Age of Sigmar/Tactics/Old/Order/Darkling Covens
Please note: GHB 2.0 will be released on the 26th of August, this is based only in what Warhammer-Community.com has leaked so far. Please feel free to add depth to the article once we get the full release.
Most of the old Dark Elf foot troops ended up here. This faction is one of the few elf factions with universal battleline units, making them useful allies.
Warscrolls
The common keywords of these warscrolls are: ORDER, AELF and DARKLING COVEN.
Leaders
- Sorceress: Much better than she seems. A basic 1 spell/unbind Wizard, with awful Save, but you can kill one Darkling Coven at 3" to give her +2 to cast for the turn. Her usefulness lays in her unique spell, which at 7+ to cast, deals a unit at 16" a mortal wound, and gives it -1 to hit rolls until your next Hero phase. This can be better (mortal wound aside) than using Mystic Shield on one of your units, because it will turn off abilities of the unit that make something on a hit roll of 6+. Also it's better if you are attacking a big unit with some of yours, because it will affect all of its attacks, even if it splits them between your units. To top it off, if you sacrifice one of your models, you cast it on 5+, and the sacrifice will be offset because of the mortal wound you deal to the unit, very nice. Just be wary that you'll have to take Battleshock for the unit with the sacrified model, because all losses count.
- Sorceress on Black Dragon: Also counts as Behemoth. A Dragon with worse melee stats than usual and, sadly, only 5+ Save. She has the same "sacrifice" ability of the basic Sorceress, and a unique spell that, on 6+, makes you roll 6 dice and deals a mortal wound to a unit within 18" each time you get lower than the best To Hit value of that unit. So, to elite unit with 3+ to hit you only deal an average 2 mortal wounds, like a more difficult to cast Arcane Bolt, but to basic unit with 4+ to hit you deal an average 3 mortal wounds, making it quite useful. All in all, not a great unit, but not terrible either (combo that spell with word of pain like a proper druchii).
Troops
- Dreadspears: Counts as Battleline. Your usual murderous spearelves. Basic infantry stats, two-rank attacks because of 2" spear range, and re-roll saves of 1 and 2 in combat. They also get bonuses to hit with 20+ models, and if they didn't move last turn. Not bad, not great, but as defensive units (because they're better it they don't move) they can be good, specially in cover. Useful to do the 300 thing and guard some narrow pass between two impassable pieces of terrain.
- Bleakswords: Counts as Battleline. Like Dreadspears but with swords. Better base To Hit roll, but no extra bonuses. Each hit of 6+ gets you a new attack, and with 20+ models instead you get it on 5+, so they make 1/3 extra attacks, which generates new attacks. If you manage to give them +1 to hit with something they can be good, but they'll never be truly killy. Like it usually happened in real life with soldiers equipped with swords, they aren't particularly great at anything, but also not particularly bad at anything. In offence or defence they'll do the job, but don't expect marvels of them.
- Darkshards: Counts as Battleline. Dakka Dark Elves. They make 2 attacks each with their crossbows, and get +1 to hit when having 20+ models and not in combat. But their range of 16" is too low, even taking into account that they shoot twice. Also, the re-roll they get to their 5+ Save is only in combat, where you don't want them to be. Overall, inferior to the range units of other factions. You can only make them shine by using them to shoot already engaged enemy units, but a shooty unit should be able to do that and also, you know, attack things far away.
Useful as support units for a line of Dreadspears. Take 1-2 for every 3 units of Dreadspears, use them to rain the pain on units that your spearmen are engaging. They are basically win-this-particular-combat units.
- Black Guard: A little underwhelming for elite bodyguards, but still good. Great stats, and two 2" range 3+/3+/-1/1 attacks, which is no joke, I tell you. They also re-roll 1's to hit. They're almost unbreakable and fight in two ranks, so they're powerful and versatile. Even the smallest bonus to their attacks will turn them into mincemeats, but as it is, Darking Covens have no way of doing this, let's wait and hope.
- Executioners: Elves whose hobby is killing people in interesting ways. At last a truly good unit. Elite stats (7 Bravery, 4+ Save), and they get each 2 3+/3+/-/1 attacks. But the brutal thing about them is that, with a 6+ to hit, they eviscerate the enemy and instead they deal TWO mortal wounds. Yes, they get the same ability as Stormcast's Retributors. That makes them truly terrifying against things with high Saves: a unit of ten will make, on average, seven mortal wounds in addition to the rest of their attacks. They're good against anything, but don't waste them on non-elite things, and try to protect them if you can.
Battalions
Thrall Warhost
Found in the Grand Alliance: Order book.
1-6 Sorceresses or Sorceresses on Black Dragons, 1 unit of Black Guard, 1 unit of Executioners, 3-6 units chosen from: Dreadspears, Bleakswords, Darkshards ABILITIES - Kill Them Now! Pick a Sorceress model to be the leader of the Coven at the beginning of game. During your hero phase pick a unit from this battalion that is within 12" of an enemy and within 18" of the Coven Master. That unit can charge as if it were the charge phase and then pile in and attack as if it were the combat phase. This does NOT stop them from charging, piling in and attacking normally later that turn.
Army Building
Allied Armies
External links
Rules are here
https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/aos-warscroll-sorceress-en.pdf
https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/aos-warscroll-dreadspears-en.pdf
https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/aos-warscroll-bleakswords-en.pdf
https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/aos-warscroll-darkshards-en.pdf
https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/aos-warscroll-black-guard-en.pdf
https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/aos-warscroll-executioners-en.pdf