How to Kill Dark Eldar

[Culebras]

Greetings battle brothers.

 

With the coming of the New Dark Eldar Codex, we face an old enemy, strengthened and reinvigorated. I went ahead and picked up a copy so that I might better prepare myself for what new xeno threats await us on the gaming table. Needless to say, this is an army that will pose a challenge if placed in the right hands. Its units are more lethal than ever and, while still fragile, it has lost none of its deadly speed. So lets get started.

 

General Rules

 

the Lion share of the Dark Eldar have the fleet and Night vision special rule (no surprise there). the only exception are the new haemonculus units (which thankfully don't have models out yet) and their frankenstein like creations (wracks, grotesques, talos, and chronos)

 

They also have some new rules which I will try and describe quickly

 

Poisoned shooting weapons: the new splinter weapons (splinter pistol, rifle, cannon) are Str X weapons that always wound on a set number (+4 usually). They can't harm vehicles but they always count as defensive weaponry (even the splinter cannons!) There are special characters that can boost the poison of the squads they join to wound on a +3 or better so beware.

 

Power through pain: This is the big new rule that make the DE dangerous. Short version, everytime a DE unit kills a non-vehicle enemy unit, they recieve a pain marker. One pain marker grants feel no pain, two gives furious charge, three and more give fearless. Only one marker is generated per slain unit so don't let a DE cheat you. Put simply, PTP makes the DE units last longer and hit harder in the end game. this is bad news and will need to be minimized.

 

Combat Drugs: used by close combat troops, these are randomly determined and can grant a random bonus benefit. The possibilities include: +1 ws, +1 str, +1 attack, start the game with a pain token, roll 3 dice for running, and re-roll failed to wound results. All units with this special rule receive the same effect (its not re-roll for each unit, so don't let your opponent try and fool you.)

 

General advice.

 

To me my Brothers

Don't use combat squads if you can help it, as small groups of Marines are easy targets for fast moving squads of Dark Eldar. In many cases, the enemy player will keep their squads to around 10 units to allow them to be transported by raiders. 10 vanilla marines vs ten vanilla DE without pain markers will likely favor the boys in power armor.

 

Bring the big guns.

Plasma Weapons are your friends, plasma cannons especially. Remember that feel no pain doesn't work against weapons with an AP of 1, 2, or instant death. Plasma cannons can also damage raiders so you can use them to take down these dangerous transports. (a dreadnought with a plasma cannon and Auto-cannon combo would be perfect for tearing holes in the advancing enemy). Assault Cannons and the surface detonation option of a thunderfury cannon will wreck Dark Eldar, though the Thunderfury is a risk, since such a small unit could easily be wiped out for a quick pain token.

 

By the time you see them, its already too late.

Expect to have parts of your army in close combat by the beginning of your second turn. The De can turboboost their transports between 24 to 36 inches in the first turn, move another 12 on the next and still have time to unload, fleet, and charge your marines. In addition to transports, you have jump infantry hellions and Jet bike reavers rolling on your flanks, and raiders that can move at cruising speed AND fire all three of their dark lances providing fire support. Expect a blitz from the first turn, sieze the initiative where you can.

 

They're fast, not tough.

Dark eldar are fragile as hell. With the exception of the Haemonculus, wracks, grotesques, talos, and chronos, the entire army has a measly toughness of 3. Even the vehicles are weak, with the best of the new available units, the voidraven bomber, having a mere 11 on its front armor. 10 is the rule all round. though they will try and compensate with a host of vehicle upgrades. Las cannons and other heavy infantry weapons are useful but don't go overboard.

 

Be ready to react

The Dark Eldar are going to likely going to hit you before you can hit them. They are very fast and much more mobile than even a bike or Deathwing army. That said, the Dark Eldar player has to play aggressively otherwise his army will be torn apart. Be prepared with units that can sweep in to reinforce or even harass. Fast moving assault marines, bike troops or even rhino bound units that can sweep in to help should work well.

 

I hope to post more meditations on how to deal with this new threat. Please leave any advice you have found or ideas you might have.

