Freakshow Tactica Part 1

Welcome to the Freakshow!


Introduction
When the Haemonculus Covens supplement dropped, I started building an army based primarily around Leadership debuffs coupled with Leadership based attacks. When I first presented the idea to the forums I frequent, the response was...underwhelming. However, I enjoyed some modest success with the idea, so I continued to plug away with it. In addition to refining my techniques and trying the myriad tools to apply them, I also kept advocating it whenever the opportunity presented itself.

With the arrival of the new Eldar codex, I was surprised to see a change in the wind. Suddenly, when I suggested these ideas, people seemed far more receptive. With the looming threat of Scatter Laser armed Windriders and Gargantuan Wraithknights, the idea of attacking an enemy through its Leadership score began to be more appealing, and I wondered if people might be able to benefit from a tactica article on the subject.

So here we go. What is the Freakshow? The Freakshow is a list, based primarily around a Dark Eldar or Covens core, which incorporates allies from the Harlequins, Corsairs, or Craftworld Eldar. The main distinguishing feature of the army is its reliance on Leadership based attacks: attack forms which do damage (or add additional damage or deleterious effects) based on Leadership scores or tests. To facilitate this, Freakshow lists will incorporate one or more abilities which reduce the enemy's Leadership score.

So why would I want to build this list? Fair question. Most of these Leadership based attacks result in large numbers of wounds. These wounds are not based on Toughness, which means they hurt a Wraithknight or Transcendent C'Tan as surely as a lowly Guardsman. Furthermore, most of them are not confined to a single model, so hordes of enemies (who usually possess far lower Leadership scores and are consequently taking more wounds) are just as susceptible as large single-target units. Finally, most of these attacks ignore one or more types of saves, giving you an edge over units that are normally untouchable.

So this is the first in a series of articles summing up what I've learned about this strategy. If you have additional knowledge to impart, or questions or comments about my advice, please feel free to comment or contact me! Before we begin, however, I'd like to go over one caveat: This strategy relies on the use of Allies. If your comments are going to be limited to telling everyone how much you dislike allies, you're entitled to your opinion, but please deposit them in another thread. It isn't that your opinion isn't valid, but that particular opinion serves no constructive use here.

If this is well received, later installments will include: a breakdown of weaknesses inherent in Freakshow lists and how to address them, a brief analysis of Freakshow lists against other armies, an article of example lists, a guide to deployment/troop movements, and any other block of information I think might be relevant.

The Tools-A Unit/Equipment Guide

Let's start by discussing the units, upgrades, and powers that you'll be using. We're going to approach these individually, by faction. Our tools come in two types: penalty and attack. The Penalty Tools apply a negative Leadership modifier. The Attack Tools cause wounds or negative effects based on Leadership scores or tests. Please note that several of these tools are both.

Dark Eldar
The core faction for much of my army lists, the Dark Eldar bring both types of tools, as well as strong transport capacity for themselves and every one of your allies. While the Combined Arms Detachment is going to be your first inclination, with its Objective Secured rule, the Realspace Raiders detachment is also a good choice. The three extra Fast Attack slots allow you to bring more transports for your allied forces, which is nothing to sneeze at.

Armor of Misery (Penalty Type) - The Armor of Misery's greatest weakness is that it only applies its -2 penalty is a 6" bubble rather than the 12" standard. Nonetheless, it provides some additional survivability for the wearer, as well as a minor boost from the Fear rule. Available on any of your HQs (Succubus, Archon, or Haemonculus) for added versatility. For my money, if you have a Dark Eldar HQ, this is a must-have.

Archangel of Pain (Penalty/Attack type) - The burst attack from this relic only extends out to 9", but it applies a Soulfright-like attack. (Each enemy unit must make a Leadership test and take one wound, without the benefit of armor or cover saves, for each point the test was failed by.) On the positive side, although it shares the same rules, this attack does NOT use the Soulfright rule, so it can be used on a unit already hit by a Soulfright weapon. Furthermore, the Archangel's test must be taken at a -2. On the flip side of the coin, this relic can only be used once per game, and cannot be taken on the same character wearing the Armor of Misery. Like Soulfright weapons, it cannot allocate wounds to models with the Fearless or ATSKNF rules.

If you can only include one relic, I'd take the Armor. Nonetheless, if you bring two Dark Eldar HQ's, you'd be well advised to pack this one, too. Also, note that while this relic functions in many ways like a weapon or a psychic power, it is neither. For instance, it can be used from within a transport, even a closed one, with no penalty. The transport can even Jink without negating the use of this relic!

Torment Grenade Launchers (Attack Type) - At 24", a S1 attack isn't doing much, even with the Blast rule. (That being said, I've done some significant damage with this, when the rolls go my way.) The Soulfright rule offers a significant advantage, however. Any unit hit (not wounded!) by a Soulfright attack must take a Leadership test at the end of the phase, and suffer one wound (no armor or cover saves allowed) for every point they fail by. On the down side, multiple Soulfright attacks don't stack; only one Leadership test will be required. In addition, models with the Fearless or And They Shall Know No Fear rule cannot have wounds from Soulfright allocated to them. Take note of two things, however. First, Fearless and ATSKNF do not convey the possession of the rule to the models in the unit they are in. So a Fearless or ATSKNF character in a unit that lacks the rule will be immune, but their unit will not be. Furthermore, Daemons of Chaos do not possess the actual Fearless rule, and are thus just as susceptible to Soulfright as everyone else (the new Khorne supplement suffers no such weakness).

