Quote from Asur.org rumours thread:

What a pity. if this is true the High Elf book will suck after all. Sounds like someone is still listening to the Bs4 S3 shooting is really effective and must be costed highly brainfart. i remember the time Phil Kelly waxed about the High elf army book in '01, he was speaking about the 'awesome firepower' of the High Elf army. It really sounds like they believe their own propoganda.

A Bs3 S4 crossbowman is better any day, and you get three for two. Oh I forgot, you are paying for the really useful I and Ws of your archer, silly me.  :roll:

15pt infantry, are they T3, do they not have at least 3+ saves. Ok, then they are not worth 15pts. Oh they cause fear. Oh great. Er hold on, when are you actually going to outnumber anyone? Zombies get that and dont run away either, for the price of a goblin. Fear isnt much. 2A, that helps a bit, but three orcs/humans/whatever have 3A between them for the same price, admitedly not all in the same place. Sure your expensive high Elf infantry can be taken in penny packets, but at a special choice each how many one trisk dogs can you afford before you need your slots for something that will actually win battles. Swordmaster 'detachments' can help, stubborn White Lion detachments even more, but I think I will miss infantry blocks with full command. The army will look cheap and tacky and lose its feel.

They want to fix infantry, all they have done is force people to stick with cavalry armies. Cheaper Silver Helms with 3+ save maximum isnt needed. Making them special to force one to take infanty is no fix, you just take the minimum required spearelves and cavalry up from there. It diversifies the army by removing core options not by actually making anything viable.

I really hope this is just a rumour.

Posted By hammerofulric on 09/12/2007 5:50 AM
Doesn't ring true, especially the bit about mounts using slots again. GW have moved away from that in both Empire and Ork books.

Posted By Orlanth on 09/12/2007 5:35 AM

Quote from Asur.org rumours thread:
- 3 kinds of dragons - each has 6T.. stats on 5, 6 and 7; breath weapon S2, S3 and S4 (points about 250, 300 and 370)
- every dragon takes a slot

So if I am interpreting this correctly, dragons count as characters?  That would explain why a dragon taken as a mount would use two hero choices.  It might also lead to the interesting HE army where all characters are dragons... .

What I don't understand is the comment that 'The commander cannot fly on a dragon'.  Was this written by someone who is not a native English speaker?  ([Edit:] probably, based on the 'Phil Kelly in Poland' reference at the bottom of the post.)   Because that sentence makes no sense to me.  Are they saying a commander can take a dragon as a mount, but cannot fly; or are they clumsily trying to say the commander cannot take a dragon as a mount- which, if true, strikes me as a rule stupid in the extreme.

I note there is nothing in this post about the 'six special, four rare' rumor that was bruited about a month or so ago.

And I look forward with interest to Eltharion on a griffon.  I remember the old model with fondness, and always liked the sculpt of the HE griffon better than the Karl Franz griffon.

 Oh, and I am disappointed that the Everqueen didn't make it into the list of special characters.

I think Archers are well priced in the new book, actually. While their firepower won't be amazing, the ASF rules makes them less vulnerable to fast cav, flyers...etc then before. I've seen current HE Archers, supported by the ubiquitous RBTs, buffed by Curse of Arrow Attraction do quite well.

Of all the elite HE, I think White Lions are stupid powerful, actually. 3+ save against shooting, ASF with S6, stubborn?! Throw a character with GW in, and I can't see any non-Fear causing unit (barring Chosen, possibly) chewing through these Elves. Hopefully they kept that banner that makes you immune to Fear and Terror.

<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]-->

I think Swordmasters aren’t bad, either, but White Lions win out due to their better armour vs shooting. If the Swordmasters go 6 wide (or even 7,) that’s at least 13 S5, WS6, ASF attacks raining down on you. Marching 10” across the field, using Fast Cav, Eagles, RBTs to tie up/lessen enemy fire, plus any magic, I think they’re quite viable.

<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]-->

Phoenix Guard are definitely the least shiny choice. Without great hitting ability, large numbers to truly maximize Fear, wasting ASF, you’re still not going to see a lot of them in the new book. 4+ ward save is nice, and may prove to be a dark horse, but on paper the other two choices are simply more appealing.

<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]-->

Posted By Orlanth on 09/13/2007 1:24 AM
I think what this means is.

You have three dragon types for a Prince to ride. each uses an additional hero slot.
You can ride a Warrior Mage on a small Dragon for two hero slots.

The warrior mage is the only hero character able to take a Dragon, a Commander may not.

Warrior Mage is probably an extra hero type added in becuse honours are lost, he is therefore a replacement for Loremaster.

"Table
<2000> +3 to cast for everyone "

Any idea what this means.

"First 5+ -> ward 5+ for an unit within 18''
Third 8+ -> stubborn for an within 12'' "

I think these are replacements for the sucky spells in High Magic. The default spell sounds good now and well worth ghaving. Fortune is fickle is a decent spell, but not needed because of Drain magic, which you always get. This makes High Magic even more versatile.

I can't see that they won't allow commanders to ride dragons as mounts. That would be stupid, also GW have already modelled two very distinct mounted character models. The commander (Lord) in armour and the mage.

Perhaps they means that the Hero choice cannot take a dragon as a mount? If I remember rightly the Elven Hero choice is called a Commander and the the Lord choice a Prince? The distinction being between a general and royalty?