[Culebras]

How to kill Dark Eldar, Part 2

 

Troops.

the Dark Eldar have two basic troops options, Warriors and Wyches, and the ability to take two other units, Hellions and Wracks, as troops provided they choose the right HQ. Here are the break downs for each and what you can expect.

 

Warriors:

Warriors are the bread and butter troops. They cost 9 points, come in squads of 5-20, and can be carried in a transport. I expect that most players will take units of 10 of these so they can load them onto raiders (which can only carry 10 models anyway). With that it mind, you can probably expect each squad to carry 2 special weapons plus whatever their sergeant (called a Sybarite) has.

Warriors wield splinter rifles (24 inch range, poisoned +4, ap 5, rapid fire) so these are roughly the same as bolters. They can also choose to carry two special weapons which consist one one close range weapon and one long range weapon (or 2 long range if they go for max squad size of 20). The close range is either a shredder (12", str 6, ap _, assualt 1 blast) or a blaster (18", str 8, ap 2, assault 1, lance). For long range, they can choose a Dark Lance (str 8, ap 2, heavy 1, lance) or a splinter cannon (36", poisoned +4, ap 5, Assualt 4 OR heavy 6).

The sybarites carry a splinter pistol, which can be upgraded to a Blast Pistol (dark lance in pistol form), and a close combat weapon. this can be upgraded into a power weapon, an aggoniser (poisoned +4 power weapon) or a venomblade (+2 poisoned weapon). the sybarites also need to be upgraded in order for the squad to carry grenades.

 

What this means?

Warriors are good at ranged, and with a shredder and splinter cannon, a ten man squad can potentially put out 20 shots during the shooting phase along with a str 6 blast template. They aren't bad on the assault either, with initiative 5 and a 4 ws. However, their disadvantage comes in that they are frail, with strength and toughness of 3 and a +5 armor save. Also, with the exception of the sybarite, they have no power weapons and if the sybarite is killed, they loose access to assault or defense grenades. If they are loaded on a Raider, you will need to kill the raider first since the transports, being open topped, will allow the warriors to fire with impunity.

Alternatively, you can possibly see a 20 strong unit of warriors sitting on an objective and sniping with splinter cannons and tank hunting with Dark lances. Finally, they can use the webway portal item carried by an archon to come in from reserves in the middle of the table, so that is a possibility. It will depend on the player.

 

 

Wyches:

Wyches cost 10 points per model, can come in units of 5-15, and can also be carried in a transport.

Like warriors, they will probably be used in units of 10 for ease of being carried in raiders. Wyches are very good in melee but weak in ranged, making them the polar opposite of the other troops choice. Major differences include a weaker armor save of +6 instead of +5, but the entire unit carries plasma grenades, dual close combat weapons and pistols, and a nasty 6 initiative score. Their sergeants (called hekatrix) have almost the same upgrades available to the warrior sybarites, so I won't cover them. They also have some tricks up their sleeves

 

Combat drugs: See up above

Dodge: Wyches get a +4 invulnerable save but only while in close combat.

They can also buy upgrades including haywire grenades for assaulting vehicles, and for every 5 models in the squad, they can buy a "special close combat weapon" for one model. These include a shardnet (-1 attack to each model in base contact), hydra gauntlets (+d6 attacks), and razor flails (reroll to hit and to wound in close combat).

 

What this means: Wyches are fast, they will strike first thanks to their high init and grenades, and the combat drugs make them unpredictable. The good news is they are very vulnerable at range with only a 3 toughness and a +6 armor save, and with a str of 3 and no power weapons outside the hekatrix, they will need to rely on weight of numbers to kill you.

A smart Dark Elder Player will put them in a raider at the start of the game and try and get them within 6-12 inches of their target, that way they can disembark, fleet and charge, all in the same turn. To keep this from happening, target their transports first so as to immobilize it and force the wyches to spend a turn running at you and, hopefully, getting torn apart by bolter fire.

