Ideas for a Dark Eldar mod

[Aertes]

Hi all. I'm not a modder, but I like to share ideas. I was thinking that a Dark Eldar race for Dow II would be easy to do for a good modder and I've seen some great ones here. The process shouldn't be very different from that to make the Grey Knights, wich I love.

General Race Assets
- Splinter Pistols/Rifles: they could use the same fire effects as eldar Shuriken weapons, but with a different colour (I suggest purple). ALso the model could be based in the shuriken weapons.
- Splinter Cannons: they could use the Warp Spider's rifle as base, and the Shurkien Cannon's fire effect (again, purple tone suggested). They haven't a set-up time and don't suppress.
- Splinter Carbine: a more powerful version of the Splinter Rifle, with even faster rate of fire.
- Dark Lances: black or dark-pruple/blue version of eldar bright lances. They could also use the Warp Spider's rifles as base model, and bright lance's fire effects. They have set-up time.
- Blasters: purple version of the melta gun, the current eldar Fire Dragon's weapons are already a great base, again dark purple/black/blue colours suggested for fire effects.
- Disintegrators: versions of Plasma Rifles, they passively fire energy pulses (plasma rifle fire animation, with purple dak tones) but with higher fire rate. They can have a targeted ability to "overcharge" and fire a greater plasma pulse that knocks down infantry (like a plasma cannon but with 1/3 of its power). They only come on vehicles.
- Acidspitters: flamer weapon with similar visula effects than the Plague Champion's bilethrower (i suggest yellow colour change). It also ignores some of the target's armor.
- Vile Rifle: its a sniper rifle. If a model dies by this weapon, it explodes and causes knockback, suppression and damage to nearby enemies (think of the Last Stand explosive malediction of the Chaos Sorcerer)
- Venom Sword: energy weapon that deals damage equal to a percenteage of the objective's maximun health (I dont remember the name of that common dark eldar melee weapon in english, something like Punisher?).
- Dark Matter Grenades: a version of eldar Plasma Grenades, same explosion effect (change of colour suggested), they deal less damage, but cause great suppresion (only suppressive capacity of the army).
- Haywire Grenades: a version of Warp Spiders (eldar) grenade. It shocks vehicles and greatly increase the damage they take while they are shutdown, turning them vulnerable to all attacks.

- Power through Pain: all units in this race, (except vehicles) could gain benefits as they gain new levels, my suggestion is: if a unit reaches Level 2 it get a boost to their health regeneration; if it reaches elvel 4 it becomes highly resistant to suppression, or maybe even immune to it.
- Fleet: most units in this race should have access to the eldar Fleet unit, with some exceptions.

T1

Initial unit: Mandrakes
- Base Animation: Banshees (eldars)
- Description: Just like in DoW I. The idea is having a vulnerable melee unit that could face Imperial Guards, no-melee Heretics, Termagants, Dire Avengers, Shootas or Inquisitorial Troops, but couldn't handle Loyal/Chaos Space Marines, Sluggas or Hormagaunts. Would need a brand new model according to the current Mandarke models from the boardgame.
- Initial models: 4
- Initial abilities: Infiltration
- Improvements: They could buy a Sergeant that increases their resistance and cap speed, and gives the Squad the Fleet ability. This way they would be a useful unit to sneak past enemy and attack generators and points.

Dark Eldar Warriors
- Base Animation: Dire Avengers (guardians, eldars)
- Description: the dark version of eldar guardians/dire avengers. They would be pretty similar to them, but with different options and without the advantage of the Warlock/Exarch. They could deal more ranged damage.
- Initial models: 5
- Initial abilities: none
- Improvements: They could buy a Sergeant that comes with Dark Matter Grenades and a Venom Sword and also gives them the Fleet ability. In Tier 2 they could equip one of their members with a Blaster or a Splinter Cannon.

