Dark Eldar Tactica - 6th Edition

[Sami]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION


HQ - Special Characters (1/2)

1. Asdrubael Vect, "Supreme Overloard of Commorragh"

2. Baron Sathonyx, "The Lord Hellion"

3. Drazhar, "Master of Blades"

4. Duke Sliscus, "The Serpent"

HQ - Special Characters (2/2)

5. Kheradruakh, "The Decapitator"

6. Lady Malys

7. Lelith Hesperax

8. Urien Rakarth, "Master Haemonculus"

HQ

1. Archon
1.5. Court of the Archon

2. Haemonculus
2.5. Haemonculus Ancient

[Sami]

INTRODUCTION

The Transition

The initial focus of this overview (and first pages of this thread) will focus on what has changed for Dark Eldar with the new edition. Sources for this will be the new rulebook and the army FAQ (if/when released).

If you do not have the rulebook, please do not post opinions/comments/information from other websites about it, and please definitely don’t make posts asking people to repeat rules that are listed in the book. It is against Warseer policy, it is against GW policy, and I really do not want this thread getting cluttered up with generic 6th edition rules queries that can be answered by reading the book.

Do you own the book? If not, you’re not playing 6th edition. Come back when you are

Community Property

Apologies for the Steel Panther reference. Although I will be maintaining the first page with all of the (useful) information found throughout the entire thread, remember that the source of this useful information comes from you. While I can not attribute each snippet to the person who first posted it without this section becoming unwieldy, do remember that tactica threads thrive on the input of everyone. If you post something insightful, it will end up on the first page. If you spot errors, report them and it will be updated. If you have worked out some useful mathhammer, post the workings and it will be incorporated.

I will update the this first page as often as I can, but do remember that I have a full-time job and lots of painting to do (soooo much painting). I will generally hold off putting information in until I know it is accurate and relevant, so don’t be put off from contributing if what you type doesn't get added in straight away.

The Focus

This thread is all about how to play DE well in 6th edition. It is not about how much you hate GW, how much you hate X designer, how something has been nerfed and you don’t like it, etc. Rational and on-topic discussion please. There are PLENTY of other threads to vent any issues you have with DE, 6th, etc - this thread is not one of them.

In addition, the majority of content this thread will likely focus on tailoring lists to higher-level/competitive play. As competitive play tends to only permit a single list for all of the games, "all-comers" lists will also be a main focus. While X unit might be good against Y codex, if it is poor against all others chances are it won’t be that highly rated.

You are of course permitted (and indeed encouraged) to ask questions about a particular match-up, but if you are tailoring your list to fight a specific codex (i.e. you know you have an upcoming match against IG so want to take the best anti-IG list around), please explicitly state this so the other posts know to tailor their advice to your tailored list!

As the thread evolves, added to the first page will be high-level overviews of how to deal with each codex, and included in this will be details of any units (or combination of particular units) that are effective against each particular army. This part of the guide won’t be written until the excitement and newness of 6th edition fades and we start to see what other armies are truly capable of.

Finally, a word of thanks

A specific thank you is owed to Bigbear Bailey for running the 5th edition thread. A broader thank you is owed to everyone who actively participated in that thread. It was a great tactica with some great posters, and I hope the 6th edition is able to live up to the same standards.

We've 4-5 years until 7th edition - more than enough time to make this the best tactica Warseer has ever seen

[Sami]

HQ - Special Characters (1/2)

1. Asdrubael Vect, "Supreme Overlord of Commorragh"

Overview

Asdrubael Vect is primarily a close combat Independent Character with limited support utility. While Vect is very handy in melee, the main reason for taking him is to be able to Seize the Initiative on a roll of 4+, rather than 6+. This is a great psychological tool for forcing your opponent to deploy more defensively even if they get the first turn, as they have a 50% chance of going second. This ability is however, quite useless if you end up deploying first (for obvious reasons!). Once the game starts, Vect should generally be used to kill as much as possible in melee, while ideally staying away from anything with a 2+ armour save.

Pros:

• He has an absurd statline.
• In melee, he wounds everything on a 3+ with an AP3 weapon.
• Plasma (assault) grenades and haywire grenades.
• Shadowfield (2+ invul until it fails) and Ghostplate (4+/6+).
• Can heal himself with a short range shooting attack.
• Preferred Enemy against everyone.
• Re-roll to wound against Eldar and Dark Eldar units.
• Seize the Initiative on a 4+.
• Makes his entire unit Fearless.

