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by Myrvn
This Tactica is not complete, and I may get around to finishing it. With the Dark Eldar quickly dwindling due
to a new marketing scheme by GW I have chosen to release it the way it is. I hope it is helpful on those rare
occasions you play Dark Eldar.
Volume I: Overview
The Dark Eldar as a race:
The Dark Eldar are a fragile, mobile, and precise subset of the Eldar race. They have few options in units,
weapons, and play styles, but what they do have is superior to many other armies, including their evil (now
Mike I really think it's time you realize, you play the bad guys ;b -Deke) brethren.
Several of the advantages of the Dark Eldar are speed and training. Raiders, the base transport of the Dark
Eldar, are the cheapest skimmers in the game and they pack a punch. Each Raider mounts a Darklance, S8
AP2 ignores armor over 12. They are also fast and open-topped so they can quickly deliver units into hand-
to-hand when necessary. As for training, with only one exception all shooting units have a BS of 4. All melee
units are WS 4 or higher. Combined with high strength low AP weapons, the Dark Eldar are very effective at
killing their enemies.
Unfortunately, to counter their advantages, the Dark Eldar are very fragile. The highest armor on a vehicle is
11 and they are all open-topped. All basic troops are Toughness 3 and have armor of 5+ or 6+. The Dark
Eldar rely on stealth, deployment, and superior combat skills to stay alive. This is most often the biggest
problem of playing the Dark Eldar, as it is common to lose a quarter of your army in turn one.
The Dark Eldar are separated down into three sub-sets: The Kabals, The Wyche Cults, and the
Haemonculus Households.
The Kabals form the bulk of the Dark Eldar forces and include the Archons, Dracons, Warriors, and
Scourge. Kabal units are well rounded, but have the majority of the heavy weapons in the DE army. Most
armies are made up of a majority of Kabal units.
Wyche Cult units include Archites, Wyches, Reavers, and Hellions. The Wyches are faster and lighter armed
then the Kabal. They also are far more useful in melee combat then in shooting.
The Haemonculus Households are the grotesque torturers of the Dark Eldar. These are the bad men that give
the righteous elves a bad name. Haemonculus units are often tougher then other units and give dirty fighting a
new name. Units include: Haemonculus, Grotesques, and the Talos. Mandrakes are often associated with
Haemonculus, but no direct ties have been proven.
Things to Accept:
- Losing 2/3s of an army in a victory is normal
- Heroes and Squad Leaders are uber, the rest are just delivery systems
- 2-3 units to kill one item, a single unit can’t do anything on its own, not even Incubi.
- Dark Eldar are not a beginners army, they take a bit of work to understand.
- You can’t buy your models in a store anymore.
General Tactics:
Be as ruthless with your firepower as you can in the first three turns. If you feel that you are horribly beating
your opponent DO NOT LET UP. It is more then likely they’ll come back and give as good as they got.
Dark Eldar can NOT take a hit. They only option is to hit hard before you get hit.
Unit Rundown:
HQ: Dark Eldar Lord
Archons and Dracons are elite close combat heroes. Few heroes, or even units, can hold a Dark Eldar Lord
in close combat. With a proper retinue the Lord can destroy anything it wants, including enemy hand-to-hand
specialists. More often the problem will be killing units too quickly and being left in the open.
Positives:
With a WS of 6 Lords will hit 90% of his targets on 3s; this includes other heroes such as Force
Commanders. Although the Lord has a weak Strength of 3, the use of special weapons and combat drugs
make this a moot point.
Negatives:
Unfortunately Lords do have a downside, which is transportation. As with all units in a Dark Eldar army, the
Lord and retinue are very vulnerable getting to where they want to be. Often times a cheap screen will be
required for them to be useful.
The Archon and Dracon only have a Toughness of 3. Luckily this is offset by a high initiative, high weapon
skill and hard hitting close combat skills. If properly applied, a Lord should not receive very many hits in
close combat. This does not apply to damage taken from shooting, so make sure to get them where they
need to be.
Also, while a Lord has the option of ranged weapons, this is really not an area that should be used. The Lord
is an excellent melee unit and should only be used for this purpose.