Witches
- Base Animation: Banshees (eldars)
- Description: Great but vulnerable melee unit, the dark version of the banshees. Armed with spinlter pistols and a melee weapon.
- Initial models: 4
- Initial abilities: Fleet, and they passively jump over obstacles and terrain.
- Improvements: they can get "gladiator's gear" that gives them special melee energy weapons (see the boardgame models) and makes them tremendously resistant against melee weapons. In T2 they can buy a sergeant with a Venom Sword and haywire Grenades.

Scourges
- Base Animation: Dark Rippers or Warp Spiders (eldars)
- Description: dark version of the dark rippers, dark jump version in fact. They come equiped with Splinter Cannons. useful for long ranged combat, and can use their wings to jump away from melee attackers, or to reach good fire positions.
- Initial models: 3
- Initial abilities: Jump Pack-like ability.
- Improvements: in T2 they can buy a Sergeant that comes with pistol and Venom Sword, so that the unit can jump and engage in melee efectively against weak opponents (guards, dire avengers, termagants). Also in T2 they can change the three Splinter Cannons for a Dark Lance and two Splinter Rifles, lowering their power against infantry but making them great against vehicles.

T2

Raider
- Base Animation: Serpent (eldars)
- Description: the basic transport of the race. Very vulnerable (think of a Imperial Guard Sentinel) but with really high speed, perfect for rapid raids against enemy generators or into enemy formations with Witches or Grotesques on board. Comes with a Disintegrator.
- Initial models: 1
- Initial abilities: none
- Improvements: They can change the Disintegrator for a Dark Lance or get "raid gear", which gives their disintegrator the larger blast ability and gives the "tortured wail" ability (a Banshee's weil for vehicles, could use the Noise Marine's cacophony visula effect but with suppression and without knockback)

Legitimates
- Base Animation: Dire Avengers (guardians, eldars)
- Description: an elite version of the Dark Eldar Warriors. They are much more efficient in melee and ranged combat. They come with Spliter Carbines (stronger versions of the Splinter Rifle).
- Initial models: 4
- Initial abilities: Dark Matter Grenades and Haywire Grenades.
- Improvements: they can buy special weapons, which gives three of their models a Blaster or a Splinter Cannon. Also can buy a Sergeant that gives them the Fleet ability, improve their health and brings a Venom Sword.

Scythes
- Base Animation: should be modelled
- Description: gravitic jetbikes (see boardgame models). They could use weak vehicle stats (like Imperial Guard's Sentinels), but very high speed. Good both in melee and ranged combat. Each armed with Splinter Carbine.
- Initial models: 3
- Initial abilities: none.
- Improvements: one of them can change the Splinter Carbine for a Blaster. They can get "scythe talons", that gives them the "Maimer run" ability; its like a jump-pack ability, but all enemy modles between the starting and ending points of the jump take melee damage as they fire or attack them on the fly.

Wracks
- Base Animation: Wraithguards (eldars)
- Description: A powerful and resistant melee unit, but with low speed. They come without ranged weapons but can get them as improvements, changing their role.
- Initial models: 3
- Initial abilities: they already have the Power Through Pain health regeneration boost active.
- Improvements: they can buy a Sergeant (haemonculus) that improves their speed.

T3
Devastator
- Base Animation: Serpent (eldars)
- Description: heavy combat version of a Raider. Very vulnerable (think of a Imperial Guard Sentinel) but with really high speed. Comes with three Disintegrators.
- Initial models: 1
- Initial abilities: Dark Matter Barrage, targeted ability that fires the three Disintegrators like three Plasma Cannons, causing heavy damage and knockback in the targeted area.
- Improvements: They can change the Disintegrators for Dark Lances, also can buy the "tortured wail" ability (a Banshee's weil for vehicles, could use the Noise Marine's cacophony visula effect but with suppression and without knockback)

Grotesques
- Base Animation: Ogryns (Imperial Guard)
- Description: huge Wracks with close combat weapons. Deal great melee damage and can also take a great ammount of damage, like Ork Nobz.
- Initial models: 3
- Initial abilities: they already have both abilities from Power through Pain active.
- Improvements: they can buy a Sergnt (haemonculus) that improves their speed.

