Editing Warhammer/Tactics/8th Edition/Dark Elves (section)

===Lords & Heroes===
====Named Characters====
* '''Malekith, the Witch King:'''No longer lives with his mom. It's good to be the King. Malekith costs 510 points vanilla (which is obviously meant to JUST keeping him out of games under 2000. What a tease! Thankfully The End Times changed that) but you get your money's worth for him. He's a Highborn with higher WS, S(5!)and T. He's also a level 4 Wizard (who has to use Dark Elves' special lore), magic armor that gives a 2+ Ward against mundane attacks and makes him immune to Multiple Wounds and being killed outright, a magic weapon that lets him break enemy magic items (allowing him to get rid of those pesky magic weapons that can harm him), a shield that gives him Magic Resistance (2) and causes spells aimed at him that are dispelled to rebound on the caster unit for D6 S6 hits, a crown that gives him an extra Power and Dispel die per Phase and his Inspiring Presence is 18" instead of 12" (24" on his Black Dragon). And he still has Hatred and comes with Immune to Psychology. Inhale. He costs a bucket-load but can easily turn entire games around. His mount options include Cold One (mediocre), a Cold One Chariot with a 3+ save (quite good for smaller points games) and a Black Dragon. The combination of killer stats, great special rules and magic items and being a powerful caster in his own right make him more than worth his rather expensive entry cost in a casual game. Do note that against magical weapons he has no Ward save. At all. You might avoid those in close combat thanks to Destroyer and ASF (although it is far from guaranteed, as you have a ''50% chance'' of destroying ''one randomly determined'' magic item, and opponents who also have ASF have at least one round of attacks with their magic weapon), but against undispelled magic he only has a 5+ ward against (MR 2). To make matter worse, against Dwarfs with too many magical cannons he can find himself getting pretty fucked up since he won't have any save of any kind. In short, he's much tougher than your average mage, but he still is no tank. He is very good in [[Storm of Magic]] though, thanks to how much people spam magic and how well he shuts all that down.

* '''Morathi, the Hag Sorceress:''' Morathi is a little schizo about her role. Her abilities and stat increases seem to indicate that she's intended for combat, which is the exact opposite place from where you want her.  She's more expensive than an upgraded Supreme Sorceress, but a much better than a generic Supreme Sorceress on Dark Pegasus (regardless of the fact that she's over 100 points more).  Her Enchanting Beauty rule is decent. In all fairness, Dark Magic is a good damage lore. Morathi has the mobility and ability to abuse it (usually getting +7 to cast any spell with it), and she's reasonably cheap for all her goodies at 375 points.  If you're taking a Supreme Sorceress on Pegasus, forget her and take Morathi.  

* '''Crone Hellebron:''' Hellebron is a fundamentally ideal combat Lord (or rather Lady). Okay, she costs ~155ish Skaven Slaves and comes with little protection (ie she has no saves unless mounted). But she has Initiative 9, 4 Attacks base, combined with Paired Weapons (+1 Attack) Witches Brew (gives her and her unit +2 Attacks) and Cry of War (+D3 Attacks) for anywhere from 8 to 10 Strength 10 Attacks combined with ASF which means she's almost guaranteed to re-roll Hits (and Wounds thanks to Murderous Prowess) which equates to her being essentially guaranteed to wipe out an entire rank. Any hit against her rolling a 1 causes an Strength 4 hit on her attacker. Oh and she and any unit she's with gets +4 to Dispel rolls for any spells cast at them. Yeah. She can also take a Cauldron of Blood. Put her in a unit of Witch Elves, Sisters of Slaughter or with a unit of Black Guard with a Cauldron of Blood within 6" (which gives the aforementioned ability to re-roll all failed To Wound rolls) and send them charging into the enemy. That equates to your Black Guard unit having 4 Attacks each, at Strength 4, ASF, Eternal Hatred and re-rolling failed To Wound rolls (But a lot of those 4 attacks are wasted, as supporting attackers only make 1 attack). Malekith just pooped a little. If you take her keep her in a unit: she is the prime example of a glass cannon. 

