Dark Eldar FAQ Questions - 6th edition

Please post any questions or rule ambiguities that you think need to be addressed by GW in future Dark Eldar FAQs. We will then go through them and add suitable questions to this post. The aim being to compile an email containing all the questions that we think they should answer in the next FAQ. Thanks.

Dark Eldar Questions

Note: the answers are just suggestions

Q: Do the sails of a raider count as part of it's hull for the purpose of determining whether or not a model can see the raider (and therefore shoot it)?
A: No.

Q: What is the individual firing arc of the Venom's Splinter Cannons?
A: The top splinter cannon has a firing arc of 180, and the under-slung splinter cannon has a fire arc of 45 (hull mounted).

Q: What is the firing arc of the Raiders Dark Lance/Disintegrator?
A: 180

Q: When allocating Wounds caused by a unit of Reaver Jetbikes
making a bladevanes, cluster caltrops and / or grav-talon attack,
from which direction is the attack considered to have originated?
(p29)
A: Use the final position of the Reavers for Wound allocation. [FIXED AS OF APRIL FAQ]

Q: Can a warrior exchange his splinter rifle for a splinter cannon and then be upgraded to a sybarite?
A: No

Q: Are Agonisers considered poison weapons?
A: No

Q: Does the aerial assault rule of the Ravager make you hit flyers at full BS when the Ravager moves at cruising speed?
A: No

Q: Do you have to kill a model with the Animus Vitae in order to benefit from its special rule? Or can you kill a model with another weapon and still benefit from the Animus Vitae special rule (as the rule says the "bearer")?
A:

Q: Do all of Lelith's attacks ignore armour, even when she throws grenades or fires a quad gun?
A: [FIXED AS OF APRIL FAQ]

Q: When determining the number of bladevane attacks a squad of reavers get, do you roll a D3 once and multiply is by the number of reavers in the unit, as per the rules for weapons with randomly determined amount for the number of shots (p.51)?
A:

Q: When determining the number of attacks a squad with multiple hydra gauntlets gets, do you roll a D6 once and multiply is by the number of hydra gauntlets in the unit, as per the rules for weapons with randomly determined amount for the number of shots (p.51)?
A:

Q: If a Dark Eldar unit gains +1 to FNP from the chaos daemon warpfire ability and later gains a pain token (granting it FNP), does its 5+FNP become a 4+FNP?
A: Yes

Page 63 - Vehicle Armoury, Chain-Snares
Change the second sentence to read: "A Vehicle with chain snares causes D3+1 S4 Ap- hits on all unengaged non vehicle models that it passes over when moving flat out in the shooting phase. Use the final position of the Vehicle for Wound allocation."

Rulebook Questions

Q: Do Monstrous Creatures benefit from area terrain? If so how much of a Monstrous Creatures base must be in area terrain for it to get a cover save?
A:

Q: Can you move through friendly models?
A: [FIXED AS OF APRIL FAQ]

Q: Can Vehicles benefit from invulnerable saves (the rules for invulnerable saves say they only preventing wounds)?
A: Yes [FIXED AS OF APRIL FAQ]

Q: Does the ignore cover special rule affect vehicles (the rules for ignore cover say cover saves cannot be taken against wounds caused by weapons with the ignore cover special rule, but makes no mention for vehicles)?
A: Yes.

Q: Can monstrous creatures fire two weapons on overwatch (Their rules specify they may fire two weapons in the shooting phase, but do not mention ovewatch or the assault phase)?
A: Yes

Q: What is the individual firing arc of the Venom's Splinter Cannons?

What I've been playing it as:
A: both have a firing arc of 180 degrees.

Kinnay wrote:

Q: What is the individual firing arc of the Venom's Splinter Cannons?

What I've been playing it as:
A: both have a firing arc of 180 degrees.

Great question, added it and put the most likely answer (at the end of the day GW need to make it up). So the answers are just suggestions.

I would be tempted to ask whether agonisers are poison weapons.

