Realspace Raiding for a beginner

Hi guys! Just signed up to the forum this evening after listening to the excellent Splintermind podcast! I am first and foremost a Chaos player (World Eaters/Khorne Daemonkin) but I've felt a real desire to branch out and try something new, and Dark Eldar just seem to hit the nail on the head.

What I'm after really is advice of where to start and where to go from my current position. My breakdown of my current models is as follows: 1 Archon, Lelith Hesperax, 20 kabalites, 20 wyches, 6 reaver jetbikes, 5 hellions, 5 scourges and a Venom which I approximate at about 850 points base. I'm what could best be described as a casual player so my tactical knowledge could probably use some work but I'm hoping to play test against my friend (nurgle/slaanesh/renegade/genestealer cult player) so any advice of how to start and where to strengthen would be welcome!

Welcome!

You will need lots of transports for your troops.

Try splintermind episode 16 which is real space raiding for noobs for some good starting advice on units and tactics.

You chose Dark Eldar over every other armies? Why? Do you like to lose? You have a thing for suffering?

Joke aside. it's as Hekatrixxy said. A lot of transport (preferably venoms), 2 raiders in case you want to try a grotesquerie. I would sugest a cronos, a talos and a haemonculus, for dark artisan, but it's just a personnal feeling.

hekatrixxy wrote:

Welcome!

You will need lots of transports for your troops.

Try splintermind episode 16 which is real space raiding for noobs for some good starting advice on units and tactics.

Lots of this

Vehicles and heavy is my suggestion, unless you want to go covens because you were born in the darkness, molded by it. Abbadon merely adopted it.

Thanks for the responses guys! I've also stumbled across some harlequins to ally in- the idea of a twisted evil space elf circus was too tempting to deny. On top of what I've got listed, I now have a death jester, 2 six man troupes and 6 starweaver jetbikes. Next port of call will definitely be a raider or two and another venom!

Harlequins are in an odd place right now. They're good, but easy to kill and expensive points wise. The most challenging thing about them is finding a good formation to run them in, as their formations offer powerful bonuses but with strict requirements. It's one of the few armies that makes you collect models around the formations instead of the other way around. I would have a nice sit with their codex and think about what formation of theirs you want to run, and build a Dark Eldar list to compliment it. For example, if you want to run lots of clown troupes and assaulting jetbikes, bringing some supporting fire from Venoms, Raiders, and Blasterborn might be a good way to go. Maybe giving your Archon a shadowfield and sticking him in with the clowns for a nice spearhead.

Otherwise if you want to run just Dark Eldar proper, yeah what everyone else said. Grotesques, the Dark Artisan formation Venoms, and dudes in boats.

TeenageAngst wrote:

I would have a nice sit with their codex and think about what formation of theirs you want to run, and build a Dark Eldar list to compliment it.

Or just wait for the new stuff to come out before you invest in more models.

BetrayTheWorld wrote:

TeenageAngst wrote:

I would have a nice sit with their codex and think about what formation of theirs you want to run, and build a Dark Eldar list to compliment it.

Or just wait for the new stuff to come out before you invest in more models.

If you want to play that game we'll be here till cows moo. Or at least until 8th drops.

TeenageAngst wrote:

BetrayTheWorld wrote:

TeenageAngst wrote:

I would have a nice sit with their codex and think about what formation of theirs you want to run, and build a Dark Eldar list to compliment it.

Or just wait for the new stuff to come out before you invest in more models.

If you want to play that game we'll be here till cows moo. Or at least until 8th drops.

I mean, not really. There is a difference between being speculative about new things coming out(thus not buying models), and waiting for the thing that goes up for pre-order this weekend.

Except we've seen recently that once the books start coming they don't stop coming. We're fed to the rules and hit the ground running. It doesn't make sense not to play for fun, cause your brain gets smart but the game gets dumb. So much to do, so much see, so what's wrong with taking a quick read? You never know if you don't go, you'll never shine if you don't glow.

Hey now, you're a clown star, get your veil on, go play.

Hey now, you're a grot squad, get your animus vitae.

And all that glitters is gold.

Only Harley-Deldar break the mold.

Despite me being entertained by your presentation of your opinion, I disagree with the opinion. The new books can give new players without an existing army good direction on what models to buy, even if we DO get more books down the line.

But I expect we're going to see 8th edition drop before we get new codices, so I expect this coming release to be fairly standalone, unless maybe they drop a supplement, but I don't think they will.

TeenageAngst wrote:

Except we've seen recently that once the books start coming they don't stop coming. We're fed to the rules and hit the ground running. It doesn't make sense not to play for fun, cause your brain gets smart but the game gets dumb. So much to do, so much see, so what's wrong with taking a quick read? You never know if you don't go, you'll never shine if you don't glow.

Hey now, you're a clown star, get your veil on, go play.

Hey now, you're a grot squad, get your animus vitae.

And all that glitters is gold.

Only Harley-Deldar break the mold.

Haha! I wish there was an 'exalt' option like on dakka

I laughed.

Careful Betray, you're going the right way for a smacked bottom. XD

Quote :

Despite me being entertained by your presentation of your opinion, I disagree with the opinion. The new books can give new players without an existing army good direction on what models to buy, even if we DO get more books down the line.

But I expect we're going to see 8th edition drop before we get new codices, so I expect this coming release to be fairly standalone, unless maybe they drop a supplement, but I don't think they will.

It's a cool game, but they say it'll get cooler. There's bundles selling now but just wait till next summer, cause the social media men beg to differ, judging by the fact that all these books are filler. The Fall of Cadia was pretty great, the next one's getting close so you might as well wait. My army's on fire, how bout yours? That's the way I like it and I'll never get bored.