Hi,
Considering looking and starting DE, although one of my main deterrents is the price of the models. With so many metal things and only 1 boxed sets, you dont get much for your dough.

Anyway here is my new untried 1000 point list, I would really appreciate if anyone could give a new beginner some tips in using or developing this army. I will try to be interactive by posting replies as often as possible (lots of test coming up though) and also publishing a few battle reports.

Anyway....
1000 Pts - Dark Elves Army

1 Sorceress @ 175 Pts
General; Magic Level 2; Lore of Dark Arts
Darkstar Cloak [20]
Seal of Ghrond [25]

16 Warriors @ 148 Pts
Spear; Light Armour; Shield; Standard, Champion



12 Warriors @ 132 Pts
Repeating Crossbow; Light Armour

5 Dark Riders @ 90 Pts
Spear; Light Armour

12 Executioners @ 144 Pts
Great Weapon; Heavy Armour, Champion

10 Witch Elves @ 142 Pts
Frenzy; 2ndWeapon, Champion

5 Shades @ 70 Pts
Repeating Crossbow

1 Reaper Bolt Thrower @ 100 Pts

2 Crew @ [0] Pts
Light Armour

Casting Pool: 5
Dispel Pool: 4
Models in Army: 64
Total Army Cost: 1001

Looking to use some MSE tactics where medium fairly chepa blocks of infantry provide rankbonus and small Elites in 7*1 formation try to charge lanks and stuff to do some real damage. Crossbowmen will try to shield Witch Elves. The whole army usually advances.

Anyway thanks in advance :lol:

IMO, witch elves are just too expensive to take in a 1000pt army. Why not take some corsairs insted? They provide very good missile protection. Will take a closer look later. I've got science now!!!

Well Witch elves as i intend to use them will be in a formation of 7 across to maximise attacks. This is 22 poisoned WS 5 attacks. Compared that with corsairs whou would have 15 WS 4 normal S3 attatcks.

As DE hae low strength stuff like posion really swings it for you. ALso frenzy shouldnt be a problem as the crossbowmen will be their shields.

Its nice, to a degree, although there are some pants parts about it.

1) If you are going to have just one character then don't make it a sorceress. She is weak as hell and provides no leadership bonus to your troops.

2) Shades, 5? 8+ Its just not worth it.

3) MSU YAY! :D

Just remember, one of the weaknesses of witch elves is no armour! If I took some WE, I would probably stick a unit of corsairs infront to absorb missile fire. Personally, I wouldn't take a sorceress by herself as she will be pretty useless. Instead, maybe get a cheapish noble and stick him in with the corsair unit, or maybe a chariot?
Just some of my random thoughts. I have decided to take a break from DE and I'm collecting Vampire Counts now, but I am still painting my DE spearelves.

I agree that a noble with seal of ghrond would be better, as you would get Ld9, very good.
But dark magic is nasty.
I don't like MSU though.. But it seems like a good list.

Don't like MSu what do you mean how can that be, just look at Rasputins lists and see how good it is.

I'm undecided on MSU, too. It can work, or it can go horribly wrong, and I think the more your opponents see of it, the more it would tend toward the latter.

I won't say it's a bad strategy, or that I don't like it, as I haven't tried it. I will say that it seems too risky to try with any army but DE, and one that I'm hesitant to use at all.

Basically, just because you like the look of it doesn't mean everyone else will, and telling them it's good comes pretty close to spam.

I do not think it is that great with the dark elves I prefer it with high elves and I was just contributing to the debate which should not be classed as spam and I would like to see a debate about it.

If the topic were 'Is MSU good' you'd be contributing, in a way. Seeing as it's about his list, and he asked nothing about MSU, it's not. If you want a discussion about it though, feel free to start a new topic.

eh guys, dont you think the repeater crossbow guys are going to need shields???

Hi everyone, sorry for not having replied for so long due to the very busy schedule I had at school. I had 6 tests in 5 days and our school doesnt recognise block exams so we just have normal weeks with tests in them. 6 in my case.

