# Starting Dark Elves



## Nacht (Jun 1, 2010)

hey I'm getting into fantasy, I already have the armybook and my plan to start the army is to buy the battalion and a hydra. I have a box of blackguard because I really like them. Is this a good plan to start, or should I wait a little longer to get the hydra and replace it with something else?


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## Akatsuki13 (May 9, 2010)

Don't forget to get a leader for your army. It would also be good to pick up a spellcaster too. As to the Hydra, depends on your army list. I'm not a DE player or have even played against them, so I have little knowledge on their kinds of armies. But monsters do tend to be prime targets for enemy wizards, archers and warmachines so if you do get the hydra then be sure to support it with other units.


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## Masked Jackal (Dec 16, 2009)

Nacht said:


> hey I'm getting into fantasy, I already have the armybook and my plan to start the army is to buy the battalion and a hydra. I have a box of blackguard because I really like them. Is this a good plan to start, or should I wait a little longer to get the hydra and replace it with something else?


This is a good start. Since you already have a box of Black-Guard, buy more to get them up to 20. With the Hydra, you'll have the good start of an army, once you get a Sorceress.

Also, the above posters point is mostly moot since Hydras are cheap and resilient enough to be worth it just to keep that fire off your other units, before they even get their shitton of attacks in. Best to run them in a group of 2 however.


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## blackspine (Jun 9, 2010)

You've got a great start!

Harpies might be a good addition too.

MaskedJackal is well versed in his DE, wise to listen to him.
Hydras are arguably one of the best buys in WHFB. They're tough, nice shooting attack, versatile, great save/regen and easy to fit in most lists.
Good luck!


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## Nacht (Jun 1, 2010)

thanks for the tips, my plan for a lord was to convert one of my blackguard buy giving him a shield and using a plastic arm from the battalion and greenstuff the whip of agony. Then once my next paycheque comes in I'm going to buy the supreme sorceress and more black guard to go along with the lord


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## olderplayer (Dec 11, 2009)

Dark Elves are an excellent army to start and learn with due to having the ability to play all phases of the game, good magic, good shooting, some decent combat, interesting special units. Right now, dark elves are close to or at the top tier in our area in Indy GT's in the US (along with Lizardmen, Skaven, Daemons of Chaos with Warriors of Chaos being close but just behind those armies at 2500). Basically, to play at 2500 to 2750 and have options, here is what I have and a base to play interesting options and vary your army:

CHARACTERS:

Dreadlord:
1 dreadlord on foot with options for whip of agony and great weapon (soul render is cheap and very good if you are willing to strike last with the pendant of k. protection).
1 dreadlord on a cold one with options for whip and lance and sword
1 dreadlord on peg with options for lance and whip and sword
(because of the value of the cloak, I often use the malus darkblade model to mount and magnetize so that the peg and cold one mounts can be used alternatively; the cold one mount gives an extra armour save and has benefits in a cold one unit with ASF banner)

Master
one of foot with options for BSB, great weapon, bestmaster's scourge (cheap cost for +1 Attack and AP), and sword
one for mounting with lance, scourge, or sword on either dark steed, cold one or peg (magentize so that you can switch out) 
(again, I often use the Malus darkblade model as a starting point for the mounted master; a master on peg with cloak of Hag Grief and Ring of Hotek is a very useful model for hunting war machines, lone characters, weak skirmishers, and interfering with enemy magic-heavy armies like Lizardmen, high elves, etc.)

Supreme Sorceress
1 lvl 4 on foot (start with one on foot to run with spearmen or repeater crossbowmen for the sac dagger)
1 lvl 4 on dark steed (never put on cold one due to stupidity and inability to flee)

up to 2 lvl 2's on foot (usually I only play a lvl 4 or one lvl 4 and one lvl 2 but occassionally I use two lvl 2's and no lvl 4)
up to 2 lvl 2's on dark steeds

1 cauldron of blood with death hag and two hags (very commonly used as the BSB and to buff key units; make witch elves within range stubborn which is critical)

CORE:

7+ dark riders (with crossbows, one musician, maybe one champ; fast cav and vanguard move makes this a very effective unit for harrassment, flanking, running down cheap skirmisher units, and bait and fleeing, even if it sometimes gets shot up, often able to avoid losing unit by fleeing and avoiding shooting and magic late in game) 

min 30 to 40 spearmen (full command options, often used with lvl 4 for sac dagger, usually leave off shields as not worthwhile)

30 to 40 repeater crossbowmen (music, no champ, no banner, shields are usually worthwhile due to extra AS and parry save) (RXBs are the best points value for the money due to the ability to multi-shoot with decent BS and still fight and hold temporariliy)

(optional): 20 to 30 corsairs (with RHBs or two handweapons and full command options) (Good for screening, but shooting is very short range but can shoot and stand and shoot for two rounds of shooting before combat, can tear up T3 and lower AS units; I find the RHBs to be more effective in 8th edition, but some like the two handweapons, only one unit with the frenzy banner is the common option)

min 6 and ideally 12 harpies (often essential for war machine hunting but low leadership makes them often panic and flle unless kept close to general and/or BSB)

min 6 and ideally 12 shades (important for dealing with war machines and countering enemy skirmishers and fast cav; scout ability and high shooting accuracy with march and shoot ability of skirmishers makes this an important special unit; steadfast if in certain terrain)

7 to 10 cold one knights including one musician, one standard bearer and one champion (often do not play champ) (commonly used Banner of Hag Grief for always strike first and run the dreadlord and possibly a master with them; hard hitting unit that often needs the dreadlord with pendant of K. and crown of command to be effective; 2+ AS and T3 makes this unit often vulnerable to being killed but can often kills so much with the ASF and dreadlord, especially with the dreadlord killing characters, that it can be well worth playing)

min 30 witch elves (banner and musics optons, a witch elf horde with a cauldron of blood is a really good choice)

20 black guard full command (max unit size is 20, will usually only run one unit; size limit hurts effectiveness in 8th edition, expect enemy to focus shooting and magic on this unit)

2 hydras (at least one hydra is a must, vulnerable to certain cannons and flaming shooting and magic but one of the best monsters in the game)

2 to 4 repeater bolt throwers (not played nearly as much in 8th edition, so focus on later)


While I strongly support the idea of support the local gaming store (our store gives us a competitive discount of 25% off list, so I try to use them unless a bargain is on e-bay), I'd also recommend looking on e-bay and the on-line stores (typically 20% off list but shipping costs) as there are often bargains and one can assemble the bits once one has a base of an army for 25% to 50% off (don't get suckered into bidding up to retail and pay attention to shipping costs). The best deals are when someone started an army and is trying to sell an entire army or parts of an army (buy at a discount recognizing that you may get some models you do not want or need and too many models, so plan to re-sell excesses). 

Witch elves and black guard are expensive due to metal and small boxes, so one might try running only black guard and cold one knights (plastic kits) for now. Also, some of the stuff needs to be modified to be properly used with the best character set-ups. For example, I often buy an older peg (even a brettonian or empire peg and buy dark peg wings) and build it as a mount or buy the Morathi model and modify the peg to be mounted. The dreadlord on cold one model is dedicated, so some use the Malus Darkblade model and mount his alternatively on a dark steed, cold one mount (for the kit), or a modified peg.


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## Masked Jackal (Dec 16, 2009)

The above post has it pretty good. As an addon, you can use Wood Elf models for some conversions, especially if you keep the handbows from the Corsair kits. A common conversion for Harpies is to use Daemonettes and wings from another kit.


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## Flindo (Oct 30, 2010)

great choice, dark elves are one of the more elite armys.


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