DE

So, I've been out for a little while but I'm sure I have a good reason for that... er, yeah.

Last I was here, I started to write something about the Dark Eldar and how much I like them. This was when they were on the horizon, but still not yet officially announced. Now, at the risk of jumping on the DE content bandwagon, I'm going to finish that thought and hopefully get it up this time.

I like DE.

There, I said it.

Drazhar Master of Blades was, in fact, the first 40k figure I ever purchased. (I had been gifted a rather large number of other figures before this time, but I had never bought any myself) I bought him because he looked awesome, and with the DE all new and shiny at the time, I had it in my mind to begin collecting them. This, apparently, was never to be.


They really appeal to me as a race. Their play style is something I can really get behind. I see in them an army that is very mobile, has a lot of ranged power, and just enough CC to be just threatening enough to get by. This tends to be the formula for all of the armies I enjoy*, and the DE do it pretty well. While I realize it isn't quite optimally practical, the "cram as many dark lances in as possible" list amuses me to no end. It's basically the same as missile spam, but you get all that S8 with lance special rule and AP2. What's not to love? Throw in an Archon with some Incubi and Wyches and you've got a pretty fun little army that is probably going to do at least reasonably well on the table. (albeit, with a bit of effort) Good times.


The DE fluff is also very interesting to me. I find it interesting to think that the DE are essentially what the Eldar were before the fall. The Eldar used to live an incredibly decadent lifestyle, so decadent that Slaanesh was born from their collective impact on the Warp. Most of the Eldar died, some escaped to Craftworlds to change their ways, some escaped to Commorragh to continue living normally. Isn't it interesting that, in fact, Dark Eldar are Eldar and Eldar should be something else? Reformed Eldar, Craftworld Eldar (they're often called this anyways), or whatever else. Also, that Commorragh is arguably the safest place in the galaxy? Immune to any threats from realspace, and relatively immune to most threats from the Warp. It's just fascinating, I think. Also interesting, is that while they are all the rapingist pirates around, they are almost good guys, in a sense. Not good in philosophical sense, but I see them as a "pure" race. They have no ulterior motives, they don't do anything based on greed, or spite, or whatever else motivates most of the other races. They just kill people because they enjoy it and because if they don't, they'll get their souls sucked out by Slaanesh. So yeah, I dig the little fetishists.


When they came out in the 3rd edition 40k box set, I had plans to split such a box with a friend of mine, but best laid plans, and all that. After that, I ended up with Drazhar as my only DE model, and he continues to be to this day. Perhaps with the new codex release, I will have to change that.**

The only problem is that, as crazy as it sounds, I'm not really looking forward to the new codex. The new models look great (and lord knows DE needed new models) and there are some changes that are going to be good, but, to be perfectly honest, I like the codex how it is now. Sure it doesn't scale well, is generally overpriced, and has almost no good units in any FoC. That much I can't argue with, and are the changes that I am looking forward to. From what I understand, though, they are sort of discouraging the DL spam list. They still come in 3's on Ravagers, but rumours seem to indicate they are going to be limiting the amount you can take in Raider squads. Maybe this is a good thing that will be balanced out by other changes in the codex, but I just hope they can still be built shooty. I hope they don't turn into a fast CC army, like new BA or old Tyranids.

The codex should be out in a few weeks. I will obviously be holding final judgement until such a time as I can view it, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't have high hopes.

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* - My Space Wolf and Tyranid lists are like this too:
SW have 20 missiles per turn, with Logan and mass Wolf Guard for the just-barely-competent-enough-to-be-threatening CC. (and if I honestly ever played that list, I'm sure I would try to squeeze a TWC or two in there somewhere)
Tyranids are mad-shooty (Hive Guard, T-Fexxen, Harpies) with some MCs and mass Gaunt-spam in there for that hint of CC. (also, if I ever played this list I would probably squeeze in a Deathleaper. Mostly for the psychic defense as it seems like most psychic powers are created for the sole purpose of mulching Tyranids and Shadows in the Warp just isn't what it used to be, but the DL is still just enough of a CC threat to nibble in the back of someone's mind)



** - For anyone keeping track at home, this is going to be about the fourth*** army I've decided to collect since making this blog. Something that has not in any way affected the fact that I haven't bought a single model in years, much less since starting this blog. This has been more for financial reasons than anything else, though.

*** - Actually, it's more like 7 or 8 if you include the Warmachine stuff that I've been thinking of but not talking about.