New to DE tips would be appreciated

Hi All,

I am quite new to DE enjoying the models and some of their play style I just can't seem to get to grips with keeping them alive.

Below is the list I played last night in a 1K match and by the end of turn 2 I pretty much only had Talos left on the field.

I find that with such a bad save they're obliterated so easily even in cover and anything with Ignores Cover has a field day.

My Reavers didn't even see the light of day, deployed and destroyed straight off the bat ignores cover took them out instantly.

Is my list wrong or any I doing anything wrong?

+++ New Roster (Warhammer 40,000 7th Edition) [991pts] +++

++ DE Realspace Raiders Detachment (Dark Eldar: Codex (2014)) ++

+ HQ +

Archon: Blaster, Clone field, Huskblade, Kabalite Armour, Plasma Grenades, The Animus Vitae
···· Venom: Flickerfield, Splinter Cannon, Twin Linked Splinter Rifles

+ Troops +

Kabalite Warriors: Kabalite Armour
···· 8x Kabalite Warrior: 8x Close Combat Weapon, 8x Splinter Rifle
···· Kabalite Warrior with heavy weapon (up to 1 for 10 models): Close Combat Weapon, Splinter cannon
···· Kabalite Warrior with special weapon: Blaster, Close Combat Weapon
···· Raider: Disintegrator cannon

Kabalite Warriors: Kabalite Armour
···· 8x Kabalite Warrior: 8x Close Combat Weapon, 8x Splinter Rifle
···· Kabalite Warrior with heavy weapon (up to 1 for 10 models): Close Combat Weapon, Splinter cannon
···· Kabalite Warrior with special weapon: Blaster, Close Combat Weapon
···· Raider: Disintegrator cannon

+ Fast Attack +

Reavers: Wychsuit
···· 3x Reaver: 3x Bladevanes, 3x Close combat weapon, 3x Splinter pistol
········ 3x Reaver jetbike: 3x Splinter Rifle

Reavers: Wychsuit
···· 3x Reaver: 3x Bladevanes, 3x Close combat weapon, 3x Splinter pistol
········ 3x Reaver jetbike: 3x Splinter Rifle

+ Heavy Support +

Ravager: Disintegrator cannon, Disintegrator cannon, Disintegrator cannon

Ravager: Dark Lance, Dark Lance, Dark Lance

Talos
···· Talos: Armoured Carapace, Close Combat Weapon, Ichor Injector, Twin-linked heat lance

Quote :

Archon: Blaster, Clone field, Huskblade, Kabalite Armour, Plasma Grenades, The Animus Vitae
···· Venom: Flickerfield, Splinter Cannon, Twin Linked Splinter Rifles

Generally you should always spring for the extra Splinter Cannon on the Venom. Functionally doubling your damage output from the thing is worth ten points in my opinion. If nothing else, do this, It'll fill that ten point gap you have in a 1000 point list, and enemy infantry and MC's will feel the hurt from it.

Additionally, the short range of the Animus Vitae has always caused issues for me. I've found it's most effective when deepstriked behind a weak unit. Running both a Huskblade and the relic might not be the best idea, however. One is meant to provide a boost by targeting a low toughness unit, the other meant to kill multi-wound models. I'd suggest either ditching the relic, or ditching the Huskblade for a webway portal.

Quote :

Kabalite Warriors: Kabalite Armour
···· 8x Kabalite Warrior: 8x Close Combat Weapon, 8x Splinter Rifle
···· Kabalite Warrior with heavy weapon (up to 1 for 10 models): Close Combat Weapon, Splinter cannon
···· Kabalite Warrior with special weapon: Blaster, Close Combat Weapon
···· Raider: Disintegrator cannon

I'd suggest swapping out the splinter cannon for splinter racks. Some quick mathhammer reveals that you'll average the same number of hits from nine twin-linked Splinter Rifles, as eight shots of regular Splinter Rifle fire and four shots of Splinter Cannon fire.

The reason why I say four shots, is that a DE army should rarely be stationary. We're meant to move around the board, which means that more often than not, you'll be firing that Cannon at 18" range. But if you're not planning on moving that Raider, the Splinter Cannon is a good choice.

