Confirmed Hero Builds
Due to popular opinion, I'm moving builds to this section to give them priority status as fully functional options for an army to use.
Subset - Master
The Great Equalizer
Master - 133pts
Blood Armour, Sea Dragon Cloak, Black Dragon Egg, Halberd
Due to the new rules, we have a new possible bane of our existence, Steadfast! Any unit can become stubborn just by having more ranks than we do before they take their break test. This is a problem, since we don’t do well at attrition due to 5+ armour saves on just about all our troops. As such, we need to remove the ranks as soon as possible while removing attacks to keep ourselves alive. This model is a great bonus to any unit we are intending to use to munch our way through troops in one turn. (Warning: Lots of Science ahead!) This build is intended to be in a unit with the Banner of Murder for the Armour Piercing bonus, since it will stack on the halberd. Due to initiative 7, the master should put out: 2.67 hits due to hatred, resulting in an average of 2.23 wounds against a toughness 3 target. At a -3 save (strength 5 plus Armour Piercing), that should kill most infantry outright. Then, you get 2D6 hits from the Noxious Breath at strength 4, so an average of 7 hits. That means an average of 4.67 wounds. Barring Full Plate, that is another batch of dead infantry (about 3.88 dead). So our one model just put out 6.1 wounds on average, regardless of who charged. That’s over a rank dead before our initiative 5-6 troops get to swing! Assuming we’re in a unit of Warriors, we should have a clear advantage at this point. Now we get to drop 15 attacks (3 ranks, 5 wide with champ, 1 spot taken by character), that works out to 11.25 hits and 5.63 wounds on toughness 3 enemies. That is another 4.69-3.91 wounds on average (depending on parry bonus or not), so we’ve dropped 2 ranks worth of troops in one round of combat. That should let us be ahead on combat resolution and hopefully break the steadfast rule for the opponent to let us plow right on through.
Alternate Build by
Lord Tsunami
Master - 167pts
Battle Standard Bearer, Shield, Sea Dragon Cloak, Beastmaster’s Scourge, Blood Armour, Black Dragon Egg, Luckstone
Lord Tsunami wrote: BMS is almost always better than halberd (as i posted above). It might be paranoid to use so much armour in combination with Blood Armour, but its only a couple of points. He will only have to cause 2 wounds to get down to a 1+ AS, and if that lucky goblin manages to poke him in the eye, the Luckstone allows him to re roll that "1", and is essentially an extra wound.
I put him in a large unit of warriors and when the enemy charges (or i charge for that matter) I use the Egg to deplete their ranks a bit, and get a quick boost of active combat resolution. The Warbanner Ii give the warriors and the extra point from BSB means that I should be able to win at least the first round of combat with a few points, and since I play a deep formation I will most likely have most ranks, making enemies lose steadfast and run.
Subset - SorceressThe ScholarSorceress - 180
Level 2, Tome of Furion, Seal of Ghrond
Reasonable build for added spell options. The 3rd spell gives more options for obtaining the “Greater Spells” to change the battle at a key point. The new rules mean that your arcane is either cast assist or scroll; we can’t have both anymore from what I read. As such, the extra dispel die means you should be more on par with your opponent at the start of the magic phase. Since you’ll always have 2D6 power dice, 3 spells is tactically better than getting 1-2 dice extra power dice if this is your only mage at low scale.
The Sacrificial Lamb aka
The One Trick Pony by
Venkh and
druchii.netSorceress - 220
Level 2, Power Scroll, Dark Pegasus
This build I am moving directly to Confirmed on general principle. Sadly, this build has already been vetted by many other forums and gamers as one of the most absurd ways to stretch the new Lore of Death.
The infamous, personification of Risk-Reward Cheese herself. This Sorceress is the primary build for attempting a turn 1 Lore of Death Purple Sun to rip apart your opponent in a very abrupt manner. Combined with a Lv4 to guarantee that you get Purple Sun of Xereus, this mage flies to an opponent's flank on turn 1 and lets fly with as many dice as possible to guarantee that the one use Power Scroll results in a double for IF casting. The mage is quite likely to disappear afterwards due to either a)being sucked into the Realm of Chaos, b)killing herself with a misfire on Purple Sun, or c)getting shot in retaliation after she drops the bomb. Although this is less useful on Elves, Skaven, and anyone with an Initiative value greater than 3, use of Lore of Shadow on a back-up Level 2 will turn this into a rolling ball of death. To be brutally frank, use of this build in a friendly game may result in you gaining a concussion due to angry opponents/bystanders.
