Age of Sigmar/Tactics/Old/Order/Eldritch Council

This faction has been removed with the release of the Cities of Sigmar Battletome. Models are no longer on sale and whilst they still have official points, expect them to be removed from the GHB in the next FAQ/release.

Wizard elves with some dragons and sword guys thrown in. These guys can be fielded as a stand-alone army in matched play as they have battleline units. They are also very useful as a magic-and-monster allied faction to support other Order armies which are lacking in these departments.

Why play Eldritch Council?

Pros

• One of the most magically inclined factions in the game alongside Seraphon and Tzeentch.
• Can use the Dragonhost warscroll battalion from the High Elves compendium if you bring enough dragons, letting you nuke an enemy for a potential 4d6 mortal wounds.
• Every hero can cast magic, with your cheapest hero able to make allied models reroll all hit and wound rolls.
• More dragons than any other army in the game, looking at you Order Draconis...
• Swordmasters are one of the best 1 wound infantry in the game.
• Play well both with and as allies.
• Every one of your heroes is an expert mage.
• They're getting new things as of spring 2020, likely including Teclis himself.

Cons

• No allegiance abilities, meaning you'll be left lagging against the unique mechanics of other factions.
• No dedicated Eldritch Council warscroll battalions
• Can be easily countered by magic-negating armies like Khorne (ESPECIALLY Khorne)
• No shooting beyond dragon breath (expensive) and magic (unreliable)
• Incredibly hero-focused army, and despite being bodyguards in the fluff Swordmasters have no way to protect them. You're going to get sniped. Look Out Sir! is your best friend.
• Swordmasters are borderline anime.
• No unique command abilities for any of your heroes.
• Your army is now entirely out of production, sorry.

Rulebooks

There isn't currently a Battletome for Eldritch Council.

• The Grand Alliance Order book has all the Warscrolls.
• This should be supplemented with the Grand Alliance Order Errata and Designers' Commentary from the FAQs.
• Matched play points are in the General's Handbook 2018.
• Alternatively up to date warscrolls can be found in the WH AoS app.

As with all factions you'll want:

• The core rules are either downloadable or in the Core Book.
• Games taking place in a Realm need the Realm of Battle rules from the Core Book.
• In you want to take advantage of realm specific artefacts you'll need the Artefacts Of The Realms section from the Malign Sorcery book.
• Matched play battleplans are split across the Core Book and General's handbook 2018.
• All books should be supplemented with any updates from the FAQs.

Warscrolls

The common keywords of these warscrolls are: ORDER, AELF and ELDRITCH COUNCIL.

Leaders

• Archmage: Above average Wizard. One spell/unbind a turn, with +1 to unbind rolls, and can take a horse (to move 14" to position himself and flee the myriads of things that will try to kill him, do not even think about getting him to combat). His save seems (and is) ultra-lame at first, only 6+, but his unique spell gives, at 6+, himself and every friendly model (model, not unit) within 18" a save-after-the-save of 6 against wounds/mortal wounds. So he's not as bad protected as he seems (still fragile), and his spell can be truly great. But he'll be close to the action, so protect him with Korhil/healing or some other defensive trick the Highborn have in spades. And even with that, don't get too close to him, the two of you will probably have to part ways very soon.

• Loremaster: Like a standard Swordmaster with 5 wounds, that also is a one spell/one unbind a turn Wizard. Oh, and his unique spell, at 5+, makes a model at 18" max to re-roll failed hit and wound rolls. So, you use it on a Dragon, you make a 40-50% more powerful Dragon. So he can be brutal, but you have to get him relatively close to powerful Heroes, but his 4+ rerollable against shooting save will make his survival likely. Another great Hero. Keep in mind however that he has identical offensive stats to a swordmaster, so don't expect him to tear shit up on the frontlines ahead of his brothers.

• Drakeseer: Also counts as a Behemoth. A less killy Prince on Dragon (but still terrifying), with worse save, and without command ability, but he's a one spell/one unbind wizard. The special thing about him is his spell: range 18", 7+ casting roll, deals one mortal wound, another two on a 4+, if you don't fail another three on 4+, and keep repeating until it fails/kills the target. A more powerful version of Arcane Bolt, not so great if used by himself, because he's a mediocre Wizard. Be lucky enough however and you can decimate entire enemy units in just a few rolls. Overall a more offensive but less magical Archmage on dragon.

• Archmage on Dragon: Also counts as a Behemoth. See the entry about the Drakeseer, but without his unique spell, and he's a one spell/two unbinds Wizard. You can give him a Sword to gain more attacks, or a Book to cast one more spell per turn, I say go with the Book, it's more useful in the long run. Either way you also add +1 to casting rolls, one more reason to take the Book. His unique spell, Drain Magic, for 4+ stops any effects caused by a spell on any unit within 18", and if that unit is a Daemon, also deals D3 mortal wounds to it. This is good defensively, but better offensively, because you can remove the +1 save to a unit reroll save throw of 1 on an unit from Mystic Shield, all for the low value of 4+ (but really 3+, remember the +1 to casting rolls, so you almost auto-cast this), and with Arcane Bolt it can also ruin any Chaos Daemon/Seraphon day, good utility. Combine with Hand of Glory, Mystic Shield and Elemental Shield from Two Loremasters and an Archmage at that critical hour for an absolute death machine.

Troops

• Swordmasters: Counts as Battleline if you army has the ELDRITCH COUNCIL allegiance. The Swordmasters were glass cannons before, but now they have a 4+ save REROLLABLE in the Shooting phase, all while still bringing the pain with 2 3+/3+/-1/1 attacks with rerollable 1's to hit. Simple but brutally effective, just tell them the general direction of something you want dead. Take two, with a standard bearer in every one and keep them close to boost your bravery by 2.

Battalions

No Battalions currently exist for this faction.

Allied Armies

Mercenary Companies

• Blacksmoke Battery:
• Greyfyrd:
• Grugg Brothers:
• Gutstuffers: They can re-roll charge rolls but they are forced to charge at the closest enemy unit within 12". It's your call if you want to use this company.
• Nimyard’s Rough-Riders:
• Order of the Blood-Drenched Rose:
• Rampagers:
• Skroug’s Menagerie:
• Sons of the Lichemaster:
• Tenebrous Court: