1000 points, yet another noob wanting pointer

not 100% how to lay it out so please bare with me

DE CAD
HQ
Archon - 130points
-blaster
-clone field
-webway portal

Elite
9x Kabalite Trueborn - 249points   (Archon is attached to this squad)
- 4x Blasters
w/ Raider
-night shield
-dark lance
-splinter racks

Troops
10x Kabalite Warriors -185points
-Splinter Cannon
w/ Raider
-night shield
-dark lance
-splinter racks

10x Kabalite Warriors -185points
-Splinter Cannon
w/ Raider
-night shield
-dark lance
-splinter racks

Fast Attack
3x Reavers -63points
-cluster caltrops

3x Reavers -63points
-cluster caltrops

Heavy Support
Ravager -125points
-3x Dark Lances

grand total 1000points on the nail

I'm trying to make a competitive list so any improvements would be much appreciated.

Okay, so if you want competitive lest talk MSU

You want to spread out your points so that your opponent has to use is 150 point unit to attack your 65 point unit. Thus you lose less, and can hit back harder.

If you are set on gun boats, which i really dont think you should go with, id try and cheapen them. Maybe remove the lances for dissies (super good vs MEQ)

I'd also remove the splinter cannon, 15 pts for 4 shots (assuming you move) isnt that good. realistically, these boats want to get in 12" to rapid fire.

I would suggest breaking down int units of 5 for venoms. Much more competitive, gives you the range you need for alpha strike and to stay away from rapid fire bolters (which will tear through the AV10)

Also your true born team is too expensive. Make them a scalpal, a unit to come in and destroy what is giving you the biggest head ache. I'd drop the raider altogether, have a unit of 5 true born, 4 blasters, dracon with haywire. That comes out to 26 points per AT shot (excluding archon), and switch the archon to a haywire grenade. If they survive to their second turn on the board, you can assault with 2 HW as well. really nasty.

Most competitive units in the dex: Venoms, reavers, grots, corpsetheif claw formation, kabalites, arguably scourges and ravagers are decent too (i use them, but im not super competitive)

If you aim for competitiveness I suggest you take RedRegicide advice's, but drop the archon altogether, with it's points you can take a lamean and a squad of 5 warriors w/ blaster in a double splinter cannon venom.

RedRegicide speaks truth. You dont want to put 200 pts into a raider squad. Thats the cost of a SM Terminator squad.

In my experience, you want at least 4 venoms in any list. They shoot 12 shots at 36". Its really hard for us to beat that.

Many thanks for the constructive critism I've applied what you guys are saying and this is my new list(very much a work in progress)

HQ
Archon -60points

Elite
5x Trueborn -180points
4x Blaster
w/ Venom
-splinter cannon

Troops
5x Warriors -105points
w/ Venom
-splinter cannon

5x Warriors -105points
w/ Venom
-splinter cannon

5x Warriors -105points
w/ Venom
-splinter cannon

5x Warriors -105points
w/ Venom
-splinter cannon

Fast Attack
3x reaver -63points
-cluster caltrops

3x reaver -63points
-cluster caltrops

3x reaver -63points
-cluster caltrops

Heavy Support
Ravager -125points
-3x Drak Lances

total points 974

some thoughts
I'm not too sure what to do with the archon now he seems to just be filling my mandetory HQ slot that's all now.
I feel like i'm lacking anti tank and am a bit any infantry heavy with this
i guess i could also get a couple of Khymeras to just pad out the points get closer to the 1k but atm this is a very rough draft so i'm not focusing on getting the points used up

I suggest:

Switch archon for lhamean: +50 points
Drop 2 units of kabalites: +80 points
Put lhamean in one venom, run other empty as an F.A
Add haywire or heat lance scourge: -120
That leaves you with 36 points. Add a blaster to two squads or buy mandrakes to camp an objective, or individual khymera for objective grabbing

RedRegicide wrote:

I suggest:

Switch archon for lhamean: +50 points

can you take a lhamean as court of the archon without taking an archon? in the codex is says "retainers: for each archon included in a detachment, the detachment can include a court of the archon that does not take up a slot on the force organisation chart."

Yes, you can.

Retainers rule allows to take an extra HQ slot, if you have an archon, but it must be a court, so you can have two archon's and two courts for a total of four HQ slots.

You can take the court as a HQ without the archon, but it takes the slot, so you can have a court and a second HQ.

oh i didn't know, thank you for pointing that out.

so my army list this is my list now, it look really solid thanks for the help.

HQ
Lhamean -75points
w/ Venom
- splinter cannon

Elite
5x Trueborn -180points
4x Blaster
w/ Venom
-splinter cannon

3x Mandrakes -36points

Troops
5x Warriors -105points
w/ Venom
-splinter cannon

5x Warriors -105points
w/ Venom
-splinter cannon

Fast Attack
3x reaver -63points
-cluster caltrops

3x reaver -63points
-cluster caltrops

3x reaver -63points
-cluster caltrops

5x Scourges -120points
-4x haywire blasters

Venom -65points
-Splinter cannon

Heavy Support
Ravager -125points
-3x Drak Lances

for a grand total of 1000points

Nice! Looks good man

For the record it's absolutely not an extra HQ slot. It's an FOC-less unit that can just be taken if the conditions are met. I make this distinction because it's permissable in every detachment and formation that contains an Archon.

From the draft FAQ for DE:
"Can I take a Court of the Archon as an HQ unit without taking an Archon?"
"Yes."

I think it's cheesy, but that's the ruling.