Dark Elves - my thoughts

Well following on from my posts on WAU here is my break down (in full) of the De book with my own build in mind.

CHARACTERS

The Death master
For mine the best choice just because of the flexibility of items and ability to cause damage from the back of a big nasty. Both the manticore and the dragon are viable mounts, the loss of a hero slot isn’t too concerning, given how expensive everything is anyway filling all 4 slots would severely deplete your actual army. With the hatred rule this guy on the back of a monster is one of the more reliable strike weapons in the game and with the large target rule probably the least concerned about hatred pulling him out of position as you should be able to plan ahead pretty well.

Personally I would have him on the back of a flying terror causer kit him out with the hideously underpriced ward save, the moderately under priced regen armour and then you’ve got the option of life taker, killing blow lance, armour piercing great weapon or if you prefer magic protection a null stone plus the armour piercing GW…

Supreme sorceress
Whilst the range of arcane items allow you to put together a flexible magic phase, particularly the casting from a point 6” away and the sacrificial dagger one, for mine no access to an item which mitigates miscasts makes her too unreliable for the points you are shelling out. Putting her on a big nasty gives her dual roles but then you kind of have to throw her into the middle of things to get your points back.

Master
Standard hero but the variety of items allows you to use one or two of these to support the entire list. Whilst they can have a manticore mount (note please don’t take the manticore/dragon, two manticore list especially with hydra support) personally I’m thinking they are best served as a BSB with the 1+ armour save and then either the ring of hotek or the armour piercing GW. I am personally leaning now to the ring of hotek and the armour after initially thinking of the great weapon.

Sorceress
You could get two or three of these and have a very sharp magic phase, problem is you still need to do it from a position which is up close and personal. Sure you could protect them with an assassin but that’s a lot of points to keep you level 2 mage alive. I think the range of some of the spells hinders how reliable this set up can be. With the ring of hotek and null shards basically giving you very cheap ways to shut down the magic phase I think a caddy will be all you see from me.

Hag
I just don’t see it with this choice. The Cauldron looks at first glance great but then you add in the hags points and how static it is and you really rip the heart out of the manoeuvrable feel to the army. On their own I once again am a little apprehensive I think the strength of the master characters is in how they can help the entire army whilst the hag really can only effect what is right in front of her. Plus like her minions she suffers from meat puppetitis.

Assassins
These guys seem very cool but at the points and their limited influence on the battle field I think they are better left at home. At 121 points for 5 to 7 attacks they could be useful in an infantry based force but generally I think they are too expensive.

Two Mounts:
The dragon v manitcore debate will take some time to settle. I think the 120 point difference is about right. With the Manticore is giving up 1 point across the board on stats and being less resilient to shooting I’m favouring the dragon at this point but play testing will get a clearer picture.

Opinions of items these are based on my low magic build.

The Nice ones
- The ring of hotek: 25 all doubles are a miscast for spells cast from within 12” or targeted at a unit within 12”. This will shut down magic phases as 3d6 spells have a 44% chance of miscasting and 2d6 spells a 17%. Once you get in to close quarters it will also limit the amount of support magic your opponent can throw. Very effective item for 25 points.
- Regen armour: 35 points heavy armour and gives regeneration, moderately under priced but when you can combine it with the item below makes a character close to unkillable
- the hideously under costed ward save (the Huck Wuss): 35 points and a strength test against the attack to “ward save” so for a S3 attack a 3 or under (4+ equiv.). Easily the best ward save item in the game. Looks like a major stuff up in the costing of this, I’d pay north of 50 points and consider it a bargain.
- The S based ward save, ring of hotek and the regen armour I’ve already covered so here are some additional ones:
- 1+ Armour save: 25 points doesn’t include a shield. A great option for the BSB or as it leaves enough room for a magical great weapon like…
- Armour Piercing Great weapon: 15 points. For me a no brainer if they are in the ASF unit, you get the great weapon, combined with a biting blade giving a magical attack option at high strength
- S5 Scourge: 25 points. Fits well onto a black guard champ giving him 3s5 armour piercing attacks
- Rune of Khaine: 25 points +D3 attacks are mandatory for any one that can take it.
- Seal of ghrond: 30 points +1 dispel dice the 30 point cost though reduces my love for it
- Null stone: +1 MR. If you are going purely magic defence and are not taking the caddy a sprinkling of these through the army will make it tough.

Good but not great:
-Blood armour: 15 points must cause the casualties in combat to get additional armour save but still a decent option if you want a stronger weapon
-Life taker: 30 points more shots at S4 always hitting on a 2+
-Hydras teeth – seem great mage hunters but at 40 points they are a tough fit as you ideally want this on a guy who can fly and then you can’t protect him.
- Manbane: 25 points, the fact it gets rid of the normal poisoned attacks for me reduces it’s effectiveness, often the little assassin will be hitting out at low T troops for combat res and now loses the poison benefit
- 50 point no armour save sword. Meh standard kit these days and much better options that have been under costed.

Arcane (thrown in for completeness)
Good
- Sacrificial dagger, getting to roll after using your dice means you can go for the IF and avoid miscasts more easily
- Familiar – 25 points pick a point 6” and that is where the caster counts as casting from. Means you can hide them and still use magic missiles. Perhaps can even get them out of the range of the ring of hotek – but this is up for debate.

