What would you like to see in a DE tactica?

Thor665 wrote:

@Mush - thought; what you linked to is not a Tau tactica, it is simply a tactica on using units to block up the board and is applicable to any army, really, as unit blocking is a core foundation of gameplay.

While the core concepts in that tactica are applicable to most armies. It was presented using units that Tau players are familiar with. Yes, blocking and screening are core foundations of the game but how does it best apply to the Tau army? How can it be used to leverage supporting fire? What units are ideal for employing such tactics in the Tau army?

Expletive Deleted wrote:

I would be inclined to say there is an entire internet worth of 40k tactica. Things like deployment, LOS , list building, unit blocking/screening are things you can find anywhere.

In my experience there are a lot of blog posts that gloss over these concepts, but not in any depth.

Could you link me to some comprehensive 7th edition articles that cover this sort of thing? Because I have been looking for one for a while and it would be an invaluable resource. A repository of these things would be really helpful.

Mushkilla wrote:

Expletive Deleted wrote:

I would be inclined to say there is an entire internet worth of 40k tactica. Things like deployment, LOS , list building, unit blocking/screening are things you can find anywhere.

In my experience there are a lot of blog posts that gloss over these concepts, but not in any depth.

Could you link me to some comprehensive 7th edition articles that cover this sort of thing? Because I have been looking for one for a while and it would be an invaluable resource. A repository of these things would be really helpful.

Alas, I cannot, not because they don't exist but honestly, at this point in my gaming career the only way I refine my tactics are a) through playing and b) through vicariously playing the denizens of the dark city and their battle reports. I guess it really does come down to the target audience for the tactica.

If it's for beginners to the army a unit analysis is invaluable. Plakenstine's 6th edition guide was crucial for my army building when I started, and only the Dark City had a guide that good.

For more experienced players what you suggest would be best. Once a player has basic knowledge of the rules then it's best to refine what they know around the army they play.

I honestly still throw my hat in to some sort of "Know your enemy" section, because I find target prioritization to be the most important thing with Dark Eldar and I think that would be most useful to both beginners and experienced players. Experienced players aren't experienced against every army, and knowing the biggest threats and how to deal with them would be nice to have in an organized tactica. Otherwise you have to search the site for threads, or start your own topic on how to deal with a Heldrake or Waveserpents, or Smart missiles. Not an extensive army vs army comparison but just a "Hey, this stuff will ruin your day, this is how to eliminate it, or avoid it."

Expletive Deleted wrote:

If it's for beginners to the army a unit analysis is invaluable. Plakenstine's 6th edition guide was crucial for my army building when I started, and only the Dark City had a guide that good.

Glad to be of assistance

I do intend to update my unit guide at some point next year (although Jan-Jun is already looking pretty busy at work) if nobody else gets there first. The Splintermind Podcast has already done a good job of doing exactly that, but I do find written text easier to skim for the bits you want.

Plastikente wrote:

Expletive Deleted wrote:

If it's for beginners to the army a unit analysis is invaluable. Plakenstine's 6th edition guide was crucial for my army building when I started, and only the Dark City had a guide that good.

Glad to be of assistance

I do intend to update my unit guide at some point next year (although Jan-Jun is already looking pretty busy at work) if nobody else gets there first.  The Splintermind Podcast has already done a good job of doing exactly that, but I do find written text easier to skim for the bits you want.

Sorry for butchering your name. I just read it like that and didn't realize the difference until I cross examined the two.

Summarizing what I think I read, some people want a unit guide, some people want a overarching 40k strategy guide, and some people want a strategy guide specific to dark eldar (maybe a combo of the first two)?

I'd like all three. Having a repository sounds awesome. Actually, a repository for a few of the really good tactics chats would be nice as well.

I'm willing to read them all and always think it is interesting to hear other people's thoughts. Especially since my gaming is getting more limited with kids. Vicarious gaming is still fun.

I'd rather the website endorsed one definitive tactical guide (preferably a unit guide plus strategy guide), rather than poring through post after post wondering if THIS guy knows what he's talking about.

I kind of find multiple opinions useful, myself. Sometimes they help me reanalyze information I already had set in my head and find new gems. Other times it's just me mocking another player who wants to argue that Mandrakes are good now

Thor665 wrote:

Other times it's just me mocking another player who wants to argue that Mandrakes are good now

I'm going to get a room for you and Frankie to go have a Mandrake hate party.

I'm also in favor of having multiple sources. If each person's set of articles/content was sectioned off you could really look over the different authors and decide which one fits your playing style bet rather than a one size fits all approach.

Mandrakes are sweet now! They're pretty! They can shoot turn one... And they look cool...

I agree that they look cool, are pretty, and can shoot turn 1.

Back in the day, Advanced Tau Tactica had a pretty good way of doing it. Each unit was a separate article, giving not only a mini-unit guide for that selection, but a (sometimes very) extensive tactical analysis of it. The community (I presume the admin or mods) would then sticky the most comprehensive, cogent one to the top of the tactical sub-forum. That way you could just go straight to the "most trusted" one if you wanted to save some time, or go digging through the slough of articles below if you wanted dissenting opinions.

I really liked Thor's last tactica over on Dakkadakka; it was a big help to me when first getting in to my army. Plastikente's guide on this site was equally valuable when I started to expand it. I'd like it if there was a single guide the community was agreeing on; I think it would help new players learn the ropes a little easier, and perhaps also engender some further community cohesiveness. (Or at least the illusion of it, lol.)

Expletive Deleted wrote:

If it's for beginners to the army a unit analysis is invaluable. Plakenstine's 6th edition guide was crucial for my army building when I started, and only the Dark City had a guide that good.

For more experienced players what you suggest would be best. Once a player has basic knowledge of the rules then it's best to refine what they know around the army they play.

That's a good point. Something that I had overlooked. Considering how much work writing this stuff is we should probably do it collaboratively.

Thor has a lot of experience writing army overviews, and unit reviews, etc. We also have Plastikente's excellent guide that we can build on. So Thor could focus on his style of guide, seeing as it is what the majority on this board have voiced that they find helpful.

In the mean time I'll do is write up on a Dark Eldar version of my Tau Piranha Positional tactica, focusing on unit level tactics, rather than the big picture. If I can find the time.

This way TDC can get the best of both worlds and pave our way to a decent tactical repository?