My year of hell with Dark Eldar

[Sami]

I take 3 Ravagers as standard in pretty much every DE list I field. I've been running without Reavers for a while, but miss them and am tempted to work them back into my lists as Heat Lances can be so damned good.

[Souleater]

Assumng the VR is proxied with a RWJF it is also a much more visible target than a Ravager.

[itcamefromthedeep]

Large LOS-blocking terrain is critical.

Plasma grenades should be able to hurt rear armor on a vehicle (an immobilized vehicle in particular), so Wyches can actually contribute even if their friends don't manage to blow up a vehicle with infantry in it.

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Wargames all fall on a continuum from simulation to game, and 40k is very much at the game end of the spectrum, not the simulation. 40k is not remotely realistically in terms of strategy, tactics, physics, resources, or anything else. It's game. In all seriousness, there is far more tactics in chess, and probably more applicable military theory there too. I completely get what you are looking for, but to be honest 40k never was, and never will be that. Flames of War or Stargrunt would serve you better, or better yet something like ASL.

Chess teaches you about sacrificing pieces and thinking ahead to 4th+ order consequences and not much else (very little applicable to warfare). If you want to win at chess you memorize the gambits from the textbook and you apply them. The game goes to the one who is better at memorizing and recognizing the gambits. Thinking like a general won't really help you once you know how to play that game.

Lacking a chance of failure in actions really cripples chess in terms of real-world applicability. Just about anything in the tabletop wargaming genre does military strategy/tactics better than chess... and it's okay to say so.

[Nurgling Chieftain]

The big advantage the ravager has over the voidravens is it cost less.

Of course. The point of a VoidRaven is roughly the combined abilities of a razorwing and a ravager, without sacrificing much of anything from either, in a single heavy support. And yeah, that'll run you about 40 points more than a Razorwing or 80 points more than a ravager.

[blurrymadness]

Of course. The point of a VoidRaven is roughly the combined abilities of a razorwing and a ravager, without sacrificing much of anything from either, in a single heavy support. And yeah, that'll run you about 40 points more than a Razorwing or 80 points more than a ravager.

Meh, to me the advantage of a Razorwing is that it's 2/3rds of a ravager with the ability to utterly obliterate a squad or two once digging them from the transports. I'm still a believer in Raiders simply because I'd rather have troops kill troops and vehicles kill vehicles (or be multi-role at cost; like Rifledreads, Razorwings, etc..)

Sure the bomber is more powerful by a margin, but for 40 points less you get a severely upgraded ravager IMO. Having a boatload of Raiders with cheap squads of wyches or warriors, then some trueborn snipers or blasters, and then some ravagers or razors would be ideal. I still don't get why everyone takes venoms when AT is the concern and both can move 'n' shoot just fine. Being able to add more lances to the field while having troops that actually can do something seems like a big advantage.

[Marshal Augustine]

I read through the entire thread and i thought i would pitch in. I have been playind dark eldar for almost 4 years now loving every game. Yes, sometimes lances fail to do anything but so do meltaguns and lascannons. There are a few key things to consider when playing the dark kin, never playfair, use speed and mobility everything is expendable, we can contest a lot... I could go on and on. Playing de is not for the feint of heart and i find that you have to know wht your enemy will do before even he knows it. This comes with practice but lso with an intimate knowledge of other armies, i mean study them hard and well this gives you the edge that you can use to your advantage. There are a few key things to consider, target priority, mission, table, not being afraid to reserve it all...
Remember that de can cripple an army in three turns. These can be the first three turns, then giving your opponent two to three turns to come back or it can be the last three turns making your opponent waste their game for the first few turns.
Now as for terrain, you can never be too sure so plan ahead, what to do when there is an open field? Also practice isolating and overloading enemy units on the flanks. This makes objective placent paramount. Before i rambke on, ill end here. Pm me for more personalized tactical input on your game.

[Chapters Unwritten]

The entire trick with DE, that I notice few players do, is utilize the speed. You have to avoid the enemy, make him chase you, use the board to herd him. This is really difficult, impossible almost against some armies, but it is the only thing you can do.

[tu33y]

i smpathise and hope it gets better... if it helps I had the exact same thing with IG... for over a year, playing once a week. its a grim feeling, and its not just DE...

[Souleater]

@Mordax: Have things improved yet?

[scapegoatboy69]

I'm not Mordax, but this thread helped me beat the Space Wolf player who'd been giving me hell.

Honestly, this is probably one of the best "tactica" threads I've read.