Early Dark Eldar unit review

[isotope99]

This is probably all fairly basic stuff, but here are my thoughts on the new dark eldar units.

I've missed out special charcters for now as they have been extensively discussed elsewhere and I didn't spend long reading their detailed rules in the preview codex.

HQ

Summary: Archon generally beats succubus and haemonculi are good as support characters but don't rely on them carving through units like the other two can.

Archon

Strengths: Access to lots of great toys; highlights are the shadowfield (2++ until you fail a save), huskblade (Instant death and power weapon, shame it can’t be combined with poison) and drug dispenser, combat drugs are a steal at only 10pts.
High initiative 7 and WS 7 gives you a great chance of dealing out death to enemy characters before they can strike back.

Weaknesses: Like most Eldar S3/T3 makes him vulnerable to instant death and can struggle to wound high toughness models if you don’t give him a poisoned weapon (but then he can’t get by armour) or an agoniser.
Not convinced by the archon’s court (collection of monsters) as I think a regular unit is better.

Tactics: Stick him with a bodyguard, put him in a transport and point him towards the nearest high value non-vehicle target.

Beware: S6 weapons of all varieties.

Succubus

Strengths: See Wyches and add in a combat profile that is in most cases better than the Archon (+1 WS, +1I, +1A).

Weaknesses: Missing the Archon’s best wargear so very vulnerable to ranged attacks.

Tactics: See the archon, better at scything through troops, less effective vs. characters.

Beware: S6 weapons, especially blast weapons that can hit her even in a squad.

Haemonculus/Ancient

Strengths: Cheap and can take 1-3 for each HQ choice (only one ancient).
Some fun but highly unpredictable arcane wargear.
Free pain token for boosting squads.
Make wracks troops, see below.

Weaknesses: No defensive wargear, so vulnerable.
Inferior combat stats to archon/succubus (WS/I 4 or 5) but weapons still cost the same.

Tactics: These guys can’t cut it in combat in the same way that the other DE characters can so use them as support characters and keep them relatively cheap.

Beware: loading them up with too much stuff and making them too expensive.

ELITES

Summary: Crowded section with lots of options but generally I prefer cheap troops to the expensive elites.

Harlequins (as codex eldar)

Strengths: Same as before

Weaknesses: Slow for a dark eldar army as they have no transport options.
Expensive in my opinion, especially as the shadowseer is practically compulsory.

Tactics: A webway portal might be an effective way to get them into combat. Personally I don’t much like them; wyches do a similar job much cheaper.

Beware: Getting left behind.

Mandrakes

Strengths: Infiltrators + stealth = tasty 3+ cover save or 2+ if going to ground.

Weaknesses: Not very powerful (2 S4 attacks with no poison) with no way to get past armour and no plasma grenades.

Tactics: Best used as a sacrificial distraction unit, it’s always tempting to shoot/assault the closest unit, even if it’s not always the best option.

Beware: Anything that ignores cover e.g. flamers

Incubi

Strengths: 2 S4, I5, WS5 power weapon attacks base and 3+ armour.

Weaknesses: No plasma grenades, klavex feels overpriced to me.

Tactics: Put their transport in the middle to avoid it getting shot.

Beware: Try to avoid assaulting anyone in cover. TH/SS terminators will eat these guys.

Grotesques

Strengths: T5, W3 makes these guys about as tough as they come in a dark eldar army.
Free pain token so start with feel no pain.

Weaknesses: Without a character they have Ld3 or 4 and can hit their own side.

Tactics: Have a haemonculus join the unit after having given their pain token to someone who needs it more. Liquifier gun and champion upgrade (AP D6 flamers) allow for wound allocation.

Beware: Using them on their own near your own units.

Wracks
I can’t see myself ever using these guys as elites so I’ve put them in with troops and assumed you’ll include a haemonculus.

Trueborn

Strengths: Multiple BS4 special weapons

Weaknesses: That extra attack is less useful for these guys and they’re not scoring.

Tactics: Load them up with blasters for anti-mech/heavy infantry and put them in venom up front to provide cover for any raiders/ravagers behind to make use of their free flickerfield.

Beware: No real weaknesses (other than the usual for dark eldar), just feel expensive.

Bloodbrides

Strengths: Super wyches with +1 A, +1 Ld and more special weapons.

