Warhammer/Tactics/8th Edition/Host of the Eternity King

The Host of the Eternity King is an army composed of three kinds of Elven forces: High Elves, Dark Elves, and Wood Elves. United by the recently appointed (and second rightful) Phoenix King Malekith. They stand together against the encroaching evil of Chaos and Nagash are forced to fight alongside the undead, humans and dwarves to stop Chaos and the Skaven as they bring about the The End Times.

Interestingly there are three variants of this list: the more complete Host of the Eternity King (after Malekith becomes the Eternity King), the Host of the Phoenix King (after Malekith becomes the Pheonix King but before he becomes the Eternity King) and the Aestyrion which are the forces of the Tyrion, who becomes the Avatar of Khaine. See the links below for the tactics relating to these other branches.

Warhammer/Tactics/8th Edition/Host of the Phoenix King

Warhammer/Tactics/8th Edition/Aestyrion

Why play Host of the Eternity King

Because you fucking love Elves and you think that Malekith was screwed out of his birthright. Or maybe you just like winning.

This army combines everything people know and love about the different elf factions (minus several special characters).

Army Special Rules

• Arrows of Isha: Shooting attacks are Magical Attacks, -1 Armour Save for the Forces of Destruction.
• Blessings of the Ancients: +1 to casting while in a forest.
• Eternal Hatred: You have hatred in every round of combat, not just the first.
• Forest Spirit: Forest Strider and all attacks are Magical Attacks, if it's not a mount it has Immune to Psychology and a 6+ ward save.
• Fireborn: 2+ ward save against wounds by Flaming Attacks.
• Hatred (Elves): Replaces Hatred (High Elves).
• Hekarti's Blessing: +1 to casting Dark Magic spells.
• Lileath's Blessing: +1 to casting High Magic spells.
• Martial Prowess: Supporting attacks can be made with one extra rank, Volley Fire can be done with one extra rank. Both are cumulative with everything else.
• Murderous Prowess: Re-roll all To Wound rolls of 1.
• Valour of Ages: If the opponent has at least one unit of Elves you get re-rolls to Panic, Fear and Terror.

Note, every unit with the rule 'Martial Prowess' gains 'Murderous Prowess' as well, while every unit with 'Murderous Prowess' has 'Martial Prowess' added. Wood Elf Units gain both rules but lose their free forest terrain piece (The Athel Loren Independence Party is blaming this on all of the immigrants from Ulthuan/Naggaroth, bringing multiculturalism and stealing their land.)

