Old rules redux: Mengil Manhides Manflayers

[Underway]

So for those of you who do not know anything about regiments of renown the main Dark elf regiment was known as Mengil Manhides Manflayers.

They has some pretty swanky rules and were excellent at a number of things (including dying quickly to magic missiles). I used them instead of shades in my Corsair lists as they seemed to fit so much better than normal shades. Manflayers are the original idea for the nice bumped stats of the Dark Elf shades, that and the idea that shades could carry great weapons.

I've decided to update their rules a bit here to match the new reality that is their miniatures and their models as these rules were created with a few differences to the dark elf list (aka 2 armybooks ago).

MENGIL MANHIDE'S MANFLAYERS

Points - 275 for Mengil and 4 other members of his unit including musician and standard bearer
+22 points per additional model to a max of 9 models + Mengil

Stats - WS 5 for base troop vice WS 4 as we are using shades as a base for development, all other stats remain the same

Equipment:
Mengil
-Brace of Repeater Hand Bows - this replaces his "special RHB" in the rules as this was the first sighting of the modern RHB that eventually showed up with the corsairs, he now gets and extra shot and a bit of extra range
-Heavy Armour
-Great Weapon

Manflayers
-Repeater Hand Bows - these actually match the models who look like they have RHB vice RXB, it also counteracts balances out what used to be a non-AP weapon. I actually think that RHB are more characterful for the Manflayers as they seem to be a get up in your grill type unit.
-Great weapons
-Heavy Armour

Special Rules:
-(Hatred) High Elves
-Always Strikes First - bonus rule to match the new DE
-Murderous Prowess - bonus rule to match the new DE
-Flayers - Causes Fear and may not pursue as similarly listed. Very scary with all those skins hanging off them. And their reputation is nasty too. The bonus VP is actually a bit OP in todays game.
-Poisoned Attacks - Dark Venom now causes killing blow, so back to normal poison for these guys. Don't need KB skirmishers now do we...lol
-Banner of Kalad - Same as listed but doesn't allow for scouting, that's done by the manflayers themselves (pts issue). Still causing -1 and -2 to hit from shooting on top of other modifiers.
-Scouts
-Skirmishers

I costed them using Scouts with LA and GW as a base. Heres the calculation/estimation:
16pts base + 1 (LA) +2 (GW) -2 (RHB) +1 (HA) +2 (Flayers) +2 (Poisoned Attacks) = 22pts
*scout if from the banner, not the individual model so that is costed for in the banner

Mengil is costed using a Master as the base:
70pts base +4 (brace of handbows,) +4 (GW) +4 (HA) + 10 poisoned attacks + 5 (flayer) = 97
Command +10 musician, +10 standard bearer
Banner of Kalad +50pts

Required unit size:
Mengil (97pts) + Standard bearer (+10+50+22) + musician (+10+22) + 2 Manflayer's (+64) = 275pts*

* this is cheaper than the listed price for them in the PDF, however they are actually one Manflayer short, to add the extra Manflayer you get 297 pts, or 12 pts more expensive, the full unit of 15 (including Mengil) is 495pts where previously it was 460pts . This makes sense as they now have ASF, +1WS, and MP where they didn't before.*

Go forth and have fun!

As an aside, using them with a RAW interpretation of the current armybook/BRB rules makes them have AP RXB's with KB on their shots (vice Poisoned attacks). However they don't have ASF, or MP on their profiles.

[Saintofm]

I like it.

Seriously, I miss the dogs of war, and this should be a good nostalgia trip for some players.

[T.D.]

Cool

[Dangerous Beans]

Lovely, really like these rules - this unit made a fine addition thanks to the poioned shots and BS5 (again the initial concept behind the modern shades) in my army, in fact they really were the first time I ever heard someone proclaim that Dark Elves are overpowered! They used to sit in a Forest pinging away at treemen, greater daemons, high elf dragons and all sorts of horrible nasties whilst my poor sorceresses desperately attempted to fend off the magic missiles being thrown their way!

As soon as the models came out I pounced on these bad boys, Chris Fitzpatrick's last escapade in druchii model sculpting for GW and what a terrific finale these made. I still have them and they retain pride of place for inspiring the Death of a Thousand Cuts list (see sig. below) which has as yet remained undefeated for me throughout 8th edition since it arrived and seems to have possibly even inspired the druchii lists that featured in the latest UK Masters Tournament!

I really like the idea of Handbows for these guys, I agree that they are much more 'in your face' than normal druchii. It'd make them way more overpowered but I'd love it if these guys also claimed the Hatred rule as both a tip of the hat to our previous armybook, the fact that anyone who skins others for fun must have some kind of burning desire to see them dead, and because it'd really make this unit different in combat to shades (aka VERY strong) who lack the ability to re-roll hits. Probably have to add about 3-5pts per model for this ability however

Also, I many dogs of war unit leaders/characters had magic items besides the banner. I'd love to have a fluffy (literally?!) item for Mengil himself... GW if you read this, PLEASE bring back Dogs of War - they were fantastic!!

So, next up, the unit that GW never came round to sorting: Gorganash's Blood Drinkers?

[Kargan daemonclaw]

So Mengils manflayers are really executioners with rxbs, intersting idea for a unit.

[Underway]

So Mengils manflayers are really executioners with rxbs, intersting idea for a unit.

No more like shades with poisoned weapons and heavy armour. The redux of them creates a very different unit that is completely unique in its form.

Here's how I see them working. Due to the new RHB rules they have QTF which means they can run around, and shoot with only -1/-2 from repeater and range. Their range of 12" means they have to get close to the enemy to make it work. They would be excellent at killing monsters, war machines, chaff and harassing small missile units. They are like tougher skinks that way. Then add in the nice combat abilities of GW and poison with MP and you have a never fail to wound type unit.

They are very vulnerable to magic however, but that's ok as they are almost impossible to hit with missile fire (-2 to hit at 12", -3 at longer range).

[Saintofm]

Nice. This will be fun using them again.

[T.D.]

Found the even older rules for Mengil:

http://www.solegends.com/citrr/rr04manhides.htm

Before the Elven wasting disease arrived on the Warhammer World (the extra pounds also accounts for the lack of fleetness of foot!).

I like the Hawklord guy

[Amboadine]

Yeah. Shame they decided to retro that Mengil ate Hawkbane.

[Underway]

Nice find!! Its so old even I don't recognize half of the stat line.

[T.D.]

Nice find!! Its so old even I don't recognize half of the stat line.

Int = Intelligence

Cl = Cool

WP = Willpower

So, our hero Mengil had the intelligence of an Einstein, the cool of a Thriller-era Michael Jackson and the willpower of Arnold Schwarzenegger. And that is why Dark Elves shall inherit the earth!

(If you're looking to thank me, you can mail a cheque to my retirement home)

[Dangerous Beans]

Hahaha TD! This also made me chuckle:

Note that the company consists of both Elven males and females, Dark Elf women being easily as mean and aggressive as their menfolk.

As if some dudes girlfriends in the 80s weren't like that already?!

I also enjoyed:

Mengil is a Mighty Dark Elf Hero.

HELL YEAH HE IS!!

My mates got into the rather laughable habit of calling the unit 'Mangy Mengil and his minging manhides'. They had to make silly names to try and ease the pain of me wiping the floor with them whenever mengil appeared on the table...

[T.D.]

I'm sure Mengil would be proud of the terror beneath the name calling you inculcated in his enemies!

I also think his father sounds like a badass too:

Kraal the Hearteater

Maybe one for Calisson's comics?