Noob in need of advice 1500pts

Hi guys.

I'm brand new to dark eldar, looking for some advice on an initial army purchase. I love the reaver, Succubus and the razorwing models, and want to include them. I'm happy to swap out the wyches for warriors and add raiders. Shower me with your advice.

HQ:
Succubus: archite glaive; haywire grenades; Armor of Misery 115

Troops:
5 Wyches 50
• Venom: splinter cannon 65

5 Wyches 50
• Venom: splinter cannon 65

5 Wyches 50
• Venom: splinter cannon 65

5 Wyches 50
• Venom: splinter cannon 65

Elite:
4 Incubi: Klaivex 90
• Venom: splinter cannon 65

Fast:
6 Reavers: 2× heat lance; 2× cluster caltrops 146

6 Reavers: 2× heat lance; 2× cluster caltrops 146

6 Reavers: 2× heat lance; 2× cluster caltrops 146

Razorwing Jetfighter: two dark lances; splinter cannon; 4× neurotoxin missile; night shields 165

Razorwing Jetfighter: two dark lances; splinter cannon; 4× neurotoxin missile; night shields 165

1,498 points

I'm by no means an experienced DE player myself, but I can offer a few suggestions based on the tips and general feelings I've picked up off other players.

I think most people would say drop the neurotoxin missiles and night shields on the Razorwings, which gives you 30pts more.

Reavers with heat lances and cluster caltrops I've heard are brutal, so having 18 of them sounds like pure unadulterated slaughter. Just the way DE like it...

I think the main issue most DE players would say is with your Wyches. The new codex has nerfed wyches quite a bit and most players consider them sub par choices. The best part of them was their ability to take haywire grenades, and now only the Hekatrix can. However, with your MSU selections... dropping the missiles and night shields would give you the pts to take a Hekatrix with Haywire grenades on two wych squads which would capitalise the positive elements of them.

Personally I'm loading Warriors into Venoms and Wyches into Raiders (flatout the wychraiders into close combat asap). The other option is Kabalraiders with splinter racks.

I personally love the wych models myself which is why I'm having at least on full unit in a raider to charge into CC.

Thank you for responding.

Nostromo wrote:

I personally love the wych models myself which is why I'm having at least on full unit in a raider to charge into CC.

This is why they're there! Very dynamic posses. I prefer them to warriors aesthetically. Having said that.

Maybe I'll try the raider full of wyches. That would allow me to save a few bucks on the army box.

Ayyyy lmao where's the anti-tank?

Don't take a melee-oriented army until you have the means of opening the can. The Reavers can perform anti-tank, but they're more of an auxiliary means via surrounding dedicated transports. Drop their heat lances. They will be shot at and they will die if they don't jink. it's better to take ranged reavers in units of 3.

You can solve this lack of anti tank in a lot of ways, but it's mostly dependent on what you're willing to cut from your list.

id take those wyches on a raider with the succubus. kit it out. then put 5 warriors with a blaster in those 4 venom. consolidate your jetbikes into one unit of 9 with caltrops. drop the nightshield on your razorwings, keep them stock with just the dark lance upgrade. add two ravagers with 3 lances.

I think that should balance things out for you while keeping to the general direction of your first list.

Thank you guys

@Khordajj
I'm only really set on, 1 unit of reavers, 1 of whyches, 1 razorwing, and I'm open to Achon or Succubus or both. I'd like the army to be fully mobile.

I' have absolutely no experience with DE and am trying to plan the list fully for my project this year. I was toying with scourges and blaster borne.

How would you do it?

@Tempestus why just one unit of Reavers rather than 2 of 4 or 5?
I'm not really set on a style other than fast, effective and no monsters.

I am getting the distinct impression I need the Ravagers though. So will take this to heart and re write the list.

Quote :

why just one unit of Reavers rather than 2 of 4 or 5?
I'm not really set on a style other than fast, effective and no monsters.

To make up the points for Ravagers. In this list you need them more, and with two Razorwings you got one slot left for Fast Attack. a squad size of 9 however is resilient enough and still packs a punch.