The Torment Grenade Launcher (TGL) is a tasty addition to the army when it works. However, even with negatives many units can make the tests. (Necrons, for example, can suffer a -3 to their Leadership and still make the test on an average roll.) Furthermore, if your opponent plays any variety of homogenous Space Marines, the TGL is just 15 wasted points a pop. Finally, they are only available on Raiders and Ravagers, our cheapest and most available source for anti-armor weaponry, and firing the TGL at an infantry unit means you aren't shooting at a vehicle.

Phantasm Grenade Launcher (Attack Type) - Essentially the same thing as a TGL, with a range of 18", and mounted on an infantry character. (Most characters can take them.) All of the same benefits and negatives from TGLs apply here (save for the split-focus one, which probably won't apply unless you stick a PGL on a group of Scourges).

Chain Snares/Shock Prow (Attack Type) - The biggest problem with Tank Shocking people is that they usually make their Leadership tests. With the penalties a Freakshow list brings to the table, Tanks Shocks become much more reliable. With the addition of a Tank Shock, an enemy can theoretically fall back four or more times in a single turn. While I'm personally not convinced of the Shock Prow's efficacy, if you want to pay the 5 points to have some additional 'defense of desperation' against vehicles, you'll probably still be okay.

Webway Portal - Although it fits in with neither type of our tools, the Webway Portal (WWP) is a valuable addition to your army. Available on any generic DE HQ, the WWP allows scatter-less Deep Strike. The ability to place your bubbles with pinpoint precision is a huge deal for the Freakshow, and should not be overlooked. It also serves as a first line of defense, keeping your mainstay units out of the line of fire until they're ready to begin shooting themselves. Since the majority of your Leadership attacking weapons/abilities have a range of 12-24", the ability to close that distance without taking any enemy fire is a pretty big deal.


Haemonculus Covens
The Covens offer a great deal of support for a Freakshow list, and might wind up being your Primary Detachment the majority of the time (mine usually are). You do have to watch out: if Covens are your Primary Detachment, your codex Dark Eldar cannot field an Allied Detachment. This is easily worked around, though, with the application of a Combined Arms Detachment or a Realspace Raiders Detachment.

Torment Grenade Launcher/Chain Snares/Shock Prow/Webway Portal- As above, so below.

Covenite Coterie Detachment (Penalty Type) - The 'default' way to field Covens units, it is the first example we get to discuss Freakish Spectacle. Now, the Freakish Spectacle rule applies a 12" -1 to Leadership. Although it does not stack between units, it does stack between detachments. For my money, the Covenite Coterie is a poor choice. It lacks the special benefits of the formations. Still, you may be forced into it by points restrictions, and if so, it's still another Leadership penalty, so it's nothing to sneeze at.

This is a good time to discuss Freakish Spectacle. There is a school of thought which says that Freakish Spectacle does not stack when applied from multiple detachments. Please note that the book does not say a Special Rule cannot be applied to a unit more than once, it says a model may not benefit from a Special Rule more than once. And no one is about to argue that a -1 penalty to Leadership is a benefit! Nevertheless, we've all run into TOs that made decisions we felt were more wishlisting than legitimate interpretations of the rules, so be aware that you may face this. If it does happen, stay calm, produce your rulebook (the relevant rule appears at the beginning of the Special Rules section), and don't worry if you get ruled against. Your army should have enough redundancy to the Leadership penalties that you'll be okay.

Grotesquerie (Penalty Type) - This is one of my favorite picks for a Freakshow army. Not only do the super-charged Grotesques provide some of the anti-armor capacity the army lags behind in, they provide a platform for the Independent Characters that the Freakshow is heavy with. Since 3-4 Grots can pack into a Raider and still have room for 1-4 ICs, you not only get a Deep Striking platform, but a 9-12 wound buffer as well. If you bring along Haemonculi from other formations (the Scarlet Epicurean, Fleshcorps, and Coterie Detachments all have Haemonculi that can join the Grots) then the Raiders will broadcast more than one Freakish Spectacle bubble.

Scarlet Epicureans (Penalty Type) - If you're looking to stack as many ICs (and stacking Leadership penalties) into one unit as possible, the Scarlet Epicureans are a good pick, since they are the cheapest Haemonculus-bearing formation you can get. (Where the IC can leave the unit, that is.) By keeping the Parasite Engine close to units that can benefit from its Feel No Pain boost (and by the way, you should never take any other loadout for it, no exceptions) such as a Grotesquerie or the Wracks that you bought with it, you can provide a cluster of more-resilient close combat fighters that can actually do some damage. In a pinch, the Cronos's ability to Smash enemy characters or vehicles might be the thing that pulls your fat out of the fire.

Scalpel Squadron (Penalty Type) - Out of all the Covens additions, this is my all-around favorite. While the two squads of Wracks aren't going to rock your world, and the Venoms are quite useful against infantry, it's the guaranteed first turn Deep Strike that makes this unit shine, since that ability makes it possible to deploy your entire army in Reserve and Deep Strike as much as possible. The Surgical Excision rule (1d3 Victory Points if this formation picks up First Blood) is nice if you can get it, but tends to be difficult to pick up.

Corpsethief Claw (Penalty Type) - For when you absolutely, positively, need to smash every single bastard around you into paste. Accept no substitutes. Five rampaging, Outflanking monstrous creatures is just a ridiculous amount of overkill. Since you're almost certainly going to be bringing Telepathy psykers anyway, you can frequently get either the Shrouding or Invisibility powers, increasing the survivability of this particular bit of nasty. If you can get going, the extra Victory Points this unit rakes in can even make up for lacking objectives.

