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Reading through the High Elves book i'm really loving their magic rules, magic item choices, the models, and so on. Playing with a small but 'full of fireworks' army could be funny. What i'm looking for is a list that really puts to use a lot of magic. I can't imagine this being too viable - it's very risky just because of potential miss-casts, but also because your spells may not be enough to inflict enough damage before you get swamped in melee or whatever. I've had a first crack at designing a list that would be very risky but flagrant, others should give me their thoughts on how to either make this more viable (by dropping some of the magic in favour of more sensible stuff) or even more extreme (by overcharging the magic even more).

- Archmage
- lvl 4
- Book of Hoeth

I could take Teclis instead, who is a sensible choice because of the way he ignores miscasts. Still, he's even more points, so it would mean dropping more stuff from an already very troops-light list. Plus, I don't like his model, and the Archmage is riskier! Special characters aren't really my thing either. I intend this Archmage to go with High Magic, in order to have the most chance at casting the offensive magic my list really needs to do some damage, such as flames of the phoenix - but arrow attraction will really complement the bolt throwers and archers in this list. One thing I love about High Elf magic is the flexibility you get with the choice of 8 lores plus High Magic. You can at least optimise magic for your opponent on the day.

- Mage
- lvl 2
- seerstaff of saphery

This is my anti-knights guy, because the seerstaff can let him go straight for 'the spirit of the forge' from the lore of metal. I'll definately need it against those mobile, hard hitting armies. He'll get access to another Metal spell, many of which serve the same purpose. Still, having this mage allows me to cherry-pick a spell designed to counter the enemy in some very specific way thanks to his extremely handy item.

- Mage
- lvl 2
- Ring of Fury

Having a guy like this lets me blaze away with his ring as well as spells from the lore of fire, to just get some direct damage out - probably drawing a lot of magic defense in the process.

- Noble
- Dragon armour + shield
- Radiant gem of Hoeth

Being both a fighter and a level one mage, he'll take the lore of beasts and go with 'the Bear's anger'. Thanks to the Elf 'always strikes first' rule he should be pretty good in combat with this spell. If desparate, he can also cast it on the other mages if any of them can't avoid combat. The mages will strike first as well of course, so if they kill something in front of them that's less to hit back at them. The extra attacks and strength from the spell could certainly make this possible against rank and file troops. It would give them the point of toughness too!

- 20x Phoenix Guard
- Banner of Sorcery
- full command
- the skeinsliver (+1 to first turn)

I love the idea of this unit, but i'm not sure whether it is the right choice for the list. My reasoning is that they are one of the few choices that can actually take the vital power dice banner, and being stubborn with the +4 ward save they are great defenders. Hiding some characters in this unit would be good. The champion can take the 'skeinsliver' - an item that he can't waste by dying as it affects your chance to get the first turn, something I would quite like to get with a list like this. Nothing like an extra round of magic before the enemy get into combat.

- 20x spearmen w/muso & standard
- 20x spearmen w/muso & standard

Quite a fan of the current HE spearmen, especially since with the Archmage I might have a chance to cast Courage of Aenarion or Shield of Saphery on them. This may give them a few more rounds of always striking first, in 3 ranks.

- 8x silver helms, full command

This is the one part of the list I like the least. There's 8 of them because that's the number you get in a box of silver helms these days? Yes, dragon princes are way better but what can I cut to have the princes instead? Also, all I need to do with this unit is charge something that gets to close to my mage line. Unit strength 16 might be enough to outnumber a target that has been heavily withered down by magic and missile fire.

- 15 Archers

- 2x bolt throwers

Ranged stuff to complement curse of arrow attraction, and the fact that i'm not rushing into combat with the rest of the army. Might not be enough though.

- 1x eagle

I like the eagle, helps for a bit of march block, war machine harass, or running down fleeing troops. I think it's worth having him.

Quite keen to hear the thoughts of others on:

- Uses of spells in other Lores
- Whether to cut a mage in favour of more troops/items
- Whether to cut some mage levels in favour of troops/items
- Whether to use different types of infantry/cavalry to complement the magic

I would drop the archers or a spearmen unit (more than 2 core usually isnt great for HE, as everything else is so much better) and the silver helms for dragon princes.

I also think if you took Teclis you wouldnt need the level 2s on your mages.

Drop the radiant gem and make him a BSB if you are going to use a noble at all. I think the designers intended the radiant gem to be used by people who wanted say a dragon and prince but no mages at all, so they could still have dispell scrolls, but who would pay all those points is beyond me. Just get another mage if you are thinking you need that guy.

And for your final three questions I would say no to all really. You want stuff that just wont die.

Phoenix Guard are not stubborn. White Lions are.

Initial suggestion would be drop 5 archers for a second Great Eagle.

For his points Teclis is just to good to not take in a magic army. yes is more points, but gives same effect as the book, plus has a destroy scroll, ignores the first miscast, and extra d3 magic dice each cast and dispel round and a ld of 10. this backed up by a banner of sourdery and 2 lvl 2 mages, gives a potential 16 casting dice, give one of the mages a silver wand and 2 dispel scrolls and the other the annulian crystal, and you now have a potential 10 dispel dice. 16 casting dice, 12 spells (I usually only go High with teclis, then pick for my lvl 2's depending on foe, usually light and heavens). 3 dispel scrolls (including teclis's) through just 3 charachters. Watch your opponenets face as you have the first magic phase, I imagine its what it has always been like playing Tzeench .

So the army I have come up with is

Teclis

Mage 1 lvl2 annulien crystal
Mage 2 lvl 2 2x dispel scroll, silver wand
Noble, battle std bearer, armour of caldor, guardian phoenix (not 100% on this) 2 handed weapon.

2 X 19 spearmen units, Full command
18x white lions Was 19 dropped two to make up the points, figure 2 chars in this unit (prob one lvl 2 and the bsb)
2x repeater bolt thrower
great eagle

This is a depature for me, My own highelf army has no shooting in it at all, but didnt want to rewrite your list from scratch. if it where me I would drop the repeaters and take anouther unit.

I would take PGs over WLs and put the BSB in them. PGs are so much harder, especially in a huge block. If you want to take lions or swordmasters, put them in 7 wide in one or maybe two ranks.

Teclis really is the best thing for this list, but I don't know if I could sleep at night if I had to use a special character. I really don't want to just on the principle of it.

What I was hoping for is a bit of commentary on the lores of magic. Which overall lores as well as individual spells do people find most effective - narrowed down to a perspective that is from this list: where magic is largely a substitute for trying to win battles with the help of large monsters, combat characters, war machines etc.

I few people I play that use big blocks of knights and other heavily armored troops have come to hate High Elves with lore of metal. That being said if you are going to go magic heavy and use the Book of Hoeth, you really should consider teclis instead. Those extra d3 power dice are huge, but more importantly, to get the best use out of the Book of Hoeth you should really be using 4 dice on each of your big spells, that gives you a great chance at a double, but it also greatly increases the chances of a miscast, something you can't afford with your current Archmage.

Even so, what if you are bound to the rule of no special characters? HE suggestions are all "nono, take Teclis". But I'm yet to encounter tournaments that allow special characters.