WARHAMMER 6TH EDITION |
TACTICA DARK ELVES
Inscribed by The Old Sage (Tom Setzer)
"Welcome, young Gentlemen. The class today will be on the Dark Elves and their fell tactics and creatures. Now listen up, as I do not like to repeat myself, and you will be quizzed on this before the class ends and the results of that quiz reported to your superiors and the Emperor. Now be quiet and listen so I can get this over with and go back to my important studies...."
THE DARK ELVES
The Dark Elves raid out of Naggaroth on the great Black Arks of Naggaroth. These great floating fortresses, which were at one time built upon mountains of solid rock, and are now the scourge of the seas. They are held together by titanic binding enchantments that allow them not only to float but to be navigated. They are the mightiest seagoing vessels in the Warhammer World. They are enormous sinister floating fortresses, covered in eldritch carvings which are painful to behold.
The Black Arks range across the oceans of the Warhammer World, bringing fear, terror and destruction with them. They make raids to capture the great many slaves used by the Dark Elves either to carry out the multitude of menial but vital tasks that no self-respecting Dark Elf would ever deem of performing or to serve as the living victims of the hideous rituals the Dark Elves carry out to honour Khaine.
LORDS AND HEROES
TAKING LORDS AND HEROES IN YOUR ARMY
The number and type of characters you take in a Dark Elf army depends on the size of the army. With a small army, you'll only have points for a hero or two. With a moderately sized army, you'll be able to afford a Noble as a general, a sorceress, and possibly a Noble to use as a battle standard bearer. With larger armies, you can include a Highborn, or a High Sorceress. If you have the points in your army (3000 or higher), it is possible to take both a Highborn and a High Sorceress, but this takes up precious points needed for units. If you want to experiment with using a High Sorceress as your army general, feel free.
HIGHBORN
The Highborn is the most powerful of the Dark Elf characters. If you take him, he will be your general. I suggest giving him magic items and armour to increase his survivability. A potent combination is the Blood Armour and the Blade of Ruin - with every unsaved wound (the Blade of Ruin allowing no save from armour), the Blood Armour is increased in its save. A mount is a good idea, especially a Cold One. If you leave the Highborn unmounted, give him a bodyguard of Executioners or, if possible, the Black Guard. If he is mounted, you should give him a unit of Cold One Knights to protect him.
NOBLES
The Noble is used much as any other hero to strengthen units. You can also use him to hunt down enemy characters, or possibly even to attack small units if he has a mount.
A battle standard bearer is very important to the army, and you should give him a magic standard chosen to give the most aid versus the opponent you are facing, so give some thought to this.
SORCERESSES
Dark Elf Sorceresses are the supreme masters of Dark Magic. Sorceresses have at their disposal some of the best ranged attack spells available. Use their spells to attack and weaken the enemy's best units and/or characters so that your units will have an easier time dealing with them. Use them as support for your units and other characters. Don't go off with them and try attacking the enemy with them alone. When you can (and if you can), use Word of Pain to reduce your opponent's best unit to worthless troops that aren't even as good as a Snotling with WS and BS. Then you can charge it and take it out with one of your own units.
BEASTMASTERS
Beastmasters are a must if you have any type of monster in your army, whether a Hydra or some form of mount for a hero. The ability to control the beasts will be useful should the controlling character be lost. If you don't have any monsters in your army but you have an extra Hero slot left, a Beastmaster makes a good cheap hero.
ASSASSINS
You can hide one of these guys in any one of your units of infantry, and they can pounce upon the leaders and characters in your enemy's units as the regiments clash in combat. They may attack any enemy model that they are placed in base-to-base contact with (which you can do by removing a normal figure from your front rank and replacing it with the assassin). They always get to attack first, even if the enemy charged. The Assassin then becomes a permanent part of the unit, and may not leave it, continuing to fight in the front row of the unit. Assassins can also have a special poison attack, which I highly suggest you purchase (using the Temple of Khaine poisons and abilities).
DARK ELF REGIMENTS
SELECTING REGIMENTS FOR YOUR ARMY
In your army you'll want to include a solid core of infantry with some hard-hitting cavalry. This means you should take at least two or three units of Warriors (one with spears, two with repeater crossbows) and some Corsairs, Witch Elves, or Executioners. This will form the core of your army. Cold One Knights and Dark Riders will give you some fast-moving units to assault the opposing army quickly. Some artillery is also a good idea to provide some long-ranged support for your army as it moves forward.
