Hmmmmm.
These are your standard characters. You know what they are and what to
do with them. High Elf General has a pretty decent line of statistics
if you boost his weak points with, say Deathsword and the Armor of
Protection.
Toughness of 3 and 1 wound means that your battle standard will die if
the enemy just glances evilly at his general direction. Be very careful
with this costly character. I suggest that you hide him inside a unit so
his (compulsory) magical standard helps the warriors and he stays alive
long enough to be useful with the break tests.
Well, here lies much of the power of the Elves. With high magic, War
Crown of Saphery, and broad choice of Color spells, these guys are
your best bet against enemy wizardy. Learn the High Magic by heart.
Coruscation of Finreir gives your Wizard an immunity from attacks made
by ground troops. This is very effective against Dwarfs who you can
chop at freely, especially if mounted on a Manticore.
Remember that the Fiery Convocation causes fire damage.
Most dispel items won't work against the Assault of Stone, which affects
the hill, not the opponent's unit. If you do not want to use any magic
at all, go for the Drain Magic. Very frustrating for undead generals.
Never take your wizards into a hand to hand combat unless you are 100%
sure you can win. Best place for them is inside a unit, for most High
Magic spells do not require line of sight.
-
GENERAL NOTES:
-
Like all Elven knights, the Silver helms suffer from a
lousy strength score of 3. Though expensive and weak, they have couple
of strong points. First of all, flexibility. They can be made light
cavalry if you don't give them any more armor, thus getting unlimited
number of turns and changes of ranks free. Also, Silver Helms are very
fast, and you can field an unlimited number of regiments. They can carry
a magic standard, thus increasing their flexibility even more.
-
WEAKNESSES:
-
Strength of 3 and toughness 3 don't give much protection
against spells, especially if those that allows no save. The Banner
of Wrath is a particularly effective in destroying your 41 point per
model cavalry unit in an instant. If a protracted fight ensues, (like
when you charge a unit with Crown of Command and thus can't break them)
Silver helms will probably lose because of their low strength and lack
of ranks.
-
USES:
-
Against Skaven, Humans and everybody else with toughness of 3,
Silver helms truly excel. Steer clear from units that do not break when
you charge them. Without their lance strength bonus, the Silver Helms
are in trouble. Note also that you can make Silver Helms a fast cavalry
unit by keeping their armor save 5+ This gives you unlimited number of
turns and one re-form per movement phase. This makes Silver Helms an
excellent "reserve unit". Since they are very fast (Movement 9/18) hit
reasonably hard with lances and can change their formation while moving,
they can easily sift the pressure from one part of the battlefield to
another.
-
GENERAL NOTES:
-
Dragon Princes are heartbreakingly beautiful models, but
not very powerful in combat. It would have been nice to have at least
one unit with strength of 4 and Lances.
-
WEAKNESSES:
-
Toughness of 3 and strength of 3. Move of "only" 7. The
Banner of Wrath is the nightmare of every Dragon Prince.
-
USES:
-
If you want a unit with 1+ save (using standard of shielding, then
go ahead. Otherwise, I prefer Silver Helms. Against Skaven Jezzails, and
anybody with low strength (Are there those nowadays, except the High
Elves?) They will do fine because of the good armor save value.
-
GENERAL NOTES:
-
Very light cavalry. Elven steeds and spears do quite a
lot to boost their hand to hand potential, however. Their speed is a
great asset.
-
WEAKNESSES:
-
If you compare their point cost value to their armor save,
you'll probably pale. Good hand to hand troops will chop the knights
into a mincemeat. Don't try it at home, believe my words.
-
USES:
-
Either with spears and shields to charge and break Skavenslaves,
peasants, and giant rats, or leave out the shields and buy bows. This
way, you get fast cavalry with bows. Gallop towards enemy, and shoot
until he gets too close. Then turn around, move 9" away, turn around and
shoot again! This really wears most enemies down, since, like all Elves,
Reaver Knights are good shots. You need quite a lot of Reavers for this,
though.
-
GENERAL NOTES:
-
The nice thing about the Lothern Sea Guard is that they
can be equipped with many different ways.
-
WEAKNESSES:
-
High cost is the only thing that worries me about the Sea
Guard, plus that they can not have a magical standard. (Common, even
Goblins get that!) Also, fielding them asks a quite lot of strategy.
