Dark Elf Thoughts #2

A couple more days with the book, a couple more thoughts on the Dark Elves. This time, I take a more in-depth look at the character choices, including the new magic items.
The Lord Choices:
As most of the tournaments that I play in do not allow special characters, I will save my review of them for later. Instead, let's get into your normal tournament characters.

First up, the Dreadlord. The Dreadlord is the warrior lord choice for the Dark Elves. His stats are pretty great for a lord-level character, even though as an elf, he is only Toughness 3. His BS has gone up a point to 7 from the last book, comes with light armor base, and has all the standard Dark Elf rules for the same 140 points as the last book. But, in reality, this is a cheaper Lord character (saving 3 points from light armor, and gaining martial prowess and ASF). Plus, he has access to the new Sea Dragon Cloak (which grants a 5+ scaly skin) for only 8 points and can still be given heavy armor and a shield. Thus, with no magic items, Dark Elves can have a walking 2+ armor save lord for only 157 points! Insane. As a lord, he can also take the standard 100 point magic items and can be mounted on a Dark Steed (which is now Fast Cavalry); Cold One; Dark Pegasus; Manticore; Cold One Chariot; or a Black Dragon.

Next up, the Supreme Sorceress. For a base 185 points (40 points cheaper than the last book), the Dark Elves gain a Level 3 wizard that can take Dark Magic or any of the 8 main lores. She also has the normal Dark Elf army rules plus the Hekarti's Blessing special rule which grants a +1 bonus to cast spells from the Lore of Dark Magic, though she can only use 6 dice to cast spells now. It's still 35 points to make her a Level 4, but your base wizard is now 40 points cheaper before items allowing the Dark Elves to more easily include 2 lord choices, including 2 level 4s. The sorceress can also take the standard 100 points in magic items and can ride all of the mounts except the Cold One Chariot (which is weird because she can ride the Cold One). She will see standard play in 95% of Dark Elf tournament armies (because there is always a guy who plays a Dreadlord on a Black Dragon).

Following the sorceress is the new High Beastmaster. For 300 points (really 150 points base as 150 points is for his required and free mount) the Dark Elves have another Lord choice with stats comparable to a Dreadlord with 1 point less Strength, 1 point less Leadership, and 1 less attack, but is mounted on either a Manticore or a Scourgerunner Chariot. He starts with a spear (which the Dreadlord can't have) so he will be Strength 4 on the charge, and has light armor and a Sea Dragon Cloak, but has no additional mundane armor equipment options. Further, he only gains an additional Beastslayer rule of adding +d3 attacks to a monster within 3". He can also take 100 points of magical items to offset his lack of mundane equipment choices. I see this guy more as a fluff choice or a second include in a monster mash list, rather than a standard combat lord character.

Finally, the last new Lord choice is the Black Ark Fleetmaster. This guy is rubbish as a lord choice and should have been a hero choice at his points level. He starts at 155 points (so 15 points more than a Dreadlord) with two hand weapons, light armor, and a Sea Dragon Cloak (a Dreadlord with similar equipment costs 151 points). Further, like the Beastmaster, he has no additional mundane equipment choices. He also has worse stats than the Dreadlord as he is only WS 6 (-1); BS 6 (-1); Initiative 7 (-1); Leadership 9 (-1); and has only 3 attacks (instead of 4). Finally, he can only take magic items up to 50 points (like a Hero level character) and can't ride any type of mount. This guy will only see play in the fluffiest themed armies as he has no point on the battlefield and is severely over-costed. He comes with his own special rule, Show No Weakness. Show No Weakness provides that if the Fleetmaster fights in a challenge or kills an enemy character - and is alive - his unit gains Unbreakable under the end of that turn. This is a neat rule, but will force him to challenges that he will not be able to win against other enemy characters with only 50 points of magic items. Plus, the combat units of the Dark Elf army are either already Stubborn, or should not be loosing the combat and so won't need to be Unbreakable. Don't take this guy, you will just be displeased with yourself.


The Hero Choices:
The first Dark Elf hero choice is the Sorceress. The Sorceress is a Level 1 wizard for 80 points (down 20 points from the prior book, awesome!) who can become a Level 2 for 35 points. They have standard elf mage stats and all the same Dark Elf special rules including Hektari's Blessing. As a plus, they can take either Dark Magic or one of the main 8 lores as well. Further, the Sorceress can be mounted on a Dark Steed, Cold One, or a Dark Pegasus and can take the standard 50 points in magic items. This is a solid choice for a mage to dip into a different lore of magic, or maximize the Dark Magic spells.