Unit Analysis

Lords and Heroes

Named Characters

• Malekith, the Eternity King: Okay, first of all, Malekith in this format is basically supposed to be Nagash's counterpart for the Lore of Shadow, so you're paying 1000 points for him right off the bat. Malekith used to be aimed at being straight-up killy, and he's still pretty good at it (WS8, S6 and 10 Attacks at Initiative 8, plus Seraphon's Noxious Breath, plus his attacks doing D3+1 Wounds per hit and don't forget thanks to Eternal Hatred and Eternity King Malekith re-rolls EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME). However, he's also aimed at being something of a support guy, what with his level 5 Lore of Shadow casting, ability to re-roll miscasts, boosting up anyone with Murderous or Martial Prowess in 12", and giving a free "turn one unit Ethereal and give 'em Movement 20 for the Remaining Moves subphase" type boost. He can fuck shit like nobody's business, and gives most of your crunchy guys a nice ol' buff, but he will attract cannonballs, spells and worse like a goddamned magnet. Virtually immune to being killed unless he gets focused or he's up against Daemons (or Organ Guns) because he still has the 2+ ward against all non magical attacks as well as ignoring multiple wounds and heroic killing blow. Run around and murder stuff like the obnoxious spoiled brat of a special snowflake you are. He does comparably well against nearly every other monstrous special character (watch out for Glottkin that have buffed themselves up as he'll be lucky to scratch them). In a straight up 1 v 1 fight with Tyrion Avatar of Khaine, both will probably end up killing each other Malekith should easily win, since he's immune to Widowmaker's multi-wound deathyness, and Malekith just needs two or three of his ten attacks (which will be rerolling to hit and to wound) to get past Tyrion's 1+/4+ and Heart of Avellorn (note that Asuryath Reforged loses the Flaming rule, so Tyrion's Fireborn is useless). Use magic correctly to ensure it is not a straight fight though. Remember the Smoke & Mirrors lore attribute, allowing Malekith to trade places with friendly characters of the same troop type (i.e. Monsters) in 18" each time he successfully casts a spell. And the Host of the Eternity King can include quite a lot of Character-Monsters! This, together with Steed of Shadow and Malekith's Incarnate of Shadow ability, allows for all kinds of tricks and shenanigans where lots of hard hitting units can shift places in just one turn to hit the opponents where he didn't see it coming.
• Tyrion, Incarnate of Light: NOW YOU CAN PAL UP WITH YOUR ARCHENEMY! (Okay, kinda-sorta. He's no longer bound to Khaine) He's now a slightly more reasonable 550, and only loses Defender of Ulthuan and the Heart of Avelorn compared to his old statline. In exchange, all Undead/Daemons within 6" take a S4 magical hit and allies within 12" gain a 5+ ward agains spells and shots (upped to 4+ if the attacker is Undead/Daemonic). He's now pretty much the guy you want to throw down with Daemon and Undead Legion armies.
• Imrik, Crown Prince of Caledor: Cheaper than Malekith at only 810, but just as badass - more so, in fact, since he's got +1 Strength AND Toughness on Malekith! A flying monster who specialises in killing other monsters, has a nifty rule that means all enemy monsters suffer -1 to hit him in combat (For Example, most of the big dangerous end times characters). You want to charge him into battle every chance you get, since he carries the Star Lance and it only works on the turn you charge. Definitely worth considering if you're going to take a bunch of other monsters, since he can give any Monster within 12" (and himself) Stubborn for a single turn per game. Problem with Imrik is he is an expensive beatstick who loses out against the other big monstrous characters. He destroys everything else, but lets face it, so does the rest of your army. Having to buy a level 4 wizard to go with him makes him not worth it compared to big daddy Malekith, since he isn't THAT much better of a fighter than the Eternity King. While both of them will easily get stuck in to basically every army's core choices, Malekith is better against big multi-wound units like Ogres, while Imrik is better at dealing with monsters and units with decent armour saves. However Imrik lacks both the magic as well as the survivability of Malekith. (3+ armour 5+ ward is very mediocre, even with T7 W10 he will go down to cannons) Against other End Times Characters he can hold his own against all but the most powerful combat ones (Tyrion, Malekith, Karl Franz Ascendant etc)
• Alarielle, Incarnate of Life: 540 points for pretty much the best damn healer the Elfs have. Auto-healing 1 wound to herself and every friendly model within 12", able to restore a single wound to a friendly character on top of that, granting a 6+ Ward Save and Regeneration to any allies within that 12" bubble, a level 5 Lore of Life caster who gets to reroll miscast results, you certainly can't do too bad by taking her. She's actually not a bad fighter, especially against Forces of Disorder (wounds on a 2+, rerolls due to Murderous Prowess, and multi-wound D6) but you probably want to rely on her casting spells first and foremost; use other characters for chopping things up. The fundamentally PERFECT Lord-level caster. Seriously perfect. Note that she loses the "Anathema to Chaos" and "Blessings of Isha" special rules in her Incarnate of Life version, which means she no longer auto-wounds daemons and she doesn't nullify Fear & Terror.
• Crone Hellebron: There are certainly worse characters to get choppy with, especially if you're taking a bunch of Witch Elves anyway. With all the Witch Elf upgrades, doing S10 hits, able to dish out automatic S4 hits on attackers who roll a 1 to hit, and boosting dispel attempts when enemy casters try to target her or the unit she's with, Hellebron can make mincemeat out of just about anything you throw her at. Put her and Alarielle in a unit of black guard, any you will wreck everything that looks at you funny- +9 to dispel is just cruel.
• Alith Anar: Oh so squishy, and he's a scout, but the Moonbow makes him a monster-slaying fiend. Able to launch a D3 Wound-inflicting, Armor-ignoring S7 shot 36" across the battlefield, Alith Anar could be a lifesaver if going up against especially nasty characters and monsters in your enemy's army. With Deepwood Scouts and Waywatchers he now has some non-awful buddies to hang out with.
• Durthu: Definitely consider who you're fighting carefully before including this guy. With Large Target and Flammable, those 6s for Toughness and Wounds and his 3+ Scaly Skin save won't stop him from going down. On the other hand, he's fairly decent at killing things, between his 6 S6 attacks and his 2D6 S2 Killing Blow shooting attacks, to say nothing of the fact he's a level 1 Beasts caster. Still, not the best use of your points.
• Araloth: A glorified Glade Lord made for fighting on his own, in an edition where that's practically suicide. Skaryn's potential to drop an enemy character or monster's Initiative and Weapon Skill by -5 could be a lifesaver, but it's far from something you want to rely upon. Probably not worth it. For a guy with so much success in the lore, he really is quite terrible.
• Shadowblade: The nastiest assassin that the Dark Elves have to offer. What more needs to be said? It's hard to hold up anyone better suited to hunting down and killing off opposing characters.
• Caradryan: A suped-up Phoenix Guard who can potentially ride a Frostheart Phoenix. Definitely worth considering.
  • Caradryan, Incarnate of Fire: Now undergoing the ET combined monster profile and being upped to Lords, which is now upgraded to a Flamespyre Phoenix thanks to becoming the Incarnate of the Wind of Fire, Caradryan is now a Level 3 Loremaster of Fire. On top of all his basic rules (though he loses Witness to Destiny), his suicide attack got upped. Now if he dies in combat, the enemy takes 3d6 S4 flaming hits, which makes him a nightmare against Regen saves and anything else flammable. Aside from that however, he's basically the same.
• Drycha: A rippy little infantry character who can "sneak" D3 Forest Spirit units onto the battlefield if it includes trees, as well as getting +2 Attacks for each Wound she loses and being a level 2 Shadow caster. Not a bad character, but kind of niche.
• Naestra & Arahan:

