D.R.A.I.C.H Magic Phase Tactica

How to beat those cowardly High Elves?

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D.R.A.I.C.H Magic Phase Tactica

Post by Darluith »

D.R.A.I.C.H. Magic Phase Tactica

In this tactica we will be discussing our many magical uses and advantages/disadvantages on the battlefield. With our excellent selection of varied spells, we can unleash the preverbal "hell" against our enemies. With the Power of Darkness spell, we can gain a hefty advantage against enemy dispel dice.

Disclaimer: This is a working post, and is fed by the ideas of the community. In essence, the reader is most certainly welcome to voice his opinion/advice here. As this is a work in progress, please be patient with us as we are working our hardest to bring you a great D.R.A.I.C.H. and are doing everything we can to tabulate the information as we get it/ research it. Thank you for your continuing support to the authors and continue to give such support (sometimes we need it ;) ).

In this tactica you will find incorperated links with authors given proper credit, and a links section to provide you with the points of reference this was derived from. I'd like to this in this all of those whom took the time to point out all this information, and especially Dyvim Tvar, whos two awe enspiring threads gave me the inspiration to finish this (or at least work hard to try :P). Without further ado!

Since this is the begining of the tactica, let me start by giving the warning of MISCAST!!!!!

Our sorceress' in the new edition are very prone to miscasting. With the loss of the Soulstone it is vital that we watch the positioning of our sorceress' in game. That being said, the Ring of Hotek (mentioned a few links below) can hamper our magic phase, as well as the enemy's. it is imperative that we make sure that positioning is a priority when placing our sorceress'. we can then plan out our turns magically, keeping the adverse effects of miscast in check. Thanks, and enjoy.
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Post by Darluith »

D.R.A.I.C.H. Magic Phase Tactica
Power of Darkness and how to gain power die

In this segment, we will discuss some added uses of the Power of Darkness spell, along with some power die boosters.

In its description, the Power of Darkness spell gives you back D3+1 power die to use, provided you are able to cast it at its 4+. There is also the Black Staff that has this as a bound spell.

In my experience, using this spell takes some cunning to get around enemy magical defenses. Being that it is a 4+ to cast, and gives additional power dice to us, it is a frequent target of attrition. Your enemy may know that it does cause wounds it if you don't use all of the dice allotted, and hope you misjudge how many you use on your spells. But that's usually a chance he's not willing to take.

Ploy tactics with PoD

You may decide that you want to employ a spell screen. This is actually a good, common use tactic. Wasting their dispel die is a good idea, leaving them defensless once you cast PoD. You may also want to use a power stone in conjunction with it to seal that magic phase against him, add in a few others like a Sacrificial Dagger, and that may force your opponent to use his coveted scrolls early, making it easier for you to penetrate his magical defenses.

Things to watch out for:

There are a few things that can make using this difficult. The Drain Magic spell can turn your lovely 4+ to a 7+ in no time flat. Unexperienced generals will scroll it, while more seasoned veterens will be sure to watch you like a hawk after the first ploy.

Timing is key here, as anything in warhammer, a well timed PoD will tip some scales in your favor, and make your opponent scream with frustration.

This is a rough exo-outline for the intent, as I'm still going through all of the links provided to make sure that I have everything in line. Thanks for the patience with me thus far.

EDIT by Calisson
See D.R.A.I.C.H. Best use of Power of Darknessfor an extensive study about PoD.
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Post by Darluith »

D.R.A.I.C.H. Magic Phase Tactica
Dark Lore

As we delve hardily into our own lore. Only looking at the book have I come to terms with a few "combos" that can really hurt your opponent (and if you haven't guessed, PoD isn't on the venue). PoD, Bladewind, and Word of pain have been discussed in detail in the threads below. In essence, I have the rest to discuss and put into perspective for you all to use in game. Bear in mind also that this again is theory hammer, and has not actually been play tested.

Chillwind
Range 24", cast on 5+ dealing D6 strength 4 hits to the target unit. Added effect, target unit may not shoot in their shooting phase. Added effect may not be dispelled.

Doombolt
Magic missile, range 18", cast on 6+ dealing D6 strength 5 hits to target unit/character.

Word of Pain
Range 24", cast on 7+, target unit WS/BS reduced to 1 until the start of the casters next phase.

Bladewind
Range 24", cast on 8+, target unit suffers 3D6 WS4, S4 attacks with an allocation to champion/character.

Soul Stealer
Range 12", cast on 10+ dealing S2 hits to target unit with no armour save possible (except wards). Successful wound give the sorceress additional wound, but do not exceed double the starting value.

Black Horror
Range 18", cast on 11+, 5" round template hit dealing wounds via strength test. 6 on D6 will always succeed. No armour saves allowed against wounds and unit is required to take a panic test (does not apply to ItP units/ Undead/Daemons).

Power of Darkness
Caster use only, granting D3 power die that only the caster may use. Unused power die at the end of the phase will cause a S4 hit per die left.

Ok, now that the basic descriptions are in place, now its greater uses will be discussed. Dark magic itself is so much more power packed now (IMO as it was in 3rd edition) and should put fear in our opponent’s eyes. When used in the proper conjunction, this round of spells can be a lethal asset to any Druchii general. The most important detail you must remember is that (as with any spell), they are subject to dispels, miscast (more frequent now), and items that really put hurt on the magic phase. So you must be cognitive of what your opponent does to support anti-magic.