Weaknesses: No longer scoring

Tactics: see Wyches

Beware: see Wyches

TROOPS

Summary: More options than you think factoring in haemonculi and Born Sathonyx SC but Wyches appear to me to be the clear favourites.

Warriors

Strengths: Cheap-ish with BS4 poison weapons that are great for anti-horde shooting, especially vs. orks.

Weaknesses: The usual dark eldar stuff, T3 with almost no armour. Expensive special weapons given their vulnerability and stuck with a one special @ 5 I heavy @ 10 combination.

Tactics: Can be used to hold a home objective on foot or to drive by in open topped raiders (if the transport lasts that long).

Beware: General dark eldar fragility

Wyches

Strengths: lots of I6 attacks with offensive grenades and a 4++ save in combat.
Useful special weapons for increasing your attacks or reducing your opponents.
Combat drugs to make more deadly (highest of 3D6 run move, +1S, +1 WS, +1A, reroll to wound, free pain token).
Great for killing TH/SS terminators.

Weaknesses: Only S3 with no poison and no ranged defense.

Tactics: Get your shardnets into contact with as many models as possible. 10 Wyches, a shardnet and a raider are going to fill my compulsory troops requirement in most of my army builds methinks.

Beware: Getting caught in the open, say after your paper transport gets blown up.

Wracks (can be troops with a haemonculus and cost the same as wyches)

Strengths: T4 and FNP as standard makes these guys tough by DE standards. 2 poison attacks which gets really good if you can get them the furious charge ability (reroll to wound vs T3 or 4).

Weaknesses: No plasma grenades, no fleet and only I4; so not as fast as normal DE.

Tactics: Put these guys in the first wave of raiders as they’re more survivable if they get chucked out. Also good for holding home objectives by going to ground and getting 3+ cogver and FNP "nurgle-style".

Beware: Units in cover or with superior initiative.

Hellions (can be troops with Baron Sathonyx and I can’t see myself taking them without him)

Strengths: Fast and with flying bases can provide cover for units behind. Stunclaw can pick out independent characters from their unit for shooting punishment. Come with combat drugs.

Weaknesses: Not that cheap, no plasma grenades as standard.

Tactics: Use as a screen to provide cover and grab objectives at the end of the game (if you can get them into cover too, so much the better). Assassinate enemy characters with the stunclaw.

Beware: Units in cover and dangerous terrain tests

DEDICATED TRANSPORTS

Raider

Strengths: Open topped fast assault boat delivers your combat units right to the heart of the battle. Dark lance is probably the best basic transport weapon out there if any survive.

Weaknesses: AV10 and open topped means they’re vulnerable to practically everything S4+. Also why have GW reduced transport capacity to 10 compared to almost every other race that now comes with 12 as standard?:mad: Fragile transports give away lots of cheap kill points so kill point missions will be tough.

Tactics: Don’t hold back, your raiders will be scrap before you know it so get them in fast. Get cover for them any way you can and don’t be afraid to leave other units exposed to tempt fire away from your raiders.

Beware: Everything, especially getting stranded in the open.. ..and long fangs :(

Venom

Strengths: Free flickerfield 5++

Weaknesses: Capacity 5 severely limits what is worth putting in these Trueborn with blasters, maybe Incubi.

Tactics: Use as raiders, may be worth making them the lead vehicle if you’re going less than flat out so that you can give cover to those behind whilst still getting a save for the venom.

Beware: See raider

FAST ATTACK

Summary: As usual fast attack choices feel expensive but I'm sure skilled players will find a way to use them well. At the moment they feel to me like not enough bang for you buck (or points cost)

Reavers:

Strengths: Super fast with 36” maximum turbo boost (which gives them 3+ cover) and can soften up units with fly by attacks or carry heat lance (18” S6 AP1 Lance & Melta)/blaster (18” S8 AP2 lance) for close range anti-mech.

Weaknesses: Not cheap and don’t score or get a 3+ save like their craftworld counterparts.

Tactics: keep turbo boosting and use to screen and give cover to following units and do 36” contest moves at the end of the game.

Beware: Attacks that ignore cover such as flamers and certain artillery. Getting hit before you get a chance to turbo-boost.

Beastmasters:

Strengths: fun mix of different beasts which can use wound allocation to multi-wound creatures or those with invulnerable saves. Lots of attacks 3,4 or 5 for each beast.