Generic Characters

• Dreadlord:

The generic Lord choice, him and the prince are essentially the same. The choice comes down to what kind of mount you want and which armory you want to use, as far as being killy all the time these guys are machines. The dreadlord has access to the Sea Dragon Cloak, meaning it's very easy to get a 1+ or 2+ armor save (for example, a Cold One mount, Heavy armor and SDC = 1+ save).

• Supreme Sorceress:

Pretty much exactly the same as the Archmage, except with access to slightly different magic items and the Lore of Dark Magic.

• High Beastmaster:

Wasn't really worth fielding in the Dark Elf still, and HOTEK doesn't really change that. He's ok if you really, really want to field a Manticore with a few free extra attacks.

• Black Ark Fleetmaster:

Like the Beastmaster, wasn't that great before, and that hasn't changed. Only really worth fielding if you are fielding a fluffy army.

• Prince:

The Harbinger of blood soaked justice, this guy is basically the poster child of 8th edition High Elves. Throw his ass on a mount or quit the game, and take Dragon armor. If you put him on a horse make sure you take Ithilmar Barding. He's quite a bit cheaper than Imrik, and can be decked out to be almost as killy. Having access to the High Elf Amory you can make him either shooty or a tank. Don't take Armor of Caledor, take Dragon Armor and the Shield of Merwyrm. Its 15 points cheaper and gives you a better ward save; also saves room for more magic items.

• Archmage:

Still pretty amazing, make sure you upgrade him to level 4. Take his hero counterpart (mage) if you're running Alarielle to save on points.

• Anoited of Asuryan:

C'MON!!! I'm surprised how little attention this guy get. He is probably the tankiest elf character in the game thanks to his built in 4++. He's also a respectable support character thanks to the 6++ and Immune to Psychology he gives to the unit he joins. Oh! And magic resistance 2! So... his unit will have 4++ built in WS against magic missiles and that kind of stuff. Use him to toughen up a key infantry block or fit an extra phoenix in your list, either way make certain to max out his defense and use any remaining points to augment his offense. I think he also has potential if you run him in a unit of spears with the armor of silvered steel and the wayshard to support a Gladelord with a unit of elites and the moonstone.

• Loremaster of Hoeth:

Got a huge boost out of the new Khaine magic rules, since he now knows 56 spells (all spells from all 8 standard Lores- he's actually the example the new rules use). That alone makes him pretty tempting to field.

