Need Background info on Cold Ones (new to DE)

[Silphid]

Hi! New to this forum, and actually don't know much about the Druchii at all. The new models are making me consider making my first WHFB army as a Dark Elf player.

Modelling and painting is my first appeal. I'm groing fond of a winter-themes DE army, and was wondering about Cold Ones. Lizards being cold-blooded and therefore incompatible with winter, how inappropriate would cold ones be in the winter, according to the Lore? I read that the Homeland of the druchii is a winter wasteland, so I figure their cold ones must somehow fit in this.

I can't wait to get my hands on the new army book, but never having read the previous books, could you tell me more of the Cold one background? Would CoK in winter theme be silly/against background??

Thanks!

[Khel]

Welcome to D.net mate!

The Cold Ones of Naggaroth are found within the caverns of mountains throughout Naggaroth. They are then bred to fit into the conditions of Naggaroth. Lustrian and Southlands Cold ones are different from Naggaroth Cold ones.

CoK in winter theme fits perfectly. Remember the Northern Watch Towers? It would be freezing up there and with the CoK constantly patrolling the area would certainly fit into the winter theme.

[Saint of m]

In either version, they are used for their viscouseness, and not their intelect (which is some where inbetween a rock and a potato, and the rock is still smarter.) Except for Spite, the runt Malus Darkblade rides upon, they are about as smart as a rock (and the Rockis aurguably smarter.)

Dark elves started riding them when they left Ulthaine. Both breeds are viciouse, and wil often turn on their riders. Lizardmen have to be of one of two spawnings: One for Soarus warrios (can't remember the name) but they secreat a smelly chemical that makes the coldones think they are one of their own, or a member of the Great Crested Skinks. THe Dark elves use a toxicv slime the coldone lizzards themselves secreat for the same reason as the Lizardmen. The only difference is the rider can nolonger taste or feel anything anymore (Wheathor it's perminant or it eventualy weres off is up to debate.)

They have thick scales, which act as barding/horse armor, and are a little scary to go up against (so they casue feer.)

The two main uses for them is for the heavy calvery (coldone knights, sorseressess, any highborn or noble in the area, ect.) or for the charoits. At one point Malakith had one that had a team of four pulling it, and up untill recently in DE history, he deemed him self the only one worthy of such a vehical (then he got his dragon.)

[Coldeyes]

Cold Ones and their riders were one of the main reasons i loved and started collecting Dark Elves in 5th edition

By far the best piece of lore is that cold ones are ferocious creatures that will attack anything that comes near, so the few brave warriors wishing to ride these mighty beasts is to take the ooze they excrete and anoint themselves in it only after that will a cold one allow anyone near, when it senses that you are one of them. However this ritual comes with a price and the riders senses are numb as he feels no fear, no pain, and no taste anymore but the druchii themselves believe it is a price worth to pay just for the sheer opputunity to rip through enemies on these mighty beasts.

[Silphid]

I see, interesting!

So Cold ones in a winter wasteland is fitting tot he theme. I shall ponder my plans some more than.

Thanks for the info guys!

[Ansob.]

In either version, they are used for their viscouseness, and not their intelect (which is some where inbetween a rock and a potato, and the rock is still smarter.) Except for Spite, the runt Malus Darkblade rides upon, they are about as smart as a rock (and the Rockis aurguably smarter)

That's incorrect, actually. They're not geniuses, but they're not dumb - a bit stupider than a horse, but not by that much. They're basically large raptors. They get the Stupidity rule because they're as likely to turn around and try to bite your arm off or make a sprint for the closest source of meat than follow orders and behave like a good mount - hence the rider occasionally wastes several minutes struggling with his mount so he doesn't get thrown off and eaten.

There are a number of reasons why our cold ones might be able to function so far up north, though none of them official. It could be that they're drugged, hence the increased visciousness compare to the LM ones (which makes sense, given that WE do the exact same thing - they drug themselves to enter frenzy and not feel the cold so they can fight unhindered); it could be that they're a different breed of the same race, hence why ours used to look fatter (better insulated), and the LM got those dog-like reedy cold ones (this no longer works, since ours now look a lot closer to theirs); or it could be that our cold ones and their cold ones actually aren't the same creature at all, and that they're merely called the same thing because they're both big lizards - ours are reptilian mammals, whereas theirs are actually reptiles.

Take your pick. Personally, I tend to prefer the first one.

As an aside, there's a high probability that the loss of sensation produced by cold one slime is only temporary (though it can cause permanent nerve damage with extended and repeated use), otherwise half our nobility would be completely useless (try using a sword with no feeling in your hand). Technically, cold one knights should be WS3, T4 (or WS4, T4) to represent this, but of course, you can't have T4 elves.

[Drainial]

The other theries are that such a large reptile would be able to conserve enough heat after sunbatheing to last a long time at full effectivness. And from the Malus Darkblade books there is the theory that Cold ones are not in fact reptiles but more closely related to Dragons, who are ment for cold climatis.

