Dark Eldar?

[shrike22]

I have not ever had a match against dark eldar but i will be participationg in a tournament and the armies are: Orks, Space Marines, Daemons, Eldar, Tau and Dark Eldar.

 

I have had games against or as the other races but Dark Eldar? Can i have some help? All Ideas welcome. THe games will be about 1500-1750 and then an Apoc. Battle at the end. The "good armies" Tau, Space Marines and Eldar will face off against teh "evil armies" Daemons, Orks and Dark Eldar using the same lists.

 

 

So any advice in just general killingness for the Dark Eldar?

[IvorTangrean]

there are two things to remember about DE I find. You will drop them like flies, but they will do the same to you.

 

DE have a 5+ save on most things so they die easy.

 

DE also have I5 and lots of cannon fodder for their AP2 guns.

 

Also they Lord will kill anything with a 2++ save and str 6 PW.

[shrike22]

Ah, that bloody trick, the aggoniser and shadow field combo. I happen to know the guy and he claims he has not yet failed one save with it after a few games. (he practises against his marine army to see what his DE are capable of killing and how badly they can be out numbered) I dont know much about his army other then it is built around the DE battleforce and im almost certain he will have scourges coz he loves em.

 

I have also seen some of his 'tactics' that seem pretty good the only thing is that they seem to not involve the whole army only 1 or 2 units, especially raider squads. His idea is to give an Ind. Character a wraithgate and attatch him to a unit like warriors and have them speed to the enemy at a pace that only an Ork would try to match. Then deploy the wraithgate so his reserves can come in from it. Is that possible? any suggestion on how to stop it other then blow up the transport and kill the squad in it?

 

IvorTangen, thank you i will remember lots of shots and high I units to engage them.

[Brother Nihm]

Blow the transports and castle up. DE excel at taking apart your elite and exposed units. However DE crumble in sustained engagements (not to mention to regular bolter fire) due to the aforementioned poor saves.

 

He will invariably be faster than you so choose your targets based on priority (e.g. down the transport carrying the IC /w Wraithgate asap).

Then weather the storm and outlast him.

[shrike22]

Blow the transports and castle up. DE excel at taking apart your elite and exposed units. However DE crumble in sustained engagements (not to mention to regular bolter fire) due to the aforementioned poor saves.

 

He will invariably be faster than you so choose your targets based on priority (e.g. down the transport carrying the IC /w Wraithgate asap).

Then weather the storm and outlast him.

 

What is a castle? Also by turn 2 i will probably have problems due to scourges.

[IvorTangrean]

Castling is a chess term for playing defensively.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castling

[BoxANT]

The key is drawing them into an open fire fight. Make sure your units are covering each other and try to occupy the best fire lanes. DE dedicated CC squads (HQ, Wyches) pretty much dominate anything they attack so you have to be covering all of your squads so that if/when one of them gets attacked and beaten, you can capitalize on it and blow them up! Now that you cannot consolidate into CC, it is easier to pull this off.

[BrotherAtrox]

Keep in mind that 80-90% of your foe's units will be no higher than T3 or AV10. Dark Eldar are dainty.

[bravo-52]

Take heavy bolters galore. Not only can they take out most of the dark eldar infantry, it can also take down every single one of his vehicles.

[Eryx_UK]

What about dealing with them in close combat? I had a friendly 1500 pt game against DE (Wyche based) this afternoon and while gunning them down wasn't a problem once they ultimately crashed into my marines I was just toast. Only my SC's survived to really do anything and they ultimately fell in the end.

[IvorTangrean]

What about dealing with them in close combat? I had a friendly 1500 pt game against DE (Wyche based) this afternoon and while gunning them down wasn't a problem once they ultimately crashed into my marines I was just toast. Only my SC's survived to really do anything and they ultimately fell in the end.

 

How do you deal with them in combat?

 

Simple, shoot them first, shoot them second, shoot them last.

 

Wait for them to come to you, they should know that you will win in a fire fight, so give them one.

 

Use combat tactics to break from combat and blast them to bits.

 

Hit them with flamers as you do charge them, I have wiped out squads of DE with flamers.

 

keep in mind the hidden agonizers, a basically poison(4+) power weapon in a 20 man squad.

 

 

 

Oh also bolter the Shadow Lord to death, get him to fail a save then get him.

[Brother Tual]

DE are a strange army-

 

They are scary fast - if they are not committed turn one (Ie going to assault next turn) then their is something wrong.. People I play with DE that are good with them have alot of raiders and a few ravengers - you cant ignore either, but you cant kill all - I find that dreads are like anthrax to DE - they simply cannot overwhelm them - Assault cannons and heavy flamers scare DE players - Autocannons also work a treat - do you have any 85 point predators in your army? They will be priority number one for your enemy and for its cheap cheap points cost - you can afford to loose it..

 

Never loose hope with playing against DE - it could look horrible but often the DE player is <DELETED BY THE INQUISITION>ting harder than you - HE KNOWS his army CAN crumble at any time... Staying power is no-existant in a DE army in all but their bikes...

[IvorTangrean]

HE KNOWS his army CAN crumble at any time... Staying power is no-existant in a DE army in all but their bikes...

 

And you hit those with a Heavy flamer if possible.

[Mal]

Well I was going t make in indepth post about how squishy DE are... but I don't really feel I need to after reading all that...

 

And much out of character for me, here is one circumstance where I will galdly take 2-3 dreads.

[shrike22]

So just pack plenty of flame, S5 and blast weapons? And maybe a counter charge unit or two?

[Caleth]

I played against DE for the first time last week. Small skirmish game with my brother he just got them. They are nasty in CC i mean rediculious. I outnumbered their warriors 2-1 and the agonizer ate me. So force them to foot slog as long as you can . Also keep back as far as possible, their dark lances only have a 36" range, they will shred elites not in cover and vehicles, but a las canon to their transports makes them go boom.