• Glade Lord:

Has access to the Wood Elf archery stuff, so if you desperately want to field a pretty good shooty Lord who isn't named Alith Anar, then definitely go for it. Arrow of Kurnous is okay (although you can get that with a Glade Captain and it only works once) but the Glade Lord not as good at duels as his High and Dark Elf counterparts and the Star Dragon reigns supreme (although Forest Dragons are basically awesome lazy stoners so that makes sense). He can still compete, so if you insist then take Helm of the Hunt for +1 WS and +1 Attack on the charge and hope for the best.

• Spellweaver:

BEST level 4 wizard option due to +1 to cast in forest option. Not as good at High/Dark magic as her equivalents, but High Magic lore attribute is still quite nice and you won't feel like you're wasting your potential by picking one of the standard 8 lores.

• Treeman Ancient: He's so old that he's worse than a Treeman. Seriously - he's worse in melee than a Treeman. Take this if you want an expensive, less hideable, flammable wizard monster.

• Sorceress:

This sexy lady is 5 points cheaper than her High Elf counterpart and she has access to all eight Lores and Dark Magic, so take her unless you want to use High Magic.

• Death Hag:

The only way to get access to the Cauldron of Blood. She can be built a number of different ways--all however are expensive and Fragile. Consider Witchbrew to boost her Frenzy for 5 attacks base (as well as her units frenzy) and give her the Ogre or Obsidian Blade depending on who she accompanies. If she's on foot give her Fencer's Blades so she at least has WS10 to protect her.

• Khanite Assassin:

He's got poisoned attacks, hidden, and weapon skill 9. You can deck him out to be a dualist or a champ slayer. His use in the Army is really dependent on your need for him. Look closely at his potential when you are making your army list.

• Master:

Pretty much just a Hero version of the Dreadlord. Can be the BSB, and not a bad choice for it- give him a 1+ (see Dreadlord for how) and the Talisman of Preservation to keep him alive, and you can still have both hands free for a weapon that requires two hands, such as a halberd. Since you can take Banner of World Dragon in an elite unit like White Lions, Swordmasters, and Phoenix Guard, it's not necessary to have it carried by the BSB- and, in fact, you can have him join that unit and still get the 2+ ward, saving yourself the 45 points for the talisman (not to mention making it incredibly hard for that a bad roll for Dwellers to kill your BOTWD).

• Noble:

The BSB coice for High Elves. He's the same price as the Master, but he can take Dragon armor for 10. The choice between the two would be easy but the Noble cannot take The Banner of Avelorn if your playing as HOTEK. Take him and a Banner of the world Dragon if you're playing against Daemons of Chaos.

• Mage:

Really the only reason left to take this guy is for the High Elf Lore (and even then, that lore is better on an Archmage), after the first one you should really be taking Sorceresses.

• Dragon Mage of Caledor:

Good for killing or for casting but in this edition it is a job you usually want to split. But he could be worth getting to be teleported with the end times shadow spell of fuck you. Also having all the lore of fire spells in End Times Magic makes him a lot more dangerous of a caster.

• Lothern Sea Helm:

Stick him with protective gear in a big elite combat unit for free reforms against charges, or mount him on a Skycutter with Reaver Bow and Ring of Fury as a mobile firebase similar to the utility noble. He also gets a 4++ against shooting when flying his boat, so that's pretty cool (Ring of Fury... 3++ WS? Yes! Please!). Biggest drawback is that he loses 2 crew from the Cutter, and unlike with Beastmasters on the Scroungerunner, he can't get the Bolt-Thrower on his chariot. Were that the case he would make an incredible fire platform.

• Handmaiden of the Everqueen:

Not as good as the model will suggest. 'Quicksilver Shot' grants Quick to Fire to all Sisters of Avelorn in her unit. Bring her to support them if you've got a unit in the 14-20+ range. Best to run her naked as unfortunately she cannot use the Reaver Bow's multiple shots rule with the Sisters, and she's weak enough in CC that investing in Magic Weapons/Armors won't save her if any competent combat unit manages to catch them. I can maybe see a case to arm her with Sword of Anti-Heroes and a Dragon Helm for a last ditch stand.

