Editing Warhammer 40,000/9th Edition Tactics/Dark Eldar (section)

===Blades for Hire / Any faction===
====HQ====
*'''Drazhar:''' The baddest motherfucker in an army of bad motherfuckers remains an uncontested badass. Pretty tanky with a 4+ invuln and the ability to reduce any damage taken by 1. He still has his amazing Phoenix Lord tier (probably a little bit better than some, most of them actually) stat line and his aura gives +1 to wound for all Incubi units within 6 inches. Shit just got real and heads will roll. He also packs tormentor, pick a unit within engagement range of him and roll 2d6. If you beat the unit's LD, then they cannot fight until every other eligible unit in your army has done so. Drazhar sports the Executioner's Demiklaives which offers the same single/double version with S+2 AP -3 and a flat D3 on the single profile while the paired profile drops the S and Damage by 1 in exchange for two more attacks. In addition, he can also fight twice in a turn, which makes him even more of a menace. 
** Dual-Blades offer 7/14 S5 AP-3 D2 attacks for hacking down hordes and space marines. Sheer number of attacks suggests this will likely be your go-to mode.
** Single-Blade gives you 5/10 S6 AP-3 D3 attacks for hacking down anything T5 or higher.
** Probably best to take this guy in a transport with his incubi friends as they all lack ranged weapons, try out a venom or if you've got money to burn, a Tantalus. Just keep in mind that he will always will be a big and scary target and needs support to get him in the front line where he is best. Watch out for units with good charge distances as he is massively hamstrung when he can't get that meaty charge.
** Remember that his +1 to wound also applies to himself. If you want more Aura nonsense a Archon's overlord ability gives him re-rolls of 1 to hit because he has the Incubus Keyword. This goes away if you give your Archon the Raid Mastermind ability because he doesn't have the Core Keyword. The Writ of the Living Muse will also affect him thanks to the Incubi keyword. Drahzar and his best friend Archon.
====Troops====
*'''Corsair Voidreavers''': So remember how that new Kill-Team box came with Eldar Corsairs, which are now squatted by Forge World? And remember how the last Kill-Team box had a unit of Sisters that got rules for use in the main game? You now get that in the main codex '''AND''' they're also usable for your Craft world brethren. While they won't harm anything due to lacking the necessary subfaction keywords, they do get a bit of an offensive edge as any natural 6s to hit automatically wound and count as having rolled a nat 6 to wound, triggering the AP boost of Shuriken weapons on top of the rifles bonus -1 to AP. Compared to your base shooty troop this makes them better man-can openers. They're also very flexible in loadout, being able to go either ranged or melee, giving you a means to cover any range, though special weapons will limit you to 18" at the most rather than letting you enjoy the full range of the shuriken rifles, and the rifles being Rapid-Fire limits your range if you want the full firepower.
*It is worth noting that they can also ride in your raiders and venoms as they have the {{WH40Kkeyword|<Drukhari>}} keyword. If you're wanting to really fish for shuriken shots at a safe distance load 'em into one with splinter racks. 
*It is also worth noting that with the Arks of Omen detachments, you may seriously consider taking one with fast attacks or even elites as the main force, then using these guys for your troops over kabalites or even wyches. They're no more expensive than wyches and can bring a fair bit of high-AP anti-infantry killing power to an army slot that could certainly use more. This isn't to say that the other two are useless mind you, wyches will still do much better at blending their way through hordes of orks and kabalites are a cheap backline unit that can camp objectives or speed up in a venom to unload a blaster into a tank's face.

