have 7 and really I’d like to increase that number to 8. Having a large amount of Raiders on the table gives your opponent too many targets to take out. Something I’m starting to learn is to know when to stand and shoot and when to fly away. Remember that you get a 4+ cover save for moving flat-out, it can make all the difference in game. (Remember to use your Horrorfexes too when the going gets tough).

'But you haven't mentioned...'
Have I missed something? Post below how you run your Raider Squads. If it's good I'll edit it into the article and credit you for it.

Way Of Saim Hann; Dark Eldar Style

2010-02-22T01:53:00.000-08:00

In a recent article I mentioned in passing that a Dark Eldar Kabal can be composed, almost entirely of Reaver Jetbikes. Inspired by the thought I threw this list together:

HQ
Haemonculus (Reaver Jetbike, Destructor, Scissorhand)
Haemonculus (Reaver Jetbike, Destructor, Scissorhand)
Haemonculus (Reaver Jetbike, Destructor, Scissorhand)
Haemonculus (Reaver Jetbike, Stinger, Scissorhand)
Haemonculus (Reaver Jetbike, Stinger, Scissorhand)
Haemonculus (Reaver Jetbike, Stinger, Scissorhand)

Troops
5 Warriors (Dark Lance)
Raider
5 Warriors (Dark Lance)
Raider
5 Warriors (Dark Lance)
Raider
5 Warriors (Dark Lance)
Raider

Fast Attack
10 Reaver Jetbikes (2 x Blaster)(Sybarite, Agoniser)
10 Reaver Jetbikes (2 x Blaster)(Sybarite, Agoniser)
10 Reaver Jetbikes (2 x Blaster)(Sybarite, Agoniser)

Heavy Support
Ravager (3 x Dark Lance)
Ravager (3 x Dark Lance)

Total: 1998pts

That’s 36 Jetbikes in a 2000pt list! I’m not actually sure how effective this army would be and I can imagine having that many bikes on the table would be a logistical nightmare. Even so, part of me still thinks it would be a blast to use. Not so fun on the wallet though so only for the serious Dark Eldar nutbars!(...Now where did I put my credit card?...)

Dark Eldar; A beginners Guide: Part 2

2010-02-20T10:18:00.000-08:00

In the last article we spoke about why you should start a Dark Eldar army and about what makes the Dark Eldar such a great faction in Warhammer 40k. In this article we’ll be getting to the really fun stuff; buying your first Dark Eldar miniatures.

You might remember me briefly mentioning the Dark Eldar Battleforce at the end of the last article. For those who don’t know, a Battleforce is a set which gives you the core section of a 40k army in one handy box. They generally contain a couple of troop choices, a vehicle and a further specialist unit. The sets retail at £50/$90(US) and are pretty good value when you look at how much it would cost to buy the contents individually.
Let’s take a look at what you get inside the Dark Eldar’s own Battleforce:

20 Warriors (up to 4 can be given Splinter Cannons)

5 Reaver Jetbikes

1 Raider

1 Set of Plastic Trees (Scenery)
As mentioned above the contents of this particular Battleforce would normally set you back around £70/$150(US), so you are saving a fair bit (In fact a lot more if you are from North America).

Are these miniatures going to be a good choice for your army?
The short answer to that is yes. The long answer is definitely, yes. The true power of a Dark Eldar Kabal is in its Warriors and Raiders and until you’ve got enough to max out the force organisation chart you haven’t got enough.

What about the Reaver Jetbikes?
I haven’t been able to fit Reaver Jetbikes into my own 1500pt list (apart from my Archon who rides around on one) but for smaller games I think I would drop something else and make room for them and I would definitely take them in larger games. They are definitely one of the stronger units in the codex and if nothing else they look great.

Is it worth buying more than one Battleforce?
I would consider buying two but three will leave you with far too many Jetbikes. That is unless you plan on making a Jetbike themed army in which case I believe you could potentially field 36 of them (I’m giving myself ideas now!) But for a balanced army I would say one or two Battleforces will serve you well. (If you are so inclined you could potentially buy as many Battleforces as you needed and sell off any unwanted bikes, maybe worth considering if you have the time to do so).