Can a venom'raider be taken for a squad whose number exceeds the maximum capacity of the transport? The space marine FAQ allows this and some clarification of the matter for other codices would be helpful.

The_Burning_Eye wrote:

Can a venom'raider be taken for a squad whose number exceeds the maximum capacity of the transport? The space marine FAQ allows this and some clarification of the matter for other codices would be helpful.

That one is answered in the DE codex, pg 91. No you can't.

Q: Does the aerial assault rule of the Ravager make you hit flyers at full BS when the Ravager moves at cruising speed?
A: No

Count Adhemar wrote:

The_Burning_Eye wrote:

Can a venom'raider be taken for a squad whose number exceeds the maximum capacity of the transport? The space marine FAQ allows this and some clarification of the matter for other codices would be helpful.

That one is answered in the DE codex, pg 91. No you can't.

Fair enough, Thanks Count, I thought it was the FAQ where it said it but couldn't find it.

EDIT: How about this one then - Why the heck can't Mandrakes charge in the first turn of the game after infiltrating, they can't shoot if they infiltrate so they really are just an 'evil looking' kill point / first blood / target.

I would finally ask about the shatters hard. Does every model take an individual T test or do you work the shot out as with normal shooting even though wounds aren't actually caused. Then refer to the page number about charadtic tests. And what affect does this have on models with eternal warrior? Do they suffer 1 wound or are they removed from play since they aren't actually tski g wounds. They are being removed from play.

I would say the agoniser is not a poisoned weapon. That would be nice though

colinsherlow wrote:

I would finally ask about the shatters hard. Does every model take an individual T test or do you work the shot out as with normal shooting even though wounds aren't actually caused. Then refer to the page number about charadtic tests. And what affect does this have on models with eternal warrior? Do they suffer 1 wound or are they removed from play since they aren't actually tski g wounds. They are being removed from play.

I would say the agoniser is not a poisoned weapon. That would be nice though

Those questions are all resolved by reading the item and/or the rulebook. The Shattershard requires each model under the template to take a Toughness test. Fail = removed from play. Eternal Warrior doesn't work as it is not Instant Death.

Agonisers are not poisoned weapons.

Yes, we should pay attention to this thread not becoming a wishlist and/or "Why is it (not) that...?"

There was a discussion on here a while back about how the number of wounds from bladevanes are calculated, ie is it D3 x No. of models in unit or roll a D3 for each model and add them together?

My guess would be it's roll a D3 for each model and add together.

The codex says D3 per reaver, which is quite clear in meaning you roll a D3 per model. The rules for looters are quite different.

I was just thinking that the shattershard may work differently. Like The changes gw made to implosion missiles. That's why I thought to ask.

I don't want the shattershard to change

I don't have the book on me so I can't check the exact wording between the missiles and the shard. But I am more than ok leaving it as it :-)
I call the shattershard 'the great equilizer'

Q: If you kill a model in combat with another weapon (a Husk Blade) can you still claim the benefit of the Animus Vitae, as you are the bearer of this weapon, or do you need to state you are attacking with the Animus Vitae to gain any benefit from it?

A: ???

I have my personal view, while others have their own. See this thread if you'd like more context:
http://www.thedarkcity.net/t5646-animus-vitae-other-special-weapon

Added. The RAW for that one is no you don't, but the answer will most likely be yes you do, as we are not grey knights.

Do all of lileths attacks ignore armour in cc as well as when throwing grenades and manning a quad gun?

Mushkilla wrote:

The codex says D3 per reaver, which is quite clear in meaning you roll a D3 per model. The rules for looters are quite different.

In 5th I argued for this solution, but the 6th rulebook has an interesting rule about shooting weapons.

BRB p.51 wrote:

If a weapon has a D6, D4 or other randomly determined amount for the number of shots, roll the appropriate dice to work out how many shots are fired each time the model shoots. If a unit contains several models shooting such weapons, roll once and multiply the result by the number of firing models with that weapon to calculate the number of shots.