Cons:

• Most expensive model in the codex.
• No Eternal Warrior, so he can still be ID by anything S6+.
• Unable to deal with AP2 via shooting or close combat.
• His unique dedicated transport option is still overpriced and not very good.
• Non-existent long range shooting.
• No combat drugs (although in all honesty, between his statline and equipment he doesn't have much use for them).
• Seizing the initiative on a 4+ is useless if you deploy first.
• Fearless is still a double-edged sword.

5th to 6th:

• Preferred enemy is now conferred to any unit he has joined. The wording of this rule has changed completely, so be sure to check your BRB to see how it works now.
• Fearless is now conferred to any unit he has joined, and no longer causes No Retreat wounds if you lose combat.
• Can no longer be singled out in close combat anymore (unless in a challenge obviously).
• Sceptre of the Dark City was nerfed to AP3 due to the power weapon changes.

Synergy

Vect's ideal bodyguard unit is either Wyches or Bloodbrides. Vect is only special character to get Haywire Grenades, which are pretty much standard equipment for Wyches/Brides. Adding in a Haemonculus makes everyone happy, as the Feel No Pain changes in 6th edition mean they can make the rolls against power weapon attacks too.

The main purpose of the bodyguard unit is to soak up wounds for Vect. Wyches and Bloodbrides both have a 4+ invulnerable save in melee, both can get Feel No Pain, both are T3, both are WS4. Wyches are the cheaper option, but if you wanted the unit to potentially inflict a greater number of wounds then Bloodbrides might be the way to go with their +1A and ability to take a larger quantity of special weapons.

Including a sergeant in the squads (Hekatrix or Syren) is also a great way for dealing with challenges you don't want to accept. If somebody with 2+ armour challenges you, have the sergeant answer the challenge and use Vect to butcher the rest of the squad. If you include a Haemonculus, then depending on how you equip it the sergeant might not be required (see the Haemonculus Ancient section for a unique way of dealing with challenges).

Wyches/Brides are also one of the rare melee units in the codex that come with assault grenades (like Vect), so you know that when charging through cover the entire unit should be striking at I6+. Vect is not very good at enabling other units to do their job well, so he needs to be put with a unit that has very little need for outside support.


2. Baron Sathonyx, "The Lord Hellion"

Overview

Baron Sathonyx is a melee-focused Independent Character that excels at buffing the unit he is currently attached to. While his close combat prowess is excellent for his cost, the main reasons for including him in an army are to unlock Hellions as troops, grant a unit Stealth and assault/defensive grenades, and grant the same unit Hit and Run. He also helps you win the first turn by allowing you to add 1 to your roll when seeing who deploys first.

Pros:

• Cheapest special character in the codex and cheaper than a lot of generic IC builds.
• Excellent mobility (Jump Infantry).
• +1 when rolling to see who deploys first.
• Shadowfield.
• S6 on the charge, S7 with 2 pain tokens!
• Gets to use his +2 strength bonus for Hammer of Wrath attacks.
• Any unit he joins automatically gains Stealth and Hit and Run.
• The only special character equipped with the Phantasm Grenade Launcher (PGL).
• Vastly improved Hit and Run capabilities if solo or attached to Hellions.

Cons:

• No Eternal Warrior, so will be ID if successfully wounded by S6+.
• Unable to ride in transports, so can't be (easily) used to buff melee units that rely on a Venom or Raider to deliver them to the enemy (Grotesques, Incubi, Wracks).
• No combat drugs. Unlike Vect, almost all of them would be very useful too.

5th to 6th:

• Hit and Run is now passed to any unit he joins.
• Hammer of Wrath can give him a free I10 hit when charging.
• Indirectly: now has almost identical movement to Beastmaster packs.

Synergy

There are several units in the DE codexthat would greatly benefit from having assault grenades, but sadly most of them rely on transports to get them in to close combat. This means Baron either needs to run around solo until he's in range (note: not a good idea), use a different squad to shield him and then swap (note: also not a good idea) or somehow hope to deep strike in next to the unit he wants to join (note: the worst idea of all as it prevents the unit from charging that turn). The simplest solution is to instead find him a unit which will benefit from his buffs while also having equal mobility. There are two such units in the codex, and they are Hellions and Beastmaster packs.

Hellions are the obvious choice. Both Baron and Hellions are Jump Infantry, he unlocks them as troops, they lack grenades - although their sergeant can purchase a PGL - and he makes their Hit and Run very reliable. Hellions are rather fragile, and with the nerf to cover saves across the board in 6th having Stealth will help them stay alive that little bit longer. For an overview on how to use Hellions effectively, take a look at their unit overview.

