A Dark Faildar player grappling with Marinehammer...

It occurred to me yesterday that either I am a shockingly bad player, my Dark Eldar army is terrible or I am making an arse of each one of my games. Currently I am on quite the losing streak, which is amusing and interesting for any player to go through, as you take stock of where you think you went wrong, change either parts of your army or rethink strategy & tactics, move on and see how it goes. I think I must have played close to 15 games of 6th ed, and I've won three of them. To start with I was sure that it definetly isn't my list, and that I just hadn't got my 6th ed game sorted which probably applies to everyone, so therefore to just persevere with it and it will work. But it hasn't relented, and games that seem to be in a favourable position just slip away. 

The last few games I've had were like this:

An absolute murdering against Ronalds' flyer-spam Necrons:
I think this is fair enough - I didn't have enough skyfire stuff to take down 3 doom scythes and a night scythe, and was probably gonna get tabled until Ronald suggested we call it. Some questionable stuff here though, like does the doom ray hit both flying targets and those underneath (i suspect they do as thats how its written in the codex, but if you say your using skyfire..) and my flyers got shot down quick time as I was going first, therefore the Necrons get the first shots in. DE flyers are fail in taking down other flyers too, but we'll come to that in a while

A 1 Kill Point defeat to Colin's Templars
well this was obviously close. No more invincible Templars LR's, just haywire them to death, but that cost me 2 kill points as both wych units died, and I only got 1 of 2 of the LR's. Everyone seems to think Templars will loose blessed hull which will make me happy as I can potentially take them down with shooting instead of suiciding my valuable troops units. Long- table deployment didn't favour me here as its less room to maneouver to stay out of his weapon ranges. Whilst this was a defeat I killed a lot more of his army than he did of mine but its the age old kill pts problem of me having more units in transports 

A hiding vs Colin's Fateweaver flying circus 
Was big guns never tire mission. Colin got his non-preffered wave down and I killed a unit of crushers and two units of horrors on the 2nd turn. Then I didn't do a single wound the next turn when FW, a DP and a bloodthirster came down in the flying mode. Not one wound. I eventually killed all the troops, but the Daemon Princes were scoring and I just couldn't hit them. Colin won by about 4-5 victory pts. The Bloodthirster (Warlord) was on 1 wound through half the game and I chucked the kitchen sink at him to no avail. One of the scoring DP's was on an objective on 1 wound too. I would have won on turn 5 but went to 6 and I got gubbed.

1k game against Bernard's Coteaz Grey Knights
Gk's in 1k are filth as you take the stupidly pointed 3 man squads as troops leaving you to take a spam of purifiers! Was one of my only games of nightfighting, which does benefit DE immensely in this edition. So after an encouraging start where I killed about half the purifiers, I didn't kill or wound anything for about 3 turns. Lost a squad of wyches and my succubus to a foolish disembarkation, but obviously with poor dark lance rolls against GK you don't have a 2nd chance against them, not with twin-linked psybolt fortitude nonsense on the go. 
A hammering

1750 or 2K game (can't remember) close victory against Scott's Sisters
Nightfighting first turn which was good for me - I put the hurt on in the 2nd turn when I got the charge with Incubi + wyches on some sisters squads, and I bombed another into oblivion with my voidraven which then shot and exploded an Exorcist. Going well, then the remaining Exorcist started smashing Dark ELdar vehicles and the saint got up at last to roast 4 from 5 DE warriors on an objective, he stayed and I won the game. Well we had to call it there and not roll for a 6th, but if it had went on I had a venom full of warriors on the only other objective with not enough to stop them. Despite destroying about half the sisters army in turns 1 and 2 I still could have lost it, and to be fair to Scott the saint failed twice to get back up (though she did pass her first 3 Dark Lance instagib invulnerable saves!)

An unfinished game against Scotts sisters - again at 1750 but with a slightly different list. Similar in that I smashed a lot of the scoring sisters, but my vehicles took a hammering by the Exorcists frankly ridiculous rates of fire, and I couldn't scratch them this time with my Dark Lances. I still had all 5 troops units technically, but both wych squads only had 1 left. Hadn't lost my venom warrior squads though, but the saint was flying around with nearly a whole squad of seraphim and Scott had both exorcists left. I had to leave though, so we didn't get to finish it. 