Are there enough miniatures in the Battleforce to play a game?
Yes. Here is a 500pt list I’ve drawn up using the Battleforce contents:

HQ
Dracon (Jetbike, Shadowfield, Agoniser, Splinter Pistol, Combat drugs, Plasma Grenades)
Troops
Raider Squad
4 Warriors (Splinter Cannon)
Sybarite (Terrorfex)
Raider (Horrorfex)
Warrior Squad
13 Warriors (2 x Splinter Cannon)
Fast Attack
4 Reaver Jetbikes

Total: 498pts

Everything used in the list can be found inside the Battleforce. The Dracon can be simply made by combining the remaining Reaver Jetbike with left over Warrior parts just to make him stand out a bit. The Sybarite can be equipped with the Splinter Pistol and Close Combat Weapon to distinguish him from the rest of the squad.
Bear in mind that this is not a list tailored to be great at 500pts but at least you will be able to play games and get a feel for the army. Don’t worry if you don’t win much with it, once we bulk it out a bit we’ll soon have your opponents weeping.

I hope that gives you a good idea as to why the Battleforce is a good place to start. In the next article we’ll talk a little about how to expand your army.
Happy Raiding!

Building a Dark Eldar Army List; Part 1: The Warrior Squad

2010-02-15T11:53:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to The Dark Eldar Kabal’s exploration into the Dark Eldar codex. This will be the first instalment in a series of articles breaking down every unit in the current army book helping you build a force fit for even the most resilient of victims. Where better to begin, than with the bread and butter of every Kabal, the humble Dark Eldar Warrior.

In the current codex the Dark Eldar have two different troop choices; The Warrior squad and the Raider squad. For the first article let’s take a look at the former.

Consisting of ten to twenty Dark Eldar grunts armed with not much more than a stapler and a wetsuit these guys don’t look like much, but let’s see how we can bulk them out a bit.

The Anti-light Infantry Squad
10-14 Warriors (2x Splinter Cannons, 2 x Shredders)
Cost: 120pts-152pts (Depending on the size of the squad)

This squad is fairly mobile (for a foot slog unit anyway) being able to fire on the move but with a maximum range of 24” it’ll be getting up close and personal and therefore needs to be sitting in cover to improve its chance of survival. Nevertheless at rapid fire range these guys will be pumping out eight str4 ap5 hits, between twelve and twenty str3 ap5 hits and two str6 small blast shots. With BS4 this unit is a decent way to eradicate lightly armoured infantry such as Guardsmen, Ork Boyz, ‘gaunts etc. They need support though or they won’t survive long.

The ‘Sniper’ Squad
10 Warriors (2 x Dark Lances, 2 x Blasters)
Cost: 110pts

This is the cheapest and arguably most effective build. Plant them high up in ruins if possible and use the Dark Lances to take pot shots at vehicles, monstrous creatures, heavy-infantry or whatever else they can see. If they need to be on the move the Blasters will come in very handy.

Reader 'Robin de Tolens' advises keeping the unit cheap by dropping the blasters and spending the points elsewhere. This is a valid argument seeing as they will likely be sitting at the back for most of the game.

The Adaptable Squad
9 Warriors (2 x Splinter Cannons, 2 x Blaster)
Syrabite (Terrorfex)
Cost: 123pts

This unit is a good all round mix of anti-tank and anti-infantry a good unit to send chasing objectives in the later turns of the game. The Terrorfex wielding Syrabite will greatly improve the survivability of the squad and should buy you more time to whittle away at targets with the Splinter Cannons and Blasters.

How many squads should you take?
With 2/3 games being objective based I shouldn’t need to tell you that your warriors are absolutely essential for winning games. I would recommend taking a minimum of 4 troop choices in any games over 1000pts. With warriors on foot it’s a case of balancing squad size and points. I would personally rather take six 10 man squads than four 14-16 man squads but seeing how vulnerable a T3 5+ save model is, I could see a case for the latter. I wouldn’t bother taking the squad size beyond the 16 man mark though as the points could be better spent elsewhere.

