Homebrew Dark Eldar Campaign - DESADARIA

Hola chaps and chappettes.
Well, it seems that almost everyone gets into the Homebrew book game at some point or another, so I figured it wss time to throw my two cents into the mix.

Witht he way 40k is going at the moment, campaign books seem to be the way forward. Arguments could be made after the Tau Enclaves and Waaagh Ghazghul updates recently, but I would argue back that those weren;t new, those were updates.
So if we were to see a new Dark Eldar release, it would almost certainly be as part of a campaign book which would at best update a few elements rather than rewrite entire the whole thing.

So I present this, my thughts on how I would go about drafting a Dark Eldar themed 40k campagin book.

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First, the setting, the Desadarian Gulf.

Not sure if thats completely familiar with a lot of you, but it should be. Its a lovely sector of space mentione din both the current and the previous codecies. Its an area of space which just happens to be home to a sizeable portal leading to a main artery of the webway, and a key way in and out of Commoragh. Many Archons use it as a stransport hub, and young master Vect used it as a trap.
It was here that he laid bait, and then pounced upon and secured a Salamanders Strike Cruiser - the Forgehammer - before promptly dropping it on the head of a rival - Archon Xelian.
Battle broke out as it would of course, and much fun was had.
Eventually Imperial reinforcements came to aid the Salamanders, in the form of the Howling Griffons and the Silver Skulls. The Imperials just about escaped, Commoragh was a wreck, and Vect used the chance to rise to power. Good times all around.

This then will be the setting of the Desadarian Campaign, named for where it all started.

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The formula for the campaign will try to stay close to others that have been released over the last year or so. Two books, featuring two primary armies and a couple of support forces.
As an example of how this was put together, Kauyon had Tau and Raven Guard, then threw in the White Scars. Fenris has Space Wolves and Daemons, and then threw in Cadia. You get the idea.

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Now, how far do we take the army rules within?
If we're talking realistically, lets have a quick look at how far previous updates in campaign books have gone:

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Leviathan:
Tyranids: Detachment / Warlord Traits / 1 update / 5 new units / 6 Formations

Exterminatus:
Blood Angels: Detachment / Warlord Traits / Relics / 7 Formations
Flesh Tearers: Detachment / Warlord Traits / Relics / 4 Formations
Necrons: Detachment / Warlord Traits / Relics / 4 Formations

Kauyon:
Tau – Decurion / Wargear List / 4 Updates / 4 new units / 9 Formations / 5 Fortifications
White Scars – Decurion / 4 Formations / Chapter Tactics / Warlord Traits / Relics
Raven Guard – Decurion / 7 Formations / Chapter Tactics / Warlord Traits / Relics

Mont’ka:
Tau Enclaves: Decurion / 10 Formations / Warlord Traits / Signiature Systems
Imperial Guard: Decurion / 8 Updates / 10 Formations / Warlord Traits / Heirlooms of Cadia
Assassins: 4 updates / 1 Formation

Curse of the Wulfen:
Space Wolves: Decurion / 8 Formations / 3 updates / 1 new unit
Daemons: Decurion / 1 update / Artifacts / Psychic Powers / Warlord Traits / 10 Formations

Now I'm only really looking at the Dark Eldar side of the update, so based on these numbers, we're going to go for a new Decurion, which in itself will house 13 new Formations. This is admitedly more than any of the others above. It'll make sense though, trust me.

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So without further, because I'm getting muddled on how to format this, let me go into a basic lineup for book one:

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Book One

Salamanders - yeah, just going to pay attention to the Dark Eldar. BUT, that said I could see several Formations, maybe a Flamer/Melta option on Razorbacks, and at minimum the addition of two special characters who are mentioned in the fluff for this debacle - Captain Phoecus and Librarian Hestion.


Straight into Dark Eldar then, and we'll open with Wargear.
We're going to try to keep a lot of things to simple changes here, and not actually play with existing Wargear very much at all. The only simple change I will make is:

• Reavers Jetbikes and Hellion Skyboards moved into Arcane Wargear lists, making them selectable by Archons and Succubi.
  

We're also going to add some new Relics, at the usual one per army. Now, some of these may seem familiar. Its because they used to belong to old characters, and I thought including the primary piece of Wargear would be a good way to bring back the characters (potentially) without having to go to the effort of actually bringing back the characters:

• Dark Gate - Single Use, 8" range, Blast, strength D.
  