Dark Artisan (Penalty Type) - Probably the most popular of the Coven formations, but there's a good reason for that. The monstrous creature unit allows you to wound shuffle if you're clever, and the buffs the formation gives the unit add even more to the combat capacity, plus the whole shebang is quite a bit cheaper than the Corpsethief Claw! A Webway Portal is a lovely addition for the Haemonculus in this instance, since the only thing worse than multiple T7 monsters with the Smash rule is giving those monsters scatter-less Deep Strike. The Vexator Mask is a solid pick for the Haemonculus here as well, since the Initiative negative he can throw out can detain an enemy character long enough for the engines to do their dirty work, especially if they were forced to charge through difficult terrain.

Covenite Fleshcorps (Penalty Type) - There are two reasons to take a Covenite Flesh Corps, neither of which are highly recommended. I mentioned earlier stacking multiple characters broadcasting Leadership penalties into a single vehicle, and the Haemonculus from the Fleshcorps is another IC you can add to the pile. The second reason is the additional Raiders. If you face a meta with extremely high numbers of 2+ elite infantry, or ludicrous amounts of vehicles, you might want to be able to bring more vehicles. While the codex Dark Eldar can offer both in more efficient configurations, if you're unable to take a Dark Eldar detachment for some reason (lack of models, f'rex), then this can be a second-tier way to make up for what you're lacking. Still, in an optimum situation, I'd avoid putting the Fleshcorps into your army unless you're playing a 3k+ point game and trying to build up a Carnival.

Reapers (Attack Type) (FW) - Although the Forgeworld price tag can get expensive, the Reaper can provide a horrendous amount of firepower. It's primary weapon is utterly devastating (and on it's dispersed mode, also causes Pinning, a rule made far more useful in a Freakshow) to either infantry, elite infantry, or vehicles. It suffers from 'one-shot syndrome,' but you can console yourself with the fact that in the absence of errata, it can still purchase Torment Grenade Launchers and Night Shields at a fraction of the price such upgrades normally cost!

Revenant Titan (Attack Type) (FW) - The Sonic Lances cause Pinning, which is why this brutal bastard makes the toolbox. With his movement, his Titan Holo-Fields, and his weaponry, he's truly disgusting. However, his points cost will severely limit how much additional Freakshow material you can field, and will leave a sizable hole in your army if he gets taken down. Personally, I take a pass, but if you like gambling on the (admittedly good) odds that you won't lose him, then by all means go in fury, my child.


Corsairs
Despite the fact that they haven't had an update in quiet a long time, the Eldar Corsairs still have a bit they can bring to the field. Experience is one of the most potent tools in the arsenal of a 40k player, and while your opponents will probably have faced Wraithknights and Windriders galore by year's end, you can bet most of them will have never seen Corsairs on the tabletop. A lack of knowledge in how the army functions can give you a decided edge. (This is the reason that certain top-tier players always play whichever codex happens to be newest.) The disadvantage to them (in addition to the fact that every single model in the army is from Forgeworld and thus you'll need to sell an organ to afford a force) is that that each detachment comes with a mandatory purchase of a troop unit which isn't all that stellar (at least it isn't adding anything to Freakshow lists we don't do elsewhere, with greater efficiency and fewer points).

Corsair Prince (Support Type) (FW) - Although he lacks any of the tools we would normally use, the Corsair Prince is still worth mentioning for his Void Strike ability. Although it's only a one-shot power, it has either the ability to deliver a blast with a d6+6" radius and the Pinning rule, OR to fire a light-stealing missile that puts the Night Fighting rules into play until the start of your next turn, a defense that Dark Eldar-heavy Freakshows can capitalize on in a big way (since they gain all the benefits and none of the disadvantages). Realspace Raider detachments in particular can benefit immensely from the Darkfire Skyburst.

Void Dreamer (Attack Type) (FW) - In addition to adding some psychic dice, the Void Dreamer has access to a Neural Shredder, a template weapon that wounds against Leadership rather than Toughness. Although at the time of the last update he couldn't take Telepathy powers, that might hopefully change in the future.

Harlequins (Support Type) - Wait, I hear you say, aren't Harlequins their own thing now? Shouldn't I just use their codex? Isn't it more powerful? And you would be correct to ask that. However, (and this is a big however) the Corsair Harlequins have access to an old school Webway Portal. Rather than the new version, this old version lets the wielder throw down a marker on the board, which your units in Reserve can enter from as though it were your own board edge. Furthermore, possession of one in your army allows you to place units in Reserve even if the mission does not normally allow it. (And such Reserves are not required to use the Webway Portal.) Since Freakshows benefit so much from late arrivals, this may be something you want to play with, but the less-powerful outdated Harlequins might be too much of a boat anchor to bother.

Corsair Phoenix Bomber (Attack Type) (FW) - Although it carries a heavy price tag, the Phoenix Bomber carries enough armament, and has enough survivability, to make it worth it. If Freakshow lists lack anything, it's anti-flyer firepower, and the Phoenix delivers in spades. Not only that, it has an option for an anti-infantry missile launcher with Pinning and Ignores Cover. Personally, I'd go with a Nightfire Missile Launcher for the infantry, and your choice of forward mount (Pulse Laser, Twin-Linked Starcannon, or Twin-Linked Bright Lance; I really can't decide) for dogfighting. Normally I'm not a fan of over-generalization, but with the inclusion of the two Shuriken Cannons, I think the Phoenix would carry enough firepower to handle multiple roles adequately.


Harlequins
With a shiny new codex under their flip-belts, the Harlequins of old are back, with gorgeous new models and some potent new abilities. No longer relegated to a boutique support role, guest-starring in other armies, the new Harlequins can operate entirely by themselves, and in small point games might be the only army I would attempt a Freakshow list with in absence of allies.

