Warma/Hordes journeymens league

With the clubs journeymen league starting in a weeks time my new Circle Orboros dudes (or dudets for my caster, Kaya). here she is!

For such small details they really managed to make it crisp.

I spent about 10 minutes trying to get the pupils on. in the end it was a "F*** it that will do" situation.

Pics of the warbeasts will follow soon.

1st Colour tests

Its been far far far too long since i have posted pictures of my work benches output. To be fair this is because its very very low, but with the dark elves putting the wheels back on the hobby wagon i have some pics for you again (yay)

Not sure on the tummy, but then its the first time doing freehand abs

work in progress shades. just needing to do weapons and belts

Mark II list

I think this will lay down alot more hurt (and be harder to deal with at range too)

Supreme Sorceress (270)
LVL 4 (shadow), ring of Hotek
Master (157)
BSB, great weapon, heavy armour, sea dragon cloak, talisman of preservation, luck stone
31 Corsairs (381)
additional hand weapons, light armour, sea dragon cloaks, full command, standard of discipline
2×5 Dark Riders (220)
spears, repeater crossbows, shields, light armour, dark steeds, musician
28 executioners (411)
great weapons, heavy armour, full command, razor standard
2×5 Shades (180)
great weapons, repeater crossbows
3×Repeater Bolt Thrower (210)
hand weapons
2× Kharibdyss (320)
teeth, lots of teeth
2×5 Warlocks (250)
hand weapons and dark steeds

"Well that didn't seem to work..."

So with a title like that can you guess what happened? I said before that a gun line would remove the list from the field and the Wood Elves proved this to be completely and disastrously correct. At least in the second game the Executioners got to make Hamish wet himself slightly. However the ability to not fail your 3++ saves is so annoying, surely putting 20 wounds on him over 3 rounds would do something other than 1 wound but nooooooo.

So what would i change in the list for next time...

I: Drop the shooting

Dark elves cant compete with some as a shooting list, and it just doesn't have the punch without a shadow witch to back it up. So im gonna drop the large unit of riders and make the large shade smaller.

II: More hitty

With the riders dropped i think dropping the Bleakswords to bring a large unit of corsairs will be necessary. I'm not going to go for the witches as you need to invest a shiteload of points into them to keep them alive and their harder to control (i both love and hate frenzy on my savages). The 4+ armour and 2 attacks should be good enough.

III: More dakka

Another bolt thrower. Jesus Christ why didn't i do it before. Out ranging wood elves will be so fun.

IV: DINOSAURS

i think i will bring some cold ones next time. I6 and lances are going to make problems for some, i just have to manage the stupidity somehow...

those are my thoughts. Anything people reckon i missed?

A counter blast for Mr Foote

My Dear friend Rex, how you have misjudged the situation in your recent post (The Dice Odyssey: Warlocks). Warlocks are so much more than a ward saved dark rider, and heres todays lesson on why...

FEAR ME, I'M A WARLOCK

I: Not just a dark rider

Where to start with this one. S4 base, 2 attacks base, poison BASE. Just in their profile they are so much more than a basic Dark Rider.

II: Miscasts be DAMNED!

Feel free to 6 dice the 4D6 S5 shots, as a miscast, rather than roll on the table and lose dice, causes D3 wounds on the unit that you still get to ward save. Classy, a unit with next to zero drawbacks for smashing out what might be the most abusive spell in the dark elf's arsenal, and no fear of sucking your general down the hole like the Grey Seers, Daemon Princes or Wood Elves do or losing any extra die from the casting pool.

III: Channel, the name of the game

Rex, four wizards means four channels. I'm not going to try and cast with every wizard every turn but they all grant me a modicum of additional power and allow me to pick and choose whats right for the job at hand that turn. Do i need protection? Come forth the metal sorceress. Do i need to drop stats? Come forth the Hag. Do i need to melt a face? Hello WARLOCKS.

So worth the 25. Just as their fluff dictates, they are a suicide unit of the highest caliber. A Tool to be used and thrown away. This is the Dark Elf creed. the week wither and only the strong shall survive. Thus will it be Thursday Rex. Thus shall it be...

P.S: If i lose on Thursday i will blame anything but the warlocks, Rex's list seems to be a good counter to mine...

Unmentioned bonus's in the new Dark Elves

Perusing the new book is great fun, Matt Ward has expanded on the Dark Elves history (albeit with a very strong biased, which i love) and created great rivalries between the major factions of the cities. The best part though is the rules themselves. Yes we know witch elves are now very strong, and that murderous prowess has turned the dark elves into the nastiest combat troops of the Elven kingdoms. however their are some small gems i think were not covered properly in the Kiwihammer podcast's review (if you haven't listened to it yet, i recommend it, though put a bit of time aside if you are going to http://kiwihammer.co.nz/kiwihammer-episode-5-dark-elf-review/)

I: High Beastmaster on Scourgerunner Chariot

now everyone's kinda lampooned the Scourgerunner as a waste of points, well their kinda true for the normal version, but as a mobile artillery piece when a High Beastmaster is mounted on it could be a good time. BS 7 will mean that long range and move will still hit on a 2+, and at S7 bolt thrower (meaning it can pierce ranks and allows no armour saves doing D3 wounds) makes it a strong contender for anti Daemon Prince, just pepper it with the repeaters first to remove that annoying charmed shield.

