Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hi,

I am trying to make a dark elf 2000 point army list but am unsure on what to choose. I have listed my army below, any suggestions and ideas would be great

20 corsairs
16 repeater crossbow men
12 spearman
5 cold one knights
Dark elf assassin
Dreadlord on black dragon
War hydra
Reaper bolt thrower
Supreme sorceress

I know I can't use all of them, but am struggling with what to take.

Thanks

Well let me see.....I'm no pro but I think the following!

Im not a huge fan of spearman. You can use those corsairs if you want some extra punch. Plus they get the same save as spearman when being shot at, and in combat they are more hitty so I'd say keep corsairs.

I'm not a fan of any character on a dragon. If the dragon dies your cjaracter is stranded and left for dead. Also your army won't benefit from his leadership bubble which can help at times. That being said, its a cool model!

Cold ones are great. Use them for flanking. Maybe more if you want even!

Repeater Xbow men are a good thing. War hydra and reaper bolt thrower good as well!

Sorceress is good since magic is so influencisl these days. May even wanna drop the assassin and get another sorceress. I find assassins situational since they can only go with infantry. They add a good punch but so does a noble with higher leadership so the troops can use it.

Just my opinion! Pretty good choices you got

Spearmen are there for a bunker for a stabby level 4. Corsairs are good in a horde of 30 with the frenzy banner The lord on dragon will work against some armies but against others it is terrible. If you want to go competitive, take a peg lord. CoKs aren't that great. Unless you take a large enough unit to justify the hydra banner BSB they aren't worth taking as you will need to combine a charge with a buffed unit. And a buffed unit generally means mindrazoring them alongside a cauldron. At that point the CoKs are doing nothing. Crossbows are an ok unit. They pump out a lot of shots but suffer for it. If you want to take them, they are useful although you will most likely hit on 4's/5's. I don't bother with assassins. Sure the manbane/rending stars assassin works in a block of shades, but I would rather put the points towards black guard or witches. Hydras are amazing for their cost if they get into combat. But the issue is getting them there. All shooting will be directed against it for the 2 turns it takes to get within charge distance. NEVER take bolt throwers. If you can take a rare, take a hydra. But hydras aren't necessary to make a half decent army. Shadow level 4 with the sac dagger should of course be in your lords choice.

 Gorgarak wrote:

Im not a huge fan of spearman. You can use those corsairs if you want some extra punch. Plus they get the same save as spearman when being shot at, and in combat they are more hitty so I'd say keep corsairs.

Corsairs have the same saving throw as Spearelves in CC. Against shooting their save is one better. Sea Dragon Cloaks increase an armour save by 1 in CC and by 2 against shooting.

They're pretty much better in every way, especially with extra hand weapons and the Frenzy banner.

With just extra hand weapons you'll get the same number of attacks as Spearelves fighting with an extra rank from their spears. Stick the Frenzy standard in there and they put out more attacks. They take less casualties from shooting so you get into combat with more bodies and are better at running down a beaten opponent thanks to their Slaver rule allowing them to make an opponent re-roll their highest flee distance die.

A unit of 20 or so Spearelves makes a good bunker unit for a Sacrificial Dagger Sorceress, as previously mentioned.

Cold One Knights are about as effective as cavalry can be in this edition. Can be good as flankers and a large unit with the Hydra Banner in can wreck face (stick in a Standard of Slaughter on the COK standard bearer for added breaking ability).

Hydra is great can wreck stuff nicely if it gets to combat and with a 4+ Regen it can usually make it, unless you're against Dwarfs with flaming cannon shots or an Empire player who uses lore of fire to get Flaming cannon shots.

Repeater Crossbows are awesome against low toughness and low armour enemies. They'll demolish low toughness elite armies like High Elves and Dark Elves and can take a fair chunk out of horde armies like Skaven. Against high toughness and/or armour save armies they are less reliable and against things like Warriors of Chaos they often just bounce off.

thedarkavenger wrote:
NEVER take bolt throwers. If you can take a rare, take a hydra. But hydras aren't necessary to make a half decent army..

Couldn't disagree with this more, I try to field 1 BT for every 500pts in my list! they are awesome when used in groups of 2-3 targetting the same unit/monster. I've had great success putting them on hills to the rear of my deployment line with 20 xbows w/shields and full command infront of them with a L2 fire sorc in front rank with guiding eye. It blocks down a flank and you pick the nastiest thing on the flank unit/monster and keeping shooting, around turn 2-3 use the guiding eye with multi shots from xbows, follow it with fireballs, and a volley of 12-18 bolts. gaurantee the volume of fire its devastating! and all for minimal pts.

You take 1 preferably 2 hydras and place them bang centre of your battle line and plough forward!

Always use spears in a horde where possible, I use a minimum size of 50 that way they're also usually steadfast as well. Give them the bnr of murder for Armour piercing, a Noble in front rank usually with biting blade (extra -1 AS) and an assassin pts permitting.

Also I field corsairs in BIG units 35-50 usually 7x5 or 10x5, my Dreadlord is always in this unit (but this is due to the fluff of my army)

I also have a suicide unit 5 dark riders with a L1 sorc on DS, they charge down the flank and deliver lore of metal default spell to the biggest unit of hvy cav my opponent has, you have to accept loosing them or them having to flee immediately on turn 2 but the look on ur opponents face when a tiny light cav unit delivers 10 xbows shots and a nasty magic missible into his best shock unit and takes down half of them is a thing of beauty! it also almost guarantees they will spend valuable resources chasing this unit down for revenge!

Never go in half hearted with dark elves, its all out attack or nothing. but pick your targets, obliterate them with magic and firepower, them mop up the units you already targetted with deadly melee, and NEVER EVER get into a protracted combat, you'll almost always lose!

Shouldn't this be in the Army Lists forum?