Which of the squad options is best?
The ‘Sniper’ Squad is the most commonly employed. For a measly 660 points you could have 60 bodies with a whopping twenty-four str8 ap2 Lance weapons (twelve with 36” range). The others are not without their merit though, it all depends on how you want to run your list.

How can you help keep them safe?
‘Sniper’ squads should be deployed in cover at the back of the board. More than likely they will be left alone long enough to get a good few rounds of shooting in. A good tactic for Splinter Cannon squads is to use them in synergy with Wyches. The squad can get close enough to unleash its full firepower if the Wyches are assaulting the enemy in the same turn. Try to stay in cover at all times though unless it’s for a last minute dash to an objective.

'But you haven't mentioned...'
Have I missed something? Post below how you run your Warrior Squads. If it's good I'll edit it into the article and credit you for it.

Happy raiding!

Battle Report: Dark Eldar Vs Space Wolves

2010-02-11T05:43:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the first of many Battle Reports here at The Dark Eldar Kabal. Last weekend I blasted from the Webway to take on the might of the Space Wolves. Not the most hygienic slaves I know but some of the crew have a thing for redheads...

I knew this would be a tough challenge for me what with the new Space Wolves codex being absolutely disgusting and with this being my first time facing them. My opponent Adam is an experienced tournament player but this would be his first time fielding his Space Wolves, so I would at least have a slight advantage in that area. But when I say slight, I mean slight. To date I’ve only had three proper games with my Kabal, having lost the first and then going on to win the last two, so really I’m only just getting used to fielding my own force. However I’m going in to this battle with a winning streak, and I’m determined to keep it!

Mission Type: Seize Ground.
Objectives: Five.
Deployment: Pitched Battle.

Space Wolves:
Wolf Priest
Runic armour and wolf tooth necklace
Wolf Guard
Terminator armour, combi-melta, chainfist
15 Blood Claws
2 Melta guns

5 Wolf Scouts
Melta gun

Wolf Guard
Combi-melta, powerfist
9 Grey Hunters
Melta gun, power fist, wolf standard, mark of the wulfen
+ Rhino APC

Wolf Guard
Combi-melta, powerfist
9 Grey Hunters
Melta gun, power fist, wolf standard, mark of the wulfen
+ Rhino APC

Wolf Guard
Combi-melta, powerfist
9 Grey Hunters
Melta gun, power fist, wolf standard, mark of the wulfen
+ Rhino APC

Wolf Guard
Terminator armour, cyclone missile launcher
6 Long Fangs
5 Missile launchers
+ Razorback with Twin Linked Lascannon

Dark Eldar:
Archon (Reaver Jetbike, Punisher, Combat Drugs, Shadow Field, Tormentor Helm, Plasma Grenades)
Dracon (Agoniser, Splinter Pistol, Retinue, Plasma Grenades)
5 Incubi
Raider

7 Wyches (Wych Weapons, Shredder, Plasma Grenades) inc. Succubus (Agonisor)
Raider

2 x Raider Squad: 5 Warriors (Dark Lance, Horrorfex)
3 x Raider Squad: 5 Warriors (Splinter Cannon, Horrorfex)

Ravager (3 x Disintegrators)
Ravager (3 x Disintegrators)
Ravager (3 x Dark Lances)

Deployment:

I win the roll off and opt to go second (I want the last turn to grab and contest last minute objectives). Adam sets up his force in the middle of his half. It looks ready to jump down my throat, so I decide to spread my force out, ready to manoeuvre up the flanks as he charges down the centre. My Wyches, Incubi and Archon stay in reserve ready to counter attack and my Dark Lance squads deploy in ruins either side of the table giving me a good crossfire range.