====Elites====

*'''Incubi:''' These guys are our exclusive edgy Aspect Warriors armed with giant cleavers. Incubi are excellent in melee, each dishing out 3 Attacks at S5, AP-3, D2. The Klaivex enjoys an improved statline (4 Attacks, 2 Wounds) over its fellows, and can swap its Klaive to a Demiklaive at no additional cost.  There is literally no reason not to do this, as this weapon has 2 profiles - "Single Blade" is identical to a regular Klaive whilst "Dual Blades" trades away a point of Strength and AP for +2 Attacks, giving you some extra versatility against hordes. They also have the '''Tormentors''' ability, which gives you a chance to make a unit in base contact Always Fight Last if you beat its LD on 2d6, even if you've been charged. SWEET. Take 5 in a Venom and go hunting high value targets, a practical choice, or take two units of 5 in a Raider and go drown a unit in an unholy number of S5 AP-3 attacks. For maximum murder take a squad of 10 in a Raider with Drazhar - that +1 to wound aura lets this unit punch well above its weight.
**Also, Executrix squads from Raging Heroes make excellent female Incubi.
*'''Mandrakes:''' Pretty damn fine units. They can pop up more than 9" away from the opponent and shoot with Assault 2 S4 AP-1 attacks with a chance to do Mortal Wounds in addition to the damage on a 6+. ANY attacks targeting them take a -1 To Hit penalty and they have a 5++ as well as the PFP save to keep them alive, and if their Baleblasts don't quite do it, their 3 S4 AP-1 attacks per model should damn well make sure. Y'know, assuming they get the charge off.
**9E gave them a bit of a buff by allowing them to vanish and redeploy using the same rules once per game, which might be helpful in screwing with the enemy's expectations.
***The flexibility of this redeploy should not be underestimated given the importance of secondary objective scoring in 9th. Mandrakes can pull of a backfield action Turn 1 only to redeploy Turn 3 in the opponent’s deployment zone and repeat the same action or score any of the various movement-based objectives that Drukhari excel at. 
**If you dislike the models or failcast resin, the Idoneth Deepkin '''Namarti Thralls''' from AoS are nice plastic alternatives. They also have ten models for $60 compared to five for $45, which is a nice little bonus.

<!-- ---------------------------------------------------------------------Corsair Voidscarred-------------------------------------------------------------------- -->
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: left"
!colspan="2"|'''Corsair Voidscarred'''
|-
|''Infantry''
|''Anhrathe''
|-
|colspan="2"|The second half of the Voidscarred gift, this half comprising of all the more unusual specialists the kill-team can bring in. Being essentially veteran Corsairs, they gain all the basic perks that come with being corsairs as well as all the risks. They still won't get Battle Focus and can't be used as a compulsory choice for Elites.

Fortunately, this band can pick-and-choose between each model getting rifles or swords, allowing for your one bird-boy to make way more use from it.
|-
|colspan="2"|
:'''Specialists''': The Voidscarred specialize by picking up different specialists, allowing them different perks for taking them along and keeping them alive. 
<tabs>
<tab name="Shade Runner">
A corsair picking paired Hekatarii Blades (S:User AP-3) rather than getting a power sword, but when charging, they can deal a mortal wound on an engaged enemy on a 2+ or two mortals on a 6. Sadly, that loss to strength makes them suffer considerably as they make as many attacks as a Felarch but won't mean much on anything T4 or higher. 
</tab>
<tab name="Soul Weaver">
Your defender, this specialist comes with Channeler Stones, which lets them negate the damage suffered from their first failed save. This isn't as helpful as it sounds, as it doesn't help much against Blasts or any rapid-fire weapons you'll face, and a canny enemy can easily cheese it out with something impractical like a pistol or a rifle before opening the full fury of that gunline on a defenseless pack of corsairs.
</tab>
<tab name="Way Seeker">
Your <s>resident</s> '''only''' psyker, the Way Seeker can pick one power from either the Runes of Fate or Fortune, though the buff powers will only work with other {{W40kKeyword|Anhrathe}} units, meaning either Corsairs or a second pack of Voidscarred, still this not our only way to get psychic buffs or more likley nerfs. Consider running Fateful Divergence on him if his unit is just gonna babysit a backline objective for a chance to grab a free CP every so often, rather than a buffing power.

