2250pts DE

Get critiqued on your latest army here...

Moderator: The Dread Knights

Post Reply
Da nerdy one
Slave on the Altar
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Feb 27, 2009 6:30 pm

2250pts DE

Post by Da nerdy one »

Hi everybody!

This is my first post, on this forum.

I would like to start a DE army when i am finished painting my chaos, so i just made this ary list and i would like your opinions.

It is based on small units, more than big blocks of infantry. There is also lots of magic and shooting in the army.

Supreme sorceress
-level 4
-sacrificial dagger
-scroll
-seal of ghrond

sorceress
-lvl 2
-focus familiar
(She is just there to hide and kill things in the magic phase without being seen)

sorceress
-dark steed
-tome of furion
-lifetaker
(She will join a unit of DR. I have given er a lifetaker instead of an extra magic level because i really like the lifetaker, it can easily take 2 swordmasters a turn for example and it only costs 30pts)

Master
-dark steed
-shield
-sea dragon cloak
-heavy armour
-pendant of khaeleth
-battle standard bearer
-lance
(He is for warmachine hunting and supporting a charge from the black guard, he should survive most shooting. I have given him the battle standard just because i can, it is always usefull i think)

19 warriors
-full command
( for sacrificing)

2*10 repeater crossbowmen.

5 DR
-crossbows
-musician

5 DR
-crossbows
-musician

2*5 harpies
(also for warmachine hunting, but mostly marchblocking)

5shades
-GW

5 shades
- GW
( i just love scouts, and then scouts with BS 5 and GW= Yes please!! )

10 black guard
-standard bearer with banner of Hag Graef
-tower master wtish Null Talisman
-musician
( they are a must have. i'm thinking of maybe finding the pts for a crimson death instead of the null talisman. I just thought the magic resistance would be usefull )

war hydra

2 RBT.

What do you think??

- da nerdy one.
User avatar
Calisson
Corsair
Corsair
Posts: 8820
Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:00 pm
Location: Hag Graef

Re: 2250pts DE

Post by Calisson »

Hi, da nerdy one, welcome in druchii.net.
You selected the right army, and the right forum!

Let's review your list.

Sorceress -level 4, -lvl 2, lvl 1. -1 dark steed (join a unit of DR)
Your magic phase will be extremely powerful, able to get over quite any magic resistance.
I strongly recommend levels 4-2-2 instead of 4-2-1, a level 1 is just good alone as scroll caddy.
About magic, see the tactics forum, there are stickied threads that you should read: offensive magic, defensive magic, and the D.R.A.I.C.H.. In the D.R.A.I.C.H., you'll find hyperlinks to many useful threads (and many less useful ones). Have a look to the thread D.R.A.I.C.H. Best use of Power of Darkness

For sorceresses, mounts must be examined very carefully.
CO must be avoided although the model is beautiful.
A sorceress on foot is vulnerable and must be babysitted. The most obvious is to have the sac dagger sorc inside a unit of warriors. I'd recommend to give it to a level 2 instead of the level 4, who can use the black staff; see "Best use of POD". Also, a level 2 will kill less of your own troops.

A level 4 is very nice on a dragon ( while the dragon fights, she can cast over it) but it is very expansive, especially since you have other characters.
With a Peggy and the focus familiar, she can remain safe and is terrific.
On a dark steed, she can join unit and jump from one to another one. Nice except if you have many buildings.

The recommended mounts would be overall:
1 footed sac dagger, 1 focus familiar Peggy, 1 dark steed.

Now their magic objects:
-sacrificial dagger-focus familiar-tome of furion: great
-scroll -seal of ghrond: seems an overkill as you'll have 6 DD. 1 scroll should suffice, even none should work.
-lifetaker: you're right! it will pay back its points.


Master BSB-dark steed-pendant of khaeleth
As melee is not your main goal, the BSB is not very useful. Warmachine hunting is done by harpies & DR. Taking him just for the BG is too expensive.
Why don't you consider instead an assassin, who would go either with the BG or, much better, with the shades? See the recent GW FAQ, they agreed the "charge turn 1" trick with shades & assassin.

19 warriors-full command (for sacrificing): is the standard really worth?

2*10 repeater crossbowmen: try to take a musician and consider shields, often useful.
2 RBT
Excellent shooting combo. Just remember not to leave RBT unprotected.

