How do you use 10 Dark Riders?

How to beat those cowardly High Elves?

Moderators: Layne, The Dread Knights

Post Reply
Tactical Dark ELf
Trainee Warrior
Posts: 28
Joined: Wed May 13, 2015 3:37 pm

How do you use 10 Dark Riders?

Post by Tactical Dark ELf »

Still playing 8th
So I currently have 3 units of dark riders, 5 in each and 2 units of 5 warlocks that are part of a 2000point army.
I really want to build an entire fast calvary dark rider/warlock army backed with bolt throwers but i'm not sure what units of 10+ Dark Riders will do. Since I have other units to use as chaff, re-direct, march block how should I use the bigger unit.
Also should I give them RxB?
10 Dark Riders with shields, musician is 180points which is very good.
I usually play against these armies that mainly consist of
Lizardmen, large blocks of Saurus and Temple Guard, skinks
Chaos, warriors, chosen, DP,
High Elves, 30 Phoenix Guard and lots of silver helms.

Also probably going to put lvl 4 death SS on Peagsus with cloak of twlight so she doesn't have to be in a unit.
Edit: I should probably say the reason i'm thinking of making the units bigger, is that they tend to get in the way of each other when fielding lots of small units.
Last edited by Tactical Dark ELf on Thu Jul 30, 2015 7:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Amboadine
Miscast into the Warp
Miscast into the Warp
Posts: 3510
Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2007 11:07 am
Location: Investigating Mantica

Re: How do you use 10 Dark Riders?

Post by Amboadine »

3 units of 5 warlocks? That is not a legal choice at 2000 pts.

As for uses of 10 DRs, typically they make for a nice bunker however you are running a solo peg witch so less use there unless you use them as protection for a steedmaster BSB.
This allows you to be more agressive in deployment with warlocks and 5xDR units.
I won't bother with RXBs but with spears and shields make for a perfectly acceptable medium cav unit that is handy and manoeuvrable enough to get flank / rear charges in.
Tactical Dark ELf
Trainee Warrior
Posts: 28
Joined: Wed May 13, 2015 3:37 pm

Re: How do you use 10 Dark Riders?

Post by Tactical Dark ELf »

*3 units of Dark Riders, 2 units of Warlocks. I might make that a 10man unit though.
User avatar
Amboadine
Miscast into the Warp
Miscast into the Warp
Posts: 3510
Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2007 11:07 am
Location: Investigating Mantica

Re: How do you use 10 Dark Riders?

Post by Amboadine »

Tactical Dark ELf wrote:*3 units of Dark Riders, 2 units of Warlocks. I might make that a 10man unit though.


Thought that might be the case :)

Personally I have had more success with 2 units of 5 warlocks rather than a unit of 10. They are more versatile that way and allow for multiple magic threats on each flank.
Lodoss1980
Slave (off the Altar)
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri May 02, 2014 5:48 am

Re: How do you use 10 Dark Riders?

Post by Lodoss1980 »

The warlocks are great.

Unfortunately I always find my Dark Riders running around waiting to get shot dead without be able to do something usefull :(
I don't understand why people find this unit so great.
User avatar
Amboadine
Miscast into the Warp
Miscast into the Warp
Posts: 3510
Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2007 11:07 am
Location: Investigating Mantica

Re: How do you use 10 Dark Riders?

Post by Amboadine »

Lodoss1980 wrote:The warlocks are great.

Unfortunately I always find my Dark Riders running around waiting to get shot dead without be able to do something usefull :(
I don't understand why people find this unit so great.


They are a staple in most DE armies. Take a look at this thread for some great tactics using them.

http://www.druchii.net/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=71009
User avatar
marcopollo
Assassin
Posts: 570
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2013 7:44 pm
Location: The thin edge of the wedge

Re: How do you use 10 Dark Riders?

Post by marcopollo »

At 2.5k I use 4 units of DR like so:
1) 5 shield an musician
2) repeat
3) 10 with rxb, shield, musician
4) repeat.

This still needs a 10 more point command somewhere.

This is how I start every list I make when I don't need to worry about comp scores.
User avatar
Red...
Generalissimo
Posts: 3750
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2009 3:09 pm
Location: Baltimore

Re: How do you use 10 Dark Riders?