-
USES:
-
There is plenty of choice: They can be archers, a substitute for
Phoenix Guard because of their lower point cost value and the option
of taking halberds, or a combination of these two. You can also field
them as archer-spearmen if you really have to, but I don't recommend it.
Against Orcs and others with toughness of 4, strength 4 is the lowest
value you can field and expect to do any good. I usually take them with
bows and halberds, give them a musician, and deploy them in thin lines
like other archers. When the enemy gets close enough, I perform the
reform manoeuvre and get ready for opponent's charge by increasing the
number of my ranks to maximum.
-
GENERAL NOTES:
-
Again, one of the more flexible Elven units. They have
regular elven statistics, but at least you don't have to pay for that
useless light armor.
-
WEAKNESSES:
-
The usual elven weaknesses prevail.
-
USES:
-
My usage of Elven warriors is quite straightforward. Give them
spears and additional hand weapons, and fight it out with low toughness,
low save unit. With weapon skill of 4 and 2 attacks when charging and 3
otherwise, they usually can hold their own against the likes of Skaven,
Goblins and Humans. They are relatively cheap, so you can field quite a
lot of them.
-
GENERAL NOTES:
-
The scouts and skirmishers of the High Elves. They can be
made decent fighters and equal to best High Elf archers.
-
WEAKNESSES:
-
Shadow warriors cost quite a bit, though this is usually
points well spent. They are not at their best against armies that do not
employ Dark Elves, but all your evil opponents are very likely to do
just that, so be on guard.
-
USES:
-
They are simply a must against Dark Elves so you can at least
fight in equal terms. With long bows and skirmishing formation they can
all draw a bead to their foe, even without the deployment in a hill.
Of course you can use them as missile screen or as a flanking unit to
protect your main units from charges. They are a bit expensive for these
sacrificial roles, though.
-
GENERAL NOTES:
-
Strong as a hell and skilled beyond the dreams of most
opponent's worst nightmares. This magnificent unit suffers from their
double handed weapons very badly. Because they always strike last, they
have to be used carefully. Other units with double handed weapons are
their speciality because of the high initiative.
-
WEAKNESSES:
-
Two handed weapons that cause them to strike last. Toughness
of 3. No armor to speak about. Quite expensive.
-
USES:
-
Hate to say this, but with toughness of 3, armor save of 6+, and
two handed weapons, these superb warriors are very specialized. Use
them against goblins, skeletons, Skavenslaves and especially the Chaos
Dwarf Axemen. Goblins and such have so low weapon skill that they will
hit only with 5+, thus giving you a chance to fight back. They are a
must against Chaos Dwarfs who have to field a unit of their axemen.
Giving that you got higher weapon skill, higher initiative, and higher
strength, you will chop them to pieces every time. If the Chaos Dwarfs
fall back to Their hand weapons to strike before you, so what? They
still hit you only with 4+ and wound you on 4+. You, on the other hand
hit them with 3+ and wound them with 2+, and still they get no save!
Also against the Chaos Dwarfs, you can use them to attack the Bull
Centaurs, but you will probably lose because of their multiple attacks,
high strength and 2 wounds. If you field them as a gamble make tracks
towards nearest unit with double handed weapons, like greatswords. If
you know that your game table will have lots of defensive obstacles,
then race to take shelter behind them. Your opponent will hit you only
with natural 6's and thus you can strike back, lethally.
-
GENERAL NOTES:
-
This unit is the cream of the elven elites, and a one
ray of light in otherwise very depressing list of regiments. Effective
strength 5, weapon skill 5 and initiative 7 are something to stir the
heart of any true High Elf general. Equipped with the right magic
standard like the battle banner, joined by a hero with Crown of Command
and Sword of Fortitude who fights from the second rank with a spear,
and perhaps supported with the Battle Standard Bearer (with Banner of
Might) plus a mage (to give the unit a chance for rebounds and destroy
spell).
-
WEAKNESSES:
-
Toughness of 3, strength of 3 and armor save of 6+ means
that missile fire, spells, and mounted shock troops will kill Sword
Masters in droves. They cost an arm and leg in points, so you can't
field a 100 strong regiment. You need one, though.
-
USES:
-
I usually compose the backbone of my army from the Sword
Masters. They fight like blazes, can be supported by other troops very
effectively, and have all the usual advantages of the Elves. Use them a
lot. Protect them from magic as well as you can. Elven cavalry is nice,
but to have enough numbers and ranks is to win battles. Their strength 5
is enough to bother even a fully armored knights.