• Glade Captain:

A good choice for a Hail of Doom Arrow or Great Eagle support hero, but inferior as a BSB to other options due to less armour. Arrow of Kurnous is a nice rule, though, especially combined with the Ninja Waystalker. Possibly worth it if you want a ranged hero.

• Spellsinger:

The BEST low level caster option if not using high/dark magic, but doesn't have access to those two lores. Can take a snazzy bow and is basically level 3 while staying in a forest. Also, five points cheaper than the Mage (until you take the NIJA ASRAI BOW option for +5pts).

• Shadowdancer:

Stick this guy in one of the elite High/Dark Elf infantry units and watch his Forest Freestylin' take away enemy ranks. Like the Waystalker, worth taking. People will often forget about him. Can also be a level 1 Shadow Mage if you're building a Shadow Council.

• Waystalker:

Give this guy a Bow of Loren and +3 attacks from Lore of Beasts and watch him turn enemy characters into a pin cushion with 5 armour ignoring sniper shots. Especially hillarious in mostly High Elf/Dark Elf armies, where opponents don't expect this combination. The real assassins.

• Branchwraith:

Not a bad choice for what she is, but doesn't really do anything in this army. Base size is a nuisance, too.

Core Units

With all the elves united, some core choices are simply better than others. Dark Elves provide the strongest options while High Elves have the weakest. Dark Riders, Witch Elves, Darkshards, Silver Helms, Glade Guard and Eternal Guard are the cream of the crop.

• Dreadspears:

The second strongest of the three spearelves units thanks to Hatred (Elves), they would be quite solid if Elves were in need of more low strength attacks.

• Bleakswords:

Bleakswords are a better choice now with Martial Prowess, and make a rather useful bunker/sacrificial dagger fodder unit of 15. However, if you're looking for strength 3 Elf attacks, you're better off elsewhere.

• Darkshards:

Darkshards are a small arms fire unit, heavily benefiting from the addition of Martial Prowess. Units of 15-21 in three ranks with shields make for a solid, versatile ranged choice. If you want to focus on ranged potential alone then Glade Guard with Hagbane or Trueflight are better options.

• Black Ark Corsairs:

A solid choice, they function as much more survivable but offensively weaker Witch Elves unit. Make solid small roadblock units. The 4+ Save is great on Infantry.

• Dark Riders:

Every bit as good as ever, Dark Riders are your premier Fast Cavalry choice in core, easily beating out Ellyrian Reavers and being a better deal than Glade Riders.

• Witch Elves:

Everyone's favourite (or least favourite) crazy ladies are back and better than ever in the Eternity King list. Although they have the defences of wet paper, they tear anything with low armour to shreds thanks to 3 poisoned attacks each, and in large numbers have been known to take down just about anything. They make a solid flanking unit, or alternatively a scary death star if you give them a Cauldron of Blood.

• Spearmen:

Since Hatred (Elves) is a slightly better rule than Valour of Ages, and the fact that their models are terribly outdated, there's no reason to take these guys.

• Archers:

Inferior to both Glade Guard and Dark Heresy now that they stole Martial Prowess, leave these at home unless you really want cheap bows.

• Lothern Sea Guard:

Already a marginal unit in High Elves, Sea Guard find themselves the master of nothing in the Eternity King list. Unless you can't live without their unique Bow/Spear combination, you're better off elsewhere.

• Ellyrian Reavers:

Although these guys are still a solid Cavalry choice, with Dark riders as an option there isn't really any reason to take them.

• Silver Helms:

Definitely the strongest core choice for High Elves, Silver Helms are still the only heavy cavalry core choice between the three armies and thus have a strong niche. They make a solid bus unit for powerful characters but should not be counted on for their offensive ability, especially off charge.

• Glade Guard:

Armed with Trueflight Arrows or Hagbane Tips, these are some of the best archers in the game with the addition of Martial Prowess. Use them in your backfield to soften targets or even take down war-machines if they have Hagbane Tips. Leave Swiftshiver Shards at home as they make them an inferior version of Darkshards.

• Dryads:

Most Wood Elf players still mourn the nerfing of Forest Spirits, and these guys got hit the hardest. They are even worse in an Eternity King army list as they do not gain Martial/Muderous Prowess like their Wood Elf allies.