End of Turn 1

Two of the Rhinos and the Blood Claws unit charge down the centre as predicted. One disconcertingly stays behind making my outmanoeuvre plan a little more risky. Nevertheless I ‘flat-out’ my two empty Raiders up the flanks. My Dark Lance Ravager is prevented from moving or shooting by the pesky long fangs. But in true Dark Eldar style I have my revenge as the Dissintigrator Ravager takes out most of the squad and forces the rest to go to ground. The remaining Ravager creates havoc on the Blood claws and forces them to take cover as well. Unfortunately my Dark Lances are less successful not being able to find their target due to smoke grenades on the vehicles. Overall though, a good start for me as I hold off some of the serious threats.

End of Turn 2

The Rhinos move up and disembark the nasty Grey Hunter squads. Meltaguns wreck a Ravager and knock a weapon off a Raider. The Razorback shoots down the Raider on right flank, the squads survives and hides in the wreckage. The Wolf Scouts outflank and arrive on my side of the board. They melta gun the rear armour of the Dark Lance Ravager leaving it a smoking wreck. They are then whittled down to three by the warrior squad in retaliation. The remaining Ravager picks away at the Blood Claws once again. The Grey Hunter squad that was left at the back disembarks and attempts to shoot down my left flank Raider but fails to do so. My Wyches fly on and attempt to avenge the Ravager by assaulting the Grey Hunters. They kill off several but the return attack is savage as the Wolf Banner is raised allowing the unit reroll all ones. They also passed the counter-attack rule, leaving me with a fistful of dice to make saves for. Only the Succubus survives. The Space Wolves win combat and the remaining Wych fled from the battle.

End of Turn 3

The weakened Grey Hunter squads get back in to their transports and decide to sit on the objectives. The Grey Hunter Squad at the rear finally takes out the empty Raider thwarting my plan once and for all. The scouts assault the Dark Lance Squad and hilariously lose combat. They pass their moral check though. In my turn the Incubi raider flies on flat out next to Blood Claws (they are embarked even though in the picture they are standing beside the vehicle) The Archon Turbo boosts behind cover, Ready to attack the Grey Hunters on the objective. I run my Splinter Cannon squad towards an objective. Other than that it was a fairly uneventful turn.

End of Turn 4

The Incubi Raider is shot down by the Blood Claws and an Incubi bites the dust in the crash. A Grey Hunter squad disembarks and manages to wreck a Raider in a hail of glancing bolter hits. Another Grey Hunter squad disembarks and takes pot shots at the advancing warrior squad but does little damage.
The Incubi emerge from the burning wreck and assault the blood claws. Carnage ensues.

Just the Dracon, Wolf Priest and Wolf Guard remain standing.
My Archon assaults a Grey Hunter squad holding objective. He overdoses on a measly two Drugs (lightweight!). He kills several off but loses his all important Shadowfield in the retaliation strike. He wins combat, but because of the ‘They Shall Know No Fear’ rule he is unable to run down the squad and remains in combat. The scouts and the warriors continue to battle it out, fighting to a stalemate. My Splinter Cannon squad continues to move towards the objective that the Archon is fighting over. This is still anyone’s game.

End of Turn 5

(It should be noted that earlier on, Adam and I came to a Gentlemen’s accord that the game would end on Turn 5 due to time constraints.)
The Grey Hunters on the left embark in their Rhino and park on the objective inside terrain. The Razorback finds its mark just enough to prevent my Ravager from moving or shooting. Without the safety of his Shadowfield the Archon is killed off in combat by the Grey Hunters. The Dracon kills the Wolf Guard before being finished off by the Wolf Priest. The scouts lose the war of attrition and are killed by the warrior squad in close combat. At the end of the Space Wolves turn Adam claims 3 objectives and is guarding the remaining two. In my turn the Splinter Cannon squad on the right finally make it to contest the objective (Who needs Raiders?) I disembark my Splinter Cannon squad at the back and they move to contest the nearest objective. They unload a hail of Splinter’s but fail to cause enough damage to shift the Grey Hunters. Their Raider tries but falls short of contesting the objective at the back. So It comes down to shifting the Wolf Priest who is happily sitting on the remaining uncontested objective. I embark the unit whose Raider was downed in the previous turn and in a last ditch attempt they fly over to the Wolf Priest. The raider unleashes its Dark Lance. It hits. It wounds. A failed save later and I claim the objective!