Preferred Set-ups:
Archon /w Punisher, Combat Drugs, Plasma Grenades, Tormentor Helm
I would never give a Dracon combat drugs. A Dracon with combat drugs totals 60 points. Upgrading a
Dracon to an Archon for the same cost gives +1 A and +1 WS without rolling. With an initiative of 7 and the
ability to buy Plasma Grenades, always going first in combat is rarely required. +1 S can be countered with
the use of an Agonizer. An Archon also has one extra wound to be used for over-dose protection. If you do
consider giving a Dracon combat drugs, weight what the purpose is and if an Archon will be better suited.
HQ: Wyche Lord
Positives:
A Wyche Lord is very similar to a Dark Eldar Lord, but much better at close combat.
Negatives:
Taking a Wyche Lord requires the use of a Wyche Army, which is not discussed in this Tactica at this time.
HQ: Haemonculus
A Haemonculus is a relatively cheap HQ unit that is designed to support other units, much like it’s evil
counterpart the Warlock. Haemonculus, AKA Hams, are a very versatile HQ choice that follow the
Positives:
One of the biggest advantages of Hams is the ability to have 3 independent characters for one HQ choice.
Having an extra character in different squads can make a large difference in hand-to-hand combat. Another
feature of the Haemonculus is the Destructor. The Destructor follows the same rules of a flamer, but it has a
random AP that negates Power Armor 50% of the time. Hams are the only ones with access to this weapon.
Hams are also Toughness 4.
Negatives:
Haemonculi do not have access to power weapons, which is their biggest disadvantage. A Ham is helpful in
close combat, but requires support.
Preferred Set-ups:
3x Haemonculus, Destructor, Scissor-hand, Haywire Grenades
HQ: Retinue
The retinue is the perfect supporting cast for an Archon. While the retinue can contain Warriors as well as
Incubi, I have found that the shooting ability added from Warriors is often out-weighed by there
ineffectiveness in close combat. Incubi are solid on their own, and they look really cool. I suggest the trench-
coat Incubi available from Asdrubael Vect’s model.
Positives:
Incubi have WS 5, I 5, S 4, power armor, power weapons, and a high leadership. This makes them very
effective in close combat, especially since they will always be used with a Dracon or Archon. Marines have
learned to fear Incubi.
Negatives:
Incubi have several options for shooting; these should never be taken as you lose their power weapons.
Incubi were bred for close combat operations and should not be used for anything else. Never shoot there
guns, it is always better for them to charge.
The biggest problem with Incubi is points cost. A basic Incubi with plasma grenades is 27 points, and most
often you will want to mount them on a Raider. This makes for a very expensive unit. To counter this I never
take more then 5 Incubi. This is especially true with the new assault rules, since many of the extra model’s
attacks will be wasted in the kill zone rules. With a moderate Archon five Incubi is enough to handle any
close combat unit, with the exception of Banshees. Never get in combat with Banshees.
Preferred Set-ups:
5 Incubi, Raider with Night Shield and Darklance.
Elite: Wyches
Wyches are the main portion of the Dark Eldar’s close combat in an army. Wyches excel at tying up
opposing close combat units. Wyches do not pack a very big punch, but they are very effective at reducing
the abilities of their counter-parts. When used with other units, such as Grotesques and Incubi, the Wyches
are very effective.
Positives:
Wyches have 4+ Invulnerable saves in close combat. They also take away enemy attacks and reduce
opposing weapon skills. This makes enemy melee specialists act like basic troops which give the Wyches an
extraordinary advantage in close combat. This is best used to hold a flank in more passive armies. In an
aggressive army several squads of Wyches and Grotesques is very effective on the charge.
Another advantage of the Wyches is the Succubus. While basic Wyches do not hit very hard, they have no
power weapon options, the Succubus can be a very effective killer. A tweaked out Succubus is very
expensive, but she is a squad leader and can not be targeted by your opponents. She is well worth the points.
Blasters are very cheap for Wyches at only 5 points a piece. For 10 points you lose two basic S3 attacks in
melee and gain two S8 AP2 shooting hits. This has several advantages. Against Space Marines and their
variants it is often effective to shoot your weapons before charging. Since Marines have the same WS as
Wyches they will only hit on 4s in melee. Shooting is more effective in this case since you will hit on 3s and
use the same strength. In this case, having two S8 AP2 shots is very helpful. Also, when still in the Raider a
shot of opportunity may become available against a tank. Blasters are excellent anti-tank weapons. For the
10 points two blasters is a very effective upgrade.