Your list might look something like this

Succubus (Archite Glaive, HWG)

Wyches x9 (Hekatrix + Agoniser), Raider (DL, NS)
Warriors x5 (Blaster), Venom (SC)
Warriors x5 (Blaster), Venom (SC)
Warriors x5 (Blaster), Venom (SC)
Warriors x5 (Blaster), Venom (SC)

Reavers x9 (CC x3)
Razorwing (DL)
Razorwing (DL)

Ravager (3 DL)
Ravager (3 DL)

1499

Thanks mate. You use CAD then generally? What about warlord traits?

Would it be better to put the blasters in a single unit of true borne?

I might drop the second razorwing, for a second unit of Reavers.

Quote :

You use CAD then generally? What about warlord traits?

CAD unless you want to use 5 or 6 FA slots. Then Realspace Raiders. Losing objective secure for only one more FA unit I dont like the trade off.. but for 5 or 6 sure.
Warlord traits. Well I'm more of a thematic player so I just roll off the DE chart. But im sure if more a more competitive player were to chime in they might say otherwise.

Quote :

Would it be better to put the blasters in a single unit of true borne?

Trueborn in Venoms and Razorwings fulfill kind of the same role. You have a bit more flexibility building Trueborn but both have good Anti-Infantry and Anti-Armor capabilities. Razorwing favouring AI with Trueborn favouring AT. Depends on what you need and what points or open FOC slots you have available.
But to answer your question directly, no. Dont take those blasters and consolidate them into one unit. What happens when that unit dies? you lost your AntiArmor capabilities. Rule of thumb with DE is to spread out your Anti Armor over the whole list.

benmet wrote:

Would it be better to put the blasters in a single unit of true borne?

Alright, friend, I'm on my phone and deleted this book I was writing for you to answer this question. I'm gonna give you the gist instead.

The short answer is: the more damage you need, the more you should try to consolidate your weapons.
The longer answer is: damage and durability are mutually exclusive, meaning you can't spend points on one and expect the other to increase. If you want your blasters to live a little longer, you have to spend points to increase their durability. However, if you decrease one variable, you have more points to spend on the other.

The question you need to be asking is,"Do I do enough damage?" If you have enough damage, then spend any excess points on durability. If you don't do enough damage, then sacrifice your durability for more points.

Should you consolidate your kabalite blasters into a trueborn unit? Think about what that does. It reduces your blasters' durability, which gives you more points to spend on damage.

There's more to it than just this, but it's a good first way to look at it.

Thank you Khordajj for following through with it.

I feel a little more confident I understand the army now.

So idea is that the Succubus goes with the wyches and deep strikes, getting at least one good shot off with the dark lance on the raider and two thrown haiwire grenades.

Warriors do what warriors do, scoot around shooting troops or high toughness targets.

Scourges go after heavy vehicles, then transports, if no vehicles they become speed bump units.

Reavers go after transports, trying to surround and pop them to auto remove the contents, due to not being able to disembark. Otherwise they go after troops high toughness targets or try and get rear armour charges on tanks.

Razor wing is dedicated anti infantry, but can pop a transport if needed with S7 missiles.

Void Raven drops bomb on elites or high AV vechicles then shoots at vehicles

HQ:
Succubus: archite glaive; haywire grenades; webway portal; Armor of Misery 150

Troops:
5 Kabalite Warriors 40
• Venom: splinter cannon 65

5 Kabalite Warriors 40
• Venom: splinter cannon 65

9 Wyches: Hekatrix (agoniser; haywire grenades; phantasm grenade launcher) 140
• Raider: dark lance; night shields 75

Fast:
Razorwing Jetfighter: splinter cannon; 4× neurotoxin missile 140

5 Scourges: 4× haywire blaster 120

5 Scourges: 4× haywire blaster 120

6 Reavers: 2× cluster caltrops 126

6 Reavers: 2× cluster caltrops 126

6 Reavers: 2× cluster caltrops 126

Heavy:
Voidraven Bomber 160

1,493 points

I'd make a couple of suggestions - put heat lances on one of the scourge units, that way they retain viability against both vehicles and elite troops (keep one haywire unit though, not many armies that won't have any vehicles)

the neurotoxin missiles won't touch vehicles, the shatterfield is the s7 option but they cost points to upgrade. Basic S6 monoscythe is the best, most versatile option.

Good point. Will do that.

Yeah, I'll find the points for the missiles.