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Post by sedge on Jun 12, 2018 19:11:45 GMT
This tactics article provides an overview of Dark Elf army selection and battlefield tactics, ideal either for newcomers or as a refresher for veterans. Limits of time and space prevent it from going too in-depth, so if you want more analysis of a particular unit or tactics, I'd suggest posting a new thread in this forum for further discussion. I have to credit both Druchii.net and 1d4chan's tactics article as sources for some of the thoughts here. Why Play Them?The Druchii are the rightful inheritors of the greatest empire known to the world. Their king, Malekith was betrayed by the Asur, and the Dark Elves were cast out from their homeland. Yet where others would have perished, the Dark Elves thrived in the chill lands of Naggaroth. Only the fittest survived, and all others are weaklings ripe for plunder. While other races cling to dwindling past glories, the Druchii are aggressors, launching constant raids on other races, all the while preparing for their final invasion of Ulthuan. A fun race to play, a Dark Elf army is active throughout all the phases of the game - moving swiftly rather than "castling" in a corner, blasting opponents with powerful destructive spells, and boasting armour piercing missile units and elite melee units. A great number of army builds are competitive, giving you variety in your games, and the Dark Elves are one of the strongest armies around - even for beginners. Finally, a Dark Elf army is one of the best to look and to collect. From the lethal beauty of the Witch Elves to the jaw-dropping Cold One Knights (the best-looking cavalry kit around), to multi-headed fire-breathing monsters, Dark Elves have the variety to make a spectacular collection. They had one of the most comprehensive model ranges, with few old outdated models, and lots of multi-part plastic kits - most of which have (to date) survived the transition to AoS. While some character models are gone, good conversions are easy to make, and viable alternative sources of models exist. How They PlayDark Elves are an elite army that is one of the few which is truly competitive in every phase of the game - fast moving, powerful magic, strong shooting, and hitting hard and fast in combat. If your units work well together, the Druchii are amongst the strongest armies in Warhammer. However, your troops may be elite - good Weapon Skill, Ballistic Skill, Initiative and Leadership, but elves are notoriously "squishy" - having a mere toughness 3, and lacking the vast numbers of horde armies such as Skaven or the toughness and hefty army saves of Dwarves or Warriors of Chaos. If things don't go your way, your glass cannon units can be easily picked off by a more specialist force. As Elves, the Druchii are a high leadership army, meaning you don't have the same reliability on characters that others like Orcs and Goblins do. However, you aren't Dwarves, and with Frenzy and Stupidity on some key units, Leadership can't be forgotten. Of the three elven armies, the Dark Elves are the most offensive, while High Elves are a more defensive force, and Wood Elves often build around speed and evasion. Army Special Rules and EquipmentAlways Strikes First (ASF) - not technically an army special rule, but every elf has it (traitorous Asur and Asrai too). This allows you to always attack first in close combat, regardless of initiative. Additionally, if your initiative is equal to or higher than your target's, you can re-roll failed hits. If your opponent has this rule, you hit at the same time, and don't get the re-rolls. For Great Weapon units (i.e. Executioners), Always Strikes First cancels out their Always Strikes Last, allowing them to hit at initiative. This rule is crucial for Dark Elves - as a fragile army, this allows you get off as many attacks as possible and also potentially reduce the number of return attacks you receive. It also means you can make the most of your relatively low strength attacks by getting more hits in. Eternal Hatred - this gives you Hatred (re-roll failed hits in combat) but applies to every round of combat, not just the first. Black Guard and some characters have this. While ASF will usually get you a re-roll anyway, this helps against other ASF units, particularly elves, or those with very high initiative. Murderous Prowess - this allows you to re-roll To Wound rolls of 1 in close combat; this applies to all your elves, but not monsters, mounts and beasts such as Harpies. Again, this rule is crucial for Dark Elves' offensive power, and helps them to maximise the damage from their close combat attacks. Hekarti's Blessing - your sorceresses, Malekith and Morathi have this; it adds +1 to casting attempts for Dark Magic spells. This boosts your offensive magical power, and is a strong incentive to use Dark Magic. Repeater Crossbow (RXB) - range 24", strength 3, Armour Piercing and Multiple Shots (2). The standard Dark Elf missile weapon, it trades range and accuracy (-1 to hit for multiple shots) for increased damage output. Strong at shredding light or medium infantry, but you need to make sure you lines of sight are clear to use effectively. Repeater Handbow (RHB) - range 12", strength 3, Multiple Shots (2) and Quick to Fire. Found on Corsairs, and can be purchased for some characters (also as a brace of them for four shots). They lack armour piercing, but can put out a good amount of fire, and will always allow you to Stand and Shoot. Sea Dragon Cloak (SDC) - Scaly Skin (5+). This is one of the best pieces of equipment around, and it combines with other armour saves. It is almost obligatory to equip these on characters that can take them, along with Heavy Armour and a Shield or mount, so you can get a 1+ or 2+ armour save to compensate for your lack of toughness. Also found on Black Ark Corsairs as standard.
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Post by sedge on Jun 12, 2018 19:13:03 GMT
Special characters in general are overpriced in Warhammer - you can usually build a better character from their generic equivalent for less points. However, they should not be dismissed entirely, as they tend to have abilities you can't get elsewhere, and therefore most still have a use.
Lords - special characters
Malekith the Witch King - At 510 points, Malekith is a big investment in points - and that's even before you consider a mount (Cold One, Cold One Chariot or Seraphon, a black dragon). A combat character and primary spellcaster rolled into one, he's likely to be your entire Lords allowance, and also prime target for your opponents. He's got an extra point of WS, S and T (yes a Toughness 4 elf!!) over a Dreadlord, and starts with a 4+ armour save. He's tooled up with magic items - his sword forces opponents to reveal magic items of models in base contact,and potentially lets you destroy those as well as taking wizard levels off any wizard you wound in combat. Malekith also has a 2+ ward against non-magical attacks, only suffers a single wound from Killing Blow/Multiple Wounds, has Magic Resistance (2), and if he successfully dispels, inflicts hits on the caster's units. He's a Level 4 wizard in Dark Magic, and can add one dice per magic phase to either a casting or dispel attempts. His Inspiring Presence range is also 6" more than usual.
All in all, he's an excellent combat character - vulnerable only to magic weapons that he can usually destroy before he's attached, caster, and also boosts your army with his Leadership, dispelling ability, and magic resistance. However, magical ranged attacks can pick him off, particularly if he's not in a unit, and he's a big investment.
How you mount him will probably depend on the model you have available, but there are two options that stand out. On foot, he can boost a unit (particularly when casting Power of Darkness), while benefiting from their protection. On Seraphon, you have a model unit that can get anywhere, and take out pretty much anything - though watch out unit champions challenging you so your attacks are wasted (running a Pegasus Master alongside him can help to counter this). While putting him in a unit of Cold One Knights will boost them to lethal levels, you'll want at least 9 of them, which is going to result in an extremely expensive unit. The Cold One Chariot is the weakest option, as it's slow, movement is very much dictated by dangerous terrain, you've got a higher risk of Stupidity kicking in, and Malekith is vulnerable out on his own.
Note that Malekith's End Times versions (the Phoenix King and Eternity King) are not profiled here as they can only be used in a Host of the Phoenix/Eternity King army. Both, however, are extremely strong.
Morathi - your strongest caster, she's a Level 4 who can generate spells from Dark, Shadow and Death magic. As well as Hekarti's Blessings, she can add a further D3 to each casting attempt - this makes her one of the best casters in the game. Mounted on a pegasus, she's an excellent mobile wizard, protected by a 4++ ward save, Magic Resistance (2) and her Enchanting Beauty (potentially reduces WS of models in base contact). While lone wizards are generally vulnerable, Morathi is more durable than most - and can gain wounds if Soul Stealer is one of your spells.
She's surprisingly decent in combat, her paired magical weapons giving her Killing Blow and +2 Strength when she charges, as well as permanently reducing Attacks, Strength and Toughness of monsters/characters she wounds. However, don't mistake her for a combat character - she can help out when required, but shouldn't be handling anything more than chaff when on her own.
If you were considering a Supreme Sorceress on pegasus, take Morathi instead. She's not all that more expensive than a tooled-up SS, will get far more spells off for you, is tougher, and can hold her own in combat if needs be. Note - if you're not sure what army you're facing, Morathi is particularly useful as you can pick between three lores, and so can adapt your choice to your opponent.
Hellebron - the prime example of a glass cannon. Hellebron is one of the killiest of characters, but comes with very little protection. She comes with all three of the Death Hag's upgrades (Fear with tests taken at -3 Ld, +D3 attacks, and Frenzy for her unit or a bonus attack if they already have Frenzy), paired S10 magic weapons that will hit opponents with a S4 hit for each 1 they roll to hit her, plus a talisman that gives +4 to dispel attempts against spells targeting her unit. In combat that means she hits with 8-10 Strength 10 poisoned attacks, probably re-rolling misses due to ASF, and 1s to wound due to Murderous Prowess. In short, that will evaporate a rank (or two) or liquidise most characters.
You could mount her on a Manticore if you're suicidal, or leave her on foot, but the most common option is to put her on a Cauldron of Blood for the 4+ ward and to boost her and an accompanying unit of Witch Elves. You can put her in another unit (e.g. Sisters of Slaughter or Black Guard), but the CoB buffs Witch Elves the most.
Malus Darkblade - an upgunned Dreadlord on Cold One. His mount, Spite, nullifies Stupidity for your unit, has an extra attack, and Eternal Hatred! The Warpsword of Khaine re-rolls failed wounds and ignores armour saves. Malus can also unleash Tz'arkan, giving him Frenzy, +1 WS, S, T and I, but at the risk of hitting a friendly model in base contact when you roll a 1 to hit in combat - though given ASF will usually allow you to re-roll those misses, this is a rare occurrence.
If you're going Cold One heavy in your army, Malus is worth of consideration - while he doesn't have a ward save, he's reasonably durable (1+ save and Tz'arkan's toughness boost), very killy, and makes your Knights more reliable.
Lords - generic characters
Dreadlord - your primary combat lord, with good stats for his cost. Has the usual DE weaknesses of low strength and toughness, and is not a top tier character like a Chaos Lord, Daemon Prince or blender Vampire Lord. However, Murderous Prowess, ASF, high armour save, a good range of mounts (all of which are viable), and some solid magic item choices makes this a useful and versatile character that has a wide range of uses. You can have them bolster a unit, or send them off solo on a flying mount, and can be kitted out for challenges, survivability, monster slaying and other uses. Dreadlord aren't an auto-take for a DE army, and if you bring one, make sure you have a purpose in mind for it and that they're kitted out and mounted accordingly.