• Glade Riders:

Take these guys instead of Dark Riders if you love enchanted arrows and/or the Ambushers special rule. Otherwise, Dark Riders are better thanks to their 4+ armour save.

• Eternal Guard:

The best of the spear wielding core choices thanks to a better statline, armour piercing and stubborn, these are your best anvil choice in core. They heavily benefit from the addition of Martial/Muderous Prowess, and should always be taken in at least 4 ranks to fully take advantage of their rules and equipment.

Special Units

• Cold One Knights: a pretty good heavy cavalry unit, they're angry elves riding fear-causing DINOSAURS. They can dish out pretty good damage, especially on the charge. Also, the DINOSAUR has Stupidity, so they are immune to psychology but might also ruin your finely wrought plans at the worst possible time. With a basic Ld9 (easily upgradable with the Banner of Discipline), that shouldn't be too much of a problem. They are kind of pricey though, and the current rules make life hard for the average heavy knight.
• Black Guard of Naggarond: If Phoenix Guard didn't exist, these guys would be one of the top infantry units in the army. They can put out slightly more damage than Phoenix Guard (due to having an extra attack and eternal hatred, although the latter won't matter often due to Always Strike First), and they have staying power due to Stubborn and Immune to Psych. The problem is they, like most elf infantry, have almost no defence (T3 and heavy armor) and they're a little expensive to field.
• Shades: if you're looking for scouts, these guys can get the job done with aplomb. Probably not as awesome as Waywatchers, but if you don't have the points to spare for all the other rare choices, Shades are a solid stand-in.
• Cold One chariot:
• Har Ganeth Executioners: one of the two S4, great weapon wielding infantry units. They have S6 and Killing Blow, making them somewhat useful against heavily armored and high Toughness stuff as well as characters. Having a great weapon means they swing at their Initiative, so they should still be swinging before most enemies. Their big weakness is they die easily.
• Reaper Bolt Thrower: Range 48", causes d3 wounds at strength 6 that ignores armor saves, and has an option to fire 6 shots at strength 4 and armor piercing, you can use up to 4 in a small army and 8 in a grand(3000pts) but now you can actually bring 8 bolth throwers in a small army using them with 4 of the high elves version since they are rare and this are special.
• Harpies: flying skirmisher infantry with two attacks each, but otherwise not much more than a naked cowardly human stat-wise. A little pricey (you're mostly paying for the flying), but a small unit could be useful for chasing down chaff or war machines.
• Scourgerunner Chariot: wasn't really worth fielding before, still not really worth fielding. It's a horribly expensive light chariot with a short range bolt thrower than can possibly do extra damage when it shoots monsters. Meh. If your opponent doesn't field any monsters, you've got yourself a very expensive, short ranged bolt thrower (more than double the cost of a standard Reaper/Repeater- and its ballistic skill is the same).
• War Hydra: used to be one of the most powerful monsters in the game, it still is pretty powerful. It starts off with eight S5 attacks, plus thunderstomps, and loses an attack each time it loses a head (wound). However, it is a hydra- "cut off one head, two one more shall take its place" so it has the ability to regenerate lost heads (wounds), thereby regaining those attacks. Even though it's modeled with handlers, it doesn't actually have any. It can also be upgraded to have fire breath, either one big regular breath weapon or a flurry of small ones (with strength and number of shots equal to the number of heads/wounds remaining, and it's not limited to once per game like the regular breath, but it also can't be used in melee). Due to its (deserved) reputation, this beast will be a bit of a cannon ball magnet; if it survives, it's more than capable of doing some hurt to the foe- especially if it still has most of its heads.
• Lion Chariot of Chrace: a somewhat expensive chariot, but it hits hard (two S6 hits, plus four S5 hits, in addition to impacts) and is surprisingly tough for an Elf unit.
• White Lions of Chrace: the other S4, great weapon wielding infantry unit. A little more expensive to field than Executioners, they lack Killing Blow but instead have Stubborn, Forest Strider and special cloaks that help protect against shooting attacks. Gaining Murderous Prowess also gives these guys a small boost, as they will almost always wound when fighting something with T4 or less. Can be fielded bearing the infamous Banner of the World Dragon, and a large brick of them is a great choice for it (that plus their good Strength and Initiative mean they're very survivable against most spells and other magical effects in the game).
• Swordmasters of Hoeth: like Black Guard, these guys would be amazing if Phoenix Guard didn't exist. They have a ridiculously high WS, as well as two S5 attacks each (swinging at I5 due to having great weapons). They also have the ability to block arrows like a Jedi. The downside- as usual, they're elves and die easily (T3, heavy armor).