Their marvelous abilities are somewhat mitigated by the difficulty in fielding them. With no HQ choices they cannot be taken in a Combined Arms or Allied Detachment, and must instead fit into either their custom Force Organization Chart, or be fielded as one of their Formations. I'll talk about those at the end.

Shadowseer (Attack/Penalty Type) - TGLs might be dicey, and the gimmicky Neural Shredder might be fun, but for sheer damage in a Freakshow list, nothing beats Psychic Shriek. By himself, before any additional modifiers, the Shadowseer is applying a -2 to his enemies (due to the Mask of Secrets, which you should always take!). Even against a foe with Ld 10, your Shrieks are still going to do 2.5 invulnerable-save-only wounds on average. Each penalty beyond that only makes it worse (and the Shadowseer can apply another negative all by his lonesome if he gets Terrify). The fact that he comes standard with a Blast weapon with both Blind and Pinning is only made sweeter by the fact that any unit that fails the Pinning test takes another wound! Although his fragility calls the matter into question, I would definitely say he's in the running for MVP of the Freakshow army.

Death Jester (Attack/Penalty Type) - Another strong offering from the Harlequins, the Death Jester has what is hands-down my favorite ability from the codex. Death is Not Enough! provokes a Morale test from the Jester's victims if he inflicts even a single casualty (note: not wound), just as if the unit had lost 25%, and if this test is failed, you choose the direction of the retreat, not your opponent. For enemies that like to hug the board edges, this is huge. The weapon has dual modes, with the anti-horde mode also inflicting a Pinning test.

Formations - The Harlequins have one custom FOC and a handful of formations, so it's probably appropriate to discuss the most optimal way to field them. The Serpent's Brood and Cegorach's Jest both require an inordinate amount of chaff in order to get the units which fit the Freakshow focus, and aren't recommended. Faolchu's Blade is completely worthless to a Freakshow; it doesn't contain a single unit useful for our strategy.

The Hero's Path is probably your best bet. When included with a Realspace Raiders detachment, each of the ICs can be given their own individual Venom (which cannot Outflank off of their Infiltrate since it isn't Dedicated, but can still elect to Deep Strike), giving you everything you want for the Freakshow with no unwanted units, and a Solitaire to boot. (The Solitaire is no albatross around your neck; he's a gruesome opponent capable of murdering virtually anything on the board outside of a Lord of War slot.)

The Cast of Players is another good option, especially if your Eldar/Dark Eldar support is going to be on foot, since it gives any other Eldar/DE the Crusader rule. The Troupe Masters that come with this and the other two formations make wonderful Warlords; there isn't a bad trait on the Dark table.

While expensive to both points cap and the wallet, the remaining two formations are both capable of putting in solid work. The core FOC for the Harlequins requires you to take two Fast Attack and one Heavy slot, but the Harlequin transports can accommodate the two FA, and one of their highly useful Voidweavers can take care of the other. The Voidweaver brings the anti-vehicle utility you might otherwise lack, so it isn't so horrible to drag along.

The Cegorach's Revenge formation is an amazing base for a Freakshow, if your wallet can support it. The requirements are enormous, but if you plan the rest of your army around this it's all entirely workable. Plan your Harlequins for a largely anti-vehicle role (full squads of Caresses are expensive but oh so brutal) and let the 3 Death Jesters and 3 Shadowseers go to town on the infantry. With the addition of a few allied support units, the amount of brutality this formation can lay down is immense. (The re-rolls of 1's on Invulnerable saves is mighty nice, too.) Like the core FOC, this one allows you to re-roll your Warlord trait for a Troupe Master, and gives all units with Fleet the ability to Run and then Charge.


Eldar
While the Eldar in 40k lore may be dying out, their plastic counterparts have never been stronger. Although you can certainly build potent mono-Eldar lists, they also have quite a bit to add to a Freakshow. With more psychic capacity than any other Eldar army, they wield the most potent Attack-Type tools in the Freakshow arsenal. With the other forces providing strong Penalty-Type support, the Eldar can do some major damage.

I have a strong preference for the new Seer Council, but a Warhost can work for us too. A Seer Council, Windrider Host, and Wraith Construct group (with just a Hemlock) would do wonders for a Freakshow, bringing almost nothing we don't need.

Webway Portal (Support Type) - Deep Strike, no scatter. 'Nuff said.

Farseer (Attack/Penalty Type) - Hands down the best use of your psychic resources. The Farseer provides a Mastery Level 3 psyker who can re-roll his failed psychic tests as well as take a valuable Eldar Jetbike to increase his survivability. I prefer the Singing Spear to the Witchblade, but that's a personal preference.

Of note here is the two special characters: Eldrad and the Forgeworld model, Bel-Annath. Eldrad is a bastion of psychic goodies, and only his lack of a jetbike gives me pause. Still, slap him in a transport and go to town with the Witchfires. Bel-Annath is even more brutal. He can get a select group of psychic powers, no roll required, two of which are Attack Type tools and one of which is the ever popular Fortune. If not for the fact that his presence forbids any other Farseers he would be a must-take. Still, from the back of a Starweaver, Raider, or Venom, he could potentially do more psychic damage in a round than any other psyker we have access to, especially if there's a Warlock Council boosting your psychic dice.

Spiritseer (Attack/Penalty Type) - Lower mastery level and no option for a bike. For my money the Farseer is the far better choice, but the Spiritseer is better than nothing. If you run a Wraith heavy list (especially if the majority of your Freakshow is codex Eldar) then you might find the Spiritseer to be the better choice.