* '''Malus Darkblade:''' You've read his books, now put him on the tabletop. He costs nearly 300 points and is a Lord choice now, so gained the appropriate stat boosts. Has a couple nifty abilities. Using Tz'arkan makes him more powerful, but makes him attack his own unit on hit rolls of one( remember, with Eternal Hatred he can re-roll failed hit rolls so this mitigates the damage somewhat).  Spite is still the best Cold One mount in Warhammer Fantasy with no stupidity for him or his unit and gets Eternal Hatred. Should be seriously considered for any Cold One heavy army. 

* '''Shadowblade:''' Almost double what a properly kitted out Assassin would cost. Took a hit since he can no longer hide among the enemy. Even if you get him to reveal himself when he needs to, where he needs to, if he gets killed he could just as easily damage your own unit, which keeps him from being set up like a regular Assassin. Does come with all 3 poisons so has killing blow, +1 to wound and gives -1 to enemy leadership per wound caused but unless you're after a fluffy army, you're much better off with a generic Assassin (or two).

* '''Tullaris Dreadbringer:''' Now a Hero. Costs a little over double of a regular Master but he can easily make that back since he gives every model in any unit he joins Frenzy for FUN times (reminder, supporting attacks only get 1 attack even with your extra frenzy attack, so you can't abuse this with 50 Dreadspears or Black Guard or something) and also causes Fear. His sword also triggers killing blows on a 5 or 6. This guy in an Executioner unit makes Sword Masters wish they were this awesome, so take him if you're going heavy on Executioners. 

* '''Kouran Blackhand:''' Like Tullaris he is now a Hero. Just shy of 200 points for a Master statline, but with WS9! His Crimson Death no longer always strikes at S6 but gives +2 strength (so you're free to buff his strength beyond S6, not that you need to). His armour now only activates when he's hit, but does slap his attacker at S5 (though given how he only has 2 Wounds it isn't likely to cause that much damage, since if they hit they're likely to Wound his T3). Stick him in Black Guard they become UNBREAKABLE. However, he's overcosted so stick with regular Masters.  Black Guard are likely to stay with Ld9 and Stubborn, more so if they're  within the General's Ld10 or given the Standard of Discipline to make them Ld10. If there's also a BSB in range then the chances of them breaking are so low that it's not even worth worrying about.

* '''Lokhir Fellheart:''' An effective enough combat Hero, if a bit on the pricey side. He can no longer get an absurd number of attacks and the extra hundred points for no stat upgrades means he's limited. Also with his new rules he can attack any character in the same combat without moving to them. So can more easily hide from the nastier Lords while still attacking them. A Master is probably better though he can do incredibly with a big corsair unit and Shadow Magic buffs (but for his cost you could just get more Masters who will do the same job better, or get a Dreadlord who can do the same job but also better).  Like a Fleetmaster he can make a unit he joins Unbreakable but only if he's in a challenge or kills a character, which is what he's suited for with ASF, Hatred of High Elves and re-rolling failed wound on the offense, with a 2+ armour save, regeneration and terror on the defense.

====Generic Characters====
While named characters are judged against their generic counterparts, generic characters are examined based on their role in your army.

'''NOTE:''' No Master or Highborn's Armor Save should EVER be worse than 3+. It costs less than 15 points to give them Heavy Armor and Sea Dragon Cloak which instantly gives them a leg up on 99 percent of most enemy Heroes and Lords. 