Beastmaster packs also greatly benefit from the Stealth rule. While they have the same movement speed as Baron, they can not ignore impassable terrain, hence it takes them a bit longer to get to their target. This potentially means more shots being fired at them, and there's only so many wounds Khymerae can soak up. Beastmaster packs also lack grenades, so get great benefit from Baron's PGL. However, due to JI and beasts having different rules when charging, chances are all you will be able to do is charge like normal infantry. Beasts will be slowed by the terrain as Baron is (assuming you used the 12" jump move in the movement phase), so the beasts lose a little bit of their advantage. However, both have fleet which helps to counter bad charge rolls, and striking in initiative order is vital for getting the most out of the pack.

Finally, you might consider putting Baron with Scourges. You should never ever assault with them, but they move at the same speed (JI) and they will also benefit from having Stealth. Don't try and work Scourges in to your list if you take the Baron, instead see if it's worth taking Baron if your list includes Scourges (yes there is a difference!). While it is rare that Scourges will survive assault, if they do get charged then the defensive grenades from the PGL will cut down the number of incoming attacks, and Hit and Run can be used to get out of combat and run (or jump…) away as fast as possible!


3. Drazhar, "Master of Blades"

Overview

Drazhar is a purely melee-focused independent character, and is essentially a special character version of the Klaivex (squad leader for Incubi). He has a very generous stat-line and is the only model in the book with a 2+ armour save. He is also armed with Demiklaives, making him one of only two unique ICs to be able to strike at AP2 (the other being Lelith). He is also the only model in the codex with Eternal Warrior. If you are looking for a HQ choice that purely focuses on killing models with a 2+ armour save, Drazhar is an excellent. However, he is very inflexible, very expensive (second only to Vect in points cost) and suffers from the very same problem that plagues Incubi - no assault grenades.

Darting Strike can be used to direct his wounds on the models that you want to ensure die first. The new wound allocation rules for melee state that wounds must first be allocated on enemy models that are in base-to-base contact with a model striking at that Initiative step. Unless striking at I1 (charging through terrain), Drazhar should always be striking at a different time to anyone else in his unit so you can be sure that the wounds will go on the models he moved into contact with via Darting Strike. Annoyingly, the one unit that could give him grenades (Archon) also strikes at I7, so combining the two could be quite detrimental!

Pros:

• Makes his unit Fearless.
• Can strike at AP2 at I7.
• T4 and Eternal Warrior.
• 2+ armour save.
• Klaivex powers (bonus hits and preferred enemy against ICs).
• Darting Strike wound allocation abuse.
• Can generate bonus AP2 attacks with Ripose (do not rely on this to win fights!).

Cons:

• Very expensive.
• Can only join units of Incubi.
• No shooting whatsoever.
• No assault grenades unless you include an Archon in the unit.

5th to 6th:

• Fearless is now conferred to any unit he has joined, and no longer causes No Retreat wounds if you lose combat.
• Can no longer be singled out in close combat anymore (unless in a challenge obviously).

Synergy

This one is extremely simple - he can only join units of Incubi, so you either run him with a unit of Incubi or run him solo. He will benefit from a Haemonculus for a pain token as do all DE units, but with T4, 2+ and Eternal Warrior he is surprisingly tough for a Dark Eldar character. An Archon can be included in the unit to provide the grenades, but this then becomes a very expensive deathstar that doesn't have the punch impact as before due to regular Klaives always being AP3.


4. Duke Sliscus, "The Serpent"

Overview

"The Drug Lord" might be a more appropriate title for him, as the primary reason for taking Duke Sliscus is to give you a better chance of getting the drugs you want. As such, it is best to tailor your list around this ability (i.e. taking lots of things with Combat Drugs) rather than trying to wedge Duke in to a cookie cutter list. Where-as you usually have a 1/6 (16.67%) chance of getting the specific drug you want, with Duke this increases to 11/36 (30.56%) which can be huge. In addition, if you are aiming for a couple of specific drugs (for example, re-roll to Wound or Feel No Pain), you go from 2/6 (33.33%) to 20/36 (55.56%).

The second useful bonus that comes with Duke is to buff the splinter weapons of a single Warrior or Trueborn squad to Poisoned (3+). Trueborn get the most (ab)use out of this, being able to pack seven shardcarbines and two splinter cannons while still having room for Duke in the Raider (more on this in a moment), but Warriors can also benefit from this bonus as well.

