[High Marshall Me]

Is it worth starting Dark Eldar now or should I wait for the next Codex? Also are they a horde army?

 

[Sareld]

Dark eldar troops are some of the most skilled troops avaliable in the entire world of 40k, but they are as fragile as any non-enhanced humanoid. So to compensate, most succesful DE players get around this by maximizing our speed, using plenty of raiders and web way portals, but you could certainly also get around it by using high numbers of warriors.

And I do think that yo should start DE right away. Our codex is not in bad shape, compared to the other non-marine codecies out there (even the 4th ed. ones), and it is VERY unlikely that GW will make the next DE codex better. If anything, my guess is that DE will be 'streamlined' as GW calls it, which means that everything cool and unique will be removed from the codex to avoid confusion, and the army will be dumbed down (made easier to use) to appeal more to new players.

 

[Tcan_Dal'yth]

DE are very effective against small sized armies, like Space marines ordaemon hunters or the such. They have more trouble against horde type armies just beacuse they don't have enough fire power to gun down so many orks or the guants that just keep coming before they can charge into assualt. Think about it, our wych reduce weapon skill and take away the extra attack for having more then on close combat weapon. Godd if your playing against small size units of marines, but then again, what if your playing against 120+ ork boys or guants galore.

I would start your army now so that if GW does "streamline" the army then you will all ready have all that expirence under your belt and will just be better.

 

[andrewthotep]

On the 'wait' side, the current range of DE models is (with a few exceptions) uninspiring to ugly, and largely metal. With the new DE codex there are rumoured to be new models possibly designed by Jes Goodwin, which certainly makes me salivate.

That being said, a DE battlebox is probably not a bad investment as you get plastic warriors, reaver jetbikes and a raider, which are among the prettier current models.

 

[Tcan_Dal'yth]

or you could just do what I do. Use wych elves as wychs, hydra apprentices as Dracons and executioners as incubi/archons