Supreme Sorceress - excellent spellcasters, and most Dark Elf armies will have one. You've got the choice of Dark Magic (which benefits from Hekarti's Blessing), and all of the 8 battle lores - Shadow, Life and Death are the most popular choices from those. They excel at offensive spellcasting (as against dispelling), if you're prepared to task risks either with the Sacrificial Dagger or Power of Darkness. While they have several mount options, you have to remember a Sorceress is vulnerable in combat or out on her own, so they are usually on foot or on a Dark Steed. If you're considering a Dark Pegasus, look at Morathi instead.
High Beastmaster - more than double the cost of a Dreadlord, but with your choice of a Manticore or Scourgerunner Chariot included in that, and has a 100 point magic item allowance. Similar stats to a Dreadlord, except -1 A and Ld, and less equipment options; however their Beastslaver gives a monster within 3" +D3 attacks. That works best with a ridden Manticore, particularly if you upgrade it with Blind Rage for another +D3 attacks. However, their BS of 7 makes a Scourgerunner Chariot useful, as they've actually got a good chance of hitting with their harpoon - see the section on that unit for more on its uses. Not the strongest choice, and both mounts are fairly vulnerable, but the High Beastmaster can be a good option.
Black Ark Fleetmaster - the weakest Druchii lord option. More expensive than a Dreadlord, they have the stats of a Master +1 Wound, and only a 50 point magic item allowance. Their special rule is Show No Weakness, which means that if they fight in a challenge or kill an enemy character, plus survive, the BAF and their unit are Unbreakable until the end of that turn, which has limited utility. You're better off with a cheaper Dreadlord who could actually help you win that combat. If you really want to take one, load him up to either survive or kill characters, or there's no point taking him.
Heroes - special characters
Shadowblade - a 245 super-assassin, with WS10, BS10 and Ld9. Comes with the three assassin poisons as default, so -1 Ld to characters per wound inflicted on them, Killing Blow, and +1 on rolls to wound. He has two hand weapons and throwing weapons, plus a potion that adds +4 strength that turn. With his poisons, WS and various re-rolls, he's likely to get all 4 of his attacks to both hit home, wound, and penetrate armour on the turn he uses that, though he has nothing against ward saves. More durable than a regular assassin with a 5++ ward, Shadowblade also has the Heart of Woe that explodes when he dies - centre the small template over where he fell, and everything underneath (your troops included) suffer a S3 hit. This is as likely to hurt you as your opponent. His most useful rule is Master of Disguise that lets you change your mind where he's hidden up to the point he's revealed, to ensure you get him into combat against the right character. Good for playing mind games on your opponent, and can take out most characters (unless warded) in a single round before they can hit back - plus you're more likely to get him in the right combat. However, after that his use is limited and he's likely to die quickly. A single Assassin with Potion of Strength does a similar job for much cheaper.
Lokhir Fellheart - an effective yet expensive (235 points) combat character. 2+ armour save and regeneration give him survivability, while he also causes Terror, and has magic paired weapons that re-roll failed wound rolls. Merciless Slaver is useful against low Leadership armies, but the Daring Leap rule is Lokhir's strongest point - unless in a challenge he can direct attacks against any character in the same combat, regardless of whether they're in base contact or not. That allows you to target vulnerable wizards or support characters, or even target nastier combat character while hiding away on the other side of your unit. He also has the Black Ark Fleetmaster's Show No Weakness, which actually works quite well with Daring Leap. While a Master is probably better, Lokhir remains useful - he looks best, and works well in a large block of Corsairs, buffed by magic (particularly Shadow).
Kouran Darkhand - an expensive Master with WS9. His magic weapon gives him +2 strength, which combined with ASF, Eternal Hatred and Murderous Prowess makes him a solid combat character who makes the best of each attack. The Right Hand of Darkness rule means if you place him in a unit of Black Guard and both him and the unit are Unbreakable - though with Ld9 and Stubborn they were unlikely to run anyway. The Armour of Grief dissuades enemies from targeting him - while his armour save is a mere 5+, any successful To Hit in close combat causes a Strength 5 hit straight back on the model that struck him. Unfortunately, with him being only T3, 2 wounds and with a 5+, your opponent may well risk this with his rank and file troops (although they'll struggle to hit him with his high WS). High attack characters probably won't take the risk, so you can have some fun issuing challenges with Kouran. While he shouldn't be completely disregarded, if you want to ensure your Black Guard don't run, a kitted-out BSB with a ward save will do the job better. If you are using him, while Black Guard may be the obvious unit to stick him in, he also gives Stubborn to any other unit he joins, which can work well with vulnerable Executioners.
Tullaris Dreadbringer - there's one reason alone to get him - Tullaris and the unit he joins get Frenzy. Executioners with 2 attacks is what he is all about. Otherwise, he's a very expensive Master protected only by a 5+, causes Fear, and his First Draich is essentially a great weapon that causes Killing Blow on a 5 or 6. If you've got a large unit of Executioners, add him in - otherwise, don't bother. As always, Frenzy necessitates careful chaff use to avoid being drawn all over the battlefield, and you'll want a BSB nearby to avoid failing your Frenzy tests. A Death Hag with Witch Brew will also give her unit Frenzy, but has absolutely no protection at all, and gives you -3 Ld when testing not to declare a charge, so is a riskier but cheaper option.
Heroes - generic characters
Sorceress - relatively cheap and effective, with the choice of all eight battle lores and Dark Magic (with a +1 to cast from Hekarti's Blessing). Usually paired with a Level 4 Supreme Sorceress, so your Sorceress is the support caster. A Dispel Scroll is the obvious magic item to equip her with, and you'll want a relatively cheap to cast lore with a good signature spell. Dark Magic and Fire both work well. Can either go on foot, Dark Steed, Cold One or Dark Pegasus. For the same reasons as the Lord version, on foot or Dark Steed are the two best, so she's safe in a bunker that's not combat focused. Doomfire Warlocks are a popular alternative support caster, so your Sorceress will be competing with them.
Master - one of the Druchii's strongest character choices, Masters are relatively cheap, and can be customised into a range of roles. Most commonly used as a Battle Standard Bearer, you can easily get a 1+/2+ armour save plus ward save on him to keep him around. Keep him on foot or stick him on a Cold One to boost a unit's combat prowess, or stick him on a Dark Steed (in or out of a unit) or Dark Pegasus to hunt down warmachines or monsters. The pegasus is particularly good, as it'll boost his Toughness to 4, and Wounds to 3. The Manticore and Chariot mounts are less common choices, though a Mantimaster is fun in a monster heavy list.
Death Hag - Master stats, plus Frenzy, two hand weapons (which she can't use if mounted on a CoB) and Poisoned Attacks. They have no saves of any sort unless mounted on a Cauldron of Blood, which gives them a 5++ ward. Can also be your BSB, but with the lack of protection, they're far inferior to a Master in that role. Can spend up to 50 points on a magic weapon only - if she's in with Witch Elves, then something that lets her handle armour saves would make up for their deficiency (Sword of Might, Ogre Blade, Obsidian Blade). Three unique upgrades are Cry of War (Fear, and tests taken at -3 Ld), Rune of Khaine (+D3 attacks), and Witchbrew (Frenzy to her and her unit, or a further attack if they already have Frenzy; but -3 to Ld when testing whether to declare a charge). All upgrades are useful, but with Witchbrew, you're going to struggle to have to work hard to avoid your unit being run all over the battlefield by a wily opponent - this is the one occasion you may really want to have your Death Hag be your BSB.
--> Cauldron of Blood - the only mount option for your Death Hag, and 190 points. Has a 4++ ward, gives Witch Elves, Death Hags and Hellebron in the same unit 5++, and other models in the same unit 6++; also has Magic Resistance (1). Causes Terror, and allows friendly models within 6" that have Murderous Prowess to re-roll all failed wound rolls. It's a chariot, but can join units and march (but still watch out for dangerous terrain). Fury of Khaine is a bound augment, power level 3, with a range of 12" that gives the target Frenzy, or a further attack if they already had Frenzy. It can't be combined with Witchbrew, but lacks the Ld downside of that - although is less reliable. The CoB is most often used with Witch Elves, as they benefit most from its ward save. It can make a unit of 30+ Witch Elves utterly lethal, but requires really careful management to get it into the right combats.
Khainite Assassin - unsurprisingly, they exist to kill characters. Extremely high WS and BS of 9, I of 8, and with Hatred plus Poisoned Attacks. They have throwing weapons, and can be upgraded to have two hand weapons or a repeater handbow; you're better off with the hand weapons. They can also take magic items up to 50 points. You can (and should) deploy them as Hidden within a unit. Can be upgraded with one of Black Lotus (-1 Ld to characters per wound suffered), Dark Venom (Killing Blow), or Manbane (+1 to wound). Their expense and lack of survivability mean they are not a strong choice; however, they can take out most Heroes (and many Lords) in one round of combat if kitted out right, and combined with the Hidden rule can play mind games with your opponent. Common magic items to give them include the Potion of Strength (they're unlikely to survive much past a round of combat so a magic weapon isn't worth it), and Glittering Scales to combine with their WS to mean non-characters will only hit on a 6.
Mounts
Dark Steed - a cheap option for Dreadlords, Masters and both Sorceresses. Fast (M9) and gives your character the Fast Cavalry rule, so Vanguard etc., and partner well with Dark Riders or Doomfire Warlocks. Not an obvious choice, but actually has some uses if you want a fast bunker for a Sorceress, or as a way of getting an "assassin" type Master into combat with whatever warmachine, monster or character you're after.
Cold One - the default choice if you want a mounted Dreadlord/Master. +2 to your armour save, the Cold One has a couple of S4 attacks, movement 7, and an entourage of Cold One Knights. Cavalry aren't great in 8th edition, but a block of Cold One Knights led by a character is still a strong unit. You will want either a BSB, or a Gleaming Pennant in the unit to avoid Stupidity. The Ring of Hotek is a solid choice of magic item to keep what will be an expensive unit safe from spells. Don't put a Sorceress on a Cold One; they're all about combat, which is the last place you want your casters to be.
Cold One Chariot - Dreadlords and Masters only. Sure, it can make a good counter-charger, but they're slow, vulnerable to shooting and spells, and have to take care around terrain. Your aren't Tomb Kings.