2*5 DR-crossbows-musician: very versatile unit. Beware they are fragile and expensive. Excellent warmachine hunters.
2*5 harpies: excellent.
2*5 shades-GW: excellent choice. They are fragile and expensive, their role is to side-charge heavy cavalry. This is best done with an assassin in either one of the units.

DR and shades are a good accurate complement to your main shooting - must shoot last on targets unsufficiently affected by the MXB & RBT. Lifetaker shoots very last.

Harpies, DR and shades are the essence of the Dark Elves.
They are the most agile units. They shape the battlefield to your needs and prevent a proper use of the battlefield for your opponent.
You have plenty of them. Just learn how best to use them.

10 black guard-banner of Hag Graef-Null Talisman-musician (crimson death or null talisman?)
war hydra
These are your two only tough melee units. Fine, melee is not your goal.
Their role is to wait for the enemy and get at him if he threatens your army, and finish him off in the end of the battle, when magic & shooting will have reduced him.

The hydra is great for that. Incredibly robust, fear causing. Do not overestimate its killing expectancy, more than often it will loose to static combat resolution. This is when a complementary side-charge by shielded MXB will be very welcome.

ASF BG with FC is a classic. Null talisman is overkill, since your magic defense is good already and the likely targets for opponent's magic will be the sorceresses, especially if the BG does not move forward. Crimson Death, why not, it's a useful magic attack; soulrender is a good alternative.
10 BG is a small unit, had you wanted it offensive, you would have needed at least 15. But for your army, it is good.
An alternative for BG could be the chariot; nice threat for incoming troops.

With these comments, your army seems good to go and worth the investment.
Enjoy your painting and tell us more when you will play it!
Winds never stop blowing, Oceans are borderless. Get a ship and a crew, so the World will be ours! Today the World, tomorrow Nagg! {--|oBrotherhood of the Coast!o|--}
Da nerdy one
Slave on the Altar
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Feb 27, 2009 6:30 pm

Post by Da nerdy one »

Thank you for the reply.

I dont really like dragons that much in games under 3000P, so that is a no. But maybe a dark pegasus. About the overkill in dispel dice, then i could just remove the seal of ghrond and a warrior for the level 2 upgrade on the mounted sorcerer.

Maybe the master wont be worth it but, i have a good idea for how to make it so i' going to try him first. I'm also going to get an assasin, but i didn't think he would fit in with a magic/shooty army. And what is that first turn charge thing?

shields could be a good idea if i find the pts.

But if somebody would explain th first turn charge trick with shades, then i would maybe consider a assasin.
User avatar
Calisson
Corsair
Corsair
Posts: 8820
Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:00 pm
Location: Hag Graef

Post by Calisson »

Shades hidden in a wood in the middle of the board, 2.5" inside the wood. Nobody sees them, nobody can shoot at them.

Enemy gets first move. Moves forward and presents his flank to the wood. Feels safe, as the shades don't see him.

DE's turn. Reveal assassin at the beginning of the turn: the assassin takes the place of one of the shades, the one at 2.5" fom the wood's edge. The displaced shade finds a new legal place, at 1" of the assassin and 1" from the wood's edge.
That shade declares a charge on the unit it now sees well.
Flank charge with GW shades and assassin. :shock:


Worse: the shade unit is 2.5" inside a wood, at 10.5" from the enemy.
DE get first move. Same trick. Now the closest shade is at 9" from the enemy and sees him. A skirmishing unit is not slowed down by woods.
Charge with shades + 1 assassin in turn 1 on a lone magic user or a warmachine. :lol:


However, be aware that no one can charge to a longer distance than its double-marching distance, so the lone displaced shade may well be the only one in contact... :?
Worse if you fail the charge and find the wole unit out of the woods, just in front of an aggressive opponent... :(


This has been confirmed to be legal in the recent FAQ released by GW.
Winds never stop blowing, Oceans are borderless. Get a ship and a crew, so the World will be ours! Today the World, tomorrow Nagg! {--|oBrotherhood of the Coast!o|--}
Da nerdy one
Slave on the Altar
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Feb 27, 2009 6:30 pm

Post by Da nerdy one »

Ok, that could be a possibility for the army.
Post Reply