Next up is the Master. The Master is the standard warrior hero choice. He has dropped 10 points from the last book to start at 70 points base with Light Armor and can take a full range of mundane equipment like a Dreadlord (so he can have a standing 2+ mundane armor save). He can also be made your BSB for 25 points as normal. He can be mounted on all the Dreadlord mounts including the Manticore (but not a Black Dragon) and can still take 50 magic items. He is awesome and will most likely be the normal go to army BSB, either mounted in a unit, or built to be really hard to kill.

After the Master, the Dark Elves have the Death Hag. The Death Hag is the Witch Elf hero and she is awesome. I have already talked about her before, but she has dropped in points to 85 and can still take 50 points in Magic weapons which she couldn't take before. Also, she can be mounted on the Cauldron of Blood! She is awesome, and although the gifts have changed, I still want to take her for the Alamo (even if she eventually leaves the army build).

The Khainite Assassin has now moved to a true hero choice and have stayed at 90 points with a 2 point reduction in Leadership to Leadership 8. The assassin has gained Immune to Psychology along with all the other neat Dark Elf rules and can still be hidden in a unit. As a proper hero, the assassin can also take 50 points of magic items that he couldn't take before, but the Gifts of Khaine have changed and he is no longer the long ranged killer of monsters that he used to be. He has his place, but because he takes up precious hero points, I don't expect to see many of them in tournament lists unless it is an all combat heavy list that wants additional ways to kill enemy heroes with their Killing Blow attacks.


The Magic Items:
The various Dark Elf magic items have had some serious changes. Here are all 10 (yes, only 10) magic items:

1. Hydra Blade: +D6 attacks with the chance of getting Heroic Killing Blow (and making you WS 2) for 100 points. Do not take this! Ever! Unless it can black a cannon ball, this weapon will never be worth it.
2. Chillblade: attacks wound automatically and any model that takes a wound must pass a toughness test or lose 3 attacks for 50 points. This item is expensive and it is very unlikely that the models that will the toughness test have enough attacks to make this item worthwhile. 
3. Black Dragon Egg: gain strength and toughness 6 along with a strength 2 breath weapon with no armor saves for a single turn for only 50 points. This is a more situational item, but is one I expect to see more frequently on something like a mounted BSB or Lord. The no armor save breath weapon is really worthwhile and the Toughness 6 can help keep the model alive for a turn.
4. Cloak of Twilight: for a measly 50 points a character gains a 3++ save against magic and shooting attacks and only charge, multiple wounds (d3) and Killing Blow. This item is insane and fills a roll lost by the old pendant. The cloak is more expensive, but allows the user to save wounds against Cacophonic Choir, as well as granting the user better combat abilities. I expect to see this item on various pegasus lord builds and lots of other mounted character builds.
5. The Black Amulet: A little expensive at 60 points, but it grants a 4++ save that when made in challenge, causes a wound against the opponent with no armor save. This is a good character killer for a challenging hero, but should have been 50 points so that your BSB could have taken it. 
6. Ring of Hotek: a talisman that grants the wearer Magic Resistance (3) and causes enemy wizards (and only enemy wizards) to suffer a miscast on the roll of double 1s as well as double 6s. This is a great item for 50 points as it protects the bearer, and any target within 6" of the bearer. I expect this item to appear on masters in close combat oriented armies. 
7. Banner of Nagarythe: the only magic standard in the Dark Elf book grants the Unbreakable special rule to the model (or unit) carrying the banner (as well as Shadow warriors within 12"). The banner is 100 points and won't be used except in extremely fluffy or themed builds. 
8. The Gem of Spite: for every time the bearer suffers a miscast, all enemy mages take a strength 6 hit which can be avoided by removing a dispel dice from their pool. At 35 points and an arcane item slot, this item is useless. Don't buy it, because you don't want to miscast in the first place.
9. The Sacrificial Dagger: is a mighty 25 points for a slightly worse item than the previous book, but still decent in the right builds. You kill a model in the unit and roll a d6, on a 4+ you add a power dice to the spell you just cast (or attempted to cast if the value wasn't high enough). On a 1-3 you don't add a die, but can kill another guy and repeat the process until you are successful. 
10. Tome of Furion: you get choose one of the spells from the Lore of Dark Magic for 25 points. But, as it is arcane, this will prevent you from also taking the sacrificial dagger or a dispel scroll so I don't expect to see this item expect in certain builds that want to make sure their Level 1 or 2 of Dark Magic gets a key spell. 

Well there we go, our first real Dark Elf breakdown focusing on the characters of the army as well as new magic items. Next time I will look at the Lore of Dark Magic and then I will start in on the awesome new core choices of the Dark Elves. Meanwhile, I will be working on my Alamo GT list.