The final and not so useful bonus is to allow all Raiders, Ravagers and Venoms to Deep Strike. Unlike retrofire jets, there are no additional restrictions imposed on the passengers when the vehicle deep strikes other than those found in the main rulebook. People used to dream of a full reserve DE list being viable (reserves arriving on 4+ dashed this), and with reserves now being 3+ and allied Eldar Autarchs granting +1 to this, the massed deep striking DE list looked finally possible. Alas, the 6th edition rulebook now states that you can't reserve more than half of your army (not including stuff that MUST start in reserve, like flyers), so full reserve was removed as an option for pretty much everyone. Use the DS ability sparingly, and don't squeeze Duke in to your list just for this alone.

Outside of his army buffs, he is a competent fighting HQ. He is armed with two venom blades (a distinction that is some-what meaningless in game terms, when one CCW plus his pistol grants the same number of attacks) which ignore armour saves on a roll To Wound of 5+. This lets him take on 2+ armour save models, albeit not in a reliable fashion. He also comes equipped with a shadowfield, combat drugs (as you would expect) and surprisingly, a blast pistol.

Pros:

• Higher chance of getting the drugs you want.
• Can make a unit of Warriors or Trueborn very killy.
• Well priced for his tools.
• Semi-reliable at wounding in close combat.

Cons:

• Must start with a unit of Warriors or Trueborn (you can move him to a different unit in subsequent turns).
• Only two wounds.
• The blast pistol is crippled by its 6" range.

5th to 6th:

• Dark Eldar are unable to field a full reserve list legally, so massed deep striking isn't all that useful.

Synergy

Duke is best placed in a close combat unit which comes with plasma grenades and has room for him to ride in their transport. Yes, this means Wyches (or Bloodbrides). Sadly, if you include a unit of Warriors or Trueborn in the army, he HAS to start with one of them, meaning you need to do some crafty unit swaps on turn one if you want him with an assault unit. Failing that, stick him with a Warrior/Trueborn squad and use him to issue challenges if that unit is charged.

For the purposes of his 3+ poison buff, there are three "optimal" units/configurations to apply it to. The first is a squad of Warriors with splinter rifles in a Raider. If you're not going to put Duke in this unit, you can also squeeze in a splinter cannon on the 10th Warrior model. The Raider has splinter racks which give them re-roll to hit (not so good when firing at BS4, but fantastic when at BS1), although the racks don't affect the splinter cannon. The next is the tooled up unit of Trueborn with as many shardcarbines and splinter cannons as you can afford to take. They get no benefit from splinter racks, but the sheer number of shots being fired could compensate for this. Finally, a blob of 20 Warriors can be an excellent objective holder, but ideally require a good cover save (4+ minimum) and/or Feel No Pain to avoid being wiped off the table.

And for his combat drug bonuses, try to take units that will benefit from any of the drug results. While it's always temptimg to gamble on rolling Feel No Pain, sometimes what will come up is 3D6" run and +1A, neither of which are of much use to Reavers and Scourges. Wyches, Bloodbrides and Hellions get the most benefit from the drugs as they will always be in or trying to get in to close combat, while Reavers and Scourges are primarily shooting units which benefit from Feel No Pain and not much else. Sadly, there are no shooting-based combat drugs to help out such units.

[Sami]

HQ - Special Characters (2/2)

5. Kheradruakh, "The Decapitator"

Overview

The Decapitator is not only the worst HQ choice in the codex, but has the honour of being by far the worst unit in the entire codex, and one of the worst HQs of all time. He is a special character Mandrake, but is a single-model unit that isn't an Independent Character, so he can't join other units. Strike 1. On the turn he arrives close combat he can be placed anywhere on the table so long as he is more than 1" away from enemy models. Sounds good, until you read the next like that says he can't assault that turn. His name is The Decapitator, not The Machine Gun. Strike 2. Finally, 6th edition reduced him to AP3. Strike 3, you're out.

There is no reason - ever - to take this character. Stop reading and move on.

Pros:

• Pain Token, so can use Baleblast on the turn he arrives (about the only good thing)
• Unsaved wounds in melee cause Instant Death.
• Stealth, although it can't be passed on to another unit.
• Preferred enemy against an IC of your choosing (choose at the start of the game).

