New Player - Good purchase options?

Hi guys,

New to dark eldar although I have a kill team list written up at the moment.

I was looking to expand on that with the new codex but I really don't know where to start.

I don't want to go down the coven route, and would like to find a semi effective list using warriors and/or wyches ideally.

Currently I have 10 wyches, a venom, and 3 reavers, and a budget of around £150 (can get from online discount stores) to spend expanding this now (additional bits at a later date)

I was thinking something like:

Wych Cult Shardstorm £76.00
Codex: Dark Eldar £25.50
Kabalite Skysplinter £28.00
Dark Eldar Venom £14.80


But it feels like it's likely to lack any anti tank and I'm not sure if it's a good start at all, while I'm not really bothered about having an optimised list, I would like to be able to play against my gaming club friends and at least have a chance.

So I figured I'd open up the floor to the experts (that's you guys) given a budget of £150 and the figures I have at the moment, what would you build?

footnote: It's for an escalation league at the club so would need lists for 500/750/1000/1250/1500 or similar (I can buy more towards the upper limits of that)

Thanks in advance for your time,

Rich

Depending on where you're based, there's a UK (London) company called Dark Sphere who offer 25% off online (so the codex would come down to £22.50, obviously though you pay postage on top of this).

If you want to use Wyches, just be aware that they are very fragile (very!) as only T3 with barely any save, and as their combat attacks lack any kind of AP they can pretty much bounce off stuff they charge.

My first purchase would be Scourges, then a couple of the skysplinter units (warriors in raiders form a decent base for a list). After that I'd seriously look at a Razorwing - it's always good to have a flyer, partly for defence against enemy flyers and also because they're so hard to hit for most units.

Thanks for the reply,

Yea I'm uk based (Exeter) so that's an option, postage seems to push dark sphere into the same cost as anywhere else though (£14 postage?!?)

I like the scourge models so that appeals to me, I didn't realise they'd been buffed so much with the new codex but I guess the option for 4 special weapons makes them decent.

I'm not set on using the wyches it's more a case of liking their aesthetics compared to the wracks, I read somewhere that you can convert them to warriors using spare splinter rifle arms, does anyone know if you get spare arms if you buy a box of warriors?

If you can then I'd probably buy the shardstorm plus a skysplinter and a box of scourges and convert the wyches, if you don't get spare arms though I'll probably avoid the shardstorm, I just like the idea of the reavers in there to expand to 9 of them whizzing around

I have just ordered 4 boxes of scourges from Wayland games for just under £50

This allows you to build 4 squads of scourges, each with 4 haywire blasters, 4 blasters, 4 heat lances or 4 dark lances!

And if you magnetise them you can pick up spares on ebay to increase your choices!

This is my plan anyway

i would suggest looking at craigslist to see if someone has and army to sell, you can normally get a good deal that way.

Thanks for this guys, got a couple of bits from ebay and some other bits new so I have a reasonable start I think.

Collection is now:

3 Razorwing Jetfighters
3 Raiders
2 Venoms
9 Reaver Jetbikes
40 Kabalite Warriors
30 Wyches
10 Incubi
1 Succubus
1 Archon

I guess from the advice I've received I need scourges next but I'm reluctant to buy 4 packs just to use one unit with HW blasters and one unit with blasters. Is there an easy way to get additional blasters?

Thanks again!

Reaver jetbikes provide good weapon alternatives for scourges - just cut off the barrel of the heat lance and attach it to any special weapon body (actually the kabalite warrior dark lance body gives a really good position for this)

Haywire blasters are more tricky. Unless you want to use the shredder style guns to count as haywire blasters the only other place to get them is the Talos kit (which handily has two) and convert as per the reaver heat lance description above.

I've always been a fan of the Succubus + Incubi combo for my CC threat. From my experience, any more than 5 incubi seems to be overkill.

yea they were part of a job lot of Dark Eldar I bought on ebay, I think I actually have about 13-14.

I doubt I'll ever use them as they don't fit my theme but one thing they do have going for them is I can actually put my Succubus in a venom with them (seems stupid I can't put my Succubus with my Bloodbrides any more unless I put them in a raider )

Succubus + Incubi in a Venom work then potentially?

You dont NEED scourges. In fact I find them lacking against most really good lists in hands of really good players. They die too easily and they dont have enough punch for DS and DS leaves them grouped for blasts and templates.
I would not start there TBH.

Ravagers is where I would start.

Anyway for further purchases I would first try and make a list. Think about how you want to play. Then go and buy what you need for it and then start tweaking the list as you play more and more games and get better.

Ravagers v HWB Scourges.

Ravagers can shoot from further away and therefore have more scope to avoid return fire using range and terrain, and have the potential to blow up non open-topped vehicles. They are also vehicles themselves and are immune to S4 shooting.

Scourges have the potential to wreck anything short of a super heavy in a single turn (having played against a land raider achilles at the weekend, lance weapons can't do this). They may need supplementary anti tank from elsewhere but if they do wreck the vehicle they create their own mobile cover. The haywire blaster means you don't need to deep strike them - they have an effective 36" range on turn 1, which is usually enough to reach out and touch what they want to. Scourges also get 4+/6++ and FNP to help survive incoming return fire.

Well they have the potential, but it wont happen. :-) 2 HP per turn is reliable output (which is better than ravager, not counting explosions), which is more than OK on LR or more expensive vehicle. I personally like to put them in reserves as Lances are better on a full-HP vehicles (when they explode them, its bigger gain) and use Haywire on damaged ones with 2HP remaining. I let them come from my edge as there are usually good targets on T2+ within 36'' off your edge.

I love the models and like to include them. But I dont think I will ever run more than 1 squad now that I tried them. They just die too easily for my taste.

Quote :

Ravagers v HWB Scourges.

They are not versus, they compliment each other. Ravager has the potentiall to explode vehicle and inflict damage result, Scourges are better at average hull points eating.

Seems to me start firing with Ravager, finish with Scourges. Maybe you will shake it or immobilise it, making it no threat. Scourges just glance - they should do glancing job.