Fear incarnate

So this is a thing I've been toying around with for some weeks. Within the Eldar codex's (Eldar, Dark Eldar and Harlequins) there are some quite good options for leadership debuffs and ways to use these debuffs.

Sources

• DE Kabalite stormsurge: for one turn -3Ld within a 12" bubble of any unit of the formation.
  
• DE Armour of misery: ghostplate armour with a -2Ld within 6" and fear.
  
• DE Heamonculus covens: all detachments give -1Ld within 12" and the units get fear on turn 3.
  
• DE Archangel of pain: yes it doesn't work on units with ATSKNF or Fearless, but I still find it fun to use.
  
• HA Mask of secrets: gives -2Ld within 12".
  
• HA Shadowseer: has access to psychic shriek.
  
• HA Shadowseer: hallucinogen grenade launcher, a better version of the DE grenades.
  
• HA Deathjester: if he kills someone the unit must pass a Ld check on -2 or retreat to a direction you choose.
  
• HA Harlequins: have innate fear.
  
• Eldar Wraitfighter: gives a -2Ld within 12".
  
• Eldar psykers: have access to psychic shriek.
  

With this you can rip the backbone from the most fearless warriors turning them in cowards. The debuff from this can range from -1 to -8 with stuff like fear but especially psychic shriek to take advantage of this newly created weakness.

I don't know how viable a list built around this would be, since my gaming group is quite small. Within the group I've tested some things with great success, though a lot of my opponents don't use armies with ATSKNF or Fearless so that will have a big influence.

Any thoughts, comments?

Do you play apocalypse games?
Will your gaming group be using the new FAQ when it is finalized?

The reason I ask is because the FAQ states that you can't use apocalypse formation in non-apocalypse games so the stormsurge can't be used if you are going to follow the FAQ.

Q: Can I use Apocalypse Formations in non-Apocalypse games?
A: No.

I use this concept in my Eldar list. I have two WraithFighters and a Seer Council on Bikes to go for Horrify and a Farseer to go for Terrify.

On my blog I often advise that LD is the best stat to attack in 40K, and so it is somewhat surprising that more don't attempt it. many factions dont have ready access to reliable attacks on this but as you rightly point out, the Dark Eldar and of course Eldar do.

Yes we do play apocalypse games sometimes, though I haven't had the chance to use the stormsurge formation yet since I've only discovered it a few days ago.

Even without the stormsurge formation the fear based lists I've tried where pretty fun to play with. For the moment I've used the coven formation, the mask and the armour of misery to drop the leadership.
After the leadership drop I used psychic shriek, the harlequin grenade launcher and the archangel of pain to scare the enemies to death.

For now I've had okay results, though as I said the group I'm playing with is kind of limited. And I didn't get to test it a lot on armies with ATSKNF or Fearless. :/

Jimsolo's freakshow tactica is all about lists designed to attack the opponents leadership.

http://www.thedarkcity.net/t11454-dark-eldar-guides

Freakshow tactics are fun. You can find a whole list of articles on it here.

It's pretty great! I'd love to run the Stormsurge some day of I can ever get an apoc game in!

What jimsolo said.

(Aka read his articles! lol)


Right now the 3 most popular ways of using DE on our forums seem to be MSU, Freakshow, and more recently CTC, sprinkle some beast lists to flavor =)

Personally I love freakshow. My favorite way to play (one formation each of harlies, CWE, and DE).