Dark Eldar Sniper Rifle

Well, i meditated over the Codex (i know, Craftworldy type of the thing, but forgive me, they have been my first army, my first love) and was actually surprised why "we" don't have sniper weapons.

Ofc, having a "kempering" squad contradicts the point of mobile force, and our assault rifles are essentially rapid-firing sniper rifles without rending. So "actual" sniper rifle could be just refinement of "ordinary" splinter rifle, avaliable to anyone, or being limited "special" weapon, and it should be really good to compete with Blaster.

Rangers' rifles are precision lasers as far as i know, and laser weaponry aren't used among DE (Darklights has something to do with dying suns, not just old good plaing laser the CWE and Imperium have)

So, ideas:

1) Beefed up splinter rifle: 1.5 times range, still rapid firing, add "sniper" type so it'll get rending and precision shots. Boring, unimaginitive, but could be useful.

2) even more boring and unimaginitive kind of approach: sniper rifle with Fleshbane.

3) Salvo sniper rifle, 2 times while standstill, 1 when moving. Str4 and poison, so it can be quite effective sniping infantry characters (which is IMO job of snipers, not artillery barrage), while ~same that ordinary kabalite rifle against monsters.

but i'm sure some fellow Archon have brilliant ideas to be shared which could even make their way to new codex. I mean, Phil Kelly visits that forum, may be he even posting on it under nickname...

It may not be available in great quantities, or necessarily the most competitive choice, but with a coven list you could easily get six or seven Hexrifles. It seems to me that it might be a good contender to fit the bill of what you're after, but with extra glass shattering goodness thrown in for good measure.

Hexrifle is too strange and unreliable imo, troops wielding sniper weapons are good, but when you can only get it on HQ and Sarges... they will not generate enough precision hits, and most viable targets have LoS.

I can see your point. I suppose the problem I would struggle with is the one you mention above; of exactly where a unit of snipers would fit in with the standard DE mobile list. Perhaps if this could be a weapons choice for a unit of scourges, which could then sit in the backfield jumping around cover spots and picking off special weapons (flamers for example) in support of an assault pushing up into the face of the enemy..
As you've alluded to, I think it would be a tough choice to go without blasters in something like a trueborn squad, but an alternative stock armament for scourges might be flavorful enough to work..

It also can be "standart" equipment, an upgrade for either warriors or trueborn. For example, alternate shardcarbines for those who prefer to stay at longer range.

why not go exotic and make it a mini-dark lance. So its more like a rail rifle from tau and less like I normal sniper (which already has poison 4+ anyway)

I believe sniper rifles exist for the purpose of killing infantrymen, usally those of significance, and not for incinerating APC's. Besides that, you already have mini dark lance, and it's called blaster.

Hijallo wrote:

I believe sniper rifles exist for the purpose of killing infantrymen, usally those of significance, and not for incinerating APC's. Besides that, you already have mini dark lance, and it's called blaster.

Well, there's the Barrett

And that's the point. We already have a capable 'sniper rifle': the dark lance.
It is 36" range, like the sniper, has an as good or better chance to wound against everything toughness 8 or less, a better AP and much better anti tank capabilities.

Hijallo wrote:

I believe sniper rifles exist for the purpose of killing infantrymen, usally those of significance, and not for incinerating APC's. Besides that, you already have mini dark lance, and it's called blaster.

And we already have a sniper style weapon that wounds on a set amount, its called a splinter rifle/cannon.

What I ment is something that is S6~7 and AP3 with the sniper rule, so it can precision shot and rend if need be (giving it better AT capability) like I said, more rail rifle from Tau than sniper from every other army book.

Also I dont see why we would have a poison sniper rifle if I can just use a dark lance and get better results. The only thing slowing people down with a dark lance is its size, hence the weaker, but more accurate sniper form.

The hexrifle is a awesome sniper that is the bane of big monsters and characters seeing as if I remember properly 6 is always a fail on characteristics tests
Range 36 ap 4 assault 1 sniper
Wrack acothysts can take them
and so can haemonculus