Basic tactics for new players

Hey guys,

I am pretty new to the game (03/2020) and decided to join the ranks of the dark city. I played a few games and won the first two versus Ultramarines. I was leading pointwise but did get shot of the tabletop. I had less of a problem with that, because I was able to have at least one unit which survived and won me the game.

Now my buddy began to play custodes with lots of bikes. We played two games with more or less the same outcome. I did go second and he destroyed almost half of my army in the first turn. The rest of my cabal and coven units did not put up much of a fight for him. I was tabled in turn 3 and on the second game gave up on turn 1. This was very depressing. I have no problem with losing a game. But I hate standing by and watching as my army gets shot into pieces with no chance to counter that.

I did realize a few of my mistakes (wrong placement in the deploymentphase for example). But I am beginning to realize, that I have to learn a few basics now. Is there any source for beginners, maybe even not Drukhari but in gerneral, which can help me with that.
I know Skari and his Skaredcast. But I can't find beginner's guides which are adressing my issues on his youtube channel.

Sorry for the long text and thank you for your help ;-)

Some good resources would be Goonhammer, Frontline Gaming.

Some main things to learn with DE will be Firing Lanes, Baiting/Trapping and Target Priority.

DE are a strong faction, but get heavily punished for wrong moves. Do not get discouraged if you loose your first few games, you learn a LOT more from loosing than from winning

Welcome to the Dark City!

I'm not a fan of Goonhammer, but a good resource in my opinion is D6 Evolution on youtube

The tips that have transcended every edition for me playing DEldar/Drukhari (Started DE in 5th, 40K in 4th):

We are a very fast army. This does NOT mean we rush into battle, especially now that 9th encourages all armies to do that. Instead, what it means is that we set up on the left, they start heading towards us...and suddenly we are on the right, chewing through their unprotected stragglers and backline artillery, racking up kills and pain, and snatching abandoned objectives.

We excel at dashing forward as bait, then either dashing off, or suddenly reinforcing to close the trap.
We hover at the edges, until it is the right time to strike.

Secondly, we have lots of shooting options, but need to make the most of them. Concentrating fire is vital, so in the movement phase stay at the right range (Ravagers want to be 35" from several targets), and give every unit more than one target.
Then, plan your Shooting Phase properly. Don't start at the left and work across your army. and don't shoot the biggest thing first. Instead, start with your units that only have one target, as if another unit kills that target first, you can do nothing.
(If this is new to you, I suggest placing a token by each unit first, removing them as they shoot)

DE win by dying heroically. Our PfP mechanic means we get stronger as the game progresses, so don't get demoralised by early losses. Many games I've felt like quitting in Turn 2 or 3, only to go on to win.

Play the mission, not the enemy. Score points, especially early on.

If, like me, you are dreadfully forgetful about buffs, bonuses and stratagems, make yourself cheat sheets. A homemade spreadsheet with all your units as condensed datasheets, with S3+2 T3+1 for your drugged-up Glaive Succubus!
Make notes on each unit for Stratagems they really want to use, and re-read them EVERY Command Phase, as you plan your actions.
I personally made a custom turn counter, a big cube with a turn number on each face and that turn's new PfP bonus, so I never forget to use them.

Other better players can give you specific 9th advice, but these aims have served me well for 5 editions!

A month back or so there was a great article on one of the main Warhammer sites about Line of Sight and Positioning/Baiting. Could have sworn it was on Goonhammer, but cant find it. Had the positioning of a Khorn Demon list against some Marines.

This ringing a bell for anyone? It had some great basics for how to position, and very applicable for our Coven monsters and Kabal gunboats.

Easy tips to remember with Dark Eldar.
1. ALWAYS choose to go first if you get the option.
2. Use your speed and quickness to spread out over the field and take board control. Always try to camp on objectives.
3. MSU is your friend this edition. Nothing pisses a player off more than shooting a lascannon at a single Dark Eldar warrior.
4. Hide when able. Remember that you do not win by killing your opponent, you win by getting points.
6. Every unit should be multi functional. Good against troops AND vehicles. (warriors in a venom with blaster and blast pistol is a great example of this) If you are good against only one unit, it is not worth taking.
7. Fire and fade is a reapers (or ravagers) best friend.
8. Is Drazahar in your list? If not, he should be.
9. Unless filling a specific downfall in your army, the new obsessions are not that great. Flayed Skull, Black Heart, Prophets of flesh, red Grief are much superior and well balanced.
10. Use your speed to force your opponent to move some units backwards towards his own deployment zone. If he is fighting you there, he is not fighting you on center table objectives.