Wyches benefit from Combat Drugs. They are random, but will give the unit a bonus. Remember not to count
on any single result and only look at them as bonuses.
Negatives:
A full squad of Wyches with a Raider will likely be one of your most expensive squads.
Wyches are more fragile then any other unit. Since they are often mounted in a Raider, when it crashes you
will have to make an average of 5 armor saves. With a 6+ standard armor save, it is likely you will lose all
five. A Wyche does not receive its invulnerable save until it is in close combat. So a squad of five Wyches in
the open will not likely see the end of the turn.
Preferred Set-ups:
10 Wyches with plasma grenades and Wyche weapons, 2 blasters, 1 Succubus upgrade /w Agonizer, and
Combat Drugs in a Raider with Darklance and night shield
6 Wyches with the same set-up as above
Elite: Grotesques
Grotesques are most importantly a shock value troop. They can not be hurt by anti-infantry guns and cause
fear. Both of these are very rare special rules which most people will not know how to counter.
Positives:
Causing fear is the greatest weapon that Grotesques possess. Only fearless opponents are safe, but
remember they need to win close combat to have your opponent run. Combined with an Archon or other
combat monsters this is fairly guaranteed; then you get to watch 800 points of Necrons run off the board.
One other benefit of Grotesques is their ability to negate strength 5 and lower gun shots. It is possible to run a
screen in front of weaker units such as Wyches. This will work, but the unit will attract a large amount of anti-
tank fire. The best use of this ability is survivability when the unit is on its own. A Raider full of Grotesques is
one of the only units that can be used without support units. NOTE: sniper rifles DO NOT affect Grotesques.
The rules for sniper rifles state that the Strength equals the Toughness of the target, and therefore always
wound on a 4+. Since the Strength of the sniper rifle fired at a Grotesque is defined as ‘3’ it is lower then 6
and can not affect a Grotesque any more then a heavy bolter.
Grotesques have two wounds. Remember, when taking wounds from a unit with multiple wounds that
individuals cannot be assigned wounds. If the squad takes 1 wound from shooting and 1 wound from close
combat you MUST remove a model. Also, when a Raider crashes, individuals cannot be wounded. If 5
wounds are caused in a crash you must remove 2 models leaving the squad with 1 wound left over.
Negatives:
Stupidity is a minor problem for Grotesques as you can cure this by having a hero attached to the unit. Since
the squad needs a heavy hitter there is no reason you should ever run the squad without a hero attached.
Grotesques have a toughness of 3 and no armor save. This combined with an initiative of 3 does not give
them high survivability rates in close combat. Grotesques are best used in conjunction with other units. It is
also possible to overpower smaller 2-3 man heavy weapon units behind enemy lines.
Preferred Set-ups:
- Tweaked Dracon, 8 Grots, Raider with Screaming Jets
- Two Hams /w Destructor & Scissor Hands, 8 Grots, Raider /w Screaming Jets
- Ham and 4 Grots
- Also, lead with a Dracon
Elite: Mandrakes
Please refer to a very well written document by OS Don available at http://groups.yahoo.
com/group/commorragh/ in the files section. It is several pages in length detailing the proper use of
Mandrakes.
Elite: Warp Beasts
Warp Beasts are very cost effective troops which are good against lightly armored troops. They also make a
good charge on armor if they have support.
Positives:
For 75 points you get 16 S4 WS4 attacks at I5, not to mention a couple Agonizer attacks. Warp Beasts are
extraordinarily cost effective.
Warp Beasts are also extraordinarily fast. They count as Fleet of Foot as well as having a 12” assault.
Negatives:
Warp Beasts are very susceptible to damage. They are T3 with a 6+ save, and the save is not modified in
close combat. Therefore, Warp Beasts are really only effective on the charge.
To field a pack of Warp Beasts you must have a squad of Wyches fielded. This is sometimes a little odd
since I rarely field Wyches without a Raider. Puppies have a difficult time keeping up with a Raider army.
Preferred Set-ups:
The only way to go is 5 Warp Beasts and 1 Beastmaster @ 75 points.
