The 9th Age/Tactics/Dread Elves
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The fair use The 9th Age expy of the Dark Elves of Warhammer Fantasy. Beta update coming soon...
Why play Dread Elves
- very minitersitic
- greek
- Lots of strong Synergies between units, with many troops giving buff to other troops, turning a glasscannon army into a spiky wooden Railgun.
Tactics
The tactics are current as of second edition.
Army Rules
Universal Rules
- Academy Training: Affects an entire unit if more than half of models have this rule. While within 8" of other units with this rule and aren't fleeing, they gain Devastating Charge (+1" Advance) on their very first charge of the game and count as having an additional rank for the sake of Steadfast and Disruption if they have at least one full rank. This will make your blocks more than a little tightly-knit for the sake of artillery, but you'll be more than ready to crush their frontlines and hold fast.
- Hunting Bolas Enemies that break from combat from a model with this rule, Minimize their flee distance roll.
- Professional Courtesy Assassins can't be in a unit that already hides another assassin.
- Scent of Blood The model gains Frenzy and Fearless in close combat and gains +1" when charging a unit that doesn't have a full health pool. Only available on your raptor models and some monsters makes them more likely to not pursue after winning combat and being caught out. It will also help them not lose combat from fear, which is unlikely due to your high discipline elves, but ensures you won't lose for a stupid roll.
Attack Attributes
- Ruthless Efficiency Close combat attacks gain +1 to wound during the first round of combat. All of your elves to a model have this special rule. Dread Elves are scary close combat monsters because of this rule, anyone unlucky enough to be in melee with you will be getting trashed. Because this is a modifier to the wound roll, not to strength or resilience, even if your opponent is resilience 10 you're going from 6s to wound to 5s.
- Artistry of Death Close combat attacks gain +1 to wound.
Armory
- Kraken's Hide Armour Equipment The bearer gains +1 armor if on foot. Your characters can have a 2+ on foot before any armor enchantments or other defensive buffs. Your elves are far tankier than any elf should be allowed to be.
- Repeater Crossbow Shooting Weapon range: 18", shots: 2, str 3, AP 0 and gains +1AP when fired from short range. Your standard shooting weapon, Ok range given your an elf, and hit more like a normal bow. Walk up quick and start shooting with your nutty elven to-hit for a 14" threat range.
- Repeater Handbow(x) Shooting Weapon range: 12", shots: X, str 3, AP 0, Quick to Fire, Accurate. Shorter range but has AP at short range and is effective at all ranges even when moving. Available on your Black Cloaks and Assassin.
- Blades of Darag Close Combat Weapon Two-Handed, +1A, Magical Attacks. If the model's unit is currently affected by a non-Attribute Spell, then they also gain +1 Str (Max +2).
Hereditary Spell
Curse of the Phantom Queen (Cv +8) Gain an additional Veil token for the turn. If an enemy deals damage to a friendly unit within 18", you can dump up to two tokens, each one dealing d3+1 S4 Ap2 hits as revenge.
Unit Analysis
Characters
Dread Prince 235pts. A wild number of attacks at an amazing offensive skill and incredible agility makes him scary to look at, now add in the dread elf options to make him stupid tanky and the normal elf options for killing everything and you have one of the best characters in the game, now can even make parry attacks. But don't just think that you can throw him anywhere, he is still an elf with a pitiful resilience and bog-standard HP. If you play smart with him, there is no reason he won't do plenty of work.
Beastmaster 210pts. your monster support hero, and monster rider lord. not as point efficient powerful as a Prince but very tanky wearing a Kraken’s Hide. He is very helpful in a monster list, giving your critters (including his own mount) a boost in their Discipline Tests and improving their stomping while also foiling enemy monsters on their stomping.
Silexian Officer 170pts. The kid prince with all the same options but with mildly worse attacks, offensive/defensive skill, and agility but expands the range his unit can draw Academy Training from 8" to 12". Play smart with him and he will make his points back. When run solo mounted, A BSB isn't necessarily required for your high discipline elves, but his Academy Training is a greater help for armies and detachments without that aura.
Temple Exarch: 310pts. Your battle-ready wizard, and is decent there. Must pick between either becoming a BSB, focusing Divination and make their unit Distracting while wielding Blades of Darag, or focusing Alchemy and make enemies with 4+ armour to be easier to injure when you have the blades
Warlock Outcast 380pts. Your Wizard master, a great selection of magic paths, and Irresistible Will can make this caster a pain in the ass for your opponent. He still has Ruthless Efficiency so he can hold his own in combat, it'll take more than any common flankers to assassinate your wizard.
Silent Assassin 180pts. This guy exists to murder in melee, hiding until he reveals himself in an infantry unit. You will be giving him paired weapons, beyond that, it's up to you how much you want to blow on him. Enemies can't avoid him because he can be hiding in any unit to get him to his target.
Character Mounts
Elven Horse Quick, tanks up your character, and better agility than most army's core troops. A great choice for any character.