-
GENERAL NOTES:
-
The SuperHalberdiers (TM). With weapon skill of 5 and
initiative of whopping 7, they also have an option to carry magic
standard or don heavy armor. Halberds give a nice strength bonus.
-
WEAKNESSES:
-
Very high point cost (I don't want that extra point of
initiative! Give me my points back or increase the strength!) And low
toughness plus average strength.
-
USES:
-
When facing opponents with weapon skill of 4 or lower, and not
that many troops, they are very solid infantry, especially with heavy
armor and Standard of Shielding. Personally I prefer Sea Guard.
-
GENERAL NOTES:
-
Every Elf general owns lot of them and barely ever uses
them. They chop up human and goblin light infantry, but the days of
really tough guys are here, so you rarely have any use for them.
-
WEAKNESSES:
-
Horribly high point cost value and low strength.
-
USES:
-
This one is tricky. If your opponent likes to field many numerous
but relatively weak regiments, you can fight back with spearmen because
their weapon skill 4 and two attacking ranks. Expensive as they are,
they are still cheaper than most of the elven troops. I personally
prefer the Elf Warriors, though.
-
GENERAL NOTES:
-
They are just what it reads. They are just about
worth their points if you don't give them light armor. Long bows are
essential, as you might imagine.
-
WEAKNESSES:
-
Too few ranks to give any hand to hand ability at all. Bows
have strength of only 3, so anything with toughness of 7 or more (like
manticore) is totally immune to their fire and can charge them without
any worries. Opponents with high armor save value are also quite immune
to their arrows.
-
USES:
-
I usually field either couple of small units, so I don't have to
care if I lose one. My firepower stays high, and a small units don't
spread the panic. If I face opponents with relatively few high toughness
opponents, I wield a quite large unit of them. This discourages charging
them, as their "stand and shoot" response can be deadly. You need about
30 of them at least to make this effective, though.
-
GENERAL NOTES:
-
I have put this last because it is essentially a War
Machine rather than a regiment. These things sum up the Elven strategy.
Weaken your opponent and then crush him with your troops. It is the
latter part where the Charioteers enter the picture. With charge range
of 18", and ability to cause D6+2 strength 7 hits plus the attacks of
the crew and the steeds, this little thing is what you really need to
boost up your combat resolution.
Many people dismiss them as useless and I heartily disagree. True,
if they are hit by determined archers or powerful spells, they will
be wiped out every time. The trick is to hide them behind hills and
buildings, and bring them forth when the time is right and your enemy is
upon you. Most players sent them forth in the beginning of the game in
a glorious charge, and get shot up. Conserve them, bid your time, and
when the true melee begins, charge with them to swing the balance in
your favor. Relatively low point cost enable you to field quite a lot of
them.
-
WEAKNESSES:
-
Very vulnerable to missile fire, have only 1 crew and two
steeds.
-
USES:
-
These thing can break even the hardiest of regiments with ease.
Even if your opponents consist of unbreakable troops, a charge of 3+
chariots causes immensive damage. I usually field 4-5 of them, and I
think I will get even more of them. Deploy them very carefully. If the
crewman is killed, the chariot may cause immense havoc in your own
units. It is also a good idea to cover chariots with each other. E.G.
when your chariot is charged by a hero on flying monster, your other
chariots are able to charge him in the following movement phase.
Countless words have been written about repeater bolt throwers, and
most of it is true. This little device is the bane of the Skaven,
Goblin, Dark Elf and Human regiments. Against knights it is particular
effective, since it allows no save, ignoring even the thickest plate.
It can potentially slay 16 models in a one shot! (My own record is 12)
But alas, it can be easily countered. Ruby Chalice, Harpies, and terror
causing creatures usually ruin your carefully laid calculations for
their effectiveness. Still, they cost only 50 points, so I always field
at least 8 of them. Do likewise. One of my most successful armies had 15
Repeater Bolt Throwers in a one continual line, and the rest of my army
was massed behind them, ready to charge anybody foolish enough to harass
my Bolt Throwers. The damage they caused was so immense that only one
unit ever made it to my deployment zone.
-
GENERAL NOTES:
-
weapon skill of 8, initiative of 10 and couple of nice
items (and a beautiful model) makes Tyrion stand out form the crowd of
High Elf lords.
-
WEAKNESSES:
-
Tough opponents with the sword of destruction.