*'''Dreadlord:''' Your workaday combat Lord. He's cheap and effective and can be highly nasty when given the right equipment.  There are many equipment options that will be covered in the equipment section. Better than the High Elf equivalent in close combat, as they have better access to Armor Saves and re-roll Wounding rolls of 1 while sharing ASF.  Overall, he's cheap with some good stats (WS7 and I8 is nothing to sneer at) and he can be quite effective in the right circumstances. Just don't put him in fights he can't win. Bear in mind he can take all the repeater weapons, so if you plan on sticking him in some block of Bleakswords or Executioners, pick up a crossbow, because he can move and fire both shots and still be hitting on 2s, so you can earn your points back quite easily (you need to kill 1 average infantryman with it to earn back your points, which you can do easily). If you're running a cavalry Dreadlord, I'd go with a repeater handbow, as you can use it with a shield and still get that sweet 1+ save on a cold one with heavy armour and a sea dragon cloak, while getting free shots in. As for the brace, I wouldn't recommend dropping a point of save for whats likely 1 more casualty per turn. As for melee equipment, for infantry I'd go sword and board vs Elves, Empire, Skaven and great weapon against pretty much anything else. Chillblade is fantastic against Ogres by the way. For cavalry, lance, and throw him in a unit of Cold One Knights. In any case, remember a ward save because of killing blow and try for 1+ armour as much as possible. Honourable mention to Giant Blade from the rulebook, but only against other elves, as you can wound more or less anything that isn't a dragon on 2s (and you wound dragons pretty decently too), while still keeping ASF so their heroes don't get ASF rerolls against you. 

*'''Supreme Sorceress:''' Supreme Sorceresses (and Sorceresses for that matter) excel at one thing: blasting the almighty crap out of everything. You can fling absurd amounts of dice around if you're unafraid of Miscasts and have access to some impressively destructive Lores. The Dark Elves signature Lore consists of almost nothing but ways to blast the shit out of people. Aside from that, Sorceresses can now use all eight Battle Lores (Fuck Yeah!).  To keep in the spirit of the fluff, Death is good for some targeted Hero killing and Shadow can home unit Synergy if you're willing to throw a lot of dice at it. Bringing a Level 4 Supreme Sorceress will almost always pay off. Life is good for several things, such as those Toughness 7 Witch Elves, although that doesn't feel like Dark Elves (well this <s>codex</s> armybook is Matt Ward's work..., also you could just say they're an exiled Wood Elf or something).  In closing, a very versatile offensive caster and just as good a choice for General as the Dreadlord, though with different uses.  

*'''High Beastmaster:''' Comes in at over double a Dreadlord in points. With one less A and I, light armor, cloak and spear, but lets one Beast per turn within 3" gain +D3 attacks and must take a Manticore or a Scourgerunner Chariot for free. May take the usual 100 points of magic items but has no standard options. His point costs are intimidating, but functionally he's only 10 points more than a Dreadlord on a Manticore, and the free Manticore with +2D3 attacks (get Blind Rage) can definitely help him earn his points back, even against the enemies elites as 8 (or 9 if he gets Frenzy) S5 attacks + Thunderstomp + Killing Blow is nothing to sneer at, and that's all before the Beastmaster attacks!

*'''Black Ark Fleetmaster:''' He's a Lord worth ~75ish Skaven Slaves and has a sword for a leg. Needless to say a kick to the crotch from this guy is to be avoided at all costs. Seriously though, Master stats with +1 wound. Whenever he is in a Challenge (and alive) or kills an enemy Character at all he makes his unit Unbreakable for the turn. It's a cool rule, and he's got a nice flavor, but he's just not worth the points. Take a Dreadlord for less points and get more use out of him. More for fluff and fun games and seems really out of place as a Lord choice (especially when you consider that his rough High Elf equivalent, the Sea Helm, is a cheap Hero).
 
*'''Sorceress:''' Sorceresses are cheap and effective. Level 1s can bring a small effective spell to the table (notably Dark Magic's Signature Spell is one that shooting heavy armies HATE!) and bringing a level 2 could provide valuable support when things go tits up for your Supreme Sorceress, especially if you're willing to for alternate Lores (Fire works well for basic Sorceresses). Not as powerful as a Supreme but well worth taking.  Remember, they can now use all eight Battle Lores. 