Cons:

• Can't join a unit, so is stuck with T3 and 5++.
• Will never actually get in to close combat.
• Unusual power weapons now strike at AP3.

5th to 6th:

• From AP2 to AP3.
• Still just as bad.

Synergy

This unit synergises well with being left off the army list. He provides no buffs, can join nobody and costs too much for what he does (which isn't much). The artwork for him in the codex does looks awesome though.

6. Lady Aurelia Malys, "I have no cool nickname"

Overview

Malys is a passable melee HQ has two main gimmicks that she brings to a Dark Eldar army. The first is that her and any unit she is attached to can not be targeted by psychic powers. The second is that she can redeploy D3 units (before infiltrators and scout moves).

The first (psychic powers), is the only special psychic defense in the Dark Eldar codex. Haemonculi have some fancy wargear that targets psykers, but other than the basic Deny The Witch roll, Malys is as good as it gets. However, through the allies system we have access to a Farseer with Runes of Warding, which is one of the best psychic defenses in the game (that Runes of Warding also makes the psyker's head explode is an extra bonus). For the same price as Malys you can get a cheap Haemonculus and Farseer which will do more for buffing your army than she ever will.

The second (deployment) doesn't allow you to get around the reserve limitations, and can be predicted by a smart opponent. The ability is also unreliable - D3 units rather than a fixed number prevents you from setting up a formation that you know you can reposition safely if desired. Finally, if you end up deploying second the ability is worthless, as your opponent can't react to your exposed/flanking units as they've already deployed!

Pros:

• Quite a nice statline.
• Can never be targeted by psychic powers.
• 4+ invulnerable save at all times, which as it is a special rule can't be removed from a Vindicare.
• Redeployment excellent at tricking newer players or those unfamiliar with the codex.
• AP3 weapon with bonus attacks, which unlike a Djnn Blade won't try and kill her if she fumbles the rolls.

Cons:

• Redeployment useless if you're facing a good player or deploy second.
• 1/6 chance of losing her bonus attacks whenever she fights.
• No Eternal Warrior, so will be ID if successfully wounded by S6+.

5th to 6th:

• The Lady's Blade nerfed from AP2 to AP3 with the power weapon changes.
• The FAQ now explicitly tells us what kind of psychic powers she is immune to.

Synergy

If you insist on taking Malys (she's not bad, just very average), then put her in a unit that you expect to be targeted by psychic powers. This can honestly vary depending on who you are fighting and what you will be charging. Offensive psychic powers are actually quite rare, with most (useful) powers falling in to the realm of buffing the casting unit or other allies rather than damaging/debilitating enemy units. Hammerhand, Fortune, etc all ignore Maly's rule, while Cleansing Flame and Doom do not.

There has been mention in the past of sticking her with a unit of Grotesques. Remove this bad advise from your mind - Grotesques have a very large number of issues preventing them from being a competitive unit, and vulnerability to psychic powers is very low down on that list.


7. Lelith Hesperax, "I also have no cool nickname"

Overview

Lelith is a pure melee HQ. While she doesn't require any other units to do her job (although a Pain Token is always appreciated), she likewise doesn't provide assistance back to any other units. She has a fantastic statline and generates bonus attacks if her WS is higher than the models in B2B contact, and she is blessed with having a special rule that allows her to ignore armour saves, rather than counting as a special weapon, so she can rip apart 2+ without hindrance.

Defensively, like most things in the book she's T3 and lacks Eternal Warrior. However, she has a 4+ invulnerable save at all times (Wyches/Brides/Succubi only get this in close combat), and in close combat this is increased to 3+. Unlike a Shadowfield, this save can never be "lost", making her a pain to get rid of if she's being hit with sub-S6 attacks.

The biggest flaw with the character is that she's S3, and can only get to S4 from Pain Tokens. She has no combat drugs so can't gamble on getting +1S or re-roll to wound, and surprisingly, no Haywire Grenades. While this isn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things, it is a little at odds compared to the other Wych units. And that just about sums up Lelith - in fluff she is a named Succubus, but in reality she has no access to all the things that make Wyches good (drugs, haywire, fancy weapons, etc). And if that wasn't enough, her points cost is through the roof.

Take her for the theme, take her for the model, take her for butchering weak T3 models. For most other things, an Archon or Succubus do the job much better, whether it be killing MEQ, dramatically throwing haywire grenades at vehicles or fighting challenges.

Pros:

• Fantastic statline.
• Generates additional attacks based on a WS comparison.
• Always ignores armour saves.
• Great saves.

