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With the higher then normal LD of the Dark Elf army, is a BSB as needed as most other armies?

If needed, would be better to be mounted on cold one, dark steed, Pegasus or on foot?

Would a Master or Hag be the better option?

Thought of this as points could be used for just another Sorceress or Master.

Again thanks in advance as just starting to assemble my army and wanting to use all the various kits I have to there best potential.

A BSB is not essential because dark elves do have good LD, but in my experience it helps a lot. Because one bad dice roll and you could lose that one key unit. I run only one master, he's on a dark Pegasus and I make him my BSB. It's not optimal because he's usually flying around, but it's only 25 points so I throw it on there. Your best bet is probably to hide him in a unit though.

Unless you are playing a 500 point battle, I would recommend always taking a BSB. Dark Elves have above average leadership, but they cost a lot of points per model, so losing a unit due to a failed leadership test is unacceptable.

General Kael wrote:A BSB is not essential because dark elves do have good LD, but in my experience it helps a lot. Because one bad dice roll and you could lose that one key unit. I run only one master, he's on a dark Pegasus and I make him my BSB. It's not optimal because he's usually flying around, but it's only 25 points so I throw it on there. Your best bet is probably to hide him in a unit though.

So Pegasus Master is my best bet as he can be where I need him, when I need him?

Beastlord Rakarth wrote:Unless you are playing a 500 point battle, I would recommend always taking a BSB. Dark Elves have above average leadership, but they cost a lot of points per model, so losing a unit due to a failed leadership test is unacceptable.

Should the BSB Master be more of a defensive or offensive build though? I guess could be both if mounted on a Pegasus but if on foot, better to be more defensive.

Thanks again for your help.

I like my bsb either on a dark peg or steed. I like him with a 1+ save and the cloak for the 3++ from shooting/extra badassnes in combat. And a lance. He can put a good dent in monsters/characters/small units etc. He is a great support character.

I tend to prefer him on a dark peg as you can fly him where you think he will be most needed (either for the bsb effects, combat supports etc.) in a flash.

I use my BSB mostly on an elven steed. I put him in a unit of DR, warlocks, or cold one knights. Usually with ToP (4+ ward) and charmed shield and lance. Very durable and he stcks with my main battle line supporting the main force. I often move him from one unit to another as my line advances on enemy positions.

But I have run the cloack of twilight pegmaster BSB too. I found him very effective, but I found it hard to have the discipline needed to keep him for ld support. There are just so many tempting targets that he was often out of ld range.

The death hag BSB on the cauldron is what I use when going with the cauldron and witch horde. Too easily killed for my taste, but that is a completely different style and almost completely different army approach.

What I did for my cauldron was to make magnetized parts so that I can get the use of either one when I want. I have an old caudron and I put it on a homemade chariot when I want to run a "Two towers list".

My BSB is generally on foot in my unit of Corsairs. when Possible i give him Full Mundane, Enchanted Shield, Dawnstone and Shrieking Blade.

Gives him a good fighting chance with a 1+ Rerollable and a chancd to drop my enemies WS to 1 (which helps tje Corsairs aswell)

The specifics will depend on the rest of your list and what you're trying to do. I've successfully used BSB's as part of a witch elf/cauldron horde, I've used them successfully as part of a Cold One Bus unit. I've used them successfully in a unit of Executioners, as well as other places as well.

For a long time I was very much committed to a BSB on cold one. This is impart at hang over from the previous army book where the hydra banner and nearby cauldron could make the unit truly lethal. I have kept this up recently as a hero here is very useful in improving the punch of the unit and the reroll of leadership tests has proved invaluable on stupidity tests.

However following one too many fixes of the model I’m changing it up to have a Dark Peg Master with the battle standard. The model itself is riding a bulked up and considerably more hairy white lion with DP wings leaping from a rock that I originally intended to use as a Manticore master. It was ok next to the old metal model but with the great chaos Manticore looks way too small these days so has been repurposed as a dark Pegasus. My hope is that it will give me a model I can still chuck into my Cold One knights but give a bit extra protection and ability to move to where I need it.

I do always keep a reserve choice of BSB in my cauldron of blood which i have drilled into to allow the fitting of two banner to represent a battle standard. This is useful in more infantry based lists where speed in not such an issue and the 18” stand your ground from large target makes up for not being able to hop around

I've got 2 main lists, either Witches with CoB, in which case the BSB is a Hag on the Cauldron, or a Warlock Bus, in which the BSB is in the bus. I think it's too good not to take - for example in my last game the Warlocks went all game without failing a leadership test, rolled 11 in turn 5, where the BSB jumps in. Plus it's static combat res. 25 points is a small price to pay to allow your unit to re-roll testing to march, or a crucial leadership test. With the WE, it helps with trying to reduce cons of frenzy.

Leadership is so pivotal in WHF. Always needing to roll for LD test at lots of intervals in the game. Its about getting a re-roll. For 25 points I can't see why you wouldn't take a BSB.

Two games ago I initially lost leadership tests on two units of Dark Riders after a unit of shades got wiped out by artillery fire, the re-roll saved the day.

At the moment i'm running Master on pegasus with lance and Armour of Destiny, which gives a 1+ and 4++. The lance is a must, especially alongside a Pegasus Dreadlord, a combo charge took out an Arachnarok in two turns, with only one wound against the Master, in my last game.

Dreadlord, Pegasus, Sea Dragon Cloak, Shield, Lance, Cloak of Twilight and Dawnstone alongside Master with Pegasus, Armour of Destiny, shield, lance and Sea Dragon Cloak is what i'm running.

The flying on both means my leadership ten and re-roll can be wherever I want it.

I am fielding a BSB on Manticore recently, and there are some big differences compared to the BSB on Pegasus.

- No warmachine hunting
- 18" bubble is 1/3 bigger than 12" bubble
- More careful and reserved, so less a 'solo' character
- Terror !
- Thunderstomp !

So currently, I like BSB most on Manticores

I tend to prefer one on foot or steed. If I use a dark pegasus BSB, he tends to be doing other jobs and being to far from main combat,.. (it might be more a case of me being a bad general and making bad decisions. But my peg should be as free to go and roam wherever he needs to/wants to.)

My builds that i prefer are: dark steed, full mundane, dawnstone, lance, potion of strenght and a cheap 5 point item if you now which one

Lord Drakon, I've never tried a BSB on a manticore. Do you just give him the Cloak of Twilight or do you have some other build?

I used three builds so far
- talisman of preservation and charmed shield with halberd
- black dragon egg with halberd
- cloak of twilight with lance

None of the magic items made a difference so far, but it wasn't shot at when I did not allowed it. In combat I experienced the enemy always allocate attacks to the manticore above the BSB, most of the times not able to kill it in 1 or 2 turns.

I lost the Manticore eventually in 4 of 6 games (Terrorgheist scream, Nurgle magic, Rock Lobba, Clanrat horde) but never lost the BSB and always proved its worth by the 18" bubble, terror, thunderstomp, manouvre and protecting its rider in combat. I used him more defensive as reserve because of defensive playstyle, but will playtest him more agressively the coming battles.