• Shadow Warriors: scouting skirmishers, just like Shades. However, even though they also share identical stat-lines, they're inferior to Shades- Shadows only have longbows, light armor and a hand weapon, whereas Shades carry the excellent repeater crossbow, and can be upgraded to also have light armor and/or dual hand weapons. The only real advantage that Shadows have is that they're a bit cheaper. Both are inferior to Waywatchers, though don't quite cost as much.
• Phoenix Guard: Widely considered one of the better infantry units in the game. They only have halberds (for S4) and heavy armor, as well as Always Strike First like all elves, but what makes them great is a built in 4+ ward and causing Fear. A High Elf High Mage can join the unit and cast one spell to bring that ward save down to a 3+, making them horrendously difficult to kill. If they have a downside, it's that they're pricey, being among the most expensive of these Special choice infantry.
• Dragon Princes of Caledor: a solid heavy cavalry unit with lots of attacks and near immunity to any attack that happens to be fiery. They're still only S3 though, so if they don't break/destroy their enemy on the charge, they're in trouble. Make your dwarf opponent cry as his flaming cannonballs bounce off their armor...
• Lothern Skycutter:
• Tiranoc Chariot: basically a decent light chariot, however, they can be fielded in a squad of up to 3. Not bad if you're playing against something else with an abundance of Always Strike First infantry (like Elves or Slaanesh Daemons) becuase those Impact Hits will happen before everything else.
• Wildwood Rangers: an interesting take on the great weapon infantry. They are one of the cheapest Special units, and just do a single WS5 S5 I5 attack each. What makes them interesting is that they're Immune to Psychology and each gets +1A if they happen to be fighting against something that causes Fear or Terror. They're even easier to kill than the other elite combat infantry however- yes, that's actually possible. If you're facing Undead or Daemons, you might want to field a bunch of these guys.
• Wardancers: nearly naked elite infantry, they are skirmishers that have magic tattoos that give a 6+ ward, and they can do dances while they fight (hence their name) that give them special bonuses, such as +1A, a 3+ ward, or negating enemy rank bonuses. They're decent in a fight, with their high WS, Always Strikes First and Murderous Prowess, plus two attacks each due to dual weapons (you can pay to upgrade to a single armor piercing attack, but why?) The spear upgrade is per model, without having to take spears on the entire unit. This means you can take 20 buy 5 spears and attack in four ranks. Martial prowess gives the third rank attacks, and spears give the fourth rank attacks, amounting to the possibility of 25 ASF, WS6, I6 attacks with killing blow rerolling 1's. A mere S3 is a drawback, but if your doing the killing blow dance, your shooting for 6's anyway. Otherwise since they're skirmishers, you can reform after setting up for a flank charge and shred light infantry with the +1 attack dance. A little pricey, but can make for a nasty flanking unit (especially if you can boost their Strength somehow, like with Wildform or Mindrazor). Their disrupting dance is plain incredible against large blocks of infantry- getting an effective +3 combat res for "free" is pretty nice, but bear in mind that it doesn't negate Steadfast.
• Tree Kin: the only Monstrous Infantry in the entire army. With good Toughness, Wounds and saves, they make for a decent anvil to hold enemies in place while you flank. They can't dish out a lot of damage though, and aren't invincible (especially if your opponent is using fire).
• Deepwood Scouts: exactly the same as Glade Guard except with Scouts, Skirmish and a slightly higher points cost.
• Warhawk Riders: expensive, squishy flying monstrous cavalry. Not particularly hard hitting (although the birds have Killing Blow when they charge), nor can they do too much damage with their limited shooting. They also have virtually no protection (T4, W3 and 6+ armor each). They're not particularly good at anything except moving really fast, and they're a little pricey to serve as chaff clearers/warmachine hunters. With the abundance of excellent Special choices available, these are probably a "pass" unless you really like their look or have a fluff reason.
• Sisters of the Thorn: a unit of Fast Cavalry that collectively counts as a level 2 wizard- and if you're using the End Times: Khaine magic rules (which you're supposed to be, if using this army list), they know all spells from Lore of Life and Beasts. They also have poisoned, armor piercing javelins and a built in 4+ ward save. They're OK in combat, but if you're sending them into combat, you're using them wrong. Cast spells and harrass, that's what you should be fielding them for. They make an incredible mobile bunker for mounted wizard lord or even shooty combat lord.
• Wild Riders: the elite Wood Elf cavalry, and one of the game's premier flanking units. Fast cav with Murderous Prowess, Frenzy and Devastating Charge, plus the Wood Elf armor piercing stuff. So when they charge, a unit of 5 with no champion is inflicting FIFTEEN S5 armor piercing hits plus their mounts are contributing 10 more S4 hits! Their downside is they're pricey (they cost around the same as most heavy cavalry) and relatively fragile (T3, and at best a 4+/6++). Take advantage of their Fast Cav rule to skirt the edges and then crash into a flank.