A comedy 1750 gubbing vs Bernard's Gk
This game was a pure farce. Relic, and diagonal deployment. Didn't do enough damage, or any damage to think of really, going 1st, then lost about half my vehicles on Bernards 1st turn. After that I suppose the game is more than half over but what happened next with my shooting for the next 2 turns was undescribable. A good laugh. I conceded start of Bernard's turn 4 I think.

so a few things that are coming up constantly:
DE antitank shooting sucks in this edition - its almost completely ineffective vs GK. so on a penetrating hit on a razorback i need a 5-6 to take it out, or a 4 to take the HB off. Glancing changes for just hull points are pish for DE as there is no twin-linking so you really needed the potential for those glances to possiblly destroy a weapon or immobilise stuff.
DE flyers are awesome at killing infantry, which is good, but are terrible at killing other flyers, for the same hull points reasons, and the low AV of DE stuff when you get the retaliation from the angry Stormraven, Vendetta or even Doom Scythe that you are unlikely to take out with your two DL shots.
Ap1 totally annihilates me - true of most stuff, though its more from Doom Scythes and MM on Raven's for me, as with nightshields etc my raiders + venoms rarely get hit with infantry melta weapons. + 3 on the damage table!!
I need to take a farseer ally to stop GK psychic shennanigans. Self explanatory really

Despite all this I am undeterred - I really believe that I can make my Kabal mighty again with the units that I like, it just needs a bit of thought. However, a rebranding of the 40k mantra is in effect I believe - ''In the dark future of Marinehammer, for Xenos, there is only pain!!''

Silent Shadow Incubus Temple

Really love the fluff behind Incubi - a samurai/ninja inspired order of Eldar Warriors used as bodyguards as Dark Eldar lords distrust their own servants too much to rely on their loyalty. They are supposed to be derived from a group of fallen Striking Scorpions, or more accurately the original Phoenix Lord of the Scorpions, Ahra.

I particularly like the old models for them as you can see - none of those Klaive-wielding nancy boys for me!

The squad isn't finished yet but I want to have the Incubi, the Razorwing and the Voidraven the real centre pieces of my army come Throne of Skulls tournament time in October, when a big group of the Glasgow guys head down together.

As for their part in my gameplay - Incubi are nowhere near as good as they used to be, as they could take grenades so to not be at Initiative level 1 when they charge units in terrain, and you could give the Incubi Master a combat drugs dispenser. But I suppose they are cheaper now and are Elite choices rather than a bodyguard unit. Being Initiative level 5 instead of 6 hurts them a little bit if there is a character in the squad they charge.

I plan to use them to pick on isolated Marine or Necron squads where they should put a bit of hurt on. Including the Klaivex there is 7 of them. So say I charge a squad of 7-8 Space Wolves - a typical number. The Klaivex challenges the Wolf Guard. With 4 x WS 6 attacks at I 6 and S 4, he should despatch the Wolf Guard in short order. The other 6 Incubi fight the squad, and statistically they should be killing 1 marine each on the charge. Onslaught helps here, as for each roll of a 6 to wound the squad get an extra attack at the same Initiative step. So going with stats, there should be just over 6 of the Space Wolves dead, and the Wolf Guard if he was game enough to accept the challenge. leaving only 1-2 to fight back.

Annihilated Souls grapple with Waagh! Stampy

Had a fantastic game against Gram from the Caledonian Deathwatch group last night. We tried to play 6th but neither of us had a rule book so we left out stuff like the warlord abilities and played Sieze Ground and Pitched battle from 5th to make things easier. 2000 points each.