An important point with Dark Elf regiments is to include a Champion and Standard Bearer in every unit you can, and a Musician for any unit that needs it. This gives you some extra hitting power in hand to hand combat, and keeps your units sticking around. The musicians provide some much needed flexibility.
CORE UNITS
DARK ELF WARRIORS
Dark Elf Warriors are the main troops in your army. They can be armed one of two ways. The uses for the two types of Warriors are described below.
Spear-armed Warriors are basic elven spearmen and are only useful in large units for standing in the line of battle. They are good for using to defend your repeater cross-bow armed Warriors, and any other troops that will not be in your main attack force. When they stand to receive, they fight in two ranks. These troops are great for forming a stationery anchor.
You can, and should, arm at least two units of Warriors with repeater crossbows. The repeater crossbow can be used to fire two shots per turn with a S3. These troops will help your army's advance, by giving them supporting fire.
CORSAIRS
With their two hand weapons, and Sea Dragon Cloaks giving them an extra bit of armour save, they make for very good infantry. I usually form them in large units 4 ranks deep and give them a magic standard to increase their combat ability. Corsairs are useful for forming the core of an infantry attack force.
DARK RIDERS
These are some of the best light cavalry in the Warhammer World. They are only equaled by the Wood Elf Glade Riders. The Dark Riders' job is to sow confusion, strike the enemy with missile fire, and make flank attacks. Give them repeater crossbows if you have the points, as this will make them even better for a harassment role.
SPECIAL UNITS
SHADES
With decent stats and the ability to deploy as scouts, skirmish, and move through rocky or hilly terrain with no penalty, Shades are excellent harassment units. I would give them light armour to help increase their survivability. I use several of these units in a battle, set up in such a way as to cause the most disruption and havoc possible in the enemy's lines. Set up your Shades as close to the enemy as possible in some woods or other cover. If they're in trouble, you can quickly move through the woods and out of line or sight or reach, where your opponent's troops can't easily follow.
WITCH ELVES
Witch Elves are frenzied. They are armed with two hand weapons, which will give them three attacks. Their weapons are also coated with deadly poison. These abilities are useful for making quick, savage attacks on enemy units, but take care to weaken the enemy units first and don't let the enemy be the one to do the charging. I like to give them a banner that will increase their combat results, which makes them an even meaner unit. Take a Hag and give her either Witchbrew or the Cry of War.
COLD ONE CHARIOTS
The Cold One Chariot has decent speed and strikes with a high Strength, causing devastating damage to even tough units. You can increase its killing capabilities by upgrading the crew's weaponry. The Chariot is a very good mount for a Noble, giving him good mobility, extra protection, and the combination of Chariot and character armed with a magic weapon can be truly devastating.
COLD ONE KNIGHTS
Cold One Knights have a high WS, and they ride the ferocious, but rather stupid, Cold Ones. They are armed with sword, lance, heavy armour, and shield. Due to the thick hide and size of the Cold One, they get a +2 modifier to their armour save instead of just +1. Cold Ones also cause fear, and are subject to stupidity. With a move of 7 and a charge of 14", they make for fast hard-hitting heavy cav that you can also give a Repeating Crossbow to if you wish, but I have not found it very useful for them. I use them to make attacks once a critical point has been found in the enemy's battle line, and/or as my main strike force. Cold One Knights are a unit that could use the extra Ld bonus of a Noble or a Highborn, as this will help negate the effect of the Cold Ones' stupidity.
EXECUTIONERS
The Executioners wear light armour and are armed with double-handed swords. With the Killing Blow ability, they can be devastating heavy infantry. I use these in solid blocks of at least four ranks deep. They can have a magic standard, which I would give them. Use the Executioners mainly for defense, protecting your main line. If you think you can attack a unit and have a chance to strike back without taking too many casualties first, you can also use them for assaulting enemy units.
HARPIES
Harpies fly, meaning they can move around fast, but they have poor Leadership and they may not have any characters, standards, or musicians. They cannot even be led by any character or use the general's Ld. Harpies can be useful as harassing troops, but they are very unreliable. Don't try to take on large units with them. Use them against small units, units of skirmishers, and artillery crew.