Troops: Warriors/Raiders
Warriors are the bread and butter of an effective Dark Eldar force. It is very common for my armies to
comprise of 45-50% troops by points.
Positives:
Warriors are very cheap for their stat line. For 8 points you get Initiative 5, and WS & BS 4. Compared to
many races this is very good.
As with all Dark Eldar characters the Sybarite can become a very potent combat monster. As with many
squads, the rest of the unit is considered additional wounds for the Sybarite once it is hand to hand combat.
Negatives:
There really are no large negatives for Warriors
Preferred Set-ups:
- 10 Warriors /w 2 Darklances
- 20 Warriors /w Sybarite 2 splinter cannons and 2 blasters
- 6 Warriors /w Sybarite, splinter cannon, blaster, Raider /w Night Shield
- 10 Warriors /w Sybarite, splinter cannon, blaster, Raider /w Night Shield
Fast Attack: Hellions
Positives:
They look cool. Really, who doesn’t want the Green Goblin in their army?
Hellions benefit from Combat Drugs. They are random, but will give the unit a bonus. Remember not to count
on any single result and only look at them as bonuses.
Hit & Run is difficult to use, but can be very effective. Hellions are really only effective on the charge and this
ability allows them to get the charge every time you use them. Be careful not to H&R into the open though, as
the invulnerable save will not stop everything that is shot at them. 10 bolters rapid firing will still likely kill 6
Hellions.
Deep Strike is also another ability of the new and improved Hellions. This ability was added mostly to fit with
the fluff written about them, but an inventive general could create an interesting Deep Striking force of
Hellions, Scourge, and Raiders.
Negatives:
Hellions are very expensive and often will not be able to recoup their points cost. In the Dark Eldar army you
cannot hold a single unit to gain its value in victory points, but the Hellions take this a little further then most
other units.
Preferred Set-ups:
8 Hellions /w tweaked Succubus
Fast Attack: Reavers
Positives:
Reavers are the fastest non-vehicle in the game. They can jet boost 24” in a single turn. This is great for
several styles of play. They can easily keep up with Raiders, or they can jet out on their own to cover a flank.
One possibility of using the Reavers is to make a move on one flank and then boost 24” the other direction if
your opponent bites.
Another benefit of the jetboost is the fact they receive a 4+ invulnerable saves for the duration of the turn.
This includes in close combat if they get charged. While this is not enough to save them from everything, it
does drastically improve their survival rating if they are on their own. (One of the few Dark Eldar units that
can operate on their own)
A squad of 3 Reavers equipped with 2 Blasters is very effective at killing solitary tanks and costs less then
100 points.
Reavers benefit from Combat Drugs. They are random, but will give the unit a bonus. Remember not to count
on any single result and only look at them as bonuses.
Negatives:
Reavers are not combat monsters. They are like a normal Space Marine, but only have a 4+ Save. This will
keep them alive, but they lack the attacks to truly be effective in Close Combat.
Preferred Set-ups:
- 3 Reavers /w 2 blasters
- 10 Reavers /w tweaked Succubus and 2 blasters
Heavy Support: Scourge
Positives:
Scourge have jetpacks which allow them to move 12” in a turn. This is great for playing behind the first wave
of troops to get to their line of fire.
Scourge can also mount either 4 Splinter Cannons or 4 Darklances. Few troops can withstand 16 S4 AP5
shots and few vehicles can withstand 4 S8 shots. Especially one that reduces heavy armor to 12.
Negatives:
Speed is also the greatest negative for Scourge. There are many benefits, but if you want to mount
Darklances you are paying far too many points. You’re paying the high cost of a Warrior with a Jetpack and
the super high cost of multiple heavy weapons. This isn’t to say it isn’t worth it all the time, but I rarely field a
unit that does not use Splinter Cannons.
Scourge will often be either your first or second most expensive unit on the field. A squad of 10 with 4
Splinter Cannons clocks in at 240 points. This is a fragile unit for that amount of points.
Preferred Set-ups:
8 Scourge /w 4 splinter cannons
Heavy Support: Talos
The Talos is the opposite of most units in the Dark Eldar army; it is slow and tough. Even in the open it can
take several shots from a lascannon before going down.
Positives:
The Talos is very similar to a Wraithlord with a very high Toughness and a low Save. The Toughness of 7 is a
little lower then a Wraithlord, but it is still high enough to survive in close combat against most opponents.