Dark Pegasus - can be taken by Dreadlord, Masters and both Sorceresses. The cheapest way of getting a flying character, and you don't have to worry about your mount being shot out from under you. The combined profile gives you Toughness 4 and 3 Wounds - Heroes benefit more from that. Risky for Sorceresses who lack a save - Morathi is the best flying character Dark Elves have. For a Master or Dreadlord, load up on armour and a ward save. The Cloak of Twilight seems designed for a pegasus Master; combine it with heavy armour, Sea Dragon Cloak, shield and lance for an excellent monster or character killer. Don't expect a pegasus character to solo units - you're not riding a dragon, but they are very useful for targeting war machines, chaff units, monsters, characters and other flyers. The Dark Pegasus has S5 on the charge, and can stomp, so can help to swing a fight.
Manticore - a budget flying monster, costs 150 points and can upgrade to a 4+ armour save for 20 points (always do this) and Blind Rage (+D3 attacks, but opponents get +1 to hit in combat) for 25. Causes the usual Terror, has Killing Blow, and is Uncontrollable - take a Ld test at the start of each turn, and if you fail, both monster and rider gain Frenzy. Always gets the Raaargh! Monster Reaction result if the rider is slain. Masters and Dreadlords can take one, but a Beastmaster works better with them, due to the extra attacks.
Black Dragon - a 300 point option for Supreme Sorceresses and Dreadlords only. These are not High Elf Star Dragons - you only have 6 wounds, which means a cannon can one-shot you. Therefore, make good use of terrain or intervening monsters/obstacles, and load up on warmachine hunters. They have a S4 breath weapon that gives -1WS/BS for a turn to a unit that suffers a wound from it, 3+ Scaly Skin, and Hatred (High Elves)!! You will rarely see a Supreme Sorceress riding one outside of a Storm of Magic game, as dragons are all about combat, and sorceresses aren't, but they could work with the right magic items (e.g. Black Dragon Egg) and spells. A dragon character charging a unit will almost always find themselves challenged by a champion, so take steps to avoid wasting your attacks - really you need a second unit in the combat; a cheap pegasus Master does the job well.
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Post by sedge on Jun 12, 2018 19:13:29 GMT
Core Units
Dreadspears - basic 9 point elves with spears, light armour and shields. ASF and Murderous Prowess makes them okay at putting out damage, and they can hold their own against other non-elite infantry. That makes them generally the better offensive choice than Bleakswords. Usually fielded in fairly large units as a source of rank bonus, so 30+ with full command. One unit can take a magic banner up to 25 points - the Standard of Discipline is a common choice.
Bleakswords - essentially the same as Dreadspears, but with hand weapons instead. These are the more defensive option, as you get the 6+ parry save in combat. They are therefore better suited to a bunker for a sorceress, and a good cheap option for the Sacrificial Dagger; in this role you can make do with only 15-20 of them.
Darkshards - 12 point repeater crossbow elves, with the option for shields at 1 point per model. Shields can be useful if you're going to take return fire - otherwise don't bother as your units will usually be fairly small and won't survive combat anyway. They can be a decent bunker for a sorceress to hide in, but don't expect any rank bonus in a combat, and they're too pricey to throw away with the Sacrificial Dagger. Don't bother with a command group aside from a musician to help with reforms/rallies, though if you have a sorceress in there a champion can challenge out a lone character who charges you. RXBs aren't the most accurate of weapons, so you will want to concentrate fire of your ranged units - target light to medium low-toughness units. They work well with the Withering from the Shadow lore dropping opponents' toughness. As with the other basic elf infantry, one unit can take a magic banner.
Black Ark Corsairs - 9, but actually 11 points each since you either have to take additional hand weapons or a repeater handbow. They are your most heavily armoured infantry, with a 4+ save from light armour and the SDCs. The AHW version are a poor man's Witch Elves, putting out less damage, albeit being more durable, and work well in big hordes buffed with magic (Okkam's Mindrazor, please). The RHB versions are usually found in smaller units that move close to the enemy and take a charge. The lack of AP on handbows means you'll want to be targeting low-armour foes. One unit can take a 25 point magic banner.
Dark Riders - one of the best chaff units in the game, and value for points. Usually fielded in units of 5 with RXBs and shields, plus a musician for rallying if you have the points, and armies will often have room for 2 or more units. They're mobile chaff, provide shooting support, and helping you dictate your opponent's movement, as well as being excellent warmachine hunters with their spears. They can act as bunkers for either caster or combat characters. Your main dilemma will be how many you can field, and whether you should take some Doomfire Warlocks instead.
Witch Elves - a very nasty core unit that puts out a bucketload of damage with 3 attacks each, ASF, Poison and Murderous Prowess. However, they are unarmoured, and their Frenzy makes them prone to being led all over the place. You can either field them in small units (10 of them will put out 40 attacks), or in a big horde often backed by a Death Hag on Cauldron of Blood for the 5+ ward save and re-rolls to wound. They are weak against armour, but a 50 point magic banner allowance allows you to take the Razor Standard for AP1. The big horde can shred most targets, but will need a lot of babysitting to ensure it gets into the right fights.
Special Units
Cold One Knights - expensive but good cavalry at 30 points per model. They're durable for elves with a 2+ armour save, and Immune To Psychology thanks to their mounts' Stupidity. You'll need to do something to counter that Stupidity - a BSB or Gleaming Pennant are recommended, as you don't want your Cold Ones scratching themselves when they should be flank charging. Hard hitting on the charge, with S6 from the riders, plus ASF and Murderous Prowess meaning they're both highly likely to hit and wound, while the Cold Ones have two S4 attacks each. They're decent even in subsequent rounds, with each front rank model putting out 3 S4 attacks. However, that's your problem with cavalry - only the front rank of mounts attack, and in 8th it's hard to break an infantry unit on the charge, so you're often bogged down for a few rounds, losing your lance strength bonus. Either take a small unit of 5 with Gleaming Pennant to flank opponents, or a much bigger unit of 11 backed by a Master to put out some serious hurt.
Black Guard of Naggarond - a solid unit, though they don't compare favourably with the HE equivalent, Phoenix Guard. At 15 points a piece, they're expensive for a T3, 5+ save model. However, they are elite - ASF, Eternal Hatred, Murderous Prowess, WS5, I6, A2, LD9 and wielding halberds, so that's 2 S4 attacks per model with plenty of re-rolls, so they will inflict damage. Immune to Psychology and Stubborn makes them reliable - they will not run away. They have a 50 point magic banner allowance, which is usually either the Razor Standard (Armour Piercing) to increase damage output or Standard of Discipline (+1 LD) to ensure they're ever less likely to run away. They are a reliable anvil that can take the charge from your opponent's key units while grinding through a lengthy combat, allowing you to do damage elsewhere, or flank them. If you want your Black Guard to do significant damage themselves, you'll need to buff them with spells or use the Razor Standard.
Black Guard are normally fielded in units of around 20 to provide a decent anvil, although smaller 10-man units have potential for holding up your opponent for a counter-charge.
Shades - opinions are mixed on them, as they're expensive and have to pay a further point to get a save of any kind (light armour). They're Scouts and Skirmishers, with a RXB and BS5. Take them in units of 5 - 10; bigger "shadestar" units with characters in do occasionally turn up in games, but are rare. Ideal for taking on warmachines and chaff units, Shades can also be upgraded to have AHW or great weapons, giving them more of a punch in combat - AHW are generally more useful for the targets you might face in combat (chaff and warmachines), though GW allow them to surprise monsters or stronger units. They can take a full command group... but don't unless you're trying that shadestar.
Cold One Chariot - a good unit, though with a few drawbacks. Chariots in 8th aren't great as they are slower even than your infantry, as they can't march. They also need to avoid dangerous terrain tests, and are weak in combat after the first round. However, they are deadly on the charge, and the CoC has D6+1 S5 impact hits, 2 S5 WS5 attacks from the charioteers (with ASF and Murderous Prowess), plus 4 S4 attacks from the Cold Ones - oh, and they cause fear. Use them for counter-charging, clearing out chaff units, or if you're patient send them up a flank. Your biggest problem with CoCs is that they have Stupidity - you need a BSB nearby to ensure reliability.
Don't forget that the charioteers have RXBs, and since you can't march, you'll always be able to shoot them (unless in combat).
Har Ganeth Executioners - your strongest infantry choice. A more reasonable 12 points per model, they hit at S6 with Killing Blow at their Initiative of 5. Murderous Prowess then virtually guarantees they wound, as they will often be wounding on 2+. Like all elven infantry, they aren't durable, with just T3 and 5+ armour. However, they are cheap enough to field in big blocks, though small support units work well too. Executioners can function well independent of support characters or buffs. Just make sure you're not wasting them against hordes of light infantry - you want to be taking out heavily armoured or high Toughness opponents. Tullaris or a Witchbrew Death Hag can give Executioners an extra attack, though you then have to manage Frenzy.
Reaper Bolt Thrower - you can include up to 4 in a standard army, or 8 in a grand army (3000+ points). You can fire as an ordinary bolt thrower, or as a 48" range multi-shot mode, firing 6 S4 AP bolts (without suffering the usual -1 to hit for multiple shots). This gives you versatility when choosing what to target, and DE's good ballistic skill means you can make decent use of this unit. You will still need to keep fire lanes clear to maximise your hits, so try to stick your bolt throwers on a hill. If you're multi-shotting, it's good to gang up on a target with Darkshards to ensure they run / are wiped out. RBTs are useful for area denial, as no-one wants to risk a flank shot from one of these skewering a full rank of their prized cavalry unit.
Harpies - poor. They have two attacks, and can fly, but that's all they have going for them. They're expensive at 15 points, with no saves at all, and have Ld 6 so are easily panicked (and then panicking your other units). Yes, they can usually beat a warmachine crew, but Dark Riders, Shades and a pegasus Master all do the job better. If you're going to take them, keep them away from units they might panic when they inevitably flee. Don't use them like fast cavalry - if you just move them up the table, they'll get shot at and run; keep them behind your lines as "counter-chaff". Some people do swear by them as their chaff choice - at 75 points for a unit, they're the cheapest option, and flying makes them the most manoeuvrable.
