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.

Dreadlord (Black Dragon/Pendant of Kaeleth/Armor of Darkness/Crimson Death)

Sorceress (Level 2/Dispel Scroll/Lore of Shadows)
Sorceress (Level 1/Feedback Scroll/Lore of Shadows)
Death Hag (Cauldron of Blood/BSB)

38 Corsairs (Musician/Sea Serpent Standard)
10 Spearmen (Shield/Standard Bearer)
10 Spearmen (Shield/Standard Bearer)
5 Dark Riders (Herald)
5 Dark Riders (Herald)

Hydra
Hydra


I am a 40K player who dabbles casually in fantasy. I am playing in a GT next weekend and submitted this as my list. I took the models I liked (Dragon/Corsairs/Hydras) and built a list to feature them.

My thoughts are that magic and COB boost the Corsairs while the dragon and hydras distract and flank units. The riders will focus on warmachines and the small warrior units will be my magic bunkers.

Since my list is already turned in I can't change it, so what I am looking for is any tactical notes you can suggest or things that I should look out for with this list.

Thanks!

I don't see the lord doing well in a GT, due to the unknown amount of cannons. I took a dragon in casual games for a while and it gave up points in most games, but your meta may be different to mine. As he is, the gear you gave him isn't optimal. As if it becomes a grind he will lose, the best way around this is giving him the crown of command. Any DE list needs a shadow magic on a level 4. The standard build for that is level 4, lifetaker, sacrificial dagger. If you have a level 4 shadow mage you only need 30 corsairs. As for the dark riders, harpies can do their job cheaper, thus allowing you to get a unit of shades. Drop a hydra. Dual hydras work well in a target saturation list, but can be effective. You are already forcing your opponent to choose which monster to fire their warmachines at, all you need to trim it off is the CoK fun bus.

I disagree with dropping a hydra, for 175 they are the best rare choice in the game, if not they are in the top 3. The dark riders arent so bad, but very expensive for what they are. Maybe since you are taking 40 corsairs, and they have frenzy, get a bsb with them for hydra banner for even more attacks and make them an infantry blender. The dragon will do ok depending, since all flying cav is fast cav you can probably get him into something important easily on your 2nd turn provided cannons haven't killed him yet. You can survive as DE's with a level 2 sorceress, however i dont see any point to a lvl 1 other than a scroll caddy. Atleast with dark elf magic at this point you can roll to generate additional power dice, and use them to cast what ever spell you got from the single roll. The 2 blocks of spearmen are just too small to do anything. They will be dead on the first turn if your opponent has any archers. Spearmen under a block of 20 won't be effective since you need atleast 15 to utilize their gear, and the 20 comes in with taking some casualties, also at 10 men, you only need to have 4 die to test panic, with t3 save 5+, both units will be testing the first turn, if not your dark riders will be getting shot up and eliminated.

I say drop the hydra due to the undoubted presence of empire and dwarves in a GT scenario. Those hydras will likely give away points. Plus if he drops one, he can get shades which are far better. As for the dragon lord, a peg will do better. The cannon will still wound on 2s but a peg will provide less of a target and if one is fighting dwarves it can fly over and fit in smaller places. You don't want a BSB with the hydra banner, the CoB is the best BSB option we have in the book. There are very few times I will take anything other BSB. One is the 50 Executioner horde and the other is the CoK bus.

As for meta, it is an 86 player event, seven are registered as empire and six as dwarves. So luckily not a ton in regard to high cannon armies.

With the dark riders vanguard move wouldn't they engage warmachines much faster than harpies?

In my other games (only four including a small tournament) no one targeted the magic bunkers. Between the other threats and the fact that the BSB is right there for rerolls don't you feel they will be reliably safe?

With this list and lists like it what tactics would you suggest?

Crossbows would be infinitely more useful bunkers instead of having models sitting there doing nothing other than dying.

2 Hydras will get you hit on comp scores or sportsmanship depending on your opponents.

I wouldn't run this army, but my play style may be quite different from yours.

I think this list relies too heavily on the dragon as being the main points earner, which a single cannon shot can make go away.

If I were going up against this army this would be my strategy:
kill the dragon, tarpit the hydras, aoe the corsairs. With those 3 things done there is nothing left in the army to worry about.

An update for everyone who commented. I went 3-2, and was tied in19th out of 80 in battlepoints. All three of my wins were 20-0 massacres. I really feel that this list with a few minor changes can take on any other army, especially as I learned how these units interacted on the table.

Cheers!