Warlocks (Penalty Type) - Never mind the forum chatter: for our purposes Warlocks could not possibly have gotten better. At fifty points apiece, they are a little pricey (you weren't even considering not putting them on bikes, were you?), but worth it. While you might get lucky and pull down Horrify from the Runes of Battle, the Warlocks far more efficient purpose is providing a jaw dropping one additional Warp Charge point per model! Since you can add a Warlock to any Windrider Squadron (an expensive but tasty icing on the Windrider cake), you've got more potential for the support psychic powers they offer. Just remember not to spend so many psychic dice you don't have enough for the psykers with Shriek, Terrify, or Dominate.

Vibro-Cannons (Attack Type) - As a Pinning weapon with sliding AP and Strength, this is kind of like the Eldar version of the Care Bear Stare. Against infantry, its low shot count hurts it, but against small elite units it can prove useful. However, it will only achieve maximum AP (2) if all three cannons hit, so you are unlikely to see maximum potential. Light vehicles are pretty much the comfort zone of V-cannons, and there is already a lot of players in the Freakshow who can do that.

Hemlock Wraithfighter (Attack/Penalty Type) - While the internet condemns this, we should be celebrating it. A Freakshow benefits immensely from the psyker formations available as part of the Warhost, and the Wraithfighter allows us to fulfill part of the mandatory unit tax without having to buy a bunch of troops that aren't benefitting our primary focus. The Wraithfighter bears a stink of disappointment as a flyer that is incapable of harming other flyers, but it still packs D-Strength Blast weapons, so it isn't a total loss. With a -2 Leadership bubble, it is one of the only Penalty Type tools available to core Eldar. In addition, it now comes with its own Mastery Level and psychic powers, adding even more Everclear to your punchbowl.

Howling Banshees (Penalty Type) - - Although they don't do a whole lot here, Howling Banshees could potentially cause some trouble for your opponent. When accompanied by a Covens Haemonculus or a wearer of the Armor of Misery, the Banshees' -2 Ld penalty can definitely help carry that Fear off. Of course, against units that Shall Know A Little Fear, the Banshees can force morale tests and then just run roughshod on the Sweeping Advance with their massive initiative (and Crusader if you brought a Cast of Players!), negating the need for further combat. What's more, with the open topped transports of the Harlequins, Corsairs, and Dark Eldar, they can finally get that Assault Vehicle they've always had their eye on...

Phoenix Bomber (Support Type) (FW) - Second verse, same as the first. For the most part. The Craftworld Phoenix loses the Titan Holo Fields but gains Shrouded.

Wraithseer (Attack/Penalty Type) (FW) - Although he can't take Telepathy, one of his standard powers gives you an 18" Pinning test at a -2 penalty. Of course, he's also a huge Monstrous Creature with heavy weaponry, so you can always just use him to tear stuff apart in a pinch.

Shadow Spectres (Penalty Type) (FW) - A bit pricey points wise (and egregious dollars wise), the Shadow Spectres are the most potent Penalty Type tool the Eldar have, and maybe that the whole Freakshow has. Within 12" of these maniacs, enemies have to roll Leadership tests of all kinds on 3d6 (take the 2 highest). The gruesomeness of this, coupled with Soulfright attacks, makes me shudder with joy sometimes, or sick to my stomach at others.

Revenant Titan (Attack/Penalty Type) (FW) - Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.


Iyanden
They get all the goodies Eldar do, so I won't go into all that again here. Although the wording of their rules prohibits you from taking both an Iyanden detachment and a Haemonculus Covens detachment in the same army, Iyanden is worth mentioning. If you're looking to bring more Wraith constructs for their increased durability and prevalent D weapons, then you might want to consider an Iyanden army instead of a core Eldar one.

Spiritseer (Attack/Penalty Type) -
The ability of Iyanden armies to field 5 Spiritseers as a single HQ choice is immense. If split up and put into one of the cheap transports available from Dark Eldar, you can have a veritable armada of Psychic Shriek wielding maniacs zipping around the battlefield shelling out a freaking tornado of poisoned fire from their Venoms.

Conclusion
Well, that's it for today, Craftworlders and True Kin. Questions, comments, and concerns are welcome. I will make an effort to respond to each comment as I get it. The next installment (which will be much, much shorter) will be about psychic powers. Which psykers do we have, what powers can they take, and which ones should you take? Until then, stay freaky.

Well, half the Freakshow stuff doesn't affect Space Marines. Which is the biggest problem.

On the other hand if it worked against everyone, sections of the internet would immediately call it broken, demand that DE be banned from competitive play etc.

That's a very nice article, thank you very much!
I wonder, though, how much of the units and equipment you've listed would actually fit in an army, without seriously hampering the effectiveness of the rest of it. It's a decision I always see as crucial when building such a gimmicky list (sorry, but it is): how much do I spend on the gimmick and how much on the failsafe.

What would be a freakshow list you'd play at 1000, 1500 and 1850?

Great article! I also want to try a Freak list with DE, Coven and Harlequins.

A few comments:
- unfortunately from the harlequins book I dont think the Shadowseer weapon have the blind rule. It's an error in battlescribe (they wrote blind instead of blast iirc).
- the Death Jester "Death is not Enough" morale test includes a -2 Ld modifier.

Do you plan to include unbound startegies in your guide? As unbound allows formations, you can base you list on Coven formations and then sparkle Shadowseers, Death Jesters, ravagers/scourges (for AT) and a DE HQ AoM bearer in your coven units.

I have the same question than Kinnay. Some of the Freak stuff seems viable against most opponents (good coven formations formations for example) while other stuff is more limited (soulfright).

Phenomenal article Jimsolo. Absolutely great stuff. It is also patently obvious that Phil Kelly (who has hijacked control of GW rules department) is begging people to try these combos. The guys at Frontline Gaming wrote an article called the "The Last Laugh" which is Harlies primary and the list has been smacking around the tourney players in there area.