Scourgerunner Chariot - generally considered a weak option, the Scourgerunner still has its uses. It's a light chariot with T4 and only 5+ armour, so is vulnerable for its point cost. Its Ravager Harpoon is a kind-of bolt thrower with a range of 24", S7, Multiple Wounds (D3) and Barbed Bolts (allowing it to drag wounded monsters D6" towards you and potentially wounding them again). Unfortunately, BS4 means you are going to struggle to hit - you are likely to have moved, and to be at long range, so will need 5s. There's some debate over standing and shooting (as the weapon is a bolt thrower), but as your unit type is Chariot, you should be able to do so. The crew area actually okay at chaff-clearing with 2 attacks each and spears letting them hit at S4 on the charge, plus the D6 S4 impact hits from the chariot itself. The Scourgerunner is pulled by Dark Steeds so M9 means it is one of few chariots that can keep up with your main battle line, and can position itself for flank shots.
Overall, it's not a great option, but should not be entirely disregarded. With a Beastmaster on, it's a different proposition, as it will almost always hit thanks to his BS7.
War Hydra - one of the best DE units, a 160 point monster that can regain wounds. It's got 3 attacks + 1 per remaining wounds (it starts with 5) all at S5, plus of course Thunderstomp, to pump out attacks. T5 and Scaly Skin 4+ make it reasonably durable, and at the end of your turn you roll a D6 for each wound the Hydra has lost so far, and it regains each on a 4+. You can upgrade it with a choice of ranged attacks, each being 20 points - Fiery Breath is a simple S4 Flaming Breath Weapon, which is the most common option, while Spit Fire is an 8" ranged Multiple Shots attack that is too short ranged to be truly effective with the Hydra's BS4. The Hydra will crush infantry units, and is an iconic Dark Elf unit.
Rare Units
Doomfire Warlocks - usually fielded in units of 5, costing 125 points, they are amongst the best fast cavalry/chaff units around. They only have a 6+ armour save, but have a 4++ ward against any non-Slaanesh units (i.e. most in the game) that makes them very durable. They have 2 poisoned S4 attacks each that makes them more than capable in combat. They count as a level 2 caster, knowing two really useful spells: the S and T reducing Hex Soulblight and the magic missile Doombolt (remember your lore attributes when casting these). While they get +1 to cast for every additional rank of 5 after the first, warlocks are rarely fielded in units of more than 5. They are great at hunting warmachines, clearing chaff, and even boosting the occasional key combat with a flank charge. You can use them instead of a Sorceress as your backup caster, but they also work as a bunker for another caster. Alternatively, you can load up a deathstar unit with Masters and a Sorceress (with magic resistance) to make a super deadly combat unit that also gets the bonus to casting from additional ranks. Think carefully about taking them if facing Daemons or Warriors of Chaos, but otherwise they're one of your strongest units.
Bloodwrack Medusa - 90 point Monstrous Infantry that is taken solo. Same some decent stats, but is let down by complete lack of saves, and Leadership of 2. At the start of each close combat phase, enemy models in base contact have to pass an Initiative test or suffer a S4 Killing Blow magical attack with no armour saves allowed - that's actually quite good against Saurus Warriors and Dwarves. Bloodwrack Stare is a 12" ranged attack that hits at S4, Killing Blow and Multiple Shots (4), wounding against your opponent's Initiative not Toughness, and again not allowing any saves. With the Medusa's BS5 you've got a good chance of at least a couple of hits. A Medusa is decent in combat, causing Fear and with Frenzy (that also saves you from Panic tests), so hits with 4 WS5 S4 attacks that benefit from ASF and Murderous Prowess.
It's not worth the points, and unless you're near your general, the abysmal Leadership and Frenzy will lead to your Medusa attempting bad charges every turn. If taken, it can have some use as a counter-charge unit in your backline to protect your ranged units, particularly if you have a Supreme Sorceress general bunkered back there, or it can follow an offensive general's unit (it can keep up with Cold One Knights with M7) and attempt to get a flank charge in.
Bloodwrack Shrine - the Medusa combined with a Cauldron of Blood-like chariot. It has the CoB's Will of the Gods rule, so can join units, as well as having both the Medusa's special rules. It also has Aura of Agony, giving Dark Elf models within 6" +1 Ld, and enemy models (not units) within the same radius -1 Ld. The Shrine causes Terror and has Magic Resistance (1). You don't want to send one solo, as even with T6 and 5 Wounds, it only has a 6+ armour save and while it can march, only has M5 so can't threaten long charges like other chariots.
It's not terrible, but is only usually deployed as a "trick" unit, alongside shenanigans such as putting it in a small infantry unit five wide (with the Shrine taking up 3 spots) to maximise your rank bonus and potentially put a couple of tough characters at the front to force your opponent to allocate attacks. It also allows a unit to function more independently of your general due to its leadership boost. As a chariot, it can still shred units on the charge: the wide frontage boosts the number of Avert Your Gaze! tests you'll force, then there's D6+1 S5 impact hits, 2 S4 attacks from the Shrinekeepers (they have spears), plus the Medusa's 3 S4 attacks.
Kharibdyss - on the face of it, it's similar to the Hydra and clocking in at the same 160 points. However, the Kharibdyss has a different role - 5 WS5, S7 Poisoned attacks make it a monster killer, and its Initiative of 4 will allow it to hit before most monsters. Feast of Bones means if it directs all its attack against the same target and hits with them all, the target suffers an additional D6 S7 hits - against a really tough target, this is worth aiming for, and potentially buffing your Kharibdyss/hexing its target to ensure it happens. Abyssal Howl causes enemy units in base contact to re-roll successful Leadership tests (unless a majority of models in the unit have one of Fear/Terror/Immune to Psychology) - that's unlikely to come into play against Fear/Terror causing monsters, but will help when dealing with infantry/cavalry units. The Kharibdyss can't regain wounds the way the Hydra does, but at least doesn't lose attacks as it takes damage.
Sisters of Slaughter - they don't have an obvious use, so aren't commonly seen in game - Executioners handle armour better, Black Guard are the better anvil, and Witch Elves shred light infantry and monsters quicker. Super-elite 15 point elves, they have WS6, I6 and 2 attacks each, and have a hand weapon plus shield. Their first special rule is Dance of Death that gives them a 4++ ward save in combat, and lets them pick one enemy unit they're in base contact with - that unit gains no combat result bonus for extra ranks, and cannot make parry saves. The Trial of Blades gives them +1 to both hit and wound rolls if at least one enemy model in base contact with the Sisters has a higher WS or S characteristic (before modifiers). Their chief weaknesses are their cost, lack of any kind of armour penetration, and their poor defence against ranged attacks.
Most commonly fielded in small units of 10, you can use them to defend your backline (where they're less likely to be shot) or charging alongside another unit into combat where they can eliminate the rank bonus of large units. They could make a good anvil with their 4++, but given how vulnerable they are to ranged attacks, your opponent will probably focus fire on any SoS unit of size that's in your front line.
One "sneaky" way of using them is paired with the similarly finicky Bloodwrack Shrine. 10 SoS plus the Shrine will give you a unit 5 ranks deep, reduces your opponent's Leadership, so combines well with Dance of Death to potentially allow you to break a large Steadfast unit, and the Medusa and Shrine add some valuable ability to deal with armour.
Other "fluffy" non-army book units
While these aren't "official" Dark Elf army book units, with Games Workshop having ditched Warhammer Fantasy Battles, there's more leeway for players to decide what is appropriate to field or not. The Dark Elves are the beast-tamers of the warhammer world, and boast a menagerie far more exotic than just those featured within the army book. I've listed a few units from the Storm of Magic and Monstrous Arcanum expansions here that I feel would be appropriate additions to a Druchii army. Of course, you will need to agree their use with your opponent first; I suggest most of them would count as Rare choices, though a few might fit in Special.
Cold Ones (Storm of Magic) - they need no justification within a Dark Elf army. The same as the army book ones, but with 1 Attack instead, though Frenzy to boost that up to 2. No Stupidity to worry about for these. At 11 points each, you can take them in units of 1+. Their abysmal Leadership of 3 will result in failed Frenzy tests unless near the General, unless you want to stick a Master on Cold One in the unit and claim he's a lesser Beastmaster running with the pack (or a Sorceress and claim she's bound them as a bunker).
Harpies (Storm of Magic) - same as the army book ones but 11 points each; these are what Harpies should have been. You'll need a generous opponent to let you use the SoM rules instead. Coming in units of 5-10, they have upgrades for Flaming + Magical Attacks, Poisoned Attacks, and Killing Blow, any of which cost 1 point each. Yes, there's still the panic concern from them, but their cost allows them to be used as throwaway chaff.
Hydra (Storm of Magic) - 220 points... only take this if you're feeling really generous. Yes, it comes with the Breath Weapon as standard, yes it has a guaranteed 7 Attacks so doesn't diminish as it's wounded, and yes it has old-school Regeneration to avoid being one-shotted by warmachines, but none of that really justifies the cost. You can upgrade it with a shooting attack based off its remaining wounds (sound familiar?) and a poisoned chomp attack. Maybe if you take this, your opponent will let you take cheap Harpies?
Dragon (Storm of Magic) - comes in four sizes (Young, Standard, Great and Emperor) plus four flavours (Fire, Black, Frost, Forest and Storm). Black Dragons are the most Dark Elven, but you could justify any of the others if you wished. They have different breath weapons based on their type (which are much more powerful for Emperor Dragons) and Emperor Dragons can also purchase wizard levels at 35 points per level (the lore they have is specified by their type). Dragons don't need much of an introduction - they're a well-armoured flying monster that puts out lots of damage. As well as a Rare choice, they could also work as mount options for a Dreadlord or Supreme Sorceress.
Warpfire Dragon (Monstrous Arcanum) - a warpstone-riddled dragon, they mainly inhabit the south of the globe, but do venture north (and the Druchii venture south too); they can also access Dark Magic, so it seems fitting that they would have had some dealing with the Dark Elves. Stats-wise they're similar to regular dragons, with the options of Young/Standard/Great (but not Emperor) versions. Their Warpfire Aura damages units (friend or foe) within 3" and also causes miscasts on double 1s for spells targeted at it. It has a ranged attack that uses the small template, but potentially damages the dragon if you roll a misfire. Explosive Demise does exactly what the name suggests, so when the Warpfire Dragon is injured you can suicide-charge it into the middle of your opponent's army to troll them. You can actually add Wizard levels for any type of Warpfire Dragon, though that doesn't seem wise given the unreliability of the creature. They're expensive given their suicidal nature - it's a unit that works best surrounded by the enemy, but could be fun to play.
