From slave to Archon, a noobs request.

Hello,

In terms of both 40k and Dark Eldar I am a complete and utter noob. I have collected for a bit and want to get into the game. I've played 3-4 so far and I think I understand the basics of the core game. However it is the dark eldar units themselves that I dont know how to use correctly. My opponent has made our fights look like a toddler fighting ali, I just cant seem to do much of anything.

If anyone (and I mean anyone) would be able to give even a shred of advice I'd probably find it very helpful.

Thank you.

What style do you play / how do you want to play / what models do you have? I can think of 4-5 different styles of play that are good against most armies. Also what army have you gone against?

I have

an archon

a succubus

Two sets of kabalite warriors with raiders

some incubi and a venom

And a lot of scourges

My opponent play a combo of horde and mech ork.

His everything shoots up my vehicles before they can get into range then he just slaughters all my guys in round 2 - 3

I had hoped to be able to play very fast and never give my opponent time to retaliate. Whether that is possible or not who knows haha.

I can give some advice on a few units that I think perform well...

10 Kabalite warriors with splintercannon in a Raider with night shields and splinter racks:
If you're getting shot, jink for 3+ cover save. Move 6'' and fire with a lot of twin linked splinter weapons. Excellent for killing infantry and monsterous creatures.

3 Reavers with heat lance and cluster caltrops:
Jink for 3+ cover saves, use their fast turbo boost to get into position to blast vehicles. caltrops can also hurt vehicles if you charge them in the rear. If you find yourself in combat and somehow manage to survive, try to hit and run on your opponents turn so that they're free to do whatever you want on your turn. You will need multiple units of these to be effective.

5 Trueborn with 4 haywire blasters in a Raider with nightshields:
Use them like the kabalite warriors but target enemy vehicles.

Succubus with archite glaive + 4 Grotesques in a Raider with night shields and enchanted aethersails:
Jink and turbo boost forward to get into combat quickly! Succubus can cut through 2+ saves and grotesques slaughter light armored units with their rampage and poison attacks.

Hope that helps

Islands wrote:

5 Trueborn with 2 haywire blasters in a Raider with nightshields:
Use them like the kabalite warriors but target enemy vehicles.

HWB can only be used on Scourges.  Trueborn would have to use Dark Lances if you wanted to go with heavy weapons.

mahnshooth wrote:

Islands wrote:

5 Trueborn with 2 haywire blasters in a Raider with nightshields:
Use them like the kabalite warriors but target enemy vehicles.

HWB can only be used on Scourges.  Trueborn would have to use Dark Lances if you wanted to go with heavy weapons.

True, then I would use them with 4 blasters instead

Templates and blasts are the bane of hordes. Also ork leadership is a real issue now. Razorwing fighters come with 4 S6 ap5 blasts all of which they can fire off in one turn. Torment grenade launchers, phantasom grenade launchers, and the archangel of pain should all to well against orks, combine with armor of misery and a coven detachment and they are at -3 leadership making most of them leadership 4.

You don't need to kill them all, just run them off the board!

So like a succubus with armor of misery (or whatever the name of the relic is) and the archangel of pain would be a good combo against orks?

Horde Orks don't care much about LD tests. As long as they have a character and their unit size is 10+ they will stick around.

Yes but pgl now causes wounds for every point the lead is failed by with no armor or cover, ironically making Orks one of the few good targets for leadership shenanigans

Also deepstrike him with 20 warriors allows for another 13 or so dead orks.

So what kind of 1000pt list would you guys run against orks?

Depending on the build, a couple of anti tank options (reavers, scourges) and a lot of raiders with warriors in them with splinter racks.

As I'm not for tailoring list I will just give you my first new codex build because I think it just might do well vs Orks.

HQ: Succubus (she btw) with Glaive, HwG, Parasite's Kiss

Elite: non (Grots would be über killy vs Orks)

Troops: 9 Wyches 1x Hydras, Agon Hekatrix (HwG if possible) this is the ride for the Succi

10 Wyches 3x Hydras, Agon Hekatrix (HwG if possible)
Both in a Raider with dissie with NS, GR and EA upgrades.

Fast: 6 Reavers 2 Blasters and 2 CC, Arena Champ (Agoniser if possible)

Heavy: 2x 5 Scourges with 4 HwB

That should net about 1000 points.

Everybody say Wyches are nerved but because Orks lack a decent save in CC you can wound them pretty well with Wyches. You might need S drug or FC to get really killy though. Hydra's help and have the AP5 bonus.
Wyches have plasma grenades, don't forget to throw one before the charge. Sure splinter weapons work great vs Orks but Plasma Grenade at S4 AP4 blast is that much better.
Reavers can inflict some damage in assault because of the improved HoW attacks. CC works wonders too.
Scourges with 8 HwB could take care about 1-2 tanks a turn. If your opponent brings Hard Boys the HwB can double for AP4 shooting.

For deployment I would reserve anything if cover allows it. As Orks need to come to you it is handy that you can throw all your armies might onto a few units. Because of the speed of the Dark Eldar.
This army list is all about speed. You should misguide your opponent and abuse the sheer speed of the army to run away from disadvantage match-ups to fight on your terms.
You can put the Raiders of Wyches as bait for Orks in Mega-Armour. Shoot their ride with HwB (36" with jump move) and run away your raiders for 36" with EA flat out. The sweat bonus is that PfP increases as the turn pass. So aiming for Turn 3 assault might be a good equation if the opponents biggest threat is foot slogging away from your strike force which is OS btw, you don't need RR detachment. OS Raiders will prove useful to score points with their 36" reach, if they survive long enough.