Post by Red... »

Always take RxBs. Without them, their utility is halved. And the upgrade is very cheap compared to the value it provides. Take shields too - the difference between a 4+ save and a 5+ save is huge (going from just 1 save out of 3 wounds to 1 save out of 2 wounds on average).

Field them in two sets of 5. At 10, they become too easy to focus fire upon and become a very juicy target for any enemy blast templates from magic or shooting.

There's nothing too complex about how to use them. Put them on your flanks and have them run circles around the enemy, or field both units on the dead flank of a refused flank strategy and have them either run away from, or get in the way of, any enemy forces deployed on that flank.
"While all answers are replies, not all replies are answers. So answer the question."

Don't be a munchkin?

Image

I am an Extraordinary Druchii Gentleman
User avatar
marcopollo
Assassin
Posts: 570
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2013 7:44 pm
Location: The thin edge of the wedge

Re: How do you use 10 Dark Riders?

Post by marcopollo »

I would have to disagree with Red on a few points on how to field dark riders. I would assume that he uses them his way to great effect, but for me, I have alternate styles for them.

I will assume a 2.5K game with 625 pts of core for my reasons.

Like I said earlier, I use 2 units of 10 fully kitted, and two units of 5 with just shields and musicians. Here are my reasons.

1) having a 10 man shooting battery that can fully march and shoot is very nice. Twenty shots, marching and double shotting is hitting on 5+, that's like 6-7 hits. This is excellent at causing panic for small chaff units. This set up also affords 10 ST 4 charges. Which is also very nice for flanking and very good against everything but 1+ armor saves. With vanguard and fast cav, you can zip around wherever you like. One 10 man shooting battery is better than 2x5 man shooting batteries because:
a) they don't have to worry about one set of 5 getting in the shooting lane of another set of 5. All 10 shoot with no unnecessary cover modifiers.
b) you don't have to pay for two commands. In each 5 man unit you would typically take a musician, but if you combine them, the points you save on a second musician can be spent elsewhere, like on a standard bearer or whatever. I don't usually take the champion as they only get +1 BS which messes with my shooting rolls and slows the game down.
So take two sets of them.

2) Having a pair of small 5 man DR units is nice too. This way they can double-flee (look up the term in the tactica section). But, I skip the RXB's as they are my cheap chaff unit when I need a sacrifice. I just give them shields and a musician. This keeps them cheap, fast and flexible. Sometimes I will run them in two rows (3 and 2) if I want to assassinate a character in a suicide mission putting all 5 attacks on one model. Although RXB's are nice, they are not a credible threat at only 5 models. You're not going to panic much of anything with only 10 shots and they often get in the way of one another, especially if using the double-flee trick. Save those points for other goodies.

3) If running a significant amount of DR, it is very helpful to have some shades. I use one set of shades for every 10 man unit of DR that I have. This helps in two crucial ways.
a) maximizes the effect of vanguard from the DR. Vanguard happens after scouts (which is when shades are placed). So with strategic deployment of shades, you can eliminate where your opponent can vanguard and set up excellent zone's of control before any turns are taken. This give you a significant movement advantage, which is key with dark elves. DE are a precision army, movement is crucial.
b) because shades are "scouts" they are stubborn if woods. Placing more than 50% of them in woods is a nightmare for chaff clearers. Typically chaff clearers are chaff themselves, so they are low armor and a nuisance. Being the bigger nuisance on the board is one step towards victory. The points that I save from not using RXB's on the 5 man DR units are spent on great weapons for the shades. Although there is much debate on the best option for shades, I believe that great weapons are marginally superior of the all possible additions (perhaps because I play against alot of heavy armor). Extra hand weapons are nice, but low strength makes them much less versatile that ST 5. They really don't need any other upgrades at a 5 man unit level. Other shade configurations also have their virtues, but that is another story for another thread.

I do find painting DR to be a bit of a chore though. 30 DR to collect and paint is a drag on the wallet and time, but I suppose no different than any other set of models. Plus the recent ones put out by GW are a pain the A$$ to put together. They look very dynamic, but I find the out of print ones to be more forgiving of modelling and painting mistakes.
Post Reply