Beware of Powerfists.
The Talos is Strength 7 and counts as Power. The number of Attacks is random, but you average 3.5 attacks
per turn. With a Weapon Skill of 5, they will kill an average of 2 Marines per turn. A Talos can easily destroy
an entire unit of Marines within a few turns.
No Leadership: The Talos is immune to anything that uses its Leadership value. It doesn’t have one. This also
makes it Fearless at all times.
Negatives:
The Talos has a random number of Attacks per turn. You may roll 7 attacks on the charge, or you might roll
2. This has to be accounted for, but with the high resilience of the model it is not bad.
The Talos only moves 6” per turn. It does not have the ability to Fleet of Foot and is not a Vehicle;
regardless that it is a ‘skimmer’. It is better to think of the Talos as a Skimmerette. It moves just like Infantry,
but tests Difficult Terrain like a Skimmer.
Talosessess (LOL -Deke) also have a difficult time destroying Vehicles. Other Dreadnaughts can easily
destroy them, but the Talos’ special rules make them difficult to penetrate even a Rhino.
Preferred Set-ups:
Talos
Heavy Support: Ravager
Positives:
Ravagers are amazing firing platforms. With the ability to mount 3 disintegrators the Ravager can very easily
destroy an entire squad of Marines in a single firing phase. Or you could mount 3 Darklances to easily
destroy vehicles. The Night Shield is also a must for Ravagers. Without the heavy armor of other tanks, the
Ravager needs the protection.
Remember your opponents only hit you on a 6+ in close combat regardless of how far you have moved.
Negatives:
Unfortunately the Ravager has a very low armor of 11. Like the rest of the Dark Eldar vehicles it cannot take
a hit. Use Raiders to block LOS from your opponent’s potential tank killers.
The Ravager is a Fast Skimmer, but it cannot use its speed if it wants to fire all weapons.
Preferred Set-ups:
vager /w 3 disintegrators and Night Shield
Volume II: An Infantry Army
The idea of an infantry based army stemmed from the fact that it is difficult to carry 8-10 Raiders around. To
get around this, I have come up with the following ideas on a complete infantry army of Dark Eldar.
Benefits of Army:
The basic infantry army has several advantages. One, your opponent will never think of a Dark Eldar army
without any vehicles; it’s just not right. (Hence the reason I have never won a best army award.) Two, almost
all of your opponent’s anti-tank weapons are wasted against your army. Three, all your units are fairly cheap,
fast, and expendable. Four, you will almost assuredly outnumber your opponent on a model to model basis.
The largest negative to the army is range. The Darklance is range 36” while the splinter cannon and rifles are
only range 24”. You must either move towards your opponent, or have a reason to bring him to you.
Without vehicles you are far less maneuverable. Deployment becomes much more important then in a Raider
based army.
Any vehicle in the army is a liability; the only exception to this is a Raider Drop in Deep Strike. If you have a
single Raider or Ravager on the board it will attract every anti-tank weapon in your enemy’s army. A Raider
Drop ignores this, since it is assumed that the Raider will not survive the turn it lands anyway.
Useful Units:
You want several types of units for this army. Cheap units with heavy firepower, heavy hitting close combat
monsters, a few token meat shields, and a surprise or two are very useful.
For firepower the best units are Warriors and Scourge. A 10 man squad of Warriors with 2 Darklances is
very cheap and very effective. Scourge come in two flavors, splinter cannons and darklances. Either of these
is very effective. I usually max out my troop choices, but I rarely have enough points to field multiple Scourge
squads.
Close combat is a little more difficult to choose. The army is designed to shoot a lot, therefore when you get
into combat; it should be with a unit that has been softened by shooting. You also want to go for the kill as
soon as possible so your lanes of fire are open again. To this end I use Incubi, Wyches, and Talos. A minimal
squad of Incubi and an Archon is very effective for this. Unfortunately, they are very static, so I often leave
them in reserve until I see which flank my opponent is moving towards. Talos are also very effective. I usually
run one on each side. They absorb fire, and they hit really hard in combat. Just make sure they are hidden
until you need them. Wyches are a little difficult to use in this context. Their main purpose is to tie up enemy
units, but a small squad (6) with a very expensive Succubus on the ground can have limited success,
especially if they fire a couple blasters before charging. Warp Beasts are an effective side kick for Wyches in
this purpose.