Also worth considering is that any casting has to originate from the Way Seeker's model, similar to how the Thousand Sons cast, meaning positioning is important. Also helpful (though RAW we have no clue if this is just from the Way Seeker or a native rule) is the Lodestar Helm, which negates all Perils - a far cry from the potential disasters Forge World's corsairs risked from Perils.
</tab>
</tabs>

:'''Wargear Options''': Each Voidscarred comes with a Shuriken Pistol and Power Sword, with one model equipped as such being able to equip Faoulchú. While any models can replace both these weapons with Shuriken Rifles, the Felarch can also buy a Mistshield and replace their pistol with a Neuro Disruptor. One model per five can instead replace their sword with either a Corsair Blaster or Corsair Shredder, while one per ten can get either a Wraithcannon or Shuriken Cannon at ten models. One model per ten can also replace their Shuriken Rifle with a Ranger's Long Rifle and can replace their Power Sword with a Fusion Pistol at ten models.
<tabs>
<tab name="Corsair Blaster">
Assault 1 S8 AP-4 D1d6 is a pretty powerful gun to wreck tanks and monsters pretty handily.
</tab>
<tab name="Corsair Shredder">
Assault d6 S6 AP-1 D1 with Blast makes this a good weapon for mobs. If you plan on taking on GEQ or some MEQ, you can rely on this to blow things up without problems.
</tab>
<tab name="Faoulchú">
Only available to a voidscarred with a pistol and sword, this gives you a hawk that will negate cover for their shooting. Fortunately, the Voidscarred can pick which models can take rifles rather than replacing all of them, allowing this to see more use.
</tab>
<tab name="Fusion Pistol">
Fusion pistol lent by the Harlequins. As with any other melta pistol, this will serve as a convenient way to pop tanks while up close. That said, this has an interesting use because it only replaces your power sword, allowing you to perform some gunslinger play with both pistols - not that it'd be worth too much with how limited a shuriken pistol is.
</tab>
<tab name="Mistshield">
Provides your Felarch a 4++ save, which means a bit more for a close-ranged squad. Fortunately, the corsairs are plenty equipped to fight in melee with their power swords, and this can offer a measure of protection if you go with the rifles.
</tab>
<tab name="Neurodisruptor">
A weapon more familiar in the hands of the spooky space clowns, the pistol has a decent S6 AP-3, but any non-{{W40kKeyword|Vehicle}} units will suffer mortal wounds just from a successful hit. This makes the pistol a better implement if you're facing higher-toughness enemies like Orks or Plaguewalkers.
</tab>
<tab name="Ranger Long Rifle">
lent by the Craftworlders. Better suited if you're going shooty with your corsairs, as this lets you pick out single models to hit. The corsair perks work especially well for them, as that 6 to hit will always guarantee your mortal wound.
</tab>
<tab name="Shuriken Cannon">
A man-portable Shuriken Cannon Stolen from the craft world, which means it is Heavy for you unfortunately. While you can fire it on the move, you'll always be doing it at a loss and you won't have any way to fire after advancing. Thankfully, these cannons pack a decent punch and can still reasonably nail a marine or two without much of a hassle before factoring in the Shuriken bonus.
</tab>
<tab name="Shuriken Rifle">
While effectively a shuriken catapult, they come with two major differences. Their range is upgraded to a more welcome 24", but these guns are now Rapid Fire 1, meaning their firepower is cut in half unless they get right up and personal to fire at full power. While dual wielding sounds radical, it comes with the serious drawback of making them even more useless in combat.
</tab>
<tab name="Wraithcannon">
Your most devastating weapon, being Assault 1 S10 AP-4 D3+d3. Rolling a natural 6 to wound deals a mortal wound on top of everything else, making it an equally worthy weapon to break tanks alongside the Blaster, though this will require you to grab 10 models.
</tab>
</tabs>
|}

