Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Dark Eldar Content?

lol, this picture isn't really relevant to the subject matter.  It's awesome though.


So, today I've decided to comment on the lack of any real Dark Eldar content out there on the internets.  I've recently tried to find some, and I'm doing a terrible job of finding much at all.  Nobody seems to have good battle reports (by good, I mean with pictures, so I know how exactly people rocked their opponents, or got rocked).

After a number of optimistic 'I'll figure it out, and learn to play Dark Eldar competitively!' posts, I find a fair number of posts like this kind of just saying that well... Dark Eldar aren't really competitive.  In other words, the blogosphere has given up on Dark Eldar being competitive.  Lol, Stelek, after a decent post about how to win against guard (if he played against himself?) if you get firrt turn, failed to post anything about what happens if Dark Eldar go second against Guard.  Not that Stelek has a ton of credibility in my eyes when it comes to Dark Eldar anyways.



Is it just me, or is it super ironic that the most awesome models ever in 40k also belong to the most forgotten 'new' army out there?

Seriously, only 7 Dark Eldar players played at Adepticon, out of 256? 

Will a ton of players suddenly emerge now that there's actually a model for the Venom?

Or now that they've had time to paint up the new models?

I want to know how so many people are doggedly trying to solve the 'Tyrranid Problem', but nobody wants to contemplate Dark Eldar.

Am I the only person who wonders why every netlist has 3 of this unit:  4x Trueborn w/ Blasters in a Venom w/ 2x Splinter Rifles   ?  How is paying over 100 points for a unit that is essentially 4 (short ranged) hunter-killer missiles, but also costs a kill point, a good idea?  Really?  Will people seriously not be able to kill 4 T3 dudes next turn?  At least the Venom is good, though it brings the cost of the unit up to 173, lol.

Am I the only person who thinks Dark Eldar can be played competitively, even against Guard, even if they have to go second?

Hopefully not.  My army is getting done.  Once the month (May) is over, I'll have the cash to buy the rest of the models I need, and on June 4th I'll get the four venoms I need to finish it off entirely.  And once it's all assembled (June 5th?), my battle reports will start coming out, maybe sooner if you guys don't mind Speeders being proxied as Venoms for a game or two, lol.

Soon after, I'll (hopefully) take a fully painted Dark Eldar list to BoLSCON, where I predict my lack of experience (or lack of a good list, which I might not recognize until it's too late) will provide me with mediocre results.

After which I'll declare Dark Eldar to be an army with amazing models, but no real hope of ever being competitive.

Or, maybe I'll actually try to persevere and play my new army as much as possible, and get good enough with it to see if it actually might be able to stand up to Mech IG and Grey Knight Psyfle spam.

I dunno, hopefully that's what happens.  I know that after spending 5-7 hours painting on each Ravager/Raider (4 total) and about 1.7 hours of each Hellion (20 total), it would be a travesty if I played like 14 games with the army and called it quits.  I'm guessing I'll be stubborn and play it a lot more than that.

So my question to you is this:

What sort of content would you like to see about Dark Eldar?  Some ideas include:

  • Battle Reports (with pictures)
  • Tacticas about specific units
  • Tacticas about general game plans for Dark Eldar
  • List theoryhammer
  • Rants wasting your time about why it's annoying that GW is increasing prices again (since it isn't already obvious, after all)
Or should I just stick with Blood Angels for unit analysis on Jawaballs' site?  Speaking of which, look for a new one on Sternguard this Thursday.

Thoughts?

Also, if you know a good site for Dark Eldar content that doesn't end in fail, please, give me the URL.  I'll be happy to give it some traffic, if it actually makes sense.

10 comments:

Unknown said...

What sites have you tried? Natfka at natfka.blogspot.com had a bunch of tactics articles when dark eldar first came out.

Shot down mind at shotdownmind.blogspot.com has a bunch of video battle reports.

Also Awesomesaucestudio.blogspot.com has a posted a lot of video and vassal battle reports.

I agree with you though. There is not one main source for dark eldar. I think that is due to the fact that each army is very tailored to the owner who made it. They are a very fun army, but some of the weapons are a bit random. I think now that the new models are out, we will see more people working on them. Take up the banner and do it yourself man!

Thor said...

It's like sex. You anxiously build up to it, get there, do your thing and you're done, time for a smoke. That's what the internet has done with Dark Eldar, however nobody is interested in a 2nd round.

