Muh-Muh-Muh-MANDRAKES!!!

Because, why not?

I know I've posted three threads in the course of a week and not one battle report, but dangit, I like writing lists.

Come on, look at this list, and tell me you're not eager to give it a shot.

Haemonculus, Venom Blade - 55
Haemonculus, Venom Blade - 55
Haemonculus, Venom Blade - 55

10 Mandrakes - 150
10 Mandrakes - 150
10 Mandrakes - 150

5 Wyches, HWG, Venom, Extra Splinter Cannon - 125
5 Wyches, HWG, Venom, Extra Splinter Cannon - 125
7 Wyches, HWG, Hekatrix, PGL, Venom Blade, Raider, Disintegrator, TGL, Night Shields - 184
7 Wyches, HWG, Hekatrix, PGL, Venom Blade, Raider, Disintegrator, TGL, Night Shields - 184
7 Wyches, HWG, Hekatrix, PGL, Venom Blade, Raider, Disintegrator, TGL, Night Shields - 184
6 Wracks, Acothyst, Hexrifle - 85

9 Reavers, 3 Heat Lances, Arena Champion, Venom Blade - 249
9 Reavers, 3 Heat Lances, Arena Champion, Venom Blade - 249

Total: 2000 points

Is it spammy? Yes. Is it untested? Yes. Is it lacking a Reaver squad? Yes.

But, is it the most daring, intriguing, awe-inspiring, lol-inducing Dark Eldar list imaginable?!

Place a Haemonculus with each of the big Wych squads, move them up closer to the infiltrating Mandrakes, drop him off, and unleash the fury of a thousand daemonic fists (okay, maybe just 60) at the enemy. Separate after the first turn so that the Haemonculi don't slow you down - the Mandrakes have Move Through Cover and Fleet after all. TGLs can help you pin some things, which would also make assaulting into terrain less risky. Plenty of Haywire to disrupt enemy tanks, and the now-obligatory Reavers (I only have 18, and I wanted to at least keep something in line with my collection). I already have to proxy a bunch of Mandrakes to make this work. The Wrack squad is by far the least threatening unit on the board, so they sit back and watch.

Really, even with how "suxxors" the Mandrakes are believed to be, I would imagine 30 of them with pain tokens would be pretty intimidating for opponents. Especially with 31 Wyches coming up behind them.

Oh, and for even more fun, drop the Venom Blades on the Haemonculi and one of the small Wych squads to add in Kheradruakh.

Really though, when we have filled in a bunch of spots with HWG Wyches and large Reaver squads, does it even matter what else we use?

Should be interesting, it might even work!
With that many mandrakes appearing out of nowhere with that many reavers and that many raiders and venoms full of wyches speeding around this could work.
And look cool, it would definitely do that.

Great list!

Quote :

6 Wracks, Acothyst, Hexrifle - 85

-Here is an idea, drop a haemi, three wracks, the acothyst and the hexrifle, find 15pts somewhere (drop the TGLs) and get:

Succubus, Vblade - 70
3 wracks, venom - 85

This way you still get a pain token and some CC goodness that can stay with the mandrakes (as the succubus has fleet).

-Not sure the NS are needed, I guess they help protect the raiders when they are droping off the haemies.

-Not sure about the TGLs either as those raiders will not last long.

Looking forward to hear how this goes.

Can definitely feel your excitment through your post!

I like the idea. Mandrakes provide an instant threat when deployed just inches from enemy units, and their invuls give them a little something against flamers. A full squad dishes out 30 Str 4 hits, which can be used against a surrounded tank.

You can't charge T1, but like your plan goes, you want the Haemie to join them - you'll be able to premeasur this one out, therefore placing your Mandrakes 12" ahead of your DZ.

I'd personally have 2 units go to plan, but place a third right up as far as possible, as a distraction.

Also, if your opponent has foot troops in reserve, you can actually place a unit of Mandrakes right along his board edge, abusing 2" unit coherency, means 10 models can spread 30" lengthways. This shuts down half of his boardedge, forcing him to use one side only. You control the game at this point.

I remember a batrep from a few yrs ago where a player played a Kroot Mercenaries army, the entire army Infiltrated and he placed each model along his opponents table edge, his opponent couldn't come on and was destroyed.

Of course, if hes in flyers, this won't work as he'll just fly over the top....

FYI, Move through Cover only requires one model to have it to get the benefit now

And Mandrakes aren't daemons, GW just thought Grey Knights needed a little bit a boost to their Daemon Hunting so they Hunt Daemons and what ever else they feel like hunting when they get bored playing with their 5 point psychic toy upgrades