Now for our first spell....
Chillwind is a valuable spell, and can put a stop to a few stray shots. With its increased strength, it can shut down enemy war machines (unless we talk about dwarven types... very different story there). Most archers you will see in warhammer aren't as heavily armoured as ours. Most have a paid save of 6 and no shield option. So take advantage of this spell, as it will almost always (without dispel) cause wounds. When used wisely, your opponent will scamper to dispel it, leaving your more valuable spells open for unimpeded use. Highly shooty armies will find it a threat much sooner and will expend many scrolls and die to counter it. Just use that PoD well and its sure to get through at least once or twice :twisted:.

Doombolt is also a very useful spell, but not on what you may think. When using this spell you should ask two important questions, will it draw attention, and what will it kill best. If used on the right target, it will answer those questions itself. Best used on light infantry (i.e. those pesky swordmasters, PG, and even the White Lions will take a beating from this spell. A good rule of thumb is to try to cast Black Horror to wear out the unit (if in a large number), then pound it with Doombolt after he/she has wasted most of the dispel die.

Word of Pain: See below in links Word of Pain Bladewind Just caught on lol...
To add to this, It can be a valued before CC asset, locking down high WS Cavalry that decided to brave the bullet to charge. It also is a great choice to hold off enemy archery. Be wary of cannons and thing without BS as it will have no effect.

Bladewind: see same below.
Addition to post, Bladewind has more than just a Word of Pain additive. Use it on low WS troops (i.e. Skaven slaves, Clanrats, Skeletons and zombies ect.). Fruitful if used in that perspective.
edit: A question was brought to the community's attention in the form of the thread "Another Bladewind question" posted by Kuren Rath. I Thought I should add some of the interrpretations. In lue of the rule based on Multi die attacks, no they are not distributed like shooting as they are counted as CC attacks. Yes, there is an added bonus to allocate to Champion/character (see above discription), and finally, no, you would not roll placement, as they are close combat attacks. In its relevance to topic, kudos to Kuren Rath for posting this and bringing it to our attention. and thanks to all that clarified it. In addition, it is not a magic missle, so when you clarify its intent, ensure your opponent knows he doesn't get any shooting save bonuses (i.e. Lion Pelts ect).

Soul Stealer is the end all of a slap in the face. S2 wounds with no armour save. That can kill anything with low toughness. Rats, Skellies, Zombies, Elves, anything of that sort. Even their cavalry (though not counting blood knights). Remember that this (and other) spell will bring attention to your caster with maximum dispel trinkets, so a wear down of Dispel die (scrolls) is necessary to make sure this beauty goes off without a hitch.

Black Horror is in a league all on its own. Dealing wounds on a strength test. Large units are usually the targets of this spell, and the degree of difficulty to cast (powerhouse 11+) make casters waste die. A good tactic is to use it first, and target one of the larger units your opponent has in range of the spell. With 7th Ed. you can bluff too, making him waste die for an out of range spell. If they're not real good at guesstimate range they will fall victim to this cheap trick.

Now last but certainly not least, PoD (Power of Darkness)...
Links in the above post "using the Power of darkness spell" will give you great insight on this awesome addition to our magical prowess. The best thing I can say here is that no matter what lore you choose, you will have this spell. That says it all for me there. Otherwise, refer to all the links above on anything dealing with this spell, as well as added comments.

To sum this portion up, I would say that strength has been added to the Druchii magic phase, and we all well know it was needed. Having the versatility now is much improved and making our "own" spells more potent will make new players a bit more likely to stick to the home ground. But it’s good to be versatile, so don't just use one, as your enemies will begin to counter it. Just a thought...

Here are those links provided by the community. Enjoy, and thanks again for reading...
Dark Magic Cards PDF (NEW BOOK)
lol word of pain and bladewind, just caught on
Bladewind and warmachine crews
Bladewind
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Post by Darluith »

D.R.A.I.C.H. Magic Phase Tactica
Death Lore

Here we will discuss the death lore in sections. First, we will go over each spell in detail, and then we will discuss each spells usefulness in battle. Without further ado, here we go.

Dark Hand of Death
Range 24" magic missile, dealing D6 strength 4 hits on target unit or single model.

Steal Soul
Range, 12", single model only, dealing 1 wound with no armour saves allowed.

Wind of Death
Range 24" magic missile dealing 2D6 strength 4 hits. More powerful version of Dark Hand

Walking Death
Range 12" remains in play. Target friendly unit causes fear.

Doom and Darkness
Range 24", -3 to all leadership based tests, Continues to remain if the target unit fails the -3 leadership test at the start of their next turn.

Drain Life
12" radius of the caster. Each unit within takes D6 strength 3 hits with no armour saves allowed. Distributed like shooting.

Now that we have the basis for the tactica (spell effects and ranges) we can now discuss their uses in combat. Being that I have some extensive experience with this lore, I can tell you that it can be a game savior at times. Furthermore, few players actually use this lore, so when it is seen in combat, its rarely known how to deal with it. When you talk about uses, you have to think about what works well with what and on whom. Let's start with the first spell, Dark Hand.

The range is good, the wounds it can deal is average, but it’s likely to slip through, causing at least 1-2 wounds a magic phase. By the time your opponent realizes what he/she is dealing with, it’s far too late to capitalize on it. This makes this spell a dozy when it is taken. Best used on fast cavalry, and light infantry.

Steal Soul is a spell you have to pick and choose well. There are many ward saves out there, and this spell is weak to them. There are however many hero level characters with little to no save against it. It's a fickle spell, and most players I've seen let it slide due to ward saves of all kinds. Just watch what your opponent protects and you might be able to pick a good target for it. Best targets, lone heroes with no known ward.

