Compensating for missing key units in army lists

Get critiqued on your latest army here...

Moderator: The Dread Knights

Post Reply
User avatar
Lesebyst
Trainee Warrior
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2014 5:01 pm
Contact:

Compensating for missing key units in army lists

Post by Lesebyst »

Are there guidelines for building army lists which lack specific troops, or is this too complex a problem to be solved this way? I've seen that not every list contains every unit, I'm guessing there are ways of handling gaps left by specific types. I was thinking of something like 'No troop type #4 - compensate by taking troop type #5 and #6 to provide a way of handling T4 enemies'. Is this an answerable question?

The ones I was wondering about were;

No Witch Elves -
No Dark Riders -
No Warlocks -
No ST4 infantry -

Thanks in advance!
Enslave all the races!!!
My Budget Druchii Army Blog
User avatar
Dreadlord Veritas
Trainee Warrior
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2014 6:05 pm

Re: Compensating for missing key units in army lists

Post by Dreadlord Veritas »

Hello there.

I believe that the question is answerable, though the answers will vary depending on skill, play-style and list type. The alternatives in a Twin Tower, MSU and a Cavalry Bus list are going to be different, due to the differences in how they play.

Do you have any preference as to which types of list you're thinking about?

Beyond that, replacing Warlocks with a unit of Cold Ones and a Sorceress might work.

Replacing Dark Riders is somewhat tricky, as they perform many different roles. One aspect can be covered by Harpies and another by Darkshards, but neither of the alternatives give the positioning and versatility of the dark riders. One may be better against a given enemy, but worse against another.

My usual list doesn't run any S4 infantry, and I find replacing them with a 10 strong Cold One unit works reasonably.

Basically... There isn't a default answer for all lists, but there are answers for specific lists.

Hope this helps?
User avatar
Lesebyst
Trainee Warrior
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2014 5:01 pm
Contact:

Re: Compensating for missing key units in army lists

Post by Lesebyst »

That is helpful, thanks! I'm trying to build a list around what I have, I'll need to make a couple of purchases and I don't want to go wrong with them. I currently have the following available and would be looking to build 1000-1500pt lists;

10 Corsairs
20 Bleakswords
20 Darkshards
20 warriors on sprues

10 Cold One Knights (15 if I take torsos from the warrior sprue)
10 Shades
1 Cold One Chariot
1 Reaper

2 heroes on horses or cold ones
1 hero on foot
2 Sorceresses
1 Assassin
1 Dark Pegasus (can build any type of rider for it)

I'm aware I'm missing out on fast cavalry, harpies, witch elves and exe/bgs. My preference for a list would be one using as much of what I have as possible! :)
Enslave all the races!!!
My Budget Druchii Army Blog
User avatar
Dreadlord Veritas
Trainee Warrior
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2014 6:05 pm

Re: Compensating for missing key units in army lists

Post by Dreadlord Veritas »

Hello,

Good to hear that my feedback was useful.

As for what armies you can build out of that, I'd be tempted to go for a core of two units of ten to twelve darkshards, with musician and standard bearers if you can manage it. If this is insufficient core, going up to three or four units of ten. An alternative is a bunker of 15 - 20 Bleakswords for your Sorceresses and darkshards to fill out points. Ten corsairs can be a viable option, as everyone will underestimate them. Especially with a Sorceress with Occam's Mindrazor nearby, as that can turn the unit into 30 strength 8, ASF attacks. (Ouch!)

Moving on from this, you easily have two units of shades, going with whichever weapon combination suits your models. Great Weapons are statistically better, but only by a little.

A unit of 10 Cold Ones with the Razor Standard and two mounted characters, (Dreadlord and Master BSB) can be a very effective unit so I'd suggest this.

The Pegasus can either be turned into a Supreme Sorceress with the Cloak of Twilight and any other magic items you want, or a Noble with the Cloak of Twilight, a sea dragon cloak, heavy armour, shield and a lance. These are the two common Pegasus characters, given a lack of others.

Beyond this, using the models you have should round you out to a good list. Personally, I'd avoid too many more characters as you'd already be on one/two Lord choices and two hero choices with what I've said above.

As a second combat unit, as I've only suggested using an additional 10 warriors, you could make the remaining 5 Cold One Knights as a backup/supporting cavalry unit.

Unfortunately, this would benefit from Dark Riders over Darkshards... But so do most Dark Elf forces.
User avatar
Lesebyst
Trainee Warrior
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2014 5:01 pm
Contact:

Re: Compensating for missing key units in army lists

Post by Lesebyst »

Brilliant, thanks for the detailed info! I guess it's Dark Riders I should look at getting hold of then, I was just a bit worried I'd be seriously gimped by my lack of special infantry, rares and witch elves.
Enslave all the races!!!
My Budget Druchii Army Blog
User avatar
Dreadlord Veritas
Trainee Warrior
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2014 6:05 pm

Re: Compensating for missing key units in army lists

Post by Dreadlord Veritas »

For reference, I usually run the following:

Dreadlord, 1+ reroll-able, Dark steed, Giant blade, other tricksters shard.
Master, Dark Pegasus, 1+, lance, cloak of twilight.
Master, cold one, Ring of Hotek, great weapon, 1+.
Master, dark steed, dragon-helm, 1+, great weapon.
Supreme sorceress with various magical items and a dark steed. I usually run Dark magic but the lore could be Death, Metal or Beasts, really.

20 Witch Elves, (yes, I know. They're good, but aren't required. I have 20 Corsairs I use occasionally instead) with the banner of eternal flame.
10 Cold One Knights with razor standard.
3 units of 5 dark riders, musician, standard, shields and repeater crossbows.
5 warlocks.
8 warlocks.
2 Reaper Bolt Throwers.

As you can see, I don't use the elite infantry. I also don't feel the impact of not having them. For reference, the above list is about 2400, rather than the 1500ish that you were aiming at.

There are lists that function off of a large unit of Executioners and a large unit of Witch Elves, (Commonly called the "Twin Tower" list), but it is definitely not the only valid build for Dark Elves.
Post Reply