Warhammer 40,000/3rd Edition Revised Tactics/Dark Eldar
This is an old Edition's tactics, or maybe it's an older Edition's tactics? Who can say; GW hasn't revised before or since! 5th Edition Tactics are here.
Why Play Dark Eldar[edit | edit source]
Do you want to be a unique snowflake? Do you like drugs, body mods, pillaging and raping? Do you like instilling fear into your opponent with lightning fast speed and devastating weaponry at the expense of armor? (Glass cannon) Then DE are for you. This is 40k on hardcore mode. If things don't go Just as planned you'll be going down like a ten dollar hooker. If they do your opponent won't even know what hit them. Welcome to the world's most elite club.
Dick jokes aside, the Dark Eldar are indeed one of the least (if not the) played armies in games and tabletop on hardcore mode. They're still like the Eldar but imagine them having slightly better firepower and maneuverability for EVEN MOAR thinner armor. Most of their skimmers barely have any armor that they're on par with a guardsman's flak vest and their infantry are kinda the same, save for a selected few who can take more than a shot from a lasgun. Dark Eldar units are centered around speed, freaking the shit out of their opponents so that they're too busy to rip their wet toilet-paper excuse for armor, and powerful ranged fire-power. Never leave your infantry out in the open and keep your vehicles moving in the enemy's general direction and you just might win the game.
Unit Analysis[edit | edit source]
Note: Wych Cult army variant. If you take a Wych Archon, or Lelith, you're playing a "Wych Cult" variant of the army list. Wyches are troops. Warriors and Raiders are Elite, and you can't take a Talos or most of the special characters.
HQ[edit | edit source]
- Archon -
- Dracon -
- Haemonculi - Cheapo HQ that comes in an econo-pack of up to 3. Good for leading expendable troops and keeping grotesques from going pants on head.
- Wych Archon -
- Wych Dracite -
The following are special characters
- Decapitator - Like Sly Marbo except with decapitations instead of explosions. The problem with the analogy is that while Sly is a 60 point elite unit, 'cap is a 112 point HQ. Save the points, buy something useful.
- Urien Rakarth - He's an expensive Haemonculus that always wounds and takes slightly beefed up Grotesques. This all sounds well and good until you realize that he's a hundred points and takes up a precious HQ slot all on his own. Haemonculi should know their place, and you should pass on this guy.
- Kruellagh - Her statline is lackluster, her special weapons are mediocre, and her cost is much too high. A well kitted vanilla archon will perform better.
- Asdurbael Vect - In shooting its a round AV14 all purpose motherfucker. Get it into close combat and it... turns into a dreadnought? Fuck yea it does. At 277 points the pimpmaster general is a bit expensive but his uniformly excellent performance means you'll rarely be disappointed. Its basically a tank, an HQ, and a dread all rolled up in one deadly package.
- Lelith Hesperax - At first glance she's a depressingly vanilla character, but thats just the thing. Lelith does the same thing as a an identically kitted Wych Archite, only slightly better and 25 points cheaper. A solid choice for a wych cult army.
- Drazhar - Continuing the "like IG but" theme we have Drazhar. Drazhar is basically like Nork Deddog, except instead of special protection rules he murders things. Expensive as all hell but quite effective at what he does (murder). Take him in large games to pump up your retinue's murdering power, or so they can keep murdering after your Archon has a freak overdose.
Elite[edit | edit source]
- Mandrakes - Get a stacking cover bonus as well as sweet deployment rules, what's not to love? Well, Mandrakes have a motherfucker of a time actually killing anything. You're paying space marine prices for a stat line that is frankly pathetic. Unless they're part of some ridiculous gambit or holding points with their cover saves you should pass on them.
- Grotesques - Dark Eldar meat mountains. If ever there was a unit that screamed "human shield" this would be it.
- Warp Beast Pack - Against anything tougher than a guardsman they'll fail miserably. Far too weak and expensive for their assigned role. If you like the little scamps go play Soulstorm where they're actually powerful.
- Wyches - A melee wildcard that will make both you and your opponent sweat bullets. If you take a wych cult these become your basic troop choice. In all actuality they aren't very powerful, and mainly rely on their speed and survivability to get their much more powerful succubus into position.
Troop[edit | edit source]
- Warrior Squad - Fuck yea warriors, they're one of the best troop choices in 40k. Fast and shooty, what else do you want?
- Raider Squad - You want them to be faster and shootier of course. Just make no mistake this is a transport, not a tank. The days of Dark Eldar drive-by are gone.
Fast Attack[edit | edit source]
- Hellions - The Hellions' dazzling array of special rules cover up the blunt fact that they are just below average combat units. Shell out the points for a reaver or incubus squad.
- Reaver Jetbikes - The epitome of Dark Eldar tactics, all speed and death. Adding a well kitted succubus makes them ridiculously dangerous, so do it.
Heavy Support[edit | edit source]
- Ravager - The DE main battle tank. It can be kitted with disintegrators or lances as the situation demands but functions best as the tank killer your army probably lacks. As expected its faster and less armored than its peers, so seriously consider night shields.
- Scourges - A spectacularly schizophrenic unit, Scourges are heavy weapons jump infantry that can't move and fire at the same time. To add insult to injury GW gave them a warrior statline and ridiculously expensive weapons that don't come standard. Fuck you, GW. Fuck you with an agoniser.
- Talos - An odd little monstrous creature that got a new lease on life in fifth edition. Not as effective as the ravager, but its close combat ability gives you a counter for dreads if you should need it.
Building your Army[edit | edit source]
Throw a bucket of black paint, then throw another bucket of dark purple paint and you're done... no seriously.
Tactics[edit | edit source]
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