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Rule wise, which is the strongest caster in the game? I know there are plenty different options which is why I wasn't going to make a poll. Grey seer with warp tokens? Slaan mage priest? High elf arch mage? Just a question I was pondering over and I wondered what you guys thought. I think most defensive caster is the slaan.

Morathi is the best at casting. A static +4 with +D3 per spell means she's at minimum +5, and at maximum +7.

For Dark Magic she goes to a minimum of +6 to a maximum of +8

Arkhan in TK or Nagash in UL both get pretty strong. Each start at a 5+ to cast, then you add in a casket for D3 power dice, and a hierotitan for +d3 casting value.

Defensive? as far as being able to stop magic? LVL4 lord of change with Aura of Disruption and Wand of Whimsy. Need some luck to get that though, but when you do. Opponents either miscast a lot of or give you lots of rolls on the wand.

Base? Dark Ravager has it on the head. At best? Nagash by far. When making use of a Hierotitian and a Casket of Souls, he will dominate the magic phase. Every Magic Phase he gets D3 extra power dice, he casts at +5+D3 when within 12 of the Hierotitian and summoning spells cast by him summon triple the points-worth at triple the range.

Although, all this will cost your roughly 1200pts, so it had better be that good!

I'd 2nd Dark Avenger. Independently Morathi is a beast. Allarielle in a unit with the Banner of Averlorn is pretty filthy as well. 8+ to cast spells, but only from the Lore of Life or Light, which are less useful lores in general for elves than Death or Shadow.

If we want to go for other elements added.

IIRC, A vamp lord level 4 with Dark Acolyte within Hierotitan range casts a spell who's name escapes me at 4+D3+D3.

Solo: Morathi on dark. 4+d3+1

With benefits: Nagash on vampires 5+d3+2 (Mortis engine + Hierotitan), plus he still has access to light, death & nehekara

With khaine Magic: Kairos, He gets everything

 thedarkavenger wrote:
If we want to go for other elements added.

IIRC, A vamp lord level 4 with Dark Acolyte within Hierotitan range casts a spell who's name escapes me at 4+D3+D3.

With a mortis engine and hierotitan, and book of asur, you're casting at 7+D3 and invoke at another D3.
With a corpse cart, you're dispelling at +5 with opponents casting at -1.

-Matt

From the bonus to cast Teclis using High Magic in a unit with the Banner of Averlorn is at +10.

WIth Khaine magic, the best caster becomes anyone with loremaster.

Take Mannfred. The VC version.

He's better at invoking than Nagash. He casts it on one dice needing a 3. If he rolls the 1/2, he rerolls due to loremaster. Your opponent will run out of dice before you do.

alex87 wrote:
I'd 2nd Dark Avenger. Independently Morathi is a beast. Allarielle in a unit with the Banner of Averlorn is pretty filthy as well. 8+ to cast spells, but only from the Lore of Life or Light, which are less useful lores in general for elves than Death or Shadow.

It's not exactly weaker or 'less useful', it's simply a much more defensive way to dominate through magic...

If you're running Queenie + her banner, then it's almost a guarantee that you're running a gunline army. Add in a Frostie alongside the mandatory Lions w/BotWD + PG, and between the high ward saves combined with +8 to-cast the bubble versions of Pha's & Speed of Light, nothing short of the instant kill spells will reliably scratch those units. (at worst you get hit on 5's in combat!)

Fateweaver, may not be the best caster but in tournament regards being able to pick your spells before the game begins is good, very good. Of course now, if you play khaine magic rules he knows every spell from the BRB plus loremaster of tzeentch.

The casting bonus is a lesser consideration to miscast mitigation and dice efficiency

IMHO the strongest caster is the one that brings the most extra power dice or can best survive Irresistable Force.

Who exactly that is I cannot say as I am behind the times with regards to most army books.

 Orlanth wrote:
The casting bonus is a lesser consideration to miscast mitigation and dice efficiency

IMHO the strongest caster is the one that brings the most extra power dice or can best survive Irresistable Force.

Who exactly that is I cannot say as I am behind the times with regards to most army books.

You're confusing best and strongest caster.

The best caster is the one who can cast well and deal with the miscasts.

The strongest is the one who can force through most spells without irresistabling.

In a bubble, with a set casting value and number of dice, it's Morathi.