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Hey guys, I have had quite a break from fantasy. But am now getting back into it again and loving it. I have a 1,250 point list I like and really it uses most of the models I have. I want to unit by unit add to it to around hopefully 2,500. But that is a post for another time.. Anyway I was hoping you guys could give me some pointers/thoughts on my current 1,250 list, and also tell me what you think I should add to get it up to 1,500 and then to 2,000. Thanks for any comments/help!

1,250 Dark Elf Army: THE DREADED'S FIRST

Total: 1,247

HQ Total: 386

Sorceress (shadow)
Level 2
Pendant of Khaeleth
Tome of Furion
Dark Pegasus

Master
Shield
Sea Dragon Cloak
Armor of Eternal servitude
Standard Bearer
Dragon Bane gem

Core Total: 630

25 Dark Elf Warriors
Lordling
Standard Bearer
Musician

20 Black Ark Corsairs
Reaver
Musician
Standard Bearer
Sea Serpent Standard

10 Dark Elf Repeater Crossbowmen
10 shields
Musician

10 Dark Elf Repeater Crossbowmen
10 shields
Musician

Elites Total: 235

Cold One Chariot

5 Cold One Knights

So my thoughts right now I want add more spearman I kind of want to make a horde of 40-50, I can't quite decide. The sorceress on the peg. Was kind of a joke at first, but I ended up actually enjoying flying her around and staying out of charge arcs and causing havoc. I think I need some punch I don't have very hard hitting units. I know I should get a hydra, I want one but it's hard to justify the 68$... What do you guys think, I'm open to any suggestions or tips. Thanks!

Hydra, bulk up the Warriors, promote the Sorceress to Supreme Sorceress. Maybe get more Cold One Knights. You've got space outside Core right now, a second Cold One Knight unit and bulking up the first makes for a pretty solid heavy-hitter unit or so to run into the flanks of whoever your Warriors are bogged down fighting.

Your next addition should be a Death Hag with a Cauldron of Blood, and at least an option to make her a BSB (perhaps a Corsair banner by itself on a base, if you want to retain the option to run the Cauldron with a different BSB).

I cannot emphaise enough just how useful this thing is. As a BSB it is extremely tought to kill with shooting and magic (aside from characteristic tests, it is a warmachine now) with T 10, 4++ save and MR 1. Since it's not part of a combat unit it won't be targeted and killed in melee. And it throws out enough attacks to shred any light-to-medium unit that comes its way. It also makes great bait for a trap for a mid-sized unit you want to pin down for a turn so your can get the charge in (but no more than a turn, if you're trying to trap it, it likely will take the cauldron if left on it's own).

And then there are the benefits it gives, beyond the BSB rerolls. Extra attacks help shred rank&file, Killing Blow crushes heavy units (Corsairs erase Chaos Knights with this blessing), and the Ward save on a vulnerable unit will help it survive to get into combat. Making Khainite units Stubborn (itself included) is just the icing on the cake.

I don't always run a Cauldron... but I've found that I miss it every time I don't run it.

Thanks for the replies.

I agree hydra for sure, as for the warrior I was thinking buff to 40 should I go hoarde or 8 ranks of 5 with them? I was thinking about a cold one sort of death star, maybe 10-15 knights full command maybe bsb or a fighty master.

I also think I need some dark riders. Harassment and artillery hunting, two units of five is what I think I will go for.

As for the cauldron i don't know, I feel like I would have to baby sit it with warriors, and i I'm not sure I like the idea of one. I would rather keep it out of the list, so other ideas besides that would be nice. Thanks though.

Trust me on this one, the Cauldron doesn't need a babysitter. The Hag dumps 4-5 (depending on whether she gets her AHW or not in this version of the FAQ) WS 6 Hatred Poison attacks at I8, then on I5 the attendants dump another 6-8 WS 4 Hatred Poison attacks, attacks against it are resolved against the Hag's WS of 6, and the unit gets a 4+ ward save, in addition to being a warmachine which limits the number of models that can attack it. Unless they get hit by a heavy combat block or heavy cav, they'll do fine. If you're in the position where either of those two units can hit your Cauldron, you've got bigger problems. Like I said, I've used it as bait for traps, because it is MUCH harder in close combat than most players give it credit for.

Dark Riders are nice, 5 with musician get to vanguard up 12", then march 18" to be behind the enemy line, where you can run around shooting things to your heart's content. Shades to much the same thing, for a bit less, with BS 5 but only a 10" march. I use both as much as possible.

Get a Hydra, Dark riders and some shades, shades are nasty buggers.
Corsairs with RXBs will be ok with 'most' opponents as shades.
The Cauldron is a must if you are hitting 2000pts
Upgrade to a supreme sorceress and give her a sacrificial dagger and 10+ warriors as 'power dice' if you are willing to drop the peggy

Listen to Vulcan and Anomander, they're telling you the right things.

I wouldnt agree that the cauldron is a must, I dont use one but I also dont focus on CC, 225 pts is a lot for a unit that just sits there and buffs your units slightly. A master BSB on dark steed with pendant, lance, and dragonhelm works great just to tie things up. He can charge out on his own and is pretty hard to kill. You already start of with 2 combat res (1 for charge and 1 for BSB), so any wounds you do just add to it. You charge big nasties that like thunderstomping the rest of your guys.
And instead give your supreme sorceress the focus familiar, then she can just hide and you wont need the Ward Save (unless you miscast of course but just giver her the Talisman of Preservation if you have the points.) The idea being with my list to not get bogged down in combat so you wont really need the buffs from the cauldron. We're elves, the only thing we enjoy fighting round after round are zombies and skaven slaves cuz they are easy to murder. One round of combat should be it, when you charge, make it count, double team units.
I started my list this way to get away from the cookie cutter things that people will expect to see from dark elves, and it seems to work very well in tournaments. To each his own Either way good luck!

By the look of things, the OP is focusing on CC rather than magic, the Cauldron would support his CC with buffs and being dead 'ard but not your focus away from combat with magic and shooting.

I recognise this list because it is very similar to the lists I used when I was starting off. What I have suggested is the route I went down, and the advice tourney vets have given me:
Cauldrons are a must-have for a combat based army.

Whether the list is focused on magic, shooting or close combat, the Cauldron BSB is still far and away the single best choice in the Dark Elf army book. There are only a handful of lists where you're better off taking not taking one, and this is not one of those lists.

The OP also said he didn't want to use a cauldron in the list.

I would rather keep it out of the list, so other ideas besides that would be nice. Thanks though.

Three hydras is way better than one but not every list has them as people dont want to use them. There are other ways to win even with a CC list and not use the cauldron, yes even in those big tournaments. I'm not saying the cauldron is trash tho, quite the opposite and I know it's strengths I just dont want to use one either and it seems to be working out just fine for me. Im not at the top but neither are the dark elf guys with the cauldron. I dont think there are any "You MUST take this unit or you will lose" things in the game.

Shadowblade07 wrote: I dont think there are any "You MUST take this unit or you will lose" things in the game.

I don't think that anybody is saying that you must take the cauldron or you will lose. What they are saying is that the cauldron is so good, that it is an automatic thing to take in most lists.

Yeah, it's really handy. Best BSB option in the book!

I didn't like the idea at first, and took a long time getting around to trying one in proxy. Let me tell you, seeing it in action changed my mind in a hurry! I've got two of them now, for high-point games; it's just that good!