Granted, Bladevandes aren't strictly a shooting weapon, but they are treated like one. So I'd say they follow this rule now.


Another addition would be:

Q: Can a Template or Blast weapon with the Skyfire special rule hit a zooming Flyer or swooping Monstrous Creature.
A: I'd say no, but there was a big argument about it in my FLGS.

Can a reavers bladevanes, grav talon or caltrops hit a swooping flying monstrous creature?

Tiri Rana wrote:

BRB p.51 wrote:

If a weapon has a D6, D4 or other randomly determined amount for the number of shots, roll the appropriate dice to work out how many shots are fired each time the model shoots. If a unit contains several models shooting such weapons, roll once and multiply the result by the number of firing models with that weapon to calculate the number of shots.

Granted, Bladevandes aren't strictly a shooting weapon, but they are treated like one. So I'd say they follow this rule now.

That would make them dangerously random. But very unreliable, as you would either get 9, 18, or 27 hits. Interesting.

Tiri Rana wrote:

Q: Can a Template or Blast weapon with the Skyfire special rule hit a zooming Flyer or swooping Monstrous Creature.
A: I'd say no, but there was a big argument about it in my FLGS.

You are right. The rulebook is pretty clear about this.

Quote :

Template, blasts and large blasts weapons cannot hit flyers in zoom mode. - BRB page 81

Crazy_Ivan wrote:

Can a reavers bladevanes, grav talon or caltrops hit a swooping flying monstrous creature?

No the latest rule book FAQ is quite clear on the matter.

Quote :

Q: How do maelstroms, novas and beams – or indeed any
weapon that doesn’t need to roll To Hit or hits automatically –
interact with Zooming Flyers and Swooping Flying Monstrous
Creatures? (p13)
A: Only Snap Shots can hit Zooming Flyers and Swooping
Flying Monstrous Creatures. Therefore, any attacks that use
blast markers, templates, create a line of/area of effect or
otherwise don’t roll to hit cannot target them. This includes
weapons such as the Necron Doom Scythe’s death ray or the
Deathstrike missile of the Imperial Guard, and psychic
powers that follow the rule for maelstroms, beams, and
novas.

Crazy_Ivan wrote:

Do all of lileths attacks ignore armour in cc as well as when throwing grenades and manning a quad gun?

I've been wondering this for a while now myself

I read here not so long back that the answer is yes but after suggesting it, as i was about to throw an Ap2 plasma grenade at some terminators, in a game against a friend he got pretty annoyed and said i was abusing RAW so we agreed it was for close combat only.

I think it was intended to be close combat only (the rule is called The penatrating blade after all)
The codex came out in 5th ed but with the addition of thrown grenades and the ability to man a quad gun in 6th it certainly is a little shady

I guess it comes down to which your using RAW or RAI
So it seems to me

RAW = Yes

RAI = No

Not dark eldar specific but does need answering I feel:-

To gain the benefit of cover from area terrain does the models entire base have to been in the terrain?

I'm fed up of my nid friend getting cover saves for his monstrous creatures with 1mm of the base in terrain with the model not obscured in any way.

Crazy_Ivan wrote:

Not dark eldar specific but does need answering I feel:-

To gain the benefit of cover from area terrain does the models entire base have to been in the terrain?

I'm fed up of my nid friend getting cover saves for his monstrous creatures with 1mm of the base in terrain with the model not obscured in any way.

Page 18 BRB

Determining Cover Saves
If, when you come to allocate a Wound, the target model's body (as defined on page 8 ) is at least 25% obscured from the point
of view of at least one firer, Wounds allocated to that model receive a cover save.

Silly nids are too big :p

If you go page 91 it tells you how area terrain works, the model does not have to be obscured

Crazy_Ivan wrote:

Cheers for that! Been looking in the rule book for ages! Trying to find it

Your welcome
I had the exact same problem with a friend who plays nids, got rather irritating so i had a good scan for it myself :p

I just edited my post lol, go to page 91 models do not have to be obscured