RARE UNITS
WAR HYDRA
Dark Elf War Hydras have been extensively trained and toughened for battle by a highly skilled Beastmaster. Try to keep the controlling Beastmaster Apprentices alive by using the Hydra to shield them from fire when possible. The Hydra can be devastating to any kind of enemy unit, but you should try to keep it away from heavy cavalry and other monsters. Even at its high cost points, the Hydra can definitely be a good deal points-wise.
THE CAULDRON OF BLOOD
The Cauldron of Blood is an ancient gift from the god Khaine himself, it is redolant with magic and the power of blood sacrifice. The Cauldron is attended by a Hag Queen, who constantly stirs the bubbling contents, and two guardians who fanatically defend the relic against all attackers. The Cauldron itself cannot be harmed but the Hag Queen and the Guardians can be. Hits are randomised between the Cauldron, the Keeper, and the Guardians. The Cauldron has a Move of 5, which means it can keep up with the standard Dark Elf infantry.
The usefulness of the Cauldron is in its abilities to turn any unit within 18" into hand to hand combat monsters, allowing them to reroll failed to wound rolls in the first turn of every combat. Any Witch Elves in this range will always be frenzied and can't lose their frenzy. In addition, the magic properties of the Cauldron will protect the Keeper of the Cauldron, the Cauldron's Guardians, and any other Witch Elves that are nearby.
The Cauldron is very important to the Witch Elves and the rest of the army and should never be in the front line but should be instead posted slightly behind them where it will give them its benefits and yet be protected from harm. Using the Cauldron of Blood, the Dark Elf army's hand to hand troops can splinter the back of any army.
BLACK GUARD OF NAGARROTH
These are some of the best halberdiers that you will find, if not the best, which I think they are. Use them in large units of 24+ formed up four ranks deep to give them the rank bonus. A magic banner chosen to increase the Strength that they hit with or to increase their combat results will make this a very powerful unit. Use them to protect your leader, as the Black Guard will almost never break.
REAPER BOLT THROWER
The Dark Elf Reaper Bolt Thrower is a good deal, even at 100 points. They can have a devastating effect on the enemy, laying down a withering flight of bolts. Use your Reaper Bolt Thrower to defend your troops and give them supporting fire as they move forward.
TACTICS
The Dark Elves must use their speed and missile fire to advantage if they are to win. They have many troops with good WS's and BS's, but they are Elves, and they are fragile, with only a Toughness of 3, so you must strike fast and strike hard. They have good, fast infantry, which I use in large blocks to compensate for their low toughness. My favourite tactic, when I can get away with it, is a wheeling oblique line.
I use my Shades to delay and disrupt the enemy wherever I can. I like to set up my Shades where they have a good line of fire but are protected by cover and kill as many of the enemy with missile fire as possible. After the enemy has been weakened, the Scouts can attack from these positions any unit that is vulnerable. Remember, though, the repeating crossbow only has a Strength of 3.
Though the Dark Elf army can put out a lot of missile fire, you cannot generally win a battle with missile fire alone. This is where your Cold One Knights, Corsairs, and Witch Elves come in, as shock troops used to break enemy units and roll up the enemy's line. It is best to concentrate you main attack on one area, preferably a flank of the enemy's line, and destroy or break his units one after the other, rather than trying to fight all of his units at one time. Remember, you have a hard punch, but not much staying power, so you must deal with each unit quickly, preferably on the very first round of combat, and take the initiative, don't let the enemy be the one to do the charging.
Your line troops are your Warriors, both as spearmen, and supporting crossbowmen. I use Dark Riders for flank attacks and mobile missile fire for hit and run missile attacks on my opponent's units. I also use some Shade units as skirmishers to screen my more exspensive units until they can get into position to charge the enemy.
I try to hide Assassins in units where they can do the most damage, ie units that will be engaging enemy units containing characters, and/or very strong enemy units. Remember your Assassins may only be hidden in ordinary infantry regiments of Dark Elves, not Shades, and not any mounted regiments, so you must pick a unit that will get engaged, or your Assassins will do nothing for the complete battle.
For the Dark Elf army, to do well your wide variety of troops must be used to support each other and to fulfill a specific task that you have assigned to them. You cannot just charge across the battlefield and hope to win. It takes thought and planning to win a battle with the troops available to a Dark Elf general. If you use them correctly, taking advantage of each troop's strength and covering their weakness through the use of speed and maneuver, the Dark Elf army will win many battles for you. Remember, the key words are Speed, Maneuver, and Cunning. Make your opponent think he knows what you are going to do, and then do something else entirely.