• The Crystal Heart - The wielder is immune to all Psychic Power.
  
• The Serpents Bite - Fleshbane, to wound of a 6 is AP2.
  
• The Decapitator - To wound of a 6 is Instant Death.
  
• Bones of the Seer - +1 to Deployment and First Turn rolls.
  
• Webway Bomb - 8" range, unit hit immediately scatters as if Deep Striking. Mishap, Dangerous Terrain, etc, as normal.
  

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Warlord Traits, and I'm not going to change much. Just most of it:

1 Ancient Evil – Warlord and faction within 12” have Fear.
2 Labyrinthine Cunning - Reroll Seize and Night Fight.
3 Soulthirst – d3 units have Scout (they’re thirsty you see).
4 Hatred Eternal – Warlord and unit have Hatred.
5 Blood Dancer – Warlord and unit +1 to PfP
6 Towering Arrogance – Warlord and faction within 12” have Fearless.

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Next, and importantly, the DECURION.

First, a quick note on size.

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Space Wolves: 1+ Core (of 2) / 0-5 Command (of 3, one being generic HQ choice) / 1+ Aux (of 6)
Daemons: 1+ Core (of 4) / 0-4 Command (of 2, one being generic HQ choice) / 1+ Aux (of 7)
Cadia: 0-3 per command Core (of 2) / 1+ Command (of 1) / 0-3 per core Aux (of 10)
Raven Guard: 1-2 Core (of 2) / 0-2 Command (of 2) / 1+ Aux (of 11)
White Scars: 1-2 Core (of 3) / 0-3 Command (of 3) / 1+ Aux (of 10)
Necrons: 1+ Core (of 1) / 0-1 Command (of 1) / 1-10 per core Aux (of 9)
Eldar: 1-3 Core (of 3) / 0-3 per core Command (of 3, two being generic HQ choices) / 1-12 per core Aux (of 7)
Tau: 1+ Core (of 1) / 0-1 per core Command (of 1) / 0-1 per core Aux (of 10)
Enclaves: 1+ Core (of 2) / 0-1 per core Command (of 2, one being generic HQ choice) / 1-10 per core Aux (of 10)

So, we're aiming for something of a similar size and scope.

My Dark Eldar Decurion then, the REALSPACE RAIDERS.

1+ Core
0-3 Command
0-3 per core Aux

Night Assault - Stealth in turn one.
Webway Strike - Roll for Reserves from turn one.

Command:
Dark Champions - 0-1 of Archon, Succubus, Haemonlucus, Lilith Hesperax or Urien Rakarth
The Grand Court - 1 Court of the Archon, 1 unit of Trueborn or Bloodbrides

Core:
Kabalite Raiding Party - 3 Kabalite Warriors
Coven Coterie - 3 Wracks
Wych Cult Strike Force - 3 Wyches
*each of the above also gets free Raiders or Venoms (but not upgrades)

Aux (some have bad names:
Webway Assault - 1 Warriors, 1 Wyches, 1 Reavers (Formation Deep Strikes within 6" of each other. Does not scatter.)
Highborn - 3 of either Trueborn or Bloodbrides (Precision Shots/Strikes)
Incubi Temple - 3 Incubi, 0-1 Drazhar (Can Overwatch with their Klaives and base Attack value)
Razorwing Squadron  - 3-5 Razorwings (After Jinking, may fire ONE weapon at full BS, but not a missile)
Mandrake Meat-Shield - 1-2 Warriors, 1-2 Mandrakes (Warriors within 6" of Mandrakes get Shroud)*
Speed Demons - 2-4 Hellions, Reavers or Scourge (Scout, +1d6" charge distance)
Gun platforms  - 3 Ravagers (First shoots normally. If second aims at same target, Preferred Enemy. If third fires at the same target, it also gains Rending)
Coven horde - 0-3 Talos, Chronos or Grotesques (+1 to Power From pain table)
Wingman thing - 2 Razorwings, 1 Voidraven (Work as a Squadron. If unit Jinks, Razorwings take all hits first. Voidraven takes no ill effect unless Razorwings destroyed.
Generic Choice - Ravagers or a Voidraven

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Next, a quick update to some units. Nothing drastic that would require a whole new Codex, just three slight tweaks:

• Wyches gain Hatred, and can Charge after Running
  
• Ravagers can be bought in Squadrons of up to three
  
• Venoms gain the option to become Chariots for a single Independent Character
  

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And that brings us to the end of Book 1 of Desadaria.