Hypothetical Hero BuildsAny builds I add from suggestions will have the user name credited by listing in blue. Explanations are generally originated from the name credited barring any info I decide to add along the way.
Subset - MasterMaster of ChainsMaster - 128pts
Heavy Armour, Enchanted Shield, Sea Dragon Cloak, Whip of Agony
A standard, solid character with a 2+ Armour Save against close combat attacks, and a 1+ against ranged attacks. Sadly, the new rule regarding magic weapons means that we cannot combine our “hand weapon” magic weapons with shields for the new parry bonus. With 3 Strength 5 Armour Piercing attacks, he has a good chance of ripping holes in the opponent, and then shrugging off retaliatory blows. (Warning: Science ahead!) Running the math, he deals 2.67 hits on average against units (3s to hit with hatred), and then should deal that in wounds since he should on average be wounding on 2s with a -3 to Armour Saves. Leadership 9 gives a nice general boost for our elves, and Initiative 7 means we should frequently get to strike first to deliver our damage early.
Alternate Build - 109 pts
Heavy Armour, Enchanted Shield, Sea Dragon Cloak, Beastmaster’s Scourge
An alternative is to drop the magic weapon and give him the mundane Beastmaster’s Scourge. That would reduce his point cost to 109 points, which is a downright bargain for an elf. The saves would be unchanged, but the strength would drop to 4 for a -2 to armour saves once Armour Piercing is added. However, you would also have the options of hanging the shield on your back, and using hand weapon and scourge to use 4 attacks. (Warning: Science ahead!) That would then give you 3.53 hits, likely wounding on 3s, resulting in 2.33 wounds with the -2 save from the Armour Piercing rule. Although this build results in less kills on average, it is just as effective a defensive option for 19 points less. You would even have the option to make him hold the Ring of Hotek or a similar talisman or enchanted item to support your army instead of himself.
Draich-BearerMaster - 120pts
Armour of Darkness, Soulrender
A simple build designed to deal the most damage he can. 3 attacks at Strength 6 Armour piercing resulting in a -4 to Armour Save will make most characters flinch, and make knights charge elsewhere. His 1+ armour save means he can hold his own as it takes a correspondingly tough model to cut him down. In a unit with the Banner of Hag Graef, he will usually kill the 2-3 models before they even think about swinging. (Warning: Science ahead!) Running the math, he deals 2.67 hits on average against units (3s to hit with hatred), and then should deal 2.225 wounds since he should on average be wounding on 2s with a -4 to Armour Saves. For Knights with a 2+ save he should deal 1.85 wounds, and Chaos or Empire take 1.469 casualties on average. For these I would recommend challenging to minimize the incoming blows before you eat the foolish challenger alive.
Alternate Build - 109pts
Armour of Darkness, Great Weapon
Almost identical in build, the only loss is the Armour Piercing rule and magical attacks versus ethereal. (Warning: Science ahead!) Running the math, he deals 2.67 hits on average against units (3s to hit with hatred), and then should deal 2.225 wounds since he should on average be wounding on 2s with a -3 to Armour Saves. For Knights with a 2+ save he should deal 1.469 casualties, and Chaos or Empire take 1.113 casualties on average. For these I would again recommend challenging.
Crimson Darkness by
DarkAngel16Master - 130pts
Armour of Darkness, Crimson Death
As pointed out by DarkAngel16, this is a staple build that combines the 1+ armour save with 3 strength 6 attacks at our initiative 7. Against standard troops, this guy should have no problem hacking and slashing away. As long as you take into account anything with strength 5 or higher, dying to attacks should be fairly rare.
Focused HarassmentMaster - 136pts
Heavy Armour, Shield, Sea Dragon Cloak, Lifetaker, Lance, Dark Steed
This build is a variation of the hunter builds favored by some. With Lifetaker you can take out most any mage who shows his face outside of a unit, and anything similar to a Skaven weapon team isn’t happy with this accuracy either. Furthermore, with a Lance and the Steed, you can be moving up a flank each turn shooting away until you can start a sequence of charges from one warmachine or 10-man archer unit through to the next. Speaking from experience, partnering with a Hydra works very well for this idea so you get the long range from the Master, medium range from the Hydra, and close combat from both for easy breaking or pinning of non-character units. Lastly, the 1+ save at range from the mundane equipment means that barring a bolt thrower or cannon you should make it to the opposing side without a scratch.
Alternate build - 116pts
Heavy Armour, Shield, Sea Dragon Cloak, Repeater Crossbow, Lance, Dark Steed
This cheaper variation drops the steadier punch of Lifetaker. The saving of 20 points results in less of a distance hunting capacity, but instead lets you focus on getting to the opponent’s side by turn 2 by moving 27"-36" without having to worry about shooting turn 1 since you cannot march and shoot. The armour save is unchanged, so you still ignore most arrows and Strength 4 magic missiles.
Bearer on the Wing by
The Warchief and
druchii.netMaster - 190-206pts
Heavy Armour, Shield, Cloak of Hag Graef, Ring of Hotek, Lance, Dark Pegasus, optional Repeater Handbows
The Warchief wrote:1+ armour save plus shooting and spells at half strength in order to get the Hotek bubble where you want it. Extra wound now and can't target the Pegasus seperately.
A popular build during 7th, and thanks to The Warchief for reminding me I didn't have this one up for 8th yet.
BSB of Doom by
The Internet and
druchii.netMaster - 177-231pts
Heavy Armour, Shield, Sea Dragon Cloak, Sword of Might, Pendant of Khaeleth
-optional equipment: Dark Steed (177), Dark Pegasus (215), Pair of Repeater Handbows
The Internet wrote: Very deadly against anything that doesn't have ranks. Hold up/break lone monsters or ogre sized infantry and the like. It broke a unit of 4 Minotaurs + Gorebull on the charge the other day.
A popular build during 7th and thanks to The Internet for reminding me I didn't have this one up for 8th yet. With a 2+, followed by PoK, it is perfect for holding up those critters too large to deal with normally. The BSB reroll should keep him immune to fear and terror due to a 2.7% chance of failing leadership with the reroll.
Winged PoK of Anti-Doom by
PjEOsMaster - 187pts
Heavy Armour, Sea Dragon Cloak, Dragonhelm, Pendant of Khaeleth, Halberd, Dark Pegasus
PjEOs wrote:I got to the conclusion that some protection is needed against Metal and Death Lore. Unfortunately, for this build to succesfully do its job i can't take 4+WS instead of PoK, therefore this master will be vulnerable to Death Lore. But we can take the Dragonhelm to avoid Metal sniping by dropping the SoM. Dragonhelm takes the place of the shield and allows to take a Halber so that we have:
Flying Master, 2+/1+ AS, PoK, 3 W, 3 S5 attacks, 2 S4(5) attacks from de DP plus stomp.
The main difference with the "BSB of Doom" is the DP. DP provides one extra wound, can't be targeted in CC nor with shooting, allows Master to fly over units to engage with warmachines, mages, etc due to new true LoS and all for just 50 points.
Lately, i've been using it in conjuction with a Shadow Lore lvl4 with Dragon egg and 4+WS in DP too. She can switch positions with the Master when needed, ie: charging the SSorc into Steam tanks and then switching positions with the Master, or as a second warmachine hunter...as long as she gets to cast succesfully one Shadow spell and the Master is in 18' range, she is just like a second Master.
Machine Hunter by
MeteorMaster - 190
Heavy Armour, Shield, Sea Dragon Cloak, Whip of Agony, Dragonhelm, Potion of Foolhardiness, Seed of Renewal, Dark Pegasus
Meteor wrote:So we have a 1+ AS, 2+ward against fire, 6+regen and five str5 AP hits (if you drink the potion) plus two str5 attacks from DP on the charge plus immune to psych. OM NOM NOM
Alternate Build: Morning Whipper by
Gastronauticon Master - 190
Heavy Armour, Shield, Sea Dragon Cloak, Whip of Agony, Dawnstone, Dark Pegasus
Gastronauticon wrote:This yields 2+ re-rollable armour save rather then 1+ AS & 6+ Regen (or 2+ ward vs. fire). A bit less punch on the charge but more staying power (often anyways).