 

How to counter: Countering Warriors and Wyches is mostly a job of hitting them with the right tools. (assault marines for warriors, tactical marines for wyches and anti-light vehicle weapons for the raider transports.) One excellent way to pull the teeth from these units is to use a scout squad upgraded with Sergent Telion to eliminate a sybarite or hekatrix. Not only does this eliminate the only model with a power weapon, but it can also remove dangerous special weapons such as blasters, hydra gauntlets, or splinter cannons. just remember to protect your scouts from the resulting attack, otherwise they will turn into a pain marker.

 

Next time, I will cover transports like the raider and how they are crucial to a Dark Eldar's army.

[Brother Nihm]

Please remove the unit stats as it is against the forum rules.

[Jackelope King]

You don't need plasma to kill DE. Any attack that inflicts instant death already ignores feel no pain. Do you know those autocannons and missile launchers? The ones you should've been bringing for a long time?

 

Yeah. Against T3 models (which most DE are), that's instant death. They also flay Raiders and DE vehicles in general.

 

If you've been building a balanced list all along, you don't need to swap things up.

[Gearhead]

You don't need plasma to kill DE. Any attack that inflicts instant death already ignores feel no pain. Do you know those autocannons and missile launchers? The ones you should've been bringing for a long time?

 

Yeah. Against T3 models (which most DE are), that's instant death. They also flay Raiders and DE vehicles in general.

 

If you've been building a balanced list all along, you don't need to swap things up.

 

Agreed. I've heard complaints about the Shadowfield (subtracts 6" from a weapon's range, carries to melta range). As said, the highest armor DE have is 11. You've got S8 and commonly +2 on the chart, so don't worry about the melta loss. Multi-Meltas even get their melta and you need a 3 and then another 3. Flikerfields look like a pain though, the only way through those is weight of fire. So, autocannons. Flamers also are great here, killing most infantry on 3s, and casualties matter for DE.

[Marshal Wilhelm]

Just to clarify.

 

Flickerfield: 5++ for vehicles.

 

Night shields: -6" range, which alters MELTA accordingly [half of remaining range] and RF distance [6"]

 

Shadow field: 2++ for ICs but stops working on a failed save.

[whiteridder]

Shoot the wyches and incubi, and if they come to close, take distance of them. Don't let them come near you. Warriors, shoot or assault them.

 

Nightshields could by the way ruin your day, I hate that -6 inch range!!

[Grey Mage]

Just to clarify.

 

Flickerfield: 5++ for vehicles.

 

Night shields: -6" range, which alters MELTA accordingly [half of remaining range] and RF distance [6"]

 

Shadow field: 2++ for ICs but stops working on a failed save.

To further clarify- can they have Night Shields and Flickerfield.

[Brother Nihm]

Just to clarify.

 

Flickerfield: 5++ for vehicles.

 

Night shields: -6" range, which alters MELTA accordingly [half of remaining range] and RF distance [6"]

 

Shadow field: 2++ for ICs but stops working on a failed save.

To further clarify- can they have Night Shields and Flickerfield.

Only the Talos and Cronos can't. The Venom can only take Night Shields, the rest can take both.

[Culebras]

You don't need plasma to kill DE. Any attack that inflicts instant death already ignores feel no pain. Do you know those autocannons and missile launchers? The ones you should've been bringing for a long time?

 

Yeah. Against T3 models (which most DE are), that's instant death. They also flay Raiders and DE vehicles in general.

 

If you've been building a balanced list all along, you don't need to swap things up.

 

I can see your point regarding autocannons and missile launchers. However, I was also thinking of units like the Incubi (who have 3 saves), the Talos and Chronos engines which are immune to instant death, and the new Haemonculous Units like wracks and grotesques since you can take the wracks as infantry and they have a toughness of 4 and 5 respectfully. I don't know how popular those units will be because they don't have models yet.

 

Just to clarify.

 

Flickerfield: 5++ for vehicles.

 

Night shields: -6" range, which alters MELTA accordingly [half of remaining range] and RF distance [6"]

 

Shadow field: 2++ for ICs but stops working on a failed save.