Final result:

Dark Eldar:1 Space Wolves: 1

Summary
...phew... That was intense! It was anyone’s game right until the final turn where Adam managed to cripple me just enough to prevent me from having a chance of winning but fortunately not quite enough to prevent a draw.
So, like the ‘glass half empty’ person I am let’s start with what went wrong;
Firstly my Dark Lances failed me throughout the whole game. Well almost the whole game, the all essential point blank shot to the Wolf Priests face was a relief, but Adam’s Rhinos and Razorback were left unscathed. Of course having my lone anti-tank Ravager melta’d on turn 2 by those pesky out-flankers was the crux of this, but nevertheless I was unlucky to not pop a single tank with my remaining 9 Dark Lances. Ideally I needed to take out the Razorback in Turn one or two because it’s presence at the back prevented me from being able to surround the Son’s of Russ and steal the objectives at the back. Having the Rhinos around till the end enabled Adam to very quickly redeploy his troops where needed and grab objectives which was a huge pain for me. Perhaps I need to consider taking two Dark Lance ravagers in future to improve my Tank popping chances in future.
My second gripe was with less with my own units and more with the insanely powerful close combat potential of the Space Wolves, the special rules and banners are really not to be overlooked. This was something I had really underestimated and led me to sending my Wyches on a suicide mission. In retrospect I should have sent them into the Blood Claws thanks to their ability to remove the extra close combat weapon attack and sent the Incubi into the Grey Hunters. I won’t be making that mistake again. The Archon got a little unlucky due to overdosing and not being able to run down his opponents but there was little else he could have done.
Okay enough dwelling on the bad. Let’s move on to what went right.
I love my Disintegrators. They’re just really great weapons for making heavily armoured infantry cry. They did the most damage for me in the game. What more can I say?
I have to say my opinions on Splinter Cannons were changed in this game. I don’t normally get a chance to actually use them what with the Raider units hiding away for a chance to grab objectives but with the aggressive nature of the Space Wolves I was quickly in the thick of it and it was really surprising just how effective a Splinter Cannon and four rapid-firing Splinter Rifles can be at whittling down squads. (I didn’t mention them much in the turn events but they certainly killed off a few Marines.)
As a final point, would you mind terribly if I blew my own trumpet for a second...You would? Well tough.
I actually feel really proud to have gotten a draw in this game, Adam is a very crafty, experienced player and the new Space Wolves codex is one of the strongest around. I was half expecting to get flattened but despite a few setbacks my army pulled through. I think this is proof that the Dark Eldar codex is still to be feared and respected and can still compete with the big boys. Anyway, enough self gratification, let’s get these slaves back to Commorragh and have ourselves a scream. To the Webway!

Check out the battle report from the Space Wolves p.o.v here

Dark Eldar; A beginners Guide: Part 1

2010-02-05T11:11:00.000-08:00

Do you enjoy kidnapping, slavery and torture?

If the answer is ‘Hell yes!’, then you are legally insane and should probably hand yourself over to the authorities immediately. If the answer is ‘yes, but only in the confines of the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000’ then you should read on, because this article will tell you how to go about starting your own Dark Eldar Kabal!

‘Should I start a Dark Eldar army?’ Is a question I’ve seen crop up a lot lately. The general response consists of scores of naysayers proclaiming that ‘It’s not worth it’ and to ‘wait for a new codex.’ My answer is always ‘Definitely, yes!’ and I’ll explain why.

The Dark Eldar are without doubt the coolest army in 40k. They’re quicker than the Craftworld Eldar, more despicable than the Chaos Marines and they have close combat units that can make a Tyranid player weep. But what they do best is kill Marines, and luckily for us Space Marines are in abundance. Of course I don’t need to tell you all that, that’s why you want to collect them, right? And there’s never been a better time to start...