Beast Slayer by
LanceSabaMaster - 142pts
Soulrender, Pendant of Khaeleth, Dark Steed
LanceSaba wrote:He is cheap and should do some good generally ya it is a waste of his initiative but he should knock some beast down (like dragons =D). you could give him some armor but i think it is wasted on monster hunting as they will usually negate it but for 8 points you can give him a 2 plus (cloak included) if you want to be protected from shooting.
Flyswatter by
LanceSabaMaster - 140pts
Blood Armour, Sea Dragon Cloak, Beastmaster's Scourge, 2x Null Talisman, Potion of Foolhardiness
LanceSaba wrote:He is a bit pricey but nice at four str 4 ap 2 attacks a turn he should mow down light infantry. Like I said he is more for support on an extreme flank for a possible unit of warrior or crossbowmen but at that point I would drop the potion and magic res for the guiding eye and seed's of rebirth then throw a crossbow on him. the sea dragon cloak isn't really necessary but it is nice to have if you have the extra points.
Unholy Knight by
CamarisMaster - 180pts
Battle Standard, Armour of Destiny, Shield, Sea Dragon Cloak, Cold One, Halberd
Camaris wrote:If you need a BSB to lead your central battleline and you need the pendant elsewhere, this is your guy. With a 1+ armour save and a 4+ ward save, he can survive the massive amounts of 8th ed supporting attacks and duel a lot of the characters in the game. If you face a lot of ethereals in your gaming group, you may want to switch his magic items with talisman of preservation and one of the 5pt magic items.
"Chuck Norris Shaving" by
AuereMaster – 215pts
Battle Standard, Heavy Armour, Shield, Sea Dragon Cloak, Pendant of Khaeleth, Soulrender, Dark Pegasus
Auere wrote:The fact is, once he charges in, he roundhouse-kicks everything without ranks with +1CR from charging, +1CR from BSB and a soul-rending great weapon! He deals with ethereal, he deals with characters, he deals with monsters, he deals with knights, he deals with monstrous infantry or he can even hold up big blocks pretty well. As for the BSB bonus, it is always right where you need it: In the middle of combat!
Alternate Build: "Chuck Norris Cooking" by
AuereMaster – 219pts
Battle Standard, Heavy Armour, Shield, Sea Dragon Cloak, Pendant of Khaeleth, Dragonhelm, Potion of Foolhardiness, Lance, Dark Pegasus
Alternate build designed to be largely immune to Flaming attacks and the small fry that inevitably crops up. With the one time use of four Killing Blow attacks, he can put quite a dent in anything that he aims at.
Fly Boy by
Geist Master – 215pts
Battle Standard, Heavy Armour, Shield, Cloak of Hag Graef, Dawnstone, Lance, Dark Pegasus
Geist wrote: With the main rulebook change stating that Armour saves are not negated by cannon balls (just the fact that most things can not take a -7 mod to Armour) and only a handful of spells and war machines that deny armour any more. This makes this BSB build very effective at taking incoming fire. A 1+ rerollable save vs. shooting is not easy to take down. The lance is there for those war machines that need hunting down or a combat he can for sure win. Again, the Pegasus makes him stomp proof and adds the needed fly movement to ensure he never need take a charge.
Hell on Wheels by
Geist Master – 219 + Banner
Battle Standard, Heavy Armour, Shield, Sea Dragon Cloak, Lance, Repeater Crossbow, Cold on Chariot, Banner of Eternal Flame
Geist wrote: (Author’s Note: some alteration of remarks for neatness’ sake) There are several strategies that work around this build. First, he has a repeater crossbow so that his few shots can set the tempo for an entire armies worth of shooting at a target that has Regeneration. Since you just need one wound for the Regeneration Save to be cancelled for the rest of that shooting phase, between the character and the other charioteer that has a crossbow as well to help get that one vital wound. Next is the fact that the flaming attacks made by the chariot’s Impact Hits will make his Strength 6 attacks at I7 have a strong chance of cutting into the wounds on the resistant monster.
