How many Dark Lances is too many?

[DrBored]

I was messing around with the DE Codex and managed to fit 34 Dark Lances into a single list. A friend says he can fit in 36 in a single list at 2000 points. As awesome as that sounds, with all the Raiders and Scourges and Trueborn... it's obviously over the top.

But it brings up another question in general: How much anti-tank str 8, one-shot, low-AP weapons are too many? Many net and WAAC lists feature plenty of melta and missile launchers, and Dark Eldar have always had their Dark Lances, but when making a list, especially for Dark Eldar, where do you draw the line? Their transports have Dark Lances, Warriors can take Blasters, Scourges can take up to 4 Dark Lances, Ravagers have 3... But when do you need to draw the line and start outfitting your squads with more anti-infantry?

[Morg]

With 36 Darklight weps, any infantry except 4++ Demons will fear your dark flotilla. When you say 34 Dark Lances, are you fitting in any extra Blasters? Or are they included in the 34 because they have the same profile pretty much.

With all the poison weaponry you have backing the remaining troops up, i wouldnt worry too much aboutanti Inf. How many units of warriors do you have in there for troops?

[DarkLink]

Who cares. Take as many as you want, it's your army.

[Necron_Lord]

Get some games in with a 34 DL list against some good players and then you'll have a good idea (or better idea) if it is overkill.

[Weafwolf]

Wouldn't you say 36 dark lances ARE anti-infantry? I'm trying to imagine saying, "You know, I fit 36 missile launchers in my list. I wonder what I'll do for anti-infantry?" Wait, I know! Shoot 36 krak missiles at stuff!;)

[DarkLink]

Yeah, that's 19 str 8 AP 2 wounds before cover saves. And that's not counting all the splinter rifles you get along with it. Unless you're shooting at a gaunt horde in cover, that's going to do some damage.

[Mr.Pickelz]

If you can wipe out an entire Boyz mob (30 man) in one round of shooting then it's too many... if you can't, then it's not enough. :cool:

[DrBored]

Well, here's the list I concocted...

HQ - Haemonculi w/ Venom Blade

EL - Kabalite Trueborn (3 models) - x2 Dark Lances, Raider
EL - Kabalite Trueborn (3 models) - x2 Dark Lances, Raider
EL - Kabalite Trueborn (3 models) - x2 Dark Lances, Raider

TR - Kabalite Warriors (10 models) - x1 Dark Lance, Raider
TR - Kabalite Warriors (10 models) - x1 Dark Lance, Raider

FA - Scourges (10 models) - x4 Dark Lances
FA - Scourges (10 models) - x4 Dark Lances
FA - Scourges (10 models) - x4 Dark Lances

HV - Ravager - x3 Dark Lances
HV - Ravager - x3 Dark Lances
HV - Ravager - x3 Dark Lances

Voila, 34 Dark Lances, 21 Splinter Rifles, and 18 Shard Carbines, and it all comes in at about 2000 points. The Haemonculi barely fit.

So, if you get first turn, stuff is going to die. If you get second, you're probably not going to do very well, but that's 34 str 8 ap 2 Lance shots at 36", 21 poison (4+) 24" or 42 at 12" shots, and another 54 poison (4+) at 18".

[DarkLink]

If you get second, use reserves.

[isotope99]

Cover is not your friend. :(

This army should scare most MEQ armies out there. Guard artillery (indirect fire) and horde armies like orks and tyranids might be problematic.

[Drew da Destroya]

Thanks to the plethora of poison (ap5 poison, at that), even a lance-spam army has a good shot against hordes. Looking at his list, there's a whole lot of extra poison weaponry that'll shred the big mobz, while he's still got lances to handle the trukks, wagonz, and Kanz.

Who knew that Brett Michaels was an Archon?

[w7west]

Lances are cool but the only thing that will be able to move is your ravagers. I would at least swap some of the lances on infantry with blasters for more mobility. Stationary dark eldar doesn't win many firefights.

[DrBored]

Lances are cool but the only thing that will be able to move is your ravagers. I would at least swap some of the lances on infantry with blasters for more mobility. Stationary dark eldar doesn't win many firefights.

The point of the list isn't really to win, it's to shove as many Dark Lances into one army list as possible, and watch my opponent squirm in terror as Dark Lances pop all of his transports without mercy, mech guard or not.

[ElCheezus]

If the object was to cram the most DLs into a list, then you were done at the first post. That's cool and all, and I've done the same thing with PsyCannons. :-) We're just assuming you also wanted feedback. If you play this list, I'd honestly like to know how it works out.

In terms of being mobile, they wouldn't need to be stationary for long, with that much power. Also, there would be the benefit of only moving up when infantry is exposed, and getting to respond to their placement before committing.

As a mech guard player, I know my main strategy would be to reserve most things against this, basically anything I couldn't hide. Indirect fire and large blasts would be a good strategy for the foot-based lances, and a couple Vendettas should knock out the vehicle based ones. It would still be pretty rough, though.

[Maelstorm]

Sounds like Space marine/chaos Space marine anti-armour carnage!!

Just a thought.

For 2,000 points, 3 Deep-striking Necron Monoliths will displace the DE formations, ignore the Dark Lance glance results (no penetration results from Dark Lances) and then flatten the group. 60 Necron Warriors in reserves to either step out of the monoliths in groups of 20 or walk on from the back edge of the table for 120 gauss glancing shots. DE raiders/ravagers are soft/open-topped vehicles allowing additional damage on the gauss tables.

There's always someone out there with a min/max group to counter... :)

[w7west]

Sounds like Space marine/chaos Space marine anti-armour carnage!!

Just a thought.

For 2,000 points, 3 Deep-striking Necron Monoliths will displace the DE formations, ignore the Dark Lance glance results (no penetration results from Dark Lances) and then flatten the group. 60 Necron Warriors in reserves to either step out of the monoliths in groups of 20 or walk on from the back edge of the table for 120 gauss glancing shots. DE raiders/ravagers are soft/open-topped vehicles allowing additional damage on the gauss tables.

There's always someone out there with a min/max group to counter... :)

You could have just said try beating 200 orks.

[Maelstorm]

You could have just said try beating 200 orks.

<lol> Priceless!