Wind of Death is the more powerful version of Dark Hand (as previously stated above) and is great for all types of situations. Word to the wise here, Wind of Death is well known unlike the other spells in the lore of death, and your opponent will waste valuable dispel die trying to stop it. 2D6 strength 4 hits are nothing to scoff at. Best used against light infantry in blocks of 20 or more.

Walking Death's affects are simple. unit causes fear (terror if already causes fear). This can really work to our advantage now with some new fear causing units (i.e. Executioners with Tularis). The best tactic I use with this spell incorporates the use of it on CoC's. It’s awful to see your opponent try to charge a terror causing chariot. It’s better used on the CoK's when fighting horde armies. But the real kicker of this spell is fighting goblins later in the game when you start to outnumber them. Now you have the ability to make your spearmen cause terror.

Doom and Darkness is a very situational spell. With higher leadership armies (i.e. Dwarves), its best to use it more frequent, especially as close as you can. Watch the stubborn stunties take leadership tests at -3 and fail 40% more with this spell. Tactically, its uses are clearly obvious.

Drain Life is by far my favorite spell to use with the DP or DS sorceress. With it, if you can avoid the rate of fire from enemy archery and artillery, you can march block and light up 3 units. The beauty of this spell is that it doesn't allow armour saves. So everyone is a target. Just be wary of the lone skirmisher(s) on the table, as your sorceress will bite it hard if alone.

So here we've discussed some general tactics for the little known (but certainly useful lore of Death. I hope you enjoyed my tactica here and I will be delving into the others soon. Thanks for reading and as stated above, keep up the support of your D.R.A.I.C.H. writing teams.
Last edited by Darluith on Tue Aug 12, 2008 3:55 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Post by Darluith »

D.R.A.I.C.H. Magic Phase Tactica
Shadow Lore

In this portion of the thread I will describe in detail the lore of Shadow, and add to the why you should take it thread. So first, let’s look at the spells.

Steed of Shadows
Range 12", cast on a 5+, first revert spell. May make a single character with no more than unit strength of 1 fly 20". May be cast into combat to remove/charge a single model.

Creeping Death
Range 24", cast on a 6+ dealing 3D6 S1 hits to target unit with no armour save possible (except wards).

Crown of Taidron
Range 12" area of effect. Cast on an 8+ dealing D6 S4 hits to all units in range to include friendly and the caster.

Shades of Death
Range 12", cast on a 9+, remains in play. Target friendly unit now causes fear, causes terror if already fear causing.

Unseen Lurker
Range 12", cast on an 11+. Target friendly unit may make a normal move as if in the movement phase. If the opportunity permits, they may charge as normal.

Pit of Shades
Range, whole battlefield, cast on a 12+. Target unit must pass an initiative test or be destroyed.

Ok, there are the descriptions. Let's look at the individual uses. I will tell you first about why (IMHO) you should take this and any other lore offered. Versatility is the key to success. If you stick too one lore, your regular opponents will know your dirty tricks. Switch it up on occasion to keep them guessing. With that said, on to the uses...

Steed of Shadows is a wonderful spell for powerhouse (or foolish) characters wishing to get to the enemy quicker. However, a little known tactic (or one I have rarely seen said here) is used. If you have a sorceress with the steed, and harpies to screen her, why not use this lovely spell to get her close to use such things as Creeping Death, or the crown. If she’s expendable (Khaine knows we all are), then this tactic could be a big help to you with lightly armoured, high numbered forces. Other well known tactics such as feign flight (steed of shadows version), and take out what you can. Honestly, if you fly an assassin in there, the point is never to see him again right? But there are greater possibilities here than just using it the way it is generally used.

Creeping Death gets moderate reviews due to its low strength value. But 3D6 wounds with no armour save... That’s nothing to scoff at, where armies like Skaven and undead are concerned. The bigger they are, the more likely the panic comes for Skaven. With undead, anything that whittles numbers is good. Enough said, but that’s for you all to decide.

Crown of Taidron... not a lot to say here... It's a choice you have to make. Using this may result in the loss of your sorceress, but D6 S4 is pretty decent if you’re hitting 4-5 units with it. Great to combine with a steed spell, plus harpy screen (as stated above).

Shades of Death is a common theme as there is another just like it in the lore of Death. Giving your units fear/terror is always a plus against psychology based armies. Only problem with this is that its remains in play.

Unseen lurker is by far one of the best spells in the lore. It gives you the ability to become undead for a magic phase (with the exception of casting it only once). Multiple sorceresses with this can make for a very annoying magic (and CC) phase. Make sure you're eyeing the distance before the attempt, as you can overextend your lines.

Pit of Shades has a few uses. The #1 use of it is against Dwarves. Having an initiative of 2, they are very vulnerable to this spell. With PoD, you can really have a chance now to get this on off against the opposition, hurting the strong gunlines, and holding up troop movement. The small template however is a minus here, but it does the job well enough.
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Post by Darluith »

D.R.A.I.C.H. Magic Phase Tactica
Metal Lore

As always throughout this tactica, I will begin with the short descriptive on the Lore of Metal, and then give you some tactics to use in game. All disclaimers are posted in the previous few and I won't become a parrot of repetition.

Burning Rule of Iron
Range 24", cast on a 5+ dealing a strength hit on a single model equal to the models Armour save. No save/S1, 6+/S2 ect. Counts as a flaming attack.