Daeb Raptor Slower than the horse or Pegasus, but most certainly worth it. Attacks on par with your elite infantry and a boost to res to boot. Don't plan on your raptor hitting anything first.
Blackmane Pegasus Slower than the horse, but can fly. Less armor, but bumps your res up to 4. You won't be able to hide the character but is handy for a mobile character of any sort.
Raptor Chariot Look above, now add another raptor, more health, and impact hits. You won't be able to hide your character anywhere, but you'll move fast enough to murder things if you plan well.
Manticore A monster to ride on. Slightly faster than the raptor chariot with better attacks and the same downsides. It's up to you which one you run with, the manticore and the raptor chariot fulfill the same role, it really comes down to which models you like more. If you want it to be more monstrous, you can buy Extraordinary Specimen to increase its base size with Res5 and give d3 Stomp Attacks.
- Imperious Dragon It's a dragon, does what you expect and grants Scent of Blood. Pretty strong for what he is and decent value. If you play it be aware that every shooting weapon on the other side of the table will be looking at it and plan accordingly.
Core
Silexian Spears 200pts for 15 + 14ppm. Better offensive/defensive skill than most core and move at a significantly faster pace. Being given spear by default, they can make for a potent deterrent for charging enemies. Their Academy Training aura also makes them at least a one-off unit a must in many lists.
Temple Militants 265pts for 15 + 16ppm. A Flurry of attacks, getting Battle Focus, Fight in Extra Rank, and Blades of Darag. They are scary core troops in melee, the only issue is getting them into melee. Only Light Arm and 3 Res for defenses with Frenzy dragging them into unproductive matchups. Make sure you have the means to get them into melee if you're going to run them.
Raiding Party: 170pts for 10 + 14ppm. Your kickass elf pirate beast hunters. By default, they must pick between one of two options, but either option provides them with Hunting Bolas to trap their foes.
- Beast Breakers: Legionnaires Cannot be Stomped and efficient at eliminating enemy units that flee from combat. Also Synergizes with cav units that start within 8" by giving them Devastating Charge (Hatred). Makes for an ideal bunker for a foot-slogging beast master.
- Corsairs: Legionnaires with a Kraken's Hide instead of a shield. They come with paired weapons but you can also buy repeater handbows (which will count them towards Raiders) to provide ranged support. In either case they can provide an additional +1 Combat Score in addition to other bonuses that already acure from them flanking may be worth it to edge out that victory.
Core + Raiders
Silexian Auxiliaries230pts for 15 + 13ppm. Are fully mobile, having March and Shoot to get into short range with repeater crossbow and well protected being Legionnaires with guns and can nominate an enemy to eat -1 to hit any Academy Trained units that charge them, which is pretty vital.
Raiders
Black Cloaks 170pts for 5 + 38ppm. Your in your face scouts and very well-armed as a glass cannon with Poison attacks, they can be surprisingly scary flankers. Very numbers restricted but those 2 small units can be enough for your mass shooting needs.
Special
Shadow Riders 175pts for 5 + 20ppm, becoming Core in a unit of 8+ models. Your misdirection annoyance cavalry. They can be given repeater crossbow so they can full-power shooting from stupid angles but eat into your Raider allowance.
Warlock Acolytes 210pts for 5 + 40ppm. Small units of fast cavalry wizard conclave with great support spells, and a protective Aegis. You can run them to buff/hex other units and support the rest of your army, or switch to attack mode by placing some agents and hexes to boost up their defense and Strength.
Dread Knights 285pts for 5 + 35ppm. Each base is essentially better stats than 3 Judicators. They are expensive but will make their points back with their nutty amount of attacks and maneuverable unit size.
Obsidian Guard 220pts for 10 + 22ppm. Elite anvils, being Heavy Armour and a Def and Off of 6 that's normally only seen on characters. Two attacks a model and halberds make them scary. They will be hitting most other units on 2+ and str 4 will help them grind through other units. They even anchor your forces more by having a rule forcing nearby units to re-roll Panic checks, freeing up your Battle Standard Bearer to be with somewhere else or spend points on something else.
Judicators 200pts for 10 + 22ppm. Pretty buff elves with Hatred and having a ridiculous amount of bonuses to wound and AP despite still hitting at normal elf initiative. Overkill on lesser core units but murders elite small units that think their high armor and Res will save them.
Harpies 160pts for 8 + 10ppm. Dirt cheap and fast, defenseless, and insignificant. Don't expect them to do much, but make great meatshields by being in inconvenient positions to charge your opponent.
Gorgons 160pts for 1 + 100ppm. A single or 3 model unit with a good amount of attacks, very fast, and will not break in combat. Effective at dealing damage especially to Standard and Large with their Petrifying Stare circumventing a lot of their defense. Give them Paired Weapons or halberds to make the most of their attacks and watch out for supernal, if combat doesn't go their way they will crumble.
