Dark Eldar Tactics

[Brother Aiwass]

But the FAQ says that DS units still count for deployment drops, right?

 

Q: In missions where players alternate deploying units, 

do units that are set up somewhere other than the 

battlefield still count as a player’s deployment choice? 

What about units that begin the battle embarked within 

a transport? 

A: Units with abilities on their datasheets that allow 

them to be set up somewhere other than the battlefield 

must still be ‘set up’ in that locale, and so still count 

as a deployment choice. When you choose to set up a 

transport, declare what units (if any) are embarked 

inside – these are not separate deployment choices.

 

For example, two players are deploying their armies for the Only 

War mission. The mission instructs them to alternate deploying 

their units. Player A starts by setting up a unit of Ork Boyz 

on the battlefield. Player B then sets up a unit of Intercessors 

on the battlefield. Player A then sets up a Battlewagon on the 

battlefield – as it is a transport, Player A declares it will start 

the battle with a Warboss and a unit of Tankbustas embarked 

inside. Player B then sets up a unit of Terminators, but uses 

their Teleport Strike ability to set them up in a teleportarium 

chamber instead of on the battlefield. Player A then sets up their 

next unit, and so on.

 

Sad about this.

 

Also as a long time member of the Weeping Wallets Society, I share your Tantalus pain.

[MoGuy]

Yes, as I said, anything that has a deepstrike-esque rule still counts as a drop, whereas units in transports don't.

 

Could you share some insights in the Tantalus and the Reaper? The Tantalus seems pretty potent and surprisingly good in melee. And the Reaper is 5 points cheaper than a Dark Lance Ravager (and the kit looks awesome). Have you tried it? 

[Nusquam]

What FAQ is that in? I'm not seeing it in the 8e one. Just found it, it was in the first version of designers commentary. They really need to decide what they want to do with that one and include it in an actual FAQ rather than have it a separate thing.

 

That changes everything, assuming that the designers commentary is not going to be rolled into an actual FAQ and we have a new category of rules clarification. Changing the transport to unit ratio from 1:1 to 1:2+ is still a good method to help go first. Raiders and the Tantalus do exactly that and are even more valuable now that reserved things don't help go first.

[Brother Aiwass]

Yes, as I said, anything that has a deepstrike-esque rule still counts as a drop, whereas units in transports don't.

 

Could you share some insights in the Tantalus and the Reaper? The Tantalus seems pretty potent and surprisingly good in melee. And the Reaper is 5 points cheaper than a Dark Lance Ravager (and the kit looks awesome). Have you tried it? 

The Tantalus and Reaper were discussed here. Tantalus is gold, and it FW also prices it like it was made of gold, and no, not tried it yet because I'm yet to buy that model and also haven't neither finished my deldar army (barely started) nor played any game (because I'm enslaved by work and don't have much hobby time atm).

 

What FAQ is that in? I'm not seeing it in the 8e one. Just found it, it was in the first version of designers commentary. They really need to decide what they want to do with that one and include it in an actual FAQ rather than have it a separate thing.

 

That changes everything, assuming that the designers commentary is not going to be rolled into an actual FAQ and we have a new category of rules clarification. Changing the transport to unit ratio from 1:1 to 1:2+ is still a good method to help go first. Raiders and the Tantalus do exactly that and are even more valuable now that reserved things don't help go first.

 It's in this FAQ/Designers comentary: https://17890-presscdn-0-51-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Warhammer_40000_Designers_Commentary-ENG.pdf (Page 3, Q 3).

 

And yes, it looks like my concept list needs to change again. While working, a crazy idea crossed my mind. What if instead of taking 2 Raider and a Tantalus I take two Tantalus?

 

That's a good chunk of points indeed -and also resin and money- but, 4x5 warriors with cannon and 2 raiders with dissie cost 450 points and a Tantalus with 3x5 warriors with cannon only costs 50 points more that's one less deployment and two more Pulse Dissies (meaning you lose the 2 dissies (6 S5 AP -3 D2 shots) from the Raiders and gain 12 S8 AP -3 D2 shots) and that's a win in my book!

 

If I just had the money...

