Starting Dark elves, Now with my first list at post 6 Options

[nevaenuffbass]

I can't find a good 'how to make a dark elf' army anywhere, not even in the army book.
I have an army book but it is in transit on its way to me - so i don't know points values, but will. Looking to purchase models -

Are there any 'swooping hawk' equivalents - things in the army book that are useless?


Is it necessary to take a block of infantry (guessing warriors as they are cheap) now in 8th ed?


the army that I'd like looks a little like:

EDIT: POINTS LIST BELOW at Post #6
8 x dark riders
4 x repeater bolt throwers
5 x cold one riders
20 x corsairs
20 x black guard
2 x 5 x harpies
20 warriors with repeater bolt throwers
some shades
sorceress on dark pegasus
dread lord on dragon
bsb on cold one


Without doing the math, does the above look like a 2000pt list? I guess as a newb I am going for a balanced list, but being elves, it seems feasible to go for a really magic heavy, mobile and shooty list, and skirt around the enemy shooting and blasting it. Or the dark elves, with hydras, cold ones, corsairs and monsters look they coudl be reasonably resilient and cc oriented?

Please correct me where I am wrong.

This post has been edited by nevaenuffbass: Nov 16 2010, 10:06 PM

[Da_Madd_Hatta]

Having your sorceress on a Pegasus means she will get shot to bits... it always happened to me. i would look at giving her the sacrificial dagger and whack her in a unit of spearmen....

I personally don't like dragons, yes they are tough...ish but they do leave your characters vulnerable to shooting (as per the previous comment). but this is mainly just a personal dis like as opposed to a tactical decision. i have not run one in 8th and i think the new flame template rules might make them a better choice, no partials etc.

I would drop 2 of the bolt throwers for a nice unit of spearmen for protection and if she has the dagger extra power dice.

as a personal preference, i would try to swap the cold one BSB to a Hag with cauldron as your BSB. run her behind your line infantry and buff where needed.... just a thought.


These are just me opinions, but i hope the help.

[mrevil]

sorceress on pegasus is really good with focus familiar as you can hide behind stuff while still casting

[nasher]

Cauldron of Blood is a good additional choice.
It's still hard to tell what works best in 8th but I'm leaning towards keeping units at around 200-250pts or less. It seems to be working well so far with a balanced army.

[Morg]

I started dark elves with the release of 8th (just learning fantasy for the first time with a group of mates). Chariots & dark riders are heaps of fun, plus i love the corsairs, of which a big block is mandatory in my armies.

Assassins are a bit meh, they have never really helped me out; but the Hydra is a beast, i love it. Go with the CoB as your bsb, its pretty win.

Dark elves are kind of a 'Dartboard codex', no matter what you take, its all viable and runs pretty well together.

This post has been edited by Morg: Nov 9 2010, 04:28 PM

[nevaenuffbass]

Okay, I had my first game.

1. There is a lot more to it than it first appears.
2. Magic is so very unreliable
3. The turns where there is a lot of combat can draw out (but I was playing ogres)
4. There are a lot of Ld rolls in a game, making BSBs really important

Garry, my opponent, not only lent me an army, but also his army book for a few days. So I have made an initial list, bearing in mind that my rulebook hasn't yet arrived from the UK.

So here goes, your C & C welcome, questions in italics.

What is the normal game size, say at tournaments etc? Like 1750 in 40K


2000pts by 2000, i mean 1973, if my excel spreadsheet is working the way it should be
Characters
Supreme Sorceress, lvl 4. (why don't they have sercerors? anyway), Sacrificial dagger, pendant of khaeleth (320)

BSB - Master, 2 hand weapons, ring of darkness, seadragon cloak, light armour, 2nd hand weapon (although how he will use it holding up the banner is beyond me) (155pts)
I really like the idea of the banner of nagarythe, but for that price I could get some cold one riders!)

I know, I know Cauldron of blood is really cool. I don't like it. The idea, the model. The effects yes, the rest no, so I am not including one.

Now, I am a bit dissappointed. What I love most about WHFB is the monsters. I couldn't justify a black dragon, manticore or even dark pegasus, but I'd really like to. Is there any good reason why you'd put a sorceress on a dragon? Seems counter-intuitive, you'd want her OUT of combat but the dragon IN combat

Core
6 Harpies (66)
anyone know where to get these models?

5 Dark riders, repeater X bows (110)

16 Repeater X bowmen (sorceress lives here (advice please - could put her with spearmen)(160)

30 Warriors (spearmen) with standard (186)

36 Corsairs, 2 hand weapons,standard bearer with standard of frenzy making (sea serpent standard) (415)

Special

5 Cold one riders, standard, dread knight with sword (lance?) of battle (182) (where it says 'sword of battle' can I take this item as a 'lance of battle'?

15 Executioners, standard bearer, druichmaster (BSB goes here) (204)

Rare
1 hydra (175) Apparently it is not very nice of an opponent to include 2 of these, but I'd like to)

[Vulcan]

First: What's the lore on the SS? By the new rules that needs to be determined as part of the army list. It also may change some of our reccomendations. Put her with the dagger fodder- I mean, spearmen. RXBs are too expensive, and you have too few, to be sacrificing them.

(Fluff: There are a few - a very few - Sorcerers. Malekith has banned them because of a prophecy that one will overthrow him. Being a Sorcerer might be very unhealthy if you are found out.)

For the BSB I would strongly condsider HW+S rather than AHW. You need that guy to survive, period, and an additional S4 attack isn't going to accomplish much. Likewise, give him heavy armor. There is NO reason not to.

By the way, since he is not Khainite, he cannot join the Executioners.

Monsters are neat, but very vulnerable for their points. An Unkillable Lord on a Dragon is still a viable choice, but very very expensive. Manticores need to get into combat ASAP or they will be shot to death.

Dark Peggies, on the other hand, are very viable now. With a rider they are condsidered Monsterous Cavalry now, and as such cannot be shot out from under their rider and rider saves cover them. They even give a sorceress an extra wound.

Harpies... assuming you don't want to pay the mondo amount GW is charging but still want them to be useable in GW tourneys, you have two or three options.

First, the ever-popular DoC Daemonettes with Tyranid Gargoyle wings in place of arms. Second, for a more besital look harkening back to the old Furies, use VC Ghoul bodies with the same wings.

The third option is only good if your sculpting skills are up to it, but is the cheapest way to go. Take the Daemonette/Ghoul bodies, and make wings using paper clips (to form the skeleton), masking tape (to make the wing sails), and Green Stuff (to disguise the paper clips and masking tape!).

The COK champion can take the SoM. What he cannot do is make it a Lance of Might. Lances have their own special rules. Unless a magic weapon has 'counts as a lance' in its rules, it cannot count as a lance.

If you are takling about a modeling issue - you don't want to put a sword on your COK champion model - that is ok. Magic items are 'hidden' until the moment you use the rules applying to them.

Two hydras are nowhere near as beardy as they were in 7th. Now everone has the option to throw a 10-point banner on a infantry (or worse, shooty!) block and take a hydra apart in short order. There are also other ways to deal with the beast. Finally, it does not disrupt ranks, does not break Steadfast (and therefore does not break units), and Terror/Fear got pretty heavily nerfed.