Carmine Dragon (Monstrous Arcanum) - a death magic infused dragon, they come in standard and Emperor versions. While they both have 1 point less of S and WS than you'd expect, they have much higher initiative than dragons usually have, as well as a 2+ armour save. Their breath weapon is lethal, working a bit like a cannonball with a 12" range - choose a point within this range, then then roll an artillery dice (re-roll misfires) to determine the line of effect. Any model under that line suffers D3 wounds with no armour saves allowed. Emperor Carmine Dragons can take wizard levels from the Lord of Death, which works well with their Ld 10. Very useful in both formats, and that breath weapon will terrify your opponent. This is the only one of the non-standard dragons that fluff-wise could conceivably be used as a mount (it's not red-hot or riddled with warpsone), so could work for a Dreadlord or Supreme Sorceress mount.
Magma Dragon (Monstrous Arcanum) - they dwell in the Blackspine Mountains and prey on other great beasts such as Manticores, so the Druchii will be familiar with them. Coming in Young/Standard/Great/Emperor versions, the Magma Dragon is one tough beast. They have an extra pip of toughness compared to "conventional" dragons, and while their armour save is only 4+, they have 5+ regeneration, plus Immune to Psychology. Aura of Heat gives them a 2++ ward against flaming attacks (combining well with their regen, and neuters those annoying flaming Dwarf cannons), and non-magical attacks have their strength reduced by 1! Their breath weapon's strength is equal to the dragon's strength (i.e. starts at 5 for the young version), and any model wounded but not slain has to take a Toughness test or permanently lose -1 T and I. Emperor Dragons can take wizard levels in the Lore of Fire, and also have Largest of Monsters and thus can Thunderstomp anything that doesn't have this rule. Throw it into anything big and scary; just watch out for massed poison attacks (e.g. Witch Elves).
Shard Dragon (Monstrous Arcanum) - primarily an Old World monster, they live deep underground (far beneath the Dwarves, Skaven etc.) - the Druchii are known to use the deep underground passages and rivers of Naggaroth, so conceivably could have encountered them. If the Dawi of all people can tame them, there's no reason a Beastmaster couldn't. There's just the one variant of the Shard Dragon, a 350 point flightless monster that acts as an anvil - it's Stubborn on Ld8 and has T8, 6 wounds, 2+ Scaly Skin, and each time it passes an armour save in combat inflicts a S4 hit straight back on that unit. It has D6 S6 Armour Piercing Attacks that increases to 2D6 when it takes its first wound. Four upgrades are included, which give a Breath Weapon, Poisoned Attacks + Impact Hits, Magic Resistance, and a 5++ Ward save.
While it's vulnerable to warmachines, like all monsters, it is otherwise extremely hard to dislodge even with poison, and its Wall Crawler ability lets you surprise your opponents. It's around the cost of a block of Black Guard, and is a decent substitute for them.
Merwyrm/Pagowyrm/Sciowyrm (Monstrous Arcanum) - an aquatic dragon-like monster, Merwyrms are traditionally associated with High Elves. However, the Dark Elves are masters of the sea and would have no hesitation in enslaving a Merwyrm, while the book also specifically mentions that the albino Pagowyrm is found in the seas of Naggaroth. The three variants increase in size, cost and deadliness, though decrease in Initiative. However, there are a couple of probable misprints in the rules - firstly, the attacks of the three are listed respectively as 5/4/7, which should be 5/6/7. Secondly, the Special Rules for all include Enfeebling Cold and Abyssal Cloak; these are then listed as applying just to the Pagowyrm and Sciowyrm respectively, and also described in the fluff as only applying to them. No FAQs were ever released for Monstrous Arcanum, but these mistakes are so blatant I will assume they are errors and that the rules should be played as intended, not written.
All three are strong, tough monsters, with Scaly Skin (3+) and Regeneration (5+) making them hard to kill. As well as obviously being a Sea Creature, they cause Terror and have an additional Powerful Tail attack at +2S. The Merwyrm (only) has Poisoned Attacks. The Pagowyrm's Enfeebling Cold rule subtracts 2" from charge distances against it, and also reduces the Strength of enemy units in contact with it by -1. This effectively gives it Toughness 7, and also seriously hinders one of the key units likely to harm it - heavy cavalry. The Sciowyrm's Abyssal Cloak gives a -2 modifier to range to hit rolls, and enemy units in base contact suffer -2 Ld unless Immune to Psychology.
I'd suggest any of the three variants be fielded as a Rare choice. They compete with the Hydra and Kharibdyss as large ground-based monsters - they're a more expensive but tougher alternative, and particularly useful if you have rivers or lakes in your terrain collection.
Chimera (Storm of Magic) - found in mountain passes or the frozen northlands. They're a 175 point 6 S6 attack flying monster - very strong offensively, though weak on defence. You can upgrade them with Scaly Skin (4+) to make them tougher, as well as a Breath Weapon, Poisoned Attacks and chomp/tail attacks. Better than Manticores, and a good accompaniment to a flying general or BSB as their low Ld means they need babysitting. They're more chaotic than Druchii, though I'm fairly sure they've featured in some novels as being in DE armies.
Manticore (Storm of Magic) - same as the army book one, minus Uncontrollable. It has the same upgrade option for 4+ Scaly Skin, albeit a little more expensive, but can't get Blind Rage. Can get a tail attack, chomp attack, and Frenzy + Hatred (together). Similar to the Chimera in role, and also needs babysitting.
Cockatrice (Storm of Magic) - a "lesser" monster in that it's S and T are both 4. It's a flying creature whose main strength is its Petrifying Gaze - a 12" range Sniper attack with Heroic Killing Blow that wounds against the target's Initiative and ignores armour. HKB will get it shot at by everything your opponent can reach it with, and Scaly Skin (4+) won't keep it alive long. If you can, hide it behind a building and your opponent won't want to send anything valuable close to it. It's passable in combat with 6 attacks at Initiative 6, but the low strength hinders its use. Upgrades include Poisoned Attacks and a S3 Breath Weapon.
(Dark) Pegasus (Storm of Magic) - Monstrous Arcanum may list them as "Abhorrent" to the Dark Elves, but if you get the Serrated Horns upgrade (+1S on the charge) they're basically Dark Pegasi, which are iconically Druchii. Don't get the Radiant Aura (S2 Breath Weapon) as that's not fluffy at all. They're Monstrous Beasts in units of 1-5, costing 45 points each, and the same as the army book ones once you've bought Serrated Horns (10 points). Very useful chaff if fielded on their own, though a unit of them could be decent flankers.
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Post by sedge on Jun 12, 2018 19:14:09 GMT
Magic Items
Army Book Magic Items
Magic Weapons
Hydra Blade - GW likes its 100 point magic weapons, but this is no Blade of Realities or Fellblade. You get an extra D6 attacks, and also take a Ld test with a -2 modifier before each combat; if you fail you get -5 WS (to a minimum of 1) but gain Heroic Killing Blow. Extra attacks are useful, but elves need strength boosts more, and your likelihood of getting HKB is low. HKB is all about killing multi-wound monsters and characters, and if you're stuck in combat slapping them with S4, you're going to struggle. Also does nothing about ward saves, and leaves your Lord with only a 1+ armour save to keep their squishy T3 body safe. If you do want to use it, keep it on a Dreadlord (not a Sorceress), give them a 1+ save, keep them in a unit, and keep the BSB away so you aren't forced to re-roll that Leadership test; maybe you'll get lucky and eviscerate a couple of ranks of ogres in one round. You could also take Lore of Light for Speed of Light to boost his WS.
Chillblade - more useful at 50 points, though not an "auto-take". It wounds automatically, and any model that suffers a wound has to pass a Toughness test or suffers -3 Attacks (to a minimum of 1) until the end of the combat phase. As you're almost always attacking first, this can help to neuter a dangerous character/monster. However, anything that you want to auto-wound is likely to be high toughness, which means they're unlikely to fail that test. A high Strength weapon is more useful. Can combine with the Cloak of Twilight (see below).
Talismans
The Black Amulet - 4++ ward save, and if in a challenge then every time you make that save, you rebound a wound onto the model that attacked you, with no armour saves possible. It's 60 points, which means you're paying 15 points more than the BRB Talisman of Preservation's basic 4++ ward. Therefore, only take it on a character intended for challenges - usually a Dreadlord (Ogre Blade is a good way of spending your remaining 40 points, or The Other Trickster's Shard and Sword of Might), but occasionally a Supreme Sorceress doing sneaky stuff like taking TOTS, Tome of Furion and using Soul Stealer to boost her wounds (see section on Soul Stealer).
Ring of Hotek - 50 points, and gives you Magic Resistance (3) and any enemy caster that targets a spell within 6" of the bearer will cause a Miscast on a double 1 too. It's a good way of discouraging your opponent from targeting your key unit, e.g. a Cold One Knight, or the centre of your battleline. Worth taking, and best put on a sorceress if possible.
Magic Standards
Banner of Nagarythe - 100 points, which should be enough to put you off it already. Makes the bearer's unit Unbreakable, as well as Alith Anar and any Shadow Warriors/Shadow Walkers within 12". It could keep a key unit standing... but then anything that can wreck one of your key units is likely more than capable of taking out a T3, 2W Master with only a 1/2+ save to protect him. You're better off spending the points trying to win that combat.
Arcane Items
The Gem of Spite - whenever you suffer a miscast, it inflicts a S6 hit on every enemy wizard within 12"; they can choose to discard dice from their dispel pool to cancel out wounds. If you've miscast, your opponent hasn't had to use any dispel dice against that casting attempt, so that won't actually hurt them that much to discard a few. It could have some limited use with a mobile sorceress against an army with lots of casters bunkered together... but probably not. It's not worth the 35 points; there are much better Arcane Items available to the Druchii, no matter how fun this might seem. Maybe in Storm of Magic?
The Sacrificial Dagger - 25 points, and once per casting attempt after you've rolled your dice (but before the dispel attempt) you can sacrifice a model in your unit - on a 4+ you can add another dice to the casting attempt; on a 1-3 you can choose to sacrifice another model (and so on) until you've successfully rolled that 4+. This can cause panic tests if you reach 25% casualties in that phase (any miscast damage will count towards that), so make sure the bunker unit is large enough. Also you don't want to be sacrificing expensive troops - Dreadspears or Bleakswords only; don't bunker up in an expensive Darkshard unit. Those reservations aside, this is an excellent item and helps you dominate the magic phase.
Tome of Furion - 25 points, and if you're generating spells from Dark Magic, you can pick one spell rather than rolling for it. Worth taking to get that key spell.