Commandment of Brass
Range 24", cast on a 6+ causing targeted enemy war machines and chariots a no move fire action until the end of its own following turn. Addition to this is chariot crews which are not affected and may still shoot as normal (not in the BRB).

Transmutation of Lead
Range 24", cast on a 7+ and may be cast into close combat. Target units armour and weapons become lead and suffer -1 to saves and hit/wound during that turns close combat phase.

Distillation off Molten Silver
Range 24", cast on an 8+ dealing 2D6 S4 hits to target unit. Counts as a flaming attack.

Law of Gold
Range 24", cast on an 8+. Target unit must nominate one magic item in the unit. D6 roll of 1-3, the target may not use it for 1 turn. D6 roll of 4-6 they may not use it for the rest of the game. This spell has no effect on units without magic items.

The Spirit of the Forge
Range 24", cast on a 12+ dealing 2D6 hits to target unit with the same effects as Rule of Burning Iron.

Ok, now a brief narrative....
The Lore of Metal is one of the better additions to our lore choices when it comes to heavy cavalry, highly armoured foot troops (i.e. Chaos Warriors, Vampires, Treemen). It’s an awesome lore if you can use it correctly in the sense that it can turn the game when you need it to. But enough of that, on to spell tactics.

The Rule of Burning Iron is a spell I like to use on single models in units, as it doesn't have the restrictions of a magic missile (look out sir... forget it!). It deals one wound on a value based on armour saves. In essence, if you use it on Chaos chosen, you’re going to get some wounds. Do not try this on Dragon Princes as they are immune to flaming attacks (most of you already know this).

Commandment of Brass...... Well we all know whom this is effective against, but I'll run them down in case you don't know. Empire, Skaven, Chaos, High Elves, Dwarves, and Chaos Dwarves (don't mention those too much... maybe we should), just to name a few, basically anyone with a chariot, war machine, or anything along those lines. Nuff said right?

Transmutation of Lead is a spell that is very effective against a wide variety of troops. You can use it to lessen the strength of your foe (think Shield of Ghrond on this.... -2 to the wound roll). But it also adds -1 to hit and to the armour save, making low save, low WS troops less effective against the masses.

Distillation of Molten Silver is a more powerful version (IMO) of Chillwind. No stop shoot effect, but an addition D6 hits and counts as flaming attacks. So it's a good one against those regenerative foes and the flammable ones. Whatever wounds you score against a Treeman, for example 7 hits off the 2D6 roll and you wound 5 of them. He gets his barkskin save at a 4+ but not his forest spirit save. So he saves 2 of 5, I guess that’s toast for him as he has 6 wounds and just took 6 on double damage. The only problem is rolling those 6's to wound it. Well it's a chance right, and just an example.

Law of Gold is one of those catch 22's. It can be useful in certain situations (i.e. that horrid ring of corin), but overall distilling a magic item in a unit. Not all warhammer armies carry many in a unit, taking into account for unit characters of course. More something we would have to watch for also when fighting armies that wield it against us. Useful, but not too useful IMO.

The Spirit of the Forge.... Now this spell really says I'm going to kill your unit, and there isn't a thing you're gonna do about it. There are plenty of heavy cav units that dread this spell and if you can cast it, it commands respect. Tactically the best spell in the Metal range, but its high casting value doesn't leave a lot after. The best advice I've heard so far is the same manner as Black Horror, as in you cast it before you use PoD. This way you can effectively waste either their dispel die, or a definite scroll. It’s a good tactic as it leaves them with this choice. Scenario: You used Spirit on a unit of Silver Helms, using 4 power die. They have 5 DD total and use a counter 4 to dispel you. They succeed in the attempt and now you cast PoD with all remaining sorceresses in your employ. What are they going to do? Statistically, they will allow the PoD to go through, hoping that they have enough dispel scrolls to counter, and that’s when you cast the low casting value spells that they wouldn't waste spit on. Little do they know the casualties are increasing, and it leaves them with the duh look. They think, well why didn't I dispel that. But it's too late. IMO of course!

There you go D.Net. We’re one step closer to the goal of a complete magic phase tactica.
Last edited by Darluith on Fri Aug 29, 2008 1:55 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Post by Darluith »

D.R.A.I.C.H. Magic Phase Tactica
Fire Lore

Here you will find the descriptions and tactics for the Lore of Fire (as best to my knowledge). As before, I will go through each spell both in short description and tactical description. So here we go!

Fire is your typical base lore in the colleges, giving you a variety of ranged unit effect spells. It focuses mainly on blasting your opponent to oblivion with fiery goodness. But with that comes some tactical advantages. So spell description time.

Fireball
Range 24", magic missile cast on a 5+ dealing D6 S4 hits to target unit.

Flaming Sword of Rhuin
Cast on herself on a 5+, remains in play. The sorceress gains +1 attack, hits on a 2+, and adds +3 strength while this spell is in effect. Cannot be combined with other mundane/magical weapons.

The Burning Head
Range 18", cast on an 8+ dealing a S4 hit in a straight path against all models within it (resolved in the same way as a cannonball). Units taking unsaved wounds must take a panic test.

Fiery Blast
More powerful version of Fireball, cast on an 8+. It deals 2D6 S4 hits on target unit.

Conflagration off Doom
Tabletop range, cast on an 11+. Marker based spell, dealing wounds when the spell strikes. The longer the time of drop, the stronger the spells strength.

Wall of Fire
Range 24”, remains in play, cast on a 12+. Targets the front rank of the enemy unit (including characters). Unit takes an automatic S4 hit. As long as the spell is in play, if the unit moves it takes an additional S4 hit and then is automatically dispelled. Against units with 360 degree line of sight, the wall does not form and it causes hits as if you cast fireball.