The verdict:

My build I’m tossing up between Dragon or manticore mounted death master with Huck Wuss, regen, armour piercing GW, null stone, with a caddie, BSB with 1+ armour and ring of hotek. I can’t see myself fielding the as

CORE
Most of the core choices are actually pretty good value so despite my strong leaning I think we will see some different builds.SpearmenWell really they are 7 points as you have to buy the shield. With the points falling off a cliff these guys become a viable bunker though at 155 for the 20+FC this isn’t cheap cheap. Throwing an assassin in makes them pretty solid though once again the cost of the assassin puts them into the sphere of expensive for what they do.RXBIn an army where everything else seems to fit a specific role at 11 points with WS4, and 4+ AS these bad boys can fill a variety of roles from infantry block, flanker, wizard bunker or just be one of the better archery units in the game. Should form the backbone of many lists.CorsairsThey are mismatch of special rules and stats for mine, their resilience against shooting is great but why would your opponent be targeting them over another unit when they offer no greater threat than a spearman? The 2 S3 attacks don’t get it done in combat and the hand bows mean walking into charge range to be effective.Dark RidersStill fill a valuable role as harasser/flanker. Not sold on the RBT at 5 points but can see the benefit. If you have the points may be worth fielding with standards to keep the comp Nazis at bay.HarpiesBeing able to use the general’s leadership is great, as is the ability to take multiple units. Will fill the role of furies from the demon list but be slightly less effective due to the propensity to panic at the first sign of danger. Still at 55 points for a single unit you can throw them forward to distract or divert with little consequence. Will be a regular fixture in most armies if for nothing else but how cheap they are.

SPECIAL

The bit that grabs the imagination in this book is the special section. This is based on no CoB as I think it is too expensive for what it does (after the hag is added in) and can be neutralised by engaging multiple elite units forcing you to pick which unit to support.

Shades:
I think these boys are the goods. BS5 WS5, 2 attacks (with add HW) sure they are fragile and expensive at 85 points for a 5 man unit but their multiple attacks and high weapon skill allows them to harass and suppress enemy war machines if your harpies are neutralised. I think the dual roles makes them a strong proposition if you have a flier in the army. Plus 10 BS 4 shots (after the -1) will support an already strong shooting phase.

Witch elves:
These guys conceptually make more sense as skirmishers where they could get a better shot at guaranteeing the charge. As a ranked unit I’m not sold, WS4 is really the new WS3 in today’s age of power sprint so whilst 3 re-rollable attacks are nice they aren’t high strength and basically require the armour piercing banner and then you factor in that you’re a T3 unarmoured meat puppet and things get very difficult. Only saving grace is the champion which can get the +d3 attacks, still not entirely helpful with a lance through the chest.

Executioners:
These poor little tackers also suffer from meat puppetitis, with ASF they’d be viable but as they are a single S6 attack marks these guys for the highly limited in their effective use pile. At 12 points a pop that’s a bad pile to be in. The special champion is a waste for a fellow meat puppet. Plus being khainite means you can’t throw a master with magic items into the unit to bolster them, only a hag (also a meat puppet)

Cold one knights:
The “cold blooded” banner at 15 points gives them some additional reliability but it is for only one turn and it takes away their access to a war banner or the +d3 CR on the charge making the unit over priced for what it will deliver.

Cold one Chariots:
Suffer form the same fate as the knights. At 100 points a little to expensive for what they are delivering. I’d only really use them, if at all, as a BSB mount. On the bright side they aren’t meat puppets?

Black Guard:
Start on a good note, finish on a good note. The 2 attacks, warrior elite, WS5, immune to pysch, S4 with halberd, access to the ASF banner and the ability to give the champion a 25 point item (I’m thinking the S5 armour piercing beast masters scourge). These guys are then a viable proposition as an anvil unit. Plus not being khainite means you can actually put a character in there (imagine that characters IN rather than watching your elite unit)

My verdict:
So in my current hypothesised army build I’ll have a unit of 15 Black guards with ASF banner and at least one unit of 5 shades maybe two.

Banners:I think the BSB is better taking other items so the only banners of real consequence are the 50 and below.Dread Banner: 40 points? Cause fear, not entirely sure this is that great given DE are unlikely to be on the right side of the numbers score line.ASF: 35 points. For elite infantry a great banner as it brings them in line with the HE elite whilst having the additional edge of hatred. Pity the Executioners can’t get this.+d3 CR on the charge: 35 points a good idea and ideally put on the Cold one knights, but then how do you keep them in line with stupidity. On infantry the ASF is probably going to come in handy more often Armour Piercing: 25 points Good for the WE as gives them some punch, doesn’t overcome their fragility though. A 5+ ward save style thing would have been betterFrenzy: 25 points Corsairs only, makes them into weaker (no poison) but more resilient with elves so this is the only way I see them being a viable choice over other options.Cold Blooded: 15 points. For one turn you take LD tests on 3D6 like lizard men. Really there for the cold ones to give them one turn of reliability, still you can fail that test.
RARE:

An easy section given only two rare c

Hydra: 175 pointsTerror causer, S5 breath weapon, regen, scaly skin, can’t attack handlers in combat if in contact with hydra. In what I think is an error (just like the ward save) the handlers have 2A base but also have a hand weapon plus a scourge (also a hand weapon) giving them 3 Attacks (2 armour piercing). So 13 attacks, with hatred, 7 at S5. this thing will monster no +5 static units in the first turn.

Reaper: 100 points
Given every man and his dog had one before and there is no change I expect many people and canines to be fielding them again.

Verdict:
Look for 2 reapers and 1 hydra to be the standard kit

Overall

The power sprint continues as these guys got increases in effectiveness for reduction of costs so clearly they are miles better than before and moved from Tier 3 to Tier 1 along side their HE brethren but still a notch below the two.

Their shooting phase can be better than a WE one at a cheaper cost, always a good sign for the darkies and with the items you can make a range of builds.

Still many of their “elite” troops have fatal flaws which limit their scope. Many suffer from meat puppetitis which reduces their ability to engage in protracted combat whilst their cavalry still suffers from stupidity.

Overall though a massive improvement in effectiveness.