Good Luck

Skulnbonz wrote:

Easy tips to remember with Dark Eldar.
1. ALWAYS choose to go first if you get the option.
2. Use your speed and quickness to spread out over the field and take board control. Always try to camp on objectives.
3. MSU is your friend this edition. Nothing pisses a player off more than shooting a lascannon at a single Dark Eldar warrior.
4. Hide when able. Remember that you do not win by killing your opponent, you win by getting points.
6. Every unit should be multi functional. Good against troops AND vehicles. (warriors in a venom with blaster and blast pistol is a great example of this) If you are good against only one unit, it is not worth taking.
7. Fire and fade is a reapers (or ravagers) best friend.
8. Is Drazahar in your list? If not, he should be.
9. Unless filling a specific downfall in your army, the new obsessions are not that great. Flayed Skull, Black Heart, Prophets of flesh, red Grief are much superior and well balanced.
10. Use your speed to force your opponent to move some units backwards towards his own deployment zone. If he is fighting you there, he is not fighting you on center table objectives.

Good Luck

Number 1 is not always true it is heavily dependent on many factors, I would have lost games if I took first turn.

And number 9 also is not true, 3++ Wyches in combat is really strong, so is DT. The only lists that has been in top 5 for DE has been DT lists actually. But we can take 3 patrols so you can do both.

Thank you Commandersasha! I'm new to this game too and your points are all really good to put in my bag! Especially the point regarding how to sequence your shooter in the shooting phase...
i've already did an army list on a homemade spreadsheet with as many useful information that could fit and indeed, my game was way smoother as i wasn't forgetting EVERY buffs in the game like i did in my first game (even forgetting to shoot while inside an open top transport.....shame!!!!).

For DRWN, i've lost my first two games, but god did i learn a lot!! The difference in skills between my first and second game was HUGE!!! But i still have a lot to learn! And a lot of fun to have!

amishprn86 wrote:

Number 1 is not always true it is heavily dependent on many factors,
And number 9 also is not true, 3++ Wyches in combat is really strong, so is DT.

This was a thread called "Basic Tactics".
Basically, you want to go first. Advanced tactics would differ slightly opponent and deployment dependent.

As for number 9, we can agree to disagree. Yes, 3++ wyches and DT are strong, but NOT armywide. You get more bang for the buck with POF than Dark Technomancers, NONE of the kabal traits are good, and slashing impact and test of skill on wyches would be the only one to give the others a run for the money.
Just my opinion of course.

Skulnbonz wrote:

Easy tips to remember with Dark Eldar.
1. ALWAYS choose to go first if you get the option.
2. Use your speed and quickness to spread out over the field and take board control. Always try to camp on objectives.
3. MSU is your friend this edition. Nothing pisses a player off more than shooting a lascannon at a single Dark Eldar warrior.
4. Hide when able. Remember that you do not win by killing your opponent, you win by getting points.
6. Every unit should be multi functional. Good against troops AND vehicles. (warriors in a venom with blaster and blast pistol is a great example of this) If you are good against only one unit, it is not worth taking.
7. Fire and fade is a reapers (or ravagers) best friend.
8. Is Drazahar in your list? If not, he should be.
9. Unless filling a specific downfall in your army, the new obsessions are not that great. Flayed Skull, Black Heart, Prophets of flesh, red Grief are much superior and well balanced.
10. Use your speed to force your opponent to move some units backwards towards his own deployment zone. If he is fighting you there, he is not fighting you on center table objectives.

Good Luck

1, 3, 6, 9 are not mandatory true. But a good list overall.


I would add my single tip: Think out of the box. Don't fall into normal.mechanics, think.about space and VPs. Nothing else matter

Skulnbonz wrote:

amishprn86 wrote:

Number 1 is not always true it is heavily dependent on many factors,
And number 9 also is not true, 3++ Wyches in combat is really strong, so is DT.

This was a thread called "Basic Tactics".
Basically, you want to go first.  Advanced tactics would differ slightly opponent and deployment dependent.

As for number 9, we can agree to disagree. Yes, 3++ wyches and DT are strong, but NOT armywide. You get more bang for the buck with POF than Dark Technomancers, NONE of the kabal traits are good, and slashing impact and test of skill on wyches would be the only one to give the others a run for the money.
Just my opinion of course.

And we are a deployment, movement heavy army, one of our basic's is knowing when to go first or 2nd. We also are not a army wide army, we don't do our best with 1 faction or subfaction. Heck there are times i have DT and PoF.

PS on number 6, i highly disagree, i am a 100% firm believer in not having to many roles for each unit, they need to be design for a purpose and sometimes adding more to it for something else is just a waste.
Example Kabals with a blaster, If i only have 2 units of Kabals and 2 Blasters with no RR's b.c i'm in a vehicle, its actually equal odds they'll do nothing compare to doing something, but if i go all poison i know i can get 1-2 more shots to that role, 20 poison shots into chaff is better than trying too out position myself to make the blaster work. Sure its fine vs Marines but i build for TAC and don't list tailor.

Not saying you are wrong, its a design belief and in the end they both work for different people, but i felt it was worth to mention for new players so they can see the other way to play/design a list sinse you brought it up.