The Last Laugh

The way this list was constructed makes it IMPOSSIBLE for some armies to pass leadership tests at all and its absolutely bristling with firepower to boot.

But on to the Freakshow....While its one weakness may be Space Marines for purposes of breaking leadership... the amount of psychic powers, flyers, monstrous creatures and hard hitting CC units like the Harlies gives you an army that is still great as a TAC list.

This list will also give you ample oppurtunies to pack a ton deepstriking/outflanking liquifiers into your lists which when the rolls go your way can devastate the much feared Eldar Jetbikes looming on the horizon.

Also with the incredible prevalence of Necrons, Tyranids and Eldar (and IG in the near future as they are a very hard counter to Eldar) these lists have the potential to shatter some of the scariest builds.

Anyway just a few thoughts.... absolutely great article. Can't wait for more!

@Kinnay - I think the point is that there is no failsafe in a freakshow list, the whole list is tailored around those tactics, though some are more useful than others.

If the main weakness is the immunity of spaces marines, one can build his freakshow and tailor the rest of his army specificly against spaces. Medusae bomb, dissie ravager and other pleasant stuff that work best against spaces.

Or simply, get all the malus LD stuffs, ad add some Telepathy Psykers/Pinning/morale's chek for Marines.

I don't like Archangel and similar stuff just because:
1-Doesn't work against Fearless and Antsknf;
2- Is just 2D6 test...I mean, D8-2=D6, roll: 7...nothing..6..nothing...2D6 is too less to me

But DeathJesters, Psychic Shrieks, Pinning, Chains on veichles etc are good stuffs.

You make me think about adding coven and harlequin units to my dark Eldar. One question btw: tyranid units in range of the hive mind count as fearless and are immune? Are orks immune too when there are enough of them?

Jimsolo wrote:

Shadow Spectres (Penalty Type) (FW) - A bit pricey points wise (and egregious dollars wise), the Shadow Spectres are the most potent Penalty Type tool the Eldar have, and maybe that the whole Freakshow has.  Within 12" of these maniacs, enemies have to roll Leadership tests of all kinds on 3d6 (take the 2 highest).  The gruesomeness of this, coupled with Soulfright attacks, makes me shudder with joy sometimes, or sick to my stomach at others.  

I found the rules for Shadow Spectres in "Imperial Armour - Volume 11 - The Doom of Mymeara - 2011", but I cannot the Ld-test on 3d6 thing anywhere. Am I looking the right place?

Sigmaril wrote:

Jimsolo wrote:

Shadow Spectres (Penalty Type) (FW) - A bit pricey points wise (and egregious dollars wise), the Shadow Spectres are the most potent Penalty Type tool the Eldar have, and maybe that the whole Freakshow has.  Within 12" of these maniacs, enemies have to roll Leadership tests of all kinds on 3d6 (take the 2 highest).  The gruesomeness of this, coupled with Soulfright attacks, makes me shudder with joy sometimes, or sick to my stomach at others.  

I found the rules for Shadow Spectres in "Imperial Armour - Volume 11 - The Doom of Mymeara - 2011", but I cannot the Ld-test on 3d6 thing anywhere. Am I looking the right place?

There's a pdf update on the FW website: http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Downloads/Product/PDF/s/shadowspectres.pdf

CptMetal wrote:

You make me think about adding coven and harlequin units to my dark Eldar. One question btw: tyranid units in range of the hive mind count as fearless and are immune? Are orks immune too when there are enough of them?

Mmm Tyranids yes, are immune at range. But Orks are no more fearless with the new Codex.

Would this work?

Quote :

Cast of Players - Harlequin Formation [300]
Troupe w. 5 Harlequin's Caress (Warlord)
Death Jester w. haywire Grenades
Shadowseer w. ML 2, The Mask of Secrets

Dark Eldar - Combined Arms Detachment [550]
Archon w. Webway Portal, Phantasm Grenade Launcher, The Armour of Misery
Archon w. Phantasm Grenade Launcher, The Archangel of Pain
5 Kabalite Warriors w. Blaster, in Venom w. Splinter Cannon
5 Kabalite Warriors w. Blaster, in Venom w. Splinter Cannon
Raider w. Torment Grenade Launcher, Night Shields

Eldar - Combined Arms Detachment [767]
Farseer w. Eldar Jetbike
Warlock Council w. 5 Warlocks w. Eldar Jetbikes
Windrider Jetbike Squadron w. 3 Scatter Lasers
Windrider Jetbike Squadron w. 3 Scatter Lasers
3 Shadow Spectres w. Exarch upgrade, Shadow of Death
3 Shadow Spectres w. Exarch upgrade, Shadow of Death

Scalpel Squadron - Dark Eldar Formation [230]
5 Wracks, in Venom w. Splinter Cannon
5 Wracks, in Venom w. Splinter Cannon

Total - 1847

With everything working accordingly, this can yield a grand total of -12 to Ld!

Update incoming.

PainReaver wrote:

Well, half the Freakshow stuff doesn't affect Space Marines. Which is the biggest problem.

On the other hand if it worked against everyone, sections of the internet would immediately call it broken, demand that DE be banned from competitive play etc.

Pretty much only Soulfright (Archangel of Pain, PGL, TGL) don't work on them, almost everything else does (Psychic Powers are your big guns with this list, see below). So far, Marines haven't given me an excessive amount of trouble.

Kinnay wrote:

That's a very nice article, thank you very much!
I wonder, though, how much of the units and equipment you've listed would actually fit in an army, without seriously hampering the effectiveness of the rest of it. It's a decision I always see as crucial when building such a gimmicky list (sorry, but it is): how much do I spend on the gimmick and how much on the failsafe.

