This week Lange and Ward chat about the new Dark Elf armybook and all it’s new-fangled glory. What new units stand out and what units have become obsolete in this new edition? Will you want to take anything more than Repeater Crossbows? Listen and find out! Also, more about Star Trek: Attack Wing and a follow up regarding nudity in models.
[WARNING! Jaded Gamercast is meant for an adult audience. We ask that all listeners be at least 18 years of age or have their parents permission before listening.]
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Jaded Gamercast 
Good thoughts on Malus, I haven’t looked at him yet, he’s getting a second look today.
The Death Hag’s witch brew also gives -3 Ld to restrain the frenzy charge, that’s a big downfall.
I won’t likely be taking her.
Crossbows? As the main core? I think you’ll see more Witch’s or Corsairs. Corsairs are my choice for best core infantry. Dark riders are the best unit in core 4+ armour with crossbows on fast cav, but I’ll only run 2 units of dark riders.
Blackguard changes made me sad.
Shades are fantastic! Now with ASF, GW shades are pretty good. BS 5 is also really good.
Harpies lost their most important rule, the one that said Dark Elves don’t panic when harpies died. Made them awesome redirectors/speed bumps. Now they are just plain bad.
Did the Hydra base get bigger? What size is it now?
Warlocks won the book. I think you will see them in EVERY list. But only in units of 5 or 6.
The do NOT have Hakarti’s blessing so they are raw dogging the doombolts. Run them with a level 1 or 2 sorceress on steed (dark steeds give characters fast cav now) Doombolt and soulblights from fast cav on the flank with maybe a dark rider escort is good. 4++ helps too.
Really you like the sisters? How do you propose to keep them alive long enough to get across the board? They have NO saves at all!
Cloak of twilight on a monster hunting master on steed or Pegasus is pretty good too.
I think you are too optimistic on the magic items. The cloak and tome are good, the amulet and dagger are okay. Chillblade is too expensive and everything else is either situational or just junk.
I think it will be a great book!
Seems a lot of people are all about the warlocks, I will probably give them a second look before next weeks episode. As for core, I agree that Corsairs and witches are good choices. However I lean toward crossbows since that are a decent cost for a 5+ & parry, as opposed to the extra attack. Witches are awesome in combat, but maybe I just love the utility of the repeater crossbow.
I love the chill blade!!
My problem with the chillblade is that it takes up a masters magic items completely, leaving him no defensive items, and why would a dreadlord take it over say the ogreblade or giantblade?
Because with ASF, High Init, and a good amount of attacks, you are pretty much guaranteed 4 wounds with a Dreadlord. I love the -3 attacks, that will keep your character alive a lot longer than defensive items. Black Dragon Egg or Potion of Strength on that turn if you are really worked about your opponent making every save. However, keep in mind that I really only see using DE Dreadlords/Masters mounted on a Cold One with a Cloak and heavy armor in a unit of Cold One Knights with a Razor Standard. So defensive items would really only amount to re-rolls or ward saves.
That said, I like Malus Darkblade more.
I think some of the unit entries are kinda of pointless. But overall its a pretty solid book. I can see repeater crossbows, handbows, bolthrowers, etc aka dark elf gunline being viable, but only if you take Lore of Shadow and have lots of re-directors to increase shooting time. The reduced toughness is necessary for strength 3 to be a viable damage output, seeing as most armies are tough 4. Also, once combat is engaged, your 20man crossbow unit buffed with occams can still crush people, especially now they have asf and rerolls of 1 to wound. That is pretty much a 100% kill rate in CC.
Hey man. Late reply. I was directed to the show from the Druchii.net community. Debating the value of units aside, I do think there’s a few tactics where I doubted the legality of:
– Repeater crossbows in a horde formation fight in 3 ranks. They do not shoot in 3 ranks. A Horde formation does not grant that bonus to shooting.
– Sticking a BSB with Armor Piercing banner in an RXB unit will not stack up Armor Piercing again. Armor Piercing is a special rule, and as such doesn’t stack “unless specified differently”.
– The RXBs are 12 points, but they still cost an additional point for the shield that gives them the 5+ armour save and the 6+ ward in close combat. That’s 13 points per model total, not 12.
A side note: Dark Riders are 1 point cheaper, but their crossbows are 2 points cheaper. This means they come in at 19 points per model with the same configuration compared to the previous book’s 22 points. For 20 points, they now get a shield. So that’s a pretty big improvement.
Another remark was that “there’s only 1 banner usable for core”. In the previous book there were 3 banners of interest. At first glance, it looks like there will be 4 this time around:
– Gleaming pennant is excellent for a RXB unit that you plan to keep in the back while your BSB and General are in the front. Depends, of course, as it’s also a good banner for Cold One Knights.
– Banner of the Eternal Flame, for obvious reasons stated
– Standard of Discipline, which would give your Supreme Sorceress general Ld 10. That’s an interesting move if you plan to play without Dreadlord or are planning to send him far away.
– Last but not least, the armour piercing banner, though this one would be fit for the Witch Elves only.
Other than that, an enjoyable show but I’d value the units quite differently. Perhaps our meta game differs a lot 🙂
Good luck with the show.