Cons:

• No unit/list support.
• Srength 3.
• No Eternal Warrior, so will be ID if successfully wounded by S6+.
• No combat drugs.
• Too expensive.

5th to 6th:

• Unchanged.

Synergy

Unsurprisingly, she's good with Wyches/Brides and not much else. If you're going to put an HQ with a unit of Incubi, you might as well use one that can give them grenades. The odd-ball choice is to floot-slog her with Harlequins as they have their own grenades, but this kind of unit gets very expensive, very quickly.

There are no special builds to consider for the units when you take Lelith, other than working on the assumption that she's not there as she doesn't provide any sort of assistance.


8. Urien Rakarth, "Master Haemonculus"

Overview

Urien is a named Haemonculus Ancient with an almost identical statline. While his own abilities are quite poor, his main use is in "enabling" (I use the term loosely) Coven-themed lists.

Urien provides 3 buffs to support this kind of list. The first is available to all Haemonculi and allows you to take Wracks as Troops choices. The second is that he can give D3 Wrack or Grotesque units an additional pain token at the start of the game (as they already start with one, this guarantees them two). Both benefit from Furious Charge, as the Wracks become S4, giving them re-roll to wound with their poisoned weapons against MEQ, while the strength of the Grotesques starts approaching silly levels. Which leads us nicely to the third and final buff - for 5 points per model, Grotesques can be buffed from S5 to S6 base.

While this all sounds wonderful, the reality is that Coven lists suck. Grotesques have a huge number of issues that S6 won't solve (their strength is one of the few good things!), Wracks may be T4 but can't be taken in huge blobs to sit on an objective and their shooting is limited to 1-2 special weapons, and the pain engines went from bad to worse with Webway Portals preventing arrival-turn charges. Had the D3 pain tokens includes the pain engines on their list then he might be more useful (thanks to the Feel No Pain changes, the high-toughness of the pain engines means only weapons which explicitly cause Instant Death will deny them the roll), but alas we're going in to wish listing.

He's a themed character for themed lists. He comes with the Casket of Flensing which is one of my favourite items in the book (in a hilarious if not competitive sense), a fancy gauntlet that he'll never use, and some buffs that make bad units not-quite-so-bad-but-still-not-good.

Pros:

• Pain tokens everywhere.
• Poisoned (3+) instant death melee weapon.
• Can regenerate lost wounds.
• Clone field (it's better than nothing!).
• T5, so very hard to ID him.
• Even stronger Grotesques.

Cons:

• Pretty much zero saves against shooting.
• Coven lists are still terrible.
• No grenades (much like all Coven units), so good luck using that fancy gauntlet.
• Expensive.

5th to 6th:

• No changes.

Synergy

You have two options. First, you can put him with a Coven unit. You probably don't want to bother putting him with one you gave an extra pain token to unless Fearless is important to you, but if you rolled badly on the D3 then his own pain token can be used to bolster another unit. The two choices are either Grotesques (they need an IC with them or they go berserker) or Wracks (who don't). Considering the price you're paying for Urien, buying more ICs for the Grotesques will be difficult so putting him with them is for the best.

The other approach is to put him with Wyches. The Hekatrix's PGL will give him grenades, so he actually gets to use his I5 and fancy duelling glove in melee. This will however deny the Wyches their use of Fleet.

Finally, you can hide him in a building out of LOS to everyone to deny your opponent the Warlord victory point.

In fact, just leave him (and most of your Coven units) at home...

[Sami]

HQ

1. Archon

Overview

The Archon is the Swiss Army Knife HQ choice. It can take almost every special melee weapon, grenades, drugs, a Phantasm Grenade Launcher, two different kinds of pistols, and an assortment of defensive and exotic wargear, all of which is backed up by an impressive stat-line and a dirt cheap starting price. As you might expect with all those potential options, picking the right choices is vitally important, and expect to pay for every single one of them.

In 5th edition, the two main weapon combinations were either an Agoniser on its own, or a Huskblade and Soul Trap. Both tore through all forms of armour save, and while the Agoniser was the more reliable wounder (always on a 4+ regardless of the target), the HB/ST combo had the potential to be far more damaging when "powered up". In 6th edition, the only AP2 weapons available to the Archon are the Huskblade and Power Axe, and only the Huskblade allows the Archon to make use of his I7. Thus now you need to decide on a set role for your Archon rather than throwing him at everything (and usually winning).

