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Since I've very nearly decided on Dark Elves as my second army (after Lizardmen), I've been noodling around with lists. Here's my first attempt - tell me what's wrong with it!

Lords
• Highborn w/Armor of Darkness, Cold One, Lance, Seal of Ghrond

Heroes
• Sorceress (Level 2) w/Dark Steed, Lifetaker, Tome of Furion

Core
• 9 Dark Riders w/Repeater Crossbow (Full Command)
• 16 Warriors w/Spears & Shields (Full Command)
•*16 Warriors w/Repeater Crossbows & Shields (Full Command)

Special
• 12 Witch Elves (Full Command - Banner of Eternal Flame & Witchbrew)
• 10 Shades w/Light Armor (Bloodshade)
• 5 Cold One Knights (Full Command - Banner of Swiftness)

Rare
• Cauldron of Blood (Witchbrew)

The sorceress hangs out with the dark riders and the highborn hangs out with the cold one knights. The spear warriors are my anvil, while the crossbow warriors are fire support, though capable of acting as a secondary anvil if need be - they don't fight in extra ranks defensively, but they do have parry saves, which is a good benefit. The dark riders are mostly for harassment and a bodyguard for the sorceress, but they could act as a melee hammer if need be. My main hammers are my witch elves and cold one knights.

The cauldron of blood? That's just there to badassify everyone.

I'm guessing you're running 1000 points, right? The bodies are awfully thin on the ground for anything more.

Ah... I think you're an army book behind. The current army book has the Cauldron as an upgrade for a death hag, and comes out of the hero points instead of rare. It's also stubborn, making that witchbrew pretty pointless. However, you can make the Hag your BSB as well, and that makes her one of the best BSBs in the game!

The Dreadlord (as the combat lords are called in the latest book) is a nice hard build without being ridiculous. To make him really nasty, look up 'Unkillable Dreadlord' and see how that one works.

L4 Sorceresses are better than combat lords in 8E though. Give one a sacrifical dagger and a smallish bunker of spearmen and watch the magic fly!

Speaking of sorceresses... you have to specify lores when you make your army list now.

Dark Riders work best in units of 5 with RXB and musican (for an all-round threat), 5 naked with musician (for a one-shot assassination mission against a warmachine/caster), or 20ish with shields and Full Command (as instant SCR in the flanks of an ongoing combat). The small units are best kept cheap, because they are also sacrifices and charge diverters.

16 Spearmen are only really usable as a bunker for a SacDagger Sorceress, as they are the cheapest troops we have so less points are surrendered per sacrifice. They certainly won't last more than 2 rounds in combat. Full Command and Standard of Discipline (so your L4 caster general can give Ld10 to everyone) is the normal buld.

16 Repeater Crossbows are odd. 10 naked with a musician is a typical small 'broom' unit, for sweeping away chaff. 20+ with shields and full command is a decent shooting unit that can reform into a 5-wide combat block and charge into an ongoing combat to provide SCR in the late game. 16 is too big for a broom, and too small for a combat block.

Generally, Witches should either go small and cheap (up to 10 with musicain) as a 'tire strip' - sorta like a roadblock, but it'll rip the tires off whatever runs it over; or mid-sized (21-30) with full command and Banner of Murder or - if you are going to see a Regenerating target - Banner of Eternal Flame. Witchbrew is again pointless; as long as they are within 12" of the Cauldron they are stubborn... and if you're not sacrificing them in a small unit you shouldn't be thowing them into a loosing combat anyway.

A 6+ save isn't going to save very many shades. Take the extra hand weapon instead. Likewise, you'll get more milage out of an additional shade (2 extra shots, 1 extra close combat attack, and 1 extra wound) than you will out of the bloodshade. The only function of a bloodshade is to take a challenge in a Shadestar... which you don't have anywhere near enough shades for.

5 COK go naked with musician. Until you hit 10+ COK, your points are better off spent on more bodies than on command and magic goodies for the unit, the extra attacks and wounds do more good for the unit than the magic toys.

Hm. It's possible that I "borrowed" the wrong version of the army book. Let me investigate the matter...