To further clarify- can they have Night Shields and Flickerfield.

Only the Talos and Cronos can't. The Venom can only take Night Shields, the rest can take both.

 

The Talos and the Cronos are no longer vehicles, they are Monstrous creatures with +3 armor saves and 7 toughness so they aren't hurting for not having access to those upgrades.

[Marshal Wilhelm]

I can see your point regarding autocannons and missile launchers. However, I was also thinking of units like the Incubi (who have 3 saves), the Talos and Chronos engines which are immune to instant death, and the new Haemonculous Units like wracks and grotesques since you can take the wracks as infantry and they have a toughness of 4 and 5 respectfully. I don't know how popular those units will be because they don't have models yet.

 

The Talos and the Cronos are no longer vehicles, they are Monstrous creatures with +3 armor saves and 7 toughness so they aren't hurting for not having access to those upgrades.

 

Though wracks have a token to start with and are t4, their 6+ save is gone to bolter fire. 18 Bolter shots kills 3, which works out to a similar points value of boyz being killed by that number of shots. Not bad but not great either. Luckily wracks are only Marine initiative, so you can charge them with power weapons [especially your Captains and Lords] and you'll thin them out quickly.

 

The grotesques are brutes.

Those 18 bolter shots will do two wounds ~ not enough to kill even one. Only ap 1 or 2 will be taking away FNP, and only plasma [by template or RF] will be giving you enough volume. I am not sure they are very killy, but they are very tough and will catch people out with that.

 

The talos and cronos are even more hardy, but as they are more expensive than the grotesques and they have a 3+ save, they are worth using krak missiles on, even though they can get FNP.

They could be the same as Wraithlords though ~ shoot at me, shoot at me! Meanwhile the transports are all over you. D'oh!

 

Mech is essential. By not having it, you are allowing a quick army that is hard hitting to dictate when they'll slaughter your men.

[muadib02]

Venom has flickerfield included in its price

[Grey Mage]

Just to clarify.

 

Flickerfield: 5++ for vehicles.

 

Night shields: -6" range, which alters MELTA accordingly [half of remaining range] and RF distance [6"]

 

Shadow field: 2++ for ICs but stops working on a failed save.

To further clarify- can they have Night Shields and Flickerfield.

Only the Talos and Cronos can't. The Venom can only take Night Shields, the rest can take both.

At the same time? Just to be clear that is.

[Brother Nihm]

Yep, at the same time.

[Bracks0682]

After reading though the DE codex. I.ll have some fun with my Auto cannon Dreads...

[Grey Mage]

Yep, at the same time.

Thats pretty sick, though a cursory glance through the book this afternoon had me noticing raiders werent at all expensive, so Im sure relatively speaking thats alot of points.... but the benefits are probly worth it.

[Marshal Wilhelm]

After reading though the DE codex. I.ll have some fun with my Auto cannon Dreads...

 

*Nods*

48" range and able to inflict insta-death on his t3 guys [taking away FNP] is yummy. Add to that the ACs are tailor made for AV10 and you have yourself a winner. Lance don't have any benefit against AV12 either.

I wonder if Dreads will increase in popularity over Preds due to the Deldar Dex?....

 

Yep, at the same time.

Thats pretty sick, though a cursory glance through the book this afternoon had me noticing raiders werent at all expensive, so Im sure relatively speaking thats alot of points.... but the benefits are probly worth it.

 

Raiders pack a punch and are 15 pts cheaper than a LC Razor. But they also fall from the sky when you sneeze at them.

 

bs4 ML

4/6 1/6 to glance 1/6 to destroy = 4/216

4/6 4/6 to pen 3/6 = 48/216

= 52/216 or 24.07%

 

They need to toughen them up somehow :P

 

At 5 pts more than a LC Razor when double shielded, they are quite comparable, imo. Different rolls, sure. But the extra stuff the Raider does is compensated by flimsiness.

 

I think it is the best Codex to date.

