Dark Eldar Royalty: The Duke and The Baron 2000 pts.
Part of the fun of the list is how much they double-cross each other.
Been a long while since I posted up an actual army list and open discussion, and I believe the main issue is that I’ve been wracking my brain over the Dark Eldar codex. Such options and possibilities! Determining the units I like and how the best interact has given me no small amount of frustration over the last few weeks. Initially I simply wanted a Wych Cult to go along with my Dark Elf Khainite list for Fantasy, but then I moved into the realm of Haemonculi, then the ever-present decision of Webway Portals vs. Raiders, and a whole myriad of other options until finally I came back full circle to the Wych Cult idea, now backed by my liking of Hellions and The Baron.
That being said, let’s get onto it:
The List
The Duke
The Baron
Hekatrix Bloodbrides (x7) (Syren w/ Agonizer, Hydra Gauntlets x2, Raider w/ Grisly Trophies)
Incubi (x5) (Raider)
Hellions x17 (Helliarch w/ Agonizer)
Wyches x7 (Hekatrix w/ Agonizer, Hydra Gauntlet x1, Haywire Grenades, Raider w/ Grisly Trophies)
Wyches x7 (Hekatrix w/ Agonizer, Hydra Gauntlet x1, Haywire Grenades, Raider w/ Grisly Trophies)
Wyches x7 (Hekatrix w/ Agonizer, Hydra Gauntlet x1, Haywire Grenades, Raider w/ Grisly Trophies)
Wyches x7 (Hekatrix w/ Agonizer, Hydra Gauntlet x1, Haywire Grenades, Raider w/ Grisly Trophies)
Ravager
Ravager
Ravager
1999/2000
Usage and Notes
Ok, some thoughts on the above. One, initially I had two units of Hellions, I mean, I’m running The Baron after all so why not? Well one thing I noticed as a constant was that The Baron’s unit continued to do fantastically, sitting back in cover, enjoying a 3+ save, and blasted a unit until it was weak enough to kill, or at least soften up for some Wyches. Meanwhile the other unit just didn’t have the raw staying power that The Baron allowed, there is a big difference in making your save 1/2 the time vs. 2/3, then, added in that should they leapfrog from cover to cover they would, on average, incur two failed Dangerous Terrain tests a turn, thus needlessly taking casualties- something The Baron’s unit did not suffer from.
So that being said in the end I just combined the previous two units of fifteen I was running into The Baron’s current unit of 17+1, less bodies I know, but let’s also face the fact Hellions are not cheap, and I hate spending 300+ points on any unit, much less one with a 5+ base save.
Next up let’s talk about the actual number of Wyches-per-unit that I’m fielding, that number being seven per squad. I know the immediate draw is akin to Space Marine tactical squads- fill the Rhino as well as unlocking that second special weapon choice. I will say though that I spent some exhaustive time playing with the numbers (“mathhammering” if you will) and found that per-assault seven Wyches would, on average, kill only one less Space Marine than a full unit of ten. Given that fact, removing the additional three Wyches per unit plus the cost of the second special weapon actually allowed me to damn near fit in and entire extra Wych unit. Having tested this set-up against several opponents, from Terminators to Green Tide, I am happy with the results the seven-man-setup has given me.
Onto the Incubi, which seem to be the odd-man-out in this Combat Drug-fueled group. Honestly, the main draw for me is the models- I mean look at them! Sure, they could be nice entourage’ for The Duke, but honestly he prefers the company of the Bloodbrides. Basically in my testings I found the only tactics I had against Deathstar units (ala Blood Angel Honour Guard) was to (hopefully) drown them in wounds, and even after that (poor) tactic they gave me a tremendous amount of difficulty in killing, often to the point I’d have to send multiple Wych units after them, and that is just not a good trade-off. Thus the Incubi were added, and have thus far filled that little “Kill It With Fire!” niche the army lacked.
Lastly let’s talk about two other details, namely the Haywire Grenades on the Wyches and the lack of Flickerfields army wide. The first of those two is simply because I did not want, nor did I have the points, to add in the ever-popular Blaster Trueborn squad. Frankly they go against theme and, in the end, I just don’t feel they are a great investment for your points- This has the unfortunate side effect however of leaving you with a severe lack of anti-vehicle, as even having just over a dozen Dark Lances does not give you the adequate anti-vehicle you will need at the points-level… Also Dreadnoughts… I hate Dreadnoughts…
The second point there is the lack of Flickerfields. Don’t get me wrong, they’re nice, but my Raiders should be either hidden behind cover or moving Flat-Out, and I personally feel the eighty or so points you’re saving by not including them can be used elsewhere to bolster your forces, such as Haywire Grenades on each Wych unit and covering a decent chunk of adding Gristly Trophies to the Raiders, which I will say have been probably the best point-for-point purchase I’ve made in the army thus far.
~And that pretty much covers it, dear readers. The Dark Eldar codex allows for a phenomenal amount of builds and I could continue to banter on about even just this chosen one for hours, but I doubt you want that. So, let’s open this up for discussion- how badly does the above list suck? How easily will you crush and humiliate it? Tell me in detail, tell it to me slowly… – Mr. Black