Now let's discuss these spells.

Fireball is your most basic damage spell. The only tactical use for it is against flammable targets and units with regen saves. Otherwise, it’s only S4 and will more than likely be saved against (depending on your target that is).

Flaming Sword of Rhuin is more of a tactical use spell in the effect of flame weak characters and such. But a mage with S6, 2 attacks, and hits on a 2.... That’s almost a guaranteed 4 wounds on something like a Treeman, Troll, or anything else with a regen save and high toughness. Nuff said right?

The Burning head...
This one’s is more of a miff to me. No one has used it against me before as it yields no real advantage. I could say that using it against low leadership, low save/toughness troops could yield you a panic test or two. But other than that, no real advantage I can muster up here.

Fiery Blast is a 2D6 S4 monster against flammable targets. Is no guarantee though as it's only S4, but still, I've lost many of good elves to this spell. It’s best to use this on the low save/toughness also.

Conflagration of Doom.....
I read this tactic on another site and some of you that transit may recognize it. It is used by the HE to block routes of travel. By casting this on the route most likely traveled, you can force your opponents hand, making it take longer to reposition for the advance. Another tactic (as with some of the other high casting level spells) is dispel die waste, forcing for a more potent spell.

Wall of Fire....
This spell is used by my arch nemesis frequently. His greatest advantage with it is to stop one of your harder hitting units for a turn, effectively forcing you to reposition (same with the above spell). But it’s usually something like BG or Exe's. Best again used on something valuable (but not too tough on the save).

If any interesting links pop up I will put them here. As previously stated, I am looking for some additions to this tactica. Be it experiences, some better tactics, anything along those lines. You can either post them in here or PM me with the ideas.
Last edited by Darluith on Fri Aug 29, 2008 6:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Darluith »

D.R.A.I.C.H. Magic Phase Tactica
Choosing a lore based on your style and on the enemy

In this thread I will delve into choosing magic that is best suited for your individual army "need". Doing this takes an analysis of two things. 1. Your army as a whole, and 2.You as a general. If you're new to us then you probably haven't done either. In essence, I will tell you in this thread what you should do and how to go about it.

A good rule of thumb is to put your army out on a table of some sort, look it over real good, and make sure that it’s what you really want. Make sure you note where your army is weak, i.e. missile troops, shock infantry ect... Once you have decided that this is the army for you, it’s time to self analyze to see what you're weak in. From this analysis, you can make a definitive decision on where gaps can be filled with magic.

If you decide on the fast mover, suggestion would point you to shadow. Heavier list would include Dark, Fire, Metal, and Death. These can really bolster your force on the move. The choice in (and always will be), infinitely up to you. So this tactica is real simple. Step 1: Army analysis, step 2: Self analysis, step 3: choosing the lore that bolsters great effects and enhances your army.

The most important step I can mention here is play testing. If you're on the table often, you can make better observations as far as what magically to take. For example, you're in the game, and you have a fast list. You have a hero on foot that you really want to get to combat before the main line, but there are no assassins in your list. You decided to take Shadow and reverted to the Steed of Shadows spell. You have a lot of fast moving troops and can get them there before your hero dies. Shall I go on?

To sum up, it’s all up to you, the general, to make this decision. Remember, it's all self analysis, and the more you are able to analyze the situation, the more likely you are to make the right decision on the lore you choose.

I noticed that a collegue of mine had a few suggestions on this portion. So i will add those in good faith to his knowledge of the subject. Multiple wizards on the table (be it you or your enemy). There are many advantages/disadvantages to this. Advantages are plainly obvious here, more wizards, more power/dispel die. But it holds true on the other end aswell. You have to be wary of large point games where wizards are exceptionally cheap (skaven warplock engeneers for example). If this happens you will be out gunned, even with the PoD spell. To counter this, I have a suggestion. It involes a statement made later I believe in this thread. The Null Talisman it 15 points and can be used in multitudes. So consider this, Masters in your units with mundane equips and 3 Null stones (45 points) will shut down most of the enemy's magical onslaught. There are also other ways of doing this. Scroll caddies can tilt the odds aswell, giving you a good vantage. Now this makes you magically defensive, and you should only do this against armies that are activly casting at you (i.e. High Elves, Lizardmen, Chaos, ect.). It may or may not be useful against VC's/Tomb Kings due to the fact that most of their spells are self effects. But those are 2 out of the vast multitudes of armies available.

I'd like to thank Dangerous Beans for pointing out this oversight. It's one of the finer points of magical prowess. If your able to defend your sorceress, you should be able to grate your opponents nerve and that will (in chaos theory) cost him the game. True, the game isn't won in the magic phase, but if you frustrate your opponent in it enough, you'll throw him in other phases. I think thats all, and continue to add to this as always.

I just found an interesting post with great ideaology for lores to take vs the enemy. You can find it in this link:
What Lore to take Vs which army
Last edited by Darluith on Wed Sep 03, 2008 7:21 am, edited 5 times in total.
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Post by Darluith »

D.R.A.I.C.H. Magic Phase Tactica
Defensive Magic (taken from Dvyim Tvar's Defending against Enemy Magic -- The Druchii Way)


Magic defense is all about postitioning, timing, and above all, how you play the dice. If you give your enemies a chance to use their power dice, they will use them in multitude... But give them a low silhouette, and they have nothing worthwhile to cast at. If you combine this simple tactic with items, and a strong sense of strategy, you should survive, and even counter their magic phase. productivity is also a factor. If you can't (or refuse) to tackle enemy mages, you give him the chance right? Shut your enemy's phase down, and see just how much he/she can stop. Common tactics right? But they work if you can pull them off.