Rare Units

• Doomfire Warlocks: Used to be one of the best units in the game, now warlocks are massively hampered by the new magic rules. Spamming doombolt is no longer guaranteed with them (as one failed casting attempt ruins the ability to cast it from ANY other unit that turn) boosted doombolt is no longer an option with them (due to random available casting dice). Since warlocks now have access to the full lore of death with the new magic rules, it is worth taking one unit of 5 for character sniping, and flank charging in combined combat. They can take their ward save against miscasts but not Slaaneshi units. If it helps these are rare while the Sisters of the Thorn are special.
• Bloodwrack Medusa: Don't bother. It's bad with a purely Dark Elf army; in a Host of the Eternity King there is always a better place to spend those points. Unless it's a fluffy battle, never take this unit.
• Kharibdyss: The Glass cannon of monster-killers was welcome in the Dark Elves and it is just as welcome here. Not the best rare choice for any elf force, but always among the top four at worst. If you're up against monsters or heavily armed opponents this is a welcome addition, especially with an escort of Sisters of the Thorn for life-healing goodness.
• Bloodwrack Shrine:
• Sisters of Slaughter:
• Eagle Claw Bolt Thrower: Since Elves have too many good special choices, you might end up taking these ones over the Dark Elf equivalent.
• Flamespyre Phoenix: Recommended as a mount for an Anointed of Asuryan or against undead armies.
• Frostheart Phoenix: The only reason you won't take one of these is if you can't spare the points.
• Sisters of Avelorn:
• Great Eagles: Great for charge baiting and exposing flanks.
• Waywatchers: Take these if you want to have the best Elven scouts in the game. They can even melee a bit with their additional hand weapons.
• Treeman:

Building Your Army

Army Composition

There are several ways to build this army as almost every High/Dark/Wood Elf build can be supplemented by something from the other books. For example, taking a BSB Banner of the World Dragon on your tele-porting Acorn-Moonstone-Archer-Horde is liable to make even Malekith the Eternity Troll smile as your dudes bounce around the glades like a Bubbled Up Eddie from Tekken. That second unit of Doomfire Warlocks feel a little samey? Take Sisters of the Thorn. Eternal Guard proving to be too expensive for your attempt at Wood Elf chaff blocks? Make them Dark Elf Spearmen. Looking for MORE BOLT THROWERS for your Lothern Sea Guard army? Take 4 Dark Elf Reapers.

The interesting combinations are going to come through things like buffs and unique character options. Putting a rank-removing Shadowdancer hero into a unit as good as Phoenix Guard or Black Guard was previously not an option. Taking a Hydra or Cauldron of Blood alongside High Elf units just wasn't a consideration before either. Bretonnia is about to have some competition when it comes to producing copious amounts of delicious fromage.

Magic Items

• Banner of the World Dragon: Does this even have to be explained?
• Moonstone/Acorn of Ages: This can combo up quite well with bunker units. White Lions who have a 2+ ward (with BOTWD), 3+ armour versus shooting and can teleport around the battlefield? Yes please.

Tactics

Formations