It is almost like we got a new race from it. They went from being a bad joke to something vivid and exciting. Thoroughly revolting, but interesting for the galaxies sake. They were an 'evil' Eldar pun, but now their Dex gives as much juice as the Celdar ones combined, and that is going back to WD 120s. At least in my excited opinion :P

[Jackelope King]

I think it is the best Codex to date.

It is almost like we got a new race from it. They went from being a bad joke to something vivid and exciting. Thoroughly revolting, but interesting for the galaxies sake. They were an 'evil' Eldar pun, but now their Dex gives as much juice as the Celdar ones combined, and that is going back to WD 120s. At least in my excited opinion :P

That's the good part of these 5th Edition Codicies so far. They've all been pretty solid, with many different viable units in each Force Organization Chart slot, thus allowing for many different kinds of armies using the same Codex. When you get away from the old 4th Edition Mono-Build Books, suddenly you have a better gaming environment.

[Hellios]

I think it is the best Codex to date.

It is almost like we got a new race from it. They went from being a bad joke to something vivid and exciting. Thoroughly revolting, but interesting for the galaxies sake. They were an 'evil' Eldar pun, but now their Dex gives as much juice as the Celdar ones combined, and that is going back to WD 120s. At least in my excited opinion ^_^

 

I agree in general... although I would have changed a few things if I had been writing the dex myself... I wanted fly by raiders back... I'm certainly excited to see what new lists might appear.

[DarkGuard]

Just want to check something, is the Flicker Field definitely an invulnerable save? Because if it is, I'm guessing our Libby with Null Zone is going to be even more invaluable.

[Marshal Wilhelm]

Just want to check something, is the Flicker Field definitely an invulnerable save? Because if it is, I'm guessing our Libby with Null Zone is going to be even more invaluable.

 

Yes, it is an invulnerable and NOT a cover save....

[Iron Father Ferrum]

Just want to check something, is the Flicker Field definitely an invulnerable save? Because if it is, I'm guessing our Libby with Null Zone is going to be even more invaluable.

 

 

I hadn't even thought of that. If ever there was a reason I hung around here, this certainly illustrates it.

[DarkGuard]

I'm just wondering if the flicker field will see much wide use after a while. I don't know its points cost, but a 5+ invulnerable save isn't much (just ask our Terminators and Force Dome), and once you chuck Null Zone in you might as well not bother. Of course, if it's cheap I'd imagine they'd be taken, especially on more important transports such as those containing Incubi etc.

 

Fortunately, our amazing Librarian can just sit midfield, covering a large amount of the battlefield with a psychic power that I'm not sure the DE can combat, while our Typhoons and Rifleman Dreads tear down their transports. Coincidently, I have I feeling I may actually make the effort to make a second Rifleman, what with it being fantastic against AV10, very accurate, long ranged and able to bypass a DE's FnP save.

[Jackelope King]

DE have no psykers, and minimal psyker defense (it basically all comes down to Crucible of Malediction).

 

And yep, Rifleman Dreads are still pretty darn good. My Biker list had 3 of them around the time that Space Puppies were coming out. It hasn't changed. Good weapons tend to stay good :)

[Iron Father Ferrum]

I'm just wondering if the flicker field will see much wide use after a while. I don't know its points cost, but a 5+ invulnerable save isn't much (just ask our Terminators and Force Dome), and once you chuck Null Zone in you might as well not bother. Of course, if it's cheap I'd imagine they'd be taken, especially on more important transports such as those containing Incubi etc.

 

It's a flat 10 points for Raiders and Ravagers, and the Venom comes with it built into its point cost. I can see Raiders being used without them -- they'll normally be delivering their cargo and thus pulling a 4+ cover for Flat Out -- but Ravagers benefit from it. They and the two fliers have a rule called Aerial Assault that lets them fire with all of their weapons when moving at Cruising Speed. Ergo, no cover save for an AV11 open-topped vehicle which means they'll die very fast, like Vypers have a tendency to do. The flickerfields therefore make Ravagers useful by providing a modicum of protection.