Enchanted Items
Black Dragon Egg - 50 point one-use only Enchanted Item, it gives you S and T6 for one turn, plus a S2 Breath Weapon with no armour saves allowed. Useful for swinging a surprise in a key combat, but pricey.
Cloak of Twilight - another 50 point Enchanted Item, this gives the bearer a 3++ ward against shooting attacks and spells; also in the first round of any combat you get the Killing Blow and Multiple Wounds (D3) special rules. Extremely useful for a solo character - it's pretty much designed for Dark Pegasus-mounted Heroes. A Master with 1/2+ save, the cloak and a lance can go monster/character hunting for a decent price. Alternatively stick it on a flying Dreadlord with Chillblade so every hit in combat auto-wounds and causes D3 wounds. You lose KB in that situation, but it's worth it...
BRB Magic Items
I'm not going to list every item; instead I'll highlight a few under each category.
Magic Weapons
You want to use your selection here to make up for your key offensive weakness - a lack of Strength. Therefore, Sword of Might, Ogre Blade and Giant Sword are the three key choices; the Ogre Blade in particular as it gets you up to S6 and also allows you to take a good ward save on a Lord too. Obsidian Blade is helpful too, more so against low Toughness, high armour save opponents, and Biting Blade is a budget option. You could try the old Fencer's Blades/Glittering Scales combo so most units hit your elves on a 6+ in combat, but that works better for higher Toughness models. The Sword of Anti-Heroes can be good against a character-heavy army. You do have Lance/Halberd/Great Weapon options on your standard combat characters, so consider if those will do the job first.
Magic Armour
Dark Elves can get a 1+ save when mounted without using magic items; for those that aren't mounted, the Dragonhelm or Enchanted Shield will get them that last pip of armour save. Armour of Destiny is the key selection here, for the 4++ ward, though Armour of Fortune's 5++ is a cheap alternative. Glittering Scales is best avoided, as discussed above in the Magic Weapons section. Helm of Discord could partner well with some of the Dark Elves' Leadership tricks. Finally, the Charmed Shield is a cheap one-off save against cannons for solo characters.
Talismans
Ward saves are the priority for your low-Toughness characters - Talisman of Preservation/Endurance. The magic resistance items are helpful for your big units, though the Ring of Hotek is only 5 points more than the Obsidian Lodestone, so that the ring instead. The Dawnstone works well with Dreadlords/Masters, who can get that 1+ re-rollable save. The Dragonbane Gem can be stuck on a pegasus Master to keep them safe from flaming Dwarf cannons, and to tarpit the occasional unit you get with flaming attacks (Flamespyre Phoenix, K'Daai Destroyer).
Magic Standards
A lot of your units (including core ones) have magic banner allowances, and there are several good choices out there. Rampager's Standard can help your Cold Ones make a long charge, though whether its worth 55 points is questionable. Ranger's Standard can help cavalry (or a BSB master on chariot) spring a surprise charge through difficult terrain, or help a unit with the cauldron/shrine (both chariots) - particularly with the CoB's Frenzy. Wailing Banner is expensive - the Terrifying Mask of Eee! is a cheaper source of Terror, but DEs do have the Leadership tricks to make use of both. Razor Standard's Armour Piercing makes up for a key Druchii deficiency - stick it on Black Guard, Witch Elves or Sisters of Slaughter. Banner of Swiftness is a cheap bonus to a unit, and the Standard of Discipline is good for a unit operating away from your General, or to make some Black Guard near-Unbreakable. The Banner of Eternal Flame is found in most armies to deal with Regeneration. Finally, the Gleaming Pennant should always be taken on Cold One Knights if you don't have a BSB near them, to address Stupidity. Really, only the Scarecrow Banner is a poor choice.
Arcane Items
You already have access to two excellent Arcane Items from your army book, so consider the Tome of Furion and Sacrificial Dagger first. The Dispel Scroll is the stand-out choice - you really should have this in every army that can take it, because otherwise there will be that moment in a game when you wished you had brought it. The Power Scroll was FAQed, so ignore the BRB rules - instead it halves the casting value of a spell. Useful to surprise an opponent with a boosted version of Doombolt or Black Horror with your last couple of dice and they're out of dispel dice. Scroll of Shielding is a cheap useful choice for keeping you safe after you've used your Dispel Scroll. Because of the options available to you, it's quite normal for each of your casters to be carrying an Arcane Item.
Enchanted Items
The tricksy stuff, you can quite easily get by without any BRB Enchanted Items - but that's not to say they should be entirely disregarded. Fozzrick's Folding Fortress can be fun if you want to base your whole strategy around it, but then you've got a Lord running around without any magic equipment. The Crown of Command is always good - helpful either to keep a key unit (obviously not of Black Guard) fighting, or for a significant lone character (e.g. Dragon Dreadlord). The Ruby Ring of Ruin is always a good way to improve your casting options if you have points spare, and doesn't have to be used on a sorceress - though you don't really want it on someone in combat. The Terrifying Mask of Eee! works well with your Leadership tricks, and is cheaper than the Wailing Banner. Of the Strength/Toughness potions, the former works with combat characters (and is particularly popular on Assassins) to give them one brutal round of combat, while the latter can keep a bunkered sorceress alive if she gets trapped in combat. The Other Trickster's Shard is great - just don't use it around friendly models with ward save, and ideal for challenge-based characters (alongside Talisman of Preservation and Ogre Blade). Finally, the Ironcurse Icon is the only way you can get a ward save onto a Manticore/Dragon... if you have the 5 points spare, take it either there or with a character in a big unit that might face warmachines.
Magic Lores
Dark Magic
Dark Magic is all about blasting your opponents to bits and causing terror in their ranks. It's a fairly short-ranged lore, so while it'd be nice to keep your sorceresses out of the way, odds are she's going to have to be close to - or even in the action.
Spiteful Conjuration (Lore Attribute) - potentially inflicts some extra damage after casting any spell except Power of Darkness or Black Horror. Make sure you don't clear away your casting dice until you've resolved this, as it's really easy to forget. It's not an amazing attribute but helps to make the lore more destructive.
Power of Darkness (Signature Spell) - augments your caster's unit with +1S, and adds D3 power dice to the pool (though if you get 3, you take a wound with no armour save allowed). If you've got a Sorceress sitting in a bunker safely out the way of combat, the strength boost is of questionable benefit, but most of the time Dark Elves will desperately appreciate a boost to strength in combat and given the short range of this lore you've got a good chance of ending up in a combat. Put a ward save/magic resistance on your sorceress if you're taking this spell, so you've got a save against the wounds. Soul Stealer synergises well as a good way of regaining lost wounds. A level 4 can use their last dice on this to try to regain some more, but for a lower level caster, you'll have to 2-dice the spell, so it's only really about the strength boost for them.
Doombolt (Signature Spell) - an exceptional spell, dealing S5 hits from an army that struggles to put out high strength attacks. The range is a mediocre 18", but the payoff is worth it. Doomfire Warlocks have this as standard, and there's no harm in selecting it for your primary caster too. The boosted version is a risk to cast even on a level 4; it's generally best to stick to the basic version.
Chillwind - a cheap spell to cast, better suited to a basic Sorceress. The S2 hits aren't going to get you many wounds unless against low Toughness and armour save armies (e.g. Wood Elves). The -1 BS penalty is useful, but obviously only against ranged units. Give it a miss on a Supreme Sorceress.
Word of Pain - amazing hex, the basic version reduces WS and BS by D3 and requires just a 9+ to cast; the boosted version only requires a 12+ to case and takes down S and I too. The range is a decent 24". Note, the basic version has no limit on what the stats can be reduced to (i.e. you can take it down to 0), but the boosted version specifies to a minimum of 1. Works well with Bladewind's WS checks, or Black Horror's S tests, and will also neuter a unit ahead of a key combat. Take this whenever you can.
Bladewind - this is a horde destroyer; every model in the target unit has to pass a WS test or takes a S4 AP hit. Cast Word of Pain (or Miasma with a Shadow Sorceress) on the target first to completely obliterate them; handily this has the same 24" range as WoP. Even without that, a basic WS3 horde could be losing a third of its models.
Shroud of Despair - a hex that targets all enemy units within 12"; they then can't use the general's leadership or BSB's re-rolls. Plus, when one of them fails a Ld test (of any kind) all target units including themselves suffer -1 Ld -- this is cumulative. Useless against Undead or Daemons, but otherwise an outstanding spell. So many Dark Elf choices synergise with this - a Death Hag's Cry of War (fear tests with -3 Ld), Bloodwrack Shrine reducing Ld by -1, Kharibdyss's Abyssal Howl; then there's your terror causing Cauldron/Shrine, Lokhir Fellheart, monsters...
Soul Stealer - not the strongest spell, but useful in some situations. It uses the small template, which scatters D6"; all models hit by it take a S2 hit with no armour saves. Roll a D6 for each wound inflicted, and the caster regains a wound (up to a max of 10!!!) for each 4+. Standard has a 18" range; boosted a 36" one. The scatter means this is good against hordes but unreliable against others. It can help a lone caster (e.g. pegasus-riding) stand up to ranged attacks or regain you wounds lost to Power of Darkness. One suggestion I've come across is a sneaky challenge-based Supreme Sorceress with Black Amulet, Other Trickster's Shard, and Tome of Furion (to ensure you get this spell) who murders opponents in a challenge and keeps themself alive with this spell (it's Direct Damage so can be cast from combat).
Black Horror - a vortex that forces strength tests or you're slain outright. Sensibly, but sadly, it allows ward saves, unlike equivalent spells from other lores. Works well with Word of Pain - most units you'll come across are S3-4, and losing D3 from that will see them get slaughtered by this spell. Beware the 1 in 6 chance of a Misfire on the artillery dice, as then its your sorceress and any unit she's in/near who'll get decimated. The large template version is generally too risky to be worth trying to cast.
Other Lores
I'm not going to profile these spell by spell, as you'll find hundreds of discussions of each of the BRB lores across the web. I'll look at them overall as how useful they are to Dark Elves. One question you'll have to ask yourself throughout is "what is this lore offering me that's worth giving up the +1 to cast that Dark Magic has?"
Lore of Fire - a cheap to cast, long ranged lore, mainly about inflicting damage. The picks of the bunch are the ever-versatile Fireball for long-distance damage dealing that can adapt to the number of dice/caster level at your disposal, Flaming Sword of Rhuin for boosting to wound rolls, Piercing Bolts of Burning for horde destruction, and Fulminating Flame Cage for more horde destruction plus movement shenanigans. Limited to S4, so doesn't really add much that you don't already have (lots of low-strength attacks). Best used by a caster out of combat, e.g. bunkered in a unit of Darkshards, and a good selection for your backup caster.