Dvyim Tvar has written an excellent rendition of Defensive Magic that I felt deserved to be here.

Please follow the link to his thread here: Defending Against Enemy Magic -- the Druchii Way
and come back for what follows.
Last edited by Darluith on Sun Feb 08, 2009 3:50 pm, edited 10 times in total.
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Post by Darluith »

D.R.A.I.C.H. Magic Phase Tactica
Most dangerous enemy magic, and how to cope with it

I now have the info needed to complete this portion. In this segment of the Magic Phase Tactica, you will find useful links and information pertaining to the most "dangerous" spells each army has to offer, and which items/ actions you will take to counter them. I offer this link as again Dyvim Tvar has put into action a great piece to this puzzling art. The link is Defending Against Enemy Magic -- the Druchii Way

I will add to this link with spell descriptions and useful tips to aid you in your defense.

High Magic
Our hated brethren have soe very lucrative spells to use against us. countering them takes crafty cunning on our part. But with artifacts such as The Ring of Hotek, Null Talismans, and the Seal of Ghrond make this just a bit easier. I will give you all of the spell descriptions and then give you which are the ones you want to watch out for.

Drain Magic
Known by all High Elf Mages. Cast on a 7+, +3 to all casting vaules and is cumulative. Last until the start of the casters next magic phase.

Shield of Saphery
Cast on a 5+, 18" casting range and may be cast into combat. Gives target a 5+ ward save until the casters next phase.

Curse of Arrow Attraction
Cast on a 6+. 24" range. HE units may reroll failed to hit rolls and template partial hit rolls on target unit.

Courage of Aenerion
Cast on an 8+. All units in range are stubborn until the casters following magic phase.

Fury of Khaine
Magic Missile, cast on an 8+. 24" range dealing 2D6 S4 hits on target unit.

Flames of the Phoenix
Cast on an 11+, Remains in Play. Range 24" dealing 1S3 hit on target unit. increases by 1 each passing magic phase.

Vauls Unmaking
Cats on a 12+. Range 24" and may be cast into combat. opposing player must reveal all magic items in the unit. The caster then chooses to nullify one of those items permenatly. In the case of Dwarven Runes, all runes are nullified.

Ok now for the danger spells
Flames of the Phoenix and Vauls unmaking are two of the most dangerous spells in the High Magic list. Word to the wise, dispell these at all costs as they will eat through you and wear you down. now I will break them down seperately.

Flames of the Phoenix
This is a spell that can inflict massive damage if not dealt with quickly. The idea of this is to dispell it promtly. 1 strength 3 hit isn't that much, but it will biuld if you forget about it. Remember this helpful tip from your BRB. you may dispel remains in play spells with your remaining power dice. So if you took the hit to dispel another spell or bound item, dispel this as soon as you get the chance.

Vauls Unmaking
This nasty spell will ruin your plans with any hefty magic item. But there are great counters for it. If you have null talismans and a Ring of Hotek, now would be a great time to employ them. Dispel this at all costs. Remember they have it in a ring form aswel so save at least 1 DD for the Ring of Corin.

Drain Magic
Third on the list due to the lack of damage to your other phases. But on the list due to its damage during your casting phase. +3 to casting values is nothing to scoff at, so employ things like dispel scrolls. Don't throw all of your DD at it though, as the above two trump this lovely spell.

The Ring of Hotek and Drain Magic An interesting querry I have for you all here. could (in theory) you employ the Ring of Hotek due to it effecting the entire battlefield (including coming into contact with that lovely character equipped with it? I would say that it could be an interesting gamble to mention.

The magic of the Wood Elves
Total coverage is the name of the game here. I apologize in advance as this is going to be a long tactica. The Wood Elves are the masters of the forest. That as it may, their spells on the whole do little in terms of damage. instead they envoke a more bestial fury in unit advantage/unit effect. Here are the spell descriptions.

Tree Singing
cast on a 4+ (Treemen carry it as a bound power 3 I believe). Moves 1 forest within 18" D3+1. Causes D6 S5 hits on non Asrai units in the forest.

Fury of the Forest
cast on a 6+, range 18" causing D6 S4 hits on target unit. If target unit is within 6" D6 S5.

The Hidden Path
Cast on a 7+. Range 18". Affected unit cannot be harmed by non magic missiles, and treat all terrain as open ground for the purposes of movement. Lasts until the casters next phase.

The Twilight Host
cast on an 8+. range 18" and may be cast into combat. Target friendly unit causes fear. If target unit already causes fear then thay now cause Terror. Lasts until the casters next phase.

Ariel's Blessing
Cast on a 9+. Range 18" and may be cast into combat. Target unit gains regeneration until the casters next magic phase.

Call of the Hunt
Cast on an 11+. Range of 18" and may be cast into combat. Target unit moves 2D6 towards the nearest enemy it can see (LoS needed). The enemy may only hold as a reaction to this charge (if one comes of it). if no enemy in LoS, target unit moves straight forward. Units already in combat gain +1A in the next CC phase.

Danger Spells

Tree singing
while a moving forest seems truly harmless, lets look at this in two ways, damage and tactics. D6 S5 hits on units isn't someting that you should take lightly. Its a rank of troops that you no longer have. In regards to tactically, the WE player can use this spell to block LoS of your wizards, RBT's ect.. While you can employ the Ring against it a Null Talisamn would be virtually useless as its not directly used against the wearer. Most WE players usually waste 3-5 PD a magic phase on this 9along with its bound counterpart). Have him waste die on it early, but don't let it go once he/she's put the forest at half board.

