I hope this response isn't too late for your tournament!
I know this isn't the answer you want to hear, but there are only 10 models that benefit from the dukes drug roll. What does he bring to the army?
Knowing you are practically the "Duke" and running a list without him is unfathomable (I completely understand, running a list without three reaver squads is a big NO for me), what are our option?
What I like:The sniperborn, a really interesting unit (I have yet to experiment with). I overlooked these guys in 5th, but in 6th I think they can really shine. Now that you can stick them in an area terrain ruin for a 4+ cover save and a 2+ cover save when they go to ground (area terrain +2 to cover saves when you go to ground). This is huge, killing three models with a 2+ save requires a reasonable amount of fire power, so your opponent either ignores two dark lances or he dedicates fire power to take out those truborn , who at the end of the day are a cheap investment. This is great as they will either be ignored or draw fire away from the rest of your army.
The blasterborn, simple reliable, tried and tested.
The haywire torpedo wyches, great.
What I don't like:The warrior squad, they should have a 10th man, a splinter cannon that wounds on a 3+ is awesome and helps justify the dukes existence. If you start the warriors with the duke out of their raider, he can leave them and join a combat unit (most likely wyches) and in their raider. Done properly you will not be sacrificing any movement on your first turn. The only caveat is that the warrior squad is on foot so needs to start somewhere safe, preferably behind line of sight blocking cover. The aethersail, with a 30" move do you really need it? I personally love them as I like trying to hide my three raiders as much as possible, and they help my raiders keep up with my reavers. However on warrior squads I don't see much of a point.
Three razorwings, I see as a problem. Why? Because almost a third of your army is starting off the board. That leaves what is left rather exposed. Two fine, but I think three is a bit much.
The small warrior squad, what's it for? Camping the home objective? That's 45 points that could be spent killing something instead.
Back to wyches, give the duke a squad of 9 wyches in a raider to run with, it doesn't matter if half of them die, the duke is a combat monster, he needs to be delivered to the battle in style and as quickly as possible. I can't think of anything faster and more stylish then a raider full of wyches. Keep them cheap:
9 wyches, hekatrix, venom blade, PGL, haywire - 133
Raider, aethersail - 65pts
The aethersail is there because you want the duke and his warriors to be starting out of sight, that means his wyches will have to be there too. As you can't always control where that line of sight blocking terrain may be an extra 2d6" movement can be very handy.
Now combined with the other wyche squads you create an immediate threat that your enemy has to deal with. But if he focuses all his fire into that threat he is ignoring the rest of your army. At the same time the duke will make it into combat, and that is all that matters. In most of my game the wyches escorting my succubus/archon get slaughtered down to the last woman before they get into combat, but at the end of the day the succubus/archon gets there and that's all that matters.
I hope that helps!
Subject: V1 1500 REDUX 
Sat Aug 25 2012, 19:47
