1,500 TAC new archon

I just started playing dark eldar, after owning most of the list for 2+ years. I won my first two games, and like the mob mentality of this list. I lost two thirds of my army the first game against guard, but won 16-4 and he had 2 infantry models left.

Archon, Parasites kiss.
5-Incubi.
Raider, lance.

3*5-wyches.
3-Venom,extra S.cannon.

3*10-Warriors.
3-Radier,lance,racks.

6-Reavers, 2-blaster.
5-Hellions.

Ravager,3-Lance.
Razorwing, 2- lance.


I know I have to get close to operate, but with 71 models it is a wave of pain. The second game was against sammael with 5 b.knights. azrael with 10- tactical in a crusader. 5-tactical with missile and a knight paladin. My younger brother got HQ happy.
I went first and stunned and shook the raider. Put a hull on the knight. He quit a turn later, after he poked sammael from hiding and took 46 poison shots. The knight killed a reaver, and put 2 hull on the ravager. Failed a 3" charge into the hellions and boom. He was done.

Welcome and congratulations on your first wins!

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Archon, Parasites kiss.
5-Incubi.
Raider, lance.

Alright I get the Incubi with Warlord build, its a common unit to bring to a list. But why is your Archon kitted out with just the Parasites Kiss? What is he there for, ranged shots in an assault unit? If you just wanted a cheap HQ then replace the Kiss with Haywire Grenades, you'll be able to get more use out of your unit then as you can take on some light armor if need be.

Quote :

3*5-wyches.
3-Venom,extra S.cannon.

3 MSU Venom units. Again a good common build but why Wyches? You dont have Haywire grenades on them and small squads of five are to weak for any assault purposes and they dont hold objectives well because they have no saves against shooting. so what are they there for? if they're just to fill out the transport take warriors as they are cheaper and can shoot with your Venom. If you like Wyches i field mine in units of 8-10 and put them in a Raider. You can deliver these guys along with your Incubi.

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3*10-Warriors.
3-Radier,lance,racks.

Sweet! i like it.

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6-Reavers, 2-blaster.
5-Hellions.

How often do you find your Reavers Jinking? I like placing a blaster or a heat lance on Reavers but usually only if I have a couple squads of them, that way theres the chance that one may not be shot at and can fire to full effect. Cluster Caltrops are too good to pass up, i'd opt for those before ranged special weapons. Reavers are a great assault unit in our Codex with the Caltrops. Try them out!
Hellions dont get much love but I just have to ask what are you using them for?

Quote :

Ravager,3-Lance.
Razorwing, 2- lance.

Looks good.

I think your list is constructed well but some individual unit loadouts raise a few questions as there are more efficient ways to field them. Here is an example of how I'd play around with your list while keeping the same units.

Archon (Agoniser, Armor of Misery)
5x Incubi, Raider (DL)

10 Wyches, Raider (DL)
10 Warriors, Raider (DL, SR)
10 Warriors, Raider (DL, SR)
5 Warriors, Venom (SC)
5 Warriors, Venom (SC)
5 Warriors, Venom (SC)

6 Reavers (x2 CC)
Razorwing (2 DL)
5 Hellions

Ravager (3 DL) 125

The archon is just a cheap hq requirement. I had 5 pts, and didn't think about haywire.
The wyches are just filler, as I have no other models to fill them with. I would prefer warriors, but my main enemy is guard. But against my other brother, its always marines. So still warriors would be better.
The reavers would be better if I didn't waste them as poor tank hunters. Cc oriented zooming around sounds good.
Hellions are basically objective grabbers. I put them near my opponents knight paladin in the hope he charged them, which was away from the rest of my army.

So I could swap wyches for warriors, and lose the hellions for maybe more reavers?

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The reavers would be better if I didn't waste them as poor tank hunters

You can still hunt armor with the Caltrops thats the beauty of it!

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Hellions are basically objective grabbers. I put them near my opponents knight paladin in the hope he charged them, which was away from the rest of my army.

For the same amount of points as the Hellions you can get 3 Jetbikes with CC. They'll be your objective grabbers/assault/tank hunters while being more of a threat and survivable than the Hellions. You have the option to field 3 units of 3 or go with one unit of 9. try them both out and see which you like better.

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So I could swap wyches for warriors, and lose the hellions for maybe more reavers?

You dont necessarily have to drop the Wyches all together just try switching it up and splitting up one of your gunboat warriors into the venoms and combining two of the Wych venoms into a Raider. That being said however you do have your assault element covered with Reavers and Incubi so going with 3 Gunboats and 3 Venoms with Warriors is a very strong choice for your Troops.

I reconfigured the list.

Archon.
4-incubi.
Venom,2-s/c.

2*10-warriors.
2-raider,racks,lance.

2*5-warriors.
2-venom,2-s/c.

10-wyches.
9-wyches.
2-raider, lance.

