# Using dark eldar effectively



## Nacho libre (Feb 23, 2013)

Hello all I've recently started a dark eldar army and I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on how to play them well.


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## projectda (May 12, 2008)

my way to play was a kabal army. with a venom you can do 12 shots at 36", 17 at 24", and thats as close as youd ever want to be. some ravagers for lances, trueborns with blasters and venoms.

i see it as you have 3 choices, kabal (range), wyches (combat), or haemonculi armies, and you can mix and match from there.
know how you want to play, and people can help you from there. we cant tell if you want to only shoot, mostly shoot, kill them in combat. this army is as people say a 'glass hammer'. hits hard but breaks easily. so think about what style youd like to use, look over some list in the list section, and get back to this topic. then we can help more with how to use them.


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## Iraqiel (May 21, 2008)

PM @Skari and check out his batreps for some good advice. He's one of the most successful DE players I've seen.


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## Skari (Dec 20, 2011)

Seems like I have been summoned! Lol. I love dark eldar, they are a finesse army. They require skill, but to win you must use them rithlessly. You have to apply overwhelming pressure and then maximize on the advantage created. Your question is very broad, and the answer would be very long "how to play them correctly" can be broken down into many things... List building, use of terrain, mission strategy... If you ask more specific questions that would help us guide you throught the treacherous dark city gutters, into the high halls of the webway realm.


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## Nacho libre (Feb 23, 2013)

Here we go then

Army list help:

First of all I need a list. Seeing as my codex is still in the mail I'll need some help. I'm looking for a list that has speed(raiders) and AT(wyches). My mate was telling me to take a archon with a husk blade, so I guess that's a start. I've already got some incubi that I've heard can do a lot of damage if used correctly. 

Use of terrain:

I've pretty much got this covered. Stick to cover, pop out to unleash dark lance rape and them move along.

Missions: 

Might need some help with this one. You know, how to grab objectives without getting fucked.

Thanks


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## Skari (Dec 20, 2011)

How many points are you playing? What are your regular opponents? And do you have a model restriction/budget to work with?


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## Nacho libre (Feb 23, 2013)

Skari said:


> How many points are you playing? What are your regular opponents? And do you have a model restriction/budget to work with?


I'm playing 750 points regularly. Most common opponent is space marines(includes space wolves and blood angels). Currently I've not got any budget restrictions.


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## Skari (Dec 20, 2011)

Ok cool. So you are basically fighting power armour. 

At such a low point value a huskblade archon is more a liability than a boon. 

Here is an example 750 list that i would love to play:

HQ/
Heamy with Liquifier Gun

Troops/
4 Wracks - Venom Dual Cannon

5 Kabalites - Blaster 
Venom Dual Cannon

5 kabalites - Blaster
Venom Dual Cannon

5 Kabalites - Blaster
Venom Dual Cannon

Heavy Support/
Ravager - 3 Lances
Ravager - 3 Lances

It has a lot of anti infantry and anti-tank firepower (do the math)  Also 4 troops helps you in objective missions. Killpoints is always a problem for dark eldar. This relies on overwhelming the enemy with firepower. You can modify accordingly but there are a few things to remember... keep it cheap... dont waste points on upgrades, at a lowe point level you want to have more units that are versatile.


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## Nacho libre (Feb 23, 2013)

Skari said:


> Ok cool. So you are basically fighting power armour.
> 
> At such a low point value a huskblade archon is more a liability than a boon.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the list idea mate. I was wondering if you could recommend anything that can deal with termis


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## Skari (Dec 20, 2011)

Against termies... volume of firepower. You have 4 venoms... they are gross. And you also have 9 str 8 ap2 weapons. They also make short work of termies.


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## Nacho libre (Feb 23, 2013)

Skari said:


> Against termies... volume of firepower. You have 4 venoms... they are gross. And you also have 9 str 8 ap2 weapons. They also make short work of termies.


That is cruel


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## neferhet (Oct 24, 2012)

as any Dark Eldar should be.


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## Iraqiel (May 21, 2008)

Love it, would like to see this list batrep'd versus DW or vanilla marines.


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## Skari (Dec 20, 2011)

Like as a video batrep? That can be arranged.


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## Ravner298 (Jun 3, 2011)

Skari, out of curiosity, how would you play against a space marine player with multiple thunderfire cannons and 3-4 scouting land speeder storms with assault cannons/multi meltas going 2nd? I've been crushed in the first turn by his list on quite a few occasions now. Going 2nd shouldn't be an auto loss. Any ideas?


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## Archon Dan (Feb 6, 2012)

I've got to chime in and say thanks to Skari. It is awesome to see another player who loves the DE and understands the art of wound saturation. I love to see the anguish on a Grey Knight or Deathwing player's face. They are always so confident in their low model count armies. They never expect to be whittled away by AP 5 weapons. 


As for Ravner298 ... Yeeouch!!!!
I don't know many armies that could take that kind of abuse, least of all DE. Night Shields and proper positioning is about the only hope you could have. That and turn 1 Night Fight(I always roll on the Stratagy Warlord table, hoping for a 2 with DE). Maybe their next codex will have a Night Fight trait. 

Anyway, if you are going second you should be able to set up conservatively. Normally a dangerous gambit for DE. With the speed of the LS Storm it is tough but be as far away as you can and spread out. Try not to let the speeders shoot the same target(our vehicles can sometimes survive shots from 1 unit but rarely 2). Obviously a Hammer and Anvil deployment works best here. With Night Shields, you can set up 43" away and be safe from the speeders. Your opponent will scout, then move turn 1 and be just out of his reduced range but be perfect for reprisals. You might leave bait to tempt them forward. 

Unfortunately, this only works if you know you are going second and only ideally on Hammer and Anvil. If you set up first and the initiative is stolen is usually how most DE defeats are born. When going first we have to set up aggressively. And that puts us right in the fire lines. Hope I was helpful and not too out of it from my hiatus from here.


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## Skari (Dec 20, 2011)

@Ravner298 - How many points are you playing? What are the load outs of the speeder storms? The TFC have to go! But, as a barrage weapon... look to things with a roof. They will detonate on the top floor... so in this game, your game will begin during terrain set up. Make sure you can block LOS to some of your units and be deployed under something with a roof. Or a skyshield landing platform as its cheap, and venoms fit under it fine. those TFC are the enemy. Try and get them in your venoms range and LOS and blast em. Use blasters and haywire wytches to threaten anything that gets too close like storms.


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## Ravner298 (Jun 3, 2011)

Hammer and anvil would of helped, yeah. Even if I would have to deploy 1850 pts sideways on a short table edge. 

Believe me skari the tfc's are numero uno on my priority list. They usually aren't that much of a problem either. The problem I have personally is just going 2nd with DE. More spcifically going 2nd without night fight. Reserving units severely impacts our damage output and need to cripple return fire quickly. There is also more and more long range cover ignoring or no Los weapons that can truck our boats. At 1850, my list has 9 boats, so finding cover or roofed buildings for most of them is nearly impossible on a standard board. 

As a DE player with a lower amount of experience with the army as a whole, I feel any input on this matter from veterans is highly valued to someone starting out as it's one of the biggest obstacles to overcome!


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