Dark Eldar 1500 points list

I need lots of criticism, because I am a very new player.
HQ:
Archon with Huskblade, Soul-trap, Shadow field 135
Elites:
4 Incubi + Klaivex with Demiklaives 145
Raider 60
Troops:
10 Kabalite Warriors 90
Raider with Splinter racks 70
10 Kabalite Warriors 90
Raider with Splinter racks 70
5 Kabalite Warriors 45
Raider with Disintegrator cannon 60
5 Kabalite Warriors 45
Raider with Disintegrator cannon 60
Fast Attack:
2 Beastmasters with Venom blades, 2 Razorwing Flocks, 5 Khymerae 124
2 Beastmasters with Venom blades, 2 Razorwing Flocks, 5 Khymerae 124
Heavy Support:
Ravager 105
Ravager 105
Razorwing Jetfighter with 4 Necrotoxin missiles 165
Total: 1493

play it and let us know how those beast masters work for you. ive never played with them because i didnt like the models but now that there are some new ones ive been thinking about it but dont dont see the need in my list now unless im playing a larger 2v2 or apocalypse.

I agree, play it. No list is ever 100% 'correct'. Plus, without knowing your opponent or circumstances, it is hard to make specific comments.

You are a new DE player and still relatively new to 40K even, so the best way to learn is to just play your army, and perhaps change it around a bit after 2-3 games to get a feel for it. You have a good mix of weapons and units, you should be able to decide what works for you and what doesn't. You are perhaps a little light on close-combat capability, but switch that up next time, if you want to.

Ok, so criticsm it is :]


A] Raider for the Incubi needs night shields - this is a bolter edition and you do not want to be glanced to death by bolters or shot down by rapid fire plasmas - it will not help against the big guns, but greatly reduce the risk from other sources (since you will be rushing forward)

B] Venom blades are wasted on the beastmasters (with 1 attack they will never make much use of it)
And put the beastmasters together to 1 unit. You need a hard hitting squad, not something, that can be taken down piecemal.

C] No necrotoxin on razorwing, use shatterfield instead or go with basic monoscythe.
why?
- your oponent will have probably cover, so he will get 5+ save anyway. That means, AP- rockets with higher strength and reroll to wound suits you better (the pinning does not help too much). And you still will have fearsome power if you meet vehicles with S7.
And I'd suggest adding flickerfield to the razorwing

D] Kabalite warriors need some AT weapons - their raiders will get shot down soon (so you cannot rely on the lances)

So - On your place I'd drop down one kabalite warrior squad and use the points to
A] add blasters + (Dark lances or splinter cannons) to the remaining warrior squads
B] giving raiders the night shields

counter criticism:
a) no, incu raider doesnt need nightshields, for it will be up in the enemys face.

the other stuff are good points though

Enfernux wrote:

counter criticism:
a) no, incu raider doesnt need nightshields, for it will be up in the enemys face.

yes, and that is why, against a smart marine player, you will need nightshields.
let's assume I cram my raider up to his face, and I end about 6-8 inchech from the marine squad.

Marine player will now step back to the 12 inch line and take the raider down with rapidfire - 2 rapid plasmas, 8 rapid bolters -
That is about 2 glancing hits and about 2 (glance/pene hits from plasma) - this has serious potential to take the raider down even with 4+ cover save - even without other units. Which means it is 6 inches more to assault (and you will need to deal with the difficult terrain)

With nighshields, he cannot do it, you are protected from melta guns, and you can start closer (42,1 inch from the heavy weapons)

Nightshield reduces rapid fire range by 3", I never find it makes much of a difference on my assault units. Still it gives you extra protection on the first turn if the enemy can see you. I can just never find the points to fit them into my list.

It reduces fusion weapons' special rule range ( half of the normal range ) by 3 as well, and considering the fact that it is already short like 9, it makes it from 9 to 6 which is not bad imho.

Melta weapons don't need no 2d6 to sink one of our junk boats. Still reduced overall range ain't bad.