2*3-reavers,blaster,c/c.
5-hellions.

Razorwing,2-lance.
Ravager,3-lance.

It has a couple more models, about 75 now.

Im assuming that between your first list and this one what you're trying to make a list work with just the models you have available. Fair enough! but it would be a good idea to get more warriors in the future.

a couple things..

1) Wyches are alright if you want to field them or if they're the only models you have. But they are not our best unit right now in the codex. You might find the points spent on two full squads to be a bit much (unless you're building around a Wych Cult theme), later on i'd bring that down to 1 squad and put the other points elsewhere into more effective units (another Ravager, Warriors, Jetbikes, etc.).

2) The Razorwing Jetfighter is a Fast Attack choice. By splitting up your Reavers this is forcing you to use the Realspace Raiders detachment to make your list legal. For one only extra FA option that you're taking I would bring that Reaver squad back up to 6 or drop the Hellions. This way you keep CAD and your objective secure ability on your troops.

3) Give your Archon something. Drop the Blasters on the Jetbikes and give him an Agoniser. or if you want a cheap HQ then take a Lhamean (proxy a Wych model as one) and then upgrade an Incubi to a Klaivex to make your warlord. that saves you 40 points.

The three basic builds you typically see for HQs:
- Archon with a Blaster - a shooty option to ride with Warriors. Or you'll take a WWP and have him ride with some Blasterborn in a Raider.
- Succubus with Archite Glaive - your close combat choice. better than an Archon kitted out for combat but you can always do that too if you dont have/want a Succubus.
- Lhamean - HQ tax. A cheap alternative if you want the points to spend on the rest of your force
There is a lot of debate over whether Court of the Archon counts as a HQ choice as well. If you and the people you play with agree that it should not count then ignore this option and go with one of the other two builds.

4) Future recommendations with building and purchases, i'd say get another Ravager with Dark Lances and get more Warriors and give some of them Blasters. Also i'd try replacing the Wyches/Incubi with Grotesques and see how you like the difference.

Unless I am mistaken, the codex is unique in that you are allowed 6 fast. One fast is mandatory.
I got the wyches 2+ years ago, and don't really want my list to be no different than any other DE player. Yes, warriors would be better. I honestly have no desire to purchase more models.
I agree that my archon is a push over. And I don't expect anything from him other than tactical warlord traits. The second list is the way it will be, until I lose a game or two. I appreciate the feedback, as it is valuable info. I may invest more, but I have 10k+ marines. 4.5k tau. And 2.5k tyranid. So its a tricky thing to get the newborn into a playable condition.

Real space raiders is a smidge confusing. So I will just keep the reavers at 6, and call it good. Once upon a time I played at the local store. Until I found that most people were actively and knowingly. That was years ago. Long to short, I will never again play at the store.

Cheating that is. Knowingly and actively.

I played against my older brothers guard again last night. He had 4 leman Russ with 2 tank HQ. 2 chimera with 3 plasma vets inside. 3 bullgrins and 3 ogryns. Vets with autocannon and harker.
My list:

Archon,haywire.
4-incubi.
Venom,2-s/c.
2*10-warriors.
2-raider,lance,racks.
2*5-warriors.
2-venom,2-s/c.
2*10-wyches.
2-raider,lance.
Ravager,3-lance.
Razorwing,2-lance.
6-reavers,2-lance.
5-hellions.

He went first. I had spread out, where as he bunched up in the middle. On turn 4 he had 2-10 plasma vets and their chimeras left. They killed 9 wyches that failed to charge because I had shot too effectively killing the target. The second 10 wyches rolled up bottom of four and wiped one of the vets. My last 10 warriors still in their boat finished of the other vets. So bottom of five he had a chimera left. I stopped counting maelstrom on turn 3 when it was 10-2. I had fewer casualties, and got into combat. I had my archon, a incubi and a hellion charging tanks. The reavers got wasted turn 2, from 2 battle cannons even though they turbo boosted. The last lance reaver went on to put two hull on that HQ Russ.
The ravager had 1 hull left, and the razor went into hover turn 4 unharmed. So I lost 4-hellions, 9-wyches, 8- warriors, 6-reavers, 2-raider, 3-incubi and 3-venom. My brother said its just too many targets, as turn 3 most vehicles I had were at 1 hull left.

I played that same guard list again last night. It is pask and a regular tank HQ. He went first again. He bunched up on my left flank, and once again I spead out all over. Like a three foot line.
He wrecked all 3 venoms and immobilised a wych raider first turn. By my turn 3, I had only the immobilised raider in my deployment with a lance. Everyone who lost their ride, just bolted for his Russ's. I had got a lucky shot and took out pask turn 2. My razorwing came on turn 4. My "2nd" squad of wyches charged his other 2 leman Russ turn 3. 5 glancing hits with +1 strength drugs.
He had a bullgrin, chimera and 10 vets with 3 plasma left turn 5, and killed my archon. It went to six, and I tabled him. I had 15 warriors, 10 wychs, 2 hellions, immobilised raider, and another weapon destroyed with 1 hull left. He did shoot my razor, and put 2 hull on it after I jinked 2 pens. The reavers turbo boosted turn 2, but he popped the chimera hatches and shot with them too. All dead.

