Book Review – Codex: Dark Eldar

The Dark Kin have made their appearance once more into the world of Warhammer 40,000, and they seem intent on pillaging their way to the end of existence. Today we will dive into my impressions on the book, now that I have finally had the time to sit down and finish a complete read-through!

In the past I have done a rather intensive breakdown on the sections of the books, but with the Dark Eldar I’m going to settle for a three-part analysis: fluff, wargear, and army entries. This will be filled with generalizations, but I plan to stop along the way to bring up some specific points from the book.

First, I think it is important to say that I have generally positive feelings toward this book. It seems to have been bemoaned universally online, but I’ve never found that to be a true litmus test for anything. If you disagree, then feel free to dismiss me as I am dismissing all the other talking heads out there!

In general, the Dark Eldar are stronger as a faction. They have fewer “stinker” units, as well as fewer “must-have” units. I think both of these things are crucial to the overall balance of the game. This book is not as good as Tau Empire, Eldar, or Imperial Knights, but it shouldn’t be! I won’t hold my breath, but I’m ultimately hoping that these past few books are a trend for the reset we will eventually see in the game. There will be growing pains, but that has always been the case.

Fluff

The stories from the thematic section of this book are mostly superb. With a couple of notable exceptions, the subject matter fits with the capabilities of the 40k universe. Although I’ve never seen Lelith kill Hive Tyrants in close combat, most of their entries are filled with flavorful text that matches up closely with the goals and the orientations of the army.

That said, this book has made me despise the Dark Eldar, which I think is a good reaction for a faction of villainous monsters who prey on the weak. Their sense of predatory ability to pick out the sick and weak from the herd is really carried across in the stories. I don’t want to cause any spoilers for those who haven’t finished the fluff section, but the Dark Eldar do a few things along the way that turn the stomach or set the blood to boiling. They have really been portrayed as the bad guys that they are!

Wargear

I’m very much pleased with the variety given form in this book. In the last rendition of the Dark Eldar, it seemed as if everything in the book could easily be ticked off in a “good or bad” style format. There really weren’t that many pieces of wargear that were in-between. Now we have a ton of variety that really brings new army combinations into possibility. From the Ossefactor to the Archite Glaive, there are all kinds of interesting wargear options to add variety to army lists.

A few items did take hits, most notably the Splinter Cannon. With that said, I think this was an okay and necessary change. The weapon is a squad support weapon, and it never made sense that it was so effective when moving quickly across the battlefield. While the Salvo rule does hurt it, there are still options for firing it when you are on the move.

I’m also unsure about Night Shields. On the surface they look fantastic, but the clock in at about five points too expensive for my taste. A few of them will cost you another Raider, and that makes the slight Cover Save improvement iffy. I think this one will require some playtesting.

Plus, dat Webway Portal!

The Army

No hugs, please…

This is where I’m most impressed with the book. Almost everything got cheaper when compared to its previous iteration, meaning more tools in the toolbox automatically. Units that seemed too expensive to justify before, such as Scourge, now seem much more flexible. I also think it is safe to say that Mandrakes are no longer the worst unit in the game! I think they could have used a bit more TLC than they received, but they are a massive improvement over their 5^th edition counterparts.

The Carnival of Pain seems to be the biggest winner from this codex, coming out with all kinds of new toys to bring pain to the barbaric Mon’Keigh. The Pain Engines gaining multiple members in each squad makes them more viable as well. Add the amazing new Wrack kit in plastic, and you’re all set to bring the Covens to the surface.

If I had to pick a weakness, I would have to pick the Wych Cults. While many of their specialist units are still astounding, Wyches don’t seem to hold water in the current edition. They are overpriced, given their stat line, and the loss of Haywire Grenades makes this one-trick pony into a no-trick pony. I think that these grenades really needed to go away, as it altered the Wyches to something they were never meant to be. Still, it is a hard pill to swallow with no points reduction in a book filled with other polished gems. If only they got their Invulnerable Saves against Overwatch…

Conclusion

Approach the new Dark Eldar book with an open mind, and I don’t believe you’ll be disappointed. It brings a ton of options to the table, and a tactics-oriented commander will get good mileage out of the dependable units at their disposal. Raid with the followers of Commorragh if you dare. I will be standing with the lesser races, waiting to defend the innocent from your depthless depravity!