Dark eldar. 2014's end=My current 1500

So, 2014 is over. And i've had approximately a year to build up a Dark Eldar Army.

Let's see what i play with now a days.

Realspace raiders detachment

 HQ 

Archon-blast pistol/huskblade/shadowfield/animus vitae- 160 pts 

Haemonculus-Crucible of malediction,Liquifier gun,Armour of misery,webway portal 155 pts

Elites

four Incubi, with a klaivex and a venom. - 175 pts

nine wracks, one liquifier 105-pts

Troops

ten kabalites, one splinter cannon, raider with dark lance, Night shield and splinter wracks -195 pts

ten kabalites, one splinter cannon, raider with disintegrator, Night shield and splinter wracks -190 pts


Four kabalites,blaster, one dracon with agonizer and splinter pistol -145 pts

Fast attack

Razorwing jetfighter 2*dark lances,4* monoscythe missiles,twin linked splinter rifles   -140 pts

five scourges 3*heatlances, 2*shardcarbine   -110 pts

Heavy support

Ravager ,night shields, 3*dark lances. - 140 pts  

All in all 1495 PTS. I haven't decided where the last five are, but i'll probably change my HQ to a succubus, and remove the Haemonculus and put him in a raider. 

As of right now the list is pretty straight forward, Aim for the "reroll nightfighting, reserves and seize initiative" warlord trait, with the detachment special rules you get a reroll on the Warlord trait list. And i have NEVER regretted it.

Raiders do a good job of killing infantry, i've had them seize First blood on turn one on two occasions. And rerolling Splinter weaponry helps against flyrants and EXCELS at taking on T4 Upwards, but it's like roulette with the armour saves (everybody gets a spin) AP5 doesn't impress anyone. 

The Archon goes with troops in the venom and are good harassing, getting of animus vitae shot on Turn two at the latest (you are Dark eldar, go FAAAASSSTT!) and hopefully nets you a +1 on PvP. The haemonculus cuddles up to my Wracks, and deepstrike murder psykers, or liquifies them. S3 ain't great, but 50% at AP3 or better could be a lot worse. A torrent weapon removes both cover and Armour saves which is nifty, the secret is to make the most of your non-scattering DS. You might not live another turn, where do you get the most exposure? 

Like most DE players i usually struggle with Anti tank, enter the Scourges, ravager and possibly the Razorwing. The archon and his "droogs" are multitaskers, the can take on most things, and are fast enough to just shimmy out of most places.

sorting this shit out. 

Anti infantry:

Shard-Raiders

Inubi in venom 

Anti tank:

Ravager

Scourges 

Psyker and Heavy infantry slayers 

Haemonculus

Archon

I try to go well rounded, and if the ravager is taken out the razorwing can shoot Dark lances at vehicles or missiles a units in cover. If raiders are taken out, the venoms can cover the slack. I usually discount the Lances on raiders, as the cannot be counted on, i look at them as bonus shots, that are good to have, but not to be trusted. 

Things to remember are 

• Always opt for nightfighting- we see in the fuggin dark. Best if saved to the OTHEr half of the game actually, see below. 
• Reroll warlord traits until you get a beautifull two. 
• Reroll ALL to hits on the raiders, Twin linked, even if you jink (only affects vehicles, not crew within) 
• The detachment rules gives me a 5+ cover save for all troops Turn one, AND during nightfighting, people seem to miss that part. But it actually means that if Night fighting takes place turn 5 and onwards, you have your5+ for troops then AND turn one. However, DE excel at alpha striking, so odds are.....you won't have a significant amount of units left, but if you do? RUN, RUN to those objectives. Also, a 3+ Cover save turn one ain't shabby. For you at least.
• Incubi EXCEL at striking terminators, high I, and AP, with a D3 extra attacks for the klaivex. Do not let them get bogged down.
• Put the ravager in cover, enjoy your +1 cover save with stealth, will usually mitigate the need for jinking, which makes you them useless. 
• Haemonculus needs to find psykers, or 3+ units to earn his due, don't be afraid to keep him in ongoing reserves if nothing is available on turn 2. 

Let's see what damage i can do. 

Dark eldar, Choosing a viable HQ.

                        

Cute or not, he's coming for that booty

So the foremost thought that has been occupying my mind when it comes to playing my 7'th Edition Dark Eldar against EVERYONE, is what HQ i want to run. 

It used to be so easy, didn't it? You took an archon, gave him a huskblade, a ghostplate armour,a shadowfield,possible a soultrap for some bling. Tossed him in the back of a venom with some trueborns that all had CC weapons. And tried to watch your opposing players reaction as he kept the hell away from it. It wasn't easy, it is never EASY, you were running a glass cannon into a wall of fire (and later, overwatch) but you had a AP2 badass that could easily get back his points in TEQ kills. 

Now, now you have no AP2 on your archon, you can't take a ghostplate (not that 4+/6++ was ever going to save your ass) and your trueborn are all stuck running one CC weapon with a splinterrifle. 

But is it all doom and gloom? Is it simply the old "New things suck, hallowed be the tenets of the old guard?".Hell if i know. I've played DE for less than a year. Two editions in one year, but still. 

But i do have difficulties getting a good working HQ. So let's see what my options are. 

ole' trusty

Your Archon

You know him, as a rule he/she/jaded-monstrosity-transcending-human-notions-of-gender is most DE players first HQ choice. And it is kind of hard to make it work. You get a stellar statline that epitomizes the fragile yet hard-hitting nature of "your guys". I7 is beautifull thing regardless, usually letting you hit faster than even craftworlder hillbillies. Bad things? you roll S3,T3 and have a 5+. Still with 60 pts base you have a few choices. 

• I WILL make you hit shit.