[Silphid]

So Cold ones living in the cold is still a mystery, though definetly accetable... Now knowing that Witches drug themselves to withstand the cold serves my theme admirably too... All I need now are fur coats for Harpies and I'm set.

[Saint of m]

In either version, they are used for their viscouseness, and not their intelect (which is some where inbetween a rock and a potato, and the rock is still smarter.) Except for Spite, the runt Malus Darkblade rides upon, they are about as smart as a rock (and the Rockis aurguably smarter)

That's incorrect, actually. They're not geniuses, but they're not dumb - a bit stupider than a horse, but not by that much. They're basically large raptors. They get the Stupidity rule because they're as likely to turn around and try to bite your arm off or make a sprint for the closest source of meat than follow orders and behave like a good mount - hence the rider occasionally wastes several minutes struggling with his mount so he doesn't get thrown off and eaten.

There are a number of reasons why our cold ones might be able to function so far up north, though none of them official. It could be that they're drugged, hence the increased visciousness compare to the LM ones (which makes sense, given that WE do the exact same thing - they drug themselves to enter frenzy and not feel the cold so they can fight unhindered); it could be that they're a different breed of the same race, hence why ours used to look fatter (better insulated), and the LM got those dog-like reedy cold ones (this no longer works, since ours now look a lot closer to theirs); or it could be that our cold ones and their cold ones actually aren't the same creature at all, and that they're merely called the same thing because they're both big lizards - ours are reptilian mammals, whereas theirs are actually reptiles.

Take your pick. Personally, I tend to prefer the first one.

As an aside, there's a high probability that the loss of sensation produced by cold one slime is only temporary (though it can cause permanent nerve damage with extended and repeated use), otherwise half our nobility would be completely useless (try using a sword with no feeling in your hand). Technically, cold one knights should be WS3, T4 (or WS4, T4) to represent this, but of course, you can't have T4 elves.

Thanks for the clarafacation.

My therory about how they can survive up in the cold norths is simalar to how mako andGreat White sharks can survive in the freezing waters that make their home. Besides a good sized layer of fat (which doubbles as protective padding) their veins retain and recycal heat. The Veins on the bottom radiates heat to the veins above them (keeping the fish at least ten defgrees warmer than the water, and capaable a feets of speed andmanuverableity not seen with most other fish or mamals in the area.)

[Ansob.]

My therory about how they can survive up in the cold norths is simalar to how mako andGreat White sharks can survive in the freezing waters that make their home. Besides a good sized layer of fat (which doubbles as protective padding) their veins retain and recycal heat. The Veins on the bottom radiates heat to the veins above them (keeping the fish at least ten defgrees warmer than the water, and capaable a feets of speed andmanuverableity not seen with most other fish or mamals in the area.)

Yeah; that used to be my favourite theory, which was supported by the look of the 6th ed cold ones - all that fat was used for insulation; fat which their southern cousins didn't need. That said, with the redesigned 7th ed cold ones that look much more like the 5th ed and new LM cold ones, I don't think that theory holds as well. It's still a possibility, but I'd favour the drugs over anything else.

(Note that, like Drainial pointed out, dragons aren't reptiles, despite looking reptilian - so the reptilian mammal theory is still valid.)

Now knowing that Witches drug themselves to withstand the cold serves my theme admirably too

Basically, they don't run around in chainmail bikinis. They're either in robes whilst officiating within a Temple compound, or naked whilst fighting (to have the greatest possible manoeuvrability). The drugs allow them to enter battle frenzy, a result of which is the fact that they don't feel cold, heat, pain, etc. (which is why they can fight naked without freezing to death).

[Saint of m]

So what makes spite so different from other cold ones (other than the cool looking head?) He's a little smarter then the others (the fact he dosn't suffer stupidity attests to that) but what makes him different from the others?

[Ansob.]

So what makes spite so different from other cold ones (other than the cool looking head?) He's a little smarter then the others (the fact he dosn't suffer stupidity attests to that) but what makes him different from the others?

Absolutely no idea. From a mechanics point of view, it's "because GW said so (and they wanted us to stop complaining about cold one perma-Stupidity)." From a background point of view, it could be anything - better drugs (which are too expensive to be mass-produced), better breeding (experimental, and thus it hasn't spread through the forces yet - though you can bet the Witch-King will demand that Spite become a stallion and stop riding into battle), daemonic influence (seems most likely given Darkblade's history)... You name it.

[Lordofthenight]

It's probably just random occurance - maybe there's several cold ones who don't suffer stupidity, it's just that the majority do, and so the rule stands.

[Drainial]

Spite is a runt of the litter, a relativly tiny cold one who managed to survive by being a little smarter than all of the other Cold ones around. In any speicies some animals will be smarter than others, why not Cold ones?