What would be a freakshow list you'd play at 1000, 1500 and 1850?

dumpeal wrote:

If the main weakness is the immunity of spaces marines, one can build his freakshow and tailor the rest of his army specificly against spaces. Medusae bomb, dissie ravager and other pleasant stuff that work best against spaces.

The_Burning_Eye wrote:

@Kinnay - I think the point is that there is no failsafe in a freakshow list, the whole list is tailored around those tactics, though some are more useful than others.

The great part about the Freakshow is that the gimmick frequently comes standard (Freakish Spectacle, Death is Not Enough!, and the Hemlock all have Ld penalties that you're just combining for greater advantage) without upgrades required. Several more (the Mask of Secrets and the Armor of Misery, f'rex) are available for a very small upgrade cost.

When it comes to gimmicks and failsafes, the greatest part is when you can combine the two. Grotesqueries and Corpsethief Claws are still great units even outside of Freakshows. Likewise Farseer Skyrunners. The Venoms I have recommended transporting the Heroes' Path formation in are also still great. I will address the gaps in this army list (mostly anti-vehicle and anti-flyer support) in a later article, as well as recommend units to fill that gap. Sample army lists will also be something I will throw out there.

(No offense taken, by the way! I think that 'focus' is a principle trait of good list building, and that is fairly called 'gimmicky' by many.)

Mononcule wrote:

Great article! I also want to try a Freak list with DE, Coven and Harlequins.

A few comments:
- unfortunately from the harlequins book I dont think the Shadowseer weapon have the blind rule. It's an error in battlescribe (they wrote blind instead of blast iirc).
- the Death Jester "Death is not Enough" morale test includes a -2 Ld modifier.

Do you plan to include unbound startegies in your guide? As unbound allows formations, you can base you list on Coven formations and then sparkle Shadowseers, Death Jesters, ravagers/scourges (for AT) and a DE HQ AoM bearer in your coven units.

I have the same question than Kinnay. Some of the Freak stuff seems viable against most opponents (good coven formations formations for example) while other stuff is more limited (soulfright).

Mononcule wrote:

Great article! I also want to try a Freak list with DE, Coven and Harlequins.

A few comments:
- unfortunately from the harlequins book I dont think the Shadowseer weapon have the blind rule. It's an error in battlescribe (they wrote blind instead of blast iirc).
- the Death Jester "Death is not Enough" morale test includes a -2 Ld modifier.

Thank you! A) Oops. You appear to be correct. I'll fix that in short order. B) Indeed. I noted him as being a dual Attack/Penalty type.

Quote :

Do you plan to include unbound startegies in your guide? As unbound allows formations, you can base you list on Coven formations and then sparkle Shadowseers, Death Jesters, ravagers/scourges (for AT) and a DE HQ AoM bearer in your coven units.

Good question; I do not. I believe that a lack of waste is a foundation for good list building, and the Unbound lists waste the Command Benefits of fitting your force into FOCs. That being said, all the tactical advice is just as good in Unbound lists, so if that's what tickles your pickle then by all means go for it!

Quote :

I have the same question than Kinnay. Some of the Freak stuff seems viable against most opponents (good coven formations formations for example) while other stuff is more limited (soulfright).

Soulfright is the one that's got the most limitations; I tend to throw it in only if I have points to burn.

Cavalier wrote:

Phenomenal article Jimsolo. Absolutely great stuff. It is also patently obvious that Phil Kelly (who has hijacked control of GW rules department) is begging people to try these combos. The guys at Frontline Gaming wrote an article called the "The Last Laugh" which is Harlies primary and the list has been smacking around the tourney players in there area.

The Last  Laugh

Thanks for the support! I'll definitely have to check out The Last Laugh.

Count Adhemar wrote:

Sigmaril wrote:

Jimsolo wrote:

Shadow Spectres (Penalty Type) (FW) - A bit pricey points wise (and egregious dollars wise), the Shadow Spectres are the most potent Penalty Type tool the Eldar have, and maybe that the whole Freakshow has.  Within 12" of these maniacs, enemies have to roll Leadership tests of all kinds on 3d6 (take the 2 highest).  The gruesomeness of this, coupled with Soulfright attacks, makes me shudder with joy sometimes, or sick to my stomach at others.  

I found the rules for Shadow Spectres in "Imperial Armour - Volume 11 - The Doom of Mymeara - 2011", but I cannot the Ld-test on 3d6 thing anywhere. Am I looking the right place?

There's a pdf update on the FW website: http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Downloads/Product/PDF/s/shadowspectres.pdf

Indeed, I had meant to put the PDF link into my article but neglected to! (I was up til the wee hours of the morning finishing this!) Thanks for the catch amigo! I'll get that added in!

Cerve wrote:

CptMetal wrote:

You make me think about adding coven and harlequin units to my dark Eldar. One question btw: tyranid units in range of the hive mind count as fearless and are immune? Are orks immune too when there are enough of them?

Mmm Tyranids yes, are immune at range. But Orks are no more fearless with the new Codex.

Cerve wrote:

Or simply, get all the malus LD stuffs, ad add some Telepathy Psykers/Pinning/morale's chek for Marines.

I don't like Archangel and similar stuff just because:
1-Doesn't work against Fearless and Antsknf;
2- Is just 2D6 test...I mean, D8-2=D6, roll: 7...nothing..6..nothing...2D6 is too less to me

But DeathJesters, Psychic Shrieks, Pinning, Chains on veichles etc are good stuffs.

Indeed.  And don't forget you can always kill the Synapse creatures!

By all means, go with your preferences.  The whole point of the first post was to just throw all the tools out there so we know what we're working with.  I don't use much Soulfright myself.