Author’s Observation: Plus if you get any flaming strike in, the Skaven Hellpit does not get back up later. If you kill it after he gets a wound in, it is going to stay dead for once.
Subset - SorceressThe Priestess of KhaineSorceress - 185
Level 2, Sacrificial Dagger, Pearl of Infinite Bleakness
This build is the mage who gains upon the bloodshed of those around her. With access to an ever-replenishing amount of Power Dice after Power of Darkness and Sacrificing, she can easily blow through opponent’s defenses. The only limitation is the spells she rolls. For instance, if you get Chillwind and Doombolt the Dagger is largely wasted as you should already be getting the spells off. Take this build more for the Lores in the rulebook and have fun with the higher casting values. (see The Pearl is simply to keep your soon-to-be-corpse unit from running due to sacrifices or enemy attention when they realize what power you can field. If fielded the same time as the Ring of Hotek, the offense and defense can be hard to conquer for opponents if you keep this mage from spontaneously exploding with careful deployment and movement phases.
The Mage Bomb provided by
sullaSorceress - 112
Level 1, Dark Steed
This build is depends highly upon the randomness of the dice. The main idea is to trigger the Ring of Hotek on yourself while parked nearby the most expensive enemy unit. With a fair amount of luck you can get the 2-4 result on the miscast table and get a st10 large template centered on your mage to eliminate a chunk of the enemy forces. Of course there are several hazards to consider.
1. Getting her shot or spelled at
2. Rolling the result that starts killing all your other mages
3. Not rolling doubles unless you use all 7 dice and skip the rest of your magic phase.
4. Removing the mage with the same result.
Otherwise, this is a decent option if your intention is to annoy your opponent in a semi-crazy tactical manner.
Super-bomber-woman provided by
Red…Sorceress - 200pts
Lvl1, Ring of Hotek, Earthing Rod, Dark Pegasus
Red wrote:This bad girl is made for flying between/behind the enemies lines and moving within 1" behind or beside her target unit(s). In the magic phase she casts her spell (preferably a really nasty one) using ALL of the magic dice you have available. Odds are that you will not only succeed in casting it, but that your score will be too high for your opponent to dispel it AND you will get a miscast (due to the ring). She then gets to roll on the miscast table (with a re-roll in case you get a score that you don't want) and hopefully do a ton of damage to the victim unit(s) that she is next to. Even though she will probably take a S10 hit, this will only cause a single wound and she has 3 (due to the peggy), so can do this two more times!
It's a bit extreme, but could be lots of fun, especially against an elite heavy army (that unit of Chaos Knights just won't know what hit em!).
Challenge Mistress by
sullaSorceress- 185pts
Level 2, Tome of Furion, Pendant of Khaeleth
sulla wrote:A great support mage. 3 spells gives a great chance of knowing your desired spell in any lore and the pendant makes her virtually immune to most miscast wounds and a potential tarpit vs high strength enemies.
Alternate Build: The Medusa by
AuereSorceress- 235pts
Level 2, Tome of Furion, Pendant of Khaeleth, Dark Pegasus
Similar concept, but designed to stay out of combat while maintaining the protections granted by the Pendant of Khaeleth.
Aeure wrote:Every turn the Meduse picks up all the Wind of Magic dice and throws them at a single game-changing spell, hoping for a high roll or an irresistable force. With her resistance to both shooting and miscasts (3 wounds, PoK), she can also fly to the rear of expensive enemy units and damage them with the miscasts.
That is the Dark Elf way of casting spells. Gamble gamble gamble and cause havoc to everyone :-)
Arrow Mage by
MeteorSorceress- 180pts
Level 2, Tome of Furion, Lifetaker
Meteor wrote:She is primarily tasked with joining a unit of Shades for best results since she then becomes a skirmisher, therefore can march and shoot with the Lifetaker. Fireball will be her primary spell, allowing her to cast fireball on the skirmish target and mop them up with shooting afterwards. Lv2 instead of Lv1 because it'll be easier to cast fireball, Tome of Furion so she has a greater diversity of spells to do other jobs aside from Skirmisher hunting.