I agree, the models are awesome and probably the best range for an army to date. The thing is they suffer from the same thing Eldar do, being a very finesse army that should be in the hands of vets. No doubt many new players picked up DE only to realize the army was beyond them and then bought some Marines.

I'm interested in the army but not sure I'll ever get there. For me they play out a lot like my Speed Freeks. Granted, different but the general approach and style is close. I'm not one for picking up armies that play out like my existing ones. Then again, I could rock the interwebz' meta and just do something different with them.

tzeentchling said...

One thing I've noticed is lots of people complaining that "DE can't kill tanks." This is boggling to me, a bit, because of the ubiquity of Long Fang missile spam and such, but it is true that they don't have as much access to reliable melta that IG and SM have. Of course, neither do GK, and they seem to be doing okay with all their rending shots....

I suspect the problem is that IG and SM can suck it up if they don't destroy things - they have numbers or endurance. DE don't have either, and so when something gets to retaliate it can do much more damage, proportionally.

Hence the Trueborn with blasters unit - much like Fire Dragons in Eldar, they're designed to be sacrificial anti-tank. They fit into almost any list, and the venom is a pretty good ride. I do think the presence of Venom kits will cause a bit of a rise in DE players at tournaments, but probably not as much as if they had released it with the initial wave.

Sorrowshard said...

Well I'm still with the DE and have lost very few games since the book release, though I finish most games with a stress induced headache .....

He may come accross as an arrogant nob but Dashofpepper has done some decent content on how to actually play with DE, I find It largely meshes up with my Experiences and feelings.

here be linkys,

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/357250.page

http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Dark_Eldar_Tactica_Part_1

Should get you off to a good start.

The more I play with the DE book the more I am enjoying it.

Ulven said...

Personally, I can't stand DashofPepper, he is an arrogant nob. I would love to see Xaereth destroy him.

Terminus Est said...

I am playing a lot of games with my raider rush dark eldar army and loving it. It is such an awesome army. I am building new models to tweak the list. I need to post up some batreps soon! I have put up some articles on BoLS I think are decent... one was about the raider and another about Reavers.

I will definitely be buying some Venoms as soon as they release.

Rathstar said...

I've seen a pick up in interest in Dark Eldar again, since the news of the June releases broke.

A lot of players don't have the units they want to use in their army available, particular wracks and the flyers.

I went to a 50 person tournament just under 2 weeks ago and I was shocked to find out I was the only Dark Eldar player there. However the following week I went to a 44 person tournament and there were 5 Dark Eldar players.

I did notice that most of the Dark Eldar players used converted venoms.

On what Dark Eldar articles I'd like to see, I'd say battle reports and tactics. Particularly objective placement and deployment options when going second with little terrain.

I have a blog which has Dark Eldar content, but I'm not a prolific poster, roughly once a week: http://rathstarramblings.blogspot.com/

Rathstar

Xaereth said...

Hm, thanks for the replies, all. I really appreciate it :)

I DO plan on making this a good site for Dark Eldar content, though it might take a while to build up enough content for it to really be 'a great place' for said content.

As for the links, I'll be looking at them when I have time, DoP *is* a pretty arrogant dude, but at first glance looks like he has a few good things to say, if much of it is pretty elementary :-p

Ulven: I'll do my best, it's fun to destroy people, lol :)

ServvsUmbrarum said...

Originally, I was going to play DE when they came out. But I'm still no where near ready for second army and I would much rather have a good Sisters of Battle 5th edition than Dark Eldar...I love the whole bondage elf in space but in Dawn of War (PC) my favorite race was the SOB.

Yes, fire solves everything...and when it fails...just melta it (fire).

Caldera02 said...

I have a few BatReps up on BOLS now. That's my army, the white dark eldar! I've been playing them since November and I am starting to get really good with them. IG still suck and is the hardest match up, but it can be done.

DoP is a douche in the fact that he only knows how to rules lawyer a win. I had to play him at the Alamo GT and it was the worst game of 40k I've had to play. He is a decent player but I think without his ability to snake every rule from his opponents he would lose alot more. There is a reason why nobody likes playing him. He will be at Wargamescon Adam, so watchout! lol

Like any army, DE just takes lots and lots of practice to get down right. Glass cannon has been my experience. Sometimes you rock your opponents world....others you just go.....owieeee!!!!! lol