The Hidden Path
This is on the list as it makes your mundane shooting absolutly moot against the target unit. not to mention them moving around the board like ethereal troops (thats the point though). trouble with this spell is that It renders the Ring and Null Talismans useless as it never comes in contact with them. unless the spell is cast on a unit within 12" of the bearer of the Ring you must conserve DD for this spell.

Call of The Hunt
By itself (depending solely on the unit its used on) is not to much of a threat. Back it up with the above spell and you have a problem. this means that if you are defended behind an obstacle or something they can see through to you but not normally charge through, now they can. deal with this spell sapringly however. If you feel there is no threat, don't waste the DD.

Vampire Counts
These lovely undead have two main focuses in the magic phase. thse are raising units and healing units. There is a thrid focus aswell that we all know and hate. Hellish Vigor and Vanhel's Dance Macabre are spells that you want to pay specific attention too. But i'm ahead of myself... Spell description time.

Invocation on Nehek
Cast on a 4+. Range 18" healing D6 wounds to target unit or character. Vampires, non-infantry and ethereal get 1W. Resurrected models don't gain charge bonuses.

Raise Dead
Cast on a 5+. Range 12", raising D3+4 zombies. raised units cannot start in CC.

Vanhel's Dance Macabre
Cast on a 7+, 12" range. Target unit not in CC may make a march move. This move can be used to charge the enemy. a unit can only move once in one magic phase. Units in HtH gain ASF and re-roll to hit in CC.

Gaze of Nagash
Cast on an 8+, range 24" causing 2D6 S4 hits.

Curse of the Years
Cast on an 8+. Range of 18". target unit suffer a wound on a 6+. -1 per magic phase. No armour saves for wounds inflicted.

Wind of Undeath
cats on a 12+ and may only be cast into HtH. Enemy units in HtH suffer a wound with no armour save ona 4+. Spirit hosts are created with the remaining wounds within 12" of the caster.

Summon Undead Horde
Cast on a 12+. Range 12" raising 5D6 zombies or replenishing 3D6 wounds across any number of units as invocation.

More to follow...[/b]
Last edited by Darluith on Tue Dec 30, 2008 5:52 am, edited 5 times in total.
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Post by Darluith »

D.R.A.I.C.H. Magic Phase Tactica
Magic Synergy (Cross Lore Combos)

Ok, to all that have asked about this, here's how this is going to work. I'm going to start with Dark Magic, then Fire and so on. Once I've done each individual lore I will then start combining lores. Bear with me as this will be a long run.

Dark lore combos: Word of Pain + Bladewind. I think we all know what that does. Hits on a 3+ all the time, and S4. so 3D6 worth of 3+'s in my book takes a big cake lol. Works best on light infantry with US of 1 (might work on Ogre Kingdoms if you roll well)

Soul Stealer + Black Horror... Dice waster. Your opponent will either waste the die/scrolls to dispel, or lose 50% (or more) of the target unit. Works on all types of units.

Lore of Fire combos: other than the Die waster (Conflagration + Wall of fire), nothing to combine here. Works well on fire weak monsters and light infantry.

Lore of Metal: Transmutation of lead + Commandment of Brass. Works well against enemy war machines. Good skirmisher / flyer tactic.


Lore of Shadow combos: Steed of Shadows + Crown of Taidron. Works well against light infantry in a grouping formation (more than 2 units within 12" of you).

Shades of Death + Unseen Lurker. Die waster, Works well with fear causing units.

Creeping Death + Pit of Shades. Works well against Dwarves (take a chance with a good roll, you have 3D6 worth :twisted:)

Lore of Death combos: Walking Death + Doom and Darkness. Great against any non ItP unit. Best used on fear causers.

Steal Soul + Drain Life: Best used on MSU or battered units with characters.

This is the individual read, now we can discuss the cross lore combos. we will start with Dark and work our way to the final lore combos.

Dark and Fire combos: No specifics at this present moment.

Dark and Metal combos: Transmutation of Lead + Word of Pain (Courtesy of Silverheimdall) Work well against all types.

Black Horror + Spirit of the Forge. Die waster, great against heavy troop types (except units/characters immune to fire attacks).

Dark and Shadow combos: Steed of shadows and any spell you need to get close with (i.e. Black Horror, Doombolt, Soul Stealer).

(IMO) Creeping Death + Chillwind. Best used against enemy gunlines (w/multipule wizards at your disposal).

Soul Stealer + Crown of Taidron. Best used on light infantry, will cause a decent amount of wounds. Your opponent is bound to miss something ;).

Word of Pain + Shades of Death. You may ask "why this combo?". Well, if you use it on CoK's that charged a large block of troops (or spears that charged), you have a greater likelyhood of breaking them and destroying them.

Word of Pain + Unseen Lurker: No descriptive here, just good for a charge.

Pit of Shades and Black Horror: Another glorious die waster. If used on low initiative troops, it can yeild great results.

Dark and Death combos: Will need some input on this, but here is the one I know for a fact works.

Drain Life + Black Horror: used against any unit in game as it doesn't allow armour saves. Also (yes again) another die waster. If your opponent knows about this combo he wil waste dispel die to stop it from destroying his heavy troops.

Fire and Metal combos: Firey Blast and Distillation of Molten Silver. Good against fire weak models causing 4D6 wounds. imagine double if you roll well (ouch).