Any way thanks for everyone's comments, here is the first of my hopefully many relplies. This is what i have picked up from your comments -_-

1) Screw the Sorceress

There were suggestions to screw the sorceress for the noble. My main reasons for including here in my 1000 point army is quite simply, it gives my army magical dominance and also completely shuts (4 dispel dice) out enemy magic in 1k points. The dark lore is also very useful. I mainly go for chill wind to stop enemy shooting and also word of pain works wonders, (have you ever seen WS 1 Ironbreakers led by a WS1 Dwarf thane who need 5's to hit against everything in your army?). Rendering thunderers BS1 also protects fragile elves from which would otherwise be devastating shooting. Dominion has also stopped many supporting units charging my flanks at vital peroids in close combat. While Soulstealer has killed many an annoying skink. So overall my sorceress is very useful in such low point situations.

ON the other hand if i take a noble as was otherwise suggested. He wont actually do much. Sure he's Ld 9, sure he's harder to kill than a sorceress. But he has 3 attacks at S4. Not very impressive for the huge amounts of points u spend on him in comparison to eg skaven chieftans at half the points and nearly same stats. Also when i tool him up with the seal of ghrond or the S6 halberd, he is only 30-40 points cheaper than my sorceress and it leaves my army very suceptible to magic ( iversus empire, dwarfs, lizardmen, tombkings, vampire counts, high elves.) So what i'm saying is that while he ha some advatages the advantages of the sorcersess are a little better

2) Shift the Shades

I actually quite like these guys. They stop march moves from turn 1. Reduce the flexiblity of his characters -esp wizards as they force him to deploy them within his units or be showered by a hail of 10 bolts that usually require a 5 to hit against characters. I can usually kill the wizard in one turn like this. They are also good leading frenzied stuff away, attacking war machines, killing enemy skirmishers, marching right under the enemy nose-( angled away from the unit, then fleeing charge reactions to leave units stuck in forests for a 2 turns) etc... In other words they are very flexible adding to the overall flexibility of the army. While some may argue that Darkriders do the same job. i just think shades have some distinct advantages over darkriders eg forcing enemy characters to change their deployment anyway thats why i have both.

3) Dump the Witch Elves
Witch Elves are the T3 killers in the army. I think their record was killing 13 high elf spearelves when charging them in the flank after 1 turn. I prefer them over corsairs as I usually deploy them in 6*2 behind the crossbow men, and then in 1 rank of 7 when it comes to combat. This gives me 22 WS 5 poisoned attacks. Compare that with Corsairs who would only have 15 WS 4 S3 normal attacks. I know that corsairs are more survivable. I think that the statstics were that WE kill 3 times as many models than corsairs, for +3 points This is the main reason for including them. Anyway they should be safe behind the meat wall. :wub:

4) Shield the crossbowmen (I ran out of puns here :blink: )
I only have 12. They usually advance in one line, or 6*2. They shoot, they die and they can also act as bait. Exposing flanks to WE. I just dont have the points. Even with 4+ saves they shouldnt be able to stand up to/hold anything. SO its just not worth it.

5) Explain a little about MSE
My tactics as i mentioned above depend on 3 things.
1: if the enemy is pure close combat, i sit back and shoot, while maneveuring feints and trying to split up his force using bait, shades, DR etc...
2: If the enemy is more shooty than me than i advance while trying to silence his guns. Again shades, DR and Dark lore help in this area.
3: If we are about balanced in shooty- a mix of both is used.

I am against pure MSU as i believe its a bit risky and also it doesnt really work against elites. Slamming dwarf warriors with WS4, T4, 3+ saves with equivalent points of spearmen, darkriders isnt going to do jack all. Thats why i prefer 1 or 2 larger units (which are now cheaper) with many small elite uinits as the hammers, actually contributing to wounds while the spearmen provide ranks.


Anyway please kepp those comments coming, what do you think?

Will try to post a battle soon.

Bye