II: Corsairs

Breezed over in the podcast, i reckon these guys are going to end up being the favorite choice over the unpredictable Witch Elves in my opinion. They have lost their slaving rule (unless Lokhier is in the unit) and their sea serpent banner and have gone up 1 point when armed (additional hand weapon or repeater crossbow pistol, your choice depending on what you need. Probably the additional hand weapon though), giving them the same cost as a Witch Elf. Where a Witch Elf is the glass cannon though the corsair is the rock you can build a reliable force around. The sea dragon cloaks now just grant scaly skin 5+ straight, with no drop in combat, making them a reliable 4+ armour save to back up their 2 attacks. Also not having frenzy makes them easier to control, not having to worry about racing off after a fleeing enemy if you don't want too. Personally they would be my first choice over the Witches.

III: Executioners are now your pals

OK Executioners were covered extensively. Lets face it the can openers are going to be everywhere  nowadays but it is a buff that was not mentioned that i am addressing (and will be exploiting). Their is no longer the Khainite rule in the army book. For those who never played Dark Elves under previous additions the units marked Khainite could not be joined by non Khainite heroes, limiting you considerably to Assassins and Hags. Khainite however is history, and though the Witch Elves have a special rule for any uninducted heroes their is nothing to stop you putting Masters, Dreadlords or Sorceress's into the unit.

IV: The armour of grief

Kouran Darkhand is a great anomalie in the dark elf book. not only does he make Black Guard good again, but the wording of his equipment might make him one of the most hilarious suiciders in the book. with the usual always strike first, murderous prowess and eternal hatred that marks his profession, he also grants unbreakable to his unit (always handy). however the combo of the Crimson Death and the Armour of Grief is brilliant. 3 ASF S6 attacks that re-roll 1's to wound will hurt alot, but then when you go to strike him back he gets to inflict an instant S5 hit on his opponent for every attack that HITS him. Not wound. HITS. the opponent i assume will still be able to wound if he is killed by these out of sinc attacks but it allows you to play some great mind games with anyone who would dare challenge the Captain of the Black Guard.

V: Darkblade

The tales of Malus Darkblade are possibly one of the most successful Black Library series, and was the catalyst into my love of the Dark brethren. His ruthless exploits, his backstabbing, his arrogance and his hate made for a series of novels that oozed with character. Now the Darkblade has shrugged off the poor Herodom of the last Army book and has stacked his claim to Lordship. One of the few non Black Guard to have the Eternal hatred rule (alongside Malekith himself) Malus not only sports an epic profile and constant re-rolls to hit (no matter what) but also a weapon that allows no armour save and re-rolls to wound. Match this with the power of the Daemon Tz'arkan and you have a character who is possibly the second best glass cannon in the new book (close behind Hellebron herself). Not only this but Spite has been buffed. 3 attacks (one more than the average Cold one like last incarnation) and again removing stupidity from his unit will make Malus and his steed a must for the Black Knight bus these days, but Spite also now has eternal hatred too, the only creature in the book to have any form of re-roll. I really hope to see Malus gracing the battlefields a lot more than he did, for he is now well and truly worth his points.

First musings on possible Dark Elf lists

The Elfes Noir have arrived and i have been racking my brain for the last hour working on what i reckon would be the best combination of the AMAZING options available in the list. In my opinion everything bar the Scourge-runner and Medusa has a definite use in the lists to come. However this is the one i suspect might have the best balance when it comes to scenarios with drops, banners and building huggers. We will see how it pans out.

My final plan was a run around set to put lots of shots out and set up the bus to use their can openers on anything the rest cant deal with. so...

Supreme Sorceress: 320
LVL 4 (lore of dark magic), the cloak of twilight, dark Pegasus

Sorceress: 150
LVL 2 (lore of metal), tome of furion, dark steed

Master Battle Standard Bearer: 132
halberd, heavy armour, sea dragon cloak, dragonhelm, opal amulet

9 Dark Riders: 210
spears, light armour, shields, repeater crossbows, dark steeds, full command

5 Dark Riders: 105
spears, light armour, repeater crossbows, musician, dark steeds

5 Dark Riders: 105
spears, light armour, repeater crossbows, musician, dark steeds

20 Bleakswords: 210
hand weapons, light armour, shields, full command

30 Har Ganeth Executioners: 435
great weapons, heavy armour, full command, razor standard

10 Shades: 190
hand weapons, repeater crossbows, full command

5 Shades: 80
hand weapons, repeater crossbows

Repeater Bolt Throwers: 70
Repeater Bolt Throwers: 70
Repeater Bolt Throwers: 70

5 Doomfire Warlocks: 125
hand weapons, dark steeds

5 Doomfire Warlocks: 125
hand weapons, dark steeds

TOTAL: 2397

So only two units that aren't in some small way expendable, but generally a tip & run setup (for those who play Brits in FOW)