(Okay, okay, I understand that a new codex is due. But we now know that it won’t be released until 2011 at the very least. That gives you a minimum of a whole year of pillaging, slaughtering and generally being the wickedest army in the galaxy. At least then when the new codex does finally get released you won’t be accused of jumping the bandwagon. Your old school Kabal will rock up and put the n00bs in their rightful place. If you do decide that you want to replace the old models with the new range then eBay will be your best friend as Dark Eldar fever soars! That’s my plan anyway, and it’s a hell of a lot more fun than waiting.)

So where to begin? Well that’s easy of course, go out and buy yourself the all essential Dark Eldar Codex. But make sure you get the right one! You need to make sure the one you get has a skull stamp motif in the upper right corner on the front cover. It should say ‘Second Edition.’ (Don’t worry, that means ‘2nd ed codex’ and not ‘for use with the 2nd edition rulebook’...The codex is old but not that old) If you absolutely must get some miniatures I recommend starting with the battle-force, but I’ll go into that in the next article.

Okay, got the codex yet? Good. Now sit down with a cold beer and some nachos and familiarise yourself with the fluff, stats, and special rules of your new army. Enjoy!

The Dark Eldar Kabal Welcomes You

2010-02-03T10:41:00.000-08:00

I’ve been a GW enthusiast (read: Geek) for a little over 15 years now and my interest in the world of 40k has encountered several peaks and troughs in that time. I can remember the original Dark Eldar launch back in 1998, and more vividly I can remember how I just didn’t ‘get’ them.

So what made me change my mind all these years later?

I left the world of 40k shortly after the 2nd millennium, and returned just in time for the 5th edition rulebook. With no army to my name and little money, I scoured the internet for a 40k faction that would capture my imagination on the painting desk and lead me to victory on the tabletop. I wanted an army with a difference, something unusual, something that would raise eyebrows. It was then that I stumbled across the army I’d hastily dismissed all those years back, the Dark Eldar. It turned out that I wasn’t the only one who had done so and I quickly realised that they had become the most neglected army in 40k. ‘Perfect’ I thought; ‘I can see the beginnings of a classic underdog story unfolding before my very eyes’.

As it turns out, the Dark Eldar aren’t the underdogs at all. In fact, with the right build and a little tactical prowess they are one of the toughest armies to beat. This fact is little known amongst the 40k community and is the perfect weakness for a budding Kabal to exploit. Just like in the fluff the Dark Eldar’s greatest advantage is surprise but more on that in later articles!

I took what money I had and gathered together a rabble of second-hand, half built and half painted miniatures and my Kabal was born. So a year later and with various line up changes here is how my own 1500pt list currently stands:

HQ
Archon (Reaver Jetbike, Punisher, Combat Drugs, Shadow Field, Tormentor Helm, Plasma Grenades)
Dracon (Agoniser, Splinter Pistol, Retinue)
Incubi x 5
Raider

Elites
Wych Squad x 7(Wych Weapons, Shredder, Plasma Grenades) inc. Succubus (Agonisor)
Raider

Troops
Warrior Squad x 5 (Dark Lance)
Raider (Horrorfex)
Warrior Squad x 5 (Dark Lance)
Raider (Horrorfex)
Warrior Squad x 5 (Splinter Cannon)
Raider (Horrorfex)
Warrior Squad x 5 (Splinter Cannon)
Raider (Horrorfex)
Warrior Squad x 5 (Splinter Cannon)
Raider (Horrorfex)

Heavy Support
Ravager (3 x Disintegrators)
Ravager (3 x Disintegrators)
Ravager (3 x Dark Lances)

With twelve St8 Ap2 Lance weapons and six St7 Ap2 Blast templates all with a 36” range, this list is a formidable opponent for any army. And that’s before we’ve spoken about the Close Combat potential!