Weaknesses: Gets left behind raiders, can get some unfortunate results with majority toughness 3.

Tactics: good first wave if you’ve got an on foot contingent in the army and could be excellent coming out of a webway portal.

Beware: These guys don’t obviously fit any particular plan. I’m not sure how to use them.

Scourges:

Strengths: Deep strike small units with BS 4 special weapons.

Weaknesses: Ghostplate armour not that great, unit gets expensive fast.

Tactics: Anti-artillery, deep strike aggressively near mech with heatlances or blasters. If you’re really lucky, you might be able to hide behind your target and avoid retaliation.

Beware: Just too weak to take on large squads in the open.

HEAVY SUPPORT

Summary: Another crowded section but this time I wish could take more than three options. Loving the new flyers, ravagers feel competitively priced and the cronos parasite is potentially awesome when/if it gets close to MEQ units.

Ravager

Strengths: Lots of dark lance fire, move 12” and fire 3 lances for just over 100 points.

Weaknesses: Faster raiders could block your shots. Doesn’t have the range or staying power for long range bombardment.

Tactics: Cheap enough to be a viable deep strike suicide unit with retrofire jets, alternatively use to cover your raiders advance and open up enemy transports.

Beware: not getting the first turn and getting blown away before firing a shot.

Talos

Strengths: Fairly strong (S7) and tough (T7, W3, 3+ save) by dark eldar standards and all the high strength weapons are likely to be targeted at raiders for the first couple of turns. Monstrous creature so good at busting up vehicles and ignoring armour.

Weaknesses: I just prefer the Cronos’ abilities or the extra long range firepower of the other Heavy options.

Tactics: Get into cover and use to hold down a refused flank or guard a home objective. Can go through the webway portal as not a vehicle.

Beware: Getting left behind

Cronos:

Strengths: Just as tough as the Talos. Comes with a free pain token (also has power through pain) and the ability to dish out more every time it makes a kill. Lots of AP3 weaponry.

Weaknesses: Short range and pretty slow

Tactics: As Talos but can also buff nearby units with lots of extra pain tokens if lucky.

Beware: As Talos

Razorwing:

Strengths: Massive turn 1 firepower with 2 dark lances, TL splinter cannons (10pt upgrade) and four S6 large blast missiles all firable at cruising speed. 36” turbo boost.

Weaknesses: One shot missiles Necrotoxin (2+ poison and pinning) and Shattershard (S7, wound reroll) missile upgrades cost extra. The voidraven just looks better to me.

Tactics: Sacrifice to soften up the enemy in turn 1 and cover your raiders. Can 36” turbo boost to contest late objectives if still alive.

Beware: At AV10, this is a real paper aeroplane.

Voidraven

Strengths: All the Razorwing benefits plus S9 void lances and AV11.

Weaknesses: Implosion missiles too expensive (unless you know the enemy is using thunderwolves) and the void mine counts (one use void lance droppable with a small blast template) counts as shooting a weapon I think so you have to be pretty close and can't use it with a 36" turbo boost.

Tactics: As with the Razorwing, use it to cover your raiders while moving 12” and firing all weapons.

Beware: Leaving it exposed in later turns.
Gets expensive if you trick it out with all the options.
Mounting it on too high a flying base

[Drew da Destroya]

At least for a while, I'll likely stick to Ravagers and the Cronos, but I'll eventually try out the flyers... I think the real advantage of the Razorwing is that it comes stock with 4 pretty good missiles, making it a major Alpha Strike force against horde armies. Or, hold it in reserve, focus your army on popping transports and getting guys into a generally-centralized area, then show up with 6 poison shots, 4 large blasts, and some "bonus" lance shots. That's a LOT of potential damage, and with scatter could hurt multiple squads. Don't waste points on any upgrades, just take it as-is.

Of course, it then dies next turn.

The Bomber I see as more of a unit you'd want to play "smart" with, so it sticks around, avoids firepower, and probably even takes the Flickerfield and Nightshield to keep it alive longer. The missiles mostly clash with it's main purpose (anti-infantry missiles on a vehicle buster?), and even the Mine is a little counterintuitive (Why are you getting closer to their guns?). Keep it in the back, pop a vehicle a turn, and try not to die.

The Ravager is just great, though... cheap, and customizable enough to take out vehicles or heavy infantry quite effectively. My friends will continue to hate them (although I think they're all glad that I'm losing the plasma cannon-mode Disintegrator).