-
USES:
-
A very good general, unless you want to have a elf lord riding a
huge monster. Remember Malhandir's attacks, strength 4,weapon skill 4
2 attacks is not bad. Tyrion is about the best choice for Apotheosis
spell. Remember that Tyrion's sword is a flaming weapon (mummy killer!),
and that his amulet allows him to try and avoid any spell except those
cast with the Total Power.
-
GENERAL NOTES:
-
The greatest mage in the world, Hmmm. Leadership is 10,
but otherwise he is equal to any high elf wizard lord in statistics.
Comes equipped with three items so you can choose only one freely.
-
WEAKNESSES:
-
Why Teclis has to carry his sword every battle is quite
beyond me. This boosts his point value by 100 points and since he is not
liable to see much hand to hand anyway, it is a complete waste. Even
worse it gulps up one out of his magic item total. Cannot ride anything.
(Except on the picture in the cover!) If your opponent has the Ring of
Corin, he will probably try to destroy the Moon Staff of Lileath. This
will spell doom to Teclis.
-
USES:
-
In a conventional game where you calculate point cost total at the
end of the battle, he can unleash the power of his staff in the very
last magic phase, and blast away with increased power. If you need a
mage with leadership of 10, or want him to lead an infantry unit, he is
naturally the best choice. Otherwise, take a normal mage lord.
-
GENERAL NOTES:
-
Yet another Elven Lord. Has pretty useless items, but
luckily these can be changed. Hates Goblins. A good sidekick for your
general.
-
WEAKNESSES:
-
Usual elven soft spots. Easily countered.
-
USES:
-
War Machine eater, combat resolution booster, Goblin slayer. He is
essential against Goblins, and especially if your opponent is going to
field Grom.
-
GENERAL NOTES:
-
Stunningly beautiful model and an Elf Lord with weapon
skill 8 and initiative 10. Where did I see this before? An extra point
of strength would have been nice. Equipped with the Star Lance. Good for
a charge, but after that the lance is a waste.
-
WEAKNESSES:
-
Cannot ride anything else but a Dragon. (Well, good gaming
groups can bang up house rules.) If he rides a dragon, he has to take
Star Lance. GRRRRR! Otherwise. A good and a reasonably cheap (points
wise) character.
-
USES:
-
With dragon and suitably powerful magic items, Imrik is a good
hand to hand fighter. My main trick, however, is to place him amongst
infantry and equip him with nice magical things. Also, when not mounted
on dragon, he does not have to take the Starblade Lance.
It seems that the High Elf Mages have destroyed every single swarm in
Ulthuan, which is a real pity, since these critters could hold the enemy
up for a round or two while you shoot at your foes. On the other hand,
you get the excellent unicorns so you do not need Amulets of Fire and
such to gulp up your magic item total, and still you get 4+ dispel.
Unicorn is also a powerful and enduring fighter, and 90 points is not
unreasonable. Great Eagle is also nice, for it is cheap and with weapon
skill 7 and strength 5 it can fight pretty well. Manticores are always
commendable, as are the dragons. The Dragonrage special rule has won me
a battle now and then. Dragons are very expensive.
I feel very sorry, but 25% is the only way to go. Take Empire knights
instead of the Dragon Princes, and Dwarfs to field endurable infantry.
Empire and Dwarf War Machines are some things you'll need, and a
Runesmith with 3 Runes of Spellbreaking is an absolute must, so you can
field much nicer magic items with your wizard. If you want to fight it
out in hand to hand, you need flagellants, troll slayers, beast masters
and such.
Please take note that our gaming group allows only a single war machine
and one character per rank and file unit when choosing allies. This was
suggested in WD#147, and we have found it an excellent rule. Who wants
to fight with or against 75% character/50% War Machines army?
If your gaming group has decided that the shadow armor affects the
chariots, this gives you a character mounted on chariot with ability
to move through woods, over hills and so on. Highly recommendable. War
Crown of Saphery is almost essential. Dragonblade Lance is one of most
point cost effective magic items around. I usually give it to a mounted
hero and equip him with strength potion in addition to the lance. Then
I go looking for enemy Battle Standard Bearer who usually hides in the
back ranks of a unit, gulp down the Strength potion and use my lance as
a Bolt Thrower. With descending strength of 9, I usually can kill the 1
wound Battle Standard Bearer. Dwarf Generals fall to pieces when they
lose the Master Rune of Valaya!
More than any other general, a Commander of the Glorious Host of
Ulthuan has to rely on his tactical cunning and a careful deployment.
My own firm favorite is the Defensive Arch. Let me explain this
strategy.