Lore of Beasts - not the best lore available to the Druchii, though the signature spell Wyssan's Wildform gives +1S and T, which seems designed to alleviate the chief weakness of elves. Transformation of Kadon is cool, but a waste of a primary caster, and liable to be dispelled the turn after you cast it. The mix of spells is poor - you've got a couple that are about boosting the caster or a nearby character's combat abilities, and then a couple that are magic missiles you'll want to cast from a safe distance. Useful for a backup scroll-caddy Level 1 Sorceress, but don't select it as your main lore.
Lore of Metal - typically considered strong against high armour save units; weaker against armies with poor saves, though there's only two spells actually dependent on your opponent's save. Glittering Robe is a great way of boosting your weak armour saves, Enchanted Blades helps your troops cut through armour, and Final Transmutation will wipe out a third of 1-wound units. Only Gehenna's Golden Hounds isn't great; this is actually useful primary lore.
Lore of Light - the lore attribute makes this stronger against Daemons/Undead. It's got very low casting values. Pha's Protection can help keep a Dragon/Manticore character alive, or help a large infantry block from being shot up. Boosting WS/I/giving you ASF are not generally areas that Dark Elves need help in, though Birona's Timewarp's double Movement and extra Attack can be game-changing. As a high Ld army, Light of Battle is not a priority either. Net of Amyntok is good for neutralising a key unit (particularly if you have Soulblight or Word of Pain on another caster to reduce their Strength). Overall, Light is a relatively poor lore for Dark Elves (plus totally un-fluffy) - it's not one to go big on; against Daemons/Undead it can work on a Level 2, but leave it at that.
Lore of Life - also somewhat inappropriate for Dark Elves, but it suits them very well. This is an augment-based lore, not one that's all about flinging around damage. The attribute, healing 1 Wound to a friendly model within 12" on each successful casting, is by far the best lore attribute around. The issue with Life is Throne of Vines - it's a Remain in Play augment that boosts 5 of the 6 other spells to amazing levels, and on a 2+ you ignore Miscasts. If you have Throne, you want to be casting it every turn - and if your opponent fails to dispel, they'll be wasting power dice in their magic phase to dispel it then. If you don't have it, the rest of the lore is suddenly not as impressive. Regardless, it's a good lore overall - Flesh To Stone allows your vulnerable elves to be boosted to Toughness 5 or even 7... wow. Regrowth lets you gain slain models - ideal in an army of elite yet easy-to-kill units. The Dwellers Below will terrify most armies, on average obliterating half of a S3 unit. A good lore to take, and better on a Level 4 who is more likely to get Throne of Vines. This is one of the few worth serious consideration over Dark Magic.
Lore of Heavens - a good lore with some interesting synergies with other lores. The Roiling Skies attribute is strong against flyer heavy armies (High Elves?) though most the time you'll be targeting ground units instead. The signature spell Iceshard Blizzard is a really useful Hex, easy to cast and with a good range - it can help swing combats, or neutralise a warmachine. Harmonic Convergence has very little use for Dark Elves, who already re-roll most to hit/to wound rolls of 1, but the hex equivalent Curse of the Midnight Wind is excellent, especially if combined with Miasma/Word of Pain. Wind Blast is finicky, but while Urannon's Thunderbolt is a simple high strength magic missile. Comet is great really good for disrupting defensive lines, particularly Dwarves, though riskier if you're up against an evasion list. Chain Lightning can decimate MSU armies. It's a useful lore, either for a Level 2 or Level 4; pair it with Shadow's Miasma to get the best from it.
Lore of Shadow - two spells are of limited use (Steed of Shadows, the Penumbral Pendulum), and the lore attribute rarely comes into play... yet this is one of the best lores available for Dark Elves, rivalling Dark Magic, and my personal favourite. Miasma is the best signature spell - excellent range, easy to cast (either basic or boosted), and can be used for a variety of situations - slows down your opponent, hinders them in a combat, neuters a shooting unit, and the Initiative drop synergises well with Pit of Shades and Pendulum. The Enfeebling Foe and The Withering are your two key spells from the lore - dropping strength to cripple an enemy unit in combat, or dropping toughness so your relatively weak Druchii can slay them like they were snotlings. Both have relatively short basic ranges of 18" so you'll need your caster close to the front line. Pendulum is hard to use, but paired with Miasma and a mobile sorceress, can be deadly if aimed from the flank of a unit. Pit of Shades is a little unreliable due to the scatter, but paired with an Initiative drop on Miasma is lethal. Okkam's Mindrazor is potentially the most deadly spell - substituting your Strength with your Leadership value gets you S8 Corsairs/Witch Elves or S9 Black Guard. It's at least a 4-dicer, though, and your opponent will be watching out for it - though it's a good way of drawing out a Dispel Scroll early on. Keep a Power Scroll handy to shock your opponent with this when he thought you didn't have enough dice.
Lore of Death - this lore is about sniping enemy characters from close range, and hexing your opponent. The lore attribute is good - it can generate you extra power dice for causing wounds, but bear in mind that only Purple Sun is likely to cause a significant number of wounds, so you're unlikely to be generating bucketloads of additional dice. You've got three spells that target enemy characters, even within a unit - Spirit Leech, The Caress of Laniph, and The Fate of Bjuna. All have a range of 12", though the first two can be boosted to 24". Spirit Leech is based on difference in Leadership, Caress on the Strength of the target, and Fate on the Toughness of the target. Spirit Leech is the most reliable, being a signature spell, and works well on our high Leadership Supreme Sorceresses. Bear in mind that according to the last FAQ, your "unmodified Leadership" does allow you to use Inspiring Presence (i.e. the General's Ld). Rather than targeting your enemy general, this is actually better at picking off support characters and monsters who have strayed outside the Inspiring Presence range. Soulblight is an extremely useful spell, reducing enemy S and T by 1, particularly the boosted version of it which targets all enemies within 24". Doomfire Warlocks have access to it as standard. It also works really well with Caress and Fate. Aspect of the Dreadknight isn't great, but can help when fighting Fear causing enemies, or alongside your other Leadership-related tricks. Doom and Darkness is amazing, and will solve your problems with large blocks of infantry that you can beat in combat, but who hold because of Steadfast. If you have Dark Magic too, pair it with Shroud of Despair to kickstart a wave of panic in your opponent's battlelines. Finally, Purple Sun is an outstanding damage dealer - Initiative test or you're dead. It's good for Dark Elves, as if it backfires your high I of 5 will minimise losses. Obviously it's also less use targeting other Elves, Warriors of Chaos, Slaanesh etc, but Dwarves will cry. Cast Miasma or Word of Pain first to have it work on anyone.
Death is a really good lore, and works well on either a Level 2 or 4 caster. It's best paired with another more "all-rounder" lore, and Shadow and Dark are good partners for the synergies of their hexes. You will need a highly mobile sorceress to get the best out of the short ranges, so either on a Dark Steed or better a Dark Pegasus.
Lore of Undeath - not a BRB lore, but introduced in the End Times; make sure your opponent agrees to you using this as opinions on End Times rules varies. Four of your spells are for summoning undead models, and one resurrects them - if you have a Vampire Counts/Tomb Kings army, and want to include some of the units alongside your Dark Elves, this is the lore for you. If you don't have any, then this clearly isn't. While Undead Legions have some special characters optimised for using this lore, Dark Elves really don't. Sulekhim - the Hand of Dust could be useful for a mobile Sorceress assassinating enemy characters, while Khizaar - the Soul Stealer (pah! not the real thing) is similar to Spirit Leech. It's not a great lore for Dark Elves, who have a versatile enough selection of units that doesn't need supplementing with undead models.
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Post by sedge on Jun 12, 2018 19:15:08 GMT
Army CompositionThe Druchii have a great variety in army builds available - an evasion list with Dark Riders in core, shooting-heavy defensive/counter-attacking list, monster-mash loaded up with big beasties, and so on. I'm not going to go into detail in this thread on how to make each of those work - experiment, and start a thread in this forum for advice if you're wanting to theme your army in a particular way. However, I will list some of the choices you'll generally want to take in a balanced army of around 2-3k points: - Primary caster - ideally a level 4; carrying a Dispel Scroll if your secondary caster isn't.
- Secondary caster - either a basic Sorceress with Dispel Scroll, Doomfire Warlocks, or if really short on points, a character with Ruby Ring of Ruin, or the Cauldron of Blood (for its bound spell).
- Battle Standard Bearer - every list benefits from one, because things don't always go your own way.
- 2+ combat units - a single block is usually too easy to neutralise, so you'll want at least a couple of decent sized (20+ models) units that can hold their own in combat. This could be Dreadspears, Bleakswords, AHW Corsairs, Witch Elves, Black Guard, Executioners and Sisters of Slaughter, or around 10 Cold One Knights. A Hydra or Kharibdyss can also fill this role, though you'll want a ranked unit too. You'll normally want a 50/50 split between hammer and anvil choices, and at least one of your selections should be able to deal with armoured units.
- 2+ chaff units - to outmanoeuvre your opponent, hunt warmachines, counter enemy chaff and so on. Dark Riders, Harpies, Shades, Doomfire Warlocks and pegasus Masters are the most common. Small units of Cold One Knights, Scourgerunner/Cold One Chariots, or rarely minimum-sized infantry units can fulfil this role.
- 2+ ranged units - you'll want some level of ranged threat to deal with units that are hard to pin down, or which need to be damaged before they get to combat. Ideally, this should be aside from whatever magic you have, as BS shooting is more reliable. Darkshards and Reaper Bolt Throwers are the most obvious, though Shades and Dark Riders are also good. The two monowheel chariots have a ranged threat, but not significant/reliable enough to really count.
