How to get your points back with HQs

Hi all,

last edition I used most of the time a cheap Liquifier+vb Haemie as my only HQ to give fnp to a unit (wyches, warriors of 9 reavers).

Now in 7th Ed we lost the cheap haemie and fnp changed. So I guess my next HQ will be a melee character.

In last edition I understand that HQ were bringing grenades to assault units.

But how does a melee HQ bring back his points? If I look at a grotesque formation from the coven supplement and at court bomb, they don't look like they need a 100+ pts leader in them for the extra punch. And both units have already access to fear.

The only thing I see maybe is AP2 weapon with the archite glaive. Or a wwp for the maedusas.

WWP is one reason, and the glaive is a second no doubt.

Remember though that Dark Eldar are essentially bullies. If your opponent has a nasty combat HQ character - shoot him!

Archon and Succubus are both great for chopping their way through MEQ's, but put them up against anything with a 2+ save and they will have more problems (yes the succubus can get through them, but against either a real combat character, who'll have a good backup invun or a unit of 5+ models all with 2+ armour she won't have enough on her own to take them down)

Haemies are still important HQ's as they bring the master of pain rule, so can really boost survivability of the unit early in the game.

Grots have Ld and Ini 4. Archon and Succubus have double that. Always useful on the off chance you get to run someone down or actually loose a combat.

Good point. Fearless comes quickly in the Coven supplement but sweeping advances are useful.

I think I'll try a hexrifle+scissorhand Haemie in my gunboat. It's a jack of all trades, and scissorhand could be nice with rage for 6 attacks on the charge. Like someone said on another post, FC + fearless + enraged Kabalites warriors can be surprising in assault (9 KW -> 27 S4 attacks, High Ini and WS 4).

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A quick question: can we use a court without an Archon? If so, it's a very cheap HQ to fill the 1 HQ requirement (10 points for a Lhamaean!).

I think its better to have a supporting HQ that can let the unit get its points back more than anything else.

An example can be the Archon with WWP and Blaster who can support the unit that he's with and kill something.

Another can be the Succubus with Archite Glaive who kills a bunch of marines.

Very rarely do HQs make their points back unless they do something extraordinary, like killing a Wraithknight by himself.

Monocule I think you can. The retainers rule says that for each Archon in the Detachment, the Detachment can include a Court of the Archon that does not take up a slot on the Force Organisation chart. So to me I see it as if I don't bring an archon it counts as a HQ slot.