Grams list went along the lines of:
2x Big Mek with Kustom Force Field (KFF)
11 grots with Runtherd
5 x 30 Slugga boyz (for a whopping 150 orks.. yeah), Power Klaw + Boss pole on Nob
2 x 15 Lootas
3 x 3 units of Big Guns, all with kannons and 3 ammo runts each


Mine was
Duke
Succubus with agoniser - The Huntress
5x KW with blaster + venom + x2 SC + NS
5x KW with blaster + venom + x2 SC + NS
5x KW + venom + x2 SC + NS 120
9 wyches with haywires, heka + agoniser, raider with nightshield and aethersails
9 wyches with haywires, heka + agoniser, raider with nightshield and aethersails
8xTrueborn, x2 SC, 6x shardcarbines, haywires. raider with nightshields
7 Incubi with klaivex + onslaught, raider with nightshields and aethersails
7 x Harlequins with kisses, Troupe Master with power weapon, Shadowseer
Razorwing with SC, flickerfield, 2x Dark Lances, 4 x monos
Ravager with nightshield, x 3 dark lances

So we rolled and got 5 objectives. I rolled for my combat drugs and with the Duke's Contraband ability I chose Re-roll wounds for all my combat drugs units - Duke, the Huntress, the 2 wych squads. I win the roll so the Dark Eldar are going first unless Gram siezes.

 Deployment - Orks typically deploy in a massive blob across the board due to the number of them, with a squad of lootas in the ruins on Ork top right and ruins in the centre. Most of the DE combat threat goes to the right hand side, aside from the Harlies who think they're hard enough to face down half the ork army themselves. Duke's Squad of 3+ splinter Trueborn in the unpainted Raider in the centre whilst the venoms cluster near the big ruins on my right. Razorwing in reserve. Gram fails to sieze and its DE turn 1.

Turn 1: Dark Eldar
I have my first major 6th Edition fail of the night, as I just fly my entire combat contingent of 2 raiders of Wyches plus the Huntress, and the Incubi into assault range of 2 big blobs of Slugga boyz that now hit vehicles on 3's!! I torrent the Lootas near the stupid Raider-mounted combat units with Venoms, killing about half of them but they dont run. Duke's Squad shoot up some of the Saltire boyz on the right hand side, but not a great number of them. Ravager kills a Kannon with a Dark Lance shot. Harlequins scuttle for the small ruins on the left of the board.

 Turn 1: Orks
Remaining Lootas on the right, plus the kannons and centre lootas shoot my stupidly posititioned Raiders, but only result in stunning two of them, and redcuing one to 1 hull point and the other to 2. The left hand side orks move up in an intimidating wave. In assault the Saltire Boyz and the White Boyz assault and wreck the Incubi and the Wych raider without the Huntress. Both squads not pinned.

 Turn 2: Dark Eldar

Razorwing arrives from reserve and moves towards the blob of 3 full Slugga boyz on the left in front of the Harlequins, and unleashes a lot of death upon them, especially the Red Trousers Boyz, which are essentially decimated. Venoms shuffle around and torrent the White Boyz and Saltires to give my assault troops a chance to fight themselves free (ha! aye right..) Whilst the Huntress detaches and decides to take the Lootas on her own (in the pic below on the bottom left). This was my 2nd major 6th Ed fail, as I forgot about overwatch and the Lootas merely loaded up and unleashed the pain on her, instagibbin her with S7!! Fail...

 Wyches and Incubi lose a man each to overwatch, whilst the other squad of Wyches clamber over the wreck of their Raider to get to grips with the White boyz

Saltires Nob challenges the Wych unit they're facings Hekatrix, who promptly despatches him with a deft re-roll with her agoniser. Wyches and Incubi kill a lot of the Saltires, who, since a lot are now out of range, manage to kill only one wych in reply. Incubi are now so far away they are out of the combat, and consolidate a measly 1 inch towards the Lootas.
In the nearby combat, the Big Mek challenges the hekatrix, who kills him and the unit gains a pain token for Feel No Pain (FNP) at their Initiative step, which proves very useful. Altogether the wyches do 6 unsaved wounds the 2nd wych unit kills 6 Orks for one loss, after some jammy dodge + FNP saves, much to Grams despair...
Both Orks remain in combat though, due to being Fearless, which is now awesome and no longer is the worst part of the Combat phase for Orks anymore


Turn 2: Orks

Grots arrive from reserve and move up behind Gram's left hand Kannon SquadRockets damage the Razorwing, locking its acceleration. Each Squad of Lootas nail a Venom each which pleases Gram immensely. Both explode, the unit of Warriors with no blaster loses two, whilst the other unit loses none, but then one of the Kannons units frag the crap out of them and they loose two and run. Golden Axes Ork squad tries to shoot the Harlequins but Veil of Tears prevents it, and they are out of assault by a couple of inches.