[Archon Charybdis]

It sounds to me like a unit of Wracks with a Haemy would make a good WWP delivery system, and after delivering their payload might be innocuous enough to survive and cap an objective later on.

Also, do Incubi seriously not have plasma grenades?

[Melissia]

So we have yet another "force weapon that isn't a force weapon"?

[BoneHeart]

Just tried out some new stuff against Blood Angels.
Chronos: Its just nuts. For 80+20 points, you get a t7 monster, with s4 ap3 template, and a s3 ap3 blast, and u can fire both, cause youre a monster, then you can assault, plus you can use wwp. Giving pain tokens out 12"? Hell yeah. From 1 phase, ive destroyed 10 assault marines. 6from the template, 2 from blast, and 2 in ccw. Ok, I was lucky at dice rolling, but its 2(3?) pain tokens already. I think its just underpriced.

Talos: I think its a viable choice, but I think its fairly overpriced, compared to the (underpriced chronos). But these can be handy, when s4 ap3, and s3 ap shooting is not enough, i.e. against necrons. Get chain flails for 2dA picking the highest, and its over. 3+/4+fnp. Plus I havent got to say, you can Talos bomb, and even chronos bomb, from wwp :)))))

Jetbikes: Mid point costs, but you can have min 3, plus you have nasty upgrades. I took 5 with cluster caltrops, and that was 4xd3 s4 ap-, and 1xd6 s6. With very, I mean, very bad dice rolls for the number of blade dmg, Ive managed to kill 3 ASM. (rolled 1 for d6 dmg lol). No 3+ save like eldar? Yeah, thats problem, but with these guys, u MUST turboo boost all the time, and use bladevanes. Always. Expect when you have blasters/melta lances and u want pop tanks from the back.

Hemonculi: Free pain point is awesome. Plus they can acces the most nasty arcane wargears in the dex. Just beware, not overitem these guys.

Archon: 145pts with shadow field, drugs, huskblade, and soultrap. With this combo, u have to go for IC hunting. But beware, you have to roll 5s with your s3. Then watch your enemys face when you say "- HAH! Ive just trapped Mephiston's soul into a toybox! F**k yeah!"

Heavy skimmers, fliers: There is a model for a ravager, and inst for the fliers. This is sad(for now). Ravagers are still nasty with 3 disintegrators, and cheap upgrades. Very viable destroying squads of MEQ.
Flyers: Im still looking forward to build and try one.

Oh and for last word: You have to be very careful, with token management. Which squad of yours finishes the enemy squad, which needs the token the most (watch for objective babysitting warriors in the open). This (also) makes the dark eldar a very unique, and exciting race to play with.

I hope I helped.
Cheers!

[Farseer Uthiliesh]

Just tried out some new stuff against Blood Angels.
Chronos: Its just nuts. For 80+20 points, you get a t7 monster, with s4 ap3 template, and a s3 ap3 blast, and u can fire both, cause youre a monster, then you can assault, plus you can use wwp. Giving pain tokens out 12"? Hell yeah. From 1 phase, ive destroyed 10 assault marines. 6from the template, 2 from blast, and 2 in ccw. Ok, I was lucky at dice rolling, but its 2(3?) pain tokens already. I think its just underpriced.

Talos: I think its a viable choice, but I think its fairly overpriced, compared to the (underpriced chronos). But these can be handy, when s4 ap3, and s3 ap shooting is not enough, i.e. against necrons. Get chain flails for 2dA picking the highest, and its over. 3+/4+fnp. Plus I havent got to say, you can Talos bomb, and even chronos bomb, from wwp :)))))

Jetbikes: Mid point costs, but you can have min 3, plus you have nasty upgrades. I took 5 with cluster caltrops, and that was 4xd3 s4 ap-, and 1xd6 s6. With very, I mean, very bad dice rolls for the number of blade dmg, Ive managed to kill 3 ASM. (rolled 1 for d6 dmg lol). No 3+ save like eldar? Yeah, thats problem, but with these guys, u MUST turboo boost all the time, and use bladevanes. Always. Expect when you have blasters/melta lances and u want pop tanks from the back.

Hemonculi: Free pain point is awesome. Plus they can acces the most nasty arcane wargears in the dex. Just beware, not overitem these guys.