[Slips]

2 Tantalus can also transport 32 models between them which is more than 3 raiders sooooooo yknow :p

 

The same idea has also crossed my mind because I honestly dont see anything I really want to use in Heavy support that isnt a Ravager. So might as well go for multiple Tantalus'

[Nusquam]

Just did a 2K game against IF/Templar
 
My list, excuse the formatting, battlescribe is hard to work with:
 

New Roster (Warhammer 40,000 8th Edition) [103 PL, 1998pts]

Patrol Detachment (Aeldari - Craftworlds)

• Fast Attack
  • Hornets
    • Hornet

      Crystal Targeting Matrix, 2x Hornet Pulse Laser

    • Hornet

      Crystal Targeting Matrix, 2x Hornet Pulse Laser

    • Hornet

      Crystal Targeting Matrix, 2x Hornet Pulse Laser

Battalion Detachment +3CP (Aeldari - Ynnari)

Patrol Detachment (Aeldari - Drukhari)

• HQ
  • Archon

    Agoniser, Blast Pistol

  • Haemonculus

    Agoniser, Crucible of Malediction, Haemonculus tools, Splinter Pistol

• Troops
  • Kabalite Warriors
    • 3x Kabalite Warrior
    • Kabalite Warrior with special weapon

      Blaster

    • Sybarite

      Agoniser, Blast Pistol

  • Kabalite Warriors
    • 3x Kabalite Warrior
    • Kabalite Warrior with special weapon

      Blaster

    • Sybarite

      Agoniser, Blast Pistol

  • Kabalite Warriors
    • 3x Kabalite Warrior
    • Kabalite Warrior with special weapon

      Blaster

    • Sybarite

      Agoniser, Blast Pistol

  • Wracks
    • Acothyst

      Haemonculus tools, Hexrifle

    • Wrack with special weapon (up to 1 for 5 models)

      Haemonculus Tools, Ossefactor

    • 7x Wracks

      7x Haemonculus Tools

• Fast Attack
  • Scourges
    • Scourge with Special / Heavy weapon

      Blaster

    • Scourge with Special / Heavy weapon

      Blaster

    • Scourge with Special / Heavy weapon

      Blaster

    • Scourge with Special / Heavy weapon

      Blaster

    • Solarite

      Blast Pistol

  • Scourges
    • Scourge with Special / Heavy weapon

      Blaster

    • Scourge with Special / Heavy weapon

      Blaster

    • Scourge with Special / Heavy weapon

      Blaster

    • Scourge with Special / Heavy weapon

      Blaster

    • Solarite

      Blast Pistol

• Heavy Support
  • Tantalus
• Flyer
  • Razorwing Jetfighter

    2 Dark Lances, Splinter Cannon

  • Razorwing Jetfighter

    2 Dark Lances, Splinter Cannon

• Dedicated Transport
  • Raider

    Dark Lance

• • 
     

 

vs

 

• Techmarine
• 3x Pred Annihilators on a skyshield
• 3x5 grav devs in pods
• 1x10 tac in pod
• 1x10 sniper scouts

 

Maelstrom, Dawn of War, Contact lost.

 

I shouldn't have shot at the skyshield to try to kill it. T8 with 20 wounds is ridiculous. I could have killed two preds instead. Which probably would have saved my tantalus from exploding turn one.

 

The only reason I won was the Maelstrom mission type heavy favored mobility.

 

What I did take away was that the Tantalus consolidating units worked well and helped me go first. Hornets are quality. And blasters are always going to be good.

 

 

[Brother Aiwass]

Good to hear you did win that battle, but what's wrong with your target priority if I may ask? :lol: Those laspreds should be subject of focus fire if you cannot get obscured/out of sight. Hornets, the Tantalus, scourges and the RWJF should've saturated they with firepower.

 

How the Hornets performed by the way? As they have heavy weapons that would limit their BS (not having the index at hand at the moment, but I don't recall them having some sort of machine spirit, or is that targeting matrix removing the -1 to hit?). I also would love to hear about the Wracks and how you managed against those nasty grav devastators.

 

Cheers! ^_^

[Nusquam]

It was the end of the day, second game and I didnt realize how tough it was before i declared it as a target. Took it as a learning experience and just comitted to it. I should have checked first ha. But oh well. Next time ill ignore it.

 

The hornets did well. They erased 9 scouts in one turn. The trageting matrix removes the -1 if you shoot the closest target. From there they maimed the tacs and finished a pred. They were great for that mission as well. Fast and good range. Im glad i converted my venoms into them

[WhatTheBlazes]

Im glad i converted my venoms into them

So, how do they look?

[Brother Aiwass]

 

Im glad i converted my venoms into them

So, how do they look?

 

I second this, maybe you'll like to post a pic? 

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

Im glad i converted my venoms into them

 

You can't just drop something like that without pictures, brother. 

 

http://i.imgur.com/MWAXFWb.gif

[Nusquam]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWXqzjZDmwr/

 

Best i can do on my phone away from home ha

[Brother Aiwass]

That's [REDACTED] cool!