 

They can bunker down with basic troops and murder things with dark lances but that "short" range comes in again. Droping a template large blast template on them will make them weep, my whirly killed a butt ton of them in two rounds. Also lock up their witches in CC with a dread, they can't scratch it and since its str 6 they don't reduce its weapon skill by half. Combat squads as speed bumps is also a grand idea, the extra turn of rapid fire can butcher whole squads, and if the combat squad has a flamer so much the better. Also don't forget to use combat tactics to fall back out of range if you take enough wounds in shooting it drove my brother nuts that he couldn't get his stuff into CC. Also talos are just evil to vehicles so be careful about letting them near your back lines. They are only T7 so PF's hurt them pretty well, compared to wraith lords.

 

Remember Glass Cannon, kill their transports, even with regular bolter fire and use leaping retreat tactics to stay far enough back, if you can fall back. Otherwise speed bumps, and dreads to tie them up.

[eyescrossed]

So just pack plenty of flame, S5 and blast weapons? And maybe a counter charge unit or two?

Actually, Str6 weapons with a fair few shots, like scatter lasers or ass.cannons *giggles*, because if he fields grotesques, the only ranged weapons that can hurt them have to be strength 6 or over.

[shrike22]

So, flamers and assault cannons? And a unit or to just to get killed/counter charge?

[yergerjo]

This is interesting and kinda funny to read as I am preparing to start my 2nd Army which will be Dark Eldar after a Counts as Vulkan Marine Army. So I'm trying to figure and build my DE list and purchases so as to beat my Marine army....its tough. DE die to bolters, 3+ to wound AP5 so no saves. They are only Str 3 so in CC its the odd pieces you have to worry about and lots of dice. Their splinter weapons are also only Str 3, wounding you on a 5+ (except for the Splinter Cannon which is Assault 4 Str 4, I'd expect to see this on Raider Squads). If he is expecting to face marines he will prob put some Disintegrators on his Raiders rather than Dark Lances which can be Str 7 AP2 36" H1 blast OR Str4 AP 3 H3 24" and Horrorfexes (blast template which causes pinning no wounds but -1 leadership per model under the template and is a defensive weapon) So I would be using Raiders as floating gunships, but at AV 10 around they glance 6's on Bolter fire.

 

Reaver jet bikes are like fighting marines except they are really fast and ALWAYS get a 6" assault move regardless if they are assaulting a unit, so expect to see them dodging cover.

 

His HQ will probably have a squad of Incubi attached which all have 2+ PW attacks on the charge, I5 AND are a Retinue, so forget about targeting his HQ in base to base.

 

His skimmers may have nightshields on them which add 6" to your range always, and pray you don't get stuck with Dawn of War deployment because night fighting will really benefit them.

 

If he uses a web way portal remember that that model can't move or shoot that turn so it can't be deployed from a Raider and if he has any experience he won't keep anything in reserves from it that is not a skimmer or jet bike because otherwise if you surround the portal nothing can get out. I'd put it in a "sniper" squad (9 warriors +1 Syrabite with 2 Dark Lances) in cover or a full 20 man squad cuz you won't kill them all.

 

Using anti-ork type tactics should benefit you most. If you use special characters, then I'd recommend only Sicarius for the Rites of Battle and the fact you keep combat tactics. Actually combat tactics won't help terribly since most everything is an initiative 5+.

[Brother Gathurn]

I played him. BOlters killed laot my asault marines did alright and the dread was AWSOME. but then the talos killed my scout squad, speeder and last 4 assault marines. HOW DO YOU KILL TALOS. (other than lascannons)

[yergerjo]

What did he run aside from the Talos? Did you win? Most things that will hurt a Talos won't allow saves, if you can get a Power Fist Sgt to survive long enough after assaulting he should be able to take it out, shooting will require heavy weapons to be focused on it which means its doing its job to soak fire.

[maniclurker]

Possibly the most horrifying thing about a DE army... they can keep your ENTIRE ARMY pinned for the ENTIRE GAME.

 

Horrorfex and terrorfex are blast weapons that cause pinning with a modifyier on your leadership based on how many models they hit. With the new blast template rules, they are really dirty. Being stubborn will help you. Running a mech list will help even more.

 

When fighting DE, expect to face:

 

1. Tricked out lord with 2+ invul and a power weapon that always wounds on 2's with a million attacks.

2. His retinue that will also kick your ass.

3. Ravagers with lots of plasma cannon equivalents. They are nasty.

4. Raiders. Lots of them. With nasty weapons.

5. Syrabites in all of the squads, with power weapons that wound on 2's.

6. Dirty tricks.

7. Pointy sticks.

[yergerjo]

1. Tricked out lord with 2+ invul and a power weapon that always wounds on 2's with a million attacks.

5. Syrabites in all of the squads, with power weapons that wound on 2's.

 

Actually the wounding on 2+ are poisoned blades which are not power weapons and the codex does not allow to stack. Otherwise to get power weapons up to a Str 6 requires a lot more points but using combat drugs and the Animus Vitae which only grants its bonus after you have taken a model in CC and by using a Punisher which is a 2 handed weapon that adds +1 Str and a tormentor helm which fires his splinter pistol and grants the 2ndary attack. This model should be very tough to kill since he should be in a retinue of Incubi

[Brother Gathurn]

no yegerjo I did not win he had a talos and a archon with one wound left. It was the talos that got me.

[Nurgle71]

DE are actually one of the best army for destroying vehicles, so try to bring out as many tac squads as you can and maybe TH/SS terminators as you can. For target piority, I would aim at the wyches because they are actually scary naked chicks :( which are deadly in CC if supported right.