1000 TAC Dark Eldar Venom Spam

Hello everyone!

As far as purchasing and building models is concerned, I'm currently at 440 points. My goal is to make it to 1000 points, before moving ahead with the final 1850 (this is something I do as part of my play-test phase: I play miniature versions of my army at 500 and 1000 points). Here's what I've got for my 1000 point list:

Dark Eldar H.Q.: 75 pts.
- Archon + Blast Pistol ✓

Dark Eldar Elites: 173 pts.
- 4x Kabalite Trueborn + 3x Blasters + 1x Venom  + 1x Splinter Cannon (The Archon joins this unit in their Venom)

Dark Eldar Troops: 500 pts.
- 5x Kabalite Warriors + 1x Blaster + 1x Venom + 1x Splinter Cannon ✓
- 5x Kabalite Warriors + 1x Blaster + 1x Venom + 1x Splinter Cannon ✓
- 5x Kabalite Warriors + 1x Blaster + 1x Venom + 1x Splinter Cannon

Dark Eldar Heavy Support: 230 pts.
Ravager + Night Shield ✓
Ravager + Night Shield

Total: 853/1000

A Games-Workshop employee suggested that I boost my Archon up by 147 points -- and I almost threw up in my mouth. Instead I'm considering adding either:
- 5x Kabalite Warriors (with a Blaster) and a Venom (armied with an additional Splinter Cannon) or,
- a Ravager (with a Night Shield)

Where do you think I should spend my last 147 points?

Both would be ideal. If its an either or, I think the addtl Ravager would help more in the short term to add more high AP long range fire

If you are going to cheap out on an archon then I'd suggest just drop him all together and take a Haemonculus instead, at the kind of points you have in HQ the Haem provides greater utility and threat. Archon with nothing but pistol vs Haem with Liquifier, venom blades and a free Pain token to hand out, who the comes in at 10 points less!!

As for Ravager vs Warriors I'd say it depends on your meta, generally I find 3 ravagers to be over the top at 1k points. But if you think you will need it, take it!

The other thing to do might be:

853pts

Swap Archon for Haemonculus with LG and VB-10pts
Add Ravager +105pts
Drop Blasters - 45pts
Add Venom w/ 3 Wracks +95pts

Total 998 pts

EDIT: I would also drop the fourth Trueborn, he is wasted in that unit, it is very much a hit fast and hard or die before having a hand in the game type.  With the points you could add a Nightshield to the third ravager

Lose: Blast Pistol, 3 Blasters
Gain: 3 Dark Lances, 2 Splinter Cannons (Venom), Another Objective Holder (Wracks, maybe even reserve them for taking objectives in your deployment zone), more vehicles gives you opponents more decisions to make, less mixing of battlefield roles (this one is taste dependant!)

ST

Why give the Archon a Blast Pistol over a Blaster? The extra attack in cc at S3/4 AP- can't really be worth losing 12" of range, can it?

btw, 3 venom warrior units are 375, rather than 500.

5 haywire wyches in a dual-cannon venom. Little bit of combat, fairly good anti-vehicle. Then toss in 20 points of upgrades on something.

Also, either you've really botched the maths on the troops choices - those warrior squads do indeed come in at 125 points each - or more likely there's actually a 4th squad.

Yeah sorry -- you guys are correct, there are 4 squads of Kabalite Warriors in Venoms. I'll make the correction!

Thanks for all the suggestions as well! The only reason I haven't responded yet is because my life has suddenly become very hectic