Lootas kill 1 Incubus. Wyches fighting the Saltires kill them off, gaining a pain token and move towards newly arrived grots. Wyches fighting the White Boyz beat them in combat, and the Hekatrix challenges and wounds the Nob. Boyz just past leadership.

Turn 3: Dark Eldar

Running warriors rally, consolidate, and run onto the objective in my bottom right corner.The Razorwing nukes the centre Lootas after their Venom-smashing ways, with its remaining Monoscythe missiles and Splinter cannon - the remaining venom joins in too, leaving only 3 lootas left. They pass leadership and stay. Duke's squad torrent the remaining Red Trousers, and leave only 5 left standing. Harlequins burst from cover and charge towards the Golden Axes Orks, killing 2 with their pistols but losing two - including the Shadowseer -to Overwatch. They kill 7, and lose 2 more of their own with the Troupe Master passing a succession of either his Inv save or Look Out Sir! - a new rule which lets you try and keep your squad leaders alive for longer.Incubi charge the right side Lootas, but Lootas go first due to no grenades, do no damage. In a fairly rubbish combat for the Incubi they kill 2 Lootas. Lootas stay.

Wyches that finished Saltires last turn charge grots. In a display of bravado the hekatrix challenges the Runtherd - confident after her quick victory over the Saltires Nob - only to wiff her attacks and get smashed into the dirt! The squad shows no such incompetence though and kill the grots without mercy. Runtherd gets ran down and the Wyches gain another pain token. 

The Wyches fighting the White Boyz have no such luck though, getting a beatin and all the squad members dying. The Hekatrix cuts down the Nob, then flees 11 inches.

Turn 3: Orks

The only remaining big load of Boyz, tha Blue Boyz, move towards the objectives on Gram's right. Red Trousers skirt round the last stand of the 3 remaining Harlequins against the Golden Axes.

Remaining central Lootas and the kannons on Gram's right kill two wyches, whilst the last unit of kannons takes a splinter cannon and a hull point from the remaining Venom. Blue Boyz glance the Razorwing once with their pistols but it passes Flickerfield save. White Boyz charge and end the remaining wyches that killed the Saltires and Grots, taking one or two with them. Incubi cut down the Lootas gaining FNP pain token and consolidate 6, so down from the ruins towards the last of the Boyz.

Just for cruelty and revenge, the Red Trousers charge the 3 Harlequins that are fighting for their lives against the Golden Axes. The spiteful Nob refuses the Troupe Master's challenge, Harlies cut down 3 Orks but are utterly smashed, get wiped out. Orks consolidate so that the Golden Axes move towards an objective in my half, which is ominously near Duke and his Trueborn and the Red Trousers move towards the objective in Gram's half.

Turn 4: Dark Eldar

The fleeing Hekatrix rallies and hides on the objective, under where the lootas camped out. The Duke's Trueborn unit tear chunks out of the Blue Boyz, Gram's last big unit, including the Nob who dies with splinters all over his face. The Ravager moves and blasts all three remaining central Lootas with its Dark Lances. Venom fluffs to kill anything, as does the Razorwing, missing with all of its Splinter cannon and Dark Lances against the Guns.

 Incubi run up and end both the Guns and the remainder of the White Boyz with no losses, and consolidate next to a Raider as they have a long walk ahead of them to get near anyone else. 

Turn 4: Orks

Gram's units on his right continue their marching on the objectives on that side. In his shooting he immediately puts an end to the Incubi's ride with one of the Kannons units. It explodes, wounding none of the Incubi but does wound the Hekatrix on the objective, who fails cover but passes her 5 + FNP!! Incubi have a very long walk ahead of them... Other kannons end the last Venom, killing 2 of the warriors in the explosion.