*'''Master:''' Masters are among the best cost for ability Heroes in the game. For 70 points, plus an extra 10 for the Sea Dragon Cloak and Heavy Armor, you'll get a guy with M5, WS/BS6, S4, T3, W2, I7, A3, LD9 and a 3+ armor save, plus ASF and Murderous Prowess. A Master is a great choice to add some oomph to a unit and probably the better choice for a BSB since you can very easily have him have a 2+ Armor save, without a mount or magic equipment.

*'''Death Hag:''' Death Hags cost 15 points more than a Master for 2 hand weapons, Frenzy, Poisoned Attacks aaaand...the loss of any kind of saves beyond a 5++, which only comes from a Cauldron of Blood. Not batting 1000 here. Gifts of Khaine are more expensive for them but they can take a single Magic Weapon up to 50 points.
**'''Cauldron of Blood:''' 190 point Chariot, gives the unit you put it in a 6++(5++ for Witch Elves), lets all friendly units with Murderous Prowess within 6 inch re-roll all failed To Wound rolls, and has a Bound Spell that makes a unit Frenzied(+2 attacks instead of 1 if they were already Frenzied). The kit can also make a Bloodwrack Shrine and gives you Hellebron.  So you can make a Cauldron of Blood (a Chariot), a Bloodwrack Medusa (Monstrous Beast) as an independent unit and Hellebron (a Special Character)... all for just $80. I suppose it's rather pathetic we've gotten to a point where $80 AUD seems like a good deal for three models, but we are talking a good deal by GW's ridiculous standards. 

*'''Assassin:''' When kitted out right, Assassins can end the life of any Hero and some Lords. It has frankly ABSURD WS and I mean that. It can put the whammy on anyone dumb enough to get into close combat with it. And here's the kicker: because of the Hidden rule, people don't know if they're getting into combat with it. Very good in either your ranked units (to help them hold up when a powerful unit tries to use them) or in your flank units (to up your kill count when you charge).  An example of a good Assassin is additional hand weapon and Potion of Strength. Other combinations will be discussed later.  Assassins often end up on suicide detail after a round of combat or two, so don't throw too many points into them. Oh and don't forget to write down what unit it's in, or people will accuse you of cheating. When you can spare the points, always take one.

====Mounts====
* Dark Steed: The cheapest option. M9 and Fast Cavalry will put him out away from the rest of the army, except for Dark Riders and Doomfire Warlocks, but why would you want a character to join them? Because you're awesome and gave him a Ring of Hotek and a posse of 14 other Dark Riders or 5 Doomfire Warlocks. 

* Cold One: The traditional mount of a Highborn/Master and with good reason. M7 is quite reasonable, Stupidity is unlikely to cause problems at LD9 and S4 and +2 to Armor Saves are always nice. If you want a mounted Hero without shelling out for a big expensive mount, this is where to go.

* Dark Pegasus: Pegasi used to be in kind of a weird position, but since the FAQ hit they've gotten significantly better since they become one model and inherit the Pegasus' toughness. You NEED to make sure your rider has a good Armor Save and probably a Ward too, or it'll get to shot to death (so don't give it to Sorceresses).

* Manticore: Don't have the points for a Black Dragon but want something big and scary? Then come on down to <s>Clar Karond's</s> KAROND KAR'S Manticore Emporium. The in-between option and a damned good one at that. If you want people to cry cheese, try mounting your Master on one of these. Can now be given a 4+ scaly skin save and can be upgraded with a Blind fury rule: it gains +D3 attacks each combat phase but enemies get +1 To Hit (worth it).
  
* Black Dragon: The Dark Elves best mount, a middle tier Dragon (better than Sun Dragons and Manticores but not as good as Star Dragons and Greater Daemons) whose effectiveness is often linked to how good the rider is. A powerful mount, perhaps a tiny bit overpriced, but worthwhile. We will cover what items to take and not to take later, but a remember that your Dragon is huge and scary so it will be getting shot at by everyone who doesn't want to see it crashing into their lines. Keep it out of sight of cannons.