====Fast Attack====
*'''Scourges:''' Heavy weapon squads with wings, which somehow aren't in a Kabal, despite their fluff in the same book establishing that they used to be Kabalites and still work for the Kabals. Their stock weapon is a Shardcarbine, which is already a very nice gun, but let's be real here, you take Scourges for the clusterfuck of heavy weaponry they can schlep with them. With how specialized Haywire Blasters have become, Blasters and Dark Lances may be your best bet for general use against vehicles, but Heat Lances have received a point reduction that makes them by far the most effective anti-tank option. Splinter cannons have dropped 5 points each, and are cheaper than individual scourges. Shredders also received AP -1, so both are now valid weapon options to kit out scourges! Also don't be afraid to mix weapons as you can split your fire.  The Solarite in charge of the unit can't ditch his weapon for something you'd like better, so if you're ''not'' sticking with Shardcarbines, consider him an ablative wound.
<tabs>
<tab name="Melee">
If you do want to take a Melee weapon on the Solarite - and you really, really don't need to - all the weapons perform about the same given the number of attacks the model has, with the Lance being best due to it actually being a Power Axe and the wielder being S3, and you should always expect to have to fight MEQ.
</tab>
<tab name="Shooting">
*'''Scourge Weapon Analysis - Short Version:'''
**'''Shardcarbines:''' The cheapest option and the one that gives the most mobility, at 18" Assault 3.
**'''Shredders''' Decently cheap and the exact same gun Kabalites can take, Assault d6 S6 AP -1 D1, blast. Better against GEQ and other light targets (like Tzeentchian Horrors) than a normal shardcarbine with the exact same range, though of course being d6 shots means a bad roll can fuck it over. Aim it at hordes to avoid this and it'll work wonders, though. The strength on it also allows it to chip off the odd wound on lighter vehicles and bikes, too, though those will usually have better saves to shrug off its minimal AP.
**'''Blasters, Dark Lances, and Heat Lances:''' The weapons for fighting Heavies. 
***'''Blasters:''' Good if you plan on moving a lot, you can move and shoot with them at no penalty, though with the downside of d6 damage, meaning you could roll a 1 and wind up tickling your target.  Broadly inferior to Heat Lances against heavy targets, but provided you're moving, your best choice for fighting MEQ and TEQ.
***'''Dark Lances:''' are 36" Heavy but deal as much maximum damage as blasters, with a minimum d3+3 damage. Combine that with near double the range and it's an option between if you want your bird elves to have the mobility of a blaster or sitting back and enjoying the safety of sniping tanks with these.  However, you pay for the range - they're worse than Heat Lances against pretty much everything, ''even if the Heat Lance takes a -1 penalty to hit and the Dark Lance doesn't'', so you're reliably better off taking Heat Lances and just moving into range.
***'''Heat Lances:''' Almost a weird middle ground between blasters and lances. Heavy, with the same basic statline but with the possibility of even higher damage output to a maximum of 8(!) and a minimum of 3 (D1d6+2). Will outperform a Dark Lance even if it moves and the Dark Lance doesn't.  Will likewise outperform a Blaster even if the Heat Lance moves and the Blaster doesn't, but only against targets with many wounds - against TEQ or weaker, the Blaster will outperform a moving Heat Lance (the Heat Lance will still win if it doesn't move). Should be your default choice for Scourges if you want to murder hard targets.
**'''Haywire Blasters and Splinter Cannons:''' The weapons for fighting targets that specifically are or aren't Vehicles. 
***'''Haywire Blasters''' An interesting option, to say the least. 24" puts them between blasters and lances in terms of range, Heavy d3 shots means more possible damage than the others, while retaining the move penalty. Against vehicles, it auto-wounds on a 4+. They aren't mortal wounds any more but they've got a respectable AP of -3 and d3 damage, with 6s to wound doing d3 mortals in addition. Against non-vehicles, it's S3 while retaining the -3 AP and d3 damage. This makes it... questionable against other targets but the odd wound it might land will still hurt.  Unfortunately, can't compete with a Heat Lance against ''most'' vehicle targets that exist, although thanks to the fact that 1/3 of your shots that hit deal 1d3 mortals on top of 1d3 damage, against vehicles with good invulns and/or good T (e.g. a Knight), it will win out.  You should usually avoid this.
***'''Splinter Cannons''' Heavy 3, meaning you're taking the penalty to move and shoot with them while gaining -1 AP and D2. Better against marines than shardcarbines and shredders, but worse than Blasters, even if you don't move.  You do, however get the same range as a Dark Lance, so in theory you could use these as an option for scourges that wanna sit back and pick off infantry units.  Avoid these in general.
</tab>
<tab name="Combined">
Your safest defaults are a Shardcarbine/Power Lance Solarite (though why the fuck you would want them in melee I'll never know) with 4 Shredders for hunting light targets or 4 Heat Lances for hunting heavy targets. 
</tab>
</tabs>

