Hi, I’m an old 3rd edition 40K player who missed 4th and 5th edition and am just now getting back into 40K. I’ve played a handful of games now with my Space Marines, mostly against other Space Marines, and now I’m dusting off my 3rd edition Dark Eldar army (and, sadly, dusting is the literal truth). I picked up the latest Codex, read it, and looked at posts on several boards including this one regarding Dark Eldar. If you have some time, I’d like some opinions on a few things:
First, here is the environment I play in. I have three local stores in easy drive. The closest is WYSIWYG by which they mean that models do not have to be painted but must be seen to carry any *non-base* equipment which was purchased (and cannot have any non-base equipment which was not purchased). The other store (about 20 minutes further away) is much more liberal about WYSIWYG. The third store I never get to play at because its 40K night conflicts with my class.
Second here are the models I have (please remember these are the 3rd edition models – I will try to describe them and also identify them both as the units they are supposed to be and as models):
HQ’S:
Female Archon/Dracon with a “Agonizer” pole-arm and pistol;
Female Archon/Dracon converted from a WFB Dark Elf Sorceress with a stave and a pistol;
2 Haemonculi (1 has a destructor);
Kruellagh the Vile;
Lilith Hesperax;
Drazhar;
TROOPS:
65 Kabalite Warriors including:
4 Dark Lances
6 Splinter Cannons
6 Blasters
14 Wyches including:
1 with hydraKNIVES
1 with shardnet and impaler
1 with razorsnare and falchion
3 blasters
1 Wych Succubus with a whip (agonizer?)
Normally the wyches would have been in a 10 woman squad with one of each special weapon and 2 blasters (and in a Raider). 20 warriors would have been in 2 Raider Squads with the 1 SC and 1 blaster in each. 40 warriors would have been in 2 footslogging squads with 2 DL and 2 Blasters in each. Obviously, those are now illegal configurations.
ELITES:
10 Incubi (with gunhats and everything)
FAST ATTACKS:
8 Hellions. (Plus one Sybarite with a whip (agonizer?) who could be placed on a board as the Hellion Succubus)
8 Reavers including 2 mounting blasters. I don’t know if I had a Succubus in this unit.
HEAVY SUPPORTS:
1 Ravager modeled with 2 disintegrators and 1 dark lance
1 Talos (modeled with an extra claw and extended tail to look like a scorpion and currently with a broken base)
DEDICATED TRANSPORTS:
4 Raiders with Dark Lances
I have some bits which may include dark lances/splinter cannons and/or the non-special reaver weapons.
Here are my questions:
1--What here is illegal now and/or desperately needs conversion/kit bashing/modeling work before being playable? Short of buying more Reavers, is there a way to model heat lances? And I’m looking at my wyches with blasters, hydraknives, and falchions.
2--What can “count as” what in a WYSIWYG environment? I’m still looking at my wyches here with blasters, falchions, and hydraknives.
3--What am I sorely missing? (I have nothing that even looks like a sail on my Raiders for example. Or the weapons modeled on my HQ’s are not venom blades or Huskblades, etc.)
4--I realize I’m missing several of what the common wisdom would deem essential units (a second Ravager or Venoms for example). With that in mind though, what suggestions do you have to do with the list I do have as in how do I best use it? What should my priorities be in new acquisitions? What can I pass off things I do have as now that I would want?
Thanks for your time and your thoughts.