Defensively, the Shadowfield wins out over the Clonefield almost every time. 2+ invulnerable saves are hard to come by in the game, and while this one only lasts until it fails, it provides a great layer of protection. The Clonefield - while a novel gimmick - only really works when avoiding very small numbers of lethal attacks in melee. Once you run out of clones, the remaining hits will be taken on at best a 4+ armour save (or 6+ invul), which is not enough protection for a melee HQ.

Pros:

• All the good wargear options available (along with a few of the duff ones).
• Cheap starting price.
• Great statline.
• Can give Incubi the assault grenades they so badly need.
• Will cut down most things in a challenge, usually before the opponent gets to strike.
• Huskblade is both AP2 and inflicts Instant Death.

Cons:

• Gets expensive very quickly.
• No army-wide buffs.
• Outside of grenades, no unit buffs.
• Toughness 3, so hope you don't roll 1s on the Shadowfield…
• Huskblade starts off at Strength 3 unless you luck out on pain tokens and/or combat drugs.
• Depending on your opponent's army list, it can be difficult/impossible to use the Soul Trap.

Useful Options:

• Agoniser.
• Blaster.
• Combat Drugs.
• Haywire Grenades.
• Huskblade.
• Phantasm Grenade Launcher.
• Shadowfield.
• Soul Trap.

5th to 6th:

• All specialist melee weapons other than the Huskblade were nerfed to AP3 due to the power weapon changes.

Synergy

You should be taking an Archon for two reasons: to have a customised killing machine on the table, or to give Incubi assault grenades.

The custom killing machine is best paired with Wyches. They're cheap, have a great save in close combat, can take special weapons to reduce the number of incoming attacks on the Archon (Shardnets), and the Hekatrix can be used to accept challenges you would rather avoid, whether that be because the Archon would be better suited killing off the rest of the unit, or because the challenger will destroy the Archon with ease. For this build, Combat Drugs and the Shadowfield are important upgrades, and then it's your choice between an Agoniser or HB/ST combo. When the Shadowfield fails (which it will), their save combined with "Look Out Sir!" can keep the unit going, regardless of what kind of foe you're facing.

For buffing Incubi, the critical upgrade is the Phantasm Grenade Launcher. The Archon is the only infantry HQ that can take this upgrade, allowing him to ride in their transport rather than trying to get Baron Sathonyx to dramatically join the unit at the last minute. Following on from this, keeping the Phantasm Gren Archon alive is critical, so Shadowfield is a must. After that it's up to you - AP2 weapons aren't required as the Incubi are all armed with them, and a Klaivex can be used to accept challenges if need be.

Regardless of the build, Haywire Grenades are a very useful choice. The Archon's high BS means they will hit their target most of the time, and for transports down to their last hull point it can mean the difference between charging a tank or infantry (and for Incubi, this is even more important as they can't really damage the vehicles). When with Wyches you can send the whole unit towards walkers and parking lots and start stripping off the HP. Finally, the Blaster is an often overlooked choice on the Archon. While it causes you to lose an attack in close combat (replaces the pistol), for killing off lone models (something Incubi can't do) or the chance of opening up a tank regardless of it's remaining HP, it can be a very solid choice. I personally would avoid the Blaster when with Wyches simply because the Archon starts to cost far too much, but seriously consider it with Incubi, especially if riding in a Venom.

1.5. Court of the Archon

Overview

You know how good the Royal Court in the Necron codex is? This is nothing like that. The Court is unlocked by taking an Archon (one per Archon, and this includes Vect and Malys), and they don't take up a FOC slot. They do however take up points that can most definitely be better used elsewhere. Thankfully they're an optional choice, so your expensive Archon won't come with even more expensive baggage.

The court contains 4 different models: Lhamaean, Medusae, Sslyth and Ur-Ghul. The first failing of the court is that these models all have different uses, yet at least one of each must be included in each court you take. The Lhamaean increases the power of the Archon's poisoned weapons to 2+. Sounds great, until you realise the Archon only has two poisoned weapons: the splinter pistol (a 2+ variant already exists, called the stinger pistol) and the venom blade (which is already 2+). The Medusae are rather good if the dice gods favour you - they have a template weapon with random strength and AP. Yes, sometimes you roll S2 and AP6. Other times its swapped. Good potential, and an opponent who's seen a Liquifier in action will know the chaos random weapons can do. The Sslyth is a shooting model with some nice natural stats and a shardcarbine. The Ur-Ghul is a pure melee model.