====Heavy Support====
*'''Reaper (Forge World):''' The One Big Gun alternative to the Ravager, with 2 firing modes. The first mode is a 24" range Blast with 2D6 AP-1 shots at S6 to drown the enemy infantry in saves, the second is a 36" range beam with D6 Dark Lance shots to vaporise a tank or a monster. In melee, the Reaper has got 3 attacks with Bladevanes + 1 attack at S6 AP-2 D2. Whilst more tactically flexible than a Ravager and of a comparable points cost, one less Wound and the lack of Blade Artists mean that it is worth considering, but not necessarily the better choice.
*'''Tantalus (Forge World):''' Dark Eldar Superheavy. No, really. 18 Wounds at T7 and 3+ armour is insane for the faction's standards. Two Pulse Disintegrators fire a total of 12 shots at 36" range, with S8 AP-3 D2. In close combat, it's got 6 S7 AP-2 '''D2''' attacks which hit at 4+ (''without'' Blade Artists), and on the charge it inflicts D3 mortal wounds on a 4+ roll to each enemy unit within Engagement Range. When the Tantalus Advances, you simply add 12" to its movement. Combine that with an open-topped transport capacity of 16 to complete the most powerful model in the army. The price for that is your wallet, your soul, and a hefty points cost. Nevertheless, consecutive 9th Edition changes make it [[Awesome|significantly more attractive]] than before, now that it costs '''only 220 points''' (about as much as 1.52 Disintegrator Ravagers instead of exceeding the cost of '''3''' as it used to).
**Given its size, strength, and points cost, Tantalus is a prime target for heavy enemy firepower. Using the Lightning-Fast Reactions stratagem on it may well be the difference between being reduced to a smouldering wreck or [[Troll|laughing in the face]] of that unlucky Shadowsword gunner.
**'''Black Heart Tantalus''': Want a first turn charge? Total 28" of movement and then charge on a model with Fly.
**'''Cursed Blade Tantalus''': Your melee attacks have got a Strength of '''8'''.
**'''Dark Technomancers Tantalus''': Fire 12 S8 AP-3 '''D3''' shots with +1 to Wound at the cost of suffering D3 MWs for each gun that makes a hit roll of one, for a genuine Drukhari-style sadomasochistic volley of death.
***Remember, you only have two guns.  The odds of a gun inflicting mortals on you is slightly less than 2/3 (66.51%), so on average you'll suffer 1.33 mortals from the first gun and the second, totaling 2.66 for firing twice.

====Dedicated Transports====
WE GOT 1 MORE SLOT ON THESE TO LOAD CHARACTERS INTO, LET'S FUCKING GO!

*'''Raider:''' A big cardboard boat costing 20 points more than a Venom, with either a Dark Lance or a Disintegrator Cannon for 5 points more. Can also take a Shock Prow if you're feeling lucky.  The Raider is decently tough (especially as Kabal of the Black Heart, or as part of a Coven) and might even survive until it's discharged its melee cargo or while ferrying a Kabalite squad for a few turns. Can hold 11 {{W40Kkeyword|Infantry}} models (Grotesques take 2 slots each). Zoom across the table at full speed (14") and shower the enemy with hails of poisoned splinters unabated. Use that to either close in to that Cultist or Scout squad on an objective, or to keep your distance from approaching melee units as you gradually wear them down. [[Rape|They won't appreciate that]]. Or pick up some splinter racks to grant your Kabalites rapid fire at full range!
**The Raider is a pretty damn good option for both anti-horde and anti-vehicle shooting. Cram it with a squad of 10 Kabalites, 7 of which are normal ones and a Sybarite and two with blasters, alongside one with a dark lance and point at the nearest Land Raider. If instead you need to deal with a mob of 30 Boyz, swap the blasters for shredders and the dark lance for a splinter cannon, toss in splinter racks and have at 'em.
*'''Venom:''' A small paper boat with a Splinter Cannon and either a Twin Splinter Rifle or a second Splinter Cannon. Costing a minimum of 65 points, you can take a second splinter cannon in place of the rifles for 10 more points. Slightly faster than the Raider, it's ideal to ferry MSUs of Wracks and Wyches up the table, or boost a 6-man of Kabalites into rapid fire range. With an innate -1 to be hit, this thing will survive longer than you may expect it to, though concentrated fire will still take it down. Grotesques can't fit in it, even if it isn't a full squad.