Flaming Sword + Transmutation: Works well against light infantry. Note: You must have your sorceress in a unit for this to work. Her attacks alone won't break the unit. Preferably a unit of CoK's.

Commandment of Brass and Conflagration: Will destroy warmachine crews as they can't get away.

Fire and Shadow combos: Steed and anything you need range to use (Fireball, Firey Blast, ect).

Use your judgement on this lore combo as you may find something useful.

Fire and Death combos: Burning Head and Doom + Darkness. May force a panic test in a large unit of infantry.

Metal and Shadow combos: Same as above, Steed and anything with range.

Pit of Shades + Spirit of the Forge. Die waster that can cause masive damage to Low initiative Cavalry units.

Metal and Death combos: Wind of Death + Spirit of the Forge. Lots of wounds here, 2D6 definite if not dispelled, plus and additional 2D6 S4 hits on the same unit.

Shadow and Death combos: Crown + Drain Life. Great at picking out light units.

Doom & Darkness, Shades of Death and Unseen Lurker. Nuff said...

Thats all I have, now you may also add to this synergy. I perfer PM's to keep these clean, but in short i'll give you a brief descriptive of cross loring.

There are too many combos out there to name them. These are just a few that have either been used against me or I have used. They may or may not work for you, but its ultimately up to you to decide what does work best for your army. remeber in the previous, self analyze. It helps, believe me. Look in your BRB in the lores section and I bet you will see a plethera of combos that cause massive wounds, horrid effects, or just generally aggrivate your opponent. I just put up some of the obvious. Thanks all fo reading.

I'll have the link here for easy reference:
Magic Lore Synergy
Last edited by Darluith on Sun Sep 07, 2008 12:23 am, edited 6 times in total.
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Post by Darluith »

D.R.A.I.C.H. Magic Phase Tactica
Game Winning Magic in 7th Edition Warhammer
as it is written by Dyvim Tvar


Have a look to his thread there: Game-Winning Magic in 7th Edition Warhammer
and come back for what follows!
Last edited by Darluith on Wed Jan 07, 2009 5:18 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Post by Darluith »

D.R.A.I.C.H. Magic Phase Tactica
Tactica Links

In this segment, I have placed all the links from the ToC (formerly found in this thread also) into a reference page so that they are easier to find. I hope this helps others gather the information more quickly.

Overview Links

Heavy Magic in 7th Ed. book
Using DE Magic
Trouble against HE magic phase
Is there a point where you have too much magic

PoD and how to gain Power Die Links

Using "Power of Darkness" spell
Power of darkness spell
D.R.A.I.C.H. Best use of Power of darkness

Lores of Magic Links

Dark Magic Cards PDF (NEW BOOK) EDIT: the link to the nice cards is gone. :(
lol word of pain and bladewind, just caught on
Bladewind and warmachine crews
Bladewind
Shadow magic, and why you should take it
The Lore of Metal

Choosing lore based on your style, and the enemy

What Lore to take Vs which army
Magic Lore Synergy
Need help choosing right spells for right enemies

Defensive Magic

Tactics: new ring of Hotek
Seal of Ghrond in the 7th ed
Is the ring enough?
Dispel Scrolls
Ring of Hotek without Scorll Caddie
Defending against single PD spells (Ephasis on Gut Magic for the below section)

Coping with the Onslaught: Enemy Magic Revealed

Trouble with HE magic phase
power dice....
Last edited by Darluith on Sun Feb 08, 2009 6:58 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Post by Dangerous Beans »

Heya Darluith! Good to see ya again old chap - hows the spy work going? ;):D

Great start on the D.R.A.I.C.H. Magic phase tactica! I'm pretty sleepy right now so will add some more input when I'm more awake but I just thought to add the idea of the combo of Focus Familiar in relation to the Death Lore - in particular its very handy for getting the 'sweet spot' for casting Drain Life: often this position is somewhere you wouldnt normally want your sorceress to be! The familiar sorts this out. Its also lends you some extra reach to pluck the souls of enemy heroes (and champions) with Steal Soul.

Thats my 50ps worth for right now - more in a jiffy!

Keep up the good stuff mate - well done for taking on such a task!

- Beanz
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Post by Calisson »

I realize only now that this article has been completed since Feb 08, 2009 :oops: but Darluith has been very silent since January.

As hyperlinks are provided by Darluith above, I need not anymore to collect links to threads about magic.
Subsequently, I cleared off the D.R.A.I.C.H. Table of Contents of several lines which had no more use.

I've found a few more threads:
Warhammer Fantasy Battle Magic Cards: (for printing)
What is the worst spell in the new rule book
*Is magicless DE possible?
Efficient Minimal Magic Defense
BDE/Null talisman
Magic - Is it really worth it?
Is it me or do Dark Elves suck at magic?
Harpies as mage killers...something doesn't add up....
Last edited by Calisson on Wed May 19, 2010 8:27 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Post by Elsu »

Darluith wrote:D.R.A.I.C.H. Magic Phase Tactica
Power of Darkness and how to gain power die

In its description, the Power of Darkness spell gives you D3 additional power die to use, provided you are able to cast it at its 4+. There is also the Black Staff that has this as a bound spell.


Very nice summary, but you always say PoD "gives you D3 additional power die". You get D3+1 right?
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Post by Calisson »

Yes.
Spend 1 or 2 PD.
Get 1+D3 PD (or miss).

EDIT Dec. 02, 2009: Did a little bit of cleaning in a few posts above.
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