Jal wrote:@Dal*a*mar
I don't know if I can be bothered really - 4 bolters and 10 Warlocks (in 2 5s normally) are outstanding and pointing out that two armies aren't too afraid of this combo is ignoring the rest to an almost facile level. Dark Elves are probably the best army in the game at effective board space control with bolters and Warlocks being a massive part of this. The usual netlist we see in the UK currently is something along the lines of:
Dreadlord with kit on Peg/Cold One/Steed
L4 Death, mounted
BSB on Cold One/Steed
Peg with CoT
Some Core including Dark Riders, maybe a small witch Elves
4 Bolters
2* 5 Locks
Other stuff. Often a Cold One Bus (the build I choose to run) a couple of monsters or some shades/chariots etc
The reason this is so powerful - massive ranged threat projection with Bolters/Mounted Characters/Doombolt/Death, finish stuff off T1-4 then pick and choose the fights you want in later turns often with 3* Soulblight available or Doom and Darkness. Is this list harder to deal with than most other netlist builds? Maybe, maybe not. The point is, the list dominates in almost every phase and it's the warlocks and bolters that provide much of this.
I may not post much on these forums, so am probably not as well 'known' as several notable posters, but without blowing own trumpet too hard have probably the best or second best record with Dark Elves on the UK tournament scene since the book came out (I think Craig Johnson pips me) so know what I'm talking about/doing.
Well here's the thing... Reapers may have went down in cost... but they still SUCK. There's a reason they're taken, and it's a very simple reason. Dark Elves have no other viable high strength ranged option aside from Reapers and Scourgerunners. The former is a lot easier to use so you obviously will see it more often (though my reapers did crap all last game and I decided to start practicing with scourgerunners more... they at least have an option to preserve points by driving away from a threat)
If your opponents are really afraid of 4 reapers... they haven't done their math right (and sure, sometimes they are excellent, but when doing mathhammer you need to look at averages). So 4 reapers against a DP - your typical good opponent will give you a single turn of shooting before he gets into combat and you can't shoot anymore. And likely you won't have perfect shots from all four reapers (but that's only if you play TLoS like the edition was designed). For ease of use I'll also assume that charmed shield has already been pinged away.
1.6 wounds against a T5 (they are T5 right? totally forgot) Demon Prince. So we're looking at 1-2 wounds on a DP, then he's in combat. If he's not in combat then he's in a position not threatened by the reapers. If the DP has the right mark (Slaanesh) then he very likely got either Acquiescence or Cacophonic Choir on his target of choice, which is now random move d6 and can't escape the charge. These are likely your amazing 10 warlocks who will vanish instantly to a Slaanesh DP. His cost is less than your indestructible 4 reapers and 10 warlocks so there's still an entire chaos army to deal with (which your 4 reapers haven't shot at)
I'm not saying you don't know what you're talking about... but perhaps you need to look for opponents willing to think outside the box instead of going for their own netlists of Nurgle DP and chariot spam.