Quote :

Reavers: Wychsuit
···· 3x Reaver: 3x Bladevanes, 3x Close combat weapon, 3x Splinter pistol
········ 3x Reaver jetbike: 3x Splinter Rifle

I'll admit, I don't think I've ever run stock Reavers, so I can't vouch for its effectiveness. What I can say is that in a gunboat list, these saps will be bearing the brunt of the enemies Bolter/Lasgun/Whatever-else fire. You'll be forced to use your 3+ jink often, so if you do want to kit them out, slap a few Caltrops on there.

Quote :

Ravager: Disintegrator cannon, Disintegrator cannon, Disintegrator cannon

Always loved triple dissie Ravagers, it'll make Terminators and Marines collectively whimper in fear when faced with this.

Quote :

Ravager: Dark Lance, Dark Lance, Dark Lance

Dark Lance Ravagers on the other hand...There's more effective platforms for anti-armor in this army, but I'll touch on that later.

Quote :

Talos
···· Talos: Armoured Carapace, Close Combat Weapon, Ichor Injector, Twin-linked heat lance

To me, this is the odd one out in this list. Kabal DE armies are meant to be fast. Moving less than 12" to me after so long with the True Kin is painstakingly slow. The Talos is a juggernaut, don't get me wrong..but its 6" movement is frankly pitiful. The model is gorgeous, but outside of a Covens list, they don't fit into the dynamic of the list. I'd suggest Chain Flails if your local meta isn't full of other Monstrous Creatures or similarly high toughness models. Fleshbane doesn't help you when you're already wounding on a 2+. Shred does.

Drop the heat lance. It's hard getting a Talos within a 24" range, much less a 9" melta. If you're looking for anti-armor on this big guy, swap to the Haywire Blaster.

Speaking of Anti-Armor...You need more of it. Specifically, I'm noticing a lack of one of the staples to any DE list: Trueborn. I personally prefer Scourges, but Trueborn don't require you to buy new models. Stick em in a Venom, chuck four blasters in there, and you are left with a truly terrifying anti-armor unit that'll pump four Lance shots that'll glance a Land Raider on a 4+.

Overall, most of my suggestions are just minor tweaks, you have the basis for a real solid DE list here.

registered, finally. on to the list:

Archon - Agonizer is better in most situations than huskblade, switch out the clonefield for a shadowfield (most single hits will kill him instantly anyways, so a 4++ is useless), drop the animus vitae, drop the blaster. OR give him WWP and blaster (and possibly shadowfield)

Kabs, pretty much what theBaconPope said, plus, i find it more efficient to have 10man Squads on splinterrack raider without any blasters; if i run blasters on kab (and i do often) it's 5man venom squads.

Reavers - not much experience there. due to limited amount of OLD reavers i have (that like to fall apart) i tend not to run them. Still, from looking at them, MSU reavers with caltrops seem to be the way to go if you want to field a lot of them. MSU barebones might work too, but more as a distraction than any threat.

Ravagers - i tend to leave them at home. but dissie ravagers > lance ravagers - you'll end up jinking half the time with lance ravagers (BIG threat to AV if left untouched) and therefore will not hit, so they'll end up being an expensive distraction. with dissie ravagers you at least have volume of shots.

Talos - very good in a gunboat list, since the enemy needs Anti-Armour against him, which he needs against your boats already. found the HaywireBlaster to be more effective, due to higher range. Talos might not make it close enough if the enemy decides he's the threat.


Other Units to run (in my experience):
Grotesques - good bodyguard unit, better in Haemonculus Covens Supplement
Incubi - Not as good as grotesques, but cheaper MSU cost and still pretty decent as bodyguards
Mandrakes - MSU and Outflank, situationally effective (useless against ignores cover weaponry)
Scourges - probably best ranged anti-armor DE can field. Beware, fragile as hell (both physically as well as ruleswise)
Trueborn - with blasters good Anti-Armor, expensive glass cannons.

If you keep the talos in your list, make its sluggishness work for you. Move it last. Give it a pervy nickname. Everytime you move it, sing/hum a silly jingle and whisper stuff like "mr tickles is coming to play". If you get it in cc, get witnesses, and laugh maniacly. Hype/boast it through the skies. Soon your opponents will fear it and will focus fire on it. Its T7, 3+ armor save should make it last a couple rounds. Meanwhile all your venoms and reavers can get in positions and do their thing.