I deploy my toughest and largest infantry units in the middle of the
field, supported by fast and hard hitting things like chariots and
allied treemen on their left and right. My war machines and archers are
on the hills, towers, and deployed between the units. My supporting
cavalry and lighter infantry units are deployed in the extreme flanks.
When the game starts, I use every possible trick to slow my opponents
down. Wardancers, a horn with Master Rune of Dismay, wind blast spell,
anything that will do.
I usually have couple of invisible organ guns waiting if a Vampire
Lord, Chaos General or a dragon flies to attack my ranks in hopes of
snatching an easy victory. Barrels 1-5 ready! Target: Arkhan the Black!
Commence Fire!
My bolt throwers, war machines, archers and mages keep a relentless
screen of missiles going, causing as much havoc as possible. My mage is
usually safely hidden in unit, so flying things can't eat him up. There
is, of course, a possibility to negate magic totally with Drain Magic
and appropriate items, namely Wand of Jet, Chalice of Sorcery, power
scrolls, and so on. These things enable you to have enough power to
cast Drain Magic.
When the enemy realizes that he has to charge those main infantry
blocks, he will throw everything against them. This could be fatal as
the bad guys have such high close combat troops nowadays, but my units
are protected against break tests with runes of courage, crown of
command and so on. When they refuse to break both my flanks start to
bend inwards, engulfing the enemy. Cavalry charges, monsters, chariots
and cannon fire are all concentrated against the cream of enemy forces.
Hopefully the enemy regiments have been weakened enough so it is
possible to break them, or if they are, say Slaaneshi Knights, to simply
cut them down.
This tactic is for those hot blooded young Elf Generals who prefer
aggressive approach.
The trouble with the offensive High Elf Army is that the Elves are not
really suited for offensive warfare. If, however, you wish to field all
those magnificent Elf cavalry units, this is what I suggest you should
do.
First of all, you must choose who you fight. If Elves ever wish to
win a melee combat, you'll need overwhelming advantage. I compose my
offensive armies from the fastest moving and hardest hitting units I
can, put them all in one flank, and go looking for suitable targets. I
always give Ring of Corin to one of the characters, so if I charge a
unit with the Crown of Command, I'll have a chance to destroy it and
get along with the battle.
The units I use are usually one regiment of eight to twelve Dragon
Princes. They usually get the lion's share of missile fire and spells,
so I rarely put too many points in them. My real hitting power consists
of Silver Helms. At least one large regiment with all possible
equipment and one to two fast cavalry regiments to support their
advance. If I have points to spare, I buy couple of Chariots to follow
my initial charge. Since they can`t make a march move, they usually
arrive too late, though.
The cavalry units need all the possible help they can get. I put as
many characters in these units as I can, and I always include Banner
of Might, Standard of Shielding and the Battle Banner. The characters
who lead the units all get magical weapons. Since I have already spent
considerable amount of points in buying the actual characters, I give
them items such as Dragonblade Lance, Blade of Ensorcelled Iron (to a
Hero in a unit with Banner of Might, if he is faced with an enemy with
lower weapon skill than his own, he will hit automatically!) And the
Ogre Blade. All these items are relatively cheap and effective.
These land bound troops will need some aerial support. Elf Lord mounted
on Manticore is my favorite aerial assault unit. He must be equipped
with all the best items possible: Black Amulet, Slayer Sword and such.
Also, a couple of independent Griffons and Manticores should be a good
idea.
Now, you must always concentrate your attacks against one unit at a
time. A frontal charge with the cavalry, supported by aerial charges of
your flyers, while your fast-cavalry Silver Helms race to the flanks to
get ready to charge in the next round. Wounds caused by the charges, the
boost given by the War Banner/Battle Banner and Terror and panic tests
and your flyers cause should break almost any unit. The trick is to
destroy the enemy units as fast as possible, using concentrated attack
and a local superiority of arms and numbers.
A word to a wise: Some armies like the Skaven and Chaos are simply so
powerful in hand to hand that this tactic is without hope against them.
Also, any spare points should still be spent on Repeater Bolt Throwers.
There is always some enemy units you'll want to weaken before you engage
them in melee.
"From darkness I cry for you,
The tears you shed for us
Are the blood of the elven kind,
O Isha.
Here I stand
on the Last Shore
a sword in my hand
Ulthuan shall never fall."
-A war song of the Swordmasters.
Next part: Greenskin Tactics.