Here's a current revision. I decided to make the beastmaster units larger, instead of merging them, so that my army can take on multiple threats in melee at once.
HQ:
Archon with Huskblade, Soul-trap, Shadow field 135
Elites:
4 Incubi + Klaivex with Demiklaives 145
Raider with Nightshields 70
Troops:
9 Kabalite Warriors, one of which has a blaster 96
Raider with Splinter racks 70
9 Kabalite Warriors, one of which has a blaster 96
Raider with Splinter racks 70
5 Kabalite Warriors, one of which has a blaster 60
Raider with Disintegrator cannon 60
Fast Attack:
3 Beastmasters, 4 Razorwing Flocks, 5 Khymerae 156
3 Beastmasters, 4 Razorwing Flocks, 5 Khymerae 156
Heavy Support:
Ravager 105
Ravager 105
Razorwing Jetfighter with 4 Shatterfield missiles, flickerfield 175
Total: 1499

Well on the Razorwing flickerfield (it does not have jink as skimmers) instead of nightshields ( with the mandatory movement, you will find, that you will be soon really close )

Oh, yeah! I forgot that fliers don't have jink. Fail on my part, sorry. I'm just gonna edit my earlier post, because it's such a minor change.

I might also recommend disintigrators on the Razorwing, not a whole lot can stand up to being hit by 6 Str 5 ap 2 shots, 6 4+ poisoned ap 5 shots, and a Str 7 large blast missile that re-rolls failed to wound rolls in one round from one unit. Used that configuration and in 2 rounds of shooting it shredded a 3 man Crisis suit team and 7 Fire Warriors with relatively sub par rolls on my part

I definately agree with the arguments for disintegrators, but since the razorwing is the only anti-flyer defence of the list, I'd keep lances.

Goran, you could abuse the ravagers rule as to fire at regular bs and fire all gunz even if it has moved at cruising speed...even at flyers. Until it is FAQd that is

Can't it already fire all guns at cruising speed?

Enfernux wrote:

Goran, you could abuse the ravagers rule as to fire at regular bs and fire all gunz even if it has moved at cruising speed...even at flyers. Until it is FAQd that is

I'm afraid, that this is against the rules - shots without skyfire are resolved as snap shots - regardless of BS.
yes, Ravager can fire at regular BS, but it is a snapshot nevertheless.

pff...dont make me skan for rules overriding rules...it was about fast skimmer ramming over(!!!) enemy squad. You colide wirth the first target, because it is a special tank shock, but skimmer lets you pass over unwanted intervening models. If it goes for skimmers, it also goes for other rules overwriting rules so...

anyway it was discussed in a nother section of the forum that you can fire at flying thing with full bs with a ravager...if you really, Really, REALLY want to abuse the rules - it is legal, but way over normality...then again, we are waging war on a table with models, we all are way over normality XD

Mushkilla wrote:

Nightshield reduces rapid fire range by 3", I never find it makes much of a difference on my assault units. Still it gives you extra protection on the first turn if the enemy can see you. I can just never find the points to fit them into my list.

Hey Mushkilla, first of all awesome battle reports! You are really onto something with the Reavers, am going to try them out in my next battle ; )

As for Night Shields, how are you calculating they reduce rapid fire by 3", is this from an FAQ that I missed? The rules read:

"This has the effect of reducing the range....by 6".....the extra distance (6") is also counted for working out if the vehicle is in rapid fire range, half range for a melta shot, and so on."

Unless there is an FAQ out there, it clearly reads the 6" reduction is applies to rapid fire, so 12" - 6" = 6".

NOTE - the rules for rapid fire state you can shoot once if within 24", twice if within 12". They don't say once if within 24", twice if within half that range. That would be the argument for saying that night shields reduce range of rapid fire weapon from 24" to 18", and rapid fire is therefore 9" (half 18"), supporting what you said about reducing by 3". However RAW, Rapid Fire weapons simply can shoot once at 24", or twice at 12", the twice at 12" , each of which is reduced by 6" from Night Shields.

What do you think, does this make sense or am I missing something?

Never mind, sorry I should've read the rules closer @ Mushkilla. Rapid Fire is 1/2 maximum distance, that would support night shields only taking taking off 3". Damn, that makes them less useful : (