# dark elf suggestions



## uber.walter (Jul 13, 2011)

personally, i perfer the corsair over the warior.
for three extra points you get a exta armour save (2 against ranged weapons)
an extra handweapon and a acsess to a better banner.
also you can give them for no extra points a handbow.


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## olderplayer (Dec 11, 2009)

Not necessarily. If you want a smaller unit to act as a screen to BS shooting of S3 or S4, then the corsairs may be better because they get more attacks in the front rank and have a much better armour save to shooting. Similarly, if you put RHBs on them and use corsairs as a smaller (two ranks of shooting) redirect/speed bump unit, you can move them up in range and shoot and, with quick to fire, shoot again when charged and possibly hold up in combat for a turn. 

However, the base stats (M, WS, I, S, T, A) for a spearman are the same as for a corsair. Also, spears cost 4 points less without shields and get an extra rank of attacks with spears. Thus, a unit of spears deep in ranks gets the same number of attacks as a unit of corsairs with the same numbers. Now, increase the number of spearmen by two-thirds (a unit of 18 corsairs costs the same as a unit of 30 spearmen without shields). With the same width, both units get the same number of attacks (corsairs get two attacks in the front rank but spears get an extra rank of supporting attacks) an d both units get hatred in the first round of combat. Also, the corsairs only get a 5+ AS as opposed to a 6+ AS for spearmen to S3 wounds, 6+ AS as compared with no AS for S4 wounds, and no AS to no AS to S5+ wounds in close combat. A lot of magic and shooting by-passes or cuts through the armour save, such that the extra AS benefit of corsairs does nothing or is only slight. While the spearman unit will typically lose more ACR when facing S3 and S4 units, the spearman will retain substantially more ranks and be more likely to remain steadfast and more likely to be able to strike back if facing something with high I or ASF. Against weaker troops (skinks, gnolbars, slaves, clanrats), spearmen and corsairs will kill the same amount and win by large enough ACR that the difference is negiglible. 

Also, spearmen are often used to support a sac dagger castor. With the use of the sac dagger, one would rather kill cheap spearmen than more expensive corsairs. 

The point is this. If you want a smaller unit for flanking, screening and redirecting units and need to fill out you min core requirement, then corsairs are a better choice. If you want a larger unit to take wounds, act as a bubble for a lvl 4 castor with sac dagger, or to serve as a horde to fight extended steadfast combat, then spearmen are superior. One unit of corsairs with the "frenzy banner" can be extremely worthwhile (they won't panic and flee and will take the charge and usually get to strike unless hit by a character or unit with high I or ASF), but beyond that, they are often not worth taking. 

Of course, the best core are repeater crossbowmen with shields.


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## Masked Jackal (Dec 16, 2009)

Looks like olderplayer has gone through most of the key points already. However, a horde of Corsairs can be one of the best recipients for a buff, due to their high number of attacks with SSS. All those S3 attacks become nastier when the enemy is debuffed.


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