There are many ways that the Court could be improved. Lhamaeans are just begging to be allowed to join other units and buff their poison (even if by +1 rather than just straight to 2+). Medusae would be excellent if paired with Liquifier-armed Wracks. SSlyth with Trueborn. Ur-Ghuls with… well, 3/4 ain't bad.

The only reason for ever taking this unit in 5th is because you want to get another dedicated transport on the table. Venom spam lists at high points could use two Archons with courts to get two more Venoms on the table (each one containing a Blaster-toting Archon). In 6th edition, you unlock a second FOC at 2000 points so if you're going for Venom spam, taking additional Warriors or Trueborn is a much better option.

In short: some nice models backed up with some terrible rules.

Pros:

• Can squeeze in a dedicated transport.

Cons:

• Useless.

5th to 6th:

• Double FOC removed the only "competitive" use they had.

Synergy

They work fantastically well with Kheradruakh, i.e. going no where near the table.


2. Haemonculus

Overview

Pain tokens. That's why you take Haemonculi. Yes, you usually take a fancy gun on them that costs a pittance, but the first reason for including them is to attach them to a unit to ensure it starts with a pain token (and thus, Feel No Pain) at the start of the game.

They have a vast array of exotic weapons they can take, but most are useless. The Liquifier should be your go-to weapon as it wounds MEQ on a 4+ and has a 50% chance of denying 3+ armour saves (and 33% at denying 2+). Being a template weapon, it also ignores cover saves.

The Liquifier's bigger brother is the Shattershard, which is a template based weapon that doesn't cause wounds. Instead, models hit (the actual models - no fancy allocation business) must pass a toughness test or are removed from play, do not pass Go, do not sacrifice 200 psykers. Much like JOTWW (Space Wolf psychic power), Eternal Warrior, Look Out Sir and all the other nifty rules won't save you here. Sounds insanely broken? It is, which is why you can only include one per army, and only use it once per game.

The odd-ball (I'm including it because I like it - deal with it) is the Casket of Flensing. It's quite difficult for a weapon to get more random: S and AP are both D6 (different D6s thankfully!), number of shots is Assault 2D6. Like the Shattershard it is also limited to one per army and can only be used once, but the fear that the weapon can cause can be used to force your opponent to direct fire onto the vehicle carrying the Haemonculus.

Pain token, fancy gun. Anything else is a waste of points.

Pros:

• Pain token.
• Fancy gun.
• Pain token (yes I'm listing it twice).
• T4.
• Can take 3 per HQ slot.
• Insanely cheap.

Cons:

• 6+ armour save.
• Poor stats, especially Leadership. Most characters/sergeants have a higher Ld.
• Will become a fire magnet the moment it gets close to liquifying/shattering/flensing something.

Useful Options:

• Casket of Flensing.
• Liquifier Gun.
• Shattershard.

5th to 6th:

• Other than the change to melee weapons (which it can take, but shouldn't), no real changes.
• Was a cheap way of getting a Webway Portal into the list, but now they're quite useless.

Synergy

This might sound obvious, but put them with something that will benefit from the pain token. Three Trueborn are not a good choice. Incubi, Wyches, 20-Warrior blobs are.

Don't feel the need to have the Haemonculus tag along for the ride at all times, as due to the lack of Fleet he will actually slow the units down. When the turn comes to charge, detach him (leaving the pain token behind) and go melt something with the snazzy weapon before dying horribly.

Again, I can not reinforce this enough: you are buying a pain token that also happens to help meet the minimum requirements for the FoC. Any other use you get out of the unit should be considered a bonus.


2.5 Haemonculus Ancient

Overview

For over 50% of the price of a Haemonculus, you get his bigger brother. It has a few extra stat points on the profile and that is literally it. When 6th edition launched there was a potential to use this unit as a challenge fighter by combining various exotic wargear into quite a powerful combination. Then the Huskblade was FAQ'ed to be AP2 so people fell back in love with the Archons again.

Pros:

• It's a Haemonculus.

Cons:

• It costs more than a Haemonculus for stats you don't really want.

5th to 6th:

• None.

Synergy

Don't bother, unless there's a unit you absolutely need to give both Ld9 and a pain token to (and even then, you'll need to pay the price for having the Ancient slow the unit due to lack of Fleet).

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ELITES (1/2)

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ELITES (2/2)

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TROOPS

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FAST ATTACK

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HEAVY SUPPORT (1/2)

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HEAVY SUPPORT (2/2)

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DEDICATED TRANSPORTS

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