Meat shields are fairly simple to solve. A simple 20 man Warrior squad is cheap and takes quite a bit of fire
to kill. Another possibility is the use of a Grotesque wall. This is effective against small arms fire, but you need
to protect them against anti-tank weapons.
For surprises I have found a squad of Mandrakes or a Raider Drop to work very well. If you are lucky, your
opponent will forget you have a unit in Deep Strike; this is when the Raider Drop is the most effective.
Basic Tactics:
During deployment, keep any Talos and close-combat units out of line of site. You want the Talos near the
front lines, but it is best to keep them behind a forest if possible. Any anti-tank weapons your opponent has
will definitely be targeted towards them. You want to be able to react to your opponent’s melee units, but
you don’t want yours to be shot at.
Also, spread your models across your deployment zone, but concentrate on one side or the other. You want
to try and spread your enemy thin while bringing the brunt of your forces down on a single part of his army.
Keep in mind that you need to bring your opponent to you, hide important units from his weapons.
On your first turn, move several of your large infantry squads up 6”, possibly using fleet of foot to get in a
better position. It is more important to create a buffer between the two armies then to shoot this turn. You
want to delay close combat as long as possible and shoot as much as you can. Once these units are in
position they may not move again, as rapid fire weapons are better in a stationary position.
Priority targets are any transport vehicles and long range anti-infantry heavy weapons teams. Ignore any large
anti-tank vehicles such as the Predator Annihilator. These will cause minimal damage to infantry and can be
cleared up later. If you can destroy any transports it will cause his troops to walk toward you and usually
through open terrain where they can be picked off. Also, use either Mandrakes or a Raider Drop to take out
heavy weapon squads hidden behind his other troops.
Also, the Darklance is not just an anti-tank weapon. It will also kill a marine in one shot. If the tanks are all
gone, turn them on the infantry.
Optimally, this army will destroy enemy movement capabilities and start to destroy units one at a time.
Remember that Dark Eldar are much better at killing then staying alive, so throw sacrificial targets out in the
open and cover your expensive models as best as you can.
Sample Army Lists:
- Archon /w 5 Incubi Retinue
- Dracon /w 8 Grotesques in a Raider with Screaming Jets
- 4x 10 Warriors /w 2 Darklances
- 2x 20 Warriors /w splinter cannons and a Sybarite
- 1x 6 Scourge /w 4 splinter cannons
- 2x 1 Talos
- 6x Hams /w Destructors and Scissorhands
- 8 Mandrakes
- 4x 10 Warriors /w 2 Darklances
- 2x 20 Warriors /w splinter cannons and a Sybarite
- 1x 6 Scourge /w 4 splinter cannons
- 2x 7 Wyches /w 2 blasters and a Succubus
- 1x 5 Warpbeasts
Volume III: Precise Fire Raider Army
Coming soon
Volume IV: Dirty Little Tricks
Raider Drop:
Currently, the Dark Eldar are the only race with the ability to Deep Strike vehicles. Due to the fragile nature
of Dark Eldar, this is rarely a good idea. One way around this is to drop a squad of Grotesques, as they are
the most durable troop available to the Dark Eldar. For around 300 points you can have a solid Deep
Striking unit to take out enemy heavy weapons and ‘concealed’ models. If nothing else, it sure creates a
distraction for the rest of your forces.
8 Grotesques, Raider /w Darklance and Screaming Jets, 2 Hams /w Scissor-hands, Destructors, and
Haywire Grenades (An alternative against power armored units is to replace both Hams with a single Archon
or Dracon decked out to around 100 points. The added abilities of a power weapon are very useful, but less
fluffy.)
Don’t expect your Raider to survive. This is very unlikely. When deploying your troops, try and spread them
as much as possible. You want to engage as many units as possible in close combat. With the Grotesques’
special rule there is a good change of all the units running, and if they don’t run it is that many less squads
shooting at you.
Grotesques and Incubi:
The Grotesques special rule applies to them winning a combat, NOT winning a combat on there own. Stack
the odds and put in a two pronged attack with Wyches and Grotesques, or Incubi and Grotesques.