Chronos
- Base Animation: Should be modelled (see the boardgame models, the upper half of a Wraithlord could be used)
- Description: heavy combat monster. It deals great melee damage and also has ranged weapons.
- Initial models: 1
- Initial abilities: Soul infusion. Targeted ability that charges as the Chronos deals damage. It can target a frinedly unit to heal it.
- Improvements: it can become a Talos. Loses the Soul Infusion ability but becomes tremendously damaging in melee and gets good health regeneration.

[fankater]

No! There was two same topics about DE few months ago and there was almost the same ideas! Use search button... Elite crew havent any DE models and theres no any available anywhere, so im 99 % sure we won`t see them ever!

[Aertes]

Fine, sorry.

[sterling]

Dark Eldar race for Dow II would be easy to do for a good modder and I've seen some great ones here.

It's a lot more difficult to create new models than you seem to think, or if not difficult, very time consuming. With a basic unit unless you are just retexturing and slightly altering an existing model eg Grey Knights, then it's not too difficult. When you are creating entirely new models as you propose it's not simply a case of "use these animations" - it requires each new model being rigged to the existing bones so that it animates correctly - which takes a loooong time.

Plus for new vehicles such as a Talos - a whole new set of animations would have to be made which is again incredibly time consuming.

If any new race is added it will be Tau - as a lot of the models exist, or maybe Necrons if Bloodravage decides to complete more of them.

[fankater]

If any new race is added it will be Tau - as a lot of the models exist, or maybe Necrons if Bloodravage decides to complete more of them.

I hope so, Caeltos announced them as new race for ELITE but I haven`t seen any news about it for 6 months Also there is some quite nice Sisters of Battle infantry and commander models. Also all their vehicles rely on rhino chassis and can modeled easily. Hardest thing is their super unit. IDK but remodeled and resized (even burning footsteps can stay :]) Avatar is first thing that comes to my mind as a Saint...

Sterling it`s possible to get this:
http://www.moddb.com/mods/dawn-of-warhammer-40k-2-warpstorm-over-aurelia/images/broadside-railguns#imagebox put into tau commander like this http://www.totalwargamer.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/broadside-built.jpg and run it all with wraithguard slow moving animation ?

[sterling]

Again it's a case of being possible but hugely time consuming. Every part of the battlesuit model would have to be rigged to the wraithguard bones. I doubt they'd be the same size so would probably be quite a lot of clipping. Its possible but difficult.

I expect you'll see more ework being done on Tau stuff when there's an actual announcement about what Caeltos has planned and what units need making. No-one is going to dedicate that much time to something that might not even be used in the mod.

[Raffa]

You've clearly put some time into this Aertes, but for future reference it's probably not going to happen unless a model already exists or it would not take a ridonculously long time to make (e.g. Vindicare, which still took some time).

[Aertes]

It's a lot more difficult to create new models than you seem to think, or if not difficult, very time consuming. With a basic unit unless you are just retexturing and slightly altering an existing model eg Grey Knights, then it's not too difficult. When you are creating entirely new models as you propose it's not simply a case of "use these animations"

I didn't think it would be that difficult. Most of the army would require the same job that has been already done with Grey knights. For example: Dark Eldar Warriors are just Dire Avengers/Eldar Guardians with a ddifferent texture and some blades/spikes added.
Also, Witches would be Banshees with a different texture and maybe a new head.
And so on.

I agree that some of the models bring much more work since they haven't an existing base, like Talos, Raider and maybe Wracks. It was just ain idea.

[sterling]

Yeah you're right there that the basic units wouldn't be too much trouble. I've thought about having a go at making some dark eldar warriors like that. If I ever get round to it I'll be sure to add them to the posts like this.