Book two will be much shorter and simpler, as it won;t be focusing much on whole new rules for many new things.

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Book Two

In the second half of the campaign, Imperial reinforcements arrive to save the Salamanders in the form of two new Space Marine Chapters.

Howling Griffons - fairly generic as a chapter, but their lore suggest a big thing about making oaths, so maybe some special rules about choosing optional objectives at the start of the game (kill an IC for example) which give them extra Victory points?

Silver Skulls - they like collecting skulls, but all use Prognosticators to read the future using omens, and the Emperors Tarot, etc. So maybe a bit of Reserves manipulation? Shenanigans I'm sure.

And of course they're be a few Echoes of War missions.

But importantly, the Dark Eldar get more options:

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I wouldn't add yet more massive options in quite the same scale as Mont'ka did with a whole big update for the Farsight Enclaves, but we are going to add two new units and a new Formation. A fairly big one.

First, being the second half of the story, this is where Vect rises to power.

So this book would add Vect as a Lord Of War.
I'd bring him in as an Archon with stats only slightly better than a standard Archon. I'd probably womp him up to WS/BS 8, and maybe give him 4 wounds.
Weapons would be a Huskblade, Soul Trap and Shadowfield, and a return for his Obsidian Orbs (range 12", str 10, AP2, Assault, hits Leadership instead of Toughness)

Next, the Dias of Destruction, brought back not as part of Vect but as a whole new unit of its. And it would pretty much just be a Tantalus. It would be a Lord of War as well, OR a Transport option for Vect.
It would more or less be exactly a Tantalus but with a few extra gun options. Maybe slightly smaller than the Forgeworld version of the model.

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Next, two new Formations would be included in book 2:

Asdrubael Vect's Court - Vect, 3-6 Archons, 1 Court of the Archon (Each Archon may take a Relic/Artefact of Cruelty despite usual rules on this, but no two may have the same)

Black Heart Raiding Party - 3 Trueborn on Raiders, 1 Ravager, 1 Incubi (Preferred Enemy, free unit Champions)

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And that ladies and gents is where I would leave. A two book set to suit the current trend which gives the army some nice boosts whilst not overdoing it.

As a final note I will say this DOESN'T overwirte the Covens supplement, so those Formations would still be available too, they're just not part of the Decurion I've proposed.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and feedback, and maybe I'll even bother to tweak stuff. Not sure.

Any comments? Notes? Suggestions?

Okay, I'm not that familiar with the current ed rules, so these here are some questions I would ask regarding fluff and how you describe it in the rules.

First off, do I understand you correctly that you want to place the main story and conflict inside the webway? If so, there should be some rules regarding the use of psychic powers inside of it. If I remember correctly there is an added risk to using psychic powers there?
Also, the fluff describes the webway in a way that makes my think that a mere tabletop version of it would fall short. Like, how to you represent all the impossibilities of the webway on the table?

Also, as Vect hasn't yet achieved total control of the city, the formation "Asdrubael Vect's Court" seems odd to me in that he hasn't unified the Archons under his rule. Of course it might be that the weaker leaders flock to the stronger during extreme times like those...

The Dark Eldar society of the time is described as more aristocratic, could this be a thing to expand upon in the rules?

Not necessarily within the Webway.

THe sotry of Vect capturing the Forehammer in the Desadarian GUlf and bringing it through to Commoragh is an established part of our army's lore, and would set the games either on board ships (such as the Forgehammer) or within Commoragh where the Forgehammer has been pulled. Salamanders and their later resucers would be fighting in their ship and on the streets.
Being in Commoragh, we're not literally talking the passages of the Webway, we're talking the enclosed capsules where the Dark City and its smaller offshoots reside.
Ultiamtely though this is just thematic. Its flavour for the campaign.

The idea of Vect's Court, is that book two is the end of the story. The Howling Griffons and Silver Skulls have come to save the Salamanders, and Xelian has been brought down. Vect's Court would be a new entity, Vect coming to the fore with his allies to take control. The Archons with him would be those already sworn to him, or those that come to him in the close actions of the Campaign.
Book Two would effectively be subtitled "The Rise Of Vect".