In addition to their own strengths, both transports have Night Shields, granting a 5++ invuln against shooting, and are open-topped, which lets units shoot out of them, perfect for drive-bys with poison. They can also both take chain snares for 5 points, which grant 3 additional attacks (not too terrible, Dark Eldar vehicles aren't bad in melee), and grisly trophies for morale shenanigans.

Transports are '''''mandatory''''' if you're taking the Kabal of the Flayed Skull, as they are the only ways for Flayed Skull infantry to benefit from their obsession. Not only that, but it makes them even faster and boosts their accuracy while negating cover.

====Flyers====
*'''[[Razorwing Jetfighter]]:''' A very solid option, clocking in at 150 points by default. It always has access to all three types of missile (but can only fire one each turn). Vehicles don’t suffer a -1 to hit when moving and firing, so it will hit on a 3+ most of the time. Getting out of sticky situations or into the enemy's face is no problem either with a move of 20-72". The Razorwing comes equipped with Disintegrator Cannons for ruining the day of any MEQ squad, or can opt for Dark Lances for 10 points less to go after vehicles and characters. Also comes with a Twin Splinter Rifle that you can upgrade to a Splinter Cannon for 5 points. With Kabal of the Flayed Skull, it's just plane evil. Also has a 5++ thanks to Night Shields.
**'''Razorwing Missiles''': A mixed bag, you can only fire off one though. All of them are blast too, which is nice.
***'''Monoscythe:''' Assault 1d6 S6 AP0 D2, Blast (average shots 3.5/4/6). Shitty, but you can at least try and force saves. Shatterfield and Necrotoxin are both better at hurting MEQ on average dice.
***'''Necrotoxin:''' Assault 3d3 S2 AP0 D1, Poisoned (2+), Blast (average shots 6/6/9). Only good for units with T4 or better and not better than 5+ armor. At T3 the Shatterfield wounds on 2+ anyway and the AP will help a lot more than 2 more shots on average.
***'''Shatterfield:''' Assault 1d6 S7 AP-2 D1, Blast (average shots 3.5/4/6). The "best" missile against pretty much everything, but still not great. 1d6 
*'''[[Voidraven Bomber]]:''' Behold, one of the most durable and powerful models in the army! 12 Wounds at T6 combined and a built-in 5++ mean that for Drukhari standards, this is one tough son of a bitch to bring down. First of all it is a ''bomber'', and a bomb it has. Once per battle you can drop a tactical nuke on a single spot the Voidraven has moved over. Then, you roll 1D6 for each unit within 6" of that location, subtracting 1 if its a character. For each roll of 4+, the unit in question takes d6 mortal wounds. Probably worse than its previous version but now that this doesn't have a hard limit of only one squad, dumping it on top of some character in the middle of your opponent's castle is probably the best use of it for maximum rape. The Voidraven is also equipped with two Void Lances, which are +1S compared to the Dark Lances. You can switch these out for Dark Scythes which are Heavy 3, S8, AP-4, 2 damage. Both options are good for doing work after you have dropped the Bomb, they will definitely help with stripping the last few wounds off a Knight or Tank. You can take the missiles below for 15 points, but you probably shouldn't, as both flavors are mediocre at best. 
**'''Voidraven Missiles''' Like the Razorwing, you can only fire one of these off at a time despite the plural name, and both of them are blast. Unlike with the Razorwing, they're optional - you have to spend points on them and they don't come stock - but if you're taking a Voidraven anyway, the missiles are worth the cost (15 points).  Don't bother throwing either at hard targets (T8+) unless you're desperate.
***'''Shatterfield:''' Same as the one the Razorwing has (Assault 1d6 S7 AP-2 D1, Blast) and just as unimpressive. Worse than the Implosion Missile against the majority of targets, but better against GEQ.
***'''Implosion:''' Assault 1d3 S6 AP-3 D2, Blast. Less potential shots than the Shatterfield but even better AP and D2 (giving it better A*D - 4, rather than 3.5, on average).  This makes it ''better'' than the Shatterfield against any target with W2+ outside of specific niche cases where the extra penetration won't matter but the extra toughness will (e.g. against a T6 target with a 4++).