Getting StartedDark Elves are (at the time of writing) still well served from Games Workshop for models - from regular units, only the Reaper Bolt Thrower, Harpies and Shades aren't available any more. Only Hellebron and Shadowblade are left of the characters, and you're also missing characters mounted on Dark Steed, Cold One, Dark Pegasus or Manticore - however most are relatively simple to convert. The Black Dragon kit gets you both a Dreadlord/Master and Sorceress body with several weapon options, and can be converted to mount on anything else (the legs are too wide for a Cold One/Dark Steed, but you can use the Cold One Knight legs instead). The Chariot and Cauldron of Blood kits also get you spare characters to use, as well as spare Cold Ones or Dark Steeds from the former. Your army is good at low points levels, and all your basic infantry or cavalry choices will do well. 500 point starter army- Sorceress, level 1, lore of Dark Magic (80 points)
- 10 x Darkshards (120 points)
- 10 x Corsairs, additional hand weapons, Musician and Champion (130 points)
- 5 x Cold One Knights, Musician and Champion (170 points)
This gives you a fast-moving unit, magic (pick Doombolt), shooting and a couple of good combat units. Keep the Sorceress in the Darkshards away from combat. It's competitive but not so ridiculously overpowered that your games won't be fun. You can also pick it up in four boxes, with no conversions required. 1,000 point army- Sorceress, level 2, lore of Dark Magic, Dispel Scroll, Ironcurse Icon (145 points)
- 10 x Darkshards, Musician (130 points)
- 20 x Corsairs, additional hand weapons, full command (250 points)
- 5 x Dark Riders, shields, repeater crossbows, Musician (110 points)
- 5 x Cold One Knights, Gleaming Pennant, full command (185 points)
- 1 x War Hydra, Fiery Breath (180 points)
This adds another box of Corsairs, Dark Riders and a Hydra. That gives you a bigger infantry block, a strong chaff unit, and a powerful monster that will wreck most infantry units fielded in games this size. It's an offensive list, designed to close on your opponents (only the Darkshards would hold back). There wasn't room for a BSB, but the Sorceress has the ever-useful Dispel Scroll. 2,000 point army- Supreme Sorceress, level 4, lore of Dark Magic, Tome of Furion, Talisman of Preservation (290 points)
- Master, BSB, Heavy Armour, Sea Dragon Cloak, Enchanted Shield, Dawnstone, Sword of Might (155 points)
- Master, Dark Pegasus, Heavy Armour, Sea Dragon Cloak, Shield, Lance, Cloak of Twilight (188 points)
- 11 x Darkshards, Musician, Champion (152 points)
- 21 x Corsairs, additional hand weapons, full command (261 points)
- 5 x Dark Riders, shields, repeater crossbows, Musician (110 points)
- 5 x Cold One Knights, Gleaming Pennant, full command (185 points)
- 1 x War Hydra, Fiery Breath (180 points)
- 27 Executioners, full command (354 points)
- 5 Doomfire Warlocks (125 points)
The Supreme Sorceress is your general, bunkered in the Darkshards (with the champion to challenge any lone character that catches the unit). The BSB Master sits in the Executioners, while the Pegasus one hunts monsters, characters, or warmachines/chaff if no multi-wound targets are available. The Warlocks provide your secondary caster, and the chance of two Doombolts per turn. The Supreme Sorceress should use the Tome to get Word of Pain. Both Corsairs and Executioners should be fielded in ranks of 7 to get more attacks off. Again, this list expands on the previous two, hence keeping the Corsairs in there, which I might otherwise have swapped for a larger and more defensive block of Dreadspears or Bleakswords. I was thinking of putting the Standard of Discipline in the army somewhere, as it's always a good choice, but wasn't sure where to go with it - as the two infantry blocks are offensive ones, they should be winning combats rather than holding out as anvils. There's not a great deal of shooting in the army, but with potentially two Doombolts, that shouldn't be an issue. 3,000 point army- Supreme Sorceress, level 4, lore of Dark Magic, Tome of Furion, Talisman of Preservation (290 points)
- Master, BSB, Heavy Armour, Sea Dragon Cloak, Enchanted Shield, Dawnstone, Sword of Might (155 points)
- Master, Dark Pegasus, Heavy Armour, Sea Dragon Cloak, Shield, Lance, Cloak of Twilight (188 points)
- Assassin, additional hand weapon, Glittering Scales, Potion of Strength (137 points)
- 10 x Darkshards, Musician, Champion (140 points)
- 30 x Bleakswords, Full Command (270 points)
- 21 x Corsairs, additional hand weapons, full command (261 points)
- 5 x Dark Riders, shields, repeater crossbows, Musician (110 points)
- 5 x Cold One Knights, Gleaming Pennant, full command (185 points)
- 1 x Cold One Chariot (115 points)
- 39 x Executioners, Full Command, Standard of Discipline (513 points)
- 10 x Shades, additional hand weapons (180 points)
- 1 x War Hydra, Fiery Breath (180 points)
- 2 x Reaper Bolt Throwers (140 points)
- 5 Doomfire Warlocks (125 points)
I cut out one of the Darkshards so I could fit in the Glittering Scales on the Assassin, so it has some survivability. This isn't a super-competitive list - an Assassin never is - but it's a decent balanced one. Obviously the Executioners are the big threat, and there's another solid combat block with the defensively-orientated Bleakswords hopefully able to remove Steadfast on opposing infantry blocks. The Shades and Bolt Throwers give a more reliable ranged output. The lack of Dispel Scroll is my main concern, but I didn't want to drop the powerful and mobile Warlocks for a Sorceress.
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Post by sedge on Jun 12, 2018 19:15:39 GMT
Storm of MagicStorm of Magic is more about doing crazy stuff that you can't have in regular games - the emphasis is very much on ridiculous fun rather than being super-competitive. This section is really just a footnote to the tactics guide, and isn't going to tell you how to win your Storm of Magic games - it's more just a few words of advice on ways of enjoying them. Cataclysm Spells & CantripsBring that Supreme Sorceress on Black Dragon you've never been able to justify in regular games. Morathi. Malekith. This is your chance to use them (especially Morathi who can known Cataclysm Spells from three lores). I'm not going to run over all the spells and lores, but I will say a little on Dark Magic... Take Dark Magic as much as possible - half the time, it'll be an ascendant lore giving you +3 to cast. While the High Elves get to summon new Arcane Fulcrums to the battlefield, the Dark Elves use them as a source of power, blowing them (and anything nearby) to smithereens with Oblivion. Bring several mobile (Dark Steed/Dark Pegasus) casters and sacrifice them to explode fulcrums you can't otherwise capture. Remember your cantrips, which are vital for gaining control of fulcrums - which you'll need to make use of the better cataclysm spells. Oh, and to win, though that's a secondary consideration. Mythic ArtefactsThey're all super-expensive and based more around fun than effectiveness. The Arabyan Puzzlebox can help you get even more spells off, but there are other more fun choices out there. Bound MonstersI've detailed further up some of the "fluffy" monsters that would fit within a Dark Elf army. However, the Druchii are known for roving the world, and their beastmasters could quite easily collect an exotic menagerie of monsters that you would not normally associate with them. Anything that flies, can cast, and is super tough + killy is great for occupying an Arcane Fulcrum; however, beware of the "Unbind Monster" cantrip that is really easy to cast and can see your expensive monster fly off, never to return. I had that happen to an 830 point Level 4 Emperor Magma Dragon that had just rampaged its way onto a fulcrum Keep a dice or two spare for dispelling that. Sorcerous PactsBoost your troops with an allied Daemon, Vampire Counts or Tomb Kings army. All can actually be quite fluffy - Morathi is known for her role in the Cult of Slaanesh (in older Druchii fluff at least), though fast-moving, low-strength and fragile troops don't add much to your army. Either undead race gives you cheap numbers to bolster your infantry and potentially guard a fulcrum or two. Given that Nagash, the "first" necromancer, learnt the skills of necromancy from captive Dark Elves, it's both highly appropriate and poetic justice to have the undead serve the Druchii in turn.
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Post by sedge on Jun 18, 2018 20:31:49 GMT
I've still got quite a few sections to work on, but the intro and unit profiles are done, and I'd welcome feedback on them. The thought was that with WFB being "unofficial" now, most players are more relaxed "friendly" games rather than WAAC, so even for the rubbish units I'd still suggest ways of using them. If you've got creative ideas for using choices like Black Ark Fleetmasters, Chariot-mounted characters, Harpies and so on, please suggest them and I'll include them.
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Post by wilsonthenarc on Jun 19, 2018 13:42:39 GMT
I am reading this. I checked for updates today. Good stuff so far. --Sincerely, your loyal readers.
I have NEVER seen the BeastMaster Harpoon Lord on a Chariot. I really really want to now.
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Post by strutsagget on Jun 19, 2018 16:26:03 GMT
Fantastic work so far!
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Post by knoffles on Jun 20, 2018 7:22:23 GMT
Hi sedge, loving it so far and learnt a few new things which is great. . One small thing it might be worth adding to the repeater bolt thrower is clarification that although you can fire multiple shots with it, it doesn’t suffer a negative modifier for doing so.
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Post by sedge on Jun 20, 2018 16:51:03 GMT
Thanks. Good tip - I've added that.
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Post by sedge on Jun 22, 2018 20:05:12 GMT
All done!
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Post by strutsagget on Jun 23, 2018 7:48:34 GMT
What's your take on how to choose lores with morathi? mottdon and I got a discussion of using 1 dice on death to get a snipe spell and then 3 on dark as it's most power bonuses.
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Post by strutsagget on Jun 23, 2018 15:23:33 GMT
Also whats your take on tome of furion. What spells are essential to get in specific matches, so it's worth 25 points?
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Post by sedge on Jun 23, 2018 17:18:16 GMT
What's your take on how to choose lores with morathi? mottdon and I got a discussion of using 1 dice on death to get a snipe spell and then 3 on dark as it's most power bonuses. Much as I love Shadow, I'd say avoid that lore on her - the only spell that really needs such a mobile caster is Pendulum, and you won't reliably get that without going all-in on the lore. Death is the one that benefits most from her mobility, but Dark is decent too (imagine flying right behind your opponent's front line and casting Shroud of Despair) and obviously she gets that extra +1 to casting its spells. Plus, she has a much better chance of casting the lethal boosted version of Doombolt than a regular Lvl 4. If your opponent has lots of characters/monstrous targets for the snipe spells, then going all-in on Death or 3 Death, 1 Dark (Doombolt) is best. You should get at least a couple of the snipe spells; potentially all three, and Soulblight potentially helps with your sniping. If there aren't so many, then I'd agree with 3 Dark, 1 Death (snipe). Shroud of Despair, if you get it, will work well with Spirit Leech by allowing you to comfortably target characters/monsters within the general's 12" bubble. Black Horror obviously works well with a mobile caster, as does Soul Stealer in keeping them alive - particularly Morathi who you may want to throw into combat when needed. Regardless, I'd say you should almost always take Doombolt with her.
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