And for a change, no close combat this round.

Turn 5: Dark Eldar

The Razorwing turns and moves uselessly in a direction it can't fire in, so as to try and get a shot next turn. Ravager and Duke's Raider move towards the Golden Axes. Duke and co jump out right in front of them. I

Incubi walk and run towards Blue Boyz but they're miles away and likely to get solid-shotted by the Kannons. Some warriors are still lurking behind a wall on the objective with no Orks ever going to get near them.

Shooting - ravager and raider fire their dark lances at the Blue Boyz, killing one or two. The Duke's 3+ trueborn put a lot of hurt on the Golden Axes, then Charge and run them down. I think they loose one to Overwatch and one to combat. Gain a FNP pain token.

Turn 5: Orks

I can't remember what Gram shot with his kannons this turn - think he made the Kabalite warriors run off the middle objective -  but the Blue Boyz shooting and charging mangles the Duke and his squad. Duke failed the 2nd shadowfield save he took ... 

Blue Boyz sit on an objective, and as do the raggedy remnants of the Red Trousers. Gram rolls my big orange dice that he says is always shenanigans, and sure enough we get another turn, which favours the DE more than the Orks, as right now it would be a draw. Maybe he's got a point...

Turn 6: Dark Eldar

The Razorwing zeros in on the paltry scraps of the Red Trousers to finish the job it started in turn 2 on them. The Incubi run about in the middle of nowhere. Ravager and Raider stay where they are and shoot which is fail obviously but blah. 

Razor executes the last Red Trousers, leaving only the Blue Boyz. Ravager and Raider shoot a couple of the Blue Boyz.

Turn 6: Orks

Gram can't draw now so he runs forward with the Blue Boyz and assaults both the Ravager and Raider, but only results in taking a hull point from each, as the Nob was killed in shooting from the Duke's squad earlier.

He also shoots a couple of the Incubi with solid shot rockets for good measure. 

The game ends and its a 2-1 victory for the Dark Eldar.

Was a great game, close until it went to turn 6. I'm well aware we probably got loads wrong but we were playing from memory of our few games of 6th, which isn't many

Thanks to Gram for a good slogfest of a game!

Razorwing

To start with, currently I'm working on the Razorwing Jetfighter model, which just now is kind of the centrepiece of my army. In my opinion, its one of the best plastic models that GW have ever released, so I hope to make mine look half decent in the end.  I've had the model for a few months now and done nothing with it, so restarted on it today. As you can see I don't really hold with the 'dark' part of Dark Eldar. Afterall, these crazy muppets created Slaanesh, so they're hardly gonna have dulled down over the millenia in my opinion! So excessive colouring in the forms of eyewatering purple and lime green, with weapons a mix of turqouise and sky blue. 

I haven't seen many folks actually try and paint the cockpits & pilots of their 40k flyers, so I've decided to have a crack at it. I had almost finished the pilot when I decided I wanted to do the inside of the cockpit white, then wash over it with a red to make the walls seem to glow a light purple. I haven't gotten to that yet, so it looks a mess. As you can see I've done the controls, but my amateurish attempt at a crosshair maybe needs redone. Gonna leave it as is for today and get on with it next week.

Conception

Hello fellow nerds, and welcome to the dark part of the webway where I shall be constructing my Dark Eldar Kabal, the Annihilated Souls. I have been a 40k player for about 4 years now, and had a Dark Eldar army for more than 3 of them, but have never given it the attention that the darklings deserve. Previously I have dabbled with a Salamanders and Red Corsairs power armoured-wearing forces before, but now I enjoy the challenge and the different take on gameplay that the fastest but most fragile army in the 41st Millenium has to offer.

 I am now determined to take my evil force to more tournaments and use it more often in my casual gaming, so I will be updating this blog as the force progresses. I am well aware I have a limited painting ability so apologies if these pics are not up to the standard you normally see on these kind of blogs but thats part of the motivation for me to improve. Please feel free to ask questions, provide feedback and most especially any painting tips you care to share.