Archon: 145pts with shadow field, drugs, huskblade, and soultrap. With this combo, u have to go for IC hunting. But beware, you have to roll 5s with your s3. Then watch your enemys face when you say "- HAH! Ive just trapped Mephiston's soul into a toybox! F**k yeah!"

Heavy skimmers, fliers: There is a model for a ravager, and inst for the fliers. This is sad(for now). Ravagers are still nasty with 3 disintegrators, and cheap upgrades. Very viable destroying squads of MEQ.
Flyers: Im still looking forward to build and try one.

Oh and for last word: You have to be very careful, with token management. Which squad of yours finishes the enemy squad, which needs the token the most (watch for objective babysitting warriors in the open). This (also) makes the dark eldar a very unique, and exciting race to play with.

I hope I helped.
Cheers!

Thanks Boneheart! Is it true that we may have to wait a while before the new Talos model is released?

[Mal]

the old model is still avaliable, so it'll probally be in the second wave some time next year.

[BuFFo]

Just tried out some new stuff against Blood Angels.
Chronos: Its just nuts. For 80+20 points, you get a t7 monster, with s4 ap3 template, and a s3 ap3 blast, and u can fire both, cause youre a monster, then you can assault, plus you can use wwp. Giving pain tokens out 12"? Hell yeah. From 1 phase, ive destroyed 10 assault marines. 6from the template, 2 from blast, and 2 in ccw. Ok, I was lucky at dice rolling, but its 2(3?) pain tokens already. I think its just underpriced.

You would have gotten 10 pain tokens. The Cronos gets pain tokens from its ranged and cc attacks. I could be wrong with this, as I only read the book in the store, and I don't have a copy on me at the moment.


Talos: I think its a viable choice, but I think its fairly overpriced, compared to the (underpriced chronos). But these can be handy, when s4 ap3, and s3 ap shooting is not enough, i.e. against necrons. Get chain flails for 2dA picking the highest, and its over. 3+/4+fnp. Plus I havent got to say, you can Talos bomb, and even chronos bomb, from wwp :)))))

This guy is best used as a transport buster. In the previous DE COdex, his role as a tank buster was pretty crappy, due to an old crappy rule he had. But now, he can really mess up vehicles.

He is best used to move behind/besides your force, waiting for a time to strike. Or in a WWP lol.


Jetbikes: Mid point costs, but you can have min 3, plus you have nasty upgrades. I took 5 with cluster caltrops, and that was 4xd3 s4 ap-, and 1xd6 s6. With very, I mean, very bad dice rolls for the number of blade dmg, Ive managed to kill 3 ASM. (rolled 1 for d6 dmg lol). No 3+ save like eldar? Yeah, thats problem, but with these guys, u MUST turboo boost all the time, and use bladevanes. Always. Expect when you have blasters/melta lances and u want pop tanks from the back.

Our bikes may not have a 3+ save like the Eldar, but ask any Eldar how often they used their super over priced Bikes when they are not in a Council... :)



Archon: 145pts with shadow field, drugs, huskblade, and soultrap. With this combo, u have to go for IC hunting. But beware, you have to roll 5s with your s3. Then watch your enemys face when you say "- HAH! Ive just trapped Mephiston's soul into a toybox! F**k yeah!"

So far, for me, this configuration ( along with Combat Drugs) has done wonders against multi wound models, like Ork Nobs and Tau Battle Suits.

[isotope99]

You would have gotten 10 pain tokens. The Cronos gets pain tokens from its ranged and cc attacks. I could be wrong with this, as I only read the book in the store, and I don't have a copy on me at the moment.



I think its limited to one per weapon, so a maximum of 3 if you buy both options.

[Mal]

I don't know if the Cronos/Talos have a different rule, but pain tokens are given out 1 per unit destroyed (thats 1 in total, not 1 for each unit destroying them).

[Blackyujiro]

Cronos has additional pain token rules. So if you make a kill with both weapons(only need one kill), that's 2 tokens. then if you wipe out a unit with it, thats one more(Power from Pain). So it could potentially give out 2 tokens per turn, and the one from wiping out a unit it keeps for itself(can't allocate that one to a nearby squad). In my opinion that's the only reason to really take it, to "pump up" your various squads quickly. At the points cost, fully upgraded, I'm planning on taking 2 myself to get FNP and FC on my Hellions as soon as possible.