Doomfire Warlocks

[Lodoss1980]

Gents,

I have been playing a game of 10 now with my new Elves.
As per most of the posts the warlocks are mandatory for all lists.

So far I had them in most of my lists however they just seem to be running around not doing much.
Can someone please explain me how to play / use them?

Thanks!

Lodoss

[direweasel]

Depends on the specifics of the list, but for the most part, it's generally like this

- early in the game, you avoid bad guys and shoot missiles.
- late in the game, you rear charge something that's already engaged from the front to help turn the combat and win the game.

[Daeron]

Don't forget Soulblight! If you have shooting in your list, that's a terrific spell

[direweasel]

Don't forget Soulblight! If you have shooting in your list, that's a terrific spell

Fair enough, and I have used that spell from time to time as well. I guess I was giving the short short version.

[Vulcan]

1) Magic. Doombolt is a great way to destroy small enemy units and weaken mid-size ones. Using Soulblight on a unit you're going to concentrate fire on - or engage in melee - makes the subsequent attacks all the more painful.

2) Combat. 2 ASF S4 Poison attacks HURT, especially against low armor units (regardless of the toughness). The 4++ save makes them surprisingly durable as well.

3) Maneuver. Don't forget, they're still M9 Fast Cavalry. They can do all the same maneuver shenanigans that Dark Riders are capable of (missing only the musician for the +1 to rally after a flee). Feigned flight can be devastating because many players don't expect you to use them that way.

[Phierlihy]

I also use 10 Warlocks and a lot of my opponents really dislike them. Others have already mentioned magic but also they crush enemy war machines or chaff. And they are so fast people have a hard time tackling them. Run them up the side of the board and through them into the flank of anything that you're also hitting from the front - you have a great chance of breaking that unit. I like to think of them as 250 points well spent!

[tehnico]

I'd just thought of something. And maybe it's been covered already. I've always thought there's little advantage to taking a Warlock Master if you're not planning on any combat.

But... can I direct the miscast D3 wounds on to a master, thereby preventing unsaved wound overflow?

Also, I wanted to add. I've only used DW's in combat once, and they performed amazingly. The were cornered (poor deployment, my bad) and his units were bunched so I relegated them to a tarpitting role. A unit of skins with krox, and a carnosaur cowboy right behind. The first turn I murdered the skinks, he broke through the carn, the carn held, he tried and failed about a 10 inch charge, I charged him, failed (!), he charged did one wound, I fled (!), he couldn't catch. All in all I lost one DW against 16 skinks, a krox, and a scar vet on a carn. His skinks and krox all died, and his Cowboy moved a total of maybe 10-14 inches the entire game. Massive win for 125 points.

[Lord Foster]

Mine never live past my opponent's 2nd turn everyone at my meta knows them well and focuses everything they got on my warlocks and riders. But im still learning so that might be my fault

[marcopollo]

For the warlocks,

1) avoid mass small arms fire.
2) take on big gribblies. They don't get stomped and most big monsters suffer from poison (due to lack of armor). So they excellent at taking out those guys straight up.
3) Very good at occupying flanking positions with their vanguard. So I always take a small unit of shades to help me get board control during the scouting phase which allows me to vanguard into the empty spaces.
4) As said before, good unit to pound out doombolts and soulblights and spread the magic threats around the board.

[Fade]

yet another great point about the Warlocks:

they give you more flexibility in making an army list.
For example I never take a normal sorceress anymore.
Warlocks are superior in so many ways:
Level 2 caster, 5 wounds, 4+ wardsave, 2 amazing spells,
already mounted on dark steeds.
And they are good in close combat as well... 10 poisoned str4 attacks, excludings mounts, is quite powerful.

Which gives you more points to put into other (close combat) lords and heroes, like a master or dreadlord!

It's very important to exploit their great mobility, which may take some practice
I'm sure you will learn to love them, like most of us here probably already do

[Vulcan]

If your opponents are throwing everything at your warlocks, take advantage of it. Maneuver your warlocks out to the edge of small-arms fire of multiple units, so they need ALL their fire to take them down. Or move the warlocks to outside their firing arc, making them reform to fire at them.

Consider your magic defense carefully; one warlock is just as strong a caster as five (although with less miscast protection). Sometimes it's worth saving that one guy to get another spell off next turn. And sometimes it's worth letting the spell through to have more dispel dice for other things.

And while they're hammering your warlocks, move up your melee elements. Two turns of movement from infantry has them in easy charge range. Two free turns of movement from Cold One Knights could well see them in combat! And any FLYING combat characters can also be in combat easily with two free turns of movement.

In short, remind your opponents that it's not just the WARLOCKS that are dangerous in a Dark Elf army.

[Tactical Dark ELf]

Depends on the specifics of the list, but for the most part, it's generally like this

- early in the game, you avoid bad guys and shoot missiles.
- late in the game, you rear charge something that's already engaged from the front to help turn the combat and win the game.

This times 10. Oh and 6 dice doombolt, hope you misfire, then laugh at the misfire effects (D3 wounds) with your 4++ ward save.
Then rear charge and cast soulblight on that unit....... Good Game.

In my experience avoid heavy calvary if you can, although a flank will be nice.

[Tactical Dark ELf]

I'd just thought of something. And maybe it's been covered already. I've always thought there's little advantage to taking a Warlock Master if you're not planning on any combat.

But... can I direct the miscast D3 wounds on to a master, thereby preventing unsaved wound overflow?

Also, I wanted to add. I've only used DW's in combat once, and they performed amazingly. The were cornered (poor deployment, my bad) and his units were bunched so I relegated them to a tarpitting role. A unit of skins with krox, and a carnosaur cowboy right behind. The first turn I murdered the skinks, he broke through the carn, the carn held, he tried and failed about a 10 inch charge, I charged him, failed (!), he charged did one wound, I fled (!), he couldn't catch. All in all I lost one DW against 16 skinks, a krox, and a scar vet on a carn. His skinks and krox all died, and his Cowboy moved a total of maybe 10-14 inches the entire game. Massive win for 125 points.

Let me tell you a story. In a brutal and I quote "bloodbath"1500 game against high elves in turn 5, there were left on the table.
Warlock Master
Warlock Master
CoK champion

4 lothern sea guard with
Level 2 Wizard

I rear charged with a Warlock Master and then front charged the other Warlock Master( who had single handedly wiped out a ton of stuff doombolting an eagle, and two Reaper Bolt throwers from the other side of the board in combat by himself) And CoK champion.
The CoK accepted the challenge he issued with his champion and the Warlock Masters killed the wizard and the rest combined with horses.
The End.