I was really happy my archon and incubi finally got into combat. They took out 10 plasma vets, and 2 ogryns. I am once again loving the second squad of wyches, that made it into combat too. They alone killed 2 Russ, as up until then, I had ignored them. He kept his ogryns and bullgrins well hidden. They killed 9 wyches from the squad that hopped out first turn.
I also had 7 points turn 3, and stopped counting after. It looked real bad with the venoms going down first turn, but target saturation got me through. Thanks for reading.

I played against salamanders Saturday afternoon. They go first.
Vulkan.
5-command,4-flamer,apothecary.
Drop pod.
Captain,A/A,S/eternal,hammer.
5-command,4-melta,apothecary.
Drop pod.
10-stern,4-C/Melta,C/Flamer,2-H/Flamer.
Drop pod.
2*5-tac,flamer. Drop pod.
3-scout bikes,3-G/Launcher,beacon.
TFC.

The sternguard C/squad and roast 7/10 and 5/5 warriors in a raider and venom. Also a hull on each. Then the other 5 C/flamed 6/10 wyches and put a hull on the raider. The 5 melta shot down the archon's venom and TFC killed an incubi. S/bikes killed 2 reavers. He put some tacs near his TFC for V/points.
My turn saw 3 S/bikes, 2/5 stern(1-h/f), 2/5 stern and 3 melts die. Also a wound on the captain. I then charged into the cap,apoth and melta vet with 3 incubi, archon and 14 wyches. The vets died, and cap took a wound. He smashed the archon. The reavers charged the h/f stern, and killed 1.
His #2 saw vulkan, but no last pod. They roasted 7/10 and 5/5 warriors in a raider and venom with a hull somewhere. The TFC killed my hellions and stern charged to help the other 2. They killed the reavers losing 1. Then the captain Killed 3 wyches, and they all broke. No wounds back.
So I killed another apoth and a flamer from vulkan, from 2 venom and my ravager with a lance from somwhere. I still had only lost a venom and raider, but 2 W/D raider. It was escalation and he had 4 to my 1 at turn 3. His last pod arrived on #3, and flamed the mob that had broken.
I got wasted, from that flamer open topped problem, I mean rule. I got lucky playing against guard, less flamers. But vulkanmanders? Oh dear, what a thrashing. I thought I had spread out to begin with, but i was wrong. It was a friend not my brothers who has sallies.
Would monstrous creatures help? In previous years, poison stern ammo puts wounds on them quick. I will try to spread out more, and just stay out of range. I mean mostly flamers and melta.

Hey shadow, nice reports...
glad to hear that your list worked out for you. Great to read.

One query though, "and the razor went into hover turn 4 unharmed", if this referred to the razorwing I dont think they're actually able to do that mate, since they dont have the hover rule...
I'd love to be wrong though...

That was an assumption on my part. Thanks for the heads up!

I was thinking I could drop all the wyches and hellions, which leaves exactly 385 points. I will upgrade the blasters on my reavers to cluster caltrops, and include a knight paladin.
It would force vulkanmanders to make a tough choice. If he didn't go for it, I should be able to waste his power armour with ease. I just have to keep my distance from it with desperate allies.

Fair enough bud, you might find it boxes you into a corner a bit more though. As you know, our core is our mobility of the army and having such a large footprint for a desperate ally might block a lot of the field for you...
Do you run a CAD or RRD? If you're thinking of dropping the wytches, it might be worth considering replacing them with either more warriors in raiders, or you could even add another Razorwing and some small venom wytches if you chose, it all depends what your want in terms of models. Getting rid of your wytches and hellions will take away from your MSU approach, which you said earlier won you the game a lot too...
but a knight would provide a challenge for fun games, and certainly deter a nearby deep strike with flamers.
But feel free to take my advice with as much salt as you lalike, I am most experienced in games of smaller points (1000)

I could use some help against those pesky humans as well. I built some grotesques to help me with that problem :

1500 points tainted Reborn :

Coven formation with two units grotesques: (I don't own the supplement so can someone help me what exactly they are doing and what benefits they get?)

3 grotesques with two Liquifier in a Raider with Lance and night shield. Haemonculus with portal.

3 grotesques with one Liquifier Gun in a Raider with Lance and night shield.

Archon with Blaster and Portal and Armour of Misery.

5 Reborn in Raider with shield and 5 Blaster

4x 5 Warriors with Blaster and Sybarite with Grenades in Venom with dual canon

Ravager with shields and lances

I want to run the grotesques as that Haemonculus formation. What rules do they have?