Thunder Pack 280pts for 3 + 65ppm. Tamers riding Rinos. Only as fast as Ogres but have light troops for high maneuverability despite being lumber battering rams that would terror rout or leave impact markets on whatever they charge. As if you wanted that small Dread Knight unit to be as cheap as possible but inflict maximum damage.
Raptor Chariot 200pts. Cheaper than a unit of dread knights but gets you essentially two dread knights with impact hits. A handy unit and certainly a strong choice, but it will be out on its own soaking up a lot of shots.
Divine Altar - Crucible of Slaughter 300pts. War Platform that can join a Scoring Infantry unit. gives a -1 Res to enemies in base contact, softening them up for your low Str elves, or even your Burly elves.
Divine Altar - Effigy of Dread 200pts. an Immovable Scenery Piece and offers a lot of benefits. Channel (3), your guys in 18" get Fear, enemies can't use Rally Around the Flag for Fear Tests and you can discard veil tokens to increase the range.
Destroyers
Hunting Chariot 210pts A quick chariot with a harpoon on it. This is the biggest "fuck you" to any monster your opponent could possibly field, especially flying monsters. If your opponent wants to monster mash this is a great choice.
Repeater Battery 190pts A mobile shooting platform, fire 8 anti-infantry shots that can be constantly wheeled around to a better position.
The Menagerie
Kraken & Hydra better reviewed together. Both are gigantic beasts that cost around the range of 400 points each. They have the same movement and defensive stats, but the Kraken will be harder to hit with Distracting and hard targets and the Hydra is more survivable with Fortitude (5+), with natural 6s allowing them to ignore additional hits (or heal a wound if you've ignored all hits). The Kraken has fewer attacks than the Hydra, but the hits are at strength 7 and multiple wounds (d3) and you can make it bigger, giving +2 HP and adding additional attendants. The Hydra has more attacks, epically at lower health, has decent strength, and a breath attack to harass nearby enemies. The choice is up to you which one to run, the Kraken is better at killing big single models, it's a monster hunting monster, the Hydra is better for stomping big units.
Mist Leviathan 265 pts. like a Manticore but more important in granting you tactical superiority. lets you win ties for picking deployment zones and gives nearby friendly Infantry a bonus to movement (but they can't March and Shoot), giving you early set up for changing and flanking.
Dreaded Giant 265pts. A giant with Scent of Blood provided by the Giants supplement. On top of the Big Brother and Giant Club upgrades given to all giants, you can also give two other upgrades. Dread Mask gives a bound Twisted Effigy spell and Devastating Charge (Distracting) to tie up enemies. It's tailor-made to break units as it also Maximized enemy Fear and Flee rolls as well. Monstrous Whip gives it a surprising support roll, letting nearby gigantic models maximize their charge rolls.
Magic Items
Weapon Enchantments
- Crippling Frost: 95pts. Great weapons only. +1 str/ap and cause a model part during a duel to lose -1 Attack for the Round of Combat for each hit inflicted, allowing it to be effective on mounted characters as well. A great choice will be very consistent for your character and will scare any character not faster then a elf from getting too close to him.
- Lacerating Touch: 50pts. Paired Weapons only. +2Ap, +2Attack, and Fear.
- Transcendence: 50pts. Lance only. For each unsaved wound infected, user gains +1Str/Ap (max +2).
- Pride of Gar Daecos: 35pts. Halberd. only. +1 Attack and Divine Attacks.
- Mastery of Slaughter: 40pts. Spear only. This weapon re-rolls all 1s to wound and adds +1 to the bearer's combat score for each wound dealt.
Armor Enchantments
- Seal of the Republic 40pts. Foot only. Heavy Armour only. Does nothing at the start of the game, but for each unsaved wound the wearer deals in melee they gain +1 armor for the rest of the game. Another win more option, but you need the armor for first turn shooting, not for turn 5 combat.
Banner Enchantments
- Caedhren's Pennon: 70pts. Unit gains Scent of Blood and Swiftstride to hunt down enemies quicker.
- Executioner's Icon: 50pts. Replaces Ruthless Efficiency for the unit with Artistry of Death.
Eye of the Gorgon: 40pts. Can't be taken on Core units. The unit gain's the Gorgon's Petrifying Stare and enemy units in base contact must re-roll successful Discipline checks.
Artefacts
- Moithir's Mirror: 65pts. The bearer gains Aegis(5+). Any successful aegis saves deal an S5 AP2 attack towards whoever made that attack.
- Mask of the War Crow: 50pts. Grants Fear and any units within 6" with Fear must reroll wound rolls of 1 in close combat.
- Ceinran's Gambit: 40pts. Wizards only. Gains a bound version of The Wheel Turns.
- Ring of the Obsidian Thrones: 40pts. The unit gains the Will of the Senate rule from the Obsidian Guard.
- Seal of the 9th Fleet: 40pts. Silexian Officers only. Any models in the bearer's unit with the Academy Training gain Battle Focus on their first turn of combat.
- Beastmaster's Whistle: 30pts. Beastmasters only. Single use. Maximizes the charge rolls of any Manticores or beast units within 12".
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