Get an archon. give him a shadowfield (2++ that, if you fail, you lose it after that phase) get a huskblade,take an armour of misery,add a soultrap put him with some incubi in a venom. Congrats, you have a 150pts DECENT beatstick. AS a comparison, that is the cost of a terminator Captain WITH some gear. Or a flyrant. Or a Jetseer. I'm not saying you are screwed, this is DE, you will have a chance. But 2+ is pretty common on HQ's so keep that in mind. The soultrap will increase your S by 1 with each unsaved wound in a challenge (it used to double it, but still 10 pts) so if you stab a 2W Char. You have S5, which is good against MOST things. The 2++ is a good insurance against overwatch, and CC hits. Look out for those 1's. And try to have a FnP. The Armour of misery does not only give you a 4+/6++ it gives your opponent -2 LD in 12". Which is handy for challenges and tarpits. 

• I came here to laugh at you. 

And you WILL. Get an archon, give him a webway portal, and a shadowfield (if wanted) with a blaster. Put him with about nine trueborns and a dracon with haywire grenade. 135pts for your archon and 163 points of Trueborns. Shoot your FIVE blasters and throw Haywire grenades for seasoning. Arguably you just take a venom and ignore the Shadowfield and Webway portal. But i feel that the troll factor is at MAXIMUM with the previous set-up. Jump in, BLAST EVERYTHING, Hide in a crater and let your wounds soak up damage as the rest of your army does everything. I've wiped suitsgroups, tyranid artillery, and Black templar LR parkingslots with this. And, granted, your HQ will die. It will happen. But as true comorrite it bothers you not, you can DRINK that sweet agony of your opponent. 

Or just put six trueborns in a venom, blasterborn are old but trusty ports in a stormy night. 

Front heavy joke. Ap2 is heavy :D

Succubi

Just making noise here, i haven't finished my succubi, so i'm just making assumptions here. But still this is what i'd do. 

A shooting succubi isn't just NOT viable, it is simply not possible. And why would you have one?

with 75 base you have WS8(!) I8(!!) and a 4++ in CC base. Also a 1/6 chance of getting +1T/+1S/+1A. Which are the ones i can see being actually usefull. Still, no Archon's retinue, a 6+ save and no shadowfield or clonefield availability. You can buy a armour of misery. Which is kind of it. If you run a Succubus, put her with something heavy. You can Deepstrike with a WEbway portal, but with no shooting you're an even GREATER sitting duck than the Archon. 

still, all is not shatner. 

Succubus, Archite glaive,armor of misery, and an agonizer? 

135 pts for a minimum of five attacks AP2, or six attacks with the agonizer poisoned 4+ (as opposed to the S3 hits on archite glaives that will limit you to averaging on 5+ against MEQ) it is pretty cheap, and I8 will usually let you hit first, and with average i means that 60 percent of the time, it works ALL the time. 

I'll try to put her in an venom with some incubi, and charge EVERYTHING. It will probably work even better if she is underestimated.

The Friend nobody everybody likes 

Hugging you or measuring out his new organ bank?

BOTH!

The noble horrifying Haemonculus. Or haemonc. A viable alternative anyday. HQ tax, unit improver, special tool. The Haemonculus can do most of it. 

statline is....meh, if compared to the other two. Toughness 4 and 3W means you will probably survive three turns. Probably. You get a FnP Base, which kind of mitigates the 6+ save. He also hands out PvP +1. Which doesn't mean that he can PvP someone, but rather that your unit has one better on the Power from pain. IE. 6+FnP for the unit on Turn 1, Straight FnP on Turn two, and so on. If you manage to succesfully get a animus vitae hit on turn one or two, good for you. It, like so many other succulent tidbits of DE trolling has so far eluded me. But it would mean furious charge on turn two, instead of four,which sounds nice. Still 70 pts base.

Running a coven list makes him your ONLY choice, but on turn two you get fearless. And on turn four you get "it will not die" which is... cute, or GREAT on a grotesque, talos or chronos. Want to know more? Buy the book, yes it is annoying, yes, it makes your army viable on a different scale, but the covens book is damn good. And worth your money, plastic crack is going to ruin your life, but with DE you at least know HOW it will ruin your financial freedom. 

• 'Mandatory tax. Hexrifle. Yes. That is it, yes it is a sniper rifle that has ID on a six to hit. Yay. But still. Put him in a boat that rides around and let something live a bit longer. It lets your army have more points. DONE
• Anti-Psyker hilarity-ensues: Haemonculus, with a crucible of malediction,webway portal, and something to soak wounds. Preferably Grotesques, in a Grotesquerie (which have a 1/3 to get +1T) Deepstrike without scattering. Open your "kin-gift" ALL Psykers, brotherhood of psykers, and sorcerers within 3d6 get a S6 hit, NO-SAVES-ALLOWED. Yes, this is the chance that manages to elude me. Kill that seers council, Kill warlocks, kill all eldar psykers with your ID Gift. And wound MEQ on a 2+. And laugh, add a Liquifier to get a good "wall of death" when they inevitably charge your pale ass. 140 pts of hilarity added.
• Bitey-tax: Get a haemonculus, give him a liquifier,a scissorhand(4+ poison and rending) and an agonizer (ap 3,4+ poison) add an armour of misery. 135 pts, for 5 attacks with rending or AP3 after flavor. Screw the scissor hand (possibly) enjoy.

Regardless i usually pick up a animus vitae for my archon, it means that i get a S4 AP2 8" that (if wounding) gives the ENTIRE army +1 PvP for 20 pts. Goes well with the Shadowfield or clonefield, meaning that i have no GREAT need of a Ghostplate.

Now, since what i usually do doesn't work, i will probably try a succubus next time ,throw her in a Venom. Have her assault something with a bunch of Incubi, i'll tell you what happens :D