[E_50_Panzer]

That's [REDACTED] cool!

No need to redact it's the dark eldar forum! just kidding, but thats some nice plasticard work.

[MoGuy]

Played 1500 points against Militarum Tempestus (+ a Baneblade) and wanted to share some experiences:

 

I have first turn, my Ravager opens up on the Baneblade... and does 15(!!) damage to it. I was shocked to find out that the Baneblade only has a 3+ armour save AND doesn't ignore the penalty for moving and shooting heavy weapons. Next round my Ravager blew it to bits!

 

My Succubus + 9 Wyches shared a Raider and killed 2x10 Scions and Commissar Yarrick. Wyches took the +1S drug.

 

Blasterborn in Venoms still perform very well, reliably stripping wounds from his Sentinels and Tauroxes and mopping up Infantry.

 

I also took six Reaver Jetbikes with two Heatlances and the +1T drug. They are quite resilient and a great harassing unit. With their speed it's easy to get into Melta-Range.

[Zectz]

15 damage from a single Ravager vs T8 Banebalde is some dice god blessed rolls... Or did you mean Ravagers?

 

Speaking of combat drugs it's very nice now that you can pick and choose for each unit. Like mentioned +1 Toughness on Reavers made them surprisinly resilient now especially with 2 wounds. Anybody been using Hellions? +1 strength from the Hellglaive and another +1 strength from combat drugs makes them quite scary and now they've been buffed to 2 damage makes them quite good at killing more elite units like bikers, ork nobz or battlesuits.

[TrawlingCleaner]

I have to say Ravagers are very good especially if they're not focus fired.

3 Strength 8 dark lances decimate most vehicles and even snipe chracters if they're positioned well. A captain on 3 wounds tried to charge one yesterday and killed him with and extra two wounds left over.

On another note haemonculus bubble combined with wracks and a talos are very tough and difficult to shift. 2 wracks and a haemonulus survived 3 rounds of combat with 10 marines, in my game yesterday.

[MoGuy]

Jop it was a single Ravager. Hit all three lances, wounded and rolled 5,6,4 for damage. Not statistical at all but it was just awesome to wittness!

[Sawtooth]

How are Wracks performing? I like those guys but heard they weren't great last edition. Also just curious, does anyone put agonisors on warrior squad leaders? They don't seem ideal for their role, but they're also cheap. And how do people feel about shredders on warriors, I haven't noticed them mentioned? Edited July 12, 2017 by Sawtooth

[TrawlingCleaner]

Wracks are pretty good, they stay in combat for a long time and liquifier guns can be very good against marines if you roll high enough on the AP. Bundled with a haemonculus they can stay in combat for a long time

[MoGuy]

 

 

Also just curious, does anyone put agonisors on warrior squad leaders? They don't seem ideal for their role, but they're also cheap. And how do people feel about shredders on warriors, I haven't noticed them mentioned? 

 

I play my Warriors as five guys with a Blaster, riding in Venoms so I have no use for the Agoniser on the Sybarite. Shredders on Warriors are probably a waste since you can only take one or two. Four Shredders with Trueborn however, might be alright if you know you will be facing lots of lightly armoured infantry or Conscript blobs (wounding them on 2+).

 

I think Liquifier guns are garbage. 13 points for a weapon that'll wound MEQ on a 5+ is way too much. Maybe for 7 or 8 points.

[Ancient Terror]

I've seen it floated a few times that the Raider is too expensive for meaningful troop carrying. Any thoughts on this? 

 

I'm asking because I'm planning to build a sort of gunship Kabalite army - ravagers, flyers and infantry in transports - perhaps with some wracks and mandrakes for more saturation on objectives.

 

I'm wondering about putting 10 man squads of warriors or wyches in raiders, but it seems like the end result would be almost 200 point sunk into a unit with fairly limited firepower and staying power.

 

Since I want to invest the majority of my points in mobile firepower, perhaps it makes more sense to run with venoms, but I'm curious to hear what sorts of experiences you guys have had so far. Do the raiders justify their cost?

[Nusquam]

I like raiders now that you can consolidate multiple units. Thats a powerful ability to help go first

[Ancient Terror]

Hm. That's a valid point. Considering I'll already be loading up on some really heavy firepower (and hogging a lot of points that way), I might just go with one or two raiders with MSU objective cappers, plus a venom or two ferrying some nastier elites. Will have to math out the cost of my heavy hitters first, though.

[WhatTheBlazes]

Any opinion on taking craftworld units? I'm sorely tempted by a unit of wraithguard in a wave serpent + a warlock to scamper about and scare things.