Sigmaril wrote:

Would this work?

Quote :

Cast of Players - Harlequin Formation [300]
Troupe w. 5 Harlequin's Caress (Warlord)
Death Jester w. haywire Grenades
Shadowseer w. ML 2, The Mask of Secrets

Dark Eldar - Combined Arms Detachment [550]
Archon w. Webway Portal, Phantasm Grenade Launcher, The Armour of Misery
Archon w. Phantasm Grenade Launcher, The Archangel of Pain
5 Kabalite Warriors w. Blaster, in Venom w. Splinter Cannon
5 Kabalite Warriors w. Blaster, in Venom w. Splinter Cannon
Raider w. Torment Grenade Launcher, Night Shields

Eldar - Combined Arms Detachment [767]
Farseer w. Eldar Jetbike
Warlock Council w. 5 Warlocks w. Eldar Jetbikes
Windrider Jetbike Squadron w. 3 Scatter Lasers
Windrider Jetbike Squadron w. 3 Scatter Lasers
3 Shadow Spectres w. Exarch upgrade, Shadow of Death
3 Shadow Spectres w. Exarch upgrade, Shadow of Death

Scalpel Squadron - Dark Eldar Formation [230]
5 Wracks, in Venom w. Splinter Cannon
5 Wracks, in Venom w. Splinter Cannon

Total - 1847

With everything working accordingly, this can yield a grand total of -12 to Ld!

Looks damn fine! I'm loving it. This could wreck some serious face. I'd be tempted to employ the Archons outside of the Raider in some matchups, and just have them come in with the Shadow Spectres!

Excellent Tactica. I'm just waiting for my copy of the new Eldar codex and then I'm going to sit down and try to figure out a way to bring a Freakshow to Throne of Skulls in July.

Holy crap that'd be awesome! Please tell us how it all turns out! I'd love to be able to point to concrete results when discussing the builds.

Sigmaril wrote:

Would this work?

Quote :

Cast of Players - Harlequin Formation [300]
Troupe w. 5 Harlequin's Caress (Warlord)
Death Jester w. haywire Grenades
Shadowseer w. ML 2, The Mask of Secrets

Dark Eldar - Combined Arms Detachment [550]
Archon w. Webway Portal, Phantasm Grenade Launcher, The Armour of Misery
Archon w. Phantasm Grenade Launcher, The Archangel of Pain
5 Kabalite Warriors w. Blaster, in Venom w. Splinter Cannon
5 Kabalite Warriors w. Blaster, in Venom w. Splinter Cannon
Raider w. Torment Grenade Launcher, Night Shields

Eldar - Combined Arms Detachment [767]
Farseer w. Eldar Jetbike
Warlock Council w. 5 Warlocks w. Eldar Jetbikes
Windrider Jetbike Squadron w. 3 Scatter Lasers
Windrider Jetbike Squadron w. 3 Scatter Lasers
3 Shadow Spectres w. Exarch upgrade, Shadow of Death
3 Shadow Spectres w. Exarch upgrade, Shadow of Death

Scalpel Squadron - Dark Eldar Formation [230]
5 Wracks, in Venom w. Splinter Cannon
5 Wracks, in Venom w. Splinter Cannon

Total - 1847

With everything working accordingly, this can yield a grand total of -12 to Ld!

I just tried a variation of this, but with Grotesques, aegis w. comms relay and Dark Artisan instead of Eldar (because I don't have eny Eldar models or the new codex yet).
I played against 1850 points of Tau. Riptide, 2x Broadsides w. drones, Crisis team with buff commander, 36 fire warriors, 20 pathfinders, 3 vehicles.
We played Hammer & Anvil, and he deployed far away from the board edges, because he feared the might of the Death Jester. He then had me go first. I deployed my Scalpel Squadron aggressively in order to distract him from the lone Lhamaean in the far corner with the comms relay. I didn't get first blood, and he demolished the formation with ease, but he couldn't reach the Lhamaean.
I got everything in on turn 2. Both troop venoms hit their targets, and unsurprisingly so did the 3 webway portals (1 w. dark artisan, 1 w. harlequins in raider, and 1 w. grotesques). After 2 psychic powers I fired the Archangel, and after that, the Riptide, both broadside units, both pathfinder units, and 20 fire warriors were dead. TOTALLY AWESOME!!!!! We were both quite speechless and shocked. I haden't even started shooting yet!!!
After my turn 3, all he had left were the 3 vehicles, and he surrendered.

I shudder to think what Eldar adds to this army as well.

Sure, I got lucky that he didn't bring Space Marines, and the bundling up centrally to avoid Death Jester shenanigans only to have more units in range of the Archangel were retrospectally a poor decision, but it was still amazing. I will definately try this army again.

Glad you had such a good experience with it! I've never had the pleasure of such a devastating use of the Archangel, but I'm definitely glad that somebody has!

That list is quite similar to the one I was working on. With a few tweaks I think it's quite a viable build.

I cannot affor real Shadow Spectres, but may run it myself with some Venoms for the Harlies.

I haven't added eldar at all.. yet. But I'm possitive they'll be awesome

I saw in one of these (read your various posts on Dakka, Warseer, and here) and remember talk of allying in Daemons. This got be dusting off my former favorite codex and doing a little digging...and I came across the Doomstone (think that's the name, read the book a few days ago). Would be particularly good against various character heavy deathstars, as it apparently hits every character in the unit.

Question: if the Morale check triggered by phantasm grenade launcher or archangel of pain is failed by the opponent's unit, do they also automatically have to run, or only take the wounds?

It isn't a morale test, just a LD check, so they do not have to run. (But, silver lining, Zealot and Daemonic Instability don't protect against it.)