MSU or not to MSU ITC

So group of guys want to go in ITC game this weekend. Will be the first tourney if I go, and not particularly excited for it.

Have tested build what I'd consider heavy hitting 300ish+ point units (turn one fearless, and FNP) before but never seems to work out for me. With the ITC 1850 detachment rules. Have MSU lists running around 30 to 33 units. Know before hand that I basically would have to table every opponent to win.

My only test game is a warriors blaster spam list vs Ork/KDK list. Started off with 30 units, only for fluff purpose Archon is highest point unit at 125. Ork/KDK had 13 units (hounds, CSM bikers, and Ork bikers). I was assaulting CSM bikers and hounds top turn 2. Shot up the Orks when ever in range. Opponent put Bloodtied tokens towards FNP. Game ended on turn 6. Dark Eldar had 10 units left on the table. Ork/KDK had 2 units left on the table.

Other consideration to is logistics. Carrying and moving that stuff around could be a pain. Place hosting the event is small as can be compare to our regular gaming location.

I assume your big units are grots or something similar.

Without a way to improve mobility for big meaty dudes like that, you'll suffer in the ITC format.

MSU might serve you better.

Done six units of Covens Haemonculus and full count of Scourges. Unit held up well against bolter fire. Took 7 Gray Knight units with flamers to dwindle 1 unit down to two models. But just wasn't mobile enough compared to Warriors and Raiders. Also fire power didn't seem as effective.

Tried other mob squads using Covens Haemonculus as booster. Like the Scourges, mobility always seem to be a factor. That and lost of AP2 shots.

So I'm not going to De-La-War due to a work schedule conflict so lemme give you my list for reference in your decision making process:

Dark Eldar CAD:

1x Archon w/Webway Portal, Blaster

6x 5 Kabalite Warriors
6x Venom dedicated transports w/Splinter Cannon

3x 3 Mandrakes

1x 5 Scourges w/4 Heat Lances

1x Yncarne

Dark Eldar CAD:

1x Lhamean

6x Kabalite Warriors
6x Raider dedicated transports w/5 Dark Lances

Whole thing is 1848 points.

Without knowing what models you have or what you have access to this is probably one of the better pure DE lists out there (I'm stretching "pure" to be "anything that can be taken in a DE CAD"). You have 24 objective secured units, 12 boats, 18 solid units of poison, 3 infiltrators with stealth/shrouded/moves through cover, the Eldar equivalent of a Daemon Prince, and a no-scatter deep strike anti-tank crew. You can hang back with long range poison and Darklight weapons, you can rush forward and clog the enemy deployment zone with dudes, you can line board edges with warriors to prevent outflanks, you can kamikaze obsec boats onto objectives, and you can tie up opponents in combat with your Yncarne. The only list I've lost to with this build is MSU Sisters of Battle running Immolator spam and lots of flamers, and even then I wasn't even close to tabled. I highly recommend the MSU build over relying on the toughness of Haemonculus units. The Covens are a spoiler army, you either ruin someone's day or you go down hard. This list has enough moving pieces to stand up to just about anything if you play it right.

So you made a long drunken tirade about winning de-la-war and going all the way to win NOVA to prove me wrong, and you didn't bother